Public Citizens
The Attack on Big Government and the Remaking of American Liberalism
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Public Citizens
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Narrated by:
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Christopher Douyard
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By:
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Paul Sabin
About this listen
In the 1960s and 1970s, an insurgent attack on traditional liberalism took shape in America. It was built on new ideals of citizen advocacy and the public interest. Drawing energy from civil rights protests and opposition to the Vietnam War, the new citizens' movement drew legions of followers and scored major victories. Citizen advocates disrupted government plans for urban highways and new hydroelectric dams and got Congress to pass tough legislation to protect clean air and clean water. They helped lead a revolution in safety that forced companies and governments to better protect consumers and workers from dangerous products and hazardous work conditions.
And yet, in the process, citizen advocates also helped to undermine big government liberalism - the powerful alliance between government, business, and labor that dominated the United States politically in the decades following the New Deal and World War II. Public interest advocates exposed that alliance's secret bargains and unintended consequences. They showed how government power often was used to advance private interests rather than restrain them. In the process of attacking government for its failings and its dangers, the public interest movement struggled to replace traditional liberalism with a new approach to governing.
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 109
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5 out of 5 stars
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 137
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 120
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4 out of 5 stars
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What listeners say about Public Citizens
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert
- 12-16-22
Great book
Does a great job of weaving together the rise of the public interest law movement with broader contemporary events.
You'll learn a lot. Even those who've spent their whole professional lives in law/government will come away with a richer understanding of why and how these institutions are in the US.
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