What role does power play in government, economy, and politics.

           Power plays a significant role in government, economy, and politics by creating scenarios where either aforementioned topics effect the lives of Americans.   The power over policy doesn't always lie with the Federal government like many people believe.  The power to change the lives of citizens can sometimes rely on the current political climate or the current economic state.     More recently we find that power has shifted from politics and the economy to the government whom are trying to financially support domestic private corporations, domestic banks , and domestic auto makers because of the declining economy over the last 8 years.    Is that fair to do?  In a capitalist economy should the government step in and protect domestic business and in doing so protect the jobs and livelihoods  of it's citizens?

  The idea that the government should step in when necessary isn't a new notion.  Economist John M Keynes proposed that the government sometimes needed to change the way the economy runs.  His recommendation involved increasing domestic demand for goods and services by allowing more money into circulation during the great depression.  His idea would lead to the federal government running fiscal years into a deficit but it would create a safer market for consumers to spend money and pay more taxes.  The cyclical response to Keynes' idea is very interesting and proves that government intervention can prove positive in a capitalist economy. 

  More contemporarily  I find it comforting that the federal government is working very hard to turn the current economic and cultural low around.  The proof that power doesn’t always constitute the leverage a body has over policy is exemplified in the passionate messages our current President Barack Obama frequently gives us.  The president encourages young people to strive for a better future for themselves and for America.  One of the most profound things he has said is [1]"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”.  The power this current president has to inspire people is without equal.  The overtly publicized political climate nor the depressing state of the economy and job market can totally steal hope.

         

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[1] Obama, Barack. "Barack Obama Quotes." 01012011.http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/barack_obama.html (accessed 02/06/2011).