Do you consider yourself a member of the middle class? Eighty percent of Americans describe themselves in those terms; working-class citizens who are neither rich nor poor. Has the government addressed the needs of the middle class to your satisfaction? William J. Quirk and R. Randall Bridwell argue that the fundamental interests of the middle class have been ignored and undermined since WWII. This provocative book chronicles the events which have defined the post-WWII political and economic period, and shows how the middle class has been compromised in the process. From the New York City fiscal crisis of the 70s, to the rise of the new judicial activism, to the looming economic influence of Japan, the authors show for the first time how these developments are interrelated.

The authors provide a novel interpretation of the constitutional meaning of the events leading to the abandonment of the middle class, as well as a new interpretation of the condition of the American Constitution as it is applied today. By analyzing the constitutional source of problems which our political system has had in recent years, the authors provide a new theory as to why the federal system is not working, and they offer novel solutions for the future.