Drift and mastery : an attempt to diagnose the current unrest

Written in the midst of rapid industrial and social change, this work examines why democratic society feels increasingly unsettled. It begins with the era’s suspicion of corruption, then follows the changing relationships among business, government, labor, consumers, property, and political power.

The central concern is a world growing too complex for inherited habits and institutions. Expanding industry, professional management, organized labor, mass markets, and new technologies have created possibilities for progress while leaving ordinary people—and public systems—struggling to understand their surroundings.

Rather than offering a sweeping utopia or a simple political formula, the book asks how citizens can move from passive drift toward deliberate mastery of their environment. Its analysis considers the psychological as well as institutional effects of modern life, seeking a practical vision of democracy suited to an unprecedented age.