Reflection #7

The simulation on Thursday was not only an appreciated chance to delve into a topical debate; it also forced me to realize the erratic and, at times, perfunctory way in which our government chooses courses of action. For the sake of the simulation, we all adopted our various personas and projected that image onto the issue of domestic content rules. Each group contributed admirable effort to argue its respective point; however, I have to admit that I was disappointed that some groups' opinions did not receive any modification. It would have been interesting to witness how a group responded to a schism within its initial structure. For example, my group members (Elana, Sarah, Priyanka) and I continually stated how our personal opinions were at perpetual odds with our argument as the consumer group. Naturally, we could not afford to display that sentiment; this debate, much like our in-class dissection of Machiavelli and The Prince, purposefully encouraged individuals within our class to adopt a wildly unfamiliar or inconceivable perspective. 

I was also surprised that no one sought to address the matter of campaign finance on Thursday. Realistically, the President could not only consider domestic content rules, but also his own reelection. As consumers, our group belabored this point mercilessly; if the President decided to ignore the opinion of the populace (which he in fact did), then the populace could choose to ignore the President just as effortlessly in the next election. However, while consumers compose the largest demographic of a presidential hopeful's voting base, large corporations and collections of likeminded individuals (with deep pockets) offer just as much appeal to a candidate. As we discovered on Thursday, the President's decisions regarding policy constitute a zero-sum game; his settlement of the matter alienated some while appeasing others. The objective is to discover the most all-encompassing conclusion that addresses the variety of concerns with the appropriate amount of specificity.