Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Memo of Advice to Mr. US on Taxation System Case Study

Memo of Advice to Mr. US on Taxation System - Case Study Example The tax rates are applied to taxable income which is arrived after deducting all expenditure incurred by the individual as specified in IRS. Every US citizen (Mr.US) working and residing abroad is bound to report income from sources outside the United States under Form 1099 from foreign payer (Publication 525, 2010). According to Arnold and McIntyre (3) individuals confront serious risks of having to pay excessive levels of tax as Mr. US being citizen of US and resident of UK may have to deal with tax laws of both countries. However dual residence problems are generally resolved through the tie breaker in tax treaties between the two countries i.e. US and UK. Mr.US can be benefited from the double taxation treaty which follows the OECD Model Tax Convention. Mr. US shall file a report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) as his account is maintained by foreign organization in Mauritius, a labor agency which contracts the services of Mr. US to Newco in London for the period of five years. Tax Exchange Information Agreements between US and UK are incorporated in Double Taxation Treaty and Mr. US will have to comply with the double taxation treaty of filing the FBAR reports and paying income tax for his income earned for his services. Similarly, Labor Agency in Mauritius will pay taxes for its income from UK in Mauritius as well as United Kingdom as per the double taxation treaty existing between these two countries. As evident from the case study, Mr. US could face dual source issues arising through varying definitions in tax jurisdictions i.e. in US and UK. Mr. US may seek tax exemption within double taxation treaty between United States and United Kingdom. Mr. US may claim tax deduction in double taxation through exemption, credit or tax deduction through structured finance and possible exemptions in form of dividends and capital gains (Arnold and McIntyre,Ch. 15). It is informed that many tax jurisdictions do not grant deductions for future risk loss o r contingency provisions while some countries permit deduction for pension provisions. Mr. US shall get tax exemption from pension provision granted by Mauritius broker firm. The Mauritius broker company intends to open a discretionary trust in favor of Mr. US family owned by Mauritius firm. It is mentioned that shareholders dividends do not in any legally relevant sense arise in the taxing state which means the taxation belongs to the country to which the corporation belongs, i.e. Mauritius where the firm will be established (Arnold and McIntyre,Ch.3 53). The discretionary trust, where the remaining $225k have been diverted will be paid by the trust wholly under double taxation treat between two countries; United States and Mauritius, as the residence of trustees is in US while the trust is incorporated in Mauritius (Arnold and McIntyre,Ch.1, 21). Works Cited Arnold Brian J and McIntyre Micheal J International Tax Primer, Chapter

