From presidential year politics to the ways we communicate, from economics to medical breakthroughs and trends in the food we eat, some of our campus experts shared their thoughts on what may lie ahead in 2012. Read what David Cohen, Therese Lueck, Willa Gibson, Mark Kent, Bill Hauser and Rebecca Kuntz Willits had to say.
David Cohen
Prediction: Regarding the state of American politics, 2012 will look an awful lot like 2011 — with an emphasis on awful.
By Dr. David B. Cohen, professor of political science and fellow, Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics
Gridlock will reign as candidates and parties jockey for position in a presidential election year. Nothing of substance will get through the woefully dysfunctional and unpopular Congress, whose public approval rating reached historic lows in 2011. Partisanship will continue to conquer the public good. Record amounts of money will flow into political campaigns, as 2012 will be the first presidential election year since the 2010 Citizens United decision wreaked havoc on the campaign finance system.
If the economy improves or is perceived to be improving by the summer of 2012, President Barack Obama will likely win a second term. If the economy worsens or is perceived to have worsened by next summer, the president will face a significant challenge. Of course, a lot will depend upon who the Republican nominee is — some will be tougher to beat than others. But that’s another prediction for another day…
Therese Lueck
Prediction: National political campaigns and the global economy will prove to be catalysts for the explosion of citizen journalism.
By Dr. Therese Lueck, professor of communication and president of the American Journalism Historians Association
Historically, politics and economics drive the news, and 2012 promises to be a stellar year for those trends. Technological innovation also influences the stories we tell and how we tell them. The questions become how the cultural narrative will take shape and what shape it will take.
Professional journalists have a code of ethics that, ideally, they apply to each unique situation. But what is ethical behavior when your neighbor is the person gathering the information? What constitutes privacy? How is accuracy determined? Who decides?
A 24/7 news cycle and the ubiquitous mobile ability to capture events have expanded journalism beyond the newsroom and beyond the profession itself. Acting as citizen journalists, audiences will be more involved in generating accounts of crises and community events. With fierce competition for audiences and advertisers, along with the decline of traditional pre-publication editing, the momentary exclusive will be valued, with stories evolving as they are shared.
Willa Gibson
Prediction: The persistent geopolitical uncertainty associated with the "new spring" in the Middle East, the populist uprising in Russia, and the massive debt problems of several members of the European Union will significantly impact our domestic and global economy.
By Willa Gibson, Dean's Club Professor of Law; teaches Antitrust Law, Corporations Law, Law and Economics, and Secured Transactions Law
Of particular concern in 2012 will be the continued vitality of the Euro in light of the Euro debt problems. These uncertainties will weigh heavily on the financial markets in the United States and throughout Asia and Europe. The uncertainties will particularly play havoc in the U.S. in the area of oil and food prices in light of our own country’s debt problems, and will, most likely, continue to stymie financial growth in our business and construction sectors, which are still reeling from the financial crisis of 2008.
While Main Street's woes may continue to persist, the persistent uncertainties in the global economy will most likely spur Wall Street market participants to hedge against, speculate about, and arbitrage because of these uncertainties in a manner that will significantly inure to their financial benefit, even though such actions can tend to further global uncertainties.
Mark Kent
Prediction: Demand for locally sourced meats and produce will continue to grow.
By Chef Mark Kent, operations manager of UA's Crystal Room Restaurant and a 2011 American Academy of Chefs Academy Fellow
In 2011, people became very interested in knowing where their food came from. Chefs have picked up on this theme and you will see an even greater amount of information on menus as to where the food is being sourced.
The benefits are tremendous. By sourcing local you have a much fresher product, it helps the local economy, it cuts back on transportation costs and fuel consumption, and it allows the chef to have a little more control over the specifications of the food item. There are many more partnerships being developed between chefs and farmers today. On the community level, we are seeing an explosion of farmers markets, where product is harvested in the morning and can be at your dinner table that night. Not only is that exciting, but it has the added health benefits to go along with it.
Bill Hauser
Prediction: Social Media in 2012: Continued Exponential Growth, but at What Cost?
By Dr. Bill Hauser, director, Suarez Applied Marketing Research Laboratories and associate professor, marketing and international business
Social media has become an integral set of global communication tools covering the gamut from recreational postings to business transactions. Exponential growth will continue at high viral velocity in 2012. Currently popular media, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, will continue to enhance their services, but they are already light years old in viral terms. Expect new offerings in 2012 that may revolutionize the entire area.
At the same time, 2012 will start a trend among states to finally address the darker side of social media by enacting laws specifically targeted at social media crimes, such as identity theft, cyber stalking and even worse.
Finally, 2012 will be the year of "personal branding" as users learn that the word social in social media means that just about everything they post is public record. Seemingly harmless, but unprofessional postings, even among friends, can seriously impact (think especially of employment) one's personal brand now and in the future. It remains to be seen whether the cultural lag between viral communication technologies and the human behaviors will diminish, but expect changes in laws and norms in 2012 to help give it needed direction.
Rebecca Kuntz Willits
Prediction: The health of our population, and our economy, will increasingly benefit from the advances being made in the biomedical sciences and engineering.
By Dr. Rebecca Kuntz Willits, Margaret F. Donovan Endowed Chair for Women in Engineering and associate professor of biomedical engineering
Recently, the United States has recognized that the promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to our youth is critical to maintaining our global leadership position in technology and building our economy. However, the use of the word 'scientist' has been made to be a negative word in many political realms, particularly when science disagrees with a political opinion.
As our population ages and our economy struggles, the emergence of novel medical technology and innovations is important to a wide range of people. Therefore, science, engineering, technology and mathematics will be embraced as a mechanism of re-starting our economy in the upcoming presidential debates.