The Upswing

The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again by Robert D. Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett blends history, data, and narrative to show how the United States moved from a period of strong civic engagement and shared purpose in the early 20th century to a later era of rising inequality, polarization, and social fragmentation, and how past recoveries offer lessons for restoring solidarity today. The authors trace cultural, economic, and political causes of decline, highlight episodes of collective renewal, and offer pragmatic policy and civic recommendations—such as investing in education and community institutions, reforming economic and political rules, and rebuilding social capital—to suggest that a renewed, more inclusive democracy is achievable.