IN1.8 11111'2511111" 11111,6 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST. CHART NATIONAL BUREAU OF STAND,: 12963 A DOCUMENT RESUME ID 168. 868 SE 026 970 TITLE Getting a Better Understanding of the Metric System--Implications if Adopted by the kited States. Report to the Congress of the United States bythe Comptroller General.. ' INSTITUTION Comptroller General of the U.S., Washington, D.C. / BEFORT NO CED-78-128 PUB DATE 20 Oct 78 JDOTE 753p.; For related document,. see SE 026 971;Contains occasional small, light and broken type AVAILABLE FROM-Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 (Stock Number 020-000-00169-1; No price quoted) EDRS PRICE MF04/PC31 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Educational Policy; *Federal Legislation; - *Government Publications; Government Role; '*Mathematics Education;*Measurement; *Metrit System; Postsecondary Education IDENTIFIERS *GeneralAccounting.Office ABSTRACT . The question of whether-the United States' ,-..memsurement,system should be'changed is still unresolve4:1;This General Accounting Office (GAO) report. provides informationon Metrication,, and the issues involved...The resultsof GAO/is work is 'sumiariied in an ExecutiveSummary. The report contains recommendations to the United States SetricBoard andithe.Office-of Management and Budget to help implement current nationalpolicy in eccordincewith the. 1915 Act and is legislative historT;The report also.contains a number of recommendationS.regarding/otherspecific measurement activities. (MP) ********* * Reproductions snpplied:'WEDR/ i are the .best thatcan be made * *- . frOc,the or Pginal dotuient. 4******************************************************************** .. I0,g BY THE COMPTROLLER E\ERAL Report To The Congress-- Li OF THE U\ITED STATES LLI Getting: A.Better Understanding' Of The Metric- System-= U S OEPARTMENS OF WiALTH E & WELFARE' N AT IONAOUATIONL INSTITUTE OF Implications If Adopted EDUCATION (HIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN EPRO- [XED EXACTL AS RECFIVED FROM By The. United States THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN. riNG IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE- ENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF '1 EDUCATION POSITION OR-POLICY - Whether the Nation's measurement system' should be changedisa questionstillun- resolved. GAO has looked into the subject of metricotion--conversiontotheMetric. system ti measurement. This report-. prb- vides the Congress, the Administratioci, the newly formed U.S. Metric Board, andin, turnallAmericans witha better standing of the issues involved. CE D -78 -128 OCTOBER 20, 1978 ft COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON. D.C. 20548 To the President of the Senate and the. ..- Speaker of the House of Representatives -4-This report discloSes- the implications if the United States converts to .the metric system of weights and mea- Cures: Also, iit diSCusses the conversion experiences of other 'countties. Wemacle ()lir ,review pursuant to the Budget and ACcount- g /Nct,. 1921 (31' Ui:S.C. 53). a-- We -are .p,:eritUng copies of this report .t6 the Chairman ofthe U.S. 'Meefic, Boatd; 'Director,. Office of Management . and Budge.t;;theSectefaiies of Commerce, Transportation,* Treasury, aneHe4a1:th; ,Education, and Welfare;other Federal and State' giiiientosnt officials; and offiCials of Associa.,.- tions, and pritecoillpanies. 44 Comptroller General of the United. States 3 COMPTROLLER GENERAL'S .GETTING,A-BETTER UNDERSTANDING REPORT TO THE CONGRESS OF THE METRIC SYSTEM- IMPLICATIONS IF ADOPTED BY THE UNITED STATES DIGES.T THERE IS A LOT INVOLVED IN A CHANGE With the exception Of the Onite'd"Sates, anda 4 few small countries, the rest of the world has adopted or is in the process of adopting the metric. system._ So why shouldn't me,as a, Nation, join the' rest of the world adopting this logical Measurement system? sounds rea- sonable! But is it? Let's take a look. at what is involved. Metrication is much more than simply learnin4 and using the metric system; related ramifica- tions include -7determiding the best time to convert in order.to minimize costs; -agreeing on metric sizes; -designing, producing, and building in metric dimensions; - -training personnel in metric;. - -obtaPqing metric supplies; \-- - changing laws, regulations, brdina'nces, and codes to accommodate the metric system; -informing customers about metric products; and ,--remaining,coMpetitive in the marketplace. Converting to the metric system would mean'thinking, heaiing4 and seeing things; in metrics--such as distances interms of meters, volume in terms of!jiters, weight in terms of grams, and tetperatures in Celsius., It would mean new sizes forscrews and bolts; new diStances on maps; new weaghtt.on scales; new speed limits on highways;new tools to f Tear S t. Upon removal, the report CED-38-12A hereon. cover date should be nor CED-q8,-128a repair automobiles'anp other products;, new sizes for beverages food, and clothing; new recipes in the kitcfien; andrevised educational . Materials. Of. course, it does not mean that . all sizes, distances, and .weights actually would change (although a great many would); but the termOology and numbers used to express them would. The change would not necessarily be:sUdden and completel a AetriCation would. affect Americans at work, in school, at home, in shopping, and in their leisure activities. Every organization, firm, industry, and level of government would Teel -its impact. 