The fact that I remember my friend’s college essay even more clearly than I remember my own demonstrates the powerful effect of story-telling!
Leave a CommentCategory: All answers
TOEFL independent writing topic (30-minutes / 300-350 words)
The topic comes from the Magoosh link below. I suggest at the start of the video to turn off spelling and grammar assistance in your word processor. I set my timer and composed the essay live in the screencast video. It took about 25 minutes to write and edit my example essay. I made two additional spelling corrections after completing the video.
https://magoosh.com/toefl/2020/toefl-writing-section-breakdown/
“Many workers change jobs a few times in their career. However, several workers instead do the same type of work throughout their career. Of these two career paths, which is a better option? In your essay, include supporting details.”
Original model essay:
Some people prefer to keep a single job in their career for a long time, whereas others like to change jobs or even change careers periodically. While either path can provide fulfilling work, changing jobs within one career can provide a rewarding balance between variety and success.
Keeping a single job in the same company throughout one’s career is not particularly common in the modern age. While large corporations may offer quite a lot of career growth, workers in small firms would eventually reach a plateau above which they would not be able to advance their careers. That is why seeking a higher position in another company would be required in order to advance one’s career. That does not mean the same as changing career paths.
On the other hand, changing career paths would present a number of challenges that might be highly rewarding to those who crave challenge. However, there are many reasons beyond simply seeking change that might propel someone to change career entirely. These could be work-related, but the reasons may have to do with personal health, environment or family issues. Perhaps most commonly, people change career when they need to devote more time to family. For instance, new parents may stop work for a time, and then upon returning to the workforce, they look for careers that will allow more flexibility with schedules than they had before their children were born.
A third rationale for changing jobs within one career or to a new career may be outside of one’s control entirely. Over time, industries change, businesses evolve, or entire sectors of the economy disappear. In the case of my father, who is now at retirement age, his work in the university textbook industry has changed dramatically because of the now widespread use of online textbooks. When print media was slowly phased out over the past five years, my father’s workload declined to almost zero. This example is not unique. Many other companies find themselves in difficult financial situations every time there is an economic downturn. Even once stable large corporations are now overleveraged and heavily indebted. When the 2020 Pandemic led to stay-at-home orders and shut-downs, over twenty percent of the workforce in the United States was either furloughed or laid-off. These workers will be lucky if they can return to their previous jobs. However, many have already sought career changes.
In conclusion, there are many reasons individuals may seek new opportunities at other companies or in other industries. However, staying within one industry allows a person to build skill and grow in their careers even when changing jobs. Nevertheless, changing jobs may not be a personal choice, but rather a result of market forces. Sometimes this means changing careers when a type of job is outsourced to a location in another country or when an industry collapses entirely as a result of technological innovations.
(478 words)
1 CommentBeginning in 2019, the new TOEFL iBT is shorter than before. Instead of six questions on the speaking test, there are four questions. The total time is about 20 minutes. Whereas there were two independent tasks before, there is now only one. This is question number one. The other three of the four questions are integrated skills: spoken summaries of reading and/or listening.
In question one, the independent question, the preparation time is 15 seconds, and the response time is 45 seconds. Below are my examples of the basic question types: compare two or three options, agree/disagree and advantages/disadvantages.
Some people enjoy taking risks and trying new things. Others are not adventurous; they are cautious and prefer to avoid danger. Which behavior do you think is better?
Some people think it is more fun to spend time with friends in restaurants or cafes. Others think it is more fun to spend time with friends at home. Which do you think is better?
Imagine that you have just begun studying at a new university. Which of the following do you think would be the best way for you to learn about the new campus?
A. a second-year student gives you a personal tour of the whole campus
B. you are given a detailed map of the campus designed by the student services department
C. you join a group tour of the campus together with all the other new students
If you were going to choose a roommate, which of the following characteristics would be the most important to you?
A. cleanliness
B. friendliness
C. quietness
What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving smartphones to teenagers?
Leave a CommentThe following video is my live composition of the 30-minute timed essay. The text below the video is the essay I wrote.
The study in this trial of the use of lavender pillows as a remedy for insomnia lasted a period of three weeks, and claims terrific results within that time period; however, the findings do not include any discussion of the limitations of the study, of which there are several.
