development, race and American politics, and public policy. He has also written extensively about the development of American democracy and the links between American and comparative politics.
His most recent book is Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy (2020), co-authored with Suzanne Mettler.
[The Page 99 Test: Four Threats]
At Five Books Eve Gerber interviewed Lieberman about five books helpful to understand Carter and the context in which he served and was elected. From their discussion of one of Lieberman's picks:
[Gerber] This brings us to another book you recommended: Meg Jacobs, Panic at the Pump: The Energy Crisis and the Transformation of American Politics in the 1970s. Please tell us about it.Read about another book on the list.
[Lieberman] Like [Jefferson Cowie’s Stayin Alive: The 1970s and the Last Days of the Working Class], Meg Jacobs’s book about the energy crisis of the 1970s does a great job of situating the politics of the era in the longer-runtransformations taking place during the decade, particularly our relationship with the Middle East and with imported oil. That’s behind a lot of the inflation in the decade.
[Gerber] In 1977 Carter said, “The energy crisis is real. It is worldwide. It is a clear and present danger to our nation. These are facts and we simply must face them.” Please help us understand the salience of the energy crisis that took place during Carter’s presidency and his much-criticized handling of it.
[Lieberman] One of the things that Carter doesn’t get enough credit for is thinking and speaking clearly about the energy crisis, energy challenges, and America’s dependence on the Middle East, which was an increasingly unstable region, for imported oil. He was forthright about the need to conserve energy both for economic reasons and security reasons. In a way, Carter was visionary about these things....[read on]
--Marshal Zeringue
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