Professor Emeritus, University of South Florida
Political Issues Main Page
Note by James R. Martin, Ph.D., CMA
Professor Emeritus, University of South Florida
Political Issues Main Page
Why place a topic such as political issues on a web site dedicated to management and accounting? First, it is impossible to separate economics and politics. Consider the comparative economic system graphic below. Economic systems are also political systems. Second, the effects of economics and politics are impossible to separate from management and accounting. For example, near the top of the graphic the state owns and operates industries either for profit or for overall social objectives. Moving down the right hand side of the graphic the state regulates businesses but does not own them. Further down the right hand side we find free enterprise capitalism with less and less regulation from the state. Government regulation through laws, fiscal policy and monetary policy affects both management and accounting in many ways. Businesses clearly operate within a political economy.
The idea underlying the following exercise is to promote thought and debate about political issues.
1. Consult the graphic below (from MAAW's Chapter 1) for a review of comparative economic systems.
2. Compare the illustration above to the political compass graphic below. Note that the political compass includes a social scale as well as an economic scale.
3. Take the test at The Political Compass site to find your position in the graphic above.
4. Develop or question your own views on the various issues such as abortion, contraception, balancing the budget, taxes, crime, education, energy, environment, infrastructure, evolution, gun laws, healthcare law, immigration, labor unions, marriage, religion, and social security. To find various political views see the Polling Report.
5. FackCheck shows how politicians spin the facts.
6. FlackCheck describes six categories of patterns of deception with examples in each category. These include: 1. Misunderstanding the process, 2. Misleading use of language, 3. Misleading by not telling the whole story, 4. Misleading audio/visual cuing, 5. False logic, and 6. Hypocritical attack. These are listed with various types of deception under each category at Flackcheck
7. The Brookings Democracy Dashboard is a collection of data designed to help users evaluate the political system and governmental performance in the United States. - Brookings democracy
8. Issues listed on Hillary Clintons web site: Hillary Clinton
A fair tax system
Addiction and substance use
An economy that works for everyone
An end to Alzheimer's disease
Autism
Campaign finance reform
Campus sexual assault
Climate change
Combating terrorism and keeping the homeland safe
Criminal justice reform
Disability rights
Early childhood education
Fixing America's infrastructure
Gun violence prevention
Health care
HIV and AIDS
Housing
Immigration reform
Jobs and wages
K-12 education
Labor and workers' rights
LGBT rights and equality
Making college debt-free and taking on student debt
Manufacturing
Mental health
Military health
Military and defense
National security
Paid family and medical leave
Protecting animals and wildlife
Racial justice
Rural communities
Small business
Social Security and Medicare
Technology and innovation
Veterans, the armed forces, and their families
Voting rights
Wall Street reform
Women's rights and opportunity
Workforce skills and job training
9. Issues listed on Donald Trump's web site: This page no longer exist.
Veterans affairs reform
Trade
Tax plan
Regulations
National defense
Immigration
Health care
Foreign policy and defeating ISIS
Energy
Constitution and the Second Amendment
Child care
Economy
10. Consider: Mike Lukovich's June 19th cartoon from the AJC illustrates our current political situation at the end of 2018.
Related summaries:
Anonymous. 2019. A Warning: A Senior Trump Administration Official. Twelve: Hachette Book Group. (Summary).
Crossan, M., W. Furlong and R. D. Austin. 2022. Make leader character your competitive edge. MIT Sloan Management Review (Fall): 1-12. This article includes a leader character framework. (Summary).
Martin, J. R. Not dated. Policies of a Second Trump Presidency.
Martin, J. R. Not dated. Shepard Fairey Political Posters.
Martin, J. R. Not dated. Summary of Trump's Seven Part Plan to Overturn the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.
Martin, J. R. Not dated. Why I vote for Democrats.
