In Political Catsup with Economy Fries: Liberalism, Pragmatism, Opportunism, readers are introduced to a simpler political analysis based on an examination of economic policies. Mel Scanlan Stahl describes three different American political ideologies: classical liberalism, modern liberalism and neoliberalism. Primary sources introduce the reader to the ideas and people that have shaped each ideology. Urgent circumstances reveal how each ideology was set into motion under a different set of challenges. Political groups who benefitted the most and least show how the ideology affected groups differently. The helpful and disruptive influence of technologies show how political systems and economic systems have had to change with the times. And policies that have harmed the economy and how America recovered from them show that dark economic times needn't lead to economic catastrophe. Bad policies have required reform in the past and identifying current policies ripe for change can lead the U.S. to a better future. The reader learns how the action arena for politics and economics receive different social cues and have different kinds of incentives. Readers learn that three areas, finance, war and the law affect both political and economic choices and therefore have grave influence over social outcomes. Extraordinary attention is needed in these areas to balance diverse interests through good policies. Everyone wants to know why policies in the U.S. aren't creating prosperity. People don't like the "new normal." Americans want their government to work better in support of a healthier economy. Where did America take a wrong turn? And now with the U.S. in trouble and an election looming that seems to offer little hope of economic or political relief, this book helps people understand better policy approaches in government that could provide solutions. Debt saturated fiscal policy, the overprinted fiat monetary system under Federal Reserve experimentation, greater militarization with seemingly endless wars in the Middle East, and fewer gainful jobs but with higher taxes, are alarming trends that worry Americans at every turn. This book helps people to understand political stakes, how governmental power has been used differently during each ideological period and how to improve our chances for prosperity.