In respect to globalization, how has your global perspective been expanded over the past several years, and what has caused that expansion?

Our global perspective has expanded over the years for a variety of reasons. One way that our global perspective has expanded is with the growth of businesses beyond our borders. We are realizing that we must be competitive internationally. This has become painfully clear, as companies have moved jobs overseas to save on labor costs. Workers in some other countries, such as Mexico, China, and India, are paid less than American workers. This has led to jobs being shipped overseas, and/ or American workers having to take pay and benefit cuts. It also means our calls to customer service or technical support centers may not be handled in the United States.

Another example of our expanding global perspective can be seen in the increase in the number of terrorist attacks throughout the world. Many of these recent attacks have occurred in places that normally haven’t experienced these attacks. France, Belgium, and Germany are some countries where these attacks have occurred. These recent attacks have required our government and the American people to be very vigilant because these attacks could occur here in the future. The attacks on September 11, 2001, in New York, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania made us realize we are vulnerable to possible terrorist attacks. The recent attacks have reminded us of this vulnerability. Fighting terrorism will take a global effort.

The impact of civil wars in other countries has also expanded our global perspective. We realize these conflicts create issues with refugees who want to come here to escape the strife in their homelands. We need to develop policies about how to handle these refugees. We also need to try to prevent the conditions that often help lead to the outbreak of civil wars. The issue with the Syrian refugees is one we are currently trying to face.

Finally, as we try to take actions to protect our environment, we realize this must be a global effort. Some countries have less restrictive rules regarding pollution. We are trying to work together with other countries to deal with issues such as global warming and pollution control. As the global climate changes, it will have an impact throughout the world. Global cooperation is needed to deal with these issues.