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Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  1	
  
	
  
Witnessed Economic Theory Through Internship
Experience
Martin Miramontes, Jr.
ECON 4898
Professor Kaplan
October 10, 2012
Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  2	
  
	
  
Early	
  in	
  the	
  19th	
  century	
  economics	
  was	
  thought	
  to	
  consist	
  of	
  many	
  fields	
  that	
  we	
  differentiate	
  
today.	
  	
  Economics	
  composed	
  of	
  sociology,	
  psychology,	
  and	
  politics	
  (Bowles	
  et	
  al,	
  2005).	
  	
  Later,	
  
economics	
  was	
  found	
  to	
  be	
  the	
  direct	
  decisions	
  consumers	
  made	
  in	
  a	
  given	
  market.	
  	
  Thus	
  was	
  born	
  the	
  
power	
  and	
  concept	
  of	
  choice.	
  	
  Many	
  of	
  these	
  aspects	
  were	
  derived	
  from	
  placing	
  experience	
  within	
  
theory	
  to	
  measure	
  the	
  interaction	
  and	
  willingness	
  of	
  people	
  to	
  change	
  to	
  their	
  surroundings	
  (Bowles	
  et	
  
al,	
  2005).	
  	
  This	
  information	
  and	
  research	
  is	
  continually	
  developing,	
  since	
  these	
  observations	
  cannot	
  be	
  
decreed	
  on	
  pure	
  imperialistic	
  facts	
  since	
  situations	
  change	
  over	
  time.	
  	
  The	
  people	
  must	
  reflect	
  on	
  the	
  
different	
  choices	
  they	
  have	
  made	
  and	
  gauge	
  the	
  future	
  repercussions	
  that	
  these	
  actions	
  might	
  bring	
  
about.	
  	
  	
  
After	
  reflecting	
  back	
  on	
  the	
  various	
  events	
  that	
  occurred	
  this	
  summer	
  and	
  measuring	
  the	
  
internship	
  experience	
  against	
  the	
  proposed	
  theory	
  that	
  I	
  had	
  originally	
  developed,	
  I	
  concluded	
  that	
  as	
  
the	
  subjective	
  viewer	
  my	
  observations	
  held	
  to	
  be	
  true.	
  	
  I	
  understand	
  that	
  many	
  of	
  the	
  original	
  concepts	
  
were	
  under	
  more	
  speculation	
  than	
  what	
  was	
  thought;	
  however,	
  it	
  was	
  for	
  a	
  good	
  purpose.	
  	
  It	
  is	
  strange	
  
indeed	
  to	
  learn	
  the	
  conceptual	
  fundamentalism	
  of	
  what	
  one	
  already	
  inherently	
  knows.	
  	
  Learning	
  this	
  
logic	
  that	
  we	
  have	
  already	
  been	
  conditioned	
  with	
  is	
  mesmerizing,	
  even	
  more	
  so	
  when	
  this	
  information	
  
has	
  already	
  been	
  gathered	
  by	
  many	
  great	
  individuals	
  that	
  predate	
  our	
  discoveries.	
  	
  It	
  asks	
  one	
  to	
  beg	
  the	
  
question,	
  how	
  did	
  these	
  men	
  with	
  limited	
  resources	
  already	
  predict	
  such	
  conceptual	
  work	
  that	
  seems	
  to	
  
work	
  time	
  after	
  time.	
  	
  Call	
  it	
  human	
  nature,	
  I	
  suppose;	
  but	
  others	
  have	
  different	
  theories	
  in	
  mind	
  about	
  
how	
  history	
  sometimes	
  or	
  always	
  repeats	
  itself.	
  	
  	
  
Today	
  the	
  economy	
  runs	
  in	
  various	
  shapes,	
  sizes,	
  and	
  forms;	
  but	
  an	
  emphasis	
  is	
  put	
  on	
  markets.	
  	
  
It	
  has	
  been	
  argued	
  that	
  Markets	
  are	
  simply	
  not	
  present	
  and	
  born	
  out	
  of	
  mere	
  existence;	
  they	
  are	
  
created	
  and	
  inducted	
  by	
  society	
  itself.	
  	
  State	
  intervention	
  plays	
  an	
  important	
  part	
  to	
  make	
  these	
  
markets	
  appear.	
  	
  A	
  crucial	
  example	
  that	
  came	
  to	
  be	
  when	
  the	
  state	
  would	
  intervene	
  severely	
  was	
  the	
  
great	
  depression,	
  where	
  the	
  government	
  took	
  a	
  higher	
  role	
  and	
  presence	
  than	
  it	
  previously	
  held.	
  	
  Before	
  
Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  3	
  
	
  
the	
  government	
  intervened	
  in	
  a	
  scale	
  of	
  mass	
  proportion,	
  even	
  laissez-­‐faire	
  itself	
  was	
  encouraged	
  by	
  the	
  
state	
  (McEwan,	
  1999).	
  	
  Markets	
  can	
  be	
  calm,	
  productive,	
  but	
  sometimes	
  destructive	
  in	
  nature	
  given	
  the	
  
mood	
  of	
  the	
  economy.	
  	
  The	
  market	
  is	
  the	
  basic	
  structure	
  of	
  how	
  a	
  society	
  operates,	
  and	
  therefore	
  a	
  
society	
  is	
  broken	
  down	
  to	
  components	
  of	
  the	
  economy.	
  	
  In	
  order	
  to	
  keep	
  this	
  society,	
  and	
  in	
  turn	
  the	
  
economy	
  going	
  certain	
  outcomes	
  were	
  expected	
  of	
  this	
  operation.	
  	
  Many	
  of	
  these	
  outcomes	
  
contributed	
  to	
  the	
  incoming	
  returns	
  that	
  investment	
  brings.	
  	
  This	
  operation	
  was	
  carried	
  out	
  by	
  economic	
  
socialization	
  of	
  a	
  given	
  society.	
  	
  A	
  good	
  example	
  of	
  this	
  concept	
  is	
  observing	
  the	
  family	
  setting.	
  	
  The	
  
family	
  unit	
  functions	
  collectively,	
  but	
  the	
  parents	
  can	
  only	
  do	
  so	
  much	
  for	
  their	
  children,	
  for	
  the	
  reason	
  
that	
  they	
  all	
  have	
  different	
  occupations	
  and	
  different	
  time	
  constraints.	
  	
  There	
  are	
  many	
  aspects	
  of	
  life	
  
that	
  parents	
  cannot	
  compensate	
  to	
  teach	
  their	
  children	
  while	
  they	
  are	
  away.	
  	
  Therefore,	
  the	
  system	
  or	
  
structure	
  takes	
  hold	
  to	
  make	
  up	
  for	
  lost	
  time.	
  	
  Public	
  education	
  teachers	
  in	
  public	
  institutions	
  work	
  for	
  
that	
  specific	
  structure,	
  and	
  teach	
  many	
  kids	
  child-­‐rearing	
  conditioning	
  skills;	
  which	
  are	
  useful	
  later	
  as	
  the	
  
children	
  grow	
  into	
  more	
  productive	
  adults.	
  	
  Learned	
  child-­‐rearing	
  skills	
  consequently	
  contribute	
  to	
  the	
  
system	
  (Bowles	
  et	
  al,	
  2005).	
  	
  	
  
Government	
  socialization	
  is	
  part	
  of	
  the	
  plan	
  to	
  bridge	
  the	
  gap	
  of	
  encouraging	
  citizens	
  to	
  become	
  
involved,	
  because	
  realistically	
  the	
  government	
  cannot	
  do	
  everything	
  for	
  the	
  individual	
  itself.	
  	
  “Man’s	
  
economy	
  is	
  submerged	
  in	
  social	
  relationship”	
  –	
  Karl	
  Polanyi,	
  1944	
  (McEwan,	
  1999).	
  	
  While	
  the	
  United	
  
States	
  has	
  free	
  market	
  trade,	
  the	
  culture	
  of	
  the	
  society	
  decides	
  how	
  the	
  government	
  will	
  operate	
  by	
  the	
  
public	
  choice.	
  	
  Public	
  choice	
  can	
  be	
  defined	
  by	
  behavioral	
  economists	
  as,	
  “the	
  branch	
  of	
  economics	
  that	
  
deals	
  with	
  the	
  application	
  of	
  economic	
  principles	
  and	
  tools	
  to	
  public	
  sector	
  decision	
  making”	
  (Arnold,	
  
2008).	
  	
  Societal	
  preferences	
  are	
  the	
  economic	
  drive	
  by	
  learned	
  behaviors.	
  	
  Without	
  this	
  market	
  being	
  
invoked	
  by	
  the	
  state,	
  productivity	
  would	
  be	
  small	
  for	
  all	
  production	
  takes	
  place	
  through	
  markets	
  for	
  
profit;	
  whether	
  that	
  be	
  monetary	
  or	
  abstract,	
  self-­‐interested	
  profits.	
  	
  The	
  market	
  system	
  that	
  runs	
  the	
  
state	
  is	
  not	
  only	
  where	
  one	
  exists,	
  but	
  one	
  in	
  which	
  market	
  relations	
  are	
  the	
  dominant	
  determinant	
  of	
  
Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  4	
  
	
  
economic	
  affairs	
  (Bowles	
  et	
  all,	
  2005).	
  	
  	
  	
  In	
  order	
  to	
  change	
  the	
  economy	
  or	
  economic	
  structure	
  and/or	
  
markets	
  one	
  must	
  exercise	
  power,	
  and	
  there	
  is	
  no	
  better	
  way	
  to	
  achieve	
  this	
  goal	
  by	
  working	
  where	
  
power	
  is	
  held	
  such	
  as	
  the	
  United	
  States	
  Capitol	
  (Bowles	
  et	
  all,	
  2005).	
  	
