Making a new deal

The book explores how industrial workers, who were largely powerless in the 1910s, became politically active by the 1930s.

It delves into their daily choices, such as attending ethnic benefit society meetings or shopping in local stores, which ultimately had political significance.

As the Great Depression worsened, workers adopted new ideological perspectives and overcame divisions to mount collective action, transforming them into New Deal Democrats and CIO unionists.

The book is based on Cohen's dissertation and provides a detailed analysis of the workers' experiences in Chicago during this period.