What's Wrong with America's Economy?

It's no secret at all that America's economy is, and has been for recent years, falling. The majority of American's think that Obama and Congress are not doing a good job in handling the economy, and that we, as a nation, are on the wrong path to recovery. One of the reasons people may feel this way towards Obama is because he states the problem as a need for competitiveness with China. As much as that could help, it is not the main issue and we should not soley be focusing on that. Another big issue, is the job market. The current unemployment rate is 9%, and about 40% of those people have been out of work for longer than 6 months. This is because jobs are not available to them unless they have a college degree. Reform needs to be made for lesser skilled men in the job market if there should be any hope for reform. College prices are continuously rising, and the amount of Americans that can afford it is declining. Having a job market where only college graduates can receive jobs is a huge issue that needs to be looked at and reformed. Another problem is, workers see this, and they get discouraged. A lot of out-of-work men have simply given up on the job search simply because it offers no hope for a stable future. The percent of "prime-age" males in work has dropped 15% this decade, but the lack of oppurtunity will keep the percentage there, unless reform is made. And even if these low skilled men did get jobs, a lot will be taken out of their pay, like money toward EITC, or Child Support (if valid to them). Kids in high school are becoming more likely to drop out because the amount of hope that they will be able to find a job with a high school degree only is not very high at all. Some are suggesting trade-barriers for jobs, and others to improve skills. Whichever is the better, I don't know, but I do know that something needs to be done soon, or else the unemployment rate will rise, and the economy will fall.

The People's Will: California's Direct Democracy

In almost all of the states in America, there is a representative democracy that is put into place. This means that although people do not have a direct say in what goes on in government, they elect representives that they feel will best go along with their opinions. In California, however, there is a direct democracy. The people vote for certain propositions on ballots, and their vote directly effects the decision in the end. This makes California one of the most, if not the most, democratic states in the entire country. But the question has to be asked: are they right?
In my opinion, no. The reason why we have representitives in our government is because not everybody is qualified, so these people pass on their opinions to their representitives, and these representitives make decisions based on their professional opinion. It is important to have this because we cannot count on the everyday person to make crucial decisions for our state. The reason we have this is because it works. Massachusetts is a state with a good economy, but is California? Absolutely not. California is known to have areas, such as South Central, Haight and Ashbury, etc., where educated enough people to make crucial, law making decisions are just as hard to come by as a non-white student at Medfield High School. They let the people have direct impact, and it has failed them. We can still let the people have a voice, and that voice is picking their representitives. But until the majority of the population proves that they are educated enough to have such an impact, then maybe things can be reconsidered. But as of now, the majority of the population cannot be trusted with that power.