That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back

Overview

Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum examine why the United States, once the dominant engine of global innovation and prosperity, has been drifting from that position and what it must do to regain momentum. They argue that complacency, political paralysis and a failure to adapt to global economic and technological shifts have left America vulnerable. The authors combine empirical diagnosis with a call for ambitious, practical policy changes that span education, fiscal policy, infrastructure and energy.

Diagnosis

Friedman and Mandelbaum identify a confluence of structural problems: an education system that is stagnant and unequal, unsustainable federal deficits and growing national debt, deteriorating physical infrastructure, and an energy policy that is uneven and insufficiently forward-looking. These problems interact and reinforce one another, producing slower growth, weaker competitiveness and eroding public confidence. The historical advantage the United States enjoyed, its combination of innovation, openness and investment, has been weakened by these domestic failures even as other countries advance.

Causes

The authors place much of the blame on political and civic failures as much as on economic trends. Short-term politics, polarized discourse and a broken incentives structure have prevented the long-term investments necessary for renewal. Globalization and the information revolution have raised the bar for education and skill, exposing weaknesses in workforce preparation. Meanwhile, policy choices that favor immediate consumption over investment, and that avoid confronting energy and environmental trade-offs, exacerbate long-term vulnerability. Friedman and Mandelbaum emphasize that external competition is real, but the primary crisis is domestic: America must reinvent itself rather than expect external conditions to change in its favor.

Proposed Remedies

The prescription is a mix of recurring public investments and bold policy reforms crafted to restore capacity and encourage innovation. Revitalizing education receives central attention: better training and compensation for teachers, higher standards, expanded access to early childhood and postsecondary education, and a stronger focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics to prepare students for a global economy. Fiscal responsibility is urged through realistic budgeting, entitlement reform and a tax system that favors investment and growth while closing loopholes that reward short-term behavior. Infrastructure renewal is framed as both a growth driver and a jobs program, calling for modernization of transportation, water systems and communications networks. On energy, the authors press for a coherent strategy that combines efficiency, clean energy investment and policies that price carbon to accelerate the transition. Immigration reform to attract and retain talent, increased support for research and development, and incentives for entrepreneurship form additional elements of the revival plan.

Tone and Stakes

The narrative is urgent but not fatalistic; it blends critique with a pragmatic optimism that the United States still has the resources and institutions to recover if it chooses to act. Friedman and Mandelbaum stress the need for political courage and civic leadership, arguing that renewal requires sustained national purpose and bipartisan cooperation. The stakes are both economic and democratic: restoring competitiveness is about jobs and growth, but also about ensuring a society with the education, infrastructure and energy systems necessary for shared prosperity and global influence. The book closes with a call to treat renewal as a national project that demands long-term thinking and collective will.