From the assembly line to the computer processor and Internet, technology innovations that change the world were developed in the United States. Built on a system that encouraged entrepreneurial leadership by rewarding risk, the U.S. economy led the world while its closest competitors insulated themselves from the global economy. Still, the competitiveness of the U.S. is not simply the result of a culture, but a commitment of the public and private sector to invest in new ideas and scientific innovations. Yet, there is a growing concern that America is losing its place as the world’s technology leader. A recent report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation found that the United States ranked sixth among 40 countries and regions, based on 16 indicators of innovation and competitiveness, including venture capital investment, scientific researchers, spending on research and educational achievement. While the United State’s policy has maintained a stable path, the world has changed. For decades most of the world’s economies were a closed system, but, due in part to advances the United State’s advancements in technology, the world has become, in the words of Thomas Friedman, “flatter.” But the question remains, does the emergence of new economies really threaten the competitiveness of the United States? While there are a number of competitiveness factors that, when taken in isolation, would not necessarily constitute a crisis, their interrelationship makes a more compelling argument that the trend is unsustainable.
In order to understand what will make the U.S. more competitive moving forward, it is important to recognize the policy initiatives that led to the current success. Modern focus on technology advancemen...
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...r basic research to encourage active University programs. Financial incentives for corporations should be available to create an atmosphere that encourages all levels of research in the private sector. Additionally, like President Kennedy’s charge to send a man to the moon, leadership at the very highest level could provide a national innovation award to spur innovation to advance national interests, such as environmental protection. Finally, the U.S. should reform its immigration laws, increasing the cap for highly skilled works to encourage foreign students to stay after they graduate. The U.S. should welcome their contribution to U.S. economic growth.
Policy makers only need to look at earlier initiatives to create a path forward. The future depends on the investments the U.S. makes today to keep the nation competitive and ensure long-term economic prosperity.
Miller, Derek D. Brave New World and the Threat of Technological Growth. 2011. 7 November 2013 .
P, Micheal 1998, Competitive advantage: creating and sustaining superior performance: with a new introduction, The Free Press, America.
...t a damper on academic growth. The United States should view the academic success of other countries, question the reasons for their success, and use that information to our advantage.
“Today we’re seeing industries competing with industries, different arenas where competition manifests itself. Strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation are all bleeding into each other” (cited in Crainer and Dearlove, 2014, chapter 1, last para.).
The Silicon Valley area became a major manufacturing power after World War II. The Cold War furthered this development, as industries involved in defense, aerospace, steel, oil, automobiles, and so on prospered (Hossfeld 405-406). The high-technology industry began in the laboratories of corporations such as Bell Laboratories, American Telephone and Telegraph, Fairchild Camera and Instrument, and General Electric during this Cold War era (Bacon, “Organizing”). Employment in California, especially Silicon Valley, grew rapidly between 1950 and 1980 due to technical innovation that characterized the postwar prosperity. Furthermore, federal spending expanded California’s economy, placing it in the front of a high-technology revolution (Hossfeld 405). Politicians such as the former President Clinton and Vice President Gore consider the Silicon Valley the model for the United States industrial growth in the new millennium. While this “model” has had remarkable products and performance, it also employs underpaid workers in unsafe environments (Siegel 91). Moreover, unlike most manufacturing industries in the United States, the high-tech workers are not organized into unions.
This article revealed how outsourcing manufacturing damaged U.S. industries’ competitiveness and innovative abilities. There were several problems that affected the U.S. economy, like the decline of trade, lack of research and development funding, and poor managerial decisions. Several government and businesses’ recommendations were made to restore U.S. industries’ competitiveness and innovative capabilities. Simply by restoring U.S. innovative abilities will the industrial commons bounce back and there will be economic growth.
His “Three Worlds of Innovation” system categorizes countries into one of three differentiations of entrepreneurial abilities. The category of marginalized countries includes areas of low innovative contributions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. The second tier categorizes technological diffusers, which have advanced production and technology absorption abilities but low contribution to innovation, including China, India, and the former Soviet Union. At the top of the hierarchy is the core country category, which includes “Western” states like the United States, Japan, and nations in Western Europe which dominate innovation due to their wealth, supportive abilities, and developed infrastructure. Sachs describes the hostility of marginalized countries to innovation, blaming the absence of national innovation systems/democratic policy and poor STEM support, as well as natural disadvantages such as ecological and environmental challenges. To become a diffuser and/or a core country, he recommends marginalized countries aim to develop their urban areas into sites of globalized production, attracting financial grants and international support for scientific advancements. By integrating a national economy into world production, states such as Singapore and Israel have become bases of operation for world-class technology leaders. Conclusively, Sachs contends that while many aspects of innovation (such as intellectual property rights and technology transfer) must be reimagined themselves, the public provision and promotion of STEM is critical to innovation and must be supported
In Fareed Zakaria’s YouTube Video on “American Innovation Beyond STEM”, he states that rarely do Republicans and Democrats agree on anything, however, they are now united in their beliefs that colleges need to move from a liberal arts education into one that embraces STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). He continues to argue that it is wrong to ignore a liberal arts education as it is what encourages our “creativity” and enriches our “humanity”. By eliminating a liberal arts education, we would be putting America on a vulnerable educational path. To support this claim he quotes “John Cardinal Newman, who in 1854 stated that, ‘a broad exposure to the outline of knowledge for its own sake’ rather than to acquire skills to practice
As an amateur reporter for the school newspaper, I have had the opportunity to interview quite a variety of people on many different topics. One of my favorite questions to ask is, "What do you think has had the most influence on American culture?" Why do I like asking this particular question? The answer is simple: the variety and range of responses. While some answers are more interesting than others, I must say that I've learned quite a bit from all of them.
There are numerous amounts of inventions, especially when talking about the United States. Over the centuries, society has begun to use more and more technology. The U.S. has produced amazing inventions, but I see the telephone, the automobile, the airplane, and even the computer as the most important inventions. In order to ranks these inventions one must look at how they benefit communication, society, and how the world functions with it.
Utterback, A. M. (1996). Mastering the dynamics of innovation. United States of American: Harvard Business Press
The United States gives everyone an opportunity to get a college degree. On top of the college opportunities give a great chance for jobs after the college education. Many foreigners come to the United States to get an education but they also tend to stay here, due to the job opportunities. In 2009 President Barak Obama put in a community college initiative to increase the college graduate level in the United States. In an article titled “Obama Plans Community-College Initiative”, Obama told reporters that twelve billion dollars was going towards community colleges. The goal of the initiative to have more college graduates than in recent years and to also put the United States number one in college graduates.
Kelley,T. (2005, Oct.). The 10 faces of innovation. Fast Company, 74-77. Retrieved 6th March’ 2014 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=9&sid=1d6a17b7-c5f7-4f00-bea4 db1d84cbef55%40sessionmgr10&hid=28&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=bth&AN=18386009
However, despite the long-term economic growth, technological progress is very important, and even if we...
Technology enables students and teachers to have a fast and easy way to acquire unlimited access to tons of information. With all of the useful technologies, the curriculum is bound to change in endless ways, creating more opportunity for learning.