High school seniors need to be taught economic responsibility. Economic responsibility should not only be taught in the schools, but in the home as well. As we have discussed in prior chapters, some of the reason we are in the mess we find ourselves in is due to the overspending not only by individuals, but the government as well. Arthur MacEwan states, “U.S. consumers have a reliance on credit and fail to look beyond the present” (2012, p. 6) As a consumer the high school senior needs to be taught how to look beyond what they see. How are they going to pay for the credit they have taken out, if our country hits another recession and they are left without employment?
Businesses and families borrow money to start up their business, to run their households and this amount has risen dramatically over the last two decades. According to John Miller, “in 1990 the household debt owed by families was 60.2% which has increased in 2010 to 92.5% and the total debt of businesses in 1980 was 53% whereas in 2010 it jumped to 74.3%” (2011, p. 36) Another words our budgets are not any more balanced than our governments without borrowing. Our government has borrowed and put money into our economy in order to try and give our economy a boost into the right direction. Miller states, “In 2008, the U.S. government spent $253.8 billion on expenditures that will boost the productivity of the economy and help to provide the tax revenue to service our national debt” (2011, p. 37) Our high school seniors need to be taught the appropriate times when to spend money and when they should invest to boost their future.
MacEwan points out there are three areas which should be addressed if we want to get a handle on our financial crisis. High school seniors shoul...
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...rld Economics (16th ed., p. 43, 46). Boston, MA: Economic Affairs Bureau, Inc.
MacEwan, A. (2012). Inequality, power and ideology. In J. Cypher, A. Reuss & C. Sturr (Eds.), Current economic issues: Dollars & sense Real World Economics (16th ed., p. 6, 8). Boston, MA: Economic Affairs Bureau, Inc.
Miller, J. (2011). Government "living within its means". In J. Cypher, A. Reuss & C. Sturr (Eds.), Current economic issues: Dollars & sense Real World Economics (16th ed., pp. 36-37). Boston, MA: Economic Affairs Bureau, Inc.
Stanford, J. (2008). Economics for everyone: A short guide to the economics of capitalism. (p. 235). London: Pluto Press.
Wolfson, M. (n.d.). The ideological attack on job creation. In J. Cypher, A. Reuss & C. Sturr (Eds.), Current economic issues: Dollars & sense Real World Economics (16th ed., pp. 38-40). Boston, MA: Economic Affairs Bureau, Inc.
Once high school ends, most students progress to college after a year or two from graduation. Due to all of the expenses for textbooks and etc., the student might realize that they don’t comprehend what to conserve or spend their money on to get through their years of college which will leave them clueless on what to do next. With situations like this that might occur, all high school students should take a financial literacy class as part of the mandatory course in order to get a diploma. With a numerous amount of students not having enough knowledge about how to manage their money carefully, presumably they’ll have trouble living their life as an adult. Taking a financial literacy class would help students stay out of debt, they’ll be prepared for their future, and they would recognize the discrepancies between wants and needs.
The best thing the gonvornment can do is invest in education, because “[m]ore financial education in public schools is a must” (Source H). Children should learn how to do the “basic Suze Orman stuff “ like “how to make a monthly budget” and “ what saving and barrowing mean“ and “how wealth builds over time” ( Source H). If we do this people can learn at a younger age how to handle their money and be responsible. In order for this to work the gonvornment must allow the schools to teach to the individual because students learn differently. They also need to allow the teachers to teach to the students the way the students learn which will make a better educated person and a better class of
The Economist. “Inequality and the American Dream”. They Say I Say. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009. Print.
Briggs, Vernon. (1998, June 1). American-Style Capitalism and Income Disparity: The Challenge of Social Anarchy. The Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 32, 473 (8).
The US has been in and out of debt countless times throughout history, going as far back as the Civil War. However, debt did not become a truly relevant problem until much later, in the 1980s (Budget Deficits). Up to that point, large budget deficits were generally only allowed during wartime, but this pattern ended after the Great Depression. Roosevelt’s New Deal meant that the government spent much more than it previously did, even after the economy improved (Budget De...
"The Poverty Of Equality." American Spectator 45.3 (2012): 26-30. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.
Wilhelm, Heather “The Great Income Inequality Sham” Real Clear Politics. May 2013. Web. 29 Apr 2014.
An education is one of the most important tools a person can acquire. It gives them the skills and abilities to obtain a job, earn a wage, and then use that wage to better their lives and the lives of their loved ones. However, due to the seemingly exponential increase in the costs of obtaining a college degree, students are either being driven away entirely from earning a degree or taking out student loans which cripple their financial prospects well after graduation. Without question, the increasing national student loan debt is one of the most pressing economic issues the United States is dealing with, as students who are debt ridden are not able to consume and invest in the economy. Therefore, many politicians and students are calling on the government to forgive their student loan debts so that through their spending the slowly recovering economy can finally return to its pre-2008 strength.
Rousseau, Jean, and Donald A. Cress. "Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality among Men." Basic political writings. 2nd ed. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub. Co., 2011. 27-92. Print.
Pettinger, Tejvan. “Pros and Cons of Inequality.” Economics Help. 18 Oct. 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.
According to John T. Harvey, the rise in student loans and debt creates a drag on short-term economic activity and stunts long term economic growth. Currently, the total student debt is over 1 trillion. Graduates continue to emerge from college facing high costs and are entering what is still a poor job market. Many of these graduates will face under or unemployment, and will quickly fall into debt. This debt takes away the next generation’s ability to create demand, resulting in job loss and a stunt in economic growth. Without jobs, more people will fall into debt, creating a cycle that consistently deteriorates the economy. Finally, by denying many bright minds access to an education, the innovations meant to increase economic activity and make the quality of life better never actually happen. Rising tuition costs, which result in student loans and student debt, promise to grate at our economy and
Today, more than ever, there is great debate over politics and which economic system works the best. How needs and wants should be allocated, and who should do the allocating, is one of the most highly debated topics in our current society. Be it communist dictators defending a command economy, free market conservatives defending a market economy, or European liberals defending socialism, everyone has an opinion. While all systems have flaws and merits, it must be decided which system is the best for all citizens. When looking at both the financial well being of all citizens, it is clear that market economies fall short on ensuring that the basic needs of all citizens are met. If one looks at liberty and individual freedom, it is evident that command economies tend to oppress their citizens. Therefore, socialism, which allows for basic needs to be met and personal freedoms to be upheld, is the best economic system for all of a country’s citizens.
One way our school could accomplish the goal of financial literacy education is creating a set class for high school students towards the end of their high school career. Offering classes in a curriculum that is set helps kids become better prepared for the real world. They receive a better understanding of what it is like having a great deal of responsibility, without the overwhelming of stress that comes with it since the class would be set in a classroom. According to the article written by Laura Langemo from Fox6 entitled “MPS Eighth-Graders Get a Lesson in Financial Literacy”, the Milwaukee Public School District Superintendent Gregory Thornton states, “We need [students] to be ready financially. We need them to be ready to step into the world and be able to actually navigate and manage money.” Students should feel confident after graduating that they will be capable of receiving such a great sense of responsibility. Teaching students about financial literacy at an older age throughout high school will allow them to be ready for their lives ahead. According to this article, many of the students were surprised with how bills amass in such a rapid pace. Similarly, the article from the Sandpiper by Edie Ellison includes information about being able to offer high school students classes in
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