As all clinical trails do, this study was conducted in a controlled setting where the volunteers were monitored at night time. Controlling the room’s temperature and having standardized accommodations for all the participants would be a minimal expectation. However, lighting and darkness for set times would be one aspect of the study that could significantly improve sleep conditions compared to the participants’ bedrooms at their homes. These situational aspects stand apart from the one modification that was targeted, the lavender pillow. Bringing us to the pillow itself–apart from the scent, how might the pillow be different from standard pillows in size or firmness?
Another major detail that is not presented in the synopsis of the study is whether or not there was a control group in addition to the 30 participants who received the sleep modification of the lavender pillow. Any scientific study of merit would make a point of comparing the targeted modification against a placebo, which in this case would be a substitute for lavender. Perhaps this could be a pillow with a different scent, no scent or an imitation lavender. The aim of testing alternatives and/or an imitation could potentially strengthen the findings of this study significantly if the results support the claim of the researchers.
The three-week time period is a third detail that calls into question the claim that the lavender pillow “cured” the participants’ insomnia. Insomnia, the condition of chronic sleeplessness, is on-going over periods of time much longer than three weeks. Extending this study to a period of several months could greatly support this claim if the results are sustained.
Finally, as sleep enhancers are many in type, the fact that all the participants had already been taking a medication to improve sleep does not make for a good case either. While the three week time period includes gradual adjustments to take the participants off their medications, the fact that the medications continued to be administered at the same time as the introduction of the lavender pillow makes for a weakened argument. Perhaps, commencing environmental changes at the same time prior medications are stopped would strengthen the findings. Combining medications and a secondary aid, like the lavender pillow, present a completely different solution to treating sleeplessness that could be valid. However, it would make a much better argument for this particular study by beginning with the claim that eliminating the need for medication was the main aim of testing the effect of the lavender pillow.
In conclusion, the findings of the study could be strengthened by including in the report exactly how the room was controlled, other details regarding the pillow and by comparing the results to those of a control group that had been given a placebo.
(505 words)
Leave a CommentThe following video is my live composition of the 30-minute timed essay. The text below the video is the essay I wrote. The essay had five typos and a few extra commas that have been removed. Following the text of my final draft, I have added some comments and links for reading and listening related to the topic.
Considering the case of a country that is experiencing an economic depression, some people may say that funding for extraneous public programs like the arts ought to be eliminated, and that their funding should be diverted to the true needs of the people in the way of food assistance or unemployment income. However, the arts, of which there are many forms, are a sort of jobs program. Public artwork not only benefits artists, but also the public that enjoys viewing art, and listening to or watching performances.
The types of government programs that put money into the economy are many. They range from education to military expenditures. The funding for the arts is relatively little in comparison to some of the other types of social welfare programs that exist, the largest of which are typically health care and pensions. The money that is spent into the economy by the government also has a multiplier effect that compounds the amount of money in circulation as the funding changes hands. The benefit of government spending in the economy is quite significant. Not only is the amount great, but the health of the economy depends on it.
The extent to which the general public benefits from government spending depends in part on the types of spending. The money that goes directly into industry in the form of subsidies makes the domestic products of a country relatively competitive. However, the money that the government spends in funding public works that create jobs, such as infrastructure projects and the arts, is actually paid into the bank accounts of employees and artists. These workers are in turn going to spend their incomes, which generates even more growth in the economy. Moreover, the income that is spent by the underemployed, as is typically the case among artists and gig workers, is greater in percentage than money injected into the market through buy-back of government bonds. Bond-holders, after all, do not tend to spend their disposable income in the same ways that low-income earners would.
Besides the income that artists receive through funding of the arts, there are two additional beneficiaries. They include the general public and the facilities that are created to house performances. These public spaces include museums and concert halls, among which there are many historic landmarks in both small and large cities. Venues ranging from opera houses to band shells require maintenance. The circular flow of money would direct this spending through every type of job related to the operation of these attractions that are so vital to tourism, further compounding the multiplier effect of government spending in this sector of the economy.
