Does common sense exist in the United States?

Does common sense exist in the United States?

Common sense is a phrase which is often mentioned in conversation but this trait seems to be missing in many areas of our society. The definition of common sense as stated in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is: “the ability to think and behave in a reasonable way and to make good decisions.” It also states that common sense is: sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the facts.” One important area which cannot be denied is in our federal government. The more money they get the more they spend. There needs to be a sound fiscal policy put in place where government does not spend more than it takes in. It involves decisions which need to be prioritized to meet the country’s needs and what citizens expect.

Government entities are places which common sense or the lack of it is more closely identified through media sources while in others it is us the voters asking the questions. Our national debt is growing by the hour and this needs to be reversed. The current economic environment may be partially to blame but the real issue is allocating the tax dollars being received with logical decisions which also seem to be lacking. We need to start reducing our debt not increasing it. The federal government needs to learn from some of the state governments fiscal policies that have been put in place and apply them to the process of operating the federal government.

One of the main problems facing our county is jobs and there currently is no action by Congress which has been put in place to create a business friendly environment. This includes our current tax structure which everyone agrees needs to be revamped. Energy independence is also a part of the problems facing our country. While it appears some actions have been generated by the House of Representatives regarding energy and jobs none have gone forward in the Senate. Here again the federal government is ignoring the obvious success of states that have made decisions to tap into the energy reserves within their borders. The federal government appears to be playing politics with its refusal to open federal land to increase production of our oil reserves by generating leases to companies who want to tap these resources.

Common sense or the lack of it is not limited to the federal and some state government but it applies to us as individuals. This election year as in years past we are bombarded with political ads bent on making their case to elect specific candidates. While there are individuals now serving us in Congress in both parties there are those who are not representing their constituents and the country. They keep following their party policies which in some cases are contrary to the needs of the country and specific areas they represent. In some cases the voters keep electing the same individuals to another term in their respective positions. In this respect we as voters do not appear to utilize common sense in these decisions.

Common sense decisions or the lack of it also exists in business decisions. Many decisions are made sometimes on a daily basis by management of companies or corporations. These decisions are difficult at times but decisions are sometimes made which lack a common sense approach based on public perception of the decisions.