  	
  	
  Economics	
  is	
  the	
  motivation	
  for	
  
everything.	
  	
  	
  In	
  a	
  globalized	
  world,	
  money	
  is	
  at	
  the	
  epicenter	
  of	
  the	
  all	
  decision	
  making.	
  	
  Even	
  though	
  
monetary	
  policy	
  plays	
  an	
  important	
  role,	
  other	
  issues	
  like	
  environmental	
  and	
  social	
  matters	
  can	
  fall	
  into	
  
the	
  domino	
  effect	
  of	
  how	
  they	
  function	
  since	
  money	
  fuels	
  their	
  existence.	
  	
  	
  
In	
  order	
  to	
  sustain	
  my	
  civic	
  responsibility	
  after	
  socialization	
  in	
  this	
  economic	
  structure	
  that	
  the	
  
United	
  States	
  upholds,	
  I	
  decided	
  to	
  take	
  an	
  internship	
  at	
  the	
  Capitol.	
  	
  Many	
  individuals	
  focus	
  on	
  
normative	
  economics	
  as	
  “the	
  way	
  things	
  should	
  be”,	
  on	
  the	
  other	
  hand,	
  in	
  these	
  dynamic	
  times	
  one	
  can	
  
only	
  count	
  on	
  changing	
  positive	
  economics	
  based	
  on	
  “how	
  things	
  are”.	
  	
  By	
  including	
  myself	
  in	
  this	
  
environment,	
  I	
  am	
  one	
  step	
  closer	
  to	
  learning	
  how	
  to	
  clearly	
  impact	
  positive	
  economics	
  that	
  may	
  not	
  be	
  
working	
  for	
  the	
  population	
  at	
  large.	
  	
  Economic	
  policy	
  largely	
  affects	
  our	
  day-­‐to-­‐day	
  lives	
  like	
  our	
  jobs,	
  
consumerism,	
  and	
  our	
  well	
  being	
  of	
  living.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
In	
  a	
  market	
  system	
  that	
  is	
  comprised	
  of	
  many	
  firms,	
  the	
  United	
  States	
  Senate	
  and	
  the	
  
government	
  alike	
  act	
  as	
  a	
  large	
  business	
  firm.	
  	
  The	
  government	
  has	
  some	
  exceptions	
  in	
  alternative	
  ways	
  
of	
  conducting	
  business,	
  as	
  they	
  are	
  a	
  public	
  entity.	
  	
  A	
  business	
  firm	
  can	
  be	
  described	
  as	
  “an	
  entity	
  that	
  
employs	
  factors	
  of	
  production	
  (resources)	
  to	
  produce	
  goods	
  and	
  services	
  to	
  be	
  sold	
  to	
  consumers,	
  other	
  
firms,	
  or	
  the	
  government”	
  (Arnold,	
  2008).	
  	
  When	
  I	
  first	
  arrived,	
  the	
  office	
  administrator	
  stated	
  the	
  office	
  
culture	
  ran	
  on	
  a	
  horizontal	
  leadership	
  scale,	
  but	
  I	
  could	
  discern	
  that	
  there	
  was	
  much	
  market	
  
coordination	
  implicitly	
  being	
  shown.	
  	
  Market	
  coordination	
  consists	
  of	
  the	
  process	
  in	
  which	
  individuals	
  
perform	
  tasks,	
  such	
  as	
  producing	
  certain	
  quantities	
  of	
  goods	
  or	
  services	
  based	
  on	
  changes	
  in	
  market	
  
forces	
  such	
  as	
  supply,	
  demand,	
  and	
  price	
  (inflation,	
  recession,	
  higher	
  taxes,	
  etc.)	
  (Arnold,	
  2008).	
  	
  The	
  
office	
  administrator	
  took	
  on	
  the	
  role	
  of	
  managerial	
  coordination	
  within	
  this	
  process.	
  	
  Interns	
  in	
  
congressional	
  offices	
  are	
  excellent	
  resources	
  since	
  they	
  add	
  assets	
  to	
  the	
  office,	
  and	
  the	
  offices	
  receive	
  a	
  
Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  5	
  
	
  
return	
  in	
  their	
  investment	
  by	
  having	
  us	
  since	
  we	
  are	
  not	
  paid.	
  The	
  thought	
  is	
  discouraging	
  in	
  the	
  sense	
  
that	
  we	
  seem	
  to	
  be	
  not	
  valued,	
  then	
  again	
  as	
  Economists	
  Armen	
  Alchain	
  and	
  Harold	
  Demsetz	
  suggest	
  
benefits	
  in	
  whole	
  can	
  only	
  be	
  better	
  achieved	
  by	
  working	
  as	
  a	
  team,	
  instead	
  of	
  individually	
  (Arnold,	
  
2008).	
  	
  	
  
When	
  I	
  applied	
  for	
  my	
  position	
  as	
  an	
  intern	
  in	
  the	
  congressional	
  office	
  of	
  Senator	
  Mark	
  E.	
  Udall	
  
(D)	
  of	
  Colorado,	
  I	
  had	
  doubts	
  about	
  receiving	
  the	
  position.	
  	
  I	
  applied	
  late	
  and	
  therefore	
  they	
  had	
  reached	
  
the	
  maximum	
  number	
  of	
  interns	
  they	
  could	
  maintain.	
  	
  The	
  office	
  staff	
  made	
  an	
  exception	
  for	
  me,	
  
ignoring	
  the	
  rule	
  of	
  marginal	
  factor	
  cost,	
  due	
  to	
  by	
  their	
  reasoning	
  of	
  my	
  “outstanding	
  credentials”.	
  	
  As	
  
soon	
  as	
  we	
  arrived	
  we	
  were	
  shown	
  how	
  the	
  office	
  operates	
  on	
  a	
  daily	
  basis.	
  	
  The	
  first	
  items	
  we	
  
discussed	
  were	
  the	
  general	
  rules	
  of	
  working	
  in	
  a	
  prestigious	
  place	
  like	
  the	
  code	
  of	
  conduct,	
  general	
  
rules,	
  and	
  how	
  the	
  U.S.	
  Senate	
  operates.	
  	
  	
  
Answering	
  phones	
  may	
  be	
  easy	
  in	
  other	
  business	
  or	
  customer	
  service	
  departments,	
  but	
  let	
  me	
  
give	
  you	
  some	
  insight;	
  at	
  the	
  U.S.	
  Senate	
  it	
  was	
  not.	
  	
  This	
  simple	
  task	
  is	
  more	
  difficult	
  than	
  it	
  looks.	
  	
  I	
  was	
  
very	
  confident	
  when	
  operating	
  the	
  phones,	
  though,	
  it	
  was	
  not	
  the	
  context	
  of	
  answering	
  the	
  phones	
  that	
  
discouraged	
  me,	
  but	
  it	
  was	
  the	
  content	
  people	
  spoke	
  about.	
  	
  These	
  conversations	
  would	
  be	
  between	
  
vulnerable	
  interns,	
  which	
  had	
  to	
  keep	
  up	
  with	
  much	
  of	
  the	
  policy	
  that	
  was	
  coming	
  through	
  the	
  office,	
  
and	
  the	
  rational	
  ignorance	
  of	
  many	
  of	
  the	
  constituents.	
  	
  I	
  say	
  rational	
  ignorance,	
  since	
  that	
  was	
  the	
  
behavior	
  shown	
  by	
  constituents.	
  	
  Many	
  constituents	
  we	
  spoke	
  to	
  possessed	
  the	
  state	
  of	
  not	
  acquiring	
  
information	
  about	
  various	
  political	
  ideas	
  and	
  legislation	
  because	
  the	
  costs	
  of	
  acquiring	
  it	
  are	
  granter	
  
than	
  the	
  benefits	
  (Arnold,	
  2008).	
  A	
  specific	
  example	
  that	
  I	
  so	
  clearly	
  remember	
  happened	
  on	
  July	
  15,	
  
2008.	
  	
  President	
  Obama	
  gave	
  an	
  Executive	
  Order,	
  which	
  deferred	
  deportation	
  action	
  to	
  dream	
  eligible,	
  
undocumented	
  students.	
  	
  The	
  phones	
  were	
  flooded	
  with	
  very	
  ignorant	
  and	
  myopic	
  comments,	
  which	
  
were	
  overwhelming.	
  	
  People	
  would	
  say,	
  “those	
  illegals	
  don’t	
  deserve	
  amnesty	
  only	
  because	
  they’re	
  
young,”	
  or,	
  “I	
  waited	
  my	
  turn	
  in	
  line,	
  why	
  can’t	
  they!”	
  	
  Being	
  a	
  person	
  who	
  is	
  passionate	
  about	
  specific	
  
Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  6	
  
	
  
issues	
  that	
  relate	
  to	
  immigration	
  reform,	
  I	
  had	
  to	
  hold	
  myself	
  back	
  from	
  allowing	
  the	
  person	
  on	
  the	
  
other	
  end	
  to	
  get	
  a	
  piece	
  of	
  my	
  mind.	
  	
  	
  	
  If	
  I	
  wanted	
  to	
  keep	
  my	
  job,	
  I	
  had	
  to	
  keep	
  my	
  thoughts	
  to	
  myself.	
  	
  
People	
  who	
  exhibit	
  rational	
  ignorance	
  and	
  do	
  not	
  conduct	
  the	
  necessary	
  research	
  have	
  no	
  right	
  to	
  
slander	
  or	
  attack	
  certain	
  ideas.	
  	
  Since	
  the	
  freedom	
  of	
  speech	
  is	
  so	
  highly	
  valued	
  in	
  the	
  United	
  States,	
  I	
  
suppose	
  that	
  everyone	
  is	
  entitled	
  to	
  his	
  or	
  her	
  own	
  opinion.	
  	
