The Competition Paradigm: America's Romance with Conflict, Contest, and Commerce

Competition has long been a hallmark of patriotism and the American way of life. Could there be better models of competition that lead to a more productive society? This intriguing question is taken up in The Competition Paradigm, the first book in more than a decade to scrutinize America's enchantment with competition. Rosenau's engaging inquiry finds surprisingly little evidence of competition's benefits and much on its harmful effects. Research from biology to psychology to international relations shows that unbridled competition compromises individual health, threatens the quality of community life, lowers commercial productivity, increases inequality, and jeopardizes globalization. Yet Rosenau does not condemn all competition. Instead she judiciously distinguishes between its constructive and destructive forms, pointing to new workplace and national policies that can enhance life and American productivity.