ABSTRACT
Affluent Society, The (nonfiction, by John Kenneth Galbraith, 1958) Political scientists regard The Affluent Society as the most influential work of the noted Harvard economist and government advisor John Kenneth Galbraithand of its time. In it, Galbraith argues that American society in the mid-twentieth century was unique in world history in the number of people with disposable income, but he acknowledges that traditional assumptions and policies had impeded the equitable distribution of wealth. True affluence-the fair distribution of quality education, medical care, transportation, and access to public services-can be achieved through a variety of measures, Galbraith contends. The Affluent Society thus had a direct effect on the domestic policy initiatives of presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
