"Be prepared for a mind-opening experience."

—The Christian Century

"Highly readable; excellent for students. . . . A tonic and eye-opener for anyone who wants a politics that works."

—Jane Mansbridge, Adams Professor, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

"America Beyond Capitalism comes at a critical time in our history—when we all know our system isn't working but we are not sure what can be done about it. This book takes us outside the confines of orthodox thinking, imagines a new way of living together, and then brings that vision back into reality with a set of eminently practical ideas that promise a truly democratic society."

—Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States

"Succeeds brilliantly in taking the Jeffersonian spirit into the last bastion of privilege in America, offering workable solutions for making the American economy one that is truly of, by, and for the people."

—Jeremy Rifkin, author of The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream

"The kind of careful, well-researched, and practical alternative progressives have been seeking. And it's more—visionary, hopeful, even inspirational. I highly recommend it."

—Juliet Schor, author of The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need

"A compelling and convincing story of the future."

—William Greider, author of The Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy

In this important book, Gar Alperovitz offers incontrovertible evidence that Americans have become less equal, less free, and less empowered in recent decades. He then presents a vital blueprint for a new progressive politics– focusing on local activism, building widespread wealth, and innovative partnerships– that can help reverse these trends and revive the American spirit.

Gar Alperovitz (Washington, DC) is the Lionel R. Bauman Professor of Political Economy at the University of Maryland. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Republic, the Nation, and the Atlantic Monthly.

-William Greider, author of The Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy

GAR ALPEROVITZis the Lionel R. Bauman Professor of Political Economy at the University of Maryland. Among his many books are The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb and Rebuilding America (with Jeff Faux). His articles have appeared in Mother Jones, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Nation, and the Atlantic Monthly. He is also a founding principal of the Democracy Collaborative.

Preface.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

PART I: THE PLURALIST COMMONWEALTH: EQUALITY, LIBERTY, DEMOCRACY.

1. Equality: Beyond Tax-and-Spend.

2. Liberty: Money, Time, and Real Freedom of Choice.

3. Democracy: From the Ground Up.

4. Democracy: Inequality and Giant Corporations.

5. Democracy: Is a Continent Too Large?

6. The Pluralist commonwealth.

PART II: THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF WEALTH.

7. A Direct Stake In Economic Life: Worker-Owned Firms.

8. Enterprising Cities: Right, Left, and Center.

9. Building Community: Neighborhoods and Nonprofits with a Mission.

10. State and National Innovators.

11. Coda: The Democratization of Wealth and the Era of Deepening Fiscal Crisis.

PART III: LOCAL DEMOCRACY AND REGIONAL DECENTRALIZATION.

12. Is Local Democracy Possible in the Global Era?

13. Community, the Environment, and the "Nonsexist City."

14. The regional Restructuring of the American Continent.

PART IV: TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY POPULISM.

15. The Logic of Long-term Political Refocusing.

16. Social Security, retirement, and Health Care.

17. A Twenty-Five Hour Week?

18. Beyond Super-Elites and Conspicuous Consumption: Real Ecological Sustainability in the twenty-First Century.

19. Coda: Twenty-First-Century Populism.

PART V: TOWARD A MORALLY COHERENT POLITICS.

Conclusion: the Challenge of the Era of Technological Abundance.

Notes.

Index.