Apparently, America’s STEM is more of a dropping leaf. STEM means science, technology, engineering, and math; the number of graduates under these fields is dropping. In fact, this issue has been noted for a few years now. Back in 2005, fifteen business groups pushed for doubling the number of such graduates in the next ten years, until the year 2015. This number, 400,000, is nowhere being met; with only an average of 225,000 STEM graduates, America’s technological competitiveness is being lost.
However, technological competitiveness means more to others than most, and these “others” are so concerned because they see the big picture that America does, and should continue to represent, in a different lens. Technological determinism, the idea that technology has a cause and effect sequence that runs history by means of politics, social aspects, education, etc., is why many are on edge for the dull STEM statistics. Without America influencing the technological determinism of Earth, America loses its influence period—fashion, politics, everything and anything.
“‘The concern that CEOs have is if we wait for a Sputnik-like event, it’s very hard to turn around and get moving on the kind of timeline we would need,’” said…Susan Traiman, director of education and work force policy for the Business Roundtable, an organization of corporate CEOs,… referring to the Soviet Union’s launch of the first artificial satellite in 1957, which prompted a massive U.S. commitment to science investment.” This quote from the article, found at , shows the kind of pressure America has to remain a superpower.