Synopsis
From the days of the American Revolution until now, manufacturing has been the backbone of the American economy. It is what made our country a great power, and it is the traditional path to the middle class. But in recent decades, manufacturing has come under fire. US politicians and economists have pushed damaging free-trade policies on an uncomprehending public, while adversarial countries such as China have taken advantage of that foolishness. Manufacturing is the goose that lays our golden eggs—and it must be protected, or it will be lost.
In Manufacture Local, John Gardner details the positive policy steps that American political leaders should champion to reinvigorate America’s core industry. He examines manufacturing’s importance to national security, to America’s sense of self-sufficiency, and to the flourishing of its great cities. He scrutinizes free trade as it is commonly understood and proposes steps to take toward a production-based economy in which tariffs protect and encourage American greatness. And drawing on his nearly two decades of experience working with manufacturers, Gardner proposes workable solutions to make up for America’s crisis of skilled labor.
Manufacturing is often denigrated as low work for uneducated people, yet nothing could be further from the truth. It’s time America gives the industry its proper respect, but the only way that will happen is if it speaks up for itself. Gardner does just that; he raises a voice of hope for every American to hear. By sharing lessons from his own life—and telling the untold story of American manufacturing—he emphasizes the importance of manufacturing, not just to the American economy but also to our entire way of life.
Manufacture Local presents a formula for success. The Founders overcame Great Britain to make our country a manufacturing powerhouse. Today, we can take inspiration