10 National Issues (Parts 9 & 10)

Here is the final installment.

  1. Foreign policy.  As the only current world superpower and arguably with the strongest economy and government system, what is the US’ role in the world?  This question is particularly germane as China seeks its own dominant position in the world.  The past 70 years of foreign policy have been formed in reaction to the end of WWII and to the Cold War, but times are changing.  Consider this:
  • Is/should the US be the world’s police force?  What type of activity elsewhere in the world should mobilize a US response?
  • What about NATO?
  • What about the Middle East?
  • What about China?
  • What about Russia?
  • What about Korea?
  • What about traditional allies, such as Canada, Mexico, Britain, the EU, Japan?
  • How should monetary aid be determined and used?
  • How should the US handle human rights abusers, particularly when they are allies?
  • China’s Belt and Road initiative is clearly self-interested, but it does also have positive world development benefits.  Is China eating our lunch?
  1. Healthcare.  At 18% of GDP, the $3.7 Trillion healthcare industry is one of our most important economic issues.  It is also a personal issue affecting everyone.  Universal healthcare, preexisting condition coverage, and the high costs of medications are just a few of the issues being debated.  Here are some facts to help think about the debate:

Where the Spending Comes From ($Billions):

Where the Spending Goes ($Billions):

Consider the following: