This timely and thoughtful volume tracks the American experiment with special attention to justice and prosperity. Its wide-ranging survey begins with historical notes and culminates with reflections on twenty-first century chaos and confusion. Lies, fabrications, and simplistic thinking now complicate and confuse the nation—to the despair of millions. In that light, this essay imagines frontiers of justice, based on truth and intelligence, that might kindle a workable consensus and a brighter era of affluence. Referencing germane insights from economics, sociology, psychology, and social choice, the issue is whether justice and prosperity might come together in a virtuous cycle. The author is cautiously hopeful, noting barriers and obstructions that are likely to threaten any such blossoming. While assessing issues of the day, the author ponders several enduring questions: • Does prosperity thrive best with minimal, timid government? • Can a new social norm, more devoted to justice and less to unfettered liberty, lead to a workable political consensus? • Might a blossoming of fresh thinking bring America back to the table of respectful compromise? In the end, all Americans operate in a constitutional setting, and in that context, everyone participates in shaping the nation and its prosperity. Join the author as he considers how we can promote a more truthful and respectful brand of capitalism.
