H. B. 2580
(By Delegates J. Miller, Andes, Carmichael,
Porter, Blair, Ireland, Canterbury and Walters)
[Introduced February 18, 2009; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2-9a, relating to
preparing the youth of West Virginia to succeed in life by
providing them with an understanding of macroeconomics;
directing the State Board of Education to develop a program of
instruction on macroeconomics, emphasizing the basic
principles of capitalism.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended,
by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2-9a, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-2-9a. Required courses of instruction; violation and penalty.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that West Virginia
students with an understanding of macroeconomics will be better prepared to succeed in life. As citizens of the United States, our
West Virginia students will emerge from high school to enter the
great economic system known as capitalism. Given our students will
take part in capitalism for the rest of their lives, they must have
the proper understanding of how capitalism works. Further, the
United States of America was created as a capitalist nation, and
capitalism forms the bedrock of the United States Constitution and
of the United States' economy.
(b) Studying macroeconomics will provide the youth of West
Virginia with a basic understanding of capitalism. The principles
of free markets, free enterprise, competition and supply and demand
are central components of macroeconomics study. Learning these
basic principles of capitalism is essential because it will improve
our students' success within the system and make them better
citizens of not only their local community, state, and nation, but
of the world.
(c) To provide our students with this basic, yet essential
understanding of capitalism, the State Board of Education shall,
with the advice of the State Superintendent, develop a program of
instruction on macroeconomics. The curriculum should focus on the
basic principles of capitalism, the role capitalism played in the
founding of our country and the writing of the United States
Constitution, and the positive results capitalism has produced in
the United States by improving our citizens' quality of life. This course shall be taught in all public high schools in either grades
eleven or twelve.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to help better prepare the
youth of West Virginia to succeed in life by providing them with an
understanding of the great economic system known as capitalism.
This bill would direct the State Board of Education to develop a
program of instruction on macroeconomics, the curriculum to include
the basic principles of capitalism, the role capitalism played in
the founding of our country and the writing of the United States
Constitution, and the positive results capitalism has produced in
the United States by improving our citizens' quality of life.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.
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