The gridlock between the young and old generations has caused the public policy in DC to freeze (Bouie, 2014). The Congress is made up of both the young and the old generations. The Republicans make policies that target the older generation, while the Democrats make policies that target younger generations. The old generation tends to be conservative, and prefer to maintain their culture. The young generation is liberal, and gathers a lot of information through social networking. The young generation is dynamic, and uses current information to make decisions that are for the good of the environment. The public policy gridlock signifies the differences in perspectives of the two generations. The gridlock may dissolve within the next two years, but the tensions between the two generations will still be high. High tensions will affect the business issues that are in Congress.
The American politics have been largely affected by the generation gap. Many people are now participating in voting so as to ensure their party wins (Bouie, 2014). The Republicans and Democrats have different approaches in policy implementation. The Americans vote so as to elect the party that has policies that support their interests. The young generation is very diverse when it comes to issues such as race and culture. The older generation prefers to remain conservative about their culture and issues of race.
The future of business issues in Congress will be affected by the tensions that exist between the older and younger generations. The Keystone Pipeline debate is an example of a business issue that might bring in different results. The Keystone Pipeline is a project that is intended to transport crude oil to the US refineries. The crude oil originates from Canada. The project has been halted by the current government. President Obama said that his decision on the continuity of the project will be determined by its contribution to the greenhouse gases. The greenhouse gases affect the environment and cause climatic changes. The young generation is very concerned with the environment, and tries to protect it from damage. The older generation is more concerned with the generation of revenue for the country.
The Republicans plan to revisit the Keystone Pipeline debate in the year 2015 if they attain majority vote in Congress. The Republicans look at the Keystone Pipeline project as a very good source of revenue for the country. The project has the potential of creating approximately 42,000 jobs during the construction stage. The construction stage will last 2 years. The Democrats do not support the project because there is a high likelihood that the pipeline will pollute the water reserves in its routes. There is also concern about people losing their jobs after the construction stage has ended. At the end of the project, only 50 permanent jobs will be available to the Americans. The other employees will have to look for new jobs. The high tensions between the two generations will make Congress seem like a battlefield. It will be more of whoever has the numbers wins rather than looking into the business issues critically, and deciding on what is best for America.
The debate on fracking brings out different results from both generations. Fracking involves the extraction of shale gas from rocks. Fracking is said to produce a lot of energy, and would boost the economy of the US. Fracking is opposed by many people because of its potential drawbacks. These drawbacks include water pollution, seismic activity, and methane leakages. These drawbacks harm the environment, and put the lives of people in danger. The older generation argues that fracking would boost the economy of the country. They focus on the positive aspects of fracking. They argue that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. The younger generation, on the other hand, are against fracking. They have studied the potential hazards of fracking, and passed the information round through social networking. Preserving the environment is very important to the young generation. They are against projects that have high risks to the welfare of the environment.
The Republicans target the older generation by developing policies that will influence their votes (Bouie, 2014). The Republicans are supporting fracking because it will bring a lot of revenue to the country. The US can become one of the biggest exporters of natural gas. The fields that contain shale gas have been identified, and findings indicate that the gas contained in these fields is enough to keep the power running for 110 years in the US. The older generation is attracted to the idea of the US becoming independent regarding the energy sector.
The Democrats target the younger generation and have to develop the policies that match their needs (Bouie, 2014). The younger generation is concerned with preserving the environment. They look far into the future, and want to preserve the human race. Adverse environmental conditions in the future could cause the extinction of human race. The younger generation is also concerned with research on technologies that will enable the safe extraction of energy.
The high tensions between the Republicans and the Democrats will affect the business issues in Congress. It will be more of competition between the two parties instead of real concern for the welfare of the Americans. The tensions between the two generations will lead to wrong decisions about business issues. A business issue needs to be analyzed critically, before a decision is made. Focus should not be on who is winning the battle, but rather on what is the best decision for Americans. Leadership by the Republicans will mean that fracking will be approved despite its environmental hazards. In the event that the Democrats gain leadership again, fracking will not be implemented despite its potential economic boost.
In conclusion, the future of business issues in Congress is very bleak. The high tensions that exist between the old generation and the young generation make Congress a battle field. The Republicans target the old generation while the Democrats target the young generation. The old generation is very conservative, and not willing to embrace new cultures. The young generation is very liberal, and accepts diversity. There are some projects that the Republicans may oppose because the old generation does not approve of certain techniques. The Democrats may also oppose some projects because the younger generation does not approve. These projects may later on be revived when the other party is in power. An example is the debate on Keystone Pipeline. The Republicans plan to revive it when they get back into power. The two generations are, however, comprised of people who are moderate. The moderate people can try to narrow the gap that exists between the two generations.
Works Cited
Bouie Jamelle. The Disunited States of America. 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/11/the_disunited_states_of_america_why_demographics_republican_obstructionism.html