The third and largest stakeholder is the viewing public. Consider the well-being and health of a population during an economic downturn. The people that live through tough times have the same mental and emotional needs as any others. The art that is created during periods of depression reflects the conditions under which the people are living and creates a living record of those times. Both visual and performance art created under times of turmoil allow for the relief of the pressure of the society. Art, music, theater and dance are an outlet for the pain of living with deprivations. Governments have not only an obligation to support the fiscal health of their nations, but also the emotional repair that a society must go through. The funding of public arts that supports design and infrastructure projects contribute to both the economic rebuilding of a nation and the sustained development of a country through such periods of economic difficulty.
In conclusion, the money spent into the economy through a range of public programs should not be limited to the most obvious types of public assistance, nor should the spending be limited to the industries that require the greatest attention to maintain the international reputation of a country. Government spending during difficult times when people are experiencing hunger and unemployment must also include spending in the arts as it is the arts that boost the morale of the people through such depressions.
(678 words)
After composing my essay under mock exam conditions with a strict 30-minute time limit, it occurred to me that I should point out the limitations of the argument I have presented. First of all, I did not spend time preparing by brainstorming or outlining the essay, and so there were a few ideas that I was not able to include in the essay because I didn’t have sufficient time to incorporate them.
The statement in the prompt lacks any mention of the conditions under which a population may come to experience mass hunger, famine and widespread unemployment. It also makes the assumption that the debate in governments where these problems exist is restricted by the requirement of a balanced budget, and that the government is prohibited from excessive deficit spending, in which case one would assume that government spending is funded either by revenue from state-run industries or taxes. These are economic conditions that vary depending on the nation in question.
Conversely, a government’s domestic policy is legally separated from the policies of central banks, which have tools that target an optimal level of unemployment. Moreover, there is some contention among economists over federal banking policy with respect to targeting an optimal balance between inflation and employment and the real ability of federal banks to effectively control these economic indicators with monetary policy tools.
As opposed to English proficiency examinations, the GRE score is based on the strength of the argument of the essay, which is a product of the writer’s ability to directly address the prompt using logic, effective word choice, cohesion and coherence. While I approached this topic from an economic perspective, there are important foreign policy considerations involving international aid, embargos and long-term food shortages resulting from climate change, which are discussed in the links below from a United States radio and television program called Democracy Now! from Friday, October 9, 2020. In the episode, the host interviews writer Vijay Prashad on the announcement of the awarding of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize to the UN World Food Program (link to mainstream news story below).
Video and transcript:
https://www.democracynow.org/2020/10/9/nobel_peace_prize_world_food_programme
Audio only – Apple Podcasts (Vijay Prashad interview begins at minute 35 and 30 seconds)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democracy-now-audio/id73802554?i=1000494164740
In this article, rationale for this year’s award is briefly summarized and highlights hunger resulting from wars in the Middle East.
https://thehill.com/policy/international/520330-uns-world-food-program-awarded-nobel-peace-prize
Leave a CommentOctober 6, 2020
I am presently working as a substitute teacher in area public schools in the northwest corner of Connecticut. So far, I have worked with students in grades five through ten as the full day substitute for science teachers in one of the middle schools and at the regional high school.
The health precautions to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV2 are many. The students are required to wear face masks covering their mouths and noses throughout the day in the classrooms. They have barriers set up at lunch tables—the only time they may take off their masks inside the buildings. They are seated at desks or tables with two yards (two meters) of space between each other. The students are well-behaved, and characteristically for their age, very resilient.
Every student has a personal laptop. The teachers use desktops and/or laptops in class. They have live video feeds for remote learners (students studying from home). And, most of the work involves documents shared on a website for the class. Students collaborate on the shared documents, which may include discussion tasks or presentation instructions. Students have the option to occasionally or entirely study from home. And, the teachers can teach from home whenever they are even slightly ill; hence, an increased demand for substitute teachers.
In the middle school, movement is greatly decreased not only by excessive use of laptops. Students are not rotating to different teachers, but rather the subject teachers are rotating. For sports in middle school, the students singular outdoor option is no-contact soccer—basically just passing practice. The playground equipment is cordoned-off, as well. There are no after-school sports for middle school now. At the high school, there are after-school team sport practices, but students have to wear face masks. At this school, students do move about the building for their different classes, but all of the classes are blocks of approximately eighty minutes.
