With one of the most questionable US Presidential Races being held tomorrow, on the eighth of November, we thought we should examine a couple of key parts of both Clinton’s as well as Donald Trump’s policies related to technology and tech-incubation in general.
Today’s dynamic and competitive global economy requires absolutely fool proof and an ambitious national commitment to policies with regard to technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Over the last year, since campaigning started, Hillary Clinton has amassed a legion of tech and telecom advisors onto her panel with participation peeking at over a hundred experts and individuals. Her main ideal is to harness the power of technology within the United States itself, creating a better hot pool of jobs in the country. Technology can be used as a force for broad based growth, along with reducing social and economic equality.
Her four-point plan on Technology can be simplified as follows:
- Invest in computer science and STEM education – nurturing leaders of the future and harnessing a new global technological revolution driven by young leaders
- Provide every student in America an opportunity to learn computer science – sound a little far-fetched but it also happens to be a part of the Obama Administration’s Every Student Succeeds Act, or the ESSA
- Increase Access to Capital for Growth-Oriented Small Businesses and Start-Ups, with a Focus on Minority, Women, and Young Entrepreneurs – Technological innovation is often led by small companies that change a particular trend; however, the cluster of bank loans that have been offered to small businesses has gone down by 60 percent
- Defer student loans to young entrepreneurs – Another plan aimed at charging the next technological revolution from base down
Now when it comes to our other Presidential candidate, Donald Trump, things seem a little, if not quite bleak at the technology and innovation frontier. The Trump campaigns policies on technologies aim to consolidate current systems and innovation before moving through with other proposals. Donald Trump’s policies aim to strengthen the already present infrastructure before moving forward, an approach that has benefits as well as a couple of downsides. The benefits of employing such an approach include the establishment of America’s technological superiority along with the procurement of the title of being an international technological hub. One of the most worrying downsides though, is that not many new ideas with regard to this sphere may remain dormant.
The Trump campaign propagated for fair trade with China with special emphasis on the technological realm. Apart from this, Trump has expressed skepticism for both the social as well as the economic value of the tech sector. He has frequently seemed hostile or uncomprehending towards both the free flow of information, arguably the sector’s driving principle, and the concept of consumer privacy protection. He proposed “closing the parts of the Internet where ISIS is”— which he believed Bill Gates could help him with — and called those concerned about the freedom of speech implications of such a move “foolish people.”
Donald Trump’s goals with regard to the technological front can be surmised as:
- Building up and fortifying of existing innovation and technological platforms
- Incubating technological growth with respect to the socio economic realm to boost the dominance of America with regard to propaganda and innovation
- Harbor a completely new system that emphasizes the advent of innovation from the grass root level
Impact on India:
With regard to the Clinton policy, India will benefit with the advent of easy job procurement and less volatility in the technological sector. American innovation campaigns will also be emphasized on through bilateral talks. This will decrease the economic burden, while increasing avenues and outlets for new ideas.
On the other hand, the Trump campaign will also lead to a substantial increase in the free-trade culture and the procurement of newly inaugurated startups by technological giants. This will have a positive impact on India’s already growing startup culture, and is an answer to the increasing skepticism hitting the Trump campaign.
Disclaimer:
The above article voices the personal opinion of a single writer. Any opinion or view on the technological or other front may not be the view of the organization as a whole, and is not meant to harm or disrespect anyone in any manner whatsoever.
