Contents
Foreword by Bill Gates Sr.
Foreword by Chuck Collins
INTRODUCTION
Public Policy and the Success Narrative
Implications of the Self-Made Myth and the Anti-government Narrative It Supports
Implications of the Built-Together Reality and the Public Investment Imperative It Supports
Modern Myth and the Titans of Industry
Fueling an Anti-government Narrative
Donald Trump: FHA Housing, Imminent Domain, and Bank Bailouts
H. Ross Perot Sr.: Medicare, Medicaid, and the Right Connections
Reality Check: Social Mobility and the Rags-to-Riches Story
Koch Brothers: Money, Power, and Public Subsidies
CHAPTER 3
The Built-Together Reality of Individual Success
Roots of the Built-Together Reality
Role of Individual Effort and Leadership
Unequal Opportunities and Historical Timing
Society’s Contributions to Individual Success
CHAPTER 4
Stories of Success and the Common Good
Jerry Fiddler: Public Support for Education Helped Get Me Where I Am
Glynn Lloyd: Transportation and Food Safety Regulations Help My Business
Reality Check: Highways and Transportation
Thelma Kidd: Taxes Are Just the Price of Doing Business
Warren Buffett: This Society Disproportionately Values What I Do Well
Martin Rothenberg: My Success Was Paid For by Others
Reality Check: Higher Education and Individual Success
Kim Jordan: The Idea of a Self-Made Person Is a Stretch
Anirvan Chatterjee: Leaving the Ladder Down behind Him
Reality Check: Building the Internet
Peter Barnes: Wealth Comes out of the Commons
Amy Domini: Regulation Makes My Industry Possible
Reality Check: Government Regulation in Finance
Nikhil Arora: It Takes a Village to Raise a Business
Ben Cohen: Holding the Business in Trust for the Community
Gun Denhart: Healthy Communities Support Healthy Businesses
Reality Check: Technical Innovation, Research, and Development
Abigail Disney: Government Creates a Fertile Ground for Business
Jim Sherblom: Regulation Makes It a Fair and Open Game
CHAPTER 5
Policy Implications and the Public Investment Imperative
Shifting Perspectives and the Built-Together Reality
A Note on the Role of Government
Tax Policies for the Built-Together Reality
Investing in America and Paying It Forward