LEAD Issues - Leadership to Ensure the American Dream (LEAD)

Fostering Economic Opportunity

America is the world’s greatest economy because our system is founded on opportunity. American families have the opportunity to thrive. Prosperity is central to the American Dream, and the way to achieve it is through offering ideas, products and services that have value in the marketplace. As our economy has evolved from agrarian to manufacturing to information, at its core has always been innovation. We must ensure that innovation is given room to blossom and that the ways we capitalize on those innovations – in the factory, in the fields and online – are not overly burdened with regulation and taxation. Whether a small business, a family farm or a U.S.-based global manufacturer, we need to make certain our job creators are positioned for success.

A central theme of the American Dream is that through hard work and determination, one can advance their station and present more opportunities for their children to succeed. In order for individuals and families to have this opportunity to prosper, we not only need the engines of the industry to grow and provide opportunities, we need to keep the promise that every American has the right to quality education to prepare them for success. This means making sure our kids graduate from high school with the skills they need to move immediately into either vocational training or higher education – without remediation. We also need to bring more solutions to retrain our existing workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.

Positioning American Families to Thrive

No institution is more part of the fabric of America than the nuclear family. Families provide the nurturing and safety our children need to grow and develop into responsible adult citizens. We must support families by recognizing their needs and lowering barriers to those needs being met. From the very basic needs of having food security, affordable housing and safe neighborhoods, to the more modern needs of helping families find ways to manage raising kids whose parents have to work or to protect them from threats online. The issues facing American families are complex and immediate and require a thoughtful discussion and open-mindedness on workable solutions that are effective but preserve their rights and freedoms.

Protecting our Rights & Freedoms

The foundation of the American Dream is freedom. We secure that freedom by protecting our rights. The Bill of Rights is non-negotiable. The challenge is in maintaining our rights in a rapidly changing world. Our Forefathers could not have even imagined a world where our personal information, in great detail, would be available at one’s fingertips, redefining privacy. These issues require both a thoughtful discourse and a fierce vigilance to ensure our rights and liberties are maintained. The world changes quickly, but the need to protect our rights and freedom does not.

Equipping Americans for Civic Engagement

In order for the American Dream to thrive, we must understand its underpinnings as well as what threatens it. We need our citizens to be informed and engaged in the process of safeguarding our freedoms and opening doors of opportunity for their friends, family, and neighbors.

“Civic education” should mean more to us than a semester here and there of history and government classes in high school – it should be a life-long pursuit of service and involvement in bettering our country.

We must encourage Americans of all ages to take an active interest in the success of their own communities and of our nation as a whole.

Encouraging civic engagement and education is not a political issue, it is fundamental for the continued success of our nation.

Strengthening Our Standing on the Global Stage

America has led, whether with ideas, innovations, production or as the largest economy and military force the world has ever seen. It is not easy to maintain this leadership position, but ceding it is not an option when it is clear that China will fill the vacuum. That said, leadership can be accomplished in a number of different ways and it does not have to be at the expense of our domestic priorities. Leadership within coalitions of allies and leadership through promoting our ideals across the globe is not only important to illuminate the beacon of the American Dream, but to help achieve global stability and peace that is beneficial to the U.S. as much as anyone.