On the positive side, students are not missing an entire year of schooling as we all wait for resolution to the 2020 pandemic in the form of a vaccination. However, experiencing school days with the new safety protocols is bizarre. We can get used to it, but we hope it does not continue too long.
Leave a CommentSeptember 22, 2020
Education opens doors. In high school, I had my sights set on going to a great university, which I took for granted would lead to a lucrative job. However, a couple years into college, my values no longer were in line with my initial career goals. I thought about dropping out. However, I didn’t quit; I worked to finish faster.
In the United States, where the bachelor’s degree is a four-year program, I finished in three and a half years. Part of the problem I had encountered with my major in economics was that the real world applications of economic theory in federal banks, for instance, deviate largely from what is taught. The second issue was the work schedule to which employees in big financial firms were subjected. My classmates who got jobs in finance ended up working sixty- to eighty-hour weeks.
If that wasn’t the door that opened to me, where did I go? I left the country and went off on an adventure teaching and traveling.
After my last essay on civic engagement, a colleague in Vietnam reminded me of the issue of “brain drain”—when students leave their home country for work or study, and never return. I wondered to myself I fit this description as I had lived and worked abroad for eight of the past ten years.
There are several big differences between me going to another country and someone moving to the United States. Primarily, the push factor: it was cheaper for me to move overseas than to afford to relocate to a major city within the United States. For me, living abroad was largely an economic decision that depended on a favorable balance between cost of living, standard of living and income. Secondarily, labor market pull factors: my U.S. passport opened the door to most of the opportunities for me, a native English-speaking teacher from an “inner circle” country.
Within the United States hiring is slower, and now in the pandemic, even more competitive. Demand is greater for teachers of younger students than for teachers of older students, and higher in sciences than in humanities. In addition, candidates are not selected on merit alone, which is good as meritocracy reinforces the status-quo. To that point, applications include voluntary demographic surveys on race, gender, disability and veteran status. These surveys do not affect the application. In fact, human resources personnel are prohibited from asking about these details and others, like age or religion. Nevertheless, many of these and other qualities of a candidate are inevitably conveyed in face-to-face interviews. And, there is positive discrimination in hiring in order to foster diversity in the workplace.
Sadly, the hiring of teachers outside the United States involves evaluation of these characteristics. Besides my passport and university diploma, employers overseas were interested in age and skin color. Often the look of the teaching staff at schools in Asia is part of their marketing. The doors were open to me. I am white/Latino, and I was young.
Back in the United States, employers have their own application portals that may or may not allow submission of resumes. This precludes putting a portrait on the document, which I found out in Asia was very common among European applicants. I was even told by a British academic manager and interviewer in Vietnam that I should have put married and father on my resume because that, more than my master’s degree, put me ahead of other candidates for the position.
Returning home to the U.S. after five years abroad, I have been surprised by questions from employers in the United States about why I had the desire to work as a teacher in a program that serves a specific segment of the population, or conversely an intentionally diverse body of students. Lofty, vague answers end these interviews. Moving past lip-service, only high-impact, real-world, results-driven aims to lift up under-represented demographics strike a chord with schools in urban centers.
But, is it working? Why hasn’t targeting social inequality made the United States a just society? Would targeting economic inequality better unite the population? How can this be achieved in a country that has been shuttering industry for 20 years, where there is high access to advanced education but low access to quality education1, and where the world’s most expensive health care does not deliver high-quality health care2? How can society be made more equal when the real economy is shrinking?
We need to see the world as it is. The unresolved problems of past generations with regards to social inequality are resurfacing viciously. The environmental problems arising from global warming are foreboding. What leadership do we provide our children? Race and environment are not political issues; however, equality, equal access to health care and education, and the environment are issues which governments have the power and responsibility to protect.
1Social Progress Index: USA Scorecard. Retrieved September 21, 2020 from https://www.socialprogress.org/?tab=2
2“How does the U.S. Healthcare system compare to other countries” Retrieved September 21, 2020 from https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2020/07/how-does-the-us-healthcare-system-compare-to-other-countries
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September 13, 2020
Language skills are divided into the activities we do with language (e.g. receptive/productive, or reading, writing, listening, speaking); however, the language skills all come together as a complete set. While some people may speak better than they write, their writing skill is lacking only according to the conventions of language. The spelling may have errors. Tense usage may be inaccurate or limited. Function words, like articles, prepositions and relative pronouns, may contain errors or be omitted. And, in the case where the first language dominates in bilingual speakers, code-switching can occur when the second language is deficient.