  	
  
For	
  the	
  first	
  couple	
  of	
  weeks	
  I	
  kept	
  inquiring	
  in	
  my	
  mind	
  when	
  the	
  real	
  work	
  would	
  begin.	
  	
  It	
  
finally	
  did	
  when	
  we	
  were	
  paired	
  up	
  with	
  a	
  legislative	
  assistant	
  that	
  works	
  on	
  various	
  issues.	
  	
  Being	
  
interested	
  in	
  the	
  topics	
  of	
  the	
  national	
  budget,	
  immigration	
  reform,	
  and	
  education	
  I	
  was	
  paired	
  up	
  with	
  
Simon	
  Tafoya;	
  a	
  legislative	
  assistant	
  who	
  dealt	
  with	
  these	
  issues	
  and	
  more.	
  	
  I	
  was	
  to	
  work	
  with	
  the	
  
target	
  market	
  of	
  my	
  choosing	
  to	
  focus	
  on	
  means	
  rather	
  than	
  the	
  complete	
  ends	
  to	
  specific	
  “problems”.	
  	
  	
  
Our	
  duties	
  collaborating	
  with	
  the	
  legislative	
  assistants	
  consisted	
  of	
  gathering	
  information	
  about	
  
various	
  issues	
  occurring	
  in	
  our	
  state	
  and	
  at	
  the	
  national	
  level	
  that	
  related	
  to	
  the	
  target	
  markets	
  we	
  
chose.	
  	
  We	
  would	
  go	
  to	
  hearings	
  from	
  different	
  House	
  and	
  Senate	
  committees,	
  conveying	
  information	
  
on	
  how	
  various	
  offices	
  were	
  working	
  on	
  these	
  present	
  matters.	
  	
  Coordinating	
  attention	
  to	
  media	
  efforts	
  
was	
  also	
  an	
  integral	
  part	
  of	
  the	
  research	
  being	
  conducted	
  on	
  pending	
  issues.	
  	
  We	
  would	
  gain	
  a	
  general	
  
consensus	
  on	
  what	
  was	
  being	
  done	
  or	
  the	
  work	
  that	
  was	
  lacking	
  towards	
  a	
  resolution.	
  	
  One	
  example	
  
that	
  I	
  specifically	
  worked	
  on	
  was	
  the	
  efforts	
  of	
  Metropolitan	
  State	
  University	
  in	
  persuading	
  the	
  Colorado	
  
legislature	
  to	
  pass	
  the	
  ASSET	
  Bill.	
  	
  	
  The	
  bill	
  would	
  allow	
  for	
  undocumented	
  students	
  to	
  pay	
  “Standard-­‐
Rate	
  Tuition”	
  that	
  is	
  slightly	
  more	
  than	
  in-­‐state	
  tuition,	
  yet	
  lower	
  than	
  out-­‐of-­‐state	
  tuition	
  to	
  all	
  publicly	
  
funded	
  higher-­‐education	
  institutions.	
  	
  	
  
Addressing	
  issues	
  that	
  had	
  not	
  arisen	
  yet	
  was	
  a	
  difficult	
  task,	
  for	
  no	
  one	
  had	
  championed	
  the	
  
thought	
  or	
  planning	
  of	
  these	
  issues;	
  yet	
  it	
  was	
  necessary	
  to	
  carry	
  out.	
  	
  An	
  example	
  of	
  such	
  thought	
  was	
  a	
  
method	
  to	
  offer	
  firefighters	
  comprehensive	
  coverage,	
  whom	
  were	
  so	
  avidly	
  fighting	
  the	
  vigorous	
  fires	
  
that	
  were	
  plaguing	
  Colorado	
  during	
  the	
  summer.	
  	
  Firefighters	
  are	
  considered	
  by	
  the	
  State	
  of	
  Colorado	
  to	
  
Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  7	
  
	
  
be	
  seasonal	
  workers	
  and	
  therefore	
  have	
  no	
  health-­‐insurance	
  coverage.	
  	
  Many	
  were	
  being	
  injured	
  and	
  
putting	
  their	
  lives	
  on	
  the	
  front	
  lines	
  to	
  save	
  the	
  breath-­‐taking	
  terrain	
  that	
  Colorado	
  offers.	
  	
  This	
  is	
  why	
  
our	
  office	
  first	
  championed	
  legislation	
  that	
  would	
  allow	
  for	
  fire	
  fighters	
  to	
  get	
  comprehensive-­‐health	
  
coverage.	
  	
  With	
  much	
  of	
  this	
  research	
  I	
  was	
  helping	
  to	
  provide	
  the	
  building	
  blocks	
  of	
  the	
  foundation	
  for	
  
future	
  legislation	
  that	
  would	
  greatly	
  impact	
  many	
  constituents.	
  	
  	
  
In	
  some	
  instances	
  our	
  attention	
  and	
  research	
  was	
  required	
  because	
  we	
  had	
  expertise	
  or	
  
experience	
  with	
  regards	
  to	
  a	
  specific	
  topic.	
  	
  Since	
  much	
  of	
  the	
  legislation	
  that	
  is	
  proposed	
  requires	
  
extensive	
  research	
  to	
  understand	
  the	
  entire	
  picture,	
  legislators	
  do	
  not	
  know	
  all	
  the	
  answers.	
  	
  I	
  never	
  
thought	
  that	
  my	
  experience	
  would	
  help	
  the	
  case	
  on	
  the	
  Senator’s	
  renewable	
  energy	
  initiatives,	
  for	
  
which	
  he	
  was	
  campaigning.	
  	
  The	
  Wind	
  Production	
  Tax	
  credit	
  was	
  up	
  for	
  renewal	
  and	
  the	
  Senator	
  Udall	
  
was	
  advocating	
  and	
  imploring	
  his	
  colleagues	
  to	
  not	
  allow	
  this	
  tax	
  credit	
  to	
  expire.	
  	
  Wind	
  energy	
  is	
  a	
  vital	
  
part	
  of	
  the	
  Colorado	
  economy,	
  a	
  young	
  industry	
  that	
  seems	
  very	
  promising.	
  	
  When	
  I	
  was	
  in	
  high	
  school	
  I	
  
participated	
  in	
  a	
  dual-­‐credit	
  enrollment	
  at	
  Northeastern	
  Junior	
  College.	
  	
  Northeastern	
  Junior	
  College	
  was	
  
special	
  in	
  that	
  it	
  was	
  the	
  only	
  public	
  institution	
  that	
  provided	
  a	
  wind-­‐energy	
  program.	
  	
  Wind	
  energy	
  is	
  a	
  
continually	
  growing	
  prospect	
  in	
  Northeastern,	
  rural	
  Colorado	
  where	
  I	
  am	
  from.	
  	
  I	
  knew	
  many	
  facts	
  about	
  
the	
  program	
  and	
  spoke	
  to	
  my	
  contacts	
  there	
  to	
  receive	
  more	
  information	
  on	
  the	
  program.	
  	
  With	
  the	
  
research	
  I	
  was	
  able	
  to	
  attain	
  and	
  the	
  experience	
  of	
  attending	
  the	
  NJC	
  campus	
  allowed	
  the	
  senator	
  to	
  
make	
  a	
  convincing	
  argument	
  that	
  detailed	
  if	
  this	
  wind	
  production	
  tax	
  credit	
  expired,	
  Colorado	
  and	
  many	
  
states	
  alike	
  would	
  lose	
  a	
  vital	
  industry.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
Many	
  of	
  these	
  research	
  efforts	
  and	
  duties	
  carried	
  out,	
  I	
  explained	
  as	
  the	
  utilization	
  of	
  human	
  
capital	
  to	
  be	
  a	
  medium	
  for	
  information.	
  I	
  as	
  the	
  intern	
  am	
  human	
  capital	
  used	
  in	
  an	
  economic	
  model	
  for	
  
public	
  policy.	
  	
  Human	
  capital	
  is	
  described	
  to	
  include	
  education,	
  experience,	
  knowledge,	
  and	
  job	
  skills	
  
(Arnold,	
  2008).	
  	
  By	
  being	
  educated	
  on	
  the	
  opinions	
  of	
  others	
  and	
  researching	
  concepts	
  I	
  acted	
  as	
  a	
  
Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  8	
  
	
  
conduit	
  to	
  convey	
  the	
  information	
  to	
  those	
  higher	
  in	
  the	
  chain	
  of	
  command,	
  so	
  that	
  they	
  may	
  use	
  this	
  
information	
  to	
  put	
  action	
  into	
  play.	
  	
  	
  
When	
  we	
  were	
  not	
  busy	
  at	
  work	
  we	
  would	
  be	
  guilty	
  of	
  taking	
  part	
  in	
  shirking.	
  Shirking	
  in	
  the	
  
office	
  setting	
  was	
  not	
  frowned	
  upon	
  since	
  we	
  were	
  unpaid	
  staff.	
  To	
  my	
  surprise	
  it	
  was	
  actually	
  
encouraged.	
  	
  	
  We	
  could	
  attend	
  any	
  functions	
  we	
  so	
  pleased	
  on	
  Capitol	
  Hill.	
  	
  A	
  historic	
  event	
  that	
  took	
  
place	
  this	
  summer	
  was	
  the	
  upheld	
  legislation	
  of	
  the	
  Affordability	
  Care	
  Act,	
  formally	
  known	
  as	
  
“Obamacare”,	
  by	
  the	
  U.S.	
  Supreme	
  Court.	
  	
  Witnessing	
  the	
  media	
  crews,	
  protestors,	
  and	
  numerous	
  
stakeholders	
  coming	
  to	
  see	
  the	
  commotion	
  was	
  quite	
  a	
  sight.	
  	
  This	
  event	
  was	
  in	
  the	
  interest	
  of	
  everyone	
  
since	
  the	
  Affordability	
  Care	
  Act	
  would	
  reform	
  the	
  health	
  care	
  industry,	
  as	
  we	
  knew	
  it.	
  	