Monday, October 28, 2019

Relationships between Satisfaction with Life Essay Example for Free

Relationships between Satisfaction with Life Essay Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Satisfaction with life is a concept highly valued in today’s society. In an effort to understand mechanisms behind the life satisfaction, present study investigated the relationships between social network size, optimism and conscientiousness and the outcome variable, satisfaction with life. The four variables were measured through the use of a survey. Participants were students from California State University, Fullerton. A correlational analysis of the data showed a significant positive relationship between optimism, and conscientiousness and satisfaction with life. It was also found that individuals with large social network size were more satisfied than those with small social network size. These findings imply that improving levels of optimism and conscientiousness and increasing one’s social network can insure greater life satisfaction. Relationships between Satisfaction with Life, Social Network Size, Optimism, and Conscientiousness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Satisfaction with life is most often one of the greatest concerns of an individual’s life. There is a general belief that an inability to achieve satisfaction with one’s life indicates an unsuccessful life. Because of this socially generated drive for satisfaction with life, one is made to wonder. What factors are related to the experience of life satisfaction? What variables are good predictors of life satisfaction?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One suspected variable that would act as a good predictor of satisfaction with life is social network size. A social network refers to an individual’s link or relationship with other individuals. This link can cause certain social behavior to be explained (Mitchell, 1969). Quinn, Gavigan, and Franklin (1980) defined social networks to be the social units an individual is placed in contact with. Quinn et al. (1980) studied the effects of social network interaction on life satisfaction in older adults. The findings indicated that social network interaction was not a good predictor of satisfaction with life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another study conducted by Bowling,   Farquhar, ands Browne (1991) indicated that social network size is a poor indicator of life satisfaction. The study involved the participation of two types of individuals – those who lived in rural neighborhoods and those who lived in urban neighborhoods. Bowling et al. (1991) noted larger reported social network sizes for individuals in the urban areas as opposed to those in the rural areas. Despite this difference in reported social network sizes, life satisfaction between the two groups was not found to be different. This may, however, have been a result of difference in the levels of interaction available to individuals residing in the two areas. The insignificant findings may have been a result of the inherent differences between neighborhoods and therefore not representative of the social network size of a given individual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Optimism is a second variable deemed to be related to feelings of satisfaction with life. A greater sense of optimism allows one to maintain an outlook on life that allows for the consideration of the world as a generally positive place. Research exploring the life satisfaction felt by retired physicians showed that greater optimism resulted in a greater satisfaction with their life. (Austrom, Perkins, Damush, and Hendrie, 2003) In retired individuals, especially, optimism may be an essential variable for achieving life satisfaction as it may also be a coping mechanism to the sudden change in lifestyle for the said individuals. The retired physicians felt that the greatest challenge going against their satisfaction with life was in the loss of their professional roles, thus, optimism might have served as a form of mediation between the two stages of the transition. Having a positive outlook on the way their lives was going allowed these physicians to better accept the end of their professional careers and to look forward to the beginning of their retired life. The probable importance of optimism as a mediator was also evidenced by the fact that in the same study by Austrom et al. (2003) it was found that optimism didn’t play as significant a role in determining life satisfaction when it came to the physician’s wives. This may have been due to the fact that they did not need to maintain a positive outlook to boost a sudden change in life roles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Optimism and not pessimism, which involves having a negative outlook on life, is found to be a greater predictor of life satisfaction. This was specifically found by a study conducted by Chang Sanna (2003). Thus in the present study, only the variable of optimism will be taken into consideration and not its counterpart, pessimism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another variable that may show a relationship with an individual’s satisfaction with life is the personality trait of conscientiousness. Conscientiousness has been investigated by many researchers in terms of how well it predicts an individual’s life satisfaction. This trait refers to an individual’s tendency to be organized, diligent and reliable in their behavior. (Chapman, Duberstein, and Lyness, 2007) Conscientiousness may have a role to play in satisfaction because conscientious individuals are able to have more mature defenses and are also able to have a quality of life that is considered by most to be above par as they are able to have more responsibility and control over their health, their social interactions, and their general well-being (Chapman et al, 2007). It may well be that the same link can be found between conscientiousness and life satisfaction. If higher levels of conscientiousness indicate higher quality of life, it may also indicate greater degree of satisfaction with life as a result of the same mechanisms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A study by Lounsbury, Saudarga, Gibson, and Leong (2005) examined just this relationship. Through an inspection of the personality characteristics accounted for in the Big Five, it was found that conscientiousness along with extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness to experience account for 45% of total perceived life satisfaction. Is conscientiousness, then, as a variable independent of the other personality traits in the Big Five, significantly related to satisfaction with life?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The present study aims to investigate the relationships that exist between satisfaction with life and the three variables stated above: social network size, optimism, and conscientiousness. Based on the empirical evidence provided by past literature, it is predicted that satisfaction with life will be significantly correlated to optimism and conscientiousness. A greater level of optimism and conscientiousness in an individual will indicate a greater satisfaction with life. Also, social network size is hypothesized to have no significant difference on satisfaction with life. The last hypothesis is based on the findings of past literature. However, due to the questionable nature of past studies and how these measured social network against life satisfaction, the present study’s hypothesis may turn out to be negated. It is hypothesized, then, that the variables of optimism and conscientiousness will have a significant and direct relationship with satisfaction with life while that of social network size will have no significant difference on satisfaction with life. Methodology Participants   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The participants of the study totaled 91 students, 23 (25.3%) of whom were male and 68(74.7%) of whom were female. (See Table 1 in Appendix for tabulated figures) All the participants were enrolled in Research Method in Psychology classes at the California State University, Fullerton. The ethnicity break down of the participants is the following: African American – 1.1%, Asian (Pacific Islander) – 3.3%, Caucasian – 49.5%, Hispanic – 27.5%, Middle Eastern – 2.2%, Southeast Asian – 2.2%, multiethnic – 11%. 3.3% of the participants reported to having other types of ethnicity.   (See Table 2 in Appendix for tabulated figures) The range in ages of the participants was from 19 years to 46 years. The mean age was 23 years old. (See Table 3 in Appendix for tabulated figures) None of the participants received incentive for their participation. There were no extra credits or monetary compensations given in exchange for their contribution to the study. Materials or Measures   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark, Tellegen, 1988). The PANAS measures trait negative affect or the affective well being of the participants. It is composed of a 10-item scale designed to measure typical experiences of negative affect. Participants are able to rate the extent to which they experience certain mood states such as distressed, upset, scared, and irritable. They are able to do this through the indicators of a 5-point scale (very slightly or not at all, a little, moderately, quite a bit, extremely). The participants were asked to indicate to what extent they felt each feeling or emotion listed during the past two weeks from the time of the survey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen Griffin, 1985) The SWLS is a global measure for subjective well-being and life satisfaction. Diener et al (1985) defined life satisfaction as a conscious cognitive judgment life. This entails an individual’s comparison of their own life experiences with a self-set standard. The scale is composed of 5 items and utilizes a 7-point Likert-type scale (1-strongly disagree to 7-strongly agree).   The items of the test included statements such as â€Å"The conditions of my life are excellent† and â€Å"If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.† Possible total scores range from 5 to 35. A resulting score ranging from 5 to 19 signifies dissatisfaction while scores between 21-31 signify satisfaction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Life Orientation Test (LOT-R; Scheier, Carver, Bridges, 1994) The LOT-R measures generalized optimism. The test is made up of 10 items. Participants will indicate the extent to which they agree with the 10 statements in the test through a 5-point Likert-type scale (0-strongly disagree to 4-strongly agree). The statements involved sentiments like â€Å"in uncertain times, I usually expect the best†. A participant can achieve a score from 0 to 24 with a higher score indicating greater levels of optimism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Big Five Inventory (BFI; John, Donahue, Kentle, 1994) The BFI was used to assess the personalities of the participants with regards to the five aspects included in the big five namely extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience. The BFI consists of 44 items that ask the participants to rank themselves on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1-disagree strongly to 5-agree strongly). The 44 items deal with different types of behavior related to the Big Five. For the present study, the BFI will be used to measure the variable of conscientiousness. BFI items related to conscientiousness included â€Å"perseveres until the task is finished†, â€Å"is a reliable worker†, and â€Å"does things efficiently†. Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6; Lubben Gironda, 2003) The LSNS-6 is a test of a set of questions establishing ties with relatives and ties with non-relatives. Examples of these questions include â€Å"How many relatives do you see or hear from at least once a month?† and â€Å"How many friends do you see or hear from at least once a month? The participant chooses one of the options available for each question. These answers have corresponding points. Total scores of the participants may range from 0 to 30. A higher score indicates a higher level of social network. For this research, the LSNS-6 was used to measure social network size. A high score in the LSNS-6 was taken to signify a larger social network size while a low score meant a smaller social network size. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1989) The RSES measures global self-esteem. The test is composed of 10 items. Responses are given on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1-strongly disagree to 5-strongly agree). A sample question is At times I feel like I am no good at all. Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS; Lyubominsky, and Lepper , 1999) The SHS measures global subjective happiness. The test consists of four items. Responses are given on a 7-point Likert-type scale (1-7). A sample question is â€Å"Some people are generally very happy. They enjoy life regardless of what is going on, getting the most out of everything. To what extent does this characterization describe you?† Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ; McCullough, Emmons, and Tsang, 2002) The gratitude questionnaire is a self-report test measuring global gratitude. The test consists of six items. Responses are given on a 7-point Likert-type scale (1-stronlgy disagree to 7-strongly agree). A sample item is â€Å"If I had to list everything that I was grateful for, it would be a very long list.† Tendency to Forgive Scale (TTF; Brown, 2002) The TTF is a test measuring global forgiveness tendencies. The test consists of four items. Responses are given on a 7-point Likert-type scale (1-strongly disagree to 7-strongly agree). A sample item is â€Å"I tend to get over it quickly when someone hurts my feelings.† Procedure Questionnaires were handed out to all participants in their respective classrooms of Research Method in Psychology at the California State University, Fullerton. Participants were given instructions as a group and were told that participation in this study would be anonymous. It was also stated that they may voluntarily choose to participate and could withdraw at anytime. The whole session took about 15-30 minutes. Participants were provided informed consent prior to the administration of the test and were debriefed after they finished. Results The results showed that individuals’ with a smaller social network size (mean=4.10) were significantly less satisfied compared to those with life larger social network size (mean=5.05; t(89)= -3.79, p.001). There was a noted positive correlation between optimism and satisfaction with life (r = 0.543, p = 0.01). A positive correlation was also found between conscientiousness and satisfaction with life (r = 0.222, p = 0.05) Discussion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main purpose of this research was to establish whether a relationship existed between satisfaction with life and optimism, and satisfaction with life and conscientiousness. Another purpose was to establish whether social network size made a difference to satisfaction with life. The original hypothesis of the study stated that a significant positive relationship would be found between satisfaction with life and optimism as well as between satisfaction with life and conscientiousness. It was also hypothesized that social network size would not have a significant difference on satisfaction with life. The hypotheses of the present study were based on the findings of past researches. (Quinn et al, 1980; Bowling et al, 1991; Austrom et al, 2003; Chang and Sanna, 2003; Chapman et al, 2007; Lounsbury et al, 2005) The results of the current study show that there is a significantly positive relationship between satisfaction with life and two variables it was compared against, namely, optimism and conscientiousness. Results also showed a significant difference with social network size and satisfaction with life. The initial hypotheses for optimism and conscientiousness were supported. The hypothesis regarding social network size, however, was rejected by the statistical results. The findings on optimism and conscientiousness validate past research findings. These showed that greater optimism in life contributed to greater satisfaction with life (Austrom et al., 2003). Optimism was also found to be a good predictor of life satisfaction (Chang and Sanna, 2003). Past findings established conscientiousness to be a contributing factor to life satisfaction (Lounsbury et al, 2005) as well as a variable directly related to higher quality of life ratings (Chapman et al., 2007). The findings on social network size, on the other hand, disagree with past research findings where social network interaction was not found to be related to life satisfaction (Quinn et al., 1980) and where the size of the individual’s social network was determined to be a bad predictor of life satisfaction (Bowling et al., 1991). Optimism may be able to affect life satisfaction positively due to the fact that a positive outlook on life can also cause a better assessment of past experiences not just of present circumstances. If one is able to achieve a better disposition towards life, the tendency to overlook the negativity that will detract from satisfaction felt towards life will be greater. This shows that the statistical significance of optimism (r=0.543, p=0.01) with satisfaction with life is warranted. Conscientiousness, on the other hand, was also positively correlated to (r=0.035, p=0.05) with satisfaction with life. This may be due to the fact that conscientiousness indicates a better ability to handle life experiences. Conscientiousness, as defined in the Big Five Inventory (Donahue et al., 2001), entails caution, dependability, organization and responsibility. These characteristics when applied to the everyday behavior and experiences of an individual are most likely to indicate an individual who achieves success. People who are more cautious, more dependable, more organized, and more responsible are the ones who are achievers in human society. It may be that the success and achievement linked with conscientious people is also the link that sustains their satisfaction with life. This is not to say that individuals deemed to have low conscientiousness are not likely to feel satisfaction with life. The findings only suggest that a high level of conscientiousness predicts life satisfaction to great extent. The discussion of how social network size is related to satisfaction with life should be done with care. The fact that previous research found no significant difference between social network and life satisfaction may have been due to the inadequacy of measurement with the past research. Quinn et al. (1980), for example, concentrated on the interaction that occurred in social network and not size. This meant that Quinn et al. (1980) focused on the quality of the individual’s social network and not on the quantity. Bowling et al. (1991), on the other hand, compared two different localities and this is what might have caused the inconsistencies in their findings concerning social network size and life satisfaction. Inherent characteristics of urban and rural locations could have played into action and caused the insignificant findings. For the present study, however, the significant difference between social network size and life satisfaction makes sense especially because social network size is also an indicator of an individual’s degree of social interaction as well as sources of social support; both of which are essential in an individual’s development. The findings of this study are limited because of the small sample size used. A bigger sample that is more representative of the general population should be used in future research. In addition, only a few variables concerning satisfaction with life were investigated. Future research should incorporate more variables that may affect life satisfaction into the study. The variables of social support, social interaction, and pessimism are a few of the factors that should be investigated. The significant relationship between social network size and life satisfaction should also be validated by future studies as the results in this study are not in agreement with previous works. The implications of the study are far-reaching. Establishing the relationships existing between life satisfaction, optimism, and conscientiousness allows different clinicians and practitioners in the healthcare system a chance to improve their handling of clients with low satisfaction with life. This may most likely involve older adults. Because satisfaction with life in itself is a concept that health-care workers find hard to deal with, finding other personality traits and variables that are related to it enables these workers an alternative in aiding these types of patients. Increasing optimism and improving conscientiousness in an individual can help to increase their satisfaction with life. In addition, increasing the size of the client’s social network will improve their satisfaction with life. The present study’s findings can also be expanded to teachers in the field of education. Satisfaction of their students can be increased by allowing them to feel more optimistic about their activities also by guiding them to be more conscientious in their behavior. Also, increasing opportunities for students to enlarge their social networks can also help these students improve their feelings of satisfaction with life. References Austrom, M.G., Perkins, A. J., Damush, T. M., Hendrie, H. C. (2003). Predictors of life satisfaction in retired physicians and spouses. Social Psychiatry Psychiatric Epidemiology, 38, 134-141 Bowling, A., Farquhar, M., Browne, P. (1991). Life satisfaction and associations with social network and support variables in three samples of elderly people. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 6, 549-566 Brown, R. (2003). Measuring individual differences in the tendency to forgive: construct validity and links with depression. Society forPersonality and Social Psychology, 29, 759-771 Chang,  E.C., Sanna, L. J.  (2003). Optimism, accumulated life stress, and psychological and physical adjustment: is it always adaptive to expect the best?  Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology,  22,  97-115. Chapman, B., Duberstein, P., Lyness, J. M. (2007). Personality traits, education, and health-related quality of life among older adult primary care patients. Journals of Gerontology: series B psychological sciences and social sciences, 62B, 343-352 Diener, E., Emmons, R., Larsen, R. J., Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71-75. John, O. P., Donahue, E. M., Kentle, R. (1991). The â€Å"Big Five† Inventory – Versions 4a and 54.   Technical Report, Institute of Personality Assessment and Research, Berkeley, CA: University of California, Berkeley. Lounsbury, J. W., Saudarga, R. A., Gibson, L. W., Leong, F. T. (2005). An investigation of broad and narrow personality traits in relation to general and domain specific live satisfaction of college students. Research in Higher Education,46, 707-729 Lubben, J. E., Gironda, M. W. (2003a). Centrality of social ties to the health and well-being of older adults. In B. Berkman L. K. Harooytan (Eds.), Social work and health care in an aging world (pp. 319-350). New York: Springer Lyubomirsky, S., Lepper, H. S.  (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary reliability and construct validation.  Social Indicators Research,  46,  137-155. Mancini, J. A., Quinn, W., Gavigan, M. A., Franklin, H. (1980). Social network interaction among older adults: implications for life satisfaction. Human Relations, 33, 543-554 McCullough, M. E., Emmons, R. A., Tsang, J. (2002). The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 112-127. Mitchell, J. C. (1969) The concept and use of social networks. In Social Networks in Urban Situations: Analysis of Personal Relationships in Central African Towns Ed. J.C. Mitchell. Manchester: Manchester University Press Rosenberg, Morris. (1989). Society and the adolescent self-image. Revised edition. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press. Scheier, M. F., Carver, C. S., Bridges, M. W. (1994). Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A reevaluation of the Life Orientation Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 1063-1078. Watson, D., Clark, L. A., Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54,1063-1070.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

A Comparison of Everyman and Christopher Marlowes Doctor Faustus Essay

A Comparison of "Everyman" and Christopher Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus" Everyman and Doctor Faustus are both Morality Plays, these are specifically plays that existed within the Medieval period. They were popular during this period as they were intended to instruct the audience in the Christian way and attitudes to life. The morality play is essentially an allegory written in dramatic form. In the fourteenth Century, morality plays were mainly based on the seven deadly sins as in everyman with each character representing each sin. Everyman centers around allegory. It focuses on the allegorical representations of moral issues with the inclusion of figures that represent abstractions of the issues that are confronted. Doctor Faustus follows the general five-act structure of an Elizabethan Romantic Tragedy. However Christopher Marlowe used the structure of an older Medieval form of English Drama, the morality play as a model. Morality plays tended to show the moral struggle of mans soul and the conflict of good and evil. This is evident in the play of Doctor Faustus who is embroiled in a battle between the temptation of the devil and God. You could argue that Doctor Faustus is not classed as a morality play. Because in the tradition of a morality play God and the devil are external forces that affect the individual. However, in Doctor Faustus it is far more of an internal drama inside Faustus? own mind. Both are entirely didactic in nature, they were made with the intent to educate their audience in one respect or another. There was a moral to each that conveyed similar messages. Therefore the term ?morality play? correctly defines each one. The medieval time period in which Everyman was written contained a society that r... ...the rejection of the medieval due to further emphasis on the individual rather than God. After all, the opening scene of Doctor Faustus was praising science and magic in favour of God. So where do we draw the line? Everyman statically reflects the period of medieval whereas Doctor Faustus focuses on the actual change in that particular period of the Reformation. Therefore it is possible to see the alteration from one period to another. Bibliography - ?Doctor Faustus?-Christopher Marlowe - ?Norton Anthology of English Literature? - Oxford Dictionary Online - ?LION?- - http://lion.chadwyck.co.uk - http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Texts/faustus.html (3/12/03) - http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/doctorfaustus/ (5/12/03) - http://www.miracleplayers.org/everyman/play.htm (15/12/03) - http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/intro.htm (17/12/03)

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Off Balance Sheet Accounting

Off balance sheet financing is financing from sources other than debt or equity offerings, such as joint ventures, research and development partnership and operating leases. For complex institutions such as banks, they increase their use of off shore subsidiaries and swap transactions to avoid disclosing liabilities. In other words, off balance sheet accounting is a process which a business creates what is practically a debt that it must pay off, but the debt is accounted as another type of transaction that does not count as a liability. Similarly, this applies to asset too.Operating leasing is the most common form of off balance sheet financing. With leasing, on the one hand, an entity could acquire the right to use an asset through a rental agreement. On the other hand, the entity could purchase the same asset using external finance. While the two arrangements may result in identical net cash flows to the entity, in the case of a purchase both the asset and the associated financing obligation appear on the entity’s balance sheet whereas in the formal scenario rental payments are accounted for as a period expense, with the asset corresponding liability omitted from the entity’s balance sheet.Entities used Special Purpose Entities (SPE), are also known as Variable Interest Entities (VIE) for off balance sheet treatment of deals. SPE or VIE is a corporation or partnership formed for the purpose of borrowing money to buy financial assets. Debts are move to a newly created company (SPE OR VIE) specifically to make a company look like it has far less debt than it actually does, which was the case with Enron. For example, a company needs to finance a business venture but doesn’t want to take on the risk, or when there is too much debt to get a loan.By starting a new SPE, they can secure a loan through the new entity. There are situations where it makes sense to start a SPE. If a company wants to branch out into another area outside of its core b usiness, a SPE will keep that risk from affecting the main balance sheet and profitability of the company. The main factor that companies are doing off balance sheet accounting is to provide a better looking balance sheet with lower reported debt to equity ratio, which usually results in driving their stock price higher. Nevertheless, omission of the asset could help to inflate return on assets.This may make the firms look more creditworthy. For instance, by having operating leases, debt does not appear; thus, reducing financial leverage with an increase in operating leverage. By having lower leverage ratio or higher operating leverage, it could attract more investments from investors; therefore, it drives up the stock prices. Next, off balance sheet accounting allows the firms to receive benefits of the interest deduction for tax purposes while avoiding the obligation and the interest expense on its financial statements.In other words, firms with off balance sheet financing are lik ely to have tax interest expense that exceeds financial reporting interest expense. However, off balance sheet accounting has brought some impacts toward the stakeholders. Off balance sheet accounting removes the transparency from investors, markets and regulators. Firms use financial engineering to make their balance sheet appear that they are better capitalized and less risky than they really are. Without transparency, investors and regulators can no longer accurately assess risks.This is because investors and regulators use the balance sheet as an anchor in their assessment of risk. The shareholders could only guess at the extent of the firm’s exposure risks. This affects the judgment of stakeholders; and, it could bring tremendous loss to the stakeholders when the firms collapse. The Enron accounting fraud will best illustrate this. In order to overcome this issue, regulators have established several methods through Sarbanes-Oxley Act, MD&A as well as new rules on leasing .The Securities and Exchange Commission issues final rules implementing Section 401(a) of the Act relating to the disclosure of off balance sheet arrangement, contractual obligation and contingent liabilities. These rules require disclosure of off balance sheet arrangement that have, or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future effect on a company’s condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that is material to investors.The disclosure includes elements such as the nature and business purposes to the company of the off balance sheet arrangement and the importance to the reporting company of the liquidity, capital resources, market risk support, credit risk support or other benefits provided by the arrangement. Nonetheless, firms are to disclose the amounts of revenues, expenses and cash flows of the company arising from the arrangements as well as the nature and amounts of interest retained, securities issued and other debt incurred by the company in connection with the arrangements.The rules also require public companies to disclose in a tabular format in their MD&A the amounts of payments due under specified contractual obligations, aggregated by category of contractual obligation. The five categories of contractual obligations, consisting of long term debt obligations, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations, purchase obligations and other long term debt liabilities reflected on the company’s balance sheet. The table must disclose what portion of payments under these obligations is due within less than one year, from one to three years, from three to five years and more than five years.To encourage the disclosure on off balance sheet arrangement, the amended rules include a safe harbor that applies the existing statutory safe harbors protecting forward-looking information required by the rules. With regard to the disclosure of off balance sheet arrangements, the safe harbor provision indicates that the meaningful cautionary statements element of the statutory safe harbor will be satisfied if the company satisfies all the requirements of the amended rules relating to off balance sheet disclosures.As mentioned above, operating leases can be exploited by entities for off-balance sheet financing – using an operating lease to obtain assets, thereby not increasing leverage and not decreasing return on assets. The proposed new standard on leases by the joint project of FASB and IASB, currently under development, moves away from the current â€Å"risk and returns† basis to a â€Å"right of use basis†. The lessee and the lessor will recognize assets and liabilities individually for all rights and obligations arising from a lease contract.There will no longer be separate treatments for operating and finance leases – all leases will be accounted for on the same basis. In short, operat ing leasing contract is no longer available and only finance leasing will be used for accounting in the near future. In short, off balance sheet accounting could be use but only with appropriate disclosures are done. By having the disclosures, balance sheet is more transparent to the stakeholders; and, the stakeholders do not need to have a wild guess on the risk of a company. Stakeholders’ investments are said to be more secured.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Contemporary Approaches to Management Essay

