Week 4 - Economics Post (Government post meant for this week will be July 30th)

Education: "Proper Maintenance"

Welcome to week 4 of our Summer Blogs.  This week will once again be an economics topic due to a change in summer schedules.  The government topic schedule for this week will be postponed until July 30th. 

Education is the responsibility of a state. As a matter of fact, states constitutions typically have a measure that spells out the duty of the state to provide an "educational institution".

                            Article 11, Section 10 of the Arizona Constitution states that “… the legislature

                            shall make such appropriations, to be met by taxation, as shall insure the proper

                            maintenance of all state educational institutions, and shall make such special appropriations

                            as shall provide for their development and improvement.”

What is "proper maintenance"  and what is "development and improvement"?  If a dozen people are asked this question more than likely a dozen different answers will be given.  Many believe that with adequate funding, higher teachers salaries, and smaller classes education will improve.  While others stand behind the argument that the way education is delivered, improved technology, more student centered, increased real-world connections, that students will learn better and be more successful.

an article published in yesterday's Arizona Republic, Mesa school attracts outside students despite average grade, is a reminder that education may not always be about test scores and graduation rates, but about loving learning.    

This brings up a long standing debate:  What makes a good education?  Is it test scores? Is it graduation rates?  Is it a love for learning? Is it popularity of the school or program that can indicate success?  If funding is the answer why are some districts, such as Washington DC, that have some of the highest levels in the country performing at the lowest levels?

What is the answer to an improved education system?  Would increased funding improve the level of success?  What should measure the level of success? Is it a money issue, resource issue or a need to make a fundamental change in our approach to education? 

As you consider your response take a look a the links below.  You may find some additional ideas or evidence to support your position. 

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/education/az-near-bottom-in-per-pupil-spending/article_ff82165c-bb12-59ee-b1dd-164d7cb4b083.html 

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/06/15/2141342/plan-offers-jump-off-point-for.html 

http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20120624/OPINION/306240006

http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/2012/06/18/20120618gilbert-students-can-bring-use-own-tech-devices.html

"A disproportionately high share of Arizona’s children face demographic challenges that have been shown to adversely affect educational achievement, including high poverty rates, low educational attainment of their parents, and lesser frequency of full-time, year-round employment of their parents. In addition, a disproportionately large number of Arizona’s children are English-language learners. All else equal, for the state’s students to realize achievement levels equal to the national average, these demographic challenges mean that the state’s education funding per pupil needs to be greater than the national average".  (Page 1 of a Report on the Funding of Education from ASU: link below)

Report on the Funding of Education from ASU)    NOT ALL OF THIS LINK IS NECESSARYFOR THIS BLOG TOPIC:  Pages 3 - 6 explain how Arizona Ranking in education is determined   http://www.asu.edu/budgetcuts/documents/Education_Funding_in_Arizona_Constitutional_Requirement_and_the_Empirical_Record.pdf

Week Three - Economics Topic

How Free is our Free Market?

By now you have had the chance to either jump in and try your hand at one of our weekly blogs or you have observed the interaction of those participating.  If you are in the former group, GREAT JOB for getting a jump on things, if you are in the latter can I suggest you take a chance an jump on in!

 Free Market:   an economic system in which prices and wages are determined by unrestricted competition between businesses, without government regulation or fear of monopolies. *Dictionary.com (2012)

The American Economy is based on a free market economy.  Some know this system better as Capitalism.  A system that depends on free choice and profit motive.  As you most likely know, our country is not a pure capitalistic economy.  Most people agree that there has to be a place for a role of the government in most market economies.  Where individuals may disagree is the degree of government intervention in this type of economy.

The US Supreme Court is set to rule, as early as today, on the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  While this law is comprehensive and confusing in nature the basic issue at hand is rather simple.  The Supreme Court is considering the Constitutionality of federal legislation that mandates the purchase of a private good (Health insurance in this case). The law, as written, will go into affect in 2014 and requires all Americans to have health care coverage or pay a fine.  The law also states that insurance companies can not deny potential customers insurance coverage based on preexisting conditions (as was typicall prior to the law).  Many believe that individuals should retain the right to choose medical coverage while others believe that it is important for ALL Americans to have health care (simliar to public education).

After reading the provided links consider and respond to the questions below. Please remember that we are looking for responses that are based on both your opinion and the links provided.  ENJOY!

At what point is it necessary for the government to intervene in a free market economy?  In your opinion, is it Constitutional for the federal government to take this step?  Explain.

In your opinion will this legislation improve the health care industry and access to health care for most Americans?

