Politicians on the Jobs Problem

In class, we’ll discuss the effects that technology is having, and will continue to have, on the jobs that people do. Questions we might like to answer are,

· Are our political leaders thinking about this question?

· In this election year, they are all claiming that, if elected, they will make progress at solving the jobs problem. Do their solutions adequately consider the role of technology in changing the jobs landscape?

· If they don’t appear to be addressing this issue, why might that be?

In preparation for this discussion, you should go and find a jobs statement made by a presidential candidate this year. You can pick one from a candidate you agree with or one you don’t agree with. The only requirement is that the statement have content. For example, this one isn’t okay, “My opponent is an idiot. Trust me. I know jobs. Vote for me and everyone will be working again.” What we’re looking for is something concrete that the politician would do and why he/she argues it will help.