The forces of globalization are finally hitting American postsecondary education. For nearly three decades, since the 1983 publication of "A Nation At Risk" launched a sustained focus on the mediocre, if not failing, K-12 system, American postsecondary education has avoided the accountability spotlight. Postsecondary policy debates have focused mostly on input problems such as access, the cost of the federal student-loan program, the value of the Pell grant, and diversity. Issues such as graduation rates, the quality of learning, and cost-effectiveness were rarely addressed: Everyone simply assumed that America had the best postsecondary education system in the world. This is not the case anymore. At a time when postsecondary education attainment is seen as increasingly vital to the economy's future growth and productivity and the nation's global competitiveness, America no longer leads the world in the percentage of the population with college degrees. America's business leaders not only worry about the obvious workforce implications of a populace that is undereducated for the demands of the current century--they are also concerned about how that failure will affect democracy. The emerging debate about how to reform American postsecondary education comes at a critical time for the US economy. Unemployment remains unacceptably high. The ongoing forces of global competition call for higher skill levels among American workers and the development of new skills in those whose previous jobs have been eliminated. In addition to the obvious labor-force needs, having more Americans with higher levels of postsecondary achievement is vital to civic health. The heart of a vibrant democracy is educated, engaged citizens who are able to make choices for themselves, their families, their communities, and their country. In this respect, the success of American postsecondary education is critical to the success of American democracy.