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| COURSE CONNECTOR |
| ARTICLE SUMMARIES AND QUESTIONS |
| "Satan
or Savior," pp. 86-106: How does the attorney general
of a single state become one of the most powerful political forces
in America? Simple — take on the big boys no one has the
resources or guts to challenge. Since elected to his post in 1998,
New York's Eliot Spitzer has exposed corruption, fraud, and negligence
on Wall Street, in the insurance industry, and among pharmaceutical
companies, just to name a few of his targets. In the process, he's
managed to shame federal regulators, transform industries, and
make CEOs quake. All that gumption has understandably earned him
a reputation for toughness, a quality that should stand him in
good stead as he sets his sights on the governorship. To reach
that goal, however, Spitzer will first have to defend against allegations
that he has overstepped the bounds of his position, and even worse,
that he is "anti-business." Spitzer's response to the accusations?
He's simply looking out for the little guy, and if that means confronting
the powerful and politically connected, then so be it. The message
seems to be getting across — early polls have suggested he
can thrash any prospective Republican opponent he might face. If
he succeeds in doing so, don't expect his political aspirations
to end at the governor's mansion. Albany may just be a stepping
stone on the journey to Pennsylvania Avenue. Students will see how Eliot Spitzer's quest to uncover and correct large-scale injustices has made him an immensely powerful — and popular — public servant. Discussion Questions:
"Get a Life," pp. 108-124: Here's a tough choice. Imagine you're offered a high-powered, high-pressure job for which you'll easily pull down seven figures a year. In return for all that wealth and prestige, you'll sacrifice 80 hours a week, most of your weekends and even vacations. Your spouse and kids will virtually need an appointment to see you, and everyone else had better take a number. So, would you accept the job? Surprisingly, more and more top performers are politely declining. Seems they've discovered there's life outside of work, and they're willing to take less compensation in exchange for more free time. While it's no secret that women have been asking for a better deal at work for years, men have only recently begun to join their ranks and demand a better balance between their personal and professional lives. Business leaders who hope to meet prospective talent halfway on these issues must view efforts to humanize senior jobs as a competitive advantage, rather than a detriment. They also need to realize that work at the top can be retooled without sacrificing progress. And finally, they must create an environment in which it is safe to talk about these very issues without jeopardizing one's career. This article shows how the 24/7 job may be on its way out, to be replaced by a more workable and ultimately more productive work-life balance. Discussion Questions:
"It's His Economy Now — And Yours," pp. 126-130: With the upcoming departure of long-time Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, Fed watchers are taking their best guesses at how his likely successor, Ben Bernanke, will run the nation's central bank. Greenspan was heralded as an economic genius during the heydays of the 1990s, but he himself has been trying to explain lately that it wasn't all his doing. Many things outside the Fed's control have changed to make its job — and that of central banks around the world — a lot easier. Increasing integration of the global economy, the decline of labor unions, deregulation, new communication and production technologies, and the rising power and diversity of financial markets have all combined to keep inflation under control and to render the economy far less susceptible to shocks like sudden increases in energy prices. Instead of the sharp swings in economic activity that characterized the U.S. before the 1980s, we now have economic boomlets and bustlets happening all the time, in different industries and different regions. So what does this all mean for Bernanke? Frankly, that he probably can't mess things up all that much. That's good for him, but not necessarily for us. No matter how successful the Fed is at maintaining stable prices — and it has been for some time now — Bernanke won't have control over the economic issues that affect Americans most, including wages and salaries, health care, and retirement. In this article, students will look at how transition at the top of the Federal Reserve will — or won't — affect the national economic picture. Discussion Questions:
" Meet the Next Disney," pp. 205-214: You may never have heard of Shanda Interactive Entertainment, but if its founder and CEO, Chen Tianqiao, has his way, it will be a household name in five years. Currently China's biggest gaming company, Shanda specializes in online role-playing games that draw thousands of players together in virtual worlds. The company has doubled its revenues every year since it was founded in 2001, reaching $61.7 million in the third quarter of 2005. But the very features that make Shanda's games so addictive — their violence, their ability to shunt the real world aside — make them unpopular with parents and the government. So Chen has other, bigger plans for his company, and he's racing to transform Shanda into a more broadly based entertainment conglomerate. Over the past year Shanda has taken the $150 million it raised in its public offering and another $275 million from the sale of convertible bonds and bought several companies, many beyond the realm of online gaming. Chen's biggest bet is on a new set-top box called EZ Station, designed to bring the Internet to the country's 370 million televisions. To Chen, a marriage of broadband with television could bring Shanda to those who might not frequent a cybercafe or use a home computer. It's a high-stakes gamble, but Chen likes his odds. The way he sees it, if the company continues to double its value for the next five years, he will have reached his dream of catching up to Disney. Students will analyze how Chen Tianqiao is chasing after a formidable goal of becoming the next Disney. Discussion Questions:
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