Review of cluster of books about America's renewal (a buzz topic) in FT:
- "The Next American Economy," by William Holstein
- "The Comeback," by Gary Shapiro
- "Make It In America," by Andrew Liveris, and
- "Advantage," by Adam Segal.
Ed Crooks, the reviewer, boils them down to the following consensus:
- Improve public education,
- Develop alternatives to oil,
- Simplify the tax system,
- Strengthen broadband connections,
- Rebuild infrastructure, and
- Keep immigration open.
Not rocket science. Besides the new bit on oil (which makes sense environmentally but does not for all the usual let's-avoid-wars-nonsense), all are very "American System"-like, meaning they're tricks we've used throughout our history - going all the way back to Hamilton and Clay. Always the focus on widespread education, keeping government from becoming too onerous, infrastructure and comms to unite a growing continental economy, and let newcomers in.
This is basically who we are and have been. Getting good again is just becoming ourselves again.