Federal Government in Education. What

¶ … federal government in education. What drives the interest of the federal government in education?

The federal government has an interest in the quality, sufficiency, and availability of education in the United States because education substantially determines the quality and availability of professional services. If American industry and business are to be optimally competitive in a global environment, it is necessary to ensure that Americans receive high-quality education. However, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution prohibits the federal government from directly controlling education in the individual states because decisions about education programs are matters of sovereign state rights (Dershowitz, 2002). That is precisely why federal education initiatives such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act cannot be mandated as federal policy. Instead, the federal government may only use the spending power of Congress to incentivize compliance with federal objectives. This is the same method that Congress has used to create what is a de facto "national speed limit" on state highways and a "national drinking age" of 21 even though those matters are, like education, also matters of state authority. By making state eligibility for federal highway and education funds contingent upon voluntary state compliance with federal standards, the federal government can promote its objectives without violating the sovereignty of the individual states pursuant to the Tenth Amendment (Dershowitz, 2002).

2. At least 75 words - Identify the pros and cons of social security reform.

There is no doubt that Social Security requires significant reform to remain viable, primarily because the demographic breakdown of the American population is so different today from the era when Social Security was first conceived (Kennedy, 2006). More specifically, as the so-called post-World War Two "Baby Boom" generation reaches the age of retirement, there is an unsustainable increase in Social Security beneficiaries and a corresponding insufficiency of younger workers contributing to the program (Kennedy, 2006). There is no alternative to reforming Social Security, but the concept of "reform" has also been used disingenuously by Republicans in Congress to justify policies (such as Paul Ryan's infamous "voucher" proposal) that would, in reality, eliminate rather than reform the program in any manner to sustain it in the long-term. More realistic reforms would focus on reducing payments to service providers (such as within the approach of the Affordable Care Act) and, perhaps, by delaying eligibility for beneficiary status.

3. At least 75 words - Discuss the following statement, "Contrasting explanations of poverty make it difficult to formulate a rational policy." For example, is poverty a lack of knowledge, skills and training or recession and unemployment? Or does the U.S. have a culture of poverty?

Understanding poverty in the U.S. requires looking beyond the current generation. Viewed more broadly, poverty today is directly linked to the opportunities enjoyed and challenges faced by previous generations (Ehrenreich, 2009). Minority communities, (especially those composed of individuals whose ancestors were enslaved and discriminated against) still suffer economically from the corresponding lower wealth of their parents and grandparents (Ehrenreich, 2009). Those raised in poverty have fewer opportunities for advancement and typically depend on low-income employment within a perpetual cycle that can be impossible to break free from (Ehrenreich, 2009).

4. At least 200 words - Health care is an issue of considerable public interest. In particular, access and costs are key issues. Identify the challenges of a national health care reform.

On one hand, the current health care situation is untenable because it already absorbs 17% of the entire gross domestic product and is projected to reach as high as 40% within a decade if nothing is done to resolve the underlying issues (Reid, 2009). Meanwhile, the quality of U.S. healthcare now rates behind nearly three-dozen other nations and approximately 40,000 Americans die annually from treatable medical conditions because they cannot afford health insurance or health care services (Reid, 2009). In principle, one of the most important areas of necessary reform is the shift from a fee-for-services model of health care provider compensation to the results-based fee structure that incentivizes optimal care.