" The public intellectual, as a person and ideal, has a long and storied mythology. Writing in venues like the New Republic and Foreign Affairs, they are expected to opine on a broad array of topics, from foreign policy to literature to economics. Yet in recent years a new kind of thinker has supplanted that archetype: the thought leader. Equipped with one big idea, thought leaders focus their energies on TED talks more than highbrow periodicals. How did this shift happen? In The Ideas Industry, Daniel W. Drezner points to the roles of political polarization, heightened inequality, and eroding trust in authority as ushering in the change. In contrast to public intellectuals, thought leaders gain fame as single-idea merchants. Their ideas are often laudable and highly ambitious: ending global poverty by 2025, for example. But instead of a class composed of university professors and freelance intellectuals debating in highbrow magazines, thought leaders can bypass traditional gatekeepers to directly influence policymakers and the public. They are more immune to criticism--and in this century, the criticism of public intellectuals also counts for less. Three factors have reshaped the world of ideas: waning trust in expertise, increasing political polarization and rising levels of plutocracy. The erosion of trust has lowered the barriers to entry in the marketplace of ideas. Thought leaders don't need doctorates or fellowships to advance their arguments. Polarization is hardly a new phenomenon, but in contrast to their predecessors, today's intellectuals are more likely to enjoy the support of ideologically friendly private funders and be housed in ideologically-driven think tanks. Increasing inequality is a key driver: more than ever before, contemporary plutocrats fund intellectuals and policy shops that generate arguments that align with their own. There are downsides to the contemporary ideas industry, but Drezner argues that it is very good at broadcasting ideas widely and reaching large audiences of people hungry for new thinking. Both fair-minded and trenchant, The Ideas Industry will reshape our understanding of contemporary public intellectual life in America and the West."--

U.S. trade expansion has contributed to dramatic economic growth, but it has also led to new policy challenges: a ballooning trade deficit, anxiety about foreign competition, and a potential "race to the bottom" for labor and environmental regulation. This incisive new book examines these and other challenges facing U.S. trade policy. An introduction, presented in the form of an options memorandum to the U.S. president, provides context and critical assessment of various policy options. Four white papers look in greater detail at the specific challenges facing U.S. trade negotiators. They provide a framework for exploring the menu of policy options for the Bush administration.By making the sometimes arcane issues of trade accessible without sacrificing sophistication or detail, this volume is an invaluable teaching aid, guiding students and readers through the murky waters of American foreign economic policy. The U.S. trade agenda today faces formidable challenges as well as substantial opportunities. This book offers insight into both. "Without taking sides, Drezner masterfully lays out the big trade policy choices facing a president." —Gary Clyde Hufbauer, Reginald Jones Senior Fellow, Institute for International Economics "With considerable expertise and insight, Drezner offers an enlightening overview of the decisions awaiting the United States in the making of trade policy. Above all, he explains why the United States cannot afford to turn away from trade if Americans hope to achieve a growing and lasting prosperity for all." —James Bacchus, Chairman, Global Trade Practice Group, Greenberg Traurig LLP