Philosopy on education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Philosopy on education - Assignment Example In addition, personal analysis has indicated that due to different technological advancements, there has been a change in the methodology of education, and unfortunately, education and learning now stands in distinction with each other. In other words, societies are focusing primarily on acquisition of education, and not on the significance of learning, as degrees hold higher importance, whereas, individuals having the notion of learning without degrees usually do not acquire any respectable place in the society. In the result, there is now a wave of conflict between the notions of education and learning due to inclusion of huge technological advancements in this field; however, there is an urgent need of standardization on international level that will enable the human race to ensure survival of actual philosophy of education while resisting impact of the technology. In brief, one should accept and appreciate such change in the philosophy of education that is altering with the time, and thus, is in bond with the nature and

Determination of Ksp of Copper(II) Iodate by E.M.F. Measurement Essay Example for Free

Determination of Ksp of Copper(II) Iodate by E.M.F. Measurement Essay Introduction: Copper(II) iodate(V) ionizes weakly in water: Cu(IO3)2 + aq Cu2+(aq) + 2IO3-(aq) For a saturated solution of copper(II) iodate(V), concentration of IO3- ions doubles that of the Cu2+ (aq) ions, and Ksp of Cu(IO3)2(s) can be calculated by determining the concentration of Cu2+(aq) ion of a saturated Cu(IO3)2(aq). The e.m.f. of a galvanic cell consisting of a Zn(s)/Zn2+(aq) half-cell and another half-cell containing a copper strip in contact with a saturated solution of Cu(IO3)2(aq) is measured by a commercial DMM. Concentration of Cu2+(aq) is determined with reference to the EO values of the Zn(s)/Zn2+(aq) and the Cu(s)/Cu2+(aq) couples as well as the Nernst equation for a metal/metal ion half-cell: where n is the number of electrons transferred in the reduction process. ? Zn Zn2+ + 2e- Cu2+ + 2e- Cu ? n=2 For the Zn(s)/Zn2+(aq) half-cell, = -0.76V For the Cu(s)/Cu2+(aq) half-cell, Ecell = ER EL = {(+0.34) + 0.0295 log [Cu2+(aq)]} {(-0.76)} = (1.10) + 0.0295 log [Cu2+(aq)] When the voltage of the cell system is measured, the concentration of Cu2+ can be determined by the above equation. Therefore, the solubility product can be calculated by the above principle. Purposes: To determine the solubility product of copper(II) iodate(V) at room temperature and pressure by e.m.f. measurement. Apparatus and Reagents Used: Apparatus used: Well-plate; Plastic pipettes; Copper wire electrode; Zinc plate electrode; Digital multimeter (DMM); Connecting wires with crocodile clips; Filter paper strip, and Sand paper à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 Reagents used: 1M ZnSO4(aq); 0.3M KIO3(aq); 0.15M CuSO4(aq), and Saturated KNO3(aq) Chemical Reactions Involved: The equation of dissolution of copper(II) iodate(V): Cu(IO3)2(s) + aq Cu2+(aq) + 2IO3-(aq) The equation of redox reaction between Zn and Cu2+: Cu2+(aq) + Zn(s)Zn2+(aq) + Cu(s) Procedures: 1. 50 drops of 1M ZnSO4(aq) were placed into a well of the well-plate; 2. 25 drops of 0.3M KIO3(aq) were placed into an empty well next to the well containing the 1M ZnSO4(aq), by using a clean Jumbo pipette; 3. The plastic pipette used in step(2) was cleaned. By using the same plastic pipette, 25 drops of 0.15M CuSO4(aq) were added and stirred well with a micro-stirrer or toothpick. 5 minutes were waited to attain equilibrium; 4. The two wells were connected by a strip of filter paper moistened with saturated KNO3(aq); 5. A clean homemade copper wire electrode and a clean zinc plate electrode were placed into the well containing the pale blue suspension and the well containing the 1M ZnSO4(aq) respectively; 6. The prepared galvanic cell was connected to a DMM. The steady voltage developed was recorded. Observations: When the galvanic cell completed in step(5) was connected to the DMM, a steady voltage was developed. Data and results: Temperature of the aqueous solution = 26? E.m.f. of the cell formed by Zn(s)/Zn2+(aq, 1M) and Cu(s)/Cu(aq, saturated) = 0.997V Discussions: 1. The expression of the Ksp of copper(II) iodate(V) = [Cu2+(aq)]eqm [IO3-]2eqm 2. By the equation evaluated in the introduction, Ecell = (1.10) + 0.0295 log [Cu2+(aq)] = 0.997V 0.0295 log[Cu2+(aq)] = -0.103 log[Cu2+(aq)] = -3.492 ? [Cu2+(aq)]eqm = 3.225 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 10-3 moldm-3 Concentration of Cu2+(aq) in the saturated pale blue suspension = 3.225 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 10-3 moldm-3 3. By the equation of dissolution of copper(II) iodate(V), Cu(IO3)2(s) + aq Cu2+(aq) + 2IO3-(aq) [Cu2+(aq)] : [IO3-(aq)] = 1 : 2 ?[IO3-(aq)]eqm = 2 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 3.225 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 10-3 = 6.450 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 10-3 moldm-3 Concentration of IO3-(aq) in the saturated pale blue suspension = 6.450 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 10-3 moldm-3 4. The value for Ksp of Cu(IO3)2 = [Cu2+(aq)]eqm [IO3-]2eqm = (3.225 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 10-3) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (6.450 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 10-3)2 = 1.34 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 10-10 mol3dm-9 5. From the data of the Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, University of Split, the literature value of Ksp of Cu(IO3)2 is 6.94 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 10-8 mol3dm-9 [1]. Obviously, the literature value was much larger than the experimental value. The discrepancy came from several reasons: 1 The experimental temperature was 26?, which was different from the expected room temperature 25?. As temperature is the main factor of Ksp, the discrepancy of Ksp was caused by the difference of temperature; 2 The low quality of copper and zinc electrode may affected the e.m.f. taken from the DMM, so the Ksp result was also affected; 3 The concentration of solutions prepared may be different with the expected value. The e.m.f. given out may not equal to the theoretical values, so the Ksp obtained may be different. Conclusion: By the e.m.f. method, the solubility product of copper(II) iodate(V) at room temperature and pressure was determined. Ksp for = 1.34 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 10-10 mol3dm-9 Reference: [1] : Solubility Product Constants, Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, University of Split http://www.ktf-split.hr/periodni/en/abc/kpt.html

Karl Marx Continuation Of The Enlightenment Sociology Essay

Karl Marx Continuation Of The Enlightenment Sociology Essay Karl Marx is regarded as one of the classics of sociology. His social thought, considered one of the most important social theories, was a humanistic theory, concentrated on the condition of society and a place of individual in social structure. Marx is known as one of the greatest ideologists of the nineteen century. His political theory was revolutionary. As a sociologist though, he is regarded to be a great heir of Enlightenment  [1]  , using and developing key concepts of the eighteen century thinkers. This paper is aimed to discuss Karl Marx theory in comparison to the Enlightenment philosophy. I will try to answer a question: to what extend Marx work inherited from the Enlightenment thinkers? In order to that I will discuss the key concepts of the Enlightenment that were further developed in Marxs works. In the following part of the paper I will compare the ideas of the eighteen century thinkers with Marx theory, in regard to notions of progress, social structure, religion, science, materialism, state and individualism. Social development, progress and social change The theory of social development and progress was the key concept of the Enlightenment  [2]  . The experience of Renaissance recovery