The United States since 1980

Good compact survey of economic and political trends since 1980. Baker correctly (I believe) sees that date with the election of the arch-conservative Ronald Reagan as a watershed year. The narrative follows chronologically from the 1980 threshold and its background in the feckless Carter administration. Graphs and tables are included to buttress his points but do not disrupt the flow. It's not a polemical or particularly partisan work, though a critical undercurrent is sensed from time to time. Social issues such as gay rights, abortion, and other leading movements including the rise of religious fundamentalism are also discussed but not emphasized. There's not a lot of depth, though he's clearly most comfortable discussing causal factors shaping economic policy. Thus considerable light is shed on economic policy, particularly during the Reagan years. Put in perspective, the rightward swing over the past 25 years is unmistakable, as business backers see an opportunity to jettison or fatally weaken decades of fettering regulation. Now is a good time-- with the Bush debacle-- to get a handle on what this swing has wrought. Baker's handy little tome is a good place to start.