America’s military is in a state of transition. It is trying to find the most effective way to fight and beat this new enemy. The result is that America is still the strongest military force on the planet, but not as strong as it has been. The good news is while this transition for military strategy is evolving, America has protected its citizens.

(2) America’s economy

Free markets are the bedrock of America’s economy. A free market economy is not intended to realize economic equilibrium. Without economic equilibrium, an economy is cyclical. America is currently working its way through the current cycle created by the artificial values and excesses of the subprime fiasco and a mismanaged energy policy. America’s 154+ million currently employed people represent a powerfully productive labor force. America’s approximate $14 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is number one in the world and represents about 25% of the entire world’s GDP. Contrary to the nay-sayers of each downturn, America is not going off an economic precipice.

(3) The quality of America’s education

An excellent indication of where America’s education stands is the number of science PhD graduates. In 2003, India graduated 6,318 science PhDs, the UK graduated 3,780 science PhDs, South Korea graduated 3,225 science PhDs, and the U.S. graduated 26,891 science PhDs. The emerging countries of the world start with a small base. They are growing faster percentage-wise than the U.S. The U.S. remains the dominant force in higher education but new industrialized nations are cutting into that dominance. This can be viewed as a depressing trend, or as a wake-up call. Competition is a healthy motivation to improve if you rise to the occasion.

One point of weakness in the American education system is in the elementary schools. In a 2003 study conducted by UNICEF, the researchers ranked the United States number 18 out of 24 nations in terms of the relative effectiveness of its educational system. Yet the United States ranks second behind Switzerland on dollars spent per student. This is the future, and work is needed here.

(4) The quality and coverage of the healthcare system in America

The World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a survey on the heath care systems in 191 countries in 2000. Some of the results were as follows:

• The United States by far has the most expensive healthcare system.
• The U.S. is the only country in the developed world, except for South Africa, that does not provide healthcare for all of its citizens.
• The United States ranked 26th among industrial countries for infant mortality rate.
• The United States ranked 1st among the 191 member countries in the category of responsiveness.
• The United States ranked the lowest out of 55 countries considered for fairness in financing.
• The United States ranked 37th in the world for performance.

Much can be debated concerning the the conclusions from the WHO study. The first two bullet points are not debatable, however, and they clearly indicate that United States has a lot of work to do to improve its healthcare system.

Conclusion

The combination of America’s military might and its economy are the impetus behind it being the most dominant country on the planet today. The strength of these components means America is not going away soon. The outstanding question is if America will continue to be dominant, and if not, what will its new position be? America’s government has focused on the military and the economy while the other two core components, education and healthcare, have taken a back seat. Education and healthcare are America’s insurance policies for the future. All four core components are necessary for America to continue the dominance and quality of life that its citizens are used to and expect.

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