  The	
  days	
  
following	
  the	
  event	
  many	
  constituents	
  called	
  to	
  state	
  that	
  their	
  elasticity	
  to	
  the	
  proposition	
  was	
  not	
  high	
  
at	
  all,	
  complaining	
  the	
  legislation	
  would	
  cost	
  even	
  more	
  money	
  in	
  the	
  way	
  of	
  a	
  tax.	
  	
  They	
  failed	
  to	
  see	
  
how	
  this	
  piece	
  of	
  legislation	
  passed	
  in	
  2010	
  was	
  beneficial	
  for	
  the	
  State	
  of	
  Colorado	
  by	
  means	
  of	
  
marginal	
  returns	
  the	
  American	
  people	
  would	
  receive.	
  
Gaining	
  a	
  better	
  perspective	
  into	
  the	
  complex	
  process	
  of	
  getting	
  legislation	
  passed	
  was	
  an	
  
excellent	
  way	
  to	
  observe	
  the	
  true	
  behavior	
  of	
  politics.	
  	
  The	
  behavior	
  of	
  politics	
  can	
  beyond	
  doubt	
  be	
  
unpredictable	
  and	
  ever	
  changing.	
  	
  A	
  major	
  issue	
  that	
  was	
  reoccurring	
  in	
  the	
  Senate	
  and	
  House	
  was	
  the	
  
partisan	
  gridlock	
  between	
  republicans	
  and	
  democrats.	
  	
  While	
  the	
  Democrats	
  were	
  trying	
  to	
  compromise	
  
on	
  much	
  of	
  the	
  legislation	
  that	
  was	
  proposed	
  and	
  voted	
  on,	
  the	
  republicans	
  were	
  being	
  resistant	
  by	
  
voting	
  against	
  or	
  drawing	
  the	
  motion	
  of	
  filibustering.	
  	
  It	
  would	
  appear	
  that	
  the	
  republicans	
  formed	
  a	
  
cartel	
  together	
  between	
  many	
  members.	
  	
  They	
  decreased	
  output	
  by	
  means	
  of	
  votes	
  on	
  voting	
  “yea”	
  
towards	
  a	
  specific	
  bill.	
  	
  They	
  increased	
  the	
  price	
  of	
  their	
  vote	
  to	
  not	
  compromise	
  with	
  democrats.	
  	
  The	
  
democrats	
  would	
  have	
  to	
  vote	
  in	
  the	
  republicans	
  favor	
  to	
  gain	
  their	
  attention;	
  it	
  was	
  that	
  or	
  the	
  
impeachment	
  of	
  President	
  Obama.	
  	
  This	
  statement	
  is	
  not	
  absolute	
  to	
  all	
  republicans;	
  nevertheless	
  
progress	
  was	
  dwindling.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  9	
  
	
  
Special	
  interest	
  groups	
  did	
  not	
  help	
  the	
  case	
  since	
  they	
  were	
  constantly	
  present	
  to	
  fight	
  for	
  their	
  
own	
  self-­‐interest	
  on	
  making	
  money.	
  	
  Due	
  to	
  their	
  interference,	
  many	
  decisions	
  were	
  being	
  made	
  at	
  the	
  
margin	
  when	
  time	
  came	
  to	
  vote.	
  	
  Many	
  indifference	
  sets	
  were	
  made	
  at	
  the	
  conclusion	
  of	
  legislation	
  
since	
  all	
  the	
  proposed	
  amendments	
  yielded	
  almost	
  the	
  same	
  result	
  as	
  the	
  original	
  idea.	
  	
  Indifference	
  
sets	
  are	
  said	
  to	
  be	
  group	
  of	
  bundles	
  (amendments)	
  of	
  two	
  or	
  more	
  goods	
  that	
  give	
  an	
  individual	
  
(constituents)	
  equal	
  total	
  utility	
  (Arnold,	
  2008).	
  	
  	
  
Voting	
  went	
  one	
  way	
  or	
  another	
  for	
  the	
  reason	
  that	
  all	
  members	
  of	
  congress	
  would	
  weigh	
  their	
  
comparative	
  advantage	
  towards	
  their	
  individual	
  pursuits	
  against	
  what	
  the	
  people	
  desired.	
  	
  Logrolling	
  
occurred	
  constantly	
  since	
  many	
  members	
  of	
  congress	
  would	
  indicate	
  they	
  would	
  vote	
  in	
  one	
  way	
  but	
  
vote	
  in	
  another.	
  	
  Logrolling,	
  which	
  is	
  described	
  as	
  “the	
  exchange	
  of	
  votes	
  to	
  gain	
  support	
  for	
  legislation”,	
  
is	
  a	
  rather	
  smart	
  move	
  because	
  a	
  vote	
  is	
  the	
  only	
  thing	
  to	
  bargain	
  with	
  when	
  it	
  comes	
  to	
  that	
  individuals	
  
future	
  prospects.	
  	
  Having	
  high	
  positions	
  of	
  power	
  allows	
  for	
  members	
  of	
  congress	
  to	
  act	
  on	
  their	
  own	
  
discretion.	
  	
  Politicians	
  hold	
  asymmetric	
  information	
  in	
  ample	
  amounts	
  on	
  categories	
  such	
  as	
  voting,	
  
national	
  security,	
  and	
  committees.	
  	
  The	
  asymmetric	
  information	
  that	
  the	
  seller	
  (member	
  of	
  congress)	
  in	
  
the	
  market	
  exchange	
  has	
  and	
  the	
  buyer	
  (American	
  constituents)	
  does	
  not	
  have,	
  gives	
  politicians	
  the	
  
upper	
  hand.	
  	
  	
  	
  
The	
  behavior	
  of	
  relationships,	
  which	
  I	
  created	
  in	
  the	
  office,	
  allowed	
  me	
  to	
  see	
  where	
  economic	
  
theory	
  would	
  fit	
  in	
  the	
  minimalist	
  of	
  interactions.	
  	
  We	
  as	
  interns	
  came	
  primarily	
  from	
  the	
  state	
  of	
  
Colorado,	
  with	
  the	
  exception	
  of	
  three.	
  	
  We	
  all	
  attended	
  different	
  universities	
  across	
  the	
  nation.	
  	
  Many	
  of	
  
my	
  fellow	
  interns	
  held	
  more	
  experiences	
  as	
  their	
  parents	
  were	
  more	
  politically	
  inclined.	
  A	
  large	
  income	
  
inequality	
  between	
  all	
  the	
  interns,	
  determined	
  if	
  one	
  was	
  politically	
  inclined	
  or	
  not,	
  and	
  who	
  has	
  the	
  
privileged	
  of	
  different	
  experiences.	
  	
  I	
  would	
  have	
  to	
  put	
  myself	
  at	
  the	
  bottom	
  of	
  the	
  income	
  inequality	
  
scale.	
  	
  Sometimes	
  I	
  felt	
  inadequate	
  for	
  I	
  did	
  not	
  know	
  information	
  that	
  many	
  did.	
  	
  I	
  rationalized	
  that	
  
even	
  though	
  I	
  was	
  at	
  the	
  bottom	
  of	
  the	
  income	
  distribution	
  scale,	
  due	
  to	
  my	
  background,	
  I	
  did	
  not	
  fret	
  
Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  10	
  
	
  
since	
  this	
  outlined	
  knowledge	
  by	
  experience.	
  	
  We	
  were	
  all	
  equal	
  when	
  it	
  came	
  to	
  competency.	
  There	
  are	
  
still	
  many	
  barriers	
  to	
  entry	
  for	
  myself	
  to	
  a	
  market	
  of	
  success,	
  nonetheless,	
  I	
  am	
  headstrong	
  in	
  following	
  
my	
  pursuit	
  to	
  enter	
  and	
  succeed	
  in	
  that	
  market.	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
I	
  never	
  really	
  understood	
  that	
  a	
  current	
  structure	
  such	
  as	
  the	
  U.S.	
  Senate	
  would	
  demonstrate	
  
different	
  areas	
  of	
  economic	
  theory	
  or	
  concepts.	
  	
  Traditional	
  economics	
  dictates	
  how	
  we	
  can	
  measure	
  
theory	
  with	
  totals,	
  averages,	
  and	
  aggregate	
  outcomes;	
  actual	
  numbers	
  and	
  graphical	
  models.	
  	
  Today	
  we	
  
still	
  rely	
  on	
  traditional	
  economics,	
  meanwhile	
  as	
  a	
  society	
  and	
  economists	
  have	
  witnessed,	
  behavior	
  of	
  
the	
  stakeholders	
  plays	
  a	
  just	
  as	
  important	
  role.	
  	
  The	
  first	
  concept	
  that	
  was	
  proposed	
  in	
  the	
  initial	
  paper	
  
outlines	
  the	
  Invisible	
  Hand	
  Theory	
  constructed	
  by	
  Adam	
  Smith.	
  	
  This	
  concept	
  falls	
  inline	
  with	
  the	
  mission	
  
of	
  the	
  government	
  because	
  it	
  was	
  invoked	
  for	
  the	
  well	
  being	
  of	
  people.	
  	
  For	
  those	
  who	
  are	
  involved	
  with	
  
government,	
  their	
  primary	
  goal	
  is	
  to	
  impact	
  the	
  nation	
  at	
  large	
  in	
  one-­‐way	
  or	
  another.	
  	
  The	
  theory	
  of	
  
what	
  is	
  seen	
  and	
  what	
  is	
  not	
  seen	
  dictates	
  that	
  the	
  decisions	
  we	
  make	
  may	
  have	
  future	
  ramifications.	
  
Respective	
  government	
  offices,	
  to	
  avoid	
  negative	
  effects	
  in	
  the	
  future,	
  conduct	
  a	
  considerable	
  amount	
  
of	
  market	
  research.	
  	
