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发帖数: 29846 | 1 All across the country, students are studying for Advanced Placement exams
coming in the middle of May. Students in AP Economics are taught with
Krugman’s Economics for AP by Margaret Ray and David A. Anderson, adapted
from Paul Krugman and Robin Wells’ Economics (Second Edition). Our public
education system is supposedly one without bias, a place where any student
can come and learn without any form of partisanship. Instead, our classrooms
are slowly becoming political lecture halls with teachers being pawns to
further the doctrine of liberalism and “equality.”
Throughout the entire textbook, there are historical, factual, and
statistical distortions. For example, Chapter 36 ("The modern macroeconomic
consensus") contains 16 sweeping generalizations such as: “Nearly all
macroeconomists now agree… There is now a broad consensus… Today, most
macroeconomists believe… Almost all macroeconomists now accept…” (pp. 355
-58). None of these assertions are backed up with even a single citation. If
a student were to submit an essay with such disregard for basic evidence,
it would ensure a failing grade.
I find it troubling Krugman’s Economics for AP concludes that Reagan’s “
supply-side economics is generally dismissed by economic researchers. The
main reason for this dismissal is lack of evidence.” Referring to economic
growth and output, our textbook goes on to state there was “no sign of an
acceleration in growth after the Reagan tax cuts.”
Unfortunately, most of my classmates accept what’s in our textbooks as the
“truth” and are unaware of other points of view such as the Cato Institute
’s conclusion:
“By the end of the Reagan years, the American economy was almost one-third
larger than it was when they began.” Real median family income went up $
4000 during the Reagan administration. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, the unemployment rate declined from 7% in 1980 to 5.4% in 1988.
There was a net job increase of about 21 million from the signing of the
1981 tax cut to 1988.
An objective textbook would have pointed out that there are many economists
who support supply-side theory. For instance, the influences of Robert
Mundell and Arthur Laffer are represented in economic theories all across
the world. Dr. Stuart Butler from the Heritage Foundation has supported
lower taxes and regulatory relief in order to spur economic growth.
This economics book is only a microcosm of the indoctrination children are
receiving in today’s public schools, as unionized teachers push a liberal-
leaning agenda. Many textbooks fail to present students with both sides of
an issue. Students are being pushed toward an education that demonizes free
enterprise while advocating top-down government, deficit spending and class
warfare. The continuation of this propaganda will create a youth so
misinformed and clueless that they will have no choice but to turn to the
government. And that is exactly what the liberals want.
Charlie Kirk is a high school senior and will be attending Baylor University
in the fall. He is the Co-Founder of SOS Liberty. |
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