Let’s revisit America during the middle of the 20th century – roughly the period between the mid-1950s and the early-1970s. Americans had spent the last 200 years pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. They toiled through our colonial period, labored through two industrial revolutions, fought their way out of slavery, evolved from child labor, and crawled back from the Great Depression. By the early 1970s, the average American had some serious mojo, with the working class growing in size, wealth, and influence. In fact, our wealth was growing at about the same rate, if not slightly better, as that of the wealthiest of our fellow citizens.

Education at all levels was improving and becoming more available. People were using their education to innovate, get better jobs, start businesses, and make more money – money that they pumped right back into the economy. All of this created more job opportunities and more economic mobility for everyone – not just the educated.

Money trickled up to the wealthy who were also enjoying the benefits of a financially stronger population of consumers – folks were steadily buying up houses, cars, appliances, an plenty of things they didn’t need. Businessmen, in turn, created jobs to meet that glorious demand.

Meanwhile, our government was responding to the needs of the people. It was taking action to empower them to be more successful and contribute to the advancement of our society. The government also became more “hands-on” and took action to improve our culture and environment, providing a world in which we could thrive. Here are some highlights…

• The Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Elementary and Secondary Education Act 1965
• The Endangered Species Act of 1966 (along with 2 expansions within 7 years)
• Environmental Protection Agency established in 1970
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standards of 1970
• The Clean Air Act of 1970
• The Consumer Safety Act (CPSA) 1972
• Clean Water Act 1972
• Approval of the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (Think Superfund Sites)

Keep in mind that much of the above was going on just after coming out of the Korean War, still living under the shadow of “Duck and Cover” and nuclear annihilation, and then contending with segregation, race riots, the Vietnam War and its protests, multiple assassinations, and even hippies. It was hardly perfect, but America plowed through all of this because of a strong working class and a government that was becoming more engaged (sometimes begrudgingly, but that’s how governments can be).

We were working hard, playing hard, increasing our trust of each other, and looking at a better future for our kids.

Considering the strengthening working class and their effective government in those days, it’s hard not to notice how things have somehow completely flipped around over the past 50 years. Back then, it seemed as if Democracy was just getting its stride and evolving into what our founding fathers had envisioned. We were working hard, playing hard, increasing our trust in each other, and seeing a better future for our kids. We had the feeling that America was “figured out” and on autopilot. More importantly, we had the sense that we were all in it together. The growing economic ability and mobility of more and more people, enabled by an engaged government, was nirvana for both capitalism and Democracy.