  When	
  negative	
  effects	
  befall	
  the	
  American	
  people,	
  reinforcements	
  are	
  experienced,	
  
that	
  hopefully	
  teach	
  them	
  to	
  think	
  twice	
  about	
  their	
  choices.	
  	
  Constituents	
  that	
  demonstrate	
  rational	
  
ignorance	
  are	
  puzzled	
  by	
  the	
  concept	
  of	
  choice	
  given	
  by	
  their	
  free	
  liberties.	
  	
  Sometimes	
  this	
  becomes	
  
quite	
  a	
  burden	
  it	
  is	
  baffling,	
  that	
  is	
  why	
  the	
  task	
  is	
  delegated	
  to	
  those	
  who	
  fish	
  in	
  a	
  pond	
  that	
  contains	
  
the	
  all-­‐around	
  decisions.	
  	
  Since	
  most	
  of	
  the	
  American	
  populous	
  is	
  uneducated,	
  the	
  decisions	
  are	
  left	
  up	
  
to	
  those	
  who	
  have	
  the	
  educational	
  capacity	
  to	
  determine	
  what	
  will	
  serve	
  benefits.	
  	
  The	
  intern	
  
experience	
  at	
  the	
  U.S.	
  Senate	
  is	
  reinforced	
  with	
  the	
  theory	
  expressed	
  because	
  this	
  behavior	
  was	
  
observed	
  in	
  that	
  specific	
  environment.	
  
It	
  is	
  astonishing	
  to	
  see	
  how	
  economics	
  dictates	
  so	
  many	
  of	
  our	
  interactions	
  in	
  contemporary	
  
society	
  today.	
  	
  The	
  main	
  cause	
  to	
  this	
  observation	
  is	
  the	
  reality	
  of	
  capitalism,	
  and	
  how	
  it	
  has	
  evolved	
  
throughout	
  the	
  existence	
  of	
  our	
  nation.	
  	
  Due	
  to	
  the	
  increasing	
  demands	
  and	
  inequality	
  that	
  capitalism	
  
Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  11	
  
	
  
has	
  left,	
  state	
  intervention	
  was	
  necessary	
  to	
  foster	
  a	
  welfare	
  state	
  within	
  a	
  developing	
  nation	
  
(Schweickart,	
  2011).	
  	
  Individuals	
  are	
  all	
  referred	
  to	
  exhibit	
  the	
  behavior	
  of	
  the	
  economic	
  man,	
  which	
  
refers	
  to	
  the	
  assumption	
  that	
  human	
  beings	
  are	
  calculating,	
  amoral,	
  and	
  self-­‐interested	
  (Bowles	
  et	
  al,	
  
2005).	
  	
  Even	
  though	
  state	
  intervention	
  is	
  present	
  within	
  the	
  working	
  structure	
  of	
  our	
  nation	
  and	
  society,	
  
the	
  open	
  free	
  markets	
  allow	
  for	
  the	
  free	
  opportunity	
  to	
  succeed	
  as	
  an	
  entrepreneur.	
  	
  The	
  world	
  is	
  
viewed	
  through	
  three-­‐dimensional	
  economics	
  that	
  consist	
  of	
  competition,	
  command,	
  and	
  change;	
  these	
  
three	
  aspects	
  are	
  what	
  make	
  us	
  tick.	
  	
  The	
  drive	
  to	
  excel	
  in	
  the	
  market	
  and	
  become	
  successful	
  may	
  be	
  
argued	
  by	
  the	
  concept	
  of	
  Social	
  Darwinism,	
  which	
  creates	
  winners	
  and	
  losers	
  by	
  survival	
  of	
  the	
  fittest	
  in	
  
society	
  (Schweickart,	
  2011).	
  	
  Without	
  these	
  two	
  categories	
  of	
  players,	
  the	
  system	
  would	
  not	
  be	
  allowed	
  
to	
  function.	
  	
  Who	
  is	
  to	
  blame	
  about	
  economic	
  down	
  turn,	
  the	
  government	
  or	
  the	
  free	
  market?	
  During	
  
the	
  financial	
  crises,	
  it	
  is	
  thought	
  that	
  the	
  banks	
  led	
  a	
  financial	
  coup	
  de	
  ta	
  against	
  the	
  United	
  States	
  and	
  
its	
  citizens	
  from	
  falling	
  out	
  of	
  the	
  market	
  and	
  being	
  a	
  big-­‐time	
  player.	
  	
  The	
  mere	
  existence	
  and	
  
conditioning	
  of	
  human	
  beings	
  to	
  power	
  the	
  monster	
  that	
  we	
  call	
  “capitalism”	
  seems	
  apparent	
  as	
  time	
  
goes	
  on.	
  	
  	
  
Interactions	
  between	
  people	
  mean	
  the	
  terms	
  of	
  exchange.	
  	
  Society,	
  as	
  a	
  whole,	
  functions	
  this	
  
way.	
  	
  Since	
  economics	
  relies	
  on	
  totals,	
  averages,	
  and	
  relationships	
  it	
  is	
  blind	
  to	
  the	
  interactions	
  between	
  
people	
  and	
  the	
  idea	
  of	
  choice.	
  	
  Experience	
  should	
  be	
  preferred	
  over	
  cold,	
  narrow	
  calculated	
  numbers	
  
and	
  totals.	
  	
  The	
  Paradox	
  of	
  Choice	
  is	
  difficult	
  to	
  deconstruct	
  because	
  the	
  interpersonal	
  utility	
  
comparison	
  explains	
  that	
  the	
  utility	
  of	
  one	
  may	
  not	
  be	
  the	
  same	
  as	
  another.	
  	
  A	
  motive	
  for	
  choice	
  of	
  
many	
  constituents	
  may	
  be	
  the	
  upcoming	
  election	
  and	
  who	
  the	
  people	
  elect	
  to	
  change	
  the	
  economic	
  
structure	
  by	
  utilizing	
  their	
  power	
  of	
  the	
  title	
  they	
  uphold.	
  	
  The	
  best	
  area	
  to	
  use	
  three-­‐dimensional	
  
economics	
  is	
  change.	
  	
  Change	
  is	
  how	
  one	
  can	
  get	
  involved	
  to	
  create	
  reform	
  where	
  it	
  is	
  duly	
  needed.	
  	
  We	
  
are	
  all	
  residual	
  claimants	
  of	
  all	
  collective	
  work	
  done	
  in	
  public	
  policy	
  in	
  one	
  form	
  or	
  another.	
  	
  The	
  idea	
  of	
  
deconstruction	
  of	
  the	
  system	
  as	
  ones	
  own	
  can	
  be	
  the	
  determination	
  needed	
  to	
  bring	
  about	
  that	
  change,	
  
Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  12	
  
	
  
then	
  again	
  the	
  system	
  already	
  rules	
  the	
  people.	
  	
  If	
  one	
  cannot	
  beat	
  the	
  system,	
  then	
  join	
  it	
  but	
  drive	
  it	
  in	
  
a	
  new	
  direction	
  that	
  would	
  benefit	
  many.	
  	
  Reform	
  and	
  change	
  take	
  time,	
  so	
  the	
  efforts	
  of	
  many	
  will	
  be	
  
the	
  catalyst	
  for	
  those	
  future	
  goals	
  and	
  milestones	
  accomplished.	
  	
  Even	
  though	
  my	
  home	
  state	
  witnessed	
  
a	
  thirsty	
  drought,	
  ravaging	
  fires,	
  and	
  fallen	
  citizens	
  of	
  a	
  massacre,	
  I	
  recognized	
  that	
  I	
  was	
  able	
  to	
  make	
  a	
  
positive	
  change	
  following	
  my	
  pursuit	
  to	
  become	
  engaged	
  in	
  the	
  political	
  sphere.	
  	
  Since	
  we	
  have	
  become	
  
socialized	
  to	
  contribute	
  to	
  the	
  system,	
  if	
  I	
  hadn’t	
  taken	
  this	
  position	
  someone	
  else	
  would	
  have.	
  	
  Alfred	
  
Marshall	
  said	
  it	
  quite	
  eloquently	
  when	
  he	
  described	
  the	
  system	
  of	
  economics.	
  	
  “Economics…is	
  not	
  a	
  
body	
  of	
  concrete	
  truth,	
  but	
  rather	
  an	
  engine	
  for	
  the	
  discovery	
  of	
  concrete	
  truth.	
  	
  Being	
  a	
  part	
  of	
  this	
  
engine	
  as	
  an	
  intern	
  allowed	
  for	
  the	
  discovery	
  of	
  that	
  concrete	
  truth!	
  	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Running	
  Head:	
  WITNESSED	
  ECONOMIC	
  THEORY	
  THROUGH	
  INTERSHIP	
  EXPERIENCE	
  13	
  
	
  
References:	
  
Arnold,	
  Roger	
  A..	
  Microeconomics.	
  9th	
  ed.	
  Mason,	
  OH:	
  South-­‐Western	
  Cengage	
  Learning,	
  
2010.	
  Print.	
  
Bastiat, Frédéric. Selected Essays on Political Economy. Seymour Cain, trans. 1995.
Library of Economics and Liberty. Retrieved July 11, 2012 from the World
Wide Web: http://www.econlib.org/library/Bastiat/basEss1.html
Bowles,	
  Samuel,	
  Richard	
  Edwards,	
  and	
  Frank	
  Roosevelt.	
  Understanding	
  capitalism:	
  
competition,	
  command,	
  and	
  change.	
  3rd	
  ed.	
  New	
  York:	
  Oxford	
  University	
  Press,	
  
2005.	
  Print.	
  
Krugman, P. R. (2012). Macroeconomics (3rd ed.). New York, N.Y: Worth
Publishers.
MacEwan,	
  Arthur.	
  Neo-­‐liberalism	
  or	
  democracy?:	
  economic	
  strategy,	
  markets,	
  and	
  
alternatives	
  for	
  the	
  21st	
  Century.	
  London:	
  Zed	
  Books,	
  1999.	
  Print.	
  
