Bertram Myron Gross American political scientist, professor of political science Country: USA

1. Biography of Bertram Myron Gross
2. Early Life and Education
3. Career
4. Contributions and Ideas

Biography of Bertram Myron Gross

Bertram Myron Gross was an American political scientist and professor of political science at Hunter College. He gained fame for his book "Friendly Fascism" (1980) and as the original author of the "Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act" (United States, 1978). He was the father of physicist and Nobel laureate David Gross.

Early Life and Education

Bertram Gross was born in the United States in 1912. He studied philosophy and English language at the University of Pennsylvania, where he specialized in English literature. After completing his studies, he obtained a Master's degree in English literature. Despite not having a scientific degree in economics, Bertram Gross played a significant role in changing American politics and legislation, which was a cornerstone of President Roosevelt's New Deal.

Career

From 1941 to 1945, Gross participated in the work of several committees in the U.S. Senate. He prepared two legislative proposals on "Full Employment" for Presidents Roosevelt and Truman in 1944 and 1945, where it was first clearly stated that full employment to ensure a minimum standard of living should be a national priority. In accordance with this bill, the Council of Economic Advisers was also established, and Gross served as its first Executive Secretary from 1946 to 1952.

Later, Gross and his family moved to Israel, where from 1953 to 1956 he served as an economic consultant in the Prime Minister's Office and held the position of visiting professor at the Hebrew University, where he participated in the creation of departments of public administration and management of trade and industrial activities. In 1960, he returned to America and joined the faculty of the Political Science Department at Syracuse University (New York, USA), where he remained for eight years. In 1961-1962, he was an employee of the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences in Palo Alto, and in 1962-1963, he was a lecturer at Harvard Business School.

In 1970, Gross became the President of the Society for General Systems Research. He was also appointed a distinguished professor at Hunter College (New York City), where he remained until his retirement in 1982. He held the position of professor of public policy and planning and urban studies. From 1982 until his death in 1997, Gross served as a visiting professor at the private Catholic College of Saint Mary (Oakland, California, USA), which has its own business management programs.

Gross was the original author of the "Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act," which was enacted in 1978 by Augustus Hawkins. In memory of his work, the Campaign to Abolish Poverty/Full Employment Coalition has been awarding the annual Bertram Gross Prize since 1999.

Contributions and Ideas

In his book "Friendly Fascism: The New Face of Power in America," first published in 1980, Bertram Gross predicted the emergence of a new form of fascist thought and social policy in America in the late 20th century. According to Gross, the power elite, including corporate, governmental, and military superstructures of the country, tends to increasingly use various methods of "friendly persuasion" to win the hearts and minds of ordinary Americans. This led the author to introduce the concept of "friendly fascism."

The concept of friendly fascism reflects two opposing tendencies in the politics of the United States and other countries of the so-called "free world." It helps distinguish this potential future from the openly hostile corporatism of classical fascism, which occurred in Germany, Italy, and Japan in the first half of the 20th century. It also contrasts with various forms of dependent or submissive fascism supported by the U.S. government in countries such as El Salvador, Haiti, Argentina, Chile, South Korea, the Philippines, and others in the second half of the 20th century.