The contemporary approaches to management include: sociotechnical theory, quantitative management, organizational behavior, and systems theory. As defined in our text book, (retrieved from: https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/0077530667/pages/116411950) sociotechnical systems theory an approach to job design that attempts to redesign tasks to optimize operation of a new technology while preserving employees’ interpersonal relationships and other human aspects of the work. This idea developed in the 1950’s at London’s Tavistock Institute of Human Relations simply put means that happy employees equal productive employees. Quantitative management is a contemporary management approach that emphasizes the application of quantitative analysis to managerial decisions and problems (retrieved from: https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/0077530667/pages/116411950). Although this could be a useful approach, most managers do not implement it due to lack of understanding of the formulas required or because some of the everyday issues they deal with, cannot be put into a mathematical equation. However, it has proven to be a useful strategy in military operations and organization’s strategic planning. Our text defines organization behavior (retrieved from: https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/0077530667/pages/116411951 ) as a contemporary management approach that studies and identifies management activities that promote employee effectiveness by examining the complex and dynamic nature of individual, group, and organizational processes. Similar to the sociotechnical systems theory, this idea also emphasizes that the employee’s needs and well being can effect productivity. And the last of the approaches is systems theory defined as a theory stating that an organization is a managed system that changes inputs into outputs. (retrieved from : https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/0077530667/pages/116411951 ). This theory recognizes that are many factors that contribute to an organization’s productivity. The input being materials, labor and money are factors that can influence and affect the output (the final product a company sells). All organizations are open systems, which simply mean organizations that are affected by their environments and affect their environment. There are internal, external and competitive environments that make up a company’s macroenviroment. The internal environment refers to things (employees, materials and capital) inside the company. The external environment includes all forces outside the company’s walls, such as the economy, competitors and government. Finally, the competitive environment which is made up of competitors, suppliers and consumers. I would agree that all four approaches play a part in every organization. Depending on the type of business, one strategy may prove more effective than another but at some point the different approaches would be used for the many diverse issues organizations face. There are many similar concepts all company’s face (employees, environment, competition) and each approach has uses in all companies and within the macroenvironment. References: Title: Management (M Starts Here series–soft cover), 3rd ed. (2013) Author(s): Bateman and Snell Physical Book ISBN: 9780078029523 Publisher: McGraw Hill Digital book or physical text: Digital

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Immigration Issues in Alfonso Gonzaless Book Reform without Justice Latino Migrant Politics and the Homeland Security State

Immigration Issues in Alfonso Gonzaless Book Reform without Justice Latino Migrant Politics and the Homeland Security State The presentation of Alfonso Gonzales’s book â€Å"Reform without Justice: Latino Migrant Politics and the Homeland Security State† can be discussed as a kind of the political activity because the meeting is organized as the panel discussion of the United States’ current policies related to immigration issues.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Immigration Issues in Alfonso Gonzales’s Book â€Å"Reform without Justice: Latino Migrant Politics and the Homeland Security State† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Gonzales’s statements and ideas presented in the book, today the United States refer to the strategy of the anti-migrant hegemony in relation to Latino migrants. Gonzales claims that it is necessary to develop the comprehensive immigration reform which can contribute to the rights of Latino immigrants who are often criminalized within the society because of the U S inappropriate immigration policy (Gonzales, 2013, p. 24; Reform without justice, 2013). The attendance of the meeting is important to become more informed about the political issues because the leaders of the Mexican communities presenting at the meeting discuss the problematic issues with references to the real situations and evidences. From this point, the event adds to the active discussion of the Latino migrant politics with references to the actual examples. It is rather difficult to correlate the issue of the global capitalism with the idea of the immigrant civil right movement without participating in the discussions during the meeting. Focusing on the emotions associated with the discussed ideas about the necessity of the comprehensive immigration reform, it is necessary to pay attention to the desire to support the claims of the Latino migrant activists because the issue is closely connected with the problems of ideological focus, immigrant rights movement, and social pre judice which should not be observed and developed in the democratic society. Moreover, the detailed discussion of the immigrant rights movement in relation to the racial prejudice issues is effective to receive the more clear vision of the reform’s idea and effectiveness. The problems analyzed during the panel discussion are closely connected with the concepts studied during the course. Thus, the focus on the Latino immigrant rights can be considered as significant in the context of discussing the principles of the 21st century democracy in the United States.Advertising Looking for report on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The problem is in the fact that the challenges experienced by Latino immigrants in the United States because of the weaknesses of the immigrant policy allow speaking about the inappropriateness of definite political approaches and strategies (Reform without justice, 2013) . Thus, following the concepts studied during the course, it is important to note that the effective democratic society is free from racial and ethnic prejudice. The issues discussed at the meeting respond to creating the picture of the diversified political background in the United States. Furthermore, the discussion is important to pay more attention to the issue of the Latino civil rights movements with references to the stories of the certain persons participating in the meeting. The meeting can affect the person’s life and viewpoint with references to rethinking the role of politically active groups in the reforming processes. The attendance of the meeting was necessary to learn more information about the activities of such groups as the Hispanic Congressional Caucus and the National Council of La Raza which work is rather controversial and provocative in relation to contributing to the comprehensive immigration reform (Reform without justice, 2013). It is possible to no tice the effects of the discussed anti-migrant hegemony more clearly with references to discussing the concrete evidences and the activities of the politically active groups. Heather Mac Donald on the Issue of Immigration Heather Mac Donald is the Fellow at the Manhattan Institute who works at the problem of immigration in the United States. In her works, Mac Donald argues that the effective development of policies in the United States is closely associated with proposing the liberal immigration policy which can address the needs of thousands of migrants from the Central and South America (Heather Mac Donald, 2013). According to Mac Donald, any additions to the current approach in relation to the immigrant politics can improve the situation and respond to the needs of the communities because adequate liberalization is the necessary aspect to provide the positive atmosphere within the society. Mac Donald states that many numbers associated with the rates of immigrants who develop bus inesses in the United States are inappropriate and cannot reflect the real situation in the social and economic spheres of the American society. It is impossible to state that illegal immigration caused the rates associated with the unemployment of the Americans. According to Mac Donald, these immigrant groups cannot be discussed as risky for the development of the US economy (Mac Donald, 2006).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Immigration Issues in Alfonso Gonzales’s Book â€Å"Reform without Justice: Latino Migrant Politics and the Homeland Security State† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, Mac Donald also claims that the struggle with the illegal immigration cannot be effective enough, and it is necessary to pay more attention to avoid the immigration of persons who cannot add to the welfare of the society in the United States. From this point, the national wealth can be improved with referen ces to accepting educated immigrants from the Central and South Americas. That is why, the immigration policy can be changed and improved with references to the idea that well-educated immigrants can contribute to the national wealth significantly (Mac Donald, 2006). In her articles, books, and interviews, Mac Donald provides arguments to support the idea that the current approach of the US government to regulating the immigrant policy is rather ineffective because the government is concentrated on limiting all the types of immigration from the Central and South Americas (Heather Mac Donald, 2013). As a result, following such immigration politics, the Americans fail to gain more benefits from immigration. Moreover, the shift of the focus from the possible illegal immigration to the legal immigration is also important for the Latinos who discuss immigration as the only way to improve their living conditions. The refusals to provide the status of legal immigrants for the majority of t he well-educated Mexicans and representatives of the South American countries can lead to weakening definite industries in the United States. From this point, the carefully developed immigration policy oriented both to the progress of the national economy and to the attraction of the legal immigrants can be discussed as the effective strategy for the US government to improve the immigrant politics and economic sector in the country (Mac Donald, 2006). Heather Mac Donald’s ideas on the immigration politics issues are rather logical and credible. These points of view and arguments are supported with the significant research on the problem and a lot of provided evidences. Thus, the author’s discussion of the immigration questions and possible solutions related to the problem can be considered as necessary to address the issue of the ineffective immigrant policy and reforms in the United States in order to overcome the social and economic challenges. References Gonzales, A . (2013). Reform without justice: Latino migrant politics and the homeland security state. USA: Oxford University Press.Advertising Looking for report on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Heather Mac Donald. (2013). Retrieved from https://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ignoring-law-2651.html Mac Donald, H. (2006). Seeing today’s immigrants straight. Retrieved from https://www.city-journal.org/html/seeing-today%E2%80%99s-immigrants-straight-12947.html Reform without justice. (2013). Web.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Sentence Structure Mistakes Youll Never Make Again

