At a time when the United States must take affirmative steps to secure its position as the world's leading economic power, our nation has failed to tackle its fiscal imbalance and neglected key areas of investment: we have a school system that fails to provide enough of its students with a world-class education; an infrastructure that is ill prepared for today's technological challenges; and a government that has not adapted to be as efficient and effective as today's world demands. Without a change in course, the lifetime prospects of today's younger Americans will be unnecessarily and unfairly inhibited—undermining the traditional vision of ever-increasing opportunity for succeeding generations.