High school students must learn economic responsibility. Economic responsibility should not only be taught at school, but also at home. As we have seen in previous chapters, part of the reason we are in the mess we are in is due to excessive spending not only by individuals, but also by government. Arthur MacEwan states, “American consumers are dependent on credit and failing to look beyond the present” (2012, p. 6). As a consumer, the high school student must learn to look beyond what he sees. How will they pay the credit they took out if our country faces another recession and they find themselves unemployed? Businesses and families borrow money to start their businesses, to run their households and this amount has increased significantly in recent years. last two decades. According to John Miller, "in 1990, household debt was 60.2% and increased in 2010 to 92.5% and total business debt in 1980 was 53% while in 2010 it climbed to 74.3%” (2011, p. 36) In other words, our budgets are no more balanced than our governments without borrowing. Our government has borrowed and invested money in our economy in an attempt to get our economy moving in the right direction. Miller states: “In 2008, the U.S. government spent $253.8 billion on spending that will boost the productivity of the economy and help provide the tax revenue needed to service our national debt” (2011, p. 37 ). Our high school students need to be taught the appropriate times when to spend money and when to invest to improve their future. MacEwan points out that there are three areas that need to be addressed if we are to get our financial crisis under control. High school students should...... middle of article ......rld Economics (16th ed., p. 43, 46). Boston, MA: Economic Affairs Bureau, Inc. MacEwan, A. (2012). Inequalities, power and ideology. In J. Cypher, A. Reuss, & C. Sturr (Eds.), Current economic issues: Dollars & sense Real World Economics (16th ed., pp. 6, 8). Boston, MA: Economic Affairs Bureau, Inc. Miller, J. (2011). The government “lives within its means.” In J. Cypher, A. Reuss, & C. Sturr (Eds.), Current economic issues: Dollars & sense Real World Economics (16th ed., pp. 36-37). Boston, MA: Economic Affairs Bureau, Inc. Stanford, J. (2008). The economy for everyone: a short guide to the economics of capitalism. (p. 235). London: Pluto Press. Wolfson, M. (nd). The ideological attack on job creation. In J. Cypher, A. Reuss & C. Sturr (Eds.), Current economic issues: Dollars & sense Real World Economics (16th ed., pp. 38-40). Boston, MA: Bureau of Economic Affairs, Inc...