Pennington,	
  M.	
  P.	
  (2012,	
  January	
  10).	
  Can	
  Government	
  Solve	
  the	
  Paradox	
  of	
  Choice?	
  |	
  
LearnLiberty.	
  LearnLiberty	
  |	
  Learn	
  about	
  the	
  ideas	
  of	
  a	
  free	
  society.	
  Retrieved	
  
June	
  29,	
  2012,	
  from	
  http://www.learnliberty.org/videos/can-­‐government-­‐
solve-­‐paradox-­‐choice	
  
Schweickart,	
  David.	
  After	
  capitalism.	
  2nd	
  ed.	
  Lanham,	
  Md.:	
  Rowman	
  &	
  Littlefield	
  Publishers,	
  
2011.	
  Print.	
  
	
  
	
  

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Witnessed Economic Theory Through Internship Experience

  • 1. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  1     Witnessed Economic Theory Through Internship Experience Martin Miramontes, Jr. ECON 4898 Professor Kaplan October 10, 2012
  • 2. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  2     Early  in  the  19th  century  economics  was  thought  to  consist  of  many  fields  that  we  differentiate   today.    Economics  composed  of  sociology,  psychology,  and  politics  (Bowles  et  al,  2005).    Later,   economics  was  found  to  be  the  direct  decisions  consumers  made  in  a  given  market.    Thus  was  born  the   power  and  concept  of  choice.    Many  of  these  aspects  were  derived  from  placing  experience  within   theory  to  measure  the  interaction  and  willingness  of  people  to  change  to  their  surroundings  (Bowles  et   al,  2005).    This  information  and  research  is  continually  developing,  since  these  observations  cannot  be   decreed  on  pure  imperialistic  facts  since  situations  change  over  time.    The  people  must  reflect  on  the   different  choices  they  have  made  and  gauge  the  future  repercussions  that  these  actions  might  bring   about.       After  reflecting  back  on  the  various  events  that  occurred  this  summer  and  measuring  the   internship  experience  against  the  proposed  theory  that  I  had  originally  developed,  I  concluded  that  as   the  subjective  viewer  my  observations  held  to  be  true.    I  understand  that  many  of  the  original  concepts   were  under  more  speculation  than  what  was  thought;  however,  it  was  for  a  good  purpose.    It  is  strange   indeed  to  learn  the  conceptual  fundamentalism  of  what  one  already  inherently  knows.    Learning  this   logic  that  we  have  already  been  conditioned  with  is  mesmerizing,  even  more  so  when  this  information   has  already  been  gathered  by  many  great  individuals  that  predate  our  discoveries.    It  asks  one  to  beg  the   question,  how  did  these  men  with  limited  resources  already  predict  such  conceptual  work  that  seems  to   work  time  after  time.    Call  it  human  nature,  I  suppose;  but  others  have  different  theories  in  mind  about   how  history  sometimes  or  always  repeats  itself.       Today  the  economy  runs  in  various  shapes,  sizes,  and  forms;  but  an  emphasis  is  put  on  markets.     It  has  been  argued  that  Markets  are  simply  not  present  and  born  out  of  mere  existence;  they  are   created  and  inducted  by  society  itself.    State  intervention  plays  an  important  part  to  make  these   markets  appear.    A  crucial  example  that  came  to  be  when  the  state  would  intervene  severely  was  the   great  depression,  where  the  government  took  a  higher  role  and  presence  than  it  previously  held.    Before  
  • 3. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  3     the  government  intervened  in  a  scale  of  mass  proportion,  even  laissez-­‐faire  itself  was  encouraged  by  the   state  (McEwan,  1999).    Markets  can  be  calm,  productive,  but  sometimes  destructive  in  nature  given  the   mood  of  the  economy.    The  market  is  the  basic  structure  of  how  a  society  operates,  and  therefore  a   society  is  broken  down  to  components  of  the  economy.    In  order  to  keep  this  society,  and  in  turn  the   economy  going  certain  outcomes  were  expected  of  this  operation.    Many  of  these  outcomes   contributed  to  the  incoming  returns  that  investment  brings.    This  operation  was  carried  out  by  economic   socialization  of  a  given  society.    A  good  example  of  this  concept  is  observing  the  family  setting.    The   family  unit  functions  collectively,  but  the  parents  can  only  do  so  much  for  their  children,  for  the  reason   that  they  all  have  different  occupations  and  different  time  constraints.    There  are  many  aspects  of  life   that  parents  cannot  compensate  to  teach  their  children  while  they  are  away.    Therefore,  the  system  or   structure  takes  hold  to  make  up  for  lost  time.    Public  education  teachers  in  public  institutions  work  for   that  specific  structure,  and  teach  many  kids  child-­‐rearing  conditioning  skills;  which  are  useful  later  as  the   children  grow  into  more  productive  adults.    Learned  child-­‐rearing  skills  consequently  contribute  to  the   system  (Bowles  et  al,  2005).       Government  socialization  is  part  of  the  plan  to  bridge  the  gap  of  encouraging  citizens  to  become   involved,  because  realistically  the  government  cannot  do  everything  for  the  individual  itself.    “Man’s   economy  is  submerged  in  social  relationship”  –  Karl  Polanyi,  1944  (McEwan,  1999).    While  the  United   States  has  free  market  trade,  the  culture  of  the  society  decides  how  the  government  will  operate  by  the   public  choice.    Public  choice  can  be  defined  by  behavioral  economists  as,  “the  branch  of  economics  that   deals  with  the  application  of  economic  principles  and  tools  to  public  sector  decision  making”  (Arnold,   2008).    Societal  preferences  are  the  economic  drive  by  learned  behaviors.    Without  this  market  being   invoked  by  the  state,  productivity  would  be  small  for  all  production  takes  place  through  markets  for   profit;  whether  that  be  monetary  or  abstract,  self-­‐interested  profits.    The  market  system  that  runs  the   state  is  not  only  where  one  exists,  but  one  in  which  market  relations  are  the  dominant  determinant  of  
  • 4. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  4     economic  affairs  (Bowles  et  all,  2005).        In  order  to  change  the  economy  or  economic  structure  and/or   markets  one  must  exercise  power,  and  there  is  no  better  way  to  achieve  this  goal  by  working  where   power  is  held  such  as  the  United  States  Capitol  (Bowles  et  all,  2005).        Economics  is  the  motivation  for   everything.      In  a  globalized  world,  money  is  at  the  epicenter  of  the  all  decision  making.    Even  though   monetary  policy  plays  an  important  role,  other  issues  like  environmental  and  social  matters  can  fall  into   the  domino  effect  of  how  they  function  since  money  fuels  their  existence.       In  order  to  sustain  my  civic  responsibility  after  socialization  in  this  economic  structure  that  the   United  States  upholds,  I  decided  to  take  an  internship  at  the  Capitol.    Many  individuals  focus  on   normative  economics  as  “the  way  things  should  be”,  on  the  other  hand,  in  these  dynamic  times  one  can   only  count  on  changing  positive  economics  based  on  “how  things  are”.    By  including  myself  in  this   environment,  I  am  one  step  closer  to  learning  how  to  clearly  impact  positive  economics  that  may  not  be   working  for  the  population  at  large.    Economic  policy  largely  affects  our  day-­‐to-­‐day  lives  like  our  jobs,   consumerism,  and  our  well  being  of  living.           In  a  market  system  that  is  comprised  of  many  firms,  the  United  States  Senate  and  the   government  alike  act  as  a  large  business  firm.    The  government  has  some  exceptions  in  alternative  ways   of  conducting  business,  as  they  are  a  public  entity.    A  business  firm  can  be  described  as  “an  entity  that   employs  factors  of  production  (resources)  to  produce  goods  and  services  to  be  sold  to  consumers,  other   firms,  or  the  government”  (Arnold,  2008).    When  I  first  arrived,  the  office  administrator  stated  the  office   culture  ran  on  a  horizontal  leadership  scale,  but  I  could  discern  that  there  was  much  market   coordination  implicitly  being  shown.    Market  coordination  consists  of  the  process  in  which  individuals   perform  tasks,  such  as  producing  certain  quantities  of  goods  or  services  based  on  changes  in  market   forces  such  as  supply,  demand,  and  price  (inflation,  recession,  higher  taxes,  etc.)  (Arnold,  2008).    The   office  administrator  took  on  the  role  of  managerial  coordination  within  this  process.    Interns  in   congressional  offices  are  excellent  resources  since  they  add  assets  to  the  office,  and  the  offices  receive  a  
