European University Institute Library

The complacent class, the self-defeating quest for the American dream, Tyler Cowen

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 205-231) and index

index present

non fiction

The complacent class

bibliography

967557997

Tyler Cowen

the self-defeating quest for the American dream

"Since Alexis de Tocqueville, restlessness has been accepted as a key American trait. Our willingness to move, take risks, and adapt to change has produced a dynamic economy and a tradition of innovation. The problem, according to legendary blogger, economist, and bestselling author Tyler Cowen, is that Americans today have broken from this tradition, working harder than ever to avoid change: moving less, marrying people more like ourselves, and making choices as often as possible based on algorithms that wall us off from anything that might be too new or too different. Match.com matches us in love. Spotify and Pandora match us in music. Facebook matches us to just about everything else. This "matching culture" brings positives: partners who make us happy, music we like, neighbors who want the same things that we do. We're more comfortable, but this comfort cannot go on forever. The Complacent Class argues that, by postponing change, we will make inevitable change harder and more disruptive. Our complacency will lead to a major fiscal and budgetary crisis, preposterous rents in desirable cities, heightened inequality, worsening segregation, a lackadaisical work ethic, and decreased incentives to innovate and create. To avoid this, Americans must stop stagnating and re-embrace restlessness."--, Provided by Publisher

The complacent class and its dangers -- Why have Americans stopped moving, or Is your hometown really so special? -- The reemergence of segregation -- Why Americans stopped creating -- The respite of the well-ordered match : love, music, and even your dog -- Why Americans stopped rioting and legalized marijuana -- How a dynamic society looks and feels -- Political stagnation, the dwindling of true democracy, and Alexis de Tocqueville as prophet of our time -- The return of chaos, and why the complacent class cannot hold