Presently, the United States is experiencing a wide range of challenges that will test the resolve of the American people for years to come. The scientific ―brain-drain‖ from American scientists leaving to compete abroad, and the failures in the American educational system noted by the PISA, underscore the need for an increased focus on knowledge development. The rising competition from Asia and Europe is helping to highlight the weak points in America, where national development rates are lagging behind the rest of the world.
The late Scottish writer, Alexander Tytler, wrote in the eighteenth century that all great nations undergo an inevitable cycle that takes them from bondage through liberty to abundance, and then from complacency through dependence and back into bondage. It is certainly evident that the United States has undergone part of this transformation, escaping colonial rule to develop into a land founded on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness112, eventually growing into a nation with overabundance of prosperity. America has contributed greatly to the world through tremendous innovators and has developed the world‘s largest economy with a university system that is unmatched. The blessings America has received have been great, but some argue that America is becoming complacent. It is certainly true that the pace of global development exceeds that of the U.S., and if trends continue, America‘s position of power may shift. This complacency or unwillingness to adapt is understandable as positions of power create a hesitation to change. We recall Machiavelli‘s observation on the nature of change and innovation:
―And let it be noted that there is no more delicate matter to take in hand, nor more dangerous to conduct, nor more doubtful in its success, than to set up as a leader in the introduction of changes. For he who
innovates will have for his enemies all those who are well off under the existing order of things, and only the lukewarm supporters in those who might be better off under the new. This lukewarm temper arises partly from the fear of adversaries who have the laws on their side and partly from the incredulity of mankind, who will never admit the merit of anything new, until they have seen it proved by the event.‖
Addressing these problems from a policy standpoint will help to shape the future, but true national change will need to come from a deeper source. As a Federal Constitutional Republic founded in democracy, the United States involves governance by citizens, with every American playing a critical part in shaping the future of the nation. For fundamental change to take hold, it must start in the hearts of the people, because true innovative change in America will come only from the internal desire for advancement in the American people.
The steps made by the government between 1957 and 1969 were critical in providing the best possible environment for advancement, but ultimately it was the American people who took hold of those opportunities, resulting in innovations that changed the world. Further back in American history, the American people again took hold of their own destiny, striving for a greater collective purpose. In the depths of the Great Depression of the 1930s and 1940s, American resolve was again challenged but through the leadership of President Roosevelt, Americans found hope for a stronger tomorrow, and through his ―fireside chats‖ he reinforced the American spirit to overcome obstacles.
This passionate desire for advancement is often ignited through hardship, but just as they have done before, Americans rise to those challenges, acknowledging the need to adapt to the changing world. The current recession and economic hardships
are creating a vivid image of the economic instability the U.S. has allowed itself to enter into. But just as America has overcome obstacles in the past, so it will do so again. Fifty-two years ago, the United States realized its position of power was in jeopardy when the Russian satellite Sputnik was successfully launched into space, on October 4, 1957. The realization that other nations were ―reaching for the stars‖ and had beaten America ignited an American passion for advancement and innovation.
Education curricula were revised to emphasize science and math. The $900 million National Defense Education Act was passed in Congress112, providing scholarships, student loans and scientific equipment for schools. The government established the Defense Department‘s Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)113 as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)114. The steps taken by the government through innovation policy were great, but the drive of the American people was ultimately the greatest strength, resulting in a renewed sense of purpose for innovation, eventually resulting in Neil Armstrong‘s monumental walk on the moon on July 20, 1969.
There is substantial risk in innovation and established powers have forever been resistant to change, but it is a constant that the world around us will always change, regardless of the hurdles we lay in its path. Globalization brings about that change, forcing nations to adapt to new realities. Should the United States continue that cycle from complacency, returning to bondage? That is unclear. But what is clear, the United States is resilient. It has weathered storms before, and throughout its short history, the periods of greatest turmoil have produced the greatest advancements. The great challenges of each generation are defined by the innovators who rise to those challenges.