'mpact would surprise. many Americans and affect them all in maqv and varied ways. No.country:with an economy. and . population anywhere near .the size of the United States has converted to the metric system. A DECISION HAS NOT BEEN MADE Many believe a dedision.has.already been made to adopt the metric system in the United States. In fact many think conversion is mandatory, .66Pedially small buiinesses and the general public. ReSponses to GAO's questionnaires that 42 showedpercent of the :sMall.businesseS and 30 percent of the building and constructio 'aesocia 'ohs, and, 23 percent of_the people contact41.,in. a public opinion pollconducted for 'GAO, believed conversion to the metric sys- , .tem is mandatory. Less than 20 percent knew what th'b national policy is. The.passage of the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, with ,its provision of establishing a U.S. Metric-Boafd, is cited by many as being.-.an official national .. commitment. Just the name'of the act connotes conversion. 'Despite.opinions and statements to the contrary, it is not ,the,Current-United States policy to convert from the present cus- tomary system to the- metric system. - The 1975 Act and its legislative history show the national policy is,not to,prefer one system over the other but to provide for either to be predominant. on the basis of the voluntary actions of-those affected. The Metric Board's responsibility under the act is to devise and carry outa broad Kogram '7/ of planning,. coordination, and public educa-ion, _consistent with other national policy and inter- ests, with the aim of implementing the policy set forth in the act. It is to serve as a XI focal point for voluntary conversions to the metric system.. The Board is not to advocate metrication but is to'assibt various sectors when., and if, they choose to convert. At the time this report went to print, the Board had /not become fully operational. THE. INEVITABILPTY.tYNDROME There is insufficient evidence to support or refute the belief by. some that conversion to the metric system by the United States is inevitable. A majority-of the large and-Atall bueinetSes and building and construction associations responding to GAO's questionnaires believe conversion to the metric system is inevitable for their industries.. Also, a majority of State governments believe metrication is inevitable: for themselves. ,These beliefs, as much as any perceived bene-- . fit, have been a principal impetus for conver- . sign activity.in the United States. However, as more people believe in inevitability. and convert because of this.belief, conversion to the metric system accelerates. Several factors and beliefs have contributed to this inevitability syndrome including: -- Passage of the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 and its major provision for a U.S. Metric Bodrd. The name of the act connotes conver- sion. --Actions taken by some Federal agenCies;.such as the 'Federal';Highway Administration which. attempted .to require conversion of highway signs, the National Weather. Service's plan' to use the metric syste*fcrweether. report-- ing, and the suggestion by the Department Of'Agriculture to convert meat and poultry' labels. Tear Sheet i ii --The decision to convert by some of the "giants" of industry and the effect on cus- tomers and supplies. --The 1971, National Bureau of Standards report which stated that there was no Question that the United States should convert within a 10- year period. --Proposed legislation -in the early 1970s which called for a pre6sminantly metric. America with in'10.year. --Publicieyu about m rip ojeOs and,activi- ties and the is , ioetric informa- . >1' tioh and chat.t.S. eddyA0 '644' --Theitipreas .nalr.etekc instr.uction in school _pkbgrams tic hout"the country with many setting,-arg, , es--1980 for 13 States-- when thel,. sYstems are to be teaching theMetr",ice'sy em as-tile predominant system._ , ,r1o1 - VOLUNTA13,14CONVOS,ION' I The.;,United.Stateshas a olicy of ai'iowing fofyokuptarY 6nVersion--a choice of con- . -. yecting or not converitng. This has been . the policy since16'86 when the metric sys- tem wag authorise. During the intervening < :\t 'V.e. 9 l'earsi use of t metric system has increased A..-- 'spmewOat. The ei.ric Cohversion Act of 1975 provides ',for a continuation of the existing voluntary policybut the current policy has been mis- ...,-, interpreeed, and within this context, attempts . k have been made to convert to the metric sys- tem'. It would seem that as a minimum, before volUntarily deciding tO convert, there should --a clear understanding of the policy, --knowledge of the costs and benefits in- volved, --an assessment of the impact on the sector involved and any related sectors, and --a determination of the impact on consumers.