Sentence Structure Mistakes Youll Never Make Again Do you sometimes wonder why your editor moves words around, rephrases your sentences or adds/deletes words? The goal is to place your words and/or phrases, and in some instances Replace words and/or phrases, so that there can be no misunderstanding on the part of your reader as to your message.Sentence structure is the backbone of your paper, letter, story, email, script or any other written communication. If you are aware of the following missteps and vigilant about watching out for them, your writing will become clearer and better understood by your readers.Placement of sentence partsIf even one word is placed in the wrong position in a sentence, the meaning of that sentence can be changed dramatically. Re-read every sentence as if it were the only sentence you were writing, and focus on whether the meaning of each sentence is completely clear.ExamplesONLY you have paid $60 for the concert tickets. (You alone have paid $60.)You have ONLY paid $60 for the concert tickets. (You paid the $60 and nothing more.)You have paid ONLY $60 for the concert tickets. (You got a deal on the concert tickets.)You should AT LEAST try to get 10 concert tickets. (You should attempt to get 10 tickets.)You should try to get AT LEAST 10 concert tickets. (You should get a minimum of 10 tickets.)Parallel constructionTo help your reader identify and recognize the similarity of ideas in a sentence, make sure that ideas of equal value are expressed in the same form. This applies most often to lists within sentences, bullet-point copy, and complex sentences. To check parallel construction in your writing, read each element separately and determine if they are expressed in the same way.ExamplesWrong: The best things about a concert are the band, sound and the lighting.Right: The best things about a concert are the band, the sound and the lighting.Wrong: The three things I like most about a concert are: (1) hearing the loud music, (2) to see the pyrotechnics, and (3) to yell loud enough to get the band to do an encore.Right: The three things I like most about a concert are: (1) hearing the loud music, (2) seeing the pyrotechnics, and (3) yelling loud enough to get the band to do an encore.Wrong: You could inform the class about the concert either by making a telephone call or send an email.Right: You could inform the class about the concert either by making a telephone call or sending an email.Complete comparisonWhen making a comparison within a sentence, make sure you supply all the words necessary to complete the comparative thought so that your reader doesnt have to assume facts that are not in evidence.ExamplesWrong: She sings louder.Right: She sings louder than anyone else in the band.Wrong: This concert was much better.Right: This concert was much better than the one in January.Pronoun referenceMy personal pet peeve is the misuse of pronouns. Remember that pronouns take the place of persons, places or things, and they must agree with the persons, places or thin gs to which they refer. Your reader should not have to re-read the sentence to determine the person, place or thing to which the pronoun refers. Again, read each of your sentences for clarity, asking yourself whether your reader might be confused with your pronoun reference, and rewriting when necessary.ExamplesWrong: I enjoy concerts because you get to hear great music.Right: I enjoy concerts because I get to hear great music.Wrong: After James spoke to Alan, he wanted to go, too. (Does he refer to James or Alan?)Right: Alan decided he wanted to go, too, after he spoke with James.Wrong: Everyone should get their autographs after the concert. (Everyone is singular; their is plural.)Right: All concert-goers should get their autographs after the concert.Wrong: Someone left their program in their seat. (Someone is singular; their is plural.)Right: A program was left in someones seat.Positioning words and phrases for emphasisPlacing emphasis on certain words or phrases by placing them a t the beginning or end of a sentence is a technique used to focus your readers attention on certain ideas, opinions or facts.ExampleEmphasis 1: Based on the audience response, the first band rocked the house. (Emphasis is on the audience.)Emphasis 2: The first band rocked the house, based on the audience response. (Emphasis is on the band.)Emphasis 1: Once the concert had ended and the students had gone outside, they saw the star of the show signing autographs. (Emphasis on the end of the concert; autographs by the star is secondary.)Emphasis 2: The students saw the star of the show signing autographs outside once the concert had ended. (Emphasis on the exciting prospect of getting an autograph.)As a general rule, always read every sentence you write from your readers viewpoint, to ensure that words and thoughts are connected in proper relationships so that there is no chance for misunderstanding. Whereas you are intimately familiar with your subject matter, your reader is presumabl y reading your message for the first time and is looking forward to reading your paper smoothly without confusion or the need to re-read for clarity. Sentence coherence is successfully achieved when all the sentence parts are correctly related, and you proceed positively toward the goal of making the sentence clear and easily understood.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Bloody Sunday and the Fight for Voting Rights in Selma

Bloody Sunday and the Fight for Voting Rights in Selma On March 7, 1965- the day now known as Bloody Sunday- a group of civil rights activists were brutally attacked by members of law enforcement during a peaceful march across Edmund Pettus Bridge. The activists were attempting to walk 50 miles from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, to protest voter suppression of African Americans. During the march, local police officers and state troopers beat them with billy clubs and threw tear gas into the crowd. The attack against these peaceful demonstrators- a group that included men, women, and children- sparked outrage and mass protests throughout the United States. Fast Facts: Bloody Sunday What Happened: Civil rights activists were beaten and tear-gassed by law enforcement during a peaceful voting rights march.Date: March 7, 1965Location: Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, Alabama How Voter Suppression Led Activists to March During Jim Crow, African Americans in Southern states faced severe voter suppression. In order to exercise their right to vote, a black person may have been required to pay a poll tax or take a literacy test; white voters didn’t face these barriers. In Selma, Alabama, the disenfranchisement of African Americans was a consistent problem. Activists involved with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee were trying to register the citys black residents to vote, but they kept running into roadblocks. When they protested the situation, they were arrested- by the thousands. Making no headway with smaller demonstrations, the activists decided to step up their efforts. In February 1965, they began a voting rights march. However, Alabama Governor George Wallace attempted to suppress the movement by prohibiting nighttime marches in Selma and elsewhere. Wallace was a politician known for being hostile to the Civil Rights Movement, but the demonstrators didn’t call off their collected action in light of his ban on nighttime marches. On February 18, 1965, a demonstration turned deadly when State Trooper James Bonard Fowler fatally shot Jimmie Lee Jackson, a civil rights activist and church deacon. Jackson was killed for intervening when police hit his mother. Losing Jackson was devastating, but his death didn’t stop the movement. Spurred by his killing, activists met and decided to march from Selma to Montgomery, the state capital. Their intention to reach the capitol building was a symbolic gesture, since it was where Gov. Wallace’s office was located. Jimmie Lee Jackson was killed by a state trooper during a voting rights march that inspired the demonstration that took place on Bloody Sunday.   Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Selma to Montgomery March On March 7, 1965, 600 marchers began making their way from Selma to Montgomery. John Lewis and Hosea Williams led the demonstrators during this action. They called for voting rights for African Americans, but both local policemen and state troopers attacked them on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The authorities used billy clubs to beat the marchers and threw tear gas into the crowd. The aggression caused the marchers to retreat. But footage of the confrontation sparked outrage across the country. Many Americans did not understand why peaceful protesters were met with such hostility from law enforcement. Two days after Bloody Sunday, mass protests unfolded across the nation in solidarity with the marchers. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led marchers on a symbolic walk across Edmund Pettus Bridge. But the violence wasn’t over. After Pastor James Reeb arrived in Selma to accompany the marchers, a mob of white men beat him so badly that he sustained life-threatening injuries. He died two days later. Two days after the events of Bloody Sunday, other demonstrators set out to make the march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama. Bettmann/Getty Images Following Reeb’s death, the U.S. Justice Department requested an order to stop the state of Alabama from retaliating against civil rights activists for participating in demonstrations. Federal District Court Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. upheld the rights of the marchers â€Å"to petition ones government for the redress of grievances.† He explained that the law is clear that citizens have the right to protest, even in large groups. With federal troops standing guard, a group of 3,200 marchers began their walk from Selma to Montgomery on March 21. Four days later, they arrived at the state capitol in Montgomery where supporters had expanded the size of demonstrators to 25,000. The Impact of Bloody Sunday Footage of police attacking peaceful protesters shocked the country. But one of the protesters, John Lewis, went on to become a U.S. Congressman. Lewis is now considered a national hero. Lewis has discussed his role in the march and the attack on the protesters. His high-profile has kept the memory of that day alive. The march has also been reenacted several times. On the 50th anniversary of the incident that took place on March 7, 1965, President Barack Obama delivered an address on the Edmund Pettus Bridge about the horrors of Bloody Sunday and the courage of those brutalized: â€Å"We just need to open our eyes and ears, and hearts, to know that this nations racial history still casts its long shadow upon us. We know the march is not yet over, the race is not yet won, and that reaching that blessed destination where we are judged by the content of our character- requires admitting as much. President Barack Obama commemorates the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images President Obama also urged Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act, which first passed in 1965 in the wake of the national outrage about Bloody Sunday. But a 2013 Supreme Court decision, Shelby County vs. Holder, removed a major provision from the act. States with a history of racial discrimination related to voting no longer have to inform the federal government about changes they make to voting processes before enacting them. The 2016 election stood out as the first in 50 years without checks and balances in place to prevent discriminatory voting practices. A number of states have passed strict voter ID laws and other measures that disproportionately affect historically disenfranchised groups, like African Americans. And voter suppression has been cited for costing Stacey Abrams the Georgia gubernatorial race in 2018. Abrams would have been the first black woman governor of a U.S. state. Decades after Bloody Sunday occurred, voting rights remains a key issue in the United States. Sources â€Å"How We Can Restore the Voting Rights Act.† Brennan Center for Justice, 6 August, 2018. Taylor, Jessica. â€Å"Stacey Abrams Says She Was Almost Blocked From Voting in Georgia Election.† NPR, 20 November, 2018.Shelbayah, Slma, and Moni Basu. â€Å"Obama: Selma marchers gave courage to millions, inspired more change.† CNN, 7 March, 2015.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Gay marriage should not be legalized Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gay marriage should not be legalized - Essay Example The adoption rights of same sex couples are a hotly debated topic in many countries now. Many arguments in favour and against the adoption rights are prevailing now. Supporters of such adoption believe that it is injustice to deny the adoption rights to gay couples because of their natural inability to conceive. Many parentless street children may get protection and the society is allowing the gay couples to adopt children. But it is difficult for a gay couple to provide the motherly love to the adopted children. The love and care extended by two fathers cannot be equated against the love and care provided by a mother. In the absence of mother’s love, the adopted children may not develop properly and may become antisocial elements in future which are the core reason for the critics to argue against the adoption efforts of gay couples. The gay couple should realize that the society never forced them to engage in such an anti-natural relationship and hence they have no right to argue in favour of adoption. â€Å"Obviously, gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children† (Why gay marriage should not be legalized). It is difficult for a society to survive with the help of gay community alone. Nature has enforced the marriage between different sexes in order to sustain human life on earth. Legalizing of gay marriage is against the laws of the nature which is not desirable. Straight marriages may become meaningless if we encourage the same sex marriages or gay marriages. No religion seems to be in favour of gay marriages. In other words, people can lead a free life at their own will as far their life do not cause any harm to the society. Legalizing of gay marriage will encourage people to think in terms leading a crazy life. Our society is built on the strength of the natural laws. Any attempt to dislodge the natural laws has been ended up in big failures so far and hence gay

