Social Security: Personal Investment Accounts (PIAS)

Today, the Social Security payroll tax is the largest tax that the average American family pays.  Social Security is also the largest government program in the United States, with almost half of all government receipts going to pay for Social Security. Concerns about the long-term solvency of Social Security have produced numerous options for Social security reform.  Among the more interesting proposals was that made by President Bush that would allow individuals to manager their own private investment accounts (PIAs).  In this paper, we examine the potential effects of PIAs be ones age and gender.  We also examine the tax consequences of the proposed PIAs and other potential concerns of PIAs. &nbsp

Poverty In The United States: A Continuing And Growing Problem

In recent years, the ability to deal with the problem of poverty in the US, in light of the new “Federalism,” is an area of interest to scholars. The poverty rate over the past 50 years has fluctuated from a high of 22.4% in 1959 to a low of 11.1% in 1973. Under George Bush’s presidency, we again see an increase in the poverty rate to 12.7% in 2004. This paper provides an overview of poverty data for the 21st century, by region, race and age.  A discussion and comparison of median household income follows. Facts and figures are then provided/compared, tying in health care issues to income levels and citizenship/ethnicity. A brief introduction of the various attempts over the past years by the federal government to reduce the proportion of the American population that falls below the poverty line follows.  This section merely provides a listing of programs designed to satisfy social and equity considerations.  This paper does not provide the reader with the impact of these programs on the economy; a brief mention is provided to generate further thought and discussion.  The paper concludes with a summary of key elements of the above issues. The sole purpose is to provide an overview of historical data as concerns poverty, median household income and health insurance coverage. The ability to deal with the problem of poverty in the U S, is left for another paper

Our 25+ Year Journey To AACSB Accreditation

How does a publicly supported university with a primary focus on teaching, achieve accreditation from the premier agency and service organization for business schools all over the world, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)? Our journey began in 1978 when a college department hired a Dean, became a separate business school and had a vision to become a successful leader in business education. Our goal was achieved and culminated on January 7, 2005 with the accreditation of our undergraduate and graduate business programs. The who, what, where, when and why of our 25+ year journey will be provided. Particular emphasis will be placed on our numerous hurdles and how the goal was achieved such as funding availability; curriculum reform; raising publication rates, and why it took so long to get accredited