Today the United States faces difficult challenges, and the leadership of policy shapers will be tested in the coming years as the American people must once again develop an inner sense of purpose, one that improves the world around them. The desire for personal advancement is not sufficient; America must recognize the opportunity and responsibility it has to build a better tomorrow. As globalization brings people and ideas together, the success of America is interconnected with the collective fortunes of every nation. This is evidenced by the dramatic global
repercussions in national economies stemming from the economic crisis in the U.S.
Through globalization, the success of the American people is now interrelated to the success of the world. This responsibility requires that American leaders develop the innovation policies that create an environment for advancement, but possibly more importantly, American leaders must inspire the American people with a renewed sense of purpose to be world leaders. The American people must press themselves to become the first fully-realized ―Innovation Nation‖, assuming the role no longer as a global leader but as a global enabler, a position for which the United States is
uniquely suited. No other country can tap into so many different sources of expertise (Kao, 2007). No other country has the mental freedom, the financial and creative resources and the ability to organize those resources to accomplish these great deeds.
American policy must adapt to the changing dynamics of globalization, but it is the American people who will ultimately shape the success of their nation.
NOTES
1. Globalization in its literal sense is the process of transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones. It can be described as a process by which the people of the world are unified into a single society and function together. This process is a combination of economic, technological,
sociocultural and political forces. (See ―Globalization‖ Sheila L. Croucher.
Globalization and Belonging: The Politics of Identity in a Changing World.
Rowman & Littlefield. (2004). p.10)
2. A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc., 239 F.3d 1004 (9th Cir. 2001), is an intellectual property case in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the defendant, Napster, could be held liable for contributory infringement of the plaintiff record company‘s copyrights. The court also rejected the suggestion that it impose a compulsory licensing arrangement on the plaintiff record company. This was the first major case to address the application of the copyright laws to peer-to-peer file-sharing. (See
―A&M Records v. Napster‖ Harvard.edu
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/~wseltzer /napster.html accessed on Jan 5, 2009) 3. The Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
(TRIPS) is an international agreement administered by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that sets down minimum standards for many forms of intellectual property (IP) regulation. It was negotiated at the end of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1994. (See ―TRIPS‖ wto.org http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_E
/TRIPS_e/trips_e.htm accessed pm Jan 9,2009)
4. The gross domestic product (GDP) or gross domestic income (GDI) is one of the measures of national income and output for a given country‘s economy. It is the total value of all final goods and services produced in a particular economy; the dollar value of all goods and services produced within a country‘s borders in a given year. (See ―GDP‖ Sullivan, arthur; Steven M.
Sheffrin (2003). Economics: Principles in action. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458: Pearson Prentice Hall. pp. 57, 301. ISBN 0-13-063085-3) 5. Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was a
philosopher, writer, and Italian politician and is considered the founder of modern political science. As a Renaissance Man, he was a diplomat, political philosopher, musician, poet, and playwright, but, foremost, he was a Civil Servant of the Florentine Republic. In June of 1498, after the ouster and execution of Girolamo Savonarola, the Great Council elected Machiavelli as Secretary to the second Chancery of the Republic of Florence. (See
―Machiavelli‖ White, Michael. Machiavelli, A Man Misunderstood. Abacus.
ISBN 978-0-349-11599-3.)
6. The International Innovation Index is a global index measuring the level of innovation of a country, produced jointly by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and The
Manufacturing Institute (MI), the NAM‘s nonpartisan research affiliate. It is the largest and most comprehensive global index of its kind. (See
―International Innovation Index‖ innovation index.org http://www.innovationindex.org.uk/ accessed Jan 22, 2009)
7. The Global Innovation Index (GII) was conceived at INSEAD as a formal model to help illuminate the degree to which individual nations and regions
are currently responding to the challenge of innovation. (See ―Global Innovation Index‖ Managementtoday.co.uk
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/610009/ accessed Jan 23, 2009) 8. Facebook is a free-access social networking website that is operated and
privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, it currently has a revenue of $300 Million USD and is the leading social networking platform in the world. (See ―Facebook Statistics‖ Facebook.com http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics accessed Jan. 19, 2009) 9. LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site founded in December
2002 and launched in May 2003 mainly used for professional networking. As of February 2009, it had more than 35 million registered users spanning 170 industries. (See ―Latest LinkedIn Facts‖. LinkedIn.
