Disinherited ― How Washington Is Betraying America's Young

Tens of millions of Americans are between the ages of 18 and 30. These Americans, known as millennials, are, or soon will be, entering the workforce. For them, achieving success will be more difficult than it was for young people in the past.

This is not because they are less intelligent, they have worked less hard, or they are any less deserving of the American dream. It is because Washington made decisions that render their lives more difficult than those of their parents or grandparents. Their younger siblings and their children will be even worse off, all because Washington has refused to fix the problem.

This book describes the personal stories of several members of this disinherited generation. Their experiences are not unique. It is impossible to hear these stories and not understand that holding back a nation’s young is the antithesis of fairness and no way to make economic or social progress.

Their stories are an indictment of America’s treatment of its young. A nation that prides itself on its future has mortgaged it. A nation that historically took pride in its youth culture has become a nation that steals from its young. People who should have fulfilling, productive lives are sidelined, unemployed, or underemployed.

Meanwhile, America expects millennials and others of the disinherited generation to pay higher taxes for government programs that benefit middle-aged and older Americans, many of whom have better jobs and more assets.

It is time someone told the full story of the crisis facing America’s young. The future of America can be saved, but only if our government’s betrayal comes to an end. It is a war without victors, only victims. The birthright of the America’s young must be restored, and the time to do so is now. This book explains how.

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, former chief economist of the U.S. Department of Labor, is director of Economics21 and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. She has served in the White House as chief of staff of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush, as deputy executive secretary of the Domestic Policy Council under President George H.W. Bush, and as an economist on President Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers. Ms. Furchtgott-Roth is the author or coauthor of five books, most recently Regulating to Disaster: How Green Jobs Policies Are Damaging America's Economy (Encounter Books, 2012) and Women's Figures: An Illustrated Guide to the Economic Progress of Women in America (AEI Press, 2012). She is a regular guest on Fox Business News, CNBC, and Newsmax TV, as well as a wide variety of radio shows such as NPR, The Jim Blasingame Show, Run to Win with Darryl Wood, and Wall Street Shuffle. She believes the effects of economic policies need to be explained in accessible ways by showing their direct effects on individuals' lives. Ms. Furchtgott-Roth is regularly published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, POLITICO, USA Today, and The Washington Examiner. She is a contributing editor for RealClearMarkets.com and a columnist for MarketWatch.com and Tax Notes. Ms. Furchtgott-Roth received her B.A. in economics from Swarthmore and her M.Phil. in economics from Oxford.


Jared Meyer is a policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. His research interests include microeconomic theory and the economic effects of, governmental regulations. He enjoys explaining economic topics through references to popular culture and sports, and does so through radio appearances on multiple stations, including NPR, and by recording podcasts. Mr. Meyer is a regular contributor to Economics21, The Washington Examiner, RealClearEnergy.com, and City Journal. His work has been mentioned by Yahoo! Finance, The L.A. Times, Forbes, and The Christian Science Monitor. He is a graduate of St. John's University in New York City where he received a B.S. in finance and a minor in the philosophy of law.