But, for everyone, their unique language exists in their minds and is comprehensible to themselves. It is when the language comes out in speech with pronunciation errors or in writing with poor word-choice that the level of fluency is evaluated and tested against an interlocutor or reader.
Intelligibility is an important part of success in communication. And, word choice also conveys a lot of information beyond the basic content of what is said. A person could be a native speaker, and use many words that don’t make communication precise, either resulting from the use of idioms or excess verbiage. On the other hand, a native speaker may simply, as many young people do, use words in a playful or uncommon way.
What does this say about language? The language that exist in our minds comes from a very mysterious place of interplay of past experience with our environment and prior input, and the need or impulse to express ourselves in the present moment.
My son went from crying to get something as an infant, to using language to do so in about a year and a half. From the age of two, he began producing sentences. And now by two-and-a-half, he is stringing together phrases to express ideas that were not responses to immediate stimuli. This particularly dealt with comparisons. For instance, he said, “Some mandarins are sour. But, some are not bitter. They are sweet.”
Where and how does language exist in the brain? These are the deep questions of linguistics that remain central to its field.
Where too does language play come from? It surprised me that my son, whose speech is almost always intelligible to me if not to others for lack of referents or shared linguistic base (Vietnamese, English and Spanish), did not begin to play with words, as in babble, until two-and-a-half.
Some of the play originated with sounds from books, like Dr. Seuss’s Mr. Brown can moo. Can you? As in, the sound of rain, “dibble, dibble, dop.” Or, from misunderstandings of lyrics of songs from Go Buster. As in, “Scout’s got stuck in the mud. A push will get her right out of the muck.”
Other wordplay has mysterious origins. But, play is fun, and in echoing his babble, I’ve teased him saying, “That doesn’t make sense.” And, jokingly asked, “How do you spell it?”
So, we have interchanges like, “A troodle. What’s a troodle. That doesn’t make sense.”
Even more mysterious than language production is the fact that the majority of our language has no communicative purpose. It is running about in our heads during both waking and sleeping hours. Thus, I have been quite surprised when my toddler son has woken up from sleep saying something. These clear and fairly loud utterances are usually in reference to some aspect of play or a favorite toy. But, this stood out one morning when he woke up saying, “How do you spell that? It doesn’t make sense.”
Reflecting on the quantity of robot-calls to our home telephone, my son picked up his toy phone one afternoon, and in response to my question, “Who is it?” he put down the receiver and said, “Spam…That’s weird!”
And, so it seems that a large part of learning is mimicry. Evidence of aptitude and mastery of language appears along with a sense of humor. And, as joking and jest require imagination, insincerity and even deceit in building up to the punchline, the communicative force of good jokes demonstrates adept inter-personal skills.
What should the goals of English language learners be then? Competence, precision and accuracy? Or, should learners rather aim for humor and fun in role-plays?
Leave a CommentSeptember 9, 2020
An outstanding teacher develops many abilities over time that become natural practices in the classroom. These grow from reflection on teaching experience and learner performance. First, great teachers are good listeners. They act as facilitators of learning, guiding students on their paths. Second, great teachers are fair in their assessments of students. In giving feedback, they are constructive in corrections and moderate in praise. They address issues with classroom management quickly, effectively and diplomatically. Third and most importantly, great teachers give students as much individual attention as possible. In doing so, they learn what motivates individual students, and then they apply this information in materials selection and adapting teaching methods to meet the needs and interests of students.
Take, as an example, one of my teaching assistants from three years ago who now is the teacher of his own classes. He told me he was wondering what really motivated his students. He has seen that the school year or semester begins with a lot of energy among students. Their energy level diminishes slowly at first and then rapidly at the end of a course. As good teachers do, he’s asked himself what he can do to stimulate motivation among his students, and he asked his colleagues—another indication of a great and dedicated teacher.
