A History of the U.S. Economy in the 20th Century

By: Timothy Taylor, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Timothy Taylor

The history of the U.S. economy in the 20th century is far too interesting - and far too important to our future - to be dismissed with just a few stock explanations. These 10 fast-paced lectures introduce you to vital economic lessons learned in the last century to provide invaluable guidance for understanding the current economy. Each lecture focuses exclusively on one decade to provide you with a clear understanding of economic developments and outside influences on the U.S. economy.

In some cases, you'll examine well-defined events like the creation of the Federal Reserve or the war in Vietnam. In other lectures, you'll explore larger societal shifts, such as the evolving role of women in the economy and changing consumption patterns. This decade-by-decade approach takes you deep inside America's memorable economic milestones. Among these: the U.S. trade surplus during World War I; the rise of the automobile industry in the 1920s; the mismanagement of monetary policy that led to the Great Depression; the Employment Act of 1946, which gave the federal government the responsibility to maintain high employment and economic growth; the strangling inflation of the 1970s and early 1980s; and more.

Professor Taylor takes care to ensure that you can follow this course clearly regardless of your knowledge of economics. He uses historical examples and quotes from economists and other notables, and his use of economic reasoning often brings surprising insight.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1996 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1996 The Great Courses

Enjoyed it and makes me want to learn more

I enjoy the subject and I think the lectures were very well done. This is worth your time if you're interested in economics and how we got to where we are in this country.

the economic narrative

great listen, narrator kept interest. i would have liked to have more thorough analysis of the latter half of the century . paticularly the 90s

Packed With Fascinating Information

This was a riveting look at America's recent economic history. Taylor is really good at providing interesting statistics to illuminate trends. He disabuses the listener of common economic fallacies and inculcates the economic way of thinking about a host of important issues. A major theme throughout the course is the dramatic increase in the size of government over the century. Taylor analyzes different policies and gives the consensus economist view on most of them. I highly recommend this course.

Outstanding Summary

This lecture was so fascinating and Dr. Taylor did a wonderful job describing what was happening and giving context at the time during each decade. It was cool to see what levers had been tried in the past and then using that knowledge to make inferences about what could be done today. Highly recommend this for anyone.

Great course

I like these courses by economists. They seem to have a good way of looking at things. It’s rarely one thing that causes something but is several things that have a small effect that combine for greater consequences or benefits. They also are usually more honest about the timing of problems or improvements. I wish more of our political leaders and the media followed these principles.

The only downside of this course for me is that it was produced in 1999 and is so far out of date.

Gives a concise history of US economy

This is a good book. It gives a well articulated historical overview of the US economy. I recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.

Content is great. Lecturer is a little too fast for my taste.

I had to listen at .8x speed and even then felt like I was in a word tornado. I rewinded a lot. Could’ve been me. 4 stars for that reason

good overview with lots of assumptions

Solid narrative for the last century in the US, but some of the assertions were overly simplistic. Recorded before the turn of the century; some of the predictions are a little cringe.

Should be required listening for any citizen

This is one of the older series in The Great Courses library -- it was recorded at the close of the 20th century; but it is outstanding, and the best evidence of that is the fact that every minute of it remains relevant today.

When I listen to the level of political discourse we have in the 21st-century, it almost makes me sympathetic to the belief by our founding fathers that only educated people should be allowed to vote. Better still, just have all of our elected officials listen to this course. It is a fascinating history of the United States in the 20th century as told through the eyes of an economist, and as economists go, Professor Tim Taylor is a joy to listen to. No matter what your political persuasion, prepare to have myths busted, your eyes opened, and your opinions changed. This series is a perfect example of what makes The GreatCourses so great.

Easy, interesting listen.

Any additional comments?

This audio program is excellent context for viewing current US economy. Program is very interesting and easy to listen to. If you are ‘one of those people’ who think everything is going to hell in a hand basket today, this is a must listen, we have been there before.