Once upon a time, in the decades following WWII, the United States had its hand in nearly every international action that had occurred. The United States was also majorly responsible for the establishment for many of the reigning supranational organizations today including the UN, the World Bank, the IMF, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Although many of these US born ideals played in the interest of the US, these organizations benefited the world for the better. It is important to assume that the world operates under a realism approach and that other nations desire to take the place of the United States as a global Hegemony. Stephen Walt states “The only way to have the world’s most capable military forces both now and into the future is to have the world’s most advanced economy, and that means having better schools, the best universities, a scientific establishment that is second to none, and a national infrastructure that enhances productivity and dazzles those who visit from abroad.” What realistic steps can the United States take in order to better our schools and universities, scientific establishment, and national infrastructure ending in a raised economy? (Walt, 2011/16). Even though the US is set in its ways, all hope is not lost. If strict changes are made to the education system, scientific establishment, and national infrastructure, the US will again see itself rising to the top uncontested. Allowing the United States to again maintain its ability to have a positive influence in nearly every “corner” of the globe not only benefits Americans, it plays in the interest of the entire world.
BACKGROUND AND ISSUES
It’s no surprise that the beginning of the United States’ solidifying hegemony in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s was closely paralleled and influenced by a booming national education program. Congress, recognizing the need for highly educated Americans, began instating programs and devoting an increased
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