Narrator: In 2015, a former hedge fund manager named Martin Shkreli acquired the rights to a 62-year-old, life-saving drug called Daraprim. The drug was essential for treating a parasitic infection that could be fatal for cancer patients, people with AIDS, and unborn babies. Almost overnight, Shkreli raised the price of a single pill from $13.50 to $750—an increase of over 5,000 percent. When confronted with the public outrage, he was unapologetic. He claimed his sole duty was to his investors, stating, "This is a capitalist society, a capitalist system and capitalist rules. And my investors expect me to maximize profits." Shkreli’s actions, and his justification for them, raise a disturbing question: How did we arrive at a place where such a profound disregard for the well-being of others could be defended as standard business practice?

In his book, The Common Good, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich argues that the Shkreli case is not an anomaly but a symptom of a much deeper problem. He provides a compelling diagnosis of how, over the last half-century, the very idea of a "common good"—a set of shared values, norms, and mutual obligations—has been systematically eroded in American society, leaving behind a landscape of deep division, distrust, and rampant inequality.

Narrator: Reich begins by contrasting two vastly different eras in American life. He recalls his own youth in the 1960s, a time when a sense of civic duty, inspired by President John F. Kennedy's call to service, was palpable. Even a menial summer internship running a signature machine for Senator Robert F. Kennedy felt like a meaningful contribution to the country. This "we're all in it together" ethos, however, began to fray in the late 1970s and 1980s. A cultural shift occurred, championing radical individualism over collective responsibility.

This new ethos was perfectly captured in popular culture. Robert Ringer’s 1977 bestseller, Looking Out for #1, celebrated selfishness as a virtue. A decade later, the fictional character Gordon Gekko from the film Wall Street became an icon for his infamous declaration: "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." This "me-first" mentality wasn't just a Hollywood trope; it seeped into the fabric of society, replacing the sense of connectedness and mutual obligation with a relentless focus on self-aggrandizement. The result, Reich argues, is a society that has lost its moral compass, where the pursuit of individual gain often comes at the expense of the community's well-being.

Narrator: According to Reich, the decline of the common good wasn't a passive event but the result of three specific, corrosive chain reactions that began in the 1970s. First came the rise of "whatever-it-takes-to-win" politics. The Watergate scandal, where President Nixon abused his power to undermine political opponents, set a new low for political conduct. This was followed by increasingly brutal partisan battles, such as the 1987 confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, which devolved into a campaign of personal destruction and gave rise to the verb "to Bork." This mentality normalized obstruction and vilification, eroding the norms of respectful deliberation necessary for a functioning democracy.

Second, the business world adopted a "whatever-it-takes-to-maximize-profits" philosophy. This was a dramatic shift from the post-war era, when corporations felt a sense of duty to their workers and communities. A prime example is Jack Welch's tenure as CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001. Welch aggressively cut tens of thousands of American jobs, closed domestic plants, and shifted production overseas, all to boost GE's stock price. While celebrated on Wall Street, these actions devastated communities and normalized the idea that a company's only responsibility is to its shareholders, not its stakeholders.

Finally, these two trends were supercharged by a third: the "whatever-it-takes-to-rig-the-economy" approach, fueled by an explosion of money in politics. Spurred by a 1971 memo from future Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell, corporations began a coordinated effort to influence legislation through lobbying and campaign donations. This allowed the wealthy and powerful to rewrite the rules of the economy in their favor, leading to deregulation, tax cuts for the rich, and weakened unions.

Narrator: The cumulative effect of these breakdowns has been catastrophic for the average American. Reich presents stark data showing that while the economy has doubled in size since the 1970s, the wages of the typical worker have remained stagnant or even declined when adjusted for inflation. Meanwhile, CEO pay has skyrocketed to nearly 300 times that of the average worker. By 2016, the richest one-tenth of one percent of Americans owned almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent combined.

This growing inequality has fueled a widespread perception that the system is rigged, leading to a dangerous erosion of social trust. Reich illustrates this with a study on "air rage." Researchers found that incidents of belligerent behavior in economy class were nearly four times more likely on planes with a first-class cabin, especially when economy passengers had to walk through it to get to their seats. The daily, visible reminder of inequality breeds resentment. This social fragmentation is also seen in how affluent communities effectively secede from the rest of society, as illustrated by the story of wealthy Malibu residents wanting to ensure their school donations only benefited their own children, not those in the less affluent parts of their shared school district.

Narrator: To reverse this decline, Reich argues for a new model of leadership based on trusteeship. A true leader's primary responsibility is not to win at all costs but to act as a steward of the public trust and the unwritten rules that uphold the common good. He points to the late Senator John McCain as an example of this ethic. In 2017, while battling brain cancer, McCain returned to the Senate to cast the deciding vote against repealing the Affordable Care Act. In a powerful speech, he condemned the toxic partisanship in Washington, reminding his colleagues that their duty was to preserve the institutions of government, even if it meant sacrificing a political victory.

This stands in stark contrast to leaders who prioritize personal ambition and power. Reich argues that a president's most fundamental duty is to uphold the system of government. Actions that attack the free press, question the legitimacy of the judiciary, or legitimize bigotry corrode the very foundations of democracy. Leadership as trusteeship requires a moral commitment to serving the public, not just a legal one to avoid indictment.

Narrator: A functioning democracy depends on a shared set of facts, but Reich shows how truth itself has become a casualty in the war against the common good. He details how powerful interests have worked to undermine truth-telling institutions. For example, he cites how the New America Foundation, a think tank that had received over $21 million from Google, fired a researcher and his team after they published a statement praising European regulators for fining Google for antitrust violations. The incident revealed how corporate money can be used to stifle critical research and dissent.

This problem is amplified by a media landscape driven by profit and a social media ecosystem that creates echo chambers. When the CEO of CBS, Leslie Moonves, said of Donald Trump's controversial candidacy, "It may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS," he exposed the conflict at the heart of modern media. Restoring the common good, Reich insists, requires a renewed, active commitment from citizens to seek out credible sources, challenge falsehoods, and demand accountability from both the media and the powerful interests that try to manipulate public discourse.

Narrator: Ultimately, Reich concludes that restoring the common good depends on rebuilding the very idea of citizenship. For decades, education has been framed as a private investment for personal gain—what you learn determines what you earn. This has led to a neglect of civic education, which teaches the obligations we have to one another. He recalls his own high school "citizenship education" in the 1950s, which, despite its flaws, instilled a sense of being part of a larger legacy.

He argues for a renewed focus on civics in schools and advocates for a period of required national service for all young people. He points to the end of the military draft in 1973 as a moment when shared sacrifice was lost. An all-volunteer army, drawn largely from lower-income families, makes it easier for the privileged to support wars they will never have to fight. A national service program, whether military or civilian, would force young people from different backgrounds to work together, fostering a sense of shared identity and mutual obligation that is essential for a healthy republic.

Narrator: The most critical takeaway from The Common Good is that a thriving society is not an accident. It is built on a foundation of trust, shared values, and mutual obligations that must be actively maintained. Robert B. Reich’s analysis shows that this foundation has been deliberately dismantled over decades by a relentless push for individual gain at the expense of the collective. The result is a society teetering on the brink of dysfunction, marked by deep-seated anger and distrust.

The book leaves us with a profound challenge. Restoring the common good is not merely a matter of policy tweaks; it is a moral imperative that requires a fundamental shift in how we view our responsibilities to one another. It forces us to ask a difficult question: In a nation so polarized, can we still find the collective will to look beyond our own self-interest and rebuild the trust we have lost?