Where the Road Divided: How the American People Lost Control of their Government (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781499314847)

There is a growing concern today over the US government's inability to make progress in solving the nation's problems. Many are asking, "How could things have gone so wrong?" This question has puzzled laymen and political historians alike, but no one has adequately described what caused this phenomenon-until now. Arnold I. Kisch's study, Where the Road Divided, presents a persuasive explanation by focusing on the Truman and Eisenhower administrations, as well as on the young Americans of that period-the Silent Generation. A member of this generation himself, Kisch provides an insider's examination of where, when, and how the government turned its back on tradition and took a turn toward ineffectiveness.

The book brings to light a critical point that has gone largely overlooked. Despite vastly different backgrounds, Truman and Eisenhower shared a similar philosophy of government that permitted the president to operate almost autonomously. They introduced a new paradigm in which power shifted toward the executive and away from the legislative branch. Americans chose to stand by silently as this shift occurred. Today, the people must learn from the mistakes of the Silent Generation in order to reclaim control of their government.