Personal Statement -- Public Policy

Personal Statement -- Public Policy What distinct impact do you hope to have on the world in the future? Making a distinct impact for the future is a dream or vision most people have and they strive to make a difference in their own ways not only for the societies they belong to but the world as well. For my part, I also would like to contribute to a better global future I want to do so in the milieu of international policy.

This can be possible with an acceptance for the Executive Master of Public Policy and Administration (EMPA) program of the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University. With the program incorporating broad questions of public affairs and the specific analytic, managerial, and communication skills of management and policy analysis into the curriculum, I will have the knowledge and training that will enable to be part of the nation's international policy making bodies with specific expertise in U.S. And China relations.

For the last several decades now, the U.S. And China have enjoyed one of the strongest relations especially in matters of international trade and commerce. The trade agreements made during the 1990s opened the doors for American businesses to move manufacturing to China. They benefitted from cheaper labor and lax labor laws. This transformation has had not only massive positive impacts on the finances of major American corporations but there are negative effects as well.

Of particular concerns are the myriad problems the trade agreements created for the local economy especially those that saw numerous American jobs being outsourced to China because of cheaper labor and manufacturing rates. These have become more apparent during the global economic crisis that began in 2007 that saw tremendous effects on the nation from rise in unemployment, loss of homes and diminished strength of the middle income sector. What happened thence is that majority of the American population were not beneficiaries to the trade agreements between the two countries.

With the above in mind, there is liberalization from an economic standpoint that tends to focus on freeing up economic policies to work with international markets but the lion's share of the benefits are not felt by those that powered the economies of the two countries -- the workers and operational managers. I can contribute to improving the international trade agreements in order to strike a balance in the benefits derived by both countries not only by the major stakeholders but also the populace.

I will develop win-win solutions to ensure that what occurred during the recession several years back will not affect the United States again and the strength of the middle class will become viable to get the country on track economically. These are daunting vision and even more challenging endeavors but with the training I will be getting at SIPA, I know I will be prepared for such important undertakings. 2. Describe a policy issue that has impacted your life, either in a negative or positive way.

If given the opportunity to amend the policy, what action would you take and why? The national proposal to increase sin taxes on alcoholic beverages is long overdue and should be supported not only by all sectors of the government but the American public most especially. The fact is well-known that alcohol consumption is not only dangerous for the consumer but also has various economic and social harms for the society as well as users' immediate environment.

It means that alcohol can affect not only the drinker but other people in the form of violence or road accidents. Taxing alcohol at higher rates will provide a mechanism that will taper buying due to high prices. But I believe that taxing alone should not be the only thrust of this policy. Rather, continuous education and awareness campaigns by both the public and private sector will go further to ensure that people will be cognizant of the dangers of alcohol consumption.

Statistics have provided grim facts and evidences to the menace of alcohol consumption in society where almost 95,000 people died due to over-consumption of alcohol in United Sates in early 2000s. In the United States alone, approximately 7000 people die under the age of 21 due to excessive usage of alcohol. Thus, the policy should not concentrate merely on taxation as a preventative measure and control mechanism but back by various educational and information drives.

In addition, laws should be amended to increase penalties for those causing deaths and injuries and engaging in criminal acts resulting from alcohol use. This three-pronged approach -- taxation, education, and legal liabilities, will not only be deterrents but provide the viable mechanism that can curb alcohol usage in.