Primary Crime Data Sources in the United States Essay

Primary Crime Data Sources in the United States - Essay Example This means that unreported crimes are not covered by the data. Therefore, the Uniform Crime Reports can not be said to cover all crimes but only reported crimes. They conclude that alone the Uniform Crime Reports do not provide comprehensive and conclusive data on incidence of crime in the United States so they must be considered only one part of an analysis of crime an supplemented with other sources of evidence. While they do not consider the National Archive of Criminal Justice Datas National Incident-Based Reporting System the same could be said of it. Its data is based on reported crime and leaves unreported crime unconsidered and unaccounted for. No official publications on crime rates consider unreported crime. Arguably, by definition, unreported crime cannot be considered using strictly quantitative measures. Unreported crime is best studied using other research methods such as interviews with residents of and employees of social service agencies in the city or area under examination. They may be particularly true in areas where law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system are distrusted or feared. Lynch and Jarvis (2008) point to an even greater problem with academic statistical analysis of the Uniform Crime Reports. They note that the data is produced by and for law enforcement agencies and is intended to provide broad indicators of crime trends to law enforcement agencies. They also note that the data is not statistically rigorous, nor does it claim to be, because it was never conceived as a tool for academic analysis. Unlike the Uniform Crime Reports the National Incident-Based Reporting System also includes data on clearance or the disposition of incidents. This is particularly useful data for researchers and is not impaired by the fact that only reported incidents are included in the data set. For example, Jarvis and Regoezci (2009) used the National Incident-Based Reporting System to

Friday, October 18, 2019

Felix Longorias Wake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Felix Longorias Wake - Essay Example In fact, it states that the wake could not be held because whites would not like it. This event catapulted the fight against discrimination of the Mexican- American overnight. The controversy helped build careers of some politicians while also bringing to an end the life of others. The resultant effect of the action was the fight for recognition. The purpose of the book is to create the picture of the events that occurred in the struggle against racism which includes events surrounding the life of Felix Longoria. The book is organized in a structural way including the development of the plot. The book can be read with ease, but has several repetitions that make it boring for readers especially when rereading the book. The book is essential when addressing the social issues affecting the American society including the current status of the country. It elaborates the issue of racism and the steps undertaken to combat racism. The focus of the book is on the Mexican Americans and their struggle for identity and rights. The book is excellent especially for students studying the American society and the impact of various rights’

Simulation Perceptual Maps in Marketing Research Paper

Simulation Perceptual Maps in Marketing - Research Paper Example Thorr Motors for example has used these maps to design a marketing plan for their high brand. Scholar Clemente defines these maps as processes through which the perception of consumers on an existing commodity are charted. I will attempt to discuss the three simulation phases, and recommended solutions and results. Phase I: this involves perceptual mapping. The situation here is decrease in sales due to brand image. This is so because the Cruiser Thorr’s target consumers were aging and their tastes had begun to outgrow the lifestyle that Cruiser Thorr symbolizes. In addition to this issue, youthful customers had more interest in lower priced motorcycles due to their lower personal disposable incomes. Maps that were perceptual were used to position Cruiser Thorr’s position in the market in terms of consumer perceptions. The parameters for mapping included price, services offered, lifestyle image and quality engineering. Since the Cruiser Thorr’s image was being ou tgrown by the target audience which was aging, lifestyle image was chosen. The mapping of the image was useful in maintaining a level of image that it satisfies both younger and older customers. Lifestyle image was important to Thorr as it had the potential to influence a customer’s decision to buy a Cruiser Thorr because of its representation. Since perceptual maps are visual representation of a customer's opinion of a brand and the Lifestyle Image of Cruiser Thorr is that of masculinity and mobility, Thorr Motorcycles should make changes regarding the consumer image in the wake of decreasing sales, so as to be able to bring back the profits the Cruiser Thorr had before. Marketing is not only about selling and advertising, it also affects products and the consumers in the economic system and organizations must understand how this happens. Simulation helps perfectly in this in that it helps construct and use perceptual maps so as to create effective marketing plans like for T horr’s motorcycle brand. Phase II: phase two of simulation is about the product, either introducing a new product into the market or repositioning the existing one. The situation involves decrease in sales of Cruiser Thor and the need to come up with a market plan able to reposition Cruiser Thorr to effectively and efficiently launch a new product of a motorcycle. The top judgment for the association was aimed at repositioning Cruiser Thorr through financing solutions and boosting services. By providing financing alternatives and rising services Thorr Motorcycles Inc can open doors for possible consumers who may have had the feeling that the Cruiser Thorr was further than their reach especially younger viewers who may already have shown great interest and passion in the Cruiser Thorr. Recommended Solutions: The solutions here are in the area of reforming engineering in terms of quality, pricing, and services. Quality engineering touches on every aspect or quality of the commo dity or product, including style, design, engine capacity and more importantly, the design of the engine. Quality engineering has a high market impact of the product and could increase sales by meeting the customers’ needs in terms of quality, thus increasing the organization’s level of credibility of its products. Pricing is also very important to customers as it influences decisions to make a purchase for an item or not. Having a high price is okay as long as the quality and credibility

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Is Excessive Food Waste an Environmental Concern Essay

Is Excessive Food Waste an Environmental Concern - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that according to a report by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (APA), remarkably few citizens know that excessive food waste is an environmental hazard. Excessive food refers to wasteful practices by consumers and during production. Most people argue that since food is biodegradable, it does not pose a threat to the environment. However, a report published by EPA revealed that when food rots, it produces a greenhouse gas known as methane. Amazingly, methane is twenty times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide. On the other hand, the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) argues that if only five percent of Americans’ food scraps were recovered, it would be enough to feed four million people for a day. USDA reported that close to 26 million tons of wasted food get thrown away in garbage annually. In fact, in 2010, food approximated to 34 million tons went to waste. In addition, food waste formed the single largest component of municipal solid waste reaching incinerators and landfills. EPA notes that the U.S government spends close to one billion dollars just to dispose of all its wasted food. This is exceedingly astonishing. The excess money spent on the management of wasted food can be used to run vital government departments. Experts from the University of Arizona believe that the country’s environmental impact can be reduced by 25 percent if Americans can reduce their food wastage by a half. This appears to be true because the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) indicated on 10th January 2012 that one-third of the food produced for human consumption globally, goes to waste every year. FAO reported that consumers and retailers in the U.S waste close to 40 percent of edible food annually. The data from FAO is also astonishing and calls for immediate actions. From the data reported earlier, it is clear that excessive food waste is becoming a serious environmental hazard. Consider ing the report produced by FAO, the U.S is just a representative of many nations whose citizens waste tons of food annually. The most alarming bit is that methane, the gas produced from food rot, traps heat in the atmosphere 23 times more than the widely known carbon dioxide. Since global warming affects the whole earth, stakeholders should consider passing international regulations that regulate the quantity of wasted food a country produces, in order to curb methane overproduction.

