"An extraordinary book that explores the deep roots of the American democracy, identifying the political, economic and social transformations through an acute and profound analysis of the powers that structure society. A book needed to understand the current situation not only of the United States, but of the entire Western world." - Patrizio Bianchi, University of Ferrara, Italy and Regional Minister of the Emilia-Romagna Government "This book offers a subtle, textured, clear and compelling account of the US industrial policy and strategy, drawing upon a grand historical analysis and a rich and detailed study of the current neoliberal era. Tassinari examines the evolution of the US policies and institutions both in the short term and the long-term, in the light of national as well as global concerns and modes of governance. An invaluable contribution." -Alfredo Saad Filho, SOAS, University of London, England. "This innovative book offers a unique analysis of the political economy of the industry-government relationship in the US. It should be read by scholars, researchers and policy makers genuinely interested in rethinking industrial and development policies." -Marco R. Di Tommaso, University of Ferrara (Italy) and Director of c.MET05 This book examines the American industrial strategy, from the late 70s to the present day, in what is now known as the 'neoliberal era'. The author illustrates the ways in which the protection and promotion of American companies and industries took place in the context of the international 'free market'. He provides clear evidence of how the economic power of the United States - wielded to influence the formal and informal institutions of the neoliberal order - has been used as a tool for enhancing its competitive advantage against other world economies. Mattia Tassinari teaches Industrial Economics and Policy at the University of Ferrara, Italy, where he works as Research Fellow. He is also researcher at the c.MET05 (Inter-university Centre for Applied Economic Studies to Industrial Policies, Local Development and Internationalization). He is consultant for several international organizations, such as UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) and ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean).