America’s decline

Last week, a friend and I were discussing the fact that many people in upper management at the company we interned with didn’t have college degrees. They are incredibly smart people who would have succeeded in college, but didn’t have the opportunity for a variety of reasons.

We both agreed it was amazing that these individuals could achieve success with their limited educational background, but we also agreed on another disturbing fact: The upward mobility that they achieved for themselves can’t happen with our generation.

With the increasing income gap, rising unemployment and the decline of industry sectors like manufacturing, it’s hard to blame anyone for feeling that America is on the decline and the rest of the world is quickly filling the void.

The election of President Barack Obama was in part a reaction to this outlook as he campaigned to bring change to a nation that as much as 81 percent of the population felt was heading in the wrong direction. 

However, many of Obama’s policies thus far have been geared toward preserving an old America. For example, his bailout of a failed auto industry only served to prolong the life of companies who are no longer competitive in the global marketplace. The decline of America’s manufacturing industry is unfortunate, but it does not mean America will lose its place in the world.

Instead of complaining about economic problems, America needs to reposition itself for the 21st century. Basic economics teaches that in a global marketplace, countries succeed and grow by exploiting their competitive advantages.  

While America possesses many advantages, one that is often overlooked is our educational system, particularly at the collegiate level, which is unmatched anywhere in the world. While China can build hundreds of factories in a year, it will take decades for them to create anything close to America’s university infrastructure.

Nevertheless, America’s current educational system, particularly at the high school level, is antiquated. It prepares students for the jobs of the 1960s and ’70s – not the jobs of today. 

In fact, as technology began to dominate the marketplace, the difference between the average wage of college graduates and high school graduates nearly doubled between 1980 and 2000.

What’s needed now is a government policy that seeks to modernize our educational infrastructure. 

At the high school level, most students know early on if they have both the qualifications and financial ability to move on to college. We need a system that splits these groups for the benefit of both: one system that prepares students for higher education and one that prepares them to enter the modern workforce. 

To achieve this, we should stop teaching non-college-bound students impractical education, such as Renaissance art, and train them in useful skills for 21st-century jobs. If this is the last education these students will receive, it should focus on training skills in technology and science to prepare them for modern jobs.

At the university level, America needs to start instituting policies that keep talent here. Many of my friends are here studying from places like Hong Kong and India. These students want to stay and work in America. However, for many of them, current policy prevents this and forces them back to their home countries for employment.

America needs to offer these students citizenship so they can stay and work here. There is no reason the rest of the world should be benefiting at our expense.
Education is only one area that needs correction, but it’s a place to start.
America’s decline is real and it is happening, but it’s preventable.