Deck 35: Lawrence Mishel and Richard Rothstein, Schools As Scapegoats: Our Increasing Inequality and Our Competitiveness Problems Are Hugebut They Cant Be Laid at the Door of Our Education System

Question 1

During the mid-1990's, America's productivity decreased and fell behind other advanced countries in response to concerns about an ill-prepared workforce.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Mishel and Rothstein argue that we are best served by focusing primarily on schools to make American firms more competitive.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

According to Mishel and Rothstein, achieving greater equality and a "balanced human capital policy" would involve which of the following?

A) labor market reforms
B) regulatory reforms
C) tax reforms
D) school reforms
E) all of the above

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Which of the following is primarily responsible for low wages among unskilled or semi-skilled jobs?

A) the declining quality of education
B) barriers to unionization
C) the globalization of the economy
D) the rising percentage of the workforce who hold college degrees

Question 5

Mishel and Rothstein argue that we can work toward a more meritocratic society in which advancement is based more on merit and less on privilege.

Question 6

In the last five years, productivity has grown more than 10 percent, but wages of both high school- and college-educated workers have remained stagnant.

Question 7

According to Mishel and Rothstein, which of the following factors are sources of productivity growth?

A) the honesty of our capital markets
B) corporate accountability
C) fiscal-policy and currency management
D) all of the above

Question 8

Why do a growing number of mainstream economists caution that it is too simplistic to blame "inadequate schooling for falling living standards and growing inequality" ? Use evidence from the reading to support your argument.

Question 9

Mishel and Rothstein argue that the biggest threats to the next generation's success come from which of the following?

A) social and economic policy failures
B) the failure of schools to provide students with the skills necessary to compete in a technologically-based global economy
C) the failure of Fortune 500 companies to collaborate with the U.S. Department of Education on developing curricula for a global economy
D) the propensity of manufactures to move factories to other countries

Question 10

10Prominent economists now acknowledge that education reform cannot address America's economic insecurity.

Question 11

Mishel and Rothstein content that education as the "cure-all" for economic woes exaggerates the role of schools in the economy. Do you agree or disagree? Use evidence from the reading to explain your position.

Question 12

How did American manufacturers respond to several leading public intellectuals who argued that U.S. worker education levels were lagging behind their counterparts?

A) They infused millions of dollars into scholarships and training opportunities for young workers to improve their skills.
B) They held an educational summit, America's Choice: High Skills or Low Wages, in which leading manufacturers and educational policy experts developed policies to address the problem.
C) They responded with their own report, Tough Choices or Tough Times, in which they argued that the U.S. can compete with the Indian economy only if our engineers are smarter than theirs.
D) They moved manufacturing plants to Mexico, for example, and established non-union plants in states like Kentucky and Alabama.