Dean's Essay #2

As I was thinking whether business experience is necessary to run for a seat in the U.S. Congress, a number of things came to my mind. First, business experience imparts economic knowledge on people. It is important for members of the U.S. Congress to understand how the economy works. Those who work at Wal-Mart, for instance, knows what the company’s goal is—sell more at cheap prices for larger returns. Next, there are also those that work at Tiffany’s. They also know what the company’s goal is—to have a larger profit-margin ratio (great profit per product even if it means selling less goods.) By being part of a company, may it be one involved in retail, financial services, or accounting, workers understand how the company’s constructed. They understand the economic factors that can make their company succeed—may it be Supply and Demand, Interest Rates, Inflation, or Unemployment. Workers think of questions like “How many employees should the company hire to achieve maximum efficiency?” and “how would inflation affect the foreign exchange rate of our country?” They live, breath, and sleep, thinking about their job at that company. Employees do not want to lose their job, so they strive to be the best that they can be. In addition to comprehending economics, workers also attain transferrable skills from their business experiences. They can build upon key attributes like determination and perseverance when they take a seat in the U.S. Congress. The requirement of business experience can result to a very cultivated and well-informed group of people leading the country in the right direction, and it would motivate other citizens to obtain business experience that may help the economy grow.

 Secondly, basic economic knowledge allows for better government decisions to understand full implications of their actions. If congress were to pass a law, for instance, then it would be able to analyze the pros and cons of their deeds from a business standpoint. It would be able to forecast how the law would affect small and medium enterprises. If laws were to impact certain businesses, then companies may be forced to cut employees. Members of congress who have business experience would be more informed on when to cut the line—when to push for a law and when the cons may result in unfavorable circumstances.

Lastly, management skills allow politicians to create an efficient environment that allows them to fully utilize government resources. Having business experience almost always means that you have dealt with people at some point in time. Working in congress would involve dealing with other congressmen, and other members of government. Business strengthens one’s social skills and the way one interacts with others. You can think of congress as a team. If some people do not cooperate and fulfill their own role, then it would be much harder for the team to be successful. Overall, imparting economic knowledge, making better decisions, and managing skills are all elements of business. The United States would be better off with an educated and cultured congress that had a business background. Not only would congress know more, but it would also know how to utilize resources that benefit the country’s economy.