“Let's tell another one million students that when they graduate, they will be required to pay only 10 percent of their income on student loans, and all of their debt will be forgiven after 20 years –- and forgiven after 10 years if they choose a career in public service, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college.”
– President Barack Obama, January 27, 2010
Sweet & Sour Policies:
Public policies have always caused a lot of controversy. In Chapter 13 of "The New Urban Sociology" we learned about the importance but lack of public support for certain public policies. It talked about policies such as recycling and the meaning behind each one. Policies are essentially made for a reason and the ones that are enforced more than others are usually done so because it serves a greater good. As the book mentioned, we typically don't like a lot of regulations and policies but we do believe that they are necessary. A policy might start off as being "sweet" with great incentives but could end up "sour" when the public doesn't respect it or instantly rejects it.
We all know things that are bad for us and still proceed to do whatever it is we feel/ believe is the best option for US. A lot of us are very individualistic and self centered. Without policies I believe that a lot of individuals would continue to be even more individualistic and only worry about themselves and their surroundings. This could then become an issue as everyone must work together for certain policies to work.
Another example are student loans. This is a very conflicting topic as many agree and disagree with a "need" for a higher education. Some believe that college isn't necessary, that it simply puts you in debt. Sadly, yes most of us will be in debt upon graduation but in this case, you must look at the bigger picture. President Obama created a forgiveness program where after 20 years your student loans will be paid off. I have added a link at the bottom of the page for you to read into it a little bit more. This would be an example of a public policy that has been put in place to help those of us who have chosen to receive a higher education.
Then again, there are those who believe that this policy is no good. Some argue that this will encourage more people to attend college, and let's be honest, not everyone is fitted for college. They argue that this might cause individuals to attend college who are not really qualified and in return only become a distraction for others who are here to learn. As you can see, there are arguments for and against and the list simply goes on. There seems to never be a happy medium when it comes to policies.
There will also always be those who abuse the system and therefore ruin it for those who are doing everything to follow it. Policies will continue to evolve and we will continue to learn from each and every one of them. Policies might start as a great idea and might end up backfiring afterwards. It simply depends on the way the public interprets them. Policies that thrive are usually those that have the PUBLIC in mind....
-These are informative links on student loans:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/higher-education/ensuring-that-student-loans-are-affordable
http://research.upjohn.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1219&context=empl_research
-This link is to a website that talks about successful policies and how they are formed.
http://www.slideshare.net/andrewdeen14/what-is-good-public-policy
-Here is a video that talks about some "Bad" policies.
https://youtu.be/FdiQl7urd2w
I like how at the end of your blog, you said “It simply depends on the way the public interprets them.” – referring to the policies made for that given community. This is why policies can be sweet and sour in my opinion. Most policies or agreements that are intended to help the general public, either with finances or schooling, tend to get abused in some way. Unfortunately, this is a sad truth and is a result of people being lazy and the feeling that they are entitled to everything. Now, not to bad mouth people too bad, people who do use these programs for good and actually take advantage of the program are given that second chance and it helps them out tremendously. Again, I don’t believe that the majority of the people using these benefits are using it correctly. Look how well the Chicago schooling program works at NIU…
ReplyDeleteStudent loans, the other topic brought up in your blog. I get both sides, I really do. You don’t want to start “real life” with a lump sum of debt that may or may not get you a higher payer job. On the other hand, I believe that college is one of the most important times in your life. Not only in the actual schooling that you get, but in the hidden knowledge you obtain while at school. After being here for five freaking years, I’ve realized that the people who don’t get a job within their area of study are the people who did nothing outside of the educational system to expand their career options for after college.
This brings me to another topic you brought up in the same paragraph and the following, Obama’s 20-year policy. You said something like it would encourage people to attend college. In my opinion, any kind of schooling help should be cut off. Now, since this is going to spark someone’s nerves, let me explain myself. If there is such thing as free schooling or cheaper schooling, it will encourage people to get a higher education. That’s good, in a way. For my first two years I didn’t read books and barely knew how to study. In high school I was shoed through because I was an athlete. I’m not trying to give you a life story, what I’m trying to prove is that someone like me, a person who wasn’t very good in the classroom, was able to pass all my general education classes and my first two years without really trying that hard. If someone like me can do that, other people can too. If there is an abundance of people with an associate degree, it will become the next “high school diploma” in the eyes of the employer. Which in turn, will decrease the value of a bachelor degree making an even higher education needed to acquire certain jobs. This is why I think that if you want to go to college, pay for it, because if you do, you will understand the worth of your degree.