http://press.linkedin.com/about. accessed Feb 4, 2009)
10. Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users‘ updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length. Updates are displayed on the user‘s profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. (See ―The 12-Minute Definitive Guide to Twitter‖. Stutzman, Fred (April 11, 2007). AOL Developer Network.
http://dev.aol.com/article/2007/04/definitive-guide-to-twitter. accessed Feb 6, 2009)
11. A steam locomotive is a locomotive powered by steam. The term usually refers to its use on railways, but can also refer to a ―road locomotive‖ such as a traction engine or steamroller. Steam locomotives dominated rail traction from the mid 19th century until the mid 20th century, after which they were
superseded by diesel and electric locomotives. As the development of steam engines progressed through the 1700s, various attempts were made to apply them to road and railway use. The world‘s first working steam rail locomotive was designed and constructed by John Fitch in the United States in 1794.
Although Fitch hoped to win backing for a full scale working locomotive by demonstrating his invention to George Washington and his cabinet, interest in it was not forthcoming, and the locomotive was soon forgotten and lost. (See
―American Steam Locomotives‖. Steam Town.
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/ steamtown/shs2.htm.
accessed on Feb. 9, 2009)
12. A fixed-wing aircraft, also known as an airplane, is a heavier-than-air craft whose lift is generated not by wing motion relative to the aircraft, but by forward motion through the air. The Wright brothers are credited with building the world‘s first successful human flight in a powered airplane and making the first controlled, powered, and heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903. In the two years afterward, they developed their flying machine into the world‘s first practical fixed-wing aircraft. The brothers‘ fundamental
breakthrough was their invention of ―three axis-control,‖ which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium. This required method has become standard on all fixed-wing aircraft. From the beginning of their aeronautical work, the Wright brothers focused on
unlocking the secrets of control to conquer ―the flying problem,‖ rather than on developing more powerful engines as some other experimenters did.
Charles Edward Taylor built the first aircraft engine and was a vital contributor of mechanical aspects in the building and maintaining of early
Wright engines and airplanes. The Wright brothers are officially credited worldwide through the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, the standard setting and record-keeping body for aeronautics and astronautics, as achieving
―the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight‖. (See ―The Wright brothers and the Invention of the Airplane‖. U.S. Centennial Flight Commission. http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Wright_
Bros/WR_OV.htm., ―The World‘s First Airplane Mechanic‖. First Flight Society. http://www.firstflight.org/shrine/charlie_taylor.cfm. accessed on Jan.
19, 2009)
13. An automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually. Modern automatic transmissions can trace their origins to an early ―horseless carriage‖ gearbox that was developed in 1904 by the Sturtevant brothers of Boston, Massachusetts. This unit had two forward speeds, the ratio change being brought about by flyweights that were driven by the engine. At higher engine speeds, high gear was engaged. As the vehicle slowed down and engine RPM decreased, the gearbox would shift back to low.
