Promised Land: How the Rise of the Middle Class Transformed America, 1929-1968

by David Stebenne

A timely work of groundbreaking history explains how the American middle class ballooned at mid-century until it dominated the nation, showing who benefited and what brought the expansion to an end.

In Promised Land, David Stebenne examines the extraordinary revival of the middle class in mid-twentieth century America and how it drastically changed the country. The story begins with the pervasive income and wealth inequality of the pre-New Deal period. What followed—Roosevelt’s reforms, the regulation of business and finance, higher taxation of the truly affluent, and greater government spending—began a great leveling. World War II brought the military draft and the GI Bill, similarly transformative elements that also helped expand the middle class. For decades, economic policies and cultural practices strengthened the trend, and by the 1960s the middle class dictated American tastes from books to TV shows to housing to food, creating a powerful political constituency with shared interests and ideals.

The disruptive events of 1968, however, signaled the end of this headlong expansion. The cultural clashes and political protests of that era turned a spotlight on how the policies and practices of the middle-class era had privileged white men over women, people of color, and other marginalized groups, as well as economic growth over environmental protection. These conflicts, along with shifts in policy and economic stagnation, started shrinking that vast middle class and challenging its values, trends that continue to the present day. Now, as the so-called “end of the middle class” dominates the news cycle and politicians talk endlessly about how to revive it, Stebenne’s vivid history of a social revolution that produced a new and influential way of life reveals the fascinating story of how it was achieved and the considerable costs incurred along the way. In the form of a revealing history, Promised Land shines more than a little light on our possible future.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, American History

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 23, 2020

About the author

A a specialist in modern American political and legal history, David L. Stebenne is Professor of History and Law at The Ohio State University, where he has taught since 1993. He earned a B.A. in history from Yale and a J.D. and a Ph.D. in history from Columbia. He is also a member of the Maryland Bar.

Reviews

[Kent · Rating 2 out of 5]

A straight forward review of the political history of the time period and the particular factors that may have given rise to a middle-class in the United States. Of course, attempts to state what all those factors mean are one man's opinion, with which the reader may or may not agree. I didn't find this work all that compelling or insightful.

[Blane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing especially revelatory here. I expected more.

[Stewart Ehly · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Stebenne (2020). Promised land. How the rise of the middle class transformed America, 1929-1968. Simon & Schuster

I was happy to receive a review copy of the book believing that the exploration of social class would consider economic history, the politics of the various decades noted in the title, a bit of sociology on the construct of social class and, perhaps, more. Instead, the author’s focus was directed mainly towards the politics of the roughly forty-year period. Of course, that period was full of dramatic and life changing events. The years of the Depression, World War II, and a post-war period that included the social transformation of the 1950s and 1960s were described with many interesting examples of tensions within society, drama within the political arena (at least at the federal level), and the slowly emerging political awareness of the priorities of the middle class within America. The author draws not only from the political science literature but what might be accurately labeled pop history. Thus, the reader encounters reference to cookbooks, music, movies and more to illustrate the various ways in which middle class values were echoed and promoted by business and industry. Compelling reading? For those familiar with American history 1929-1968, you have read other accounts that probed more deeply into issues. For those less familiar, the text is worth a look for its relatively concise coverage of an important period of American history.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give this 4.5 stars. Mr. Stebenne is a political scientist. He does lean liberal, but does a fairly good job in balancing the pros and cons of both liberal and conservative policies. I think his views on economic policies were the weakest. This book is really more of a social history of the time. His summation of how things changed thru the 30's and 40's were very good. I particularly enjoyed his explanation of how people born early enough to suffer a loss during the depression were more fiscally conservative than those born a bit later who didn't. The later marriage of the former (my father at 32), the earlier marriage of the latter (my father in law at 21), played out in my experience. Their different financial attitudes did also. I found the descriptions of life and politics during the 50's and 60's most interesting. Although I myself was alive for most of it, I was too young to really understand politics. I do find the era interesting to read about. The social history point of view adds to the more economic, scientific and foreign policy type books I've read on the time period. Thumbs up to this book.

[Trey J Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a history book and is very approachable. The final chapter ends the topic rather abruptly. I would have liked to hear more about how the myth of the middle class has played out in contemporary political rhetoric. Maybe David is saving that for the squeal.

[Colleen Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched, even handed, fascinating. I will amplify this review when I have time. It’s an important and timely book.

I read the Kindle version that I bought myself.

[John Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a history of the period without significant analysis. I hoped for more.

[Andy]

DNF. Not my cup of tea.