"Over the last fifteen years, American manufacturing has rehabilitated itself, in part, through a practice known as just-in-time manufacturing. Under the previous regimen, factories cranked out items and stored them in warehouses. If companies miscalculated demand, or if the overall economy weakened, they were stuck with huge inventories of unsold goods. Just-in-time manufacturing called for swift production lines and lean inventories. That reduced costs and allowed the type of customization of products well known to anyone who has bought a computer from Gateway, Dell, or a similar outfit. ... The political world — most often a lagging indicator of innovation — is also morphing toward this form. In an era where there are small inventories of party loyalty, effective politicians must fashion coalitions in much the same way that Gateway fashions computers. Call it just-in-time politics." —Daniel H. Pink, "The Politics of Free Agents," Blueprint Magazine, Fall, 1998