The New Middle Class: Creating Wages, Wealth, and Opportunity in the 21st Century - Hardcover

Gunderson, Steve

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1608325687 ISBN 13: 9781608325689

Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Llc, 2013

Synopsis

Former U.S. congressman Steve Gunderson grew up in a tightly knit middle-class family in a community where people cherished values, civic duty, and the American Dream. But these communities all across America have moved from an age of progress to an era of survival as they seek to navigate new economic challenges. Today, many fear the disappearance of the middle class, and wonder whether they will provide a better life for their kids and grandkids.

In The New Middle Class, Gunderson explores the factors that caused the decline of America's economic center and how we can build a middle class that is equipped for the realities of a twenty-first-century global economy. If we believe that a viable middle class is a critical part of a market-based democracy, this mission is of critical importance.

Gunderson's blueprint begins with a public and private sector commitment to substantial economic growth and investment in education. Calling for a new Middle Class Compact, he argues that the best core values of both political parties can enable Americans of all backgrounds to achieve real jobs and decent incomes. Higher incomes in turn lead to financial security--the true definition of wealth and the hallmark of a strong middle class.

The challenge before this deeply divided nation is a big one, but The New Middle Class maps out the road ahead with abundant insight and optimism. There is no doubt that we can extend to future generations the opportunities, values, and benefits of the American Dream.

About this title

About the Author

Steve Gunderson is the current president and CEO of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities and the former president and CEO of the Council on Foundations.. He began his political career in the Wisconsin State Assembly, where he served from 1975 to 1979, and was then elected to represent the state's Third Congressional District in Congress. During his sixteen years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Gunderson was recognized for leadership on education, employment policy, and human rights issues.

After deciding not to seek reelection in 1996, Gunderson spent nine years as a strategic planning consultant focused on the jobs revolution. He currently applies his passion for workforce education as president and CEO of the APSCU and speaks frequently to audiences around the country.

Review

Steve Gunderson knows that the future of our country depends on the health of the middle class, and he uses his nearly two decades as an architect of policy to outline real solutions. The New Middle Class is an engaging and enlightening roadmap to a stronger America.
-- President Bill Clinton

The world has changed, but the majority of American public schools have not. Today our children are losing the race for high-quality jobs. Real income for the average family in the United States is lower than it was ten years ago, and economic mobility has significantly slowed. Such mobility was once the very essence of the American Dream. Education is the key to reenergizing our future quality of life. This book overs all of us a new paradigm for progress, and a vision of a new middle class for all our citizens.
-- William Brock, former secretary of labor for President Reagan

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Llc
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1608325687
• ISBN 13: 9781608325689
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 211