<p>First practice SAT essay ever, so please be harsh and tell me what I inevitably messed up on!</p>
<p>I think I get verbose at times, and my handwriting (I typed it up from the sheets of paper), leaves much to be desired...O_O </p>
<p>The prompt: Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority?</p>
<p>Mahatma Gandhi, inspiring visionary and the father of India once said that "Healthy Discontent is the prelude to progress." When said these words, he meant that to improve or move forward, we must consider new ideas, ideas that will inevitably challenge the status quo and pave the way to new discoveries. By examining history and recent events, it is clear that great progress and gain can be made by following this ideology. The converse is also true- if we remain rigid and inflexible, regression is all but certain. Two examples of this can be seen in Gandhi's own fight against the crown as well as the 2011 debt crisis.</p>
<p>One important idea that has been proven time and time again is that authority is not always correct. The British Raj, in no wanted or supported India's independence. Why? Because of both self interest and ethnocentrism - the UK did not to leave such a plentiful and prosperous colony and also thought the Indian people incapable of self governance. When India gained it's independence after a lengthy fight that involved both civil strife and political wrangling, many predicted that India would fail. Instead, just half a century later, India has risen to great heights and is a potential superpower. Without the British exploiting India's resources, the Indian people could sell and process them independently and generate revenue. Additionally, without social restraints, countless Indians have been to college and India is in an excellent position to have a diverse, knowledge based economy that will surely lead to success in the future. </p>
<p>When people do not consider alternatives and blindly obey authority, we often see a lot of polarization that lead to inevitable demise. In August 2011, the two parties of the United States: Democrats and Republics were at odds over whether to raise the United State's debt ceiling. This ceiling was essentially the maximum amount of money that the U.S. is allowed to borrow. Due to tough economic times, the American government had been relying heavily on borrowing. Unfortunately, the Republican party, being staunchly opposed to government spending of any sort halted all efforts to bring a bill forward and refused to even hear out dissenting opinions. The rank and file of the party followed the leaders: Speaker Boehner and Whip Eric Cantor and halted negotiations to the last hour. Indeed, this unanimous support of simply shutting out any possibilities for a compromise led to a hasty and half hearted agreement just half an hour prior to the deadline. This bill did not satisfy unbiased creditors who ultimately stripped America of it's prized Triple A credit rating, which could've had disastrous implications for an already reeling economy.</p>
<p>In conclusion, by not questioning authority and the status quo, we leave ourselves open to blindly acting in away that could harm us as well as our nation. By questioning ideas and exploring alternatives, just as Gandhi and other leaders of the Indian independence movement did, we can improve both the present and the future.</p>