When we must follow a prescribed syllabus, we may supplement the required materials with some texts that will bridge the gap between abstruse topics and the interests of students. Thus, the teacher focuses more on tailoring teaching methods to student needs. When we as teachers have control over the course content, we can select materials that will appeal to our students. In contexts where there is complete flexibility, teachers can opt for self-directed learning and make students responsible for selecting texts. In this case, we presume students have intrinsic motivation to learn about the topics that pique their interests.
Because intrinsic motivation has the greatest effect on student achievement, educators ask, “What motivations are at play among our students?”
Students may initially want to please either their teacher or their parents by earning good grades. If the grade is evidence of achievement, what achievement beyond promotion to the next level do passing grades represent? Grades mark progress on the path toward graduation, and they indicate academic aptitude. Despite the nice feeling of seeing good grades when they are hard-earned, the ultimate pay-off may be years in future. With graduation far off for young students, we must continue to ask, “What motivates our students more deeply?”
Pupils want to be accepted by their peer group. And, though hard work in class may not be part of this equation, task-based learning can target this motivator. In addition, students deeply want to learn something of value. Learning is based on developing discrete skills, skills that can aid survival in a real and useful way. Therefore, the third realm of motivation is two-fold, self-improvement and self-improvement with the aim of serving a greater good—one’s own community or even the world—since individual longevity relies on collaboration with others.
Being of service begins with dignity; not to be perceived of as a burden on one’s family or the society. Yet, education is deferral of work at the higher levels. Full-time study is a luxury for many people because there is a trade-off between lost earnings (and, perhaps, debt) in the present, and the potential for higher earnings in the future. Very practically, students, therefore, consider what subject or course of study will bring them the greatest benefit. It is for this very reason, students as utility maximizers, in economic parlance, question whether school is worth their time. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford the luxury of an education for its sake alone. Nor is every student as keenly focused on the long-term pay-off of their time spent on coursework. Most unfortunately, some students cannot perceive achievement in education is either within their reach or promises to pay-off at all.
Now at a nadir of moral integrity in leadership in the United States, educators must seize the time to stimulate civic engagement among pupils to propel them toward achievement in school and success in life for the betterment of society. What follows is a discussion of lexical terms which should allow students to better understand their world.
The remainder of this discussion targets two audiences. First, my colleagues in Vietnam who may be curious about the political situation and the terminology used to discuss the issues presently at stake in the United States. Second, readers in the western hemisphere who wonder what freedoms people living in a country with a single-party state do or do not enjoy.
I will explore the topic by reviewing a list of thirty terms, the definitions of which come from Merriam Webster’s dictionary (www.m-w.com).
Republic (noun) “a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law”
Political Party (noun) “a group of persons organized for the purpose of directing the policies of a government”
Republican Party (noun) “of, relating to, or constituting the one of the two major political parties evolving in the U.S. in the mid-19th century that is usually primarily associated with business, financial, and some agricultural interests and is held to favor a restricted governmental role in economic life”
Democratic Party (noun) “of or relating to a major American political party of the early 19th century favoring a strict interpretation of the Constitution to restrict the powers of the federal government and emphasizing states’ rights”
Constitution (noun) “the basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or social group that determine the powers and duties of the government and guarantee certain rights to the people in it”
Enfranchisement (noun) “to admit to the privileges of a citizen and especially to the right of suffrage”
Entitlement (noun) “a government program providing benefits to members of a specified group also : funds supporting or distributed by such a program”
Civil liberties (noun) “freedom from arbitrary governmental interference (as with the right of free speech) specifically by denial of governmental power and in the U.S. especially as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights —usually used in plural”
Conservativism (noun) “a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change specifically : such a philosophy calling for lower taxes, limited government regulation of business and investing, a strong national defense, and individual financial responsibility for personal needs (such as retirement income or health-care coverage)”
Liberalism (noun) “a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties specifically : such a philosophy that considers government as a crucial instrument for amelioration of social inequities (such as those involving race, gender, or class)”
Censorship (noun) “the actions or practices of censors [ a person who supervises conduct and morals: such asan official who examines materials (such as publications or films) for objectionable matter] especially : censorial control exercised repressively”
