Marketcrafters

A revelatory and unexpected examination of the political economy of the past century—and an argument that policymakers in government, not the mythical “free market,” created the most dynamic economy the world has ever known. For many decades, a sacred myth has ruled the minds of policymakers and business leaders: free markets, untouched by the soiled hands of government, bring us prosperity and stability. But it’s wrong. American policymakers, on the right and the left, have spent much of the past century actively shaping our markets for social and political goals. Their work behind the scenes and out of the headlines has served as a kind of “marketcraft,” resembling the statecraft of international relations. Economist and writer Chris Hughes takes us on a journey through the modern history of American capitalism, relating the captivating stories of the most effective marketcrafters and the ones who bungled the job. He reveals how both Republicans and Democrats have consistently attempted to organize markets for social and political reasons, like avoiding gasoline shortages, reducing inflation, fostering the American aviation and semiconductor industries, fighting climate change, and supporting financial innovation. In recent decades, the art of marketcraft has been lost to history, replaced by the myth that markets work best when they are unfettered and free. Hughes argues that by rediscovering the triumphs and failures of past marketcrafters, we can shape future markets, such as those in artificial intelligence and clean power production, to be innovative, stable, and inclusive. Groundbreaking, timely, and illuminating, this is a must-read for anyone interested in economic policy, financial markets, and the future of the American economy.

A revelatory and unexpected examination of the political economy of the past century—and an argument that policymakers in government, not the mythical “free market,” created the most dynamic economy the world has ever known. For many decades, a sacred myth has ruled the minds of policymakers and business leaders: free markets, untouched by the soiled hands of government, bring us pros­perity and stability. Economist and writer Chris Hughes demolishes this fantasy by chronicling the hidden history of American capitalism: a centuries-long tradition of industrial policy where the state’s guiding hand has been essential to prosperity. Markets do not exist in a vacuum but are the product of a deliberate political order, a practice he calls “marketcraft.” This groundbreaking book takes readers through the high-stakes evolution of our most critical industries, from the state-led management of our banking and financial systems to the intentional development of energy, aviation, healthcare, and semiconductor markets. American government has always done far more than just react to “market failures.” Tracing a lineage from Alexander Hamilton to the architects of Trump and Biden industrial policies, Hughes introduces the “marketcrafters”—the technicians and organizers who combined expertise with judgment to cultivate the economy like a garden. By studying their triumphs and failures, we can pursue a smarter industrial policy for the future. As we navigate the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and the urgent demands of the climate crisis, this book serves as an essential road map for harnessing the power of markets to build a stable, inclusive, and abundant future for all Americans.