Politically, Dreiser was involved in several campaigns against social injustice and was a committed socialist in his late life. He wrote several non-fiction books on political issues. These included Dreiser Looks at Russia (1928), the result of his 1927 trip to the Soviet Union, and two books presenting a critical perspective on capitalist America, Tragic America (1931) and America Is Worth Saving (1941). His vision of capitalism and future world order combined with the harsh criticism of the latter made him unpopular within the official circles.

Dreiser died on December 28, 1945 in Hollywood at the age of 74. In his life, Dreiser is thought to be both as a man and as a writer. On one hand, he is accused by some critics of conventional standards of being immoral in his personal behaviors and his novels. On the other hand, he is praised as a profound and prescient critic of debased American values and a powerful novelist. Dreiser had an enormous influence on the generation that followed his ideas. 生态伦理视域下的《嘉莉妹妹》(3):http://www.751com.cn/yingyu/lunwen_17499.html