Capitalism and Class Conflict in U.S. History

Capitalism and Class Conflict in U.S. History Discuss the rise of economic inequality during the last half-century, using insights and information gained from some of our readings, especially Judith Stein’s Pivotal Decade, David Weil’s The Fissured Workplace, Nelson Lichtenstein’s “The Return of Merchant Capitalism,” as well as the last few chapters in his book, State of the Union. Some themes in the talk offered by Robert Reich in early November might also be useful. The point of the essay is to explain how specific historical events, ideas, and transformations have exacerbated inequality within the U.S., moving ordinary Americans a long way from “The Great Compression” discussed in the beginning of Judith Stein’s book, Pivotal Decade. Among the issues and developments you might want to discuss are: U.S. trade policy in a Cold War setting; the structure of business ownership; the “fissuring” of the U.S. workplace in particular industries and economic sectors; international competition among firms and nations; the rise and fall of trade unionism and the trajectory of civil rights activism within the U.S; how retailers and other companies have set up their supply chains; the spread of franchising and subcontracting; the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy as it affected interest rates and the value of the dollar; capital mobility, i.e. can a company easily offshore production; and finally politics, elections, and public policy. Feel free to prune this list and just zero in on those factors and historical developments you think most important or the issues with which you feel most comfortable. Focus on a particular industry or company if you wish. Be sure to write and spell using correct English. Proofread your paper at least once before you turn it in. Normally, you will want to outline your argument, or offer an overview of the paper, in the very first paragraph. Get to the point. Don’t throw in background material that is not relevant to the argument you will make in your paper. But do use stories, narratives, and anecdotes to drive home a point or argument. Do not use social science notation! Instead use the kind of footnotes or endnotes deployed by the historians writing in State of the Union or in the American Historical Review.