Reviews

"A coherent argument and well-organized presentation make Levine's book useful reading for political sociologists and scholars interested in the New Deal."--Contemporary Sociology"An ably argued analysis of the New Deal industrial recovery program. . . . [and] also a theoretical treatise on the capitalist state. . . . Levine argues against both liberal pluralist and instrumentalist views of the origins of state policies."--Journal of American History"Levine analyzes the balance of class forces during the Great Depression of the 1930s and the ways in which they shaped the formulation, implementation, and consequences of federal policies. . . . This well-structured book views the New Deal from an unusual standpoint, contributes to an understanding of theories of the capitalist state, and illuminates determinants of policy-making. It should be read by historians and political scientists as well as sociologists."--Choice

"This book is an exemplar of how to proceed in historical sociology. Levine makes a major theoretical contribution to recent debates about the autonomy of the state and the relative impact of business and labor on state policies. Her core argument is a judicious and well-documented critique of the state-centered approach, which alone makes her study both controversial and important. Well reasoned and thoroughly documented, Levine's book is also exceptionally well written and should be read by anyone interested in twentieth-century American history, historical sociology, theories of the state, and policy develpment."--Jill S. Quadago, author of The Transformation of Old Age Security: Class and Politics in the American Welfare State