Debates over the role of government have intensified in the wake of America's deepest financial crisis since the Depression. This book suggests new ways of moving forward based on the policies and principles that have worked in the past. Sassower shows how American pragmatism has guided the more successful financial policies undertaken during the past century. This means that from the workplace to foreign aid, Americans benefit when they collaborate with each other rather than only pursue their self-interest in competitive ways. Drawing on thinkers from Adam Smith to Keynes to Bernanke, Sassower shows how a new era of postideological capitalism can emerge in the wake of the current economic crisis-renewing America's leadership for the future.