What's ahead? : the U.S. economy / by Edward Boorstein.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [213]-222) and index.

I. Background to crisis: 1. The capitalist system - 2. Monopoly capital --- finance capital --- imperialism - 3. The government role: economic regulation --- military expenditures -- II. Declining maneuverability: 4. Inflation vs. unemployment - 5. Reagonomics - 6. Stagflation - No easy solution --- III. Declining international strength: 7. The unstable dollar - 8. The oil crisis --- IV. Industry in crisis: 9. Plant closings - 10. Sickness in auto - 11. Shrinking steel - 12. Overall crisis in industry -- V. One result of the crisis: 13. Decaying cities - 14. Crumbling infrastructure -- VI. Effects on the people: 15. The retirement system - 16. The health care crisis - 17. Jobs and quality of life -- 18. The struggle ahead.

"Over the last fifteen years nothing in the U.S. economy has worked right. We have suffered from worsening "stagflation", a combination of severe recessions, high unemployment, and inflation. Periodically, the value of the dollar has plummeted in the international markets. Shortages of oil and natural gas have struck us several times, disrupting the whole economy. A wave of plant closings has been sweeping over our industry, causing countless workers to lose their jobs, devastating communities, and bringing decline to entire regions. Several major industries -- steel, auto, and others -- are sick, with hundred of thousands of workers permanently thrown out of their jobs. Our cities are in decay. Large stretches of some of them look like bombed-out Berlin just after World War II. Our infrastructure -- roads, bridges, water supply systems, etc. -- is crumbling. The social security system has passed through several financial crunches. The health care system is in crisis." -- from Chapter 1.