  • 5. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  5     return  in  their  investment  by  having  us  since  we  are  not  paid.  The  thought  is  discouraging  in  the  sense   that  we  seem  to  be  not  valued,  then  again  as  Economists  Armen  Alchain  and  Harold  Demsetz  suggest   benefits  in  whole  can  only  be  better  achieved  by  working  as  a  team,  instead  of  individually  (Arnold,   2008).       When  I  applied  for  my  position  as  an  intern  in  the  congressional  office  of  Senator  Mark  E.  Udall   (D)  of  Colorado,  I  had  doubts  about  receiving  the  position.    I  applied  late  and  therefore  they  had  reached   the  maximum  number  of  interns  they  could  maintain.    The  office  staff  made  an  exception  for  me,   ignoring  the  rule  of  marginal  factor  cost,  due  to  by  their  reasoning  of  my  “outstanding  credentials”.    As   soon  as  we  arrived  we  were  shown  how  the  office  operates  on  a  daily  basis.    The  first  items  we   discussed  were  the  general  rules  of  working  in  a  prestigious  place  like  the  code  of  conduct,  general   rules,  and  how  the  U.S.  Senate  operates.       Answering  phones  may  be  easy  in  other  business  or  customer  service  departments,  but  let  me   give  you  some  insight;  at  the  U.S.  Senate  it  was  not.    This  simple  task  is  more  difficult  than  it  looks.    I  was   very  confident  when  operating  the  phones,  though,  it  was  not  the  context  of  answering  the  phones  that   discouraged  me,  but  it  was  the  content  people  spoke  about.    These  conversations  would  be  between   vulnerable  interns,  which  had  to  keep  up  with  much  of  the  policy  that  was  coming  through  the  office,   and  the  rational  ignorance  of  many  of  the  constituents.    I  say  rational  ignorance,  since  that  was  the   behavior  shown  by  constituents.    Many  constituents  we  spoke  to  possessed  the  state  of  not  acquiring   information  about  various  political  ideas  and  legislation  because  the  costs  of  acquiring  it  are  granter   than  the  benefits  (Arnold,  2008).  A  specific  example  that  I  so  clearly  remember  happened  on  July  15,   2008.    President  Obama  gave  an  Executive  Order,  which  deferred  deportation  action  to  dream  eligible,   undocumented  students.    The  phones  were  flooded  with  very  ignorant  and  myopic  comments,  which   were  overwhelming.    People  would  say,  “those  illegals  don’t  deserve  amnesty  only  because  they’re   young,”  or,  “I  waited  my  turn  in  line,  why  can’t  they!”    Being  a  person  who  is  passionate  about  specific  
  • 6. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  6     issues  that  relate  to  immigration  reform,  I  had  to  hold  myself  back  from  allowing  the  person  on  the   other  end  to  get  a  piece  of  my  mind.        If  I  wanted  to  keep  my  job,  I  had  to  keep  my  thoughts  to  myself.     People  who  exhibit  rational  ignorance  and  do  not  conduct  the  necessary  research  have  no  right  to   slander  or  attack  certain  ideas.    Since  the  freedom  of  speech  is  so  highly  valued  in  the  United  States,  I   suppose  that  everyone  is  entitled  to  his  or  her  own  opinion.       For  the  first  couple  of  weeks  I  kept  inquiring  in  my  mind  when  the  real  work  would  begin.    It   finally  did  when  we  were  paired  up  with  a  legislative  assistant  that  works  on  various  issues.    Being   interested  in  the  topics  of  the  national  budget,  immigration  reform,  and  education  I  was  paired  up  with   Simon  Tafoya;  a  legislative  assistant  who  dealt  with  these  issues  and  more.    I  was  to  work  with  the   target  market  of  my  choosing  to  focus  on  means  rather  than  the  complete  ends  to  specific  “problems”.       Our  duties  collaborating  with  the  legislative  assistants  consisted  of  gathering  information  about   various  issues  occurring  in  our  state  and  at  the  national  level  that  related  to  the  target  markets  we   chose.    We  would  go  to  hearings  from  different  House  and  Senate  committees,  conveying  information   on  how  various  offices  were  working  on  these  present  matters.    Coordinating  attention  to  media  efforts   was  also  an  integral  part  of  the  research  being  conducted  on  pending  issues.    We  would  gain  a  general   consensus  on  what  was  being  done  or  the  work  that  was  lacking  towards  a  resolution.    One  example   that  I  specifically  worked  on  was  the  efforts  of  Metropolitan  State  University  in  persuading  the  Colorado   legislature  to  pass  the  ASSET  Bill.      The  bill  would  allow  for  undocumented  students  to  pay  “Standard-­‐ Rate  Tuition”  that  is  slightly  more  than  in-­‐state  tuition,  yet  lower  than  out-­‐of-­‐state  tuition  to  all  publicly   funded  higher-­‐education  institutions.       Addressing  issues  that  had  not  arisen  yet  was  a  difficult  task,  for  no  one  had  championed  the   thought  or  planning  of  these  issues;  yet  it  was  necessary  to  carry  out.    An  example  of  such  thought  was  a   method  to  offer  firefighters  comprehensive  coverage,  whom  were  so  avidly  fighting  the  vigorous  fires   that  were  plaguing  Colorado  during  the  summer.    Firefighters  are  considered  by  the  State  of  Colorado  to  
  • 7. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  7     be  seasonal  workers  and  therefore  have  no  health-­‐insurance  coverage.    Many  were  being  injured  and   putting  their  lives  on  the  front  lines  to  save  the  breath-­‐taking  terrain  that  Colorado  offers.    This  is  why   our  office  first  championed  legislation  that  would  allow  for  fire  fighters  to  get  comprehensive-­‐health   coverage.    With  much  of  this  research  I  was  helping  to  provide  the  building  blocks  of  the  foundation  for   future  legislation  that  would  greatly  impact  many  constituents.       In  some  instances  our  attention  and  research  was  required  because  we  had  expertise  or   experience  with  regards  to  a  specific  topic.    Since  much  of  the  legislation  that  is  proposed  requires   extensive  research  to  understand  the  entire  picture,  legislators  do  not  know  all  the  answers.    I  never   thought  that  my  experience  would  help  the  case  on  the  Senator’s  renewable  energy  initiatives,  for   which  he  was  campaigning.    The  Wind  Production  Tax  credit  was  up  for  renewal  and  the  Senator  Udall   was  advocating  and  imploring  his  colleagues  to  not  allow  this  tax  credit  to  expire.    Wind  energy  is  a  vital   part  of  the  Colorado  economy,  a  young  industry  that  seems  very  promising.    When  I  was  in  high  school  I   participated  in  a  dual-­‐credit  enrollment  at  Northeastern  Junior  College.    Northeastern  Junior  College  was   special  in  that  it  was  the  only  public  institution  that  provided  a  wind-­‐energy  program.    Wind  energy  is  a   continually  growing  prospect  in  Northeastern,  rural  Colorado  where  I  am  from.    I  knew  many  facts  about   the  program  and  spoke  to  my  contacts  there  to  receive  more  information  on  the  program.    With  the   research  I  was  able  to  attain  and  the  experience  of  attending  the  NJC  campus  allowed  the  senator  to   make  a  convincing  argument  that  detailed  if  this  wind  production  tax  credit  expired,  Colorado  and  many   states  alike  would  lose  a  vital  industry.                 Many  of  these  research  efforts  and  duties  carried  out,  I  explained  as  the  utilization  of  human   capital  to  be  a  medium  for  information.  I  as  the  intern  am  human  capital  used  in  an  economic  model  for   public  policy.    Human  capital  is  described  to  include  education,  experience,  knowledge,  and  job  skills   (Arnold,  2008).    By  being  educated  on  the  opinions  of  others  and  researching  concepts  I  acted  as  a  
  • 8. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  8     conduit  to  convey  the  information  to  those  higher  in  the  chain  of  command,  so  that  they  may  use  this   information  to  put  action  into  play.       When  we  were  not  busy  at  work  we  would  be  guilty  of  taking  part  in  shirking.  Shirking  in  the   office  setting  was  not  frowned  upon  since  we  were  unpaid  staff.  To  my  surprise  it  was  actually   encouraged.      We  could  attend  any  functions  we  so  pleased  on  Capitol  Hill.    A  historic  event  that  took   place  this  summer  was  the  upheld  legislation  of  the  Affordability  Care  Act,  formally  known  as   “Obamacare”,  by  the  U.S.  Supreme  Court.    Witnessing  the  media  crews,  protestors,  and  numerous   stakeholders  coming  to  see  the  commotion  was  quite  a  sight.    This  event  was  in  the  interest  of  everyone   since  the  Affordability  Care  Act  would  reform  the  health  care  industry,  as  we  knew  it.    The  days   following  the  event  many  constituents  called  to  state  that  their  elasticity  to  the  proposition  was  not  high   at  all,  complaining  the  legislation  would  cost  even  more  money  in  the  way  of  a  tax.    They  failed  to  see   how  this  piece  of  legislation  passed  in  2010  was  beneficial  for  the  State  of  Colorado  by  means  of   marginal  returns  the  American  people  would  receive.   Gaining  a  better  perspective  into  the  complex  process  of  getting  legislation  passed  was  an   excellent  way  to  observe  the  true  behavior  of  politics.    The  behavior  of  politics  can  beyond  doubt  be   unpredictable  and  ever  changing.    A  major  issue  that  was  reoccurring  in  the  Senate  and  House  was  the   partisan  gridlock  between  republicans  and  democrats.    While  the  Democrats  were  trying  to  compromise   on  much  of  the  legislation  that  was  proposed  and  voted  on,  the  republicans  were  being  resistant  by   voting  against  or  drawing  the  motion  of  filibustering.    It  would  appear  that  the  republicans  formed  a   cartel  together  between  many  members.    They  decreased  output  by  means  of  votes  on  voting  “yea”   towards  a  specific  bill.    They  increased  the  price  of  their  vote  to  not  compromise  with  democrats.    The   democrats  would  have  to  vote  in  the  republicans  favor  to  gain  their  attention;  it  was  that  or  the   impeachment  of  President  Obama.    This  statement  is  not  absolute  to  all  republicans;  nevertheless   progress  was  dwindling.          