Facts and Fiction in the Novel - Year of Living Dangerously Essay

Facts and Fiction in the Novel - Year of Living Dangerously - Essay Example The writer relates to events that happened in the year 1965. In relation to facts and fiction found within the book, there is a lot to be drawn from the novel. Some elements push the reader into specific interpretive paths. Although factual in mode, it contains a mythological framework, which provides a set of possible explanations from the novel. More importantly is that Indonesia culture does not merely serve as an oriental background for the adventures of journalists from the west. Indigenous elements of Indonesia dominate and structure the work. Furthermore, the oriental element in the novel works as the missing part of the journalist from the west, thus an absent spiritual component of the accident. In comparison with facts and fiction, the novel scarcely touches on political issues of the west. It rather concentrates on the theme of cultural clash. Another point is the choice of narrator. Billy Kwan, a foreign journalist, replaces cookie. In comparison with the screenwriter, Billy does not straddle two worlds but also combines elements of both East and West because of his mixed parentage. This is considered an Australian topic, in the context of the colonial heritage of the country, and day to day from the rest of the world and thus plays as the central metaphors of the novel. This adds a new direction to the story. His role is to help others overcome their inability and be able to see and understand other cultures. The lead character in the novel is Guy Hamilton, an Anglo-Australian journalist. Though representing the world of reality and Western logic, he tries to understand the imaginative world. There is an arising of puppet motif - both politically and personally - represented by President Sukarno and Billy respectively, with their attempt to manipulate the people. Sukarno creates an image of unity between the opposites.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Is Excessive Food Waste an Environmental Concern Essay

Is Excessive Food Waste an Environmental Concern - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that according to a report by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (APA), remarkably few citizens know that excessive food waste is an environmental hazard. Excessive food refers to wasteful practices by consumers and during production. Most people argue that since food is biodegradable, it does not pose a threat to the environment. However, a report published by EPA revealed that when food rots, it produces a greenhouse gas known as methane. Amazingly, methane is twenty times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide. On the other hand, the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) argues that if only five percent of Americans’ food scraps were recovered, it would be enough to feed four million people for a day. USDA reported that close to 26 million tons of wasted food get thrown away in garbage annually. In fact, in 2010, food approximated to 34 million tons went to waste. In addition, food waste formed the single largest component of municipal solid waste reaching incinerators and landfills. EPA notes that the U.S government spends close to one billion dollars just to dispose of all its wasted food. This is exceedingly astonishing. The excess money spent on the management of wasted food can be used to run vital government departments. Experts from the University of Arizona believe that the country’s environmental impact can be reduced by 25 percent if Americans can reduce their food wastage by a half. This appears to be true because the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) indicated on 10th January 2012 that one-third of the food produced for human consumption globally, goes to waste every year. FAO reported that consumers and retailers in the U.S waste close to 40 percent of edible food annually. The data from FAO is also astonishing and calls for immediate actions. From the data reported earlier, it is clear that excessive food waste is becoming a serious environmental hazard. Consider ing the report produced by FAO, the U.S is just a representative of many nations whose citizens waste tons of food annually. The most alarming bit is that methane, the gas produced from food rot, traps heat in the atmosphere 23 times more than the widely known carbon dioxide. Since global warming affects the whole earth, stakeholders should consider passing international regulations that regulate the quantity of wasted food a country produces, in order to curb methane overproduction.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Anova Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Anova - Assignment Example It has been alleged that younger members of the society, especially from both developed and developing countries do not have time to engage in eating healthy. Due to their tight schedules as students or young professionals, they tend to consume fast food to save on time and to socialize. From this idea, the independent variable would be the respondents age. This can be explained by the fact that ones age should dictate on fast food consumptions. Similarly, the dependent variable will be the frequency of fast food consumption. After running the analysis, I expect to find out that there is a significant difference in the mean number of times respondents consume fast food at the different level of age, (F=4. 962, P=0. 000). Similarly, I expect that the Tukey post hoc test will show that younger individuals probably less than 25 years old will have a significantly higher mean number of times they eat fast food (Mean=10.66) when compared to older respondents over 30 years

Monday, October 14, 2019

Leadership Essay Example for Free

Leadership Essay 1.Leadership as a process, is the use of no coercive influence to shape the group’s or organization’s goals, motivate behavior toward the achievement of those goals, and help define group or organizational culture; as a property, the set of characteristics attributed to individuals who are perceived to be leaders. 2.General Mandible is not a leader because he does not motivate the ants to achieve the colony’s goal, unless the goal was for all the ants to drown and die. He leaves all the ants to drown at the end of the movie. Leaders stick with the team all the way and do not try to kill their own team. 3.Zee is a leader because in a crises moment he does not get scared. At the end of the movie when all the ants are about to drown, he motivates all of them to build a ladder to the top, and his plan ends up saving all the ants. He is able to use nonaggressive force to motivate the ants. 4.The quote â€Å"Individualism makes us vulnerable† applies to ants where one ant alone is weak and small and can’t do much, but all the ants together can do anything. Like it takes all the ants to make the ladder at the end of the movie saving them from drowning, it is crucial to their survival that they stick together. This mostly applies everywhere, being in a team is better than being alone. 5.The Power Position is the physical position in the room for a business meeting, which supposedly has the most power. The leader in this position where he can see all entrances to the room and no activity is going on behind him. Three types of position power are: Legitimate Power- Power granted through the organizational hierarchy; it is the power defined by the organization that is to be accorded people occupying particular positions. Reward Power- The power to give or withhold rewards, such as salary increases, bonuses, promotions, praise, recognition, and interesting job assignments. Coercive Power- The power to force compliance by means of psychological, emotional, or physical threat. 6.A scene from the movie that illustrates the use of position power is when General Mandible is discussing about the colony with the Queen and the Queen tell him he can do whatever he likes because she trusts him that he will do everything for the good of the colony. She has legitimate power granted through the hierarchy, but then the General abuses his power and the works start to work hard because they don’t want to deal with the General because he uses Coercive Power. 7.Personal power is the power that comes from within to influence other it has nothing to do with the persons position. Two types of personal power are: Referent Power- The personal power that accrues to someone based on identification, imitation, loyalty or charisma. Expert Power- The person

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Regression Analysis for the Netherlands

