Introduction to Paul E. Tsongas
Paul Tsongas not only built national prominence as a Congressman, Senator,
Presidential candidate, and author of four books, but as a favorite son of the city of Lowell he is credited for almost
single-handedly revitalizing the depressed economy of his home town into a regional center for business, education,
culture, and sports. 
As a pro-business advocate, he wrote key legislation that resulted in the 1979 Chrysler bailout;
as a conservationist, he led the passage of the 1980 Alaska Lands Act; as an alternative-energy proponent he advanced
the use of solar energy and maintained support for nuclear energy in spite of its unpopularity; as an environmentalist
he chaired the first Senate hearings on global warming; and as a champion of human rights, he ardently advocated equal
rights for women and gays. At the same time, throughout his career and his writings he led the fight to re-define
liberalism urging non-ideological, pragmatic, tough-minded approaches to the nation’s problems, what he termed
“compassionate realism” but what was more popularly referred to as neoliberalism. As the nation once again confronts
a combination of political re-alignment, economic turmoil, energy dependency, and an environmental crisis, the legacy
of Paul Tsongas provides a significant historical context to these major political debates that are gaining renewed
prominence.