(See ―Automatic Transmission‖http://www.experiencefestival.com/
automatic_transmission_-_history_and_improvements accessed on Jan. 5, 2009)
14. The traffic light, also known as traffic signal, is a signaling device positioned at a road intersection, pedestrian crossing, or other location. Its purpose is to indicate, using a series of colors, the correct moment to stop, drive, ride or walk, using a universal color code. In Salt Lake City, Utah, policeman Lester Wire invented the first red-green electric traffic lights. The color of the traffic lights representing stop and go are likely derived from those used to identify port (red) and starboard (green) in maritime rules governing right of way, where the vessel on the left must stop for the one crossing on the right. (See
―Scientific American Inventions and Discoveries‖. John Wiley and Sons.
http://books.google.com/books?id=pDbQVE3IdTcC. accessed on Jan. 19, 2009)
15. Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other support for pilots when able. Archie League, who controlled aircraft using colored flags at what is today Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, is often considered the first air traffic controller. (See ―Air Traffic Control‖. Centennial of Flight Commission. http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Government_
Role/Air_traffic_control/POL15.htm. accessed on Jan. 18, 2009)
16. A flight simulator is a system that tries to copy, or simulate, the experience of flying an aircraft. It is as realistic as possible. The different types of flight simulator range from video games up to full-size cockpit replicas mounted on hydraulic or electromechanical actuators, controlled by state of the art
computer technology. In 1929, Edwin Link invented the flight simulator, calling it the ―Blue Box‖ or Link Trainer, which started the now multi-billion dollar flight simulation industry. Prior to his death in 1981, he had
accumulated more than 27 patents for aeronautics, navigation and
oceanographic equipment. (See ―Edwin A. Link‖. National Inventors Hall of
Fame. http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/192.html. accessed on Jan. 20, 2009)
17. The three point seat belt (the so-called CIR-Griswold restraint) was patented in 1951 by the Americans Roger W. Griswold and Hugh De Haven. (See ―Three Point Seat Belt‖ Andréasson, Rune; Claes-Göran Bäckström (2000.). The Seat Belt : Swedish Research and Development for Global Automotive Safety.
Stockholm: Kulturvårdskommittén Vattenfall AB. pp. 15-16. ISBN 91-630-9389-8.)
18. A catalytic converter is a device used to reduce the toxicity of emissions from an internal combustion engine. The catalytic converter was developed by John J. Mooney and Carl D. Keith at the Engelhard Corporation, creating the first production catalytic converter in 1973. (See ―Carl D. Keith‖
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history/En-Ge/Engelhard-Corporation.html accessed on Jan. 24, 2009)
19. The machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rifle cartridges in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute. The first true machine gun was invented in 1881 by the American inventor Hiram Maxim. The Maxim gun used the first recoil power of the previously fired bullet to reload rather than being hand powered, enabling a much higher rate of fire than was possible using earlier inferior designs by Puckling or Gatling. Maxim‘s other great innovation was the use of water cooling to reduce overheating. Maxim‘s gun was widely adopted and derivative designs were used on all sides during the First World War. The design required less crew, was lighter, and more usable than earlier Gatling guns. (See ―Spartacus International- Hiram Maxim‖.
http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=inventors&
cdn=money&tm=35&gps=102_1664_1436_731&f=11&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&z u=http%3A//www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWmachinegun.htm. accessed on Feb. 8, 2009)
20. Nikola Tesla, in August 1917, first established principles regarding frequency and power level for the first primitive radar units. He stated, ―[...] by their [standing electromagnetic waves] use we may produce at will, from a sending station, an electrical effect in any particular region of the globe; [with which]
we may determine the relative position or course of a moving object, such as a vessel at sea, the distance traversed by the same, or its speed.‖ (See Page, R.M., ―The Early History of RADAR‖, Proceedings of the IRE, Volume 50, Number 5, May, 1962, (special 50th Anniversary Issue)
21. On August 2, 1939, just before the beginning of World War II, Albert Einstein wrote to then President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Einstein and several other scientists told Roosevelt of efforts in Nazi Germany to purify uranium-235, which could be used to build an atomic bomb. It was shortly thereafter that the
21. On August 2, 1939, just before the beginning of World War II, Albert Einstein wrote to then President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Einstein and several other scientists told Roosevelt of efforts in Nazi Germany to purify uranium-235, which could be used to build an atomic bomb. It was shortly thereafter that the