Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse

by Timothy P Carney

Overview

Now a Washington Post bestseller.

Respected conservative journalist and commentator Timothy P. Carney continues the conversation begun with Hillbilly Elegy and the classic Bowling Alone in this hard-hitting analysis that identifies the true factor behind the decline of the American dream: it is not purely the result of economics as the left claims, but the collapse of the institutions that made us successful, including marriage, church, and civic life.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump proclaimed, “the American dream is dead,” and this message resonated across the country.

Why do so many people believe that the American dream is no longer within reach? Growing inequality, stubborn pockets of immobility, rising rates of deadly addiction, the increasing and troubling fact that where you start determines where you end up, heightening political strife—these are the disturbing realities threatening ordinary American lives today.

The standard accounts pointed to economic problems among the working class, but the root was a cultural collapse: While the educated and wealthy elites still enjoy strong communities, most blue-collar Americans lack strong communities and institutions that bind them to their neighbors. And outside of the elites, the central American institution has been religion

That is, it’s not the factory closings that have torn us apart; it’s the church closings. The dissolution of our most cherished institutions—nuclear families, places of worship, civic organizations—has not only divided us, but eroded our sense of worth, belief in opportunity, and connection to one another.

In Abandoned America, Carney visits all corners of America, from the dim country bars of Southwestern Pennsylvania., to the bustling Mormon wards of Salt Lake City, and explains the most important data and research to demonstrate how the social connection is the great divide in America. He shows that Trump’s surprising victory was the most visible symptom of this deep-seated problem. In addition to his detailed exploration of how a range of societal changes have, in tandem, damaged us, Carney provides a framework that will lead us back out of a lonely, modern wilderness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062797148
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	02/19/2019
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	147,467
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Timothy P. Carney is a father of six children, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and a columnist at the Washington Examiner. Tim and his wife, Katie, have raised their family in suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia. Tim grew up with three older brothers in Greenwich Village and later in Pelham, New York. He is the author of Alienated America, The Big Ripoff, and Obamanomics. 

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Chapter 1 It Takes a Village: Where the American Dream Lives 1

Chapter 2 Progress at a Price: The Changing American Dream, 1955-2018 17

Chapter 3 "They've Chosen Not to Keep Up": Is It Economics or Culture? 29

Chapter 4 American Decay: Broken Places, Broken People 47

Chapter 5 "I Don't": The Dissolution of the Family 65

Chapter 6 Bowling Alone: The Dissolution of Civil Society 89

Chapter 7 It's about Church: America's Indispensable Institution 119

Chapter 8 Overcentralization: How Big Business and Big Government Erode Civil Society 147

Chapter 9 Hyper-Individualism: How the Modern Economy and the Sexual Revolution Erode Civil Society 173

Chapter 10 The Alienated: Trump Country 203

Chapter 11 The Elites: The Village of Man 237

Chapter 12 The Church People: The Village of God 259

Chapter 13 Overcoming Alienation: Problems and Solutions 281

Acknowledgments and Dedication 301

Notes 305

Index 329

Editorial Reviews

Tim Carney knows what the social scientists know, but he brings the numbers to vivid life for the nation as a whole—Hillbilly Elegy with a panoramic lens. This book transcends politics. In fact, it’s especially for those who don’t understand why people voted for Trump but are willing to try. “ — Charles Murray, author of Coming Apart

“The American Dream is rooted not in Washington, but in family, church, and community.  Alienated America is a fascinating blend of first class reporting and studious research.  Pundits on the left AND right should read this book to understand America.  It explains how Trump understood the people he now serves.” — Jason Chaffetz, author, The Deep State

“Tim Carney delivers a masterful contribution to the debate about what is driving our society’s growing divisions. Rejecting purely material or demographic explanations, he shows that the deepest disparity facing Americans today is one of community. Clear and compassionate, Alienated America offers a roadmap for the restoration of our nation.” — Arthur C. Brooks, New York Times Bestselling author of The Conservative Heart

“America’s real challenge lies far deeper than its political polarization and class division. In losing our connections to each other, we’ve lost ourselves. In this powerful book, Tim Carney not only identifies the causes of our drifting apart, he shows us the places across the nation where people are coming together and reknitting their social fabric to thrive.”   — Richard Florida, author, Rise of the Creative Class

From the Publisher

The American Dream is rooted not in Washington, but in family, church, and community.  Alienated America is a fascinating blend of first class reporting and studious research.  Pundits on the left AND right should read this book to understand America.  It explains how Trump understood the people he now serves.

Jason Chaffetz

Tim Carney delivers a masterful contribution to the debate about what is driving our society’s growing divisions. Rejecting purely material or demographic explanations, he shows that the deepest disparity facing Americans today is one of community. Clear and compassionate, Alienated America offers a roadmap for the restoration of our nation.

Arthur C. Brooks

Tim Carney knows what the social scientists know, but he brings the numbers to vivid life for the nation as a whole—Hillbilly Elegy with a panoramic lens. This book transcends politics. In fact, it’s especially for those who don’t understand why people voted for Trump but are willing to try. “

Charles Murray

America’s real challenge lies far deeper than its political polarization and class division. In losing our connections to each other, we’ve lost ourselves. In this powerful book, Tim Carney not only identifies the causes of our drifting apart, he shows us the places across the nation where people are coming together and reknitting their social fabric to thrive.”  

Richard Florida