This collection of thoughtful and timely essays offers refreshing and intelligent new perspectives on postwar American liberalism. Sophisticated yet accessible, Making Sense of American Liberalism challenges popular myths about liberalism in the United States. The volume presents the Democratic Party and liberal reform efforts such as civil rights, feminism, labor, and environmentalism as a more united, more radical force than has been depicted in scholarship and the media emphasizing the decline and disunity of the left. Distinguished contributors assess the problems liberals have confronted in the twentieth century, examine their strategies for reform, and chart the successes and potential for future liberal reform. Contributors are Anthony J. Badger, Jonathan Bell, Lizabeth Cohen, Susan Hartmann, Ella Howard, Bruce Miroff, Nelson Lichtenstein, Doug Rossinow, Timothy Stanley, and Timothy Thurber.

Say goodbye to boring history readings. Through colorful anecdotes, first-person quotations and the authors' signature wit, Kennedy/Cohen/O'Mara/Piehl's THE BRIEF AMERICAN PAGEANT: A HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC has earned the reputation as one of the most popular, effective and entertaining U.S. history texts. Its concise and vivid chronological narrative focuses on the central themes and great public debates that have dominated American history. The 10th edition provides expanded emphasis on the international context of numerous developments in U.S. history, Native American history, Black historical figures, the Roaring '20s, post-World War II movements for racial justice, privacy issues in the digital age and more. In addition, a variety of study tools help maximize your success -- including MindTap's anywhere, anytime digital learning solutions.

Say goodbye to boring history readings. Through colorful anecdotes, first-person quotations and the authors' signature wit, Kennedy/Cohen/O'Mara/Piehl's THE BRIEF AMERICAN PAGEANT: A HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC has earned the reputation as one of the most popular, effective and entertaining U.S. history texts. Its concise and vivid chronological narrative focuses on the central themes and great public debates that have dominated American history. The 10th edition provides expanded emphasis on the international context of numerous developments in U.S. history, Native American history, Black historical figures, the Roaring '20s, post-World War II movements for racial justice, privacy issues in the digital age and more. In addition, a variety of study tools help maximize your success -- including MindTap's anywhere, anytime digital learning solutions.

You may not think that a history book could make you laugh, but THE AMERICAN PAGEANT just might. It's known for being one of the most popular, effective and entertaining texts on American history. Colorful anecdotes, first-person quotations and the authors' trademark wit bring history to life. Learning aids make the book as accessible as it is enjoyable: part openers and chapter-ending chronologies provide a context for the major periods in American history, while primary sources and introductions to key historical figures give you a front row seat to the nation's past.

This book examines how it was possible and what it meant for ordinary factory workers to become effective unionists and national political participants by the mid-1930s. We follow Chicago workers as they make choices about whether to attend ethnic benefit society meetings or to go to the movies, whether to shop in local neighborhood stores or patronize the new A & P. Although workers may not have been political in traditional terms during the '20s, as they made daily decisions like these, they declared their loyalty in ways that would ultimately have political significance. As the depression worsened in the 1930s, not only did workers find their pay and working hours cut or eliminated, but the survival strategies they had developed during the 1920s were undermined. Looking elsewhere for help, workers adopted new ideological perspectives and overcame longstanding divisions among themselves to mount new kinds of collective action. Chicago workers' experiences as citizens, ethnics and blacks, wage earners and consumers all converged to make them into New Deal Democrats and CIO unionists. First printed in 1990, Making a New Deal has become an established classic in American History. The second edition includes a new preface by Lizabeth Cohen.

You may not think that a history book could make you laugh, but THE AMERICAN PAGEANT just might. It's known for being one of the most popular, effective and entertaining texts on American history. Colorful anecdotes, first-person quotations and the authors' trademark wit bring history to life. Learning aids make the book as accessible as it is enjoyable: part openers and chapter-ending chronologies provide a context for the major periods in American history, while primary sources and introductions to key historical figures give you a front row seat to the nation's past.

The three decades after World War II are often heralded as a “Golden Era” of American affluence. But as Lizabeth Cohen makes clear, the pursuit of prosperity defined much more than the nation’s economy; it also became a basic component of American citizenship. Consumers were encouraged to buy not just for themselves, but for the good of the nation.

After a decade and a half of hard times resulting from the Great Depression and the war, the embrace of mass consumption, with its supposed far-reaching benefits—greater freedom, democracy, and equality—transformed American life. The extensive suburbanization of metropolitan areas (propelled by such government policies as the GI Bill), the shift from downtowns to shopping centers, and the advent of targeted marketing all fueled the consumer economy, but also sharpened divisions among Americans along gender, class, and racial lines. At the same time, mass consumption changed American politics, inspiring new forms of political activism through the civil rights and consumer movements and prompting politicians to apply the latest marketing strategies to their political campaigns.

