Easton Press Mitch Daniels books
Keeping The Republic - Signed First Edition - 2011
Mitch Daniels biography
Mitchell Elias Daniels Jr., commonly known as Mitch Daniels, was born on April 7, 1949, in Monongahela, Pennsylvania. He is an American politician, business executive, and academic, known for his contributions to both state and national politics. With a diverse career spanning government, academia, and the corporate world, Daniels has left a significant impact on public service and governance. After earning a bachelor's degree from the Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1971 and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1979, Daniels began his career in politics. He served as an aide to Senator Richard Lugar and later as Chief of Staff to Senator Dan Quayle. This early experience laid the foundation for his extensive involvement in Republican politics.
In the 1980s, Daniels transitioned to executive roles in the private sector, working for the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company. His corporate experience equipped him with valuable insights into business and leadership, setting the stage for his later return to public service. Daniels entered state government when he was appointed as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under President George W. Bush in 2001. His tenure at OMB was marked by a focus on fiscal discipline and efficiency in government spending. His effective management skills and commitment to sound financial principles earned him a reputation as a capable administrator.
Following his role at OMB, Daniels returned to Indiana to run for governor. He was elected as the 49th Governor of Indiana in 2004 and served two consecutive terms until 2012. As governor, Daniels pursued an ambitious agenda that included education reform, infrastructure improvement, and fiscal responsibility. He successfully implemented policies to address budgetary challenges, creating a surplus and earning praise for his effective governance. Mitch Daniels' achievements in Indiana garnered attention on the national stage, and he was often mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. However, he decided against running for the presidency in 2012, opting to remain focused on his role as president of Purdue University, a position he assumed in 2013.
In his capacity as President of Purdue University, Daniels focused on issues of affordability and innovation in higher education. He implemented measures to control tuition costs and improve the overall efficiency of the university. Mitch Daniels' career reflects a commitment to public service, fiscal responsibility, and innovation in governance. His multidimensional experience in politics, business, and academia showcases a leader dedicated to addressing the challenges facing both the public and private sectors.
Keeping the Republic - Saving America by Trusting Americans
Upon leaving the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked what sort of government the delegates had created. His reply to the crowd: "A republic, if you can keep it." Now America's most respected governor explains just how close we've come to losing the republic, and how we can restore it to greatness.Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has been called "the most presidential man in America." He has brought more change to his state in a few years than most see in decades.
During his tenure, Daniels turned a $700 million deficit into a billion dollar surplus, balanced Indiana's budget even during the recession, converted its once unattractive business climate into one of the strongest for private sector job growth.
The Hoosier state is now a model of good and efficient governance. Its public sector payroll is now the smallest per capita in the nation. And yet services have improved across the board. Even its Bureau of Motor Vehicles the ultimate symbol of dysfunctional bureaucracy has been rated the best in the country.
Daniels has done this by focusing on government's core responsibilities, cutting taxes, empowering citizens, and performing what he calls an "old tribal ritual" - spending less money than his state takes in, while distinguishing between skepticism towards big government and hostility towards all government.
Unfortunately few politicians have the discipline or courage to follow his lead. And worse, many assume that Americans are too intimidated, gullible or dim-witted to make wise decisions about their health care, mortgages, the education of their kids, and other important issues. The result has been a steady decline in freedom, as elite government experts "our benevolent betters," in Daniels' phrase try to regulate every aspect of our lives.
Daniels bluntly calls our exploding national debt "a survival-level threat to the America we have known." He shows how our underperforming public schools have produced a workforce unprepared to compete with those of other countries and ignorant of the requirements of citizenship in a free society. He lays out the risk of greatly diminished long term prosperity and the loss of our position of world leadership. He warns that we may lose the uniquely American promise of upward mobility for all.
But, the good news is that it's not too late to save America. However, real change can't be imposed from above. It has to be what he calls "change that believes in you" a belief that Americans, properly informed of the facts, will pull together to make the necessary changes and that they are best- equipped to make the decisions governing their own lives. As he puts it:
"I urge great care not to drift into a loss of faith in the American people. We must never yield to the self-fulfilling despair that these problems are immutable, or insurmountable. Americans are still a people born to liberty. Addressed as free-born, autonomous men and women of God-given dignity, they will rise yet again to drive back a mortal enemy."