Make It In America: The Case for Re-Inventing the Economy
Andrew Liveris
America used to define itself by the things it built. We designed and produced the world's most important innovations, and in doing so, created a vibrant manufacturing sector that built the middle class. We manufactured our way to the top and became the undisputed economic leader among all nations. But over the last several decades, and especially in the last ten years, the sector that was America's great pride has eroded, costing millions of jobs and putting our long-term prosperity at risk. Now, as we struggle to recover from the worst recession in generations, our only chance to turn things around is to revive the American manufacturing sector - and to revolutionize it. In <i>MAKE IT IN AMERICA: The Case for Reinventing the Economy</i>, Andrew Liveris - Chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company - offers a thoughtful and passionate argument that America's future economic growth and prosperity depends on the strength of its manufacturing sector. The book Explains how a manufacturing sector creates economic value at a scale unmatched by any other, and how central the sector is to creating jobs both inside and outside the factory. Explores how other nations are building their manufacturing sectors to stay competitive in the global economy, and describes how America has failed to keep up. Provides an aggressive, practical and comprehensive agenda that will put the U.S. back on track to lead the world. <p> It's time to stop accepting as inevitable the shuttering of factories and staggering job losses that have come to define manufacturing. It's time to acknowledge the cost of inaction. There is no better company to make the case for reviving U.S. manufacturing than the Michigan-based The Dow Chemical Company, one of the world's largest manufacturers and one of its most global corporations. And there's no better book to show why it needs to be done and how to do it than <i>MAKE IT IN AMERICA</i>. </p><p> Andrew Liveris is Chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company, one of the largest multinational corporations in the world and a leader in science and technology. <br><br> Q&A with Author Andrew Liveris <br><br> <b> What is the biggest factor to explain the dramatic loss of U.S. manufacturing sector jobs that began in the 1970s? </b><br> Author Andrew Liveris There are a lot of reasons that the U.S. manufacturing sector has lost jobs over the last four decades, but they boil down to this. The world changed, and our policy approach did not change with it. <br><br> Think back to the years right after World War II. When it came to economic competitiveness, the United States was the only game in town. But after that, the European economies and Japan, with our help, came back robustly - both with a strong orientation to manufacturing and quality. Next came the Asian Tigers, followed by Brazil, China, India, and Russia - the so-called "BRIC" countries. Other, smaller economies emerged as well. <br><br> All of these nations were, and still are, are asking themselves the same thing. "How can we create jobs? How can we grow our manufacturing base?" And they're doing everything they can to compete - tax holidays, low-cost loans, you name it. <br><br> Meanwhile, the United States has stood still. We're still the world's largest economy, but every day, we are losing ground. Unless American policymakers improve the business climate by addressing everything from taxes to R&D to education reform, the decline of American manufacturing is inevitable and irreversible. <br><br> I believe the world is entering a golden age of manufacturing, based in no small part on American innovation and technology. Jobs will be created. Value will be created. The question is, will they be created here or someplace else? <br><br> <b>Are there pros to the American economy shifting from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy? </b><br> Frankly, no. Manufacturing creates jobs in a way that the service sector simply cannot. A new manufacturing facility supports an entire value chain - demand for raw materials, construction, energy, supplies and services. <br><br> For too many Americans, the word "manufacturing" has an old-fashioned ring to it. They think of it as a thing of the past. To them, manufacturing means lost jobs, closed factories, and a struggling middle class. <br><br> But here's the truth about manufacturing in the United States. The workforce in this country contains 150 million people, and they can't all be employed in the service sector. Manufacturing - and only manufacturing - can create the multiplier effect that is necessary if we're going to have anything approaching full employment. <br><br> We have to stop pretending that a "service-based" economy is a viable option. The consequences would be massive unemployment, even greater income inequality, and the gradual obsolescence of our entire economy. I'm not saying that there isn't a place for service industries, because there absolutely is. But we need to have balance in the economy, and right now, our balance is dangerously off. <br><br> <b>Where can the U.S. manufacturing industry look for inspiration right now? </b><br> All across the world. I have been in manufacturing for 35 years, and this is absolutely the most exciting time I have ever seen for manufacturing globally. That is why I call this a "golden age." The manufacturing sector is rapidly evolving, advancing, before our eyes. It is stunning to watch it unfold. <br><br> Look at any of the world's great challenges, and manufacturing is central to the solution. The world needs semiconductors and microprocessors; wind turbines and solar cells; advanced batteries and state-of-the-art medical devices. Manufacturers make these things, and these things, in turn, will remake our future. <br><br> But unless we act,