Cohen traces the legacy of the “Consumers’ Republic” into our time, demonstrating how it has reshaped our relationship to government itself, with Americans increasingly judging public services—as if one more purchased good—by the personal benefits they derive from them.

Brilliantly researched and reasoned, A Consumers’ Republic is a starkly illuminating social and political history.


From the Hardcover edition.

This book examines how it was possible and what it meant for ordinary factory workers to become effective unionists and national political participants by the mid-1930s. We follow Chicago workers as they make choices about whether to attend ethnic benefit society meetings or to go to the movies, whether to shop in local neighborhood stores or patronize the new A & P. As they made daily decisions like these, they declared their loyalty in ways that would ultimately have political significance. When the depression worsened in the 1930s, workers adopted new ideological perspectives and overcame longstanding divisions among themselves to mount new kinds of collective action. Chicago workers' experiences all converged to make them into New Deal Democrats and CIO unionists. First printed in 1990, Making a New Deal has become an established classic in American history. The second edition includes a new preface by Lizabeth Cohen.

This collection of thoughtful and timely essays offers refreshing and intelligent new perspectives on postwar American liberalism. Sophisticated yet accessible, Making Sense of American Liberalism challenges popular myths about liberalism in the United States. The volume presents the Democratic Party and liberal reform efforts such as civil rights, feminism, labor, and environmentalism as a more united, more radical force than has been depicted in scholarship and the media emphasizing the decline and disunity of the left. Distinguished contributors assess the problems liberals have confronted in the twentieth century, examine their strategies for reform, and chart the successes and potential for future liberal reform. Contributors are Anthony J. Badger, Jonathan Bell, Lizabeth Cohen, Susan Hartmann, Ella Howard, Bruce Miroff, Nelson Lichtenstein, Doug Rossinow, Timothy Stanley, and Timothy Thurber.

THE AMERICAN PAGEANT enjoys a reputation as one of the most popular, effective, and entertaining texts in American history. The colorful anecdotes, first-person quotations, and trademark wit bring American history to life. A new feature, "Contending Voices," offers paired quotes from original historical sources, accompanied by questions that prompt you to think about conflicting perspectives on controversial subjects. Additional aids make the book as accessible as it is enjoyable: part openers and chapter-ending chronologies provide a context for the major periods in American history, while other features present primary sources, scholarly debates, and key historical figures for analysis.

If you think American history can't be entertaining, think again. THE BRIEF AMERICAN PAGEANT presents a concise and vivid chronological narrative, focusing on the central themes and great public debates that have dominated American history. Colorful anecdotes, first-person quotations, and the text's trademark wit keep you engaged and make learning America's history an exciting and lively experience. Focus questions, chapter outlines and summaries, and marginal glossaries ensure that you understand and retain the material.

If you think American history can't be entertaining, think again. THE BRIEF AMERICAN PAGEANT presents a concise and vivid chronological narrative, focusing on the central themes and great public debates that have dominated American history. Colorful anecdotes, first-person quotations, and the text's trademark wit keep you engaged and make learning America's history an exciting and lively experience. Focus questions, chapter outlines and summaries, and marginal glossaries ensure that you understand and retain the material.

Say goodbye to boring history readings. Through colorful anecdotes, first-person quotations and the authors' signature wit, Kennedy/Cohen/O'Mara/Piehl's THE BRIEF AMERICAN PAGEANT: A HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC has earned the reputation as one of the most popular, effective and entertaining U.S. history texts. Its concise and vivid chronological narrative focuses on the central themes and great public debates that have dominated American history. The 10th edition provides expanded emphasis on the international context of numerous developments in U.S. history, Native American history, Black historical figures, the Roaring '20s, post-World War II movements for racial justice, privacy issues in the digital age and more. In addition, a variety of study tools help maximize your success -- including MindTap's anywhere, anytime digital learning solutions.

You may not think that a history book could make you laugh, but THE AMERICAN PAGEANT just might. It's known for being one of the most popular, effective and entertaining texts on American history. Colorful anecdotes, first-person quotations and the authors' trademark wit bring history to life. Learning aids make the book as accessible as it is enjoyable: part openers and chapter-ending chronologies provide a context for the major periods in American history, while primary sources and introductions to key historical figures give you a front row seat to the nation's past.

THE AMERICAN PAGEANT enjoys a reputation as one of the most popular, effective, and entertaining texts in American history. The colorful anecdotes, first-person quotations, and trademark wit bring American history to life. A new feature, "Contending Voices," offers paired quotes from original historical sources, accompanied by questions that prompt you to think about conflicting perspectives on controversial subjects. Additional aids make the book as accessible as it is enjoyable: part openers and chapter-ending chronologies provide a context for the major periods in American history, while other features present primary sources, scholarly debates, and key historical figures for analysis.