21 January, 2009

President Schwarzenegger,

Congratulations on your presidential victory, and the constitutional amendment that made it possible. As your staff advisor, it is my duty to develop the policy that will outline the goals of your administration. The policies that I have targeted will benefit the United States not only for the short term, but for future generations of Americans as well. The success of your first presidential term will depend on how well, or how poorly, you react to the growing force that is globalization. Globalization is among us; it is inherent, unavoidable and undeniable. The policies which I have developed will capture the potential benefits and mitigate potential threats of globalization.

Reducing Consumption of Natural Resources

The progress of the United States in the 21st century will be directly proportional to its ability to find newer and more efficient sources of energy. The first and foremost initiative is to work toward reducing our consumption of natural resources, and developing alternatives that are more environmentally-friendly. The United States must become independent of foreign oil consumption. Not only is such consumption hurting our country financially; gas prices are well over $3 per gallon in some areas, it is also hurting our country environmentally; the Bush Administration increased domestic drilling on public lands as an alternative to importing foreign oil (NHTSA.gov). The most important step in achieving independence is establishing quotas to improve the fuel economy of automobiles, which automakers must meet in the next 4-10 years.

The Environmental Protection Agency measures fuel efficiency under the Clean Air Act, which was first passed in 1970 and most recently amended in 1990 (EPA.gov). While it has successfully lowered the emissions of automobiles and trucks, the overall number of vehicles on the roads increased by 178% between 1970 and 2005, and is increasing at a rate of 2-3% each year (EPA.gov). The growth of suburbs in post-World War II America, the creation of the interstate highway system, and the proliferation of jobs to new parts of the country has caused the United States to become very dependent upon the automobile. It has become an integral part of American life; one that cannot be easily reversed. Despite the efforts of the Clean Air Act, the Unites States currently has the lowest fuel economy standard of any nation in the world (NHTSA.gov). During your presidency, it will become mandatory that all vehicles, regardless of size, conform to a more stringent standard. Raising fuel economy performance to 40 mpg over the next 10 years alone could cut automobile oil demand by about one-third, or 4 million barrels per day, by 2020 (NRDC.org).

Developing a reliable, non-petroleum fuel is also crucial to reducing consumption of natural resources. The technology exists for the development and production of battery- and hydrogen-powered automobiles; however, the cost is very high. Alternative sources such as these release non-polluting exhaust. If the United States is dedicated to helping the environment by reducing vehicle emissions, it will incur these costs in the short-term; thus greatly improving the well-being of the country in the long-term. Air pollution is not only a domestic issue, but a global one. Globalization will allow for scientists to collaborate in ways that were never possible in the days before computers and the Internet. If the United States is successful in achieving its goal of reduced energy consumption, it will set a global standard for energy development and natural resource protection.

Increasing Funding for Public Education in Math and Science

The second component of the policy involves increasing funding for public education, specifically in the areas of math and science. The American education system was founded on the principle of utility; as a social institution functioning to pass down knowledge society sees as important. Right now, the United States economy is primarily service-based. The economy defines education standards and curriculum, and the reality is that in this increasingly globalized world, future jobs are to be found in the engineering industry. Increasing funding for math and science ensures that Americans will continue to be an innovative force in a globalized world.

The United States education system must be reformed in order to fully prepare students for the economy of tomorrow; not just of today. India and China today employ 12 times the number of graduate engineering students than the United States (Chronicle.com). As jobs are outsourced from the United States to India and China, Americans will need to find a way to remain as the most innovative country in the world. As Thomas Friedman says in The World is Flat, the United States can hope to remain competitive in a globalized work by continuing to employ many “idea-generated” jobs…Now that foreigners can do the left brain work cheaper; we in the U.S. must do the right brain work better” (Friedman). Technology will never stop advancing, and children are becoming exposed to it at increasingly younger ages. By the time these children reach adulthood, it will be their job to develop new technologies that will pilot the United States in the 21st century and beyond. The best we can do at this point is use the proliferation of technology to our advantage to increase interest in science right now, and foster that interest later in life with applicable skills in math and engineering. Currently, students in low-income areas with little chance of advancing beyond high school are limited in the United States job market. It does not mean these students are “dumb;” it means the U.S. education system has failed to prepare them with marketable knowledge and skills. Realistically, a great understanding of pre-Revolutionary America or the ability to critically analyze To Kill a Mockingbird will not be of much value when applying for a job. Mr. President, it is up to your administration to convey the message that even if one does not go to college, the U.S. education system will provide them with the necessary skills to be successful in the future job market.

If one looks at the technological progress that the United States has made in the past half-century; there is still much work to be done. The automobile is relatively unchanged, and we are still using outmoded means of heating and powering homes, factories, and buildings. In the future, technology and science will be applied to improving the efficiency of engineering and utilities in America.

Reviving the American Middle Class

The United States economy used to look like a bell curve, with a big bulge in the middle. That bulge has been the foundation not only for our country’s economic stability, but our political stability as well. Right now, the U.S. economy is shaped more like a barbell, with large upper and lower classes, and a diminishing middle class. As president of the United States, you will be seen as “a champion of the middle class.” The first step in closing such a large wealth gap is instituting a progressive income tax.

In November 2007, the Congressional Ways and Means Committee approved a $76 billion bill that would forestall the growth of the Alternative Minimum Tax, and provide tax breaks to millions of lower- and middle-class families. The bill would offset the tax breaks with large tax increases on business executives and Wall Street financers (WashingtonPost.com). Signing this bill into law is precisely a step in the right direction to restore the middle class as the backbone of the American economy. As part of your presidential policy, this bill is a common-sense initiative to ensure that those with higher incomes shoulder the majority of the tax burden. Mr. Schwarzenegger, it is a well-known fact that you grew up in socialist Austria. While this policy may sound like socialist initiative, I assure you it is founded on the principle of American egalitarianism. Increasing taxation for those who do not have the financial means necessary to pay for them is unfair; the federal government should not be viewed as a corrupt money-hungry machine that is fueled by stealing from the pockets of the “common man.”

Taxation of the upper class allows for more flexibility for financing other policy initiatives, such as funding for public education, and investing in alternative fuel sources. In the past, the most common “middle class” American job was a factory worker. Many of these traditional factories are closing or are being outsourced to other countries. However, new engineering jobs will open in the future, following the growing importance of energy conservation and alternative fuels. Your presidency will set the precedent for which America will once again be placed on the back of the working middle class.

Sincerely,

Austin P. Broderick

When I began writing this paper, I could not think of any common links between any of my three policies. While writing the essay, I came to the conclusion that all three policies are intertwined. Reducing consumption of natural resources creates new jobs for the middle class in the engineering sector, which are required for developing alternative fuel sources. Increasing funding for math and science is in response to the need for engineers and scientists to develop these alternatives. Reviving the American middle class would not be as significant if it were not for the new skills gained from increasing funding for math and science, which in turn provides more applicable skills, and thus better jobs.