What implications, if any, does this policy have on the free market for other consumer items



http://www.kff.org/healthreform/upload/8270-2.pdf -  Guide to the Supreme Court’s Review

http://familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/1291-obamas-health-care-plan-doctors-debate-pros-and-cons.html Basic Pro/Con Considerations

http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/102620/individual-mandate-history-affordable-care-act - Comparison to historical laws requiring certain products

http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/2012/06/16/20120616PNI0616-wir-obama-health-care-law-supreme-court-ruling-possible-outcomes.html - Possible effects of the Pending Supreme Court decision

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/washington-state-provides-case-study-on-effects-of-heath-care-reform/2012/06/16/gJQAgYl7hV_story.html - Case Study on similar policy in the past

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/abdulrahman-m-elsayed/health-care-market_b_1405396.html  - Reasons a Free Market Health Care system is not more efficient

Week Two - June 11th - Government Topic

One of my all time favorite movies is The American President. One of my favorite lines in that movie comes from Michael J. Fox. His character serves as an advisor to the President and, in the midst of extreme frustration, exhorts the Chief of Staff: "In this country it is not only permissible to question our leaders, it is our responsibility."

This week we had the opportunity to watch the state of Wisconsin engage in the questioning of one of its leaders. Through that recall election, several conversations have opened up around the country. This week we will engage in those same debates. In your original post, please respond to each of the three questions. In your response to others, you may consider any combination of the discussion questions.
After reading each of the articles below, and any others of your choosing, please respond to the following:

1. When is it appropriate for citizens to engage in the recall of an elected official? When they have committed a crime? When the people do not agree with their actions, even though there is no illegality or abuse of power? Never? Explain.

2. Why, do you think, Scott Walker was able to dodge this recall?

3. What are the implications, if any, for the presidential election in November?
Definition and brief history of recall elections:
http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/recall-of-state-officials.aspx

Results of Wisconsin recall:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/us/politics/walker-survives-wisconsin-recall-effort.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

November Implication Opinions:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-06-06/wisconsin-recall-walker-analysis/55420250/1

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/post/wisconsin-recall-should-not-be-read-as-harbinger-for-november-mitch-daniels-says/2012/06/10/gJQAJSYJSV_blog.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-uphill-battle-for-democrats-20120607,0,7320039.story

NOTE ON BLOG SCHEDULE CHANGES***  Due to a summer schedule conflict the week of June 25th will not be a Government topic but will be an Economics topic.  August 6th will be a Government Topic, not an Economics topic.  There is no blog August 8th, as mentioned on the summer work assignment sheet.  It is your responsiblity to keep track of the weeks you are participating in.

Week One - June 4th

Welcome to the summer blog.  I am glad you chose to get started this week!  We will start with a releatively easy topic that I am hoping will generate a good amount of interesting discussion.

Contrary to popular belief, Economics is not just study of dollars and cents, inflation rates, and interest rates.  As you will all learn, Economics is a study of decisions.  Decisions that will sometimes seem irrational to some, while appearing rational to others.  To start our bloggin experience I am asking you to consider a topic that you may be familiar with in more ways than one: Cheating

Cheating - Act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, esp. in a game or examination: "she cheats at cards".

While we all realize that cheating is dishonest and can result in some pretty serious consequences, it is more than likely that each one of you has had to make a decison at sometime or other about cheating on a test, homework assignments or possibly something even more serious.  We know the right thing to do is to make the choice to do our own work and resist any temptations that might exist to cheat. 

You may have not realized it but you were making an economic choice as you struggled with what to do.  All choices have cost and benefits.  In Economics considering both sides is called marginal analysis.  To some, the benefits of cheating are worth the risks and costs, while to others they realize the the risks and costs can have a much great impact than the percieved benefits.  To you personally, one or the other may seem like an obvious choice but economics is all about personal value and choice.

Your task is to consider the links below (feel free to consider additional links) and discuss the following:
Why would students take the huge risk of cheating on High Stakes test?  Is there any time that the benefits would make the cost worth it?

What is the root problem of cheating?  Lack of morals? Too much pressure?  Too easy to Cheat?

What types of measures can be taken to prevent what seems to be a wide-spread problem of cheating?

Overall shouldn't the fact that cheating is wrong (against the rules and illegal in many cases) be enough to prevent students from having this type of behavior? 

BE SURE THE REFERENCE ONE - TWO OF THE LINKS BELOW:

http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/24/my-view-can-tests-motivate-students-it-depends-on-the-test-and-the-student/

 CBS 60  minutes - video link
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7393498n

Cheating crisis in America
http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132376&page=2