Coen Husain Pontoh POLS 7400X Public Administration Race to the Top The Programs of Presidential Candidate, Barack

Obama

In the first debate of presidential candidate that took place at Magness Arena, University of Denver in Denver, Colorado, on October 3rd, Barack Obama tried to convince the voters that America has been on the right track since he run the government four years ago. However, he also reminded us that his administration worked in a strenuous economic situation. When I walked into the Oval Office, I had more than a trillion-dollar deficit greeting me. And we know where it came from: two wars that were paid for on a credit card; two tax cuts that were not paid for; and a whole bunch of programs that were not paid for; and then a massive economic crisis. Nonetheless, even when the condition was difficult, he felt that he had made the right policy. For instance, in tax sector, he said, ... four years ago, when I stood on this stage, I said that I would cut taxes for middle-class families. And that's exactly what I did. We cut taxes for middleclass families by about $3,600. With his achievement, Barack believes that his governments programs still need to be continued. He proposed one key term, race to the top, in order to step forward to the second period of his administration. Specifically, he described his programs one by one. In the area of education, as an example, he plans to increase the quality of education by hiring another 100,000 new math and science teachers, and create 2 million more slots in community colleges. He also wants to make sure that

the government keep the tuition low for young people. He also promises to reduce corporate tax rate, and for manufacture sector, he made a promise to reduce the tax to 25 percent. At the same time, he wants to close those loopholes that are giving incentives for companies that are shipping jobs overseas. In the other hand, companies that are investing in the United States will be given tax breaks. In healthcare sector, Obama said he would reduce the cost for medicare program if thats related with long-term deficits. In these programs, its clear that there are departments that will be the priorities. For instance, Department of Education (ED), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor (DOL), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The question is, in uncertain economic condition like we experiencing now, would those programs be realistic to get implemented? Obama answered that it all depends to his ability to cover the budget deficit and how we deal with tax code. He said that we need to, make sure that we are reducing spending in a responsible way, but also, how do we have enough revenue to make those investments? From his work programs, Obama explicitly shows us that in a bad economic condition, the government role is very significant to determine the direction and destination of national development. Obamas confidence is similar with what Frank J. Goodnow stated, that the government has two functions, politics and administration. Politics has to do with policies or expression of the state will. Administration has to do with the execution of these policies.1 For

Frank J. Goodnow, Politics and Administration, in Shafritz Jay M., Alber C. Hyde, and Sandra J. Parkes, Classics of Public Administration, Fifth Edition, Thomson Wadswoth, 2004, p. 35.
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Obama, the problem of healthcare, education, job and environment cannot be overcame if submitted to private companies. And isnt the crisis now is caused by uncontrolled corporate behavior? This is what Obama said: The reason we have been in such a enormous economic crisis was prompted by reckless behavior across the board. Now, it wasn't just on Wall Street. But you also had banks making money hand over fist, churning out products that the bankers themselves didn't even understand, in order to make big profits, but knowing that it made the entire system vulnerable. With that reason, I agree with the Obamas economy programs that place government as a regulator and dynamist for the lethargic economic moves at the moment. The governments investments on education, healthcare, energy and environment are absolutely needed.