Raymond W. Converse holds a JD degree from Wayne State University and an MA in Education from the University of Missouri, and has done graduate work in educational philosophy at the University of Missouri. Now a writer living in Central Illinois, he has published several books with Algora. 

Predictions of gloom and doom flood the media, with soaring unemployment and underemployment, depopulated cities and demographic decline. At the same time, we are bombarded with declarations of robust economic growth, political cooperation, and...

Predictions of gloom and doom flood the media, with soaring unemployment and underemployment, depopulated cities and demographic decline. At the same time, we are bombarded with declarations of robust economic growth, political cooperation, and social rebirth. Which is it? Voters need to know, or they cannot make a reasoned choice. Dr. Converse presents an easy to follow analysis of the facts that support both positions, enabling and encouraging readers to evaluate the evidence themselves.Whichever view one finds more valid, there is a general sense that America is at a turning point. It is up to the voters to elect those who share their interest, to make sure elected officials have that interest in mind, and to punish them if they fail to act upon that interest. A method is set forth indicating how this could be accomplished.This book is for Americans who are suffering from underemployment, unemployment, or general burnout from political gridlock, and it contains important clues for readers who are concerned by the claim that the traditional values of the United States are in serious decline. If you've read Mark Steyn's After America or Charles Krauthammer's Things That Matter, you'll find building blocks for your arguments in the eye-opening data presented in these pages.

This book was written with everyone in mind who is tired of the constant slamming of America; the constant mudslinging rhetoric of professional politicians and the blame game. A steady diet over the last five years consisting of TV talk shows, cable and mainstream news programs, newspaper op-eds, magazine articles and scholarly books brought me to the point of mental bankruptcy. Regardless of where I looked, all I could find is opinions of gloom and doom, upcoming crisis and the blame game.I decided to attempt to sift through the information to determine for myself whether it contained even a kernel of truth. It quickly became apparent that one of two positions was true: either America is still the beautiful or it is on the verge of becoming caput. My conclusion is that America is still beautiful - but is in need of some tender loving care. I am not a sociologist, economist or scientist, let alone a talk show host, journalist, professional politician or renowned scholar. I am what I think my reader is: educated, informed and a concerned voter. As such I have relied mainly on common sense and everyday experience to draw a picture of what I see as the real America. I expect that my readers will draw their own conclusions, but I hope this book will goad into action the people who matter most.

Preface Chapter 1. American Foreign Policy Chapter 2. Domestic Issues: Political And Economic Chapter 3. Specific Domestic Issues: Political and Economic Chapter 4. The Affordable Care Act As An Examp

Preface Chapter 1. American Foreign Policy Chapter 2. Domestic Issues: Political And Economic Chapter 3. Specific Domestic Issues: Political and Economic Chapter 4. The Affordable Care Act As An Example of Economic and Political Problems Chapter 5. American Problems and Their Effect on Economic And Political Principles Chapter 6. The Overall Effect of the Welfare System Chapter 7. A New Day Ahead Chapter 8. Is the US a Representative Democracy Operating Under the Principles of Federalism? Chapter 9. Solutions and Their Feasibility Chapter 10. Government Intervention and Lack of Individual Responsibility Chapter 11. Common Religious, Economic and Political Principles Chapter 12. The Interplay of the Market System and Democracy Chapter 13. Public Reaction to Change Conclusion Bibliography