Revitalizing Governance, Restoring Prosperity, and Restructuring Foreign Affairs: The Pathway to Renaissance America

The American people generally perceive that the United States is headed in “the wrong direction,” US influence worldwide is waning, Capitol Hill is not adequately representing the public’s interests, and their personal economic wellbeing is in jeopardy. This book squarely tackles the list of “fault lines” currently facing the United States, including, among others, Beltway dysfunctionalism, concentrated wealth and income not seen since the late 1920s, an ultra-expensive and inefficient health-care system, runaway entitlement spending, stagnant upward mobility, debilitating “crony capitalism,” and incoherent foreign policy. Even more importantly, the book offers explicit policy recommendations for solving each fault line, relying extensively on “best practices” in the public and private sectors both at home and abroad. Moreover, the author emphasizes that the United States is entering a special period which provides it with advantages not found anywhere else in the world—a major energy boom, favorable demographics, unparalleled high-technology innovation, huge inward investment flows from abroad, the revival of its manufacturing sector, and its magnetism in attracting to its shores the very best and brightest from around the world. Dr. Fry asserts that it is quite reasonable to assume that the United States will enter a “Renaissance America” period by 2030. Doing so, however, will require painful short-term sacrifices, major policy changes, and the restoration of vibrant representative government. In effect, the American people must overwhelmingly embrace Abraham Lincoln’s vision of governance “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: America’s Quest to Remain a Superpower and to Provide an Exceptional Quality of Life for Its Citizens Chapter 2: America on the Brink—Corrosive Government Practices in “Versailles on the Potomac” Chapter 3: The Erratic Efforts of the U.S. Federal System to Cope with Entitlements and Health Care Chapter 4: The American Dream in Question: Major Societal Cleavages Chapter 5: In Search of a Coherent Foreign and Defense Policy Chapter 6: Upward or Downward Trajectory? The U.S. in the UnchartedWaters of Globalization, Technology Change, and Creative Destruction Chapter 7: Solutions to Governance Problems Chapter 8: Leveraging U.S. Strengths to Enhance International Competitiveness and the Individual’s Quality of Life Chapter 9: Life in Renaissance America and the World Surrounding It, 2030

About the Author :
Earl H. Fry is professor of political science and Endowed Professor of Canadian Studies at Brigham Young University.

Review :
With Earl Fry we never lose our time. Clear, factual, and analytical. This book is about big questions and important answers. A must read. This book is beneficial because of its breadth—topics including foreign and defense policy, education, healthcare, and infrastructure—as well as an approach that highlights best practices garnered from a synthesis of the scholarly literature, public policy reports by practitioners, and Earl Fry’s own research. As an expert on intergovernmental relations, Fry calls for renewal at the local, state, and national levels of American government. This book should be of interest to anyone displeased with the current climate in Washington, D.C., as well as those who want to rebuild U.S. competitiveness in the globalized world. At a time when many pundits are either naively optimistic or dyspeptically pessimistic about the future of the United States, Earl Fry is a refreshing contrast. He frankly acknowledges America’s challenges but offers a way forward. Let the American Renaissance begin!