A collection of articles covering the economic history of the US over the last 50 years. It is selective in its coverage of important issues not often treated historically, such as the economics of medical care and the educational system.

This unique volume offers a definitive new history of European economies at war from 1914 to 1918. It studies how European economies mobilised for war, how existing economic institutions stood up under the strain, how economic development influenced outcomes and how wartime experience influenced post-war economic growth. Leading international experts provide the first systematic comparison of economies at war between 1914 and 1918 based on the best available data for Britain, Germany, France, Russia, the USA, Italy, Turkey, Austria-Hungary and the Netherlands. The editors' overview draws some stark lessons about the role of economic development, the importance of markets and the damage done by nationalism and protectionism. A companion volume to the acclaimed The Economics of World War II, this is a major contribution to our understanding of total war.

Since 1945 the US economy has evolved from an expanding consumer society in which affluence was more widely distributed than ever before. Mike French's volume examines the principal economic developments and social changes in the US since 1945, including those in business, regional dynamics, protest movements, and population distribution. Social movements based on the civil rights demands of African-Americans, ethnic minorities, and women are also examined. The elements of continuity to pre-1945 trends and the points of departure, notably in the post-1970 period, are discussed to provide a more complete examination than previously available.

This book examines a decade of crucial importance in American economic history by studying its significant developments: the dampening of the business cycle, the uneven pace of economic growth, technological breakthroughs and their impact on investment, shifts in the U. S. balance of payments, and the phenomenon of an abundant society plauged with pockets of poverty.

Controlling inflation is among the most important objectives of economic policy. By maintaining price stability, policy makers are able to reduce uncertainty, improve price-monitoring mechanisms, and facilitate more efficient planning and allocation of resources, thereby raising productivity. This volume focuses on understanding the causes of the Great Inflation of the 1970s and ’80s, which saw rising inflation in many nations, and which propelled interest rates across the developing world into the double digits. In the decades since, the immediate cause of the period’s rise in inflation has been the subject of considerable debate. Among the areas of contention are the role of monetary policy in driving inflation and the implications this had both for policy design and for evaluating the performance of those who set the policy. Here, contributors map monetary policy from the 1960s to the present, shedding light on the ways in which the lessons of the Great Inflation were absorbed and applied to today’s global and increasingly complex economic environment.

World War II forced a restructuring of the American economy that was particularly visible in the West, which depression-bound and dependent in 1940, by 1945 had spawned a mushrooming manufacturing complex, a bustling service economy, and a multitude of aerospace, electronic, and science-oriented industries that heralded a new phase of economic development. Nash (history, U. of New Mexico) analyzes the events and changes, and draws out the implications for contemporary America. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

During World War II, the United States helped vanquish the Axis powers by converting its enormous economic capacities into military might. Producing nearly two-thirds of all the munitions used by Allied forces, American industry became what President Franklin D. Roosevelt called "the arsenal of democracy." Crucial in this effort were business leaders. Some of these captains of industry went to Washington to coordinate the mobilization, while others led their companies to churn out weapons. In this way, the private sector won the war—or so the story goes. Based on new research in business and military archives, Destructive Creation shows that the enormous mobilization effort relied not only on the capacities of private companies but also on massive public investment and robust government regulation. This public-private partnership involved plenty of government-business cooperation, but it also generated antagonism in the American business community that had lasting repercussions for American politics. Many business leaders, still engaged in political battles against the New Deal, regarded the wartime government as an overreaching regulator and a threatening rival. In response, they mounted an aggressive campaign that touted the achievements of for-profit firms while dismissing the value of public-sector contributions. This probusiness story about mobilization was a political success, not just during the war, but afterward, as it shaped reconversion policy and the transformation of the American military-industrial complex. Offering a groundbreaking account of the inner workings of the "arsenal of democracy," Destructive Creation also suggests how the struggle to define its heroes and villains has continued to shape economic and political development to the present day.