Reviving the American Dream

The purpose of this redesigning and restructuring is in part to make simpler and clearer what political and economic responsibilities belong to the states and to the federal government. Clearly, the basis of Rivlin's argument is that the political and economic destinies of the nation (at both federal and state levels) are inextricably bound together.

This theme is also based on the promise of the American Dream. Rivlin notes that there are two specific aspects to that Dream--the economic and the political. These two parts are denied to the people (or to many of them) by the current failures of the system which Rivlin suggests redesigning. The economic aspect of the Dream holds that those Americans who are willing to labor long and hard will and should be rewarded with financial and material gain which increases from generation to generation. The political aspect of the Dream holds that the people are and should be involved in the decisions which shape the direction in which the country moves, especially those decisions which affect the people's economic well-being.

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oncerns, especially in a world in which national boundaries are breaking down, particularly in the economic sphere. These and other analytical points are well scored by Rivlin in her portrayal of the problems facing the nation both politically and economically. The points at which the author is less effective involve her suggested solutions to these and other problems. Her solutions are too often simplistic and short on detail. To be fair, Rivlin does confess to being an optimist. She sees all the problems facing the country as essentially soluble. She acknowledges that some serious scholars disagree with her optimistic outlook, but she concludes nevertheless that Americans are responsible beings who will take the steps necessary to reverse dangerous trends. Rivlin does not know what the future holds, and this reader does not know either. However, past behavior is a good indicator of future behavior. There does not seem to be in the American populace or leadership much of a sign that the current trends of fear, self-centeredness, and increasingly lowered expectations will be slowed or reversed in the future. America's decline both economically and politically seems to be a function of history. After all, every great power event
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Approximate Word count = 1564
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)