  • 9. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  9     Special  interest  groups  did  not  help  the  case  since  they  were  constantly  present  to  fight  for  their   own  self-­‐interest  on  making  money.    Due  to  their  interference,  many  decisions  were  being  made  at  the   margin  when  time  came  to  vote.    Many  indifference  sets  were  made  at  the  conclusion  of  legislation   since  all  the  proposed  amendments  yielded  almost  the  same  result  as  the  original  idea.    Indifference   sets  are  said  to  be  group  of  bundles  (amendments)  of  two  or  more  goods  that  give  an  individual   (constituents)  equal  total  utility  (Arnold,  2008).       Voting  went  one  way  or  another  for  the  reason  that  all  members  of  congress  would  weigh  their   comparative  advantage  towards  their  individual  pursuits  against  what  the  people  desired.    Logrolling   occurred  constantly  since  many  members  of  congress  would  indicate  they  would  vote  in  one  way  but   vote  in  another.    Logrolling,  which  is  described  as  “the  exchange  of  votes  to  gain  support  for  legislation”,   is  a  rather  smart  move  because  a  vote  is  the  only  thing  to  bargain  with  when  it  comes  to  that  individuals   future  prospects.    Having  high  positions  of  power  allows  for  members  of  congress  to  act  on  their  own   discretion.    Politicians  hold  asymmetric  information  in  ample  amounts  on  categories  such  as  voting,   national  security,  and  committees.    The  asymmetric  information  that  the  seller  (member  of  congress)  in   the  market  exchange  has  and  the  buyer  (American  constituents)  does  not  have,  gives  politicians  the   upper  hand.         The  behavior  of  relationships,  which  I  created  in  the  office,  allowed  me  to  see  where  economic   theory  would  fit  in  the  minimalist  of  interactions.    We  as  interns  came  primarily  from  the  state  of   Colorado,  with  the  exception  of  three.    We  all  attended  different  universities  across  the  nation.    Many  of   my  fellow  interns  held  more  experiences  as  their  parents  were  more  politically  inclined.  A  large  income   inequality  between  all  the  interns,  determined  if  one  was  politically  inclined  or  not,  and  who  has  the   privileged  of  different  experiences.    I  would  have  to  put  myself  at  the  bottom  of  the  income  inequality   scale.    Sometimes  I  felt  inadequate  for  I  did  not  know  information  that  many  did.    I  rationalized  that   even  though  I  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  income  distribution  scale,  due  to  my  background,  I  did  not  fret  
  • 10. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  10     since  this  outlined  knowledge  by  experience.    We  were  all  equal  when  it  came  to  competency.  There  are   still  many  barriers  to  entry  for  myself  to  a  market  of  success,  nonetheless,  I  am  headstrong  in  following   my  pursuit  to  enter  and  succeed  in  that  market.                   I  never  really  understood  that  a  current  structure  such  as  the  U.S.  Senate  would  demonstrate   different  areas  of  economic  theory  or  concepts.    Traditional  economics  dictates  how  we  can  measure   theory  with  totals,  averages,  and  aggregate  outcomes;  actual  numbers  and  graphical  models.    Today  we   still  rely  on  traditional  economics,  meanwhile  as  a  society  and  economists  have  witnessed,  behavior  of   the  stakeholders  plays  a  just  as  important  role.    The  first  concept  that  was  proposed  in  the  initial  paper   outlines  the  Invisible  Hand  Theory  constructed  by  Adam  Smith.    This  concept  falls  inline  with  the  mission   of  the  government  because  it  was  invoked  for  the  well  being  of  people.    For  those  who  are  involved  with   government,  their  primary  goal  is  to  impact  the  nation  at  large  in  one-­‐way  or  another.    The  theory  of   what  is  seen  and  what  is  not  seen  dictates  that  the  decisions  we  make  may  have  future  ramifications.   Respective  government  offices,  to  avoid  negative  effects  in  the  future,  conduct  a  considerable  amount   of  market  research.    When  negative  effects  befall  the  American  people,  reinforcements  are  experienced,   that  hopefully  teach  them  to  think  twice  about  their  choices.    Constituents  that  demonstrate  rational   ignorance  are  puzzled  by  the  concept  of  choice  given  by  their  free  liberties.    Sometimes  this  becomes   quite  a  burden  it  is  baffling,  that  is  why  the  task  is  delegated  to  those  who  fish  in  a  pond  that  contains   the  all-­‐around  decisions.    Since  most  of  the  American  populous  is  uneducated,  the  decisions  are  left  up   to  those  who  have  the  educational  capacity  to  determine  what  will  serve  benefits.    The  intern   experience  at  the  U.S.  Senate  is  reinforced  with  the  theory  expressed  because  this  behavior  was   observed  in  that  specific  environment.   It  is  astonishing  to  see  how  economics  dictates  so  many  of  our  interactions  in  contemporary   society  today.    The  main  cause  to  this  observation  is  the  reality  of  capitalism,  and  how  it  has  evolved   throughout  the  existence  of  our  nation.    Due  to  the  increasing  demands  and  inequality  that  capitalism  
  • 11. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  11     has  left,  state  intervention  was  necessary  to  foster  a  welfare  state  within  a  developing  nation   (Schweickart,  2011).    Individuals  are  all  referred  to  exhibit  the  behavior  of  the  economic  man,  which   refers  to  the  assumption  that  human  beings  are  calculating,  amoral,  and  self-­‐interested  (Bowles  et  al,   2005).    Even  though  state  intervention  is  present  within  the  working  structure  of  our  nation  and  society,   the  open  free  markets  allow  for  the  free  opportunity  to  succeed  as  an  entrepreneur.    The  world  is   viewed  through  three-­‐dimensional  economics  that  consist  of  competition,  command,  and  change;  these   three  aspects  are  what  make  us  tick.    The  drive  to  excel  in  the  market  and  become  successful  may  be   argued  by  the  concept  of  Social  Darwinism,  which  creates  winners  and  losers  by  survival  of  the  fittest  in   society  (Schweickart,  2011).    Without  these  two  categories  of  players,  the  system  would  not  be  allowed   to  function.    Who  is  to  blame  about  economic  down  turn,  the  government  or  the  free  market?  During   the  financial  crises,  it  is  thought  that  the  banks  led  a  financial  coup  de  ta  against  the  United  States  and   its  citizens  from  falling  out  of  the  market  and  being  a  big-­‐time  player.    The  mere  existence  and   conditioning  of  human  beings  to  power  the  monster  that  we  call  “capitalism”  seems  apparent  as  time   goes  on.       Interactions  between  people  mean  the  terms  of  exchange.    Society,  as  a  whole,  functions  this   way.    Since  economics  relies  on  totals,  averages,  and  relationships  it  is  blind  to  the  interactions  between   people  and  the  idea  of  choice.    Experience  should  be  preferred  over  cold,  narrow  calculated  numbers   and  totals.    The  Paradox  of  Choice  is  difficult  to  deconstruct  because  the  interpersonal  utility   comparison  explains  that  the  utility  of  one  may  not  be  the  same  as  another.    A  motive  for  choice  of   many  constituents  may  be  the  upcoming  election  and  who  the  people  elect  to  change  the  economic   structure  by  utilizing  their  power  of  the  title  they  uphold.    The  best  area  to  use  three-­‐dimensional   economics  is  change.    Change  is  how  one  can  get  involved  to  create  reform  where  it  is  duly  needed.    We   are  all  residual  claimants  of  all  collective  work  done  in  public  policy  in  one  form  or  another.    The  idea  of   deconstruction  of  the  system  as  ones  own  can  be  the  determination  needed  to  bring  about  that  change,  
  • 12. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  12     then  again  the  system  already  rules  the  people.    If  one  cannot  beat  the  system,  then  join  it  but  drive  it  in   a  new  direction  that  would  benefit  many.    Reform  and  change  take  time,  so  the  efforts  of  many  will  be   the  catalyst  for  those  future  goals  and  milestones  accomplished.    Even  though  my  home  state  witnessed   a  thirsty  drought,  ravaging  fires,  and  fallen  citizens  of  a  massacre,  I  recognized  that  I  was  able  to  make  a   positive  change  following  my  pursuit  to  become  engaged  in  the  political  sphere.    Since  we  have  become   socialized  to  contribute  to  the  system,  if  I  hadn’t  taken  this  position  someone  else  would  have.    Alfred   Marshall  said  it  quite  eloquently  when  he  described  the  system  of  economics.    “Economics…is  not  a   body  of  concrete  truth,  but  rather  an  engine  for  the  discovery  of  concrete  truth.    Being  a  part  of  this   engine  as  an  intern  allowed  for  the  discovery  of  that  concrete  truth!                                  
  • 13. Running  Head:  WITNESSED  ECONOMIC  THEORY  THROUGH  INTERSHIP  EXPERIENCE  13     References:   Arnold,  Roger  A..  Microeconomics.  9th  ed.  Mason,  OH:  South-­‐Western  Cengage  Learning,   2010.  Print.   Bastiat, Frédéric. Selected Essays on Political Economy. Seymour Cain, trans. 1995. Library of Economics and Liberty. Retrieved July 11, 2012 from the World Wide Web: http://www.econlib.org/library/Bastiat/basEss1.html Bowles,  Samuel,  Richard  Edwards,  and  Frank  Roosevelt.  Understanding  capitalism:   competition,  command,  and  change.  3rd  ed.  New  York:  Oxford  University  Press,   2005.  Print.   Krugman, P. R. (2012). Macroeconomics (3rd ed.). New York, N.Y: Worth Publishers. MacEwan,  Arthur.  Neo-­‐liberalism  or  democracy?:  economic  strategy,  markets,  and   alternatives  for  the  21st  Century.  London:  Zed  Books,  1999.  Print.   Pennington,  M.  P.  (2012,  January  10).  Can  Government  Solve  the  Paradox  of  Choice?  |   LearnLiberty.  LearnLiberty  |  Learn  about  the  ideas  of  a  free  society.  Retrieved   June  29,  2012,  from  http://www.learnliberty.org/videos/can-­‐government-­‐ solve-­‐paradox-­‐choice   Schweickart,  David.  After  capitalism.  2nd  ed.  Lanham,  Md.:  Rowman  &  Littlefield  Publishers,   2011.  Print.