Policies to Address the problem of U.S. oil dependency Research Paper

Policies to Address the problem of U.S. oil dependency - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that more than 150 years after the beginning of U.S. petroleum industry (since 1859), oil still is considered as the most strategic commodity. Given the limited capacity of oil reserves in the world and ever-increasing global demand for it, in recent decades oil has played a significant role in foreign policies of nations, especially those of great powers. Not surprisingly, oil has been an important factor in shaping bloody and costly conflicts, particularly since the World War II.   During the last decades of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, America was able to meet the country’s basic needs in the energy sector primarily by using its own oil reserves. However, by the end of the 1940s, â€Å"the United States began to rely on foreign oil to satisfy rising energy demand, and the proportion of imports has been rising more or less steadily ever since†. Today, according to U.S. Energy Information Administ ration (EIA), the United States is the largest oil consumer and consumes near 22% of the total production of oil in the world. That is equivalent to something about 18,771,000 barrels per day, of which about 9.7 million barrels (51%) are imported (on a net basis) from foreign countries. However, this dependency on oil is very costly and also is tightly linked to our national security due to both potential economic and political threats related to it.  

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 39

Case study - Essay Example It must be noted that at the present moment my career as well as family life are in harmony. On the one hand, I am able to pay sufficient amount of attention towards matter that contribute to my development as a professional. On the other hand, I feel that I always have to spend with my family and I can hardly recall any instances when I had to experience any difficulties because of work in terms of my work life balance. Nevertheless, if I think about the issue in question in the long run, I might point out that the mindset of corporate America does not really suit me when it comes to harmonizing work and family. I see that the government has taken a rather radical position with regard to maternity leave. I do acknowledge the fact that capitalism and free market by far constitute the fundamental beliefs of the American way of life; however, similar to many people, I am strongly convinced that the government is able to do better when it comes to caring after its citizens. If 160 other countries in the world were able to adopt a similar practice and did not collapse, then the United States might follow the suit as well (Shaw & Barry, 2015, 451). The question whether the United States should require companies to provide paid maternity leave is extremely controversial. On the one hand, this is exactly what people want it to. In spite of the fact that there are numerous generations of families who raised their children without paid maternity leave, the majority of the public feels that this might be a valuable contribution to their welfare. On the other hand, there is a considerable number of people who dislike socialism and would oppose to any elements of it being introduced into the capitalistic American society. That is why the government should not require companies to provide paid maternity leave as it would distort the economic environment within the country. In addition to that, if a company