Invitation to a Dialogue - America's Direction - NYTimes.com We often hear variations on a common lament: America has lost its way; the country is on the wrong track. These are valid opinions on an urgent topic, but one requiring scrutiny. Is the primary measurement economic, cultural, social or some combination? There may be consensus about misdirection, but stark disagreement over causes. Some, for example, praise environmental regulations for protecting people and the planet, while others condemn them for impeding economic growth. If the country has veered off course, when did it begin? Some say 2008, pointing to the economic crisis or Barack Obama's election; others insist on 2000, with the advent of George W. Bush. We hear that the 1980s marked a dangerous turning point, with the widening gap between rich and poor, and the creeping influence of money in politics. But wait: The 1960s are alternately lauded or blamed for social and cultural innovations. The 1950s deserve a closer look, a decade when Americans started imagining that economic prosperity was permanent, almost a birthright. Yet the stultifying pressures toward conformity ultimately prompted objections from many quarters. Another narrative is possible, one accounting for fundamental progress. The great, and I hope continuing, expansion in civil and human rights for workers, women, and racial, sexual and ethnic minorities puts the promise of American life in reach for most of us at last. Returning to the "good (bad) old days" would be tragic. It may not be that America is losing its way, but that other countries, in economic terms, are finding theirs. There is more competition, but also prosperous and thus beneficial trading partners. Perhaps there are numerous right paths in our interconnected world. For America, perhaps finding the right course is an unending challenge, central to the national experience. We should have the audacity to hope that this is so. The writer teaches in the history departments of the University of Massachusetts Boston and Bentley University and works at the Mugar Memorial Library of Boston University. Editors" Note: We invite readers to respond by Thursday for the Sunday Dialogue. We plan to publish responses and Mr. Johnson's rejoinder in the Sunday Review. E-mail: letters@nytimes.com