So the economy is stuck in an equilibrium well below its production and employment potential, even as gross domestic product resumes modest growth" (p. 3). As a public sector employee for the State of New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, this means that some important ongoing initiatives such as gang awareness and enforcement may be cut back in the future. In my capacity as team leader with 4 years' tenure and 13 years' total employment for the State of New Jersey, I have a vested interest in the outcomes of these initiatives as well as the fate of the state's civil service cadre. In addition, I also work part time as a certified emergency medical technician, meaning I must remain cognizant of applicable licensure laws for the profession and how far my authority extends as a first responder. There is also the issue of substantial student loans that remain in limbo while I complete my education, and these obligations will have a significant impact on my ability to contribute to my retirement plans.

Other legal issues of interest that have an effect on my professional life include changes to Chapter 78, New Jersey P.L. 2011 signed into law by Governor Christie effective June 28, 2011. This law provides for changes to the manner in which the state-administered retirement systems operate and to the benefit provisions of those systems. The law also changes the manner in which the State-administered Health Benefits Programs operate and the employee contribution and benefit provisions of those programs. At present, the New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits is implementing the provisions of Chapter 78 (Pension and Health Benefits Reform, 2011).

Among the more significant changes that were included in P.L. 2011 that will have a personal effect was a change to the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) employee pension contribution rate which was increased from 5.5% to 6.5% of state employees' salaries; in addition, another increase is scheduled to be phased in during the next 7 years that will bring the total pension contribution rate to 7.5% of state employees' salaries (Pension and Health Benefits Reform, 2011).

Conclusion

The research showed that the United States is...

In most cases, the legal system affords wide-ranging rights and protections for citizens based on the common law and the U.S. Constitution. In recent years, though, many of these rights and protections have been adversely affected by the response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Great Recession of 2008 has contributed to significant legal issues in recent years as well, with reductions in Social Security and increases in the retirement age being predicted by many observers. At the professional level, the lingering effects of the economic downturn have also forced many states to increase employee contributions to health insurance and retirement plans in ways that will inevitably further encroach on personal earnings in the future. Finally, the research showed that the waxing and waning of civil liberties in the United States has been witnessed time and again as the nation's interest have been threatened at home and abroad, but it is reasonable to suggest that it will require a significant amount of time before victory can be declared in the global war on terror and the country can once again realize a peace dividend that can once again turn the tide on civil liberties in a nation of laws.