Public Citizens: The Attack on Big Government and the Remaking of American Liberalism [Paperback]

Crisp, clear, eloquent. Kim Phillips-Fein, Carefully researched and patiently argued. Lively, ambitious, and thought-provoking. [Sabin's] cogent history is timely and likely to be enduring. An insightful and squirm-inducing account of how the good guys won and then lost. Sabin crafts a coherent historical narrative out of the alphabet soup of government agencies and public interest groups, and sheds light on major developments in American politics. This deep dive delivers plenty of rewards. This book could not be more timely. Paul Sabin powerfully demonstrates that the liberal postwar order was not only undercut by the rise of the right, but also by an activist left that for good reason decried governments deafness to citizens needs and participation. How best to serve the public interest is the greatest challenge of our time, and we could have no better guide through the historical thicket than Sabin. Paul Sabins history of Americas 1960s and 70s is directly relevant to the countrys civic, political, and ethical choices in the decades ahead. This is a surprising, insightful, and lastingly useful book. Astute and nuanced, Paul Sabin uses Ralph Nader and the public interest movement he helped spawn to tell a fascinating story of American governance and the limits of markets, regulation, and citizen action. Paul Sabin has written a fascinating account of the forgotten history of public interest liberalism. Looking back at Ralph Nader and allied good government warriors, Sabin offers a powerful reminder that the attack on big government didnt just come from the right but the left as well. Long before 'the Reagan Revolution,' an army of citizen activists launched a searing attack on liberalism, big government, and the administrative stateand helped pave the way for market-oriented conservatism. Paul Sabins timely, provocative, and deeply ironic account should be required reading for everyone interested in environmentalism, consumerism, political ecol3Ž