Societal Challenges
Return to GC Chapters Societal Challenges List - See Institutions
1. Climate Change
2. Environmental
- Air
- Water
- Land Use, etc.
3. Systemic Racism
- Also called institutional or structural
- Jail Involved (20 million people)
- Drug Possession
- Addiction
5. Civil Justice
- Liberties
- Racial Discrimination
- Gender equality
- Sexual Orientation
6. Guns
7. Digitalization
- Data privacy
- Digital monopolies
- Online security
- Algorithmic bias
8. Digital Access & Competencies
- Telehealth
- Education
- Food and Consumer goods
9. Public Health
- Research, vaccinations, education (alcohol, tobacco)
- Worker safety standards, school nutrition
- Track Disease outbreaks, pandemics
- Promote guidelines and legislation (Smoking bans, air quality, seat belts) based on science.
10. Mental Health & Addictions
- Deaths of Despair (Suicide, Drug Overdose, Alcohol-related)
11. Health
- Individual health
- Manage chronic conditions - obesity,
12. Healthcare
- Affordability - Cost
- Access
- Healthcare Insurance
- Coordinated
- Health Outcomes
13. Nutrition
- Food
- Food deserts
14. Consumer Protections
- Products,
- Transportation
- Banking
- Home Loans
- Credit Cards
15. Public Safety
- Policing
- Law enforcement
- Fire
- Emergency Medical Services
16. Safety Net
- Food Stamps
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Worker's Compensation
- Unemployment
- Social Security disability benefits (SSDI)
- Medicaid & CHIP
- School Lunches
- Housing & Utilities support
17. National Security
- Homeland Security
- Cybersecurity
- Domestic Terrorism
- Military Threats
18. Globalization
- Governments Stability vs Values (i.e., Middle East, China, others)
- Global Conflicts
- Election Tampering
- Domestic Supply Chain
- Cyberseurity
19. Infrastructure
- Transportation – roads, bridges, etc.
- Energy - electricity, natural gas, etc.
- Water
- Broadband
- Cell Service
20. Energy
- Renewables
- Oil, Gas and Coal
- Distribution
21. Quality Neighborhoods
- Safety
- Parks
- Schools
- Food
22. Community Resources
- Social Capital (Alienated America)
- Churches
- Social Organizations
- Essential Services - Food, Consumables, Hospitals, Doctors, Mental Health
23. Taxes
24. Research
- Basic Science
- Climate Change
- Health - Cancer treatment discoveries
25. Retirement Security
- Retirement Income
- Social Security System
26. Political Polarization
- Functional Legislature
- Elections - fair
- Representitive Government
- Mission and Goals - reflect the people
27. Elections system
- Elections - fair
- Representitive Government
- Mission and Goals - reflect the people
28. Immigration
- Citizenship
- Worker Visas
- DACA
29. Economic Growth
- GDP, Jobs, etc.
30. Economic Sustainability
- Depletion of non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels, metals, and minerals
- Enough food, water and energy – that can support a human population
- Aging Population - Enough young to care for the old
- Workforce - farms, etc.
- Pandemic Disruptions
31. Jobs
- Future of Work
- Middle Income Jobs – Good Paying Jobs
- Labor Participation
32. Employment Protections
- Paid leave - Family, Sick with Covid-19 and need to come to work, can't go to doctor or take family member to doctor
- Gig Work - Employee vs. Contractor - need new classifications
- Workplace environment
- Workforce protections - discrimination, harrassment, etc.
33. Employment Transitions
- Job Loss
- Career advancement
- Job Disruptions (Change, AI, Automation, Robots) - global pandemic
- Retrain, redistribute, Universal Basis Income, reduce hours
34. Workforce Training
- Apprenticeship
- Job traing
- Trade schools
- Retraining and reskiling
- Certificates - Nearly 30 Percent of Workers in the U.S. Need a License to Perform Their Job
35. Entrepreneurship
- Small Business
- Business Start-ups
- Venture Capital
36. Child Care
- Affordable
37. Primary Education
- Cradle to full-time employment
38. College Education
- Student Loans
- Financial Aid
39. Homelessness
40. Housing
- Affordable
- Home Loans
41. Poverty
42. Wealth Inequality
- Individual
- Government
43. Income Inequality
44. Income mobility
45. Individual Well-Being