Neoliberal (noun) “a liberal who de-emphasizes traditional liberal doctrines in order to seek progress by more pragmatic methods”
Neoconservative (noun) “a conservative who advocates the assertive promotion of democracy and U.S. national interest in international affairs including through military means”
Sovereignty (noun) “freedom from external control : AUTONOMY”
Self-determination (noun) “determination by the people of a territorial unit of their own future political status”
State capitalism (noun) “an economic system in which private capitalism is modified by a varying degree of government ownership and control”
Communism (noun) “a totalitarian system of government in which a single authoritarian party controls state-owned means of production”
Socialism (noun) “any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods”
Social democracy (noun) “a political movement advocating a gradual and peaceful transition from capitalism to socialism by democratic means”
Repressive (adjective) “put down by force”
Authoritarian (adjective) “of, relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people”
Fascism (noun) “a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition”
Revanchist (noun) “of or relating to a policy designed to recover lost territory or status”
Populism (noun) “a member of a political party claiming to represent the common people”
Isolationism (noun) “a policy of national isolation by abstention from alliances and other international political and economic relations”
Globalization (noun) “the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets”
Laissez-faire (noun) “a doctrine opposing governmental interference in economic affairs beyond the minimum necessary for the maintenance of peace and property rights”
Tariff (noun) “a schedule of duties imposed by a government on imported or in some countries exported goods”
Multilateralism (noun) “involving or participated in by more than two nations or parties”
Unilateralism (noun) “a policy of taking unilateral action (as in international affairs) regardless of outside support or reciprocity”
Apart from the political framework of governments, the other aspect necessary to making comparisons between countries is the economic system. While government investment (in tandem with private corporations) in countries like Vietnam, China and Singapore, may seem to parallel the subsidies that the United States government provides to the energy or pharmaceutical industries, there is an important difference. The stakeholders, which are the entire the citizenry, in the Asian countries mentioned, are also shareholders. As such, they are the people voting not only for civil servants, but also for the policy of industries in which the government has invested.
Conversely, in the United States, once a drug or technology has been developed in universities or by the Pentagon, it is auctioned to corporations for them to bring the product to market at the highest price they can get for it. Unfortunately, prices are not as responsive to demand in the United States as they are in Asia. In Vietnam, there is less menu-pricing across various industries, and therefore, higher price elasticity of demand. In particular, prices of goods in the industries in which the government is invested are not driven by profits, but rather are set for the welfare of the people.
As I am most familiar with the Vietnamese economic situation having lived in Vietnam for five years between 2014 and 2019, I will continue with it as my example economy under a single-party state. Unfortunately for the Vietnamese citizenry, there is very little regulation of the local economy, and to that extent, the economic policy of the Vietnamese government promotes a greater level of free-trade and purer form of capitalism than exists in the United States. The interventions that benefit people in the United States with regards to public health or environmental protection are robust in comparison to Vietnam. These hard-won regulations, as in labor, food safety and equal access, in the United States, stand in stark contrast to the lack of regulation or barriers to entry in markets in Vietnam where hazardous work environments are permitted and poor waste management is tolerated. The reasoning behind this is all to stimulate foreign direct investment. There are high levels of surplus labor, low wages, high savings rates, stable price inflation and favorable interest rates. The economy is booming and shows no sign of slowing down. The population is large and there is great demand in the domestic economy for both local and imported products.
While these labor protections and regulations had been a point of pride, the United States has, in 2020, found itself at a low-point with regards to public health, affordable higher education, and environmental stewardship.
Why then does the United States push for democracy in other countries if it fails so greatly in its own? Private profit. From the US point of view, if there were wider enfranchisement in developing nations where governments exercise tight control over public discourse, it would be fairly easy to get people to vote for a more liberal government with regard to privatization of natural resources if they can be sold on the benefits of laissez-faire economics. While such changes would inevitably favor foreign actors and limit sovereignty, they would be easily portrayed to have a favorable economic outcome for a country struggling to develop. More private wealth among a population fuels hope of escaping poverty. To the people of an imperial power, interventionism is sold as a path toward political stability, and as an added benefit, it would deter immigration.
With a base of knowledge in civics, teachers offer society by way of their students the foundation for an informed, engaged leadership based on integrity, participation and cooperation—a foundation without which there is no society.
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