Essay Prompts - The Surveillance State, and The Future of Work in a Tech-Based Economy
This medium-length (3-5 pages) essay shall cite a minimum of three sources, and involve a topic based on one of these two prompts (or a closely related topic):
* What does the State (or Corporatocracy) get to know about you, and how should they be allowed to use that information? Conversely, what should you be allowed to know about this information being gathered about us and how governments and corporation use that information? Are people and groups who expose details of the Surveillance State, such as Wikileaks and Edward Snowden, performing a public service, or are they performing unethical acts that should be condemned and punished?
* Economists Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee claim that technology is driving a "Great Decoupling" of economic growth and employment, in that employers are now more and more inclined to use technology instead of hiring employees. Agriculture and manufacturing have already undergone this transformation, while other industries were hiring to offset these losses before the 21st century. But have we now reached a "tipping point" where demand for labor will no longer keep up with supply, causing a permanent level of unemployment? Is the traditional economic contract of work for pay in need of revision to avoid a "hollowing out" of the economic middle class? If so, what should society do to address this? If not, what will be the new labor markets of the 21st century?