The American Paradox
A History of the United States Since 1945

Emphasizes political participation and popular culture in American history. This title focuses on the tension between popular culture and social realities, the dynamics of minority groups and their place in American society, and the ambivalent feelings of many Americans concerning the US' role in the world during the postwar period.

"The American Paradox" emphasizes political participation and popular culture in recent American history. This reader's main theme is the relationship of Americans to their government, for example, how Americans as a people remain skeptical of big government even as they expect it to facilitate large programs such as Social Security. In addition to the author's vivid, accessible writing style, the Third Edition maintains its focus on the tension between popular culture and social realities, the dynamics of minority groups and their place in American society, and the ambivalent feelings of many Americans concerning the U.S.'s role in the world during the postwar period.

Introduction: The American Paradox. 1. The Specter of Appeasement: The Cold War, 1945-1949. 2. In the Shadow of FDR. 3. The Cold War Heats Up. 4. The Consumer Society, 1945-1960. 5. The Politics of Moderation, 1951-1960. 6. American Ideals and Social Realities, 1952-1960. 7. The Kennedy Presidency, 1961-1963. 8. Lyndon Johnson, the Great Society, and the Unraveling of America, 1963-1967. 9. "Into the Big Muddy": America in Vietnam, 1945-1968. 10. Richard Nixon and the New Republican Majority, 1969-1974. 11. The Clash of Cultures, 1969-1980. 12. The Age of Limits, 1974-1980. 13. The Reagan Presidency, 1981-1989. 14. Culture and Consumerism: 1980-1992. 15. The End of the Cold War, 1988-1992. 16. The Clinton Presidency, 1993-2001. 17. The Prosperous Nineties. Epilogue: The Challenges of the New Century.