Regression Analysis for the Netherlands TABLE OF FIGURES AND GRAPHS Table 1: Coefficients of estimated OLS model Table 2: Analysis of Variance and F-statistic Table 3: Paired t-sample tests Table 4: Analysis of Variance for pre structural break (b,c) Table 5: Analysis of Variance for post structural break (b,c) Table 6: Analysis of Variance and F-statistic Table 7: Pearson’s Correlations Graph 1: Scatterplot with best fit line Graph 2: Simple scatterplot of imports Introduction The following document analyses the import aggregate demand for the Netherlands utilising data from the first quarter 1977 to the first quarter 2006. The aim is to determine the relationship between imports and five explanatory variables: relative prices (measured as the ratio of import to domestic prices), household consumption expenditures, government consumption expenditures, investment expenditures and exports. A regression utilising Ordinary Least Squares is run and then a series of analyses is done on the results of the estimated model. Model Estimation Data for the Netherlands was obtained from 1st quarter 1977 to 1st quarter 2006 from the International Monetary Fund’s International Financial Statistics, giving a sample population N = 117 and 116 degrees of freedom. It is worth noting that due to the use of the euro to report Netherland’s accounts starting in 1999, there was a break in the information presented as they were in two currencies pre 1999 (in Dutch gulden) and post 1999 (euros). In order to overcome this, all of the data was transformed into Dutch gulden, using the official euro/gulden exchange rate at the time of the entry of the euro. To prepare the data for the regression, the natural log of the values for imports (M), relative prices (RP)—the index of import prices to consumer prices, household consumption expenditure (HC), government consumption expenditure (GC), investment expenditure (INV) and exports (EXP) were taken. By using SPSS to estimate the model via Ordinary Least Squares, the aggregate demand function (utilising the unstandardised coefficients) is estimated as: M = 0.071 – 0.966 RP – 0.328 HC – 0.171 GC + 0.286 INV + 0.808 EXP Std errors: (0.041) (0.022) (0.053) (0.035) (0.033) (0.026) The model has an adjusted R2 = 0.992, indicating that 99.2% of the variance in imports is explained by the relative price and the four expenditure components. It has a standard error of regression of 0.02715. With regards to the explanatory variables included in the regression, by analysing their t-values we are able to determine that each coefficient is statistically significant at all levels. Table 1 shows the results of the estimated coefficients along with their corresponding t-values and significance values. Table 1: Coefficients of estimated OLS model a Dependent Variable: LN_M Plotting the values of imports (as ln(M)) with regards to the standardised predicted values from the model, we get the best-fit curve shown in graph 1. Graph 1: Scatterplot with best fit line Interpretation of slope coefficients The estimated coefficients from the regression above can now be interpreted. The results are presented again for ease of reading: M = 0.071 – 0.966 RP – 0.328 HC – 0.171 GC + 0.286 INV + 0.808 EXP In general terms, each slope coefficient is the import elasticity with respect to each of the equation components: relative prices, household consumption, government consumption, investment expenditures and exports. Following is the explanation for each coefficient: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing from germ, belg and china ÃŽ ²2 = -0.966 represents the relative price import elasticity. This implies that a 1% increase in relative prices causes a reduction in imports of 0.966%. This is basically a unitary elasticity, the effect of a change in relative prices is almost identically reflected on imports. This occurs primarily in countries with an open economy that thrives on the balance of trade. Additionally, since the Netherlands’ most important trade partners are within the European Union, who use the same currency, the relative prices are similar for them. (Atlapedia Online, 2006) ÃŽ ²3 = -0.328 represents the elasticity of imports with respect to household consumption expenditure. It implies that a 1% increase in household consumption expenditure will translate into a 0.328% decrease in imports. The import elasticity of household consumption is inelastic. Household consumption has a small effect on imports, as although Netherlands does import foodstuffs and clothing, the bulk of imports is for machinery and transport equipment as well as chemicals, which have no relation with household consumption. (CIA World Factbook, 2006) ÃŽ ²4 = -0.171 represents the import elasticity with respect to government consumption expenditures. It follows that a 1% increase in government expenditure will result in a reduction in imports of 0.171%. The import elasticity of government consumption is highly inelastic. Due to the nature of imports mentioned in the paragraph above, it is logical to assume that the import composition is not widely affected by government consumption, except maybe in the import of fuels. ÃŽ ²5 = 0.286 is the import elasticity with respect to investment expenditure. It is a positive inelastic import elasticity as a 1% increase in investment expenditure will result in a 0.286% increase in imports. This makes sense with reality since investment expenditures are in part for importing machinery and transport goods. ÃŽ ²6 = 0.808 is the import elasticity with respect to exports. It shows that a 1% increase in exports will result in a 0.808% increase in imports. This elasticity is also elastic, although it is more similar to the relative price import elasticity, approximating unit elasticity. This also reflects the Netherlands’ open economy and its active trading with neighbouring countries as a result of forming part of the European Union. Overall significance of the regression Now that we have seen the interpretations of each of the coefficients of our estimated model, and having seen that they are all statistically significant, we have to analyse whether the model as a whole is statistically significant. This is done by analysing the F-value of the regression. If the value of F is sufficiently large with a high confidence level, then it follows that the estimation we have done does indeed predict some of the values we have observed and the regression is statistically significant. For this regression, SPSS calculates the F-value as 2784.8, which is statistically significant at all confidence levels. As mentioned above, this confirms the validity of the predicted equation in estimating the values of the components of imports. Table 2 below presents SPSS’ results for the F-statistic and Analysis of Variance for our model. Table 2: Analysis of Variance and F-statistic a Predictors: (Constant), LN_EXP, LN_RP, LN_INV, LN_GC, LN_HC b Dependent Variable: LN_M Test of equality of import elasticities After having tested that the model as a whole is statistically significant, we will now test whether each of the import elasticities of final expenditures are equal amongst themselves. In order to do this, we will use a paired t-test, which will compare each elasticity against each other and determine whether the differences between them are statistically significant or not. If they are not statistically significant, then the elasticities are the same. In the case of our estimated model, the t-statistics are significant at all levels for all of the relationships. This means that we cannot conclude that each of the import elasticities is the same, rather they are statistically significantly different from one another. Table 3 shows the results provided by SPSS’ paired t-test for each of the import elasticity relationships tested: Table 3: Paired t-sample tests The Behaviour of Imports from 1977 to 2006 Having verified that our model is statistically significant and that each elasticity of imports is different, we now analyse the behaviour of imports during our sample period. The easiest way to do so is graphically. Using the scatterplot function from SPSS we plot the observed values of the Netherlands’ imports from 1st quarter 1977 to 1st quarter 2006. Graph 2 below shoes this relationship: Graph 2: Simple scatterplot of imports A structural break in imports From the graph above, there seems to be a structural break around 2nd quarter 2002. This would make sense since it was around this time that the actual euro currency replaced the Dutch gulden (and all other European currencies for that matter). Such a significant change would be reflected in imports. The actual occurrence of such a break, can be tested statistically using our observed data. This is done via a Chow Test, where we test whether the coefficients in our estimated equation are the same before and after the suspected structural break point, Q2 2002. However, since SPSS does not have a command for the Chow Test, we do this analysis by calculating an incremental F-value from a constrained (the model divided into the two periods pre Q2 2002 and post Q2 2002) and an unconstrained model (our original estimation). The constrained model used divides our data into two, as mentioned above. The group labelled as â€Å"pre† represents observed values from Q1 1977 to Q2 2002, whilst the group labelled â€Å"pos† represents values from Q3 2002 to Q1 2006. Running a regression and using the Anova functionality on the constrained model yields the results presented in tables 4 and 5. : Table 4: Analysis of Variance for pre structural break (b,c) a Predictors: (Constant), LN_EXP, LN_RP, LN_INV, LN_GC, LN_HC b Dependent Variable: LN_M c struct_break = pre Table 5: Analysis of Variance for post structural break (b,c) a Predictors: (Constant), LN_EXP, LN_HC, LN_INV, LN_RP, LN_GC b Dependent Variable: LN_M c struct_break = pos Utilising the above with the results from the original unconstrained model: Table 6: Analysis of Variance and F-statistic a Predictors: (Constant), LN_EXP, LN_RP, LN_INV, LN_GC, LN_HC b Dependent Variable: LN_M the incremental F-value is calculated using the residual sums of squares and degrees of freedom of the constrained and unconstrained models. In this case as: F6,105 = [(0.063 -0.082)*(117 – 2*5-2)] / (0.082 * 6) = -4.05 The f-value of -4.05 when compared to the critical value of F6,105 = 2.19 at the 5% confidence level and 2.98 at the 1% confidence level, causes us to reject the null hypothesis which means that there is a difference in the coefficients between the â€Å"pre† and â€Å"pos† periods we chose. This confirms that there was a structural break in the 2nd quarter of 2002. Autocorrelation We can now check if our estimated model suffers from autocorrelation by examining the Durbin-Watson statistic. According to a statistical table for Durbin-Watson statistics, the critical values for the Durbin-Watson statistic with N = 117 and k = 6, at the 5% confidence level are dL = 1.61045 and dU = 1.78828. In this model, the D-W statistic was calculated by SPSS as 0.661. This implies that the model does suffer from autocorrelation, as the statistic falls below the lower critical value. It has positive autocorrelation. To correct this, we have to determine whether or not the aggregate demand relation is in fact linear, otherwise we need to choose a different functional form and re-run our regression. If we do have the correct functional form, we need to determine whether there are any other variables which can be included in the model to help explain the effect on imports and which may eliminate this autocorrelation. Any changes that are made to the model or the data itself will i mply that a new regression must be run and new tests for autocorrelation carried out until this problem is eliminated. Correlation of final expenditure components Only because the model as a whole suffers from autocorrelation, it does not mean that each of the explanatory variables is significantly correlated. In order to test this, we must calculate Pearson’s correlation coefficient. SPSS can calculate these coefficients by analysing the relationship between each one of the variables with the others in the equation. Table 7 below shows the results from SPSS, as well as the statistical significance of each of the calculated correlation coefficients. Table 7: Pearson’s Correlations ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). As can be seen, all of the correlation coefficients are statistically significant at all levels, thus they are positively correlated. The highest correlations are between household consumption expenditures and the other three expenditure components: government consumption, investments and exports with correlation coefficients of 0.954, 0.950 and 0.933 respectively. This means that these variables vary together in a linear manner. Due to this high level of statistically significant correlation, the premise of regressing the model via OLS and the corresponding interpretations are put into question, as one of the basic premises is that the value of each coefficient represents the change it causes on the independent variable, leaving the rest of the explanatory variables unchanged. Yet, if they are so highly correlated, you cannot assume that they can ever be unchanged. Conclusions Through the analysis of the Netherlands’ quarterly statistics on imports, relative import/domestic prices, household consumption, government consumption, investments and exports, we estimated via OLS a model to explain elasticity of imports. We underwent a series of analysis of the results of the model, finding that our estimate is statistically significant, as are each of the individual import elasticities. Additionally, we were able to demonstrate that the switch of currency to the euro caused a structural break in the import relationship. Notwithstanding this, the estimated model suffers from autocorrelation, which brings into question whether the OLS approach and its findings are in fact correct. Additionally, the high correlations that exist between the various expenditure components also puts into question our interpretations of the estimated coefficients, as none of them can be fully isolated to measure the effect on imports. References Atlapedia Online, 2006, Netherlands [online], available at: http://www.atlapedia.com/online/countries/netherla.htm [accessed 12 December 2006] Biokin, Ltd., 2006, Critical values of F-statistics [online], (updated 16 November 2006), Available at http://www.biokin.com/tools/fcrit.html [accessed on 10 December 2006] Central Intelligence Agency, 2006, The World Factbook: Netherlands [online], updated on 30 November 2006, available at: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/nl.html [accessed on 11 December 2006] Critical Values for the Durbin-Watson Test: 5% Significance Level [online]. Available at: http://www.stanford.edu/~clint/bench/dw05b.htm [accessed 10 December 2006] Hamilton, J.D., 1994, Time Series Analysis, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Financial Statistics (IFS) November 2006, ESDS International, (MIMAS) University of Manchester.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Significants Of Soviet Unions First Atomic Bomb :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1949, the Soviet Union exploded their first atomic bomb. This event was so significant because it began the great arms race. The arms race in effect was the beginning of the Cold War. The events that led up to and followed the soviets first atomic bomb changed the United States of America forever. Everything from the fear of Russia launching a nuclear attach to paranoia of espionage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Julius and Ethel Rosenburg fired up the C.I.A.’s paranoia of espionage. They were both married and joined the Communist party in 1939. They later dropped out so they would be able to help their party in 1942. They did this so they could get jobs at U.S. Army Signal Corps. This is were they got their information that they gave to the Soviet Union. They apparently passed on classified info on the construction of the atomic bomb. Info that would have taken the Soviet Union many more years to learn on their own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The explosion of the first atomic bomb by Russia started an arms race between the Soviets and the United States. This was a time when the Soviets and Americans where trying to out due each other in the production of defensive or offensive weapons. Each one tried to come out with bigger bader weapons than what the other had. Most people blame the race on the U.S. but the threat of a Soviet attach was very real. Therefore the U.S. is intitled to outdo them any way they can.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cold war was then brought about. The cold war reached its peak in the 1960’s, when an American U-2 spy plane got photos of Soviet missle sites in Cuba. When this was discovered. The fear of an nuclear war became feared. America was hanging by a sting on wheather or not they should act or not.