Blackwell Reference Online

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James Allen “Jim” Hightower is one of the most famous American populists, speaking out in behalf of consumers, small businesses, working-class families, and the environment. Born January 11, 1943 in Denison, Texas to a working-class family, he has spent his adult life involved in state and national politics and political commentary. He is best known for his progressive commentary, his outspokenness against former president George W. Bush, and his concept of the “Doug Jones Average.” According to Hightower, the Dow Jones Industrial Average tells nothing about the health of the nation's economy because it does not reflect the reality of the everyday American. Instead, he argues for a Doug Jones Average that would take into account how John Q. Citizen or, in this case “Doug Jones,” is doing. If Doug Jones is struggling to provide for his family and pay his bills, then the average is down. Conversely, if Jones is doing well, it is up. This concept is a folksy play on the “gross national happiness” (GNH) index introduced by King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan in 1972. It takes into account such elements as quality of life and happiness of the people to measure the overall success of a nation. Hightower earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of North Texas and pursued graduate work in international affairs at Columbia University. He used these degrees to ... log in or subscribe to read full text