Ours Was the Shining Future

This book traces the rise and fall of the American Dream, focusing on how democratic capitalism flourished in the mid-20th century to make the dream possible, only to be corrupted in the latter decades to serve the privileged few.

Leonhardt examines the economic changes, labor laws, and government policies that contributed to this shift.

He critiques both the right's championing of corporate greed and the left's abandonment of working-class issues, highlighting key figures and grassroots movements that shaped the American dream.

The narrative is rich in innovation, grit, and hope, offering a diagnosis of America's socioeconomic malaise and suggesting ways to revive the dream through public investment, collective bargaining, and civic activism.