Over the course of the last 10 years we have seen politics splinter into divisiveness and become highly contentious to the point that it risked our ability to navigate a complex and evolving environment. No business can maintain its leading edge if it is unable to make decisions that lead to strategic market adjustments. While this is a nation, and not a business, you will find similar principles apply as an entity that must find optimal economic value and performance in a global world. We have revenue coming in (tax and interest) and we have expenses (costs and programs) that must be paid. Without proper decisions our expenses rise and our revenue declines because we are not able to make those bi-partisan decisions that help us over come our challenges. Furthermore, without maximizing our human capital we are limited in our ability to innovate our products and environment to overcome larger international challenges.
Inability of Congress to Make Complex Decisions for the Widest Societal Stakeholders
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| The Pew Research Center has some interesting statistics on political polarization. |
The world is a complex place and the digital economy will even be more complex making decisions by qualified individuals difficult (Likely required to rely on "intellectuals", doctors, and specialists.). Add on top of that political dysfunction and we are seriously limping along at a time we should at least be jogging. Many of the digital age concepts will be beyond the reach of the average person and the average politician for a long time until they have learned to live within that type of economy. It will take years for some members to sort of grasp how things like global supply chains, legislation, infrastructure, tax systems, law enforcement, culture, information networks, and human nature all influence the outcome of a country/company (Infrastructure Development)
The indecisive nature of party politics mixed with a fast paced complex evolving economic platform with a highly competitive adversary(s) (i.e. China as our economic competitor and Russia as our intelligence competitor.) nipping at our heals while we are struggling with social instability because we haven't put our essential American principles in the forefront of our decisions. Thus we will be plagued by 1.) Lacking of decisions and 2.) Human capital mismanagement which are the two broad strengths that make everything else possible (i.e. environmental adaptability and maximizing of strength comes from evidence based decision making within the time frame such decisions would be most effective. Environmental Scanning) matched with the skills that can meet those challenges.
To overcome that we need more Systems Thinking, Business Intelligence, Strategic Decisions, Global Mindset, Socially-Emotionally Intelligent Leaders and some more.
You may also be interested in reading the article "'A train wreck': Congress faces a daunting September as deadlines pile up"
Human Capital Management
Our second biggest threat is likely our difficulty to maximize our American human capital through universal principles that prompt people to engage and perform. China will focus on building controlling structures to maximize labor (They may seek innovative pockets but will likely struggle based on cultural factors so they will likely rely on foreign companies and investments. I don't know...sounds plausible. 😕) through treating people like units thereby limiting in the long run worker innovation and in turn long term national performance. Top down management and ideas will only get them so far. Success comes from matching strong theoretical knowledge and practical experience with innovation that can also come from the bottom (highly skilled workers and stronger labor management practices.)
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| Can we find ways to nationally motivate our population? "The pursuit of happiness" Expectancy Theory |
The U.S. will seek to innovate and in turn flatten its structures but boost its human capital development. As online education, digitization, etc... occurs there will be more people to engage, crowd share, learn, and participate in varying ways to national development . Highly skilled workers can create innovation bottom up type practical adaptations that can be matched and applied through theory to other areas across the organization and global structure (Assuming we can get unions and companies to think about how labor and management are structured together to maximize human capital. Labor can be part of the process of limiting natural constraints in the system. Theory of Constraints)
The Chinese will do well in cost and manufacturing of basic products but the U.S. will do better with new products and can with advanced technology maximize the efficiency and innovative variability (i.e. mech robotics and industrial body equipment.). Our success will rest on our ability to create innovative environments that churn out new ideas and products that can be used for U.S., Mexico, Canadian, and allied manufacturing (supply chains. See Theory of Transactional Innovative Clusters and Attracting Global Firms Delta County).
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| There are many factors that increase human performance. A poor environment will limit performance. (Job Motivation) |
See H.R.1280 - George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 (I'm not advocating for or against because we shouldn't need a bill to do the right thing when it comes to how we treat people in our communities. I also support good officers and departments and have no issues challenging poor officers and corrupt behaviors. However, if we need a law that removes poor employees and actors beyond what is currently written in our departmental policies so be it. We should have already known better before social upheaval and it shouldn't take riots to get people to think about it. Its not even about this specific event in history because its about diversifying all of our institutions and ensuring basic protections; especially against those who are trying to circumvent the law as a weaker copy or our national values. We are not a third world nation and we shouldn't act like it! See Greater Responsibilities to Society.)
Classic economic theory, based as it is on an inadequate theory of human motivation, could be revolutionized by accepting the reality of higher human needs, including the impulse to self actualization and the love for the highest values.-Abraham Maslow
Where We Are At Now?
We are at a place in history where we have a powerful competitors and a shift in the international markets that will have a big influence on America's future. Its an opportunity for the U.S. to regain its position or slide into the #2 spot thereby leaving open a door to further national decline (Blind optimism and exceptionalism doesn't always work when practical action is needed. See Rational Optimist). We have relative poor performance by our political parties to negotiate in good faith and resolve problems that are practical and move us down the line in our national development. Balance in decision making seems to be lacking and that is a big problem/risk factor for our nation (and future opportunities for these law makers kids and grand kids.). While the world is becoming complex that doesn't mean they can't work in a bi-partisan manner to resolve these issues (If there is no will there is no way!).The other issue we face is a lack of will to enforce the Constitutional rights of the people prompting 50% of society that the laws will not protect them from mistreatment and that engagement in the official economy doesn't necessarily serve their best interests (i.e. people dropping out of the market or moving to shadow markets where the payoffs are higher. As corruption rises the economy declines.). Thus, people may work out of necessity but they are not at their best performance because the environment itself is prompting them they have lower value. (For example, we want to make sure the law is applied fairly, corruption is rooted out, and our basic Constitutional rights aren't thwarted for personal, ideological, or ethnic/religious reasons. Society must believe our political factions are ready to overcome current or future challenges with "good moral conscious". In other words, national leadership may not have the ability to lead effectively when the environment changes and requires more positive coordinated energy that draws from a diverse set of available skills in the labor market simply because it wasn't capitalized on in the earlier stages of national development. Congress isn't "walking the talk" when it haggles endlessly along party lines over things that should have been resolved 50 years ago. i.e. universalizing our justice system.)
Where we go now is less dependent on the changing market and our ability to 1. make decisions outside of party politics and 2.) maximize our human capital. If we can't make decisions and don't have the skill to implement those decisions, the specifics of these hairline endless debates makes little difference. We elect then to do a job and if they can't then we need to think about letting the next generation take some seats to help create a stronger independent block of voters that can break these party ties in voting gridlock. We are getting to a point in history of "sink or swim" critical thresholds where our lack of decision making will have long-term consequences on our future ability to maintain competitiveness (This is where people should think about who they are electing to what positions. We don't want Congress to let the American people down because they know the answers before they have asked the right questions. Changing our perspective/paradigm shift also changes our assumptions and our choices Economics as Numbers or Behaviors?).
Side note:
I'm not sure if I will ever run for politics and I may not be qualified because I'm not a "Yes Man/Woman" just because someone tells me I should believe in something and press the voting button they want or they won't support me. We have greater responsibilities to society than that. (Believing in something should be based on evidence that supports a reasonable chain of logic. Where there are unknowns or alternative strategies we should be open to their possible value. That is why not all Republicans are right and all Democrats are right. ). There are responsibilities our politicians have to put aside some of their differences to resolve problems and ensure they are building a better nation (When systems fail themselves.). I would build and support our police and ensure we diversify them and remove corruption and bad actors from the system. I would seek to create fairness across the board and try and "do the right thing" regardless of the costs to my political career. We need new types of leadership that know when its acceptable to argue the hairline ideological fraction of ideas or accept the bigger picture and get the job done! The problem I face is the truth doesn't make you a lot of friends and I haven't mastered the art of "sound byte" wisdom that gets people all excited.
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