Rising unemployment and declining industrial productivity are major problems in the United States today. Four different strategies have been proposed for dealing with these problems. The free market approach promises economic prosperity by reducing the government's role and relying on the private sector. Advocates of this approach feel that it will produce more growth over the long run, but the price to be paid for such growth will include increased bankruptcies and unemployment. Advocates of a second strategy, a national industrial policy, argue that the government must take an active role in guiding the economy back to sustained growth. This policy would target investments in promising industries of the future and cushion the negative impact of such actions through job retraining and relocation assistance. Both the free-market and national industrial policy strategies are geared to the long term and both entail costs in the present. A third strategy proposes a redefined work contract--cooperation--between management and workers. This approach promises more growth and a fair chance of introducing new technology, but it could not be put into place overnight. Finally, the fourth proposed solution involves more protection for American industries and workers. Although this policy would require the fewest short-term sacrifices, it may worsen the long-term problem. A consensus must be developed among Americans about which strategy should be adopted and who will pay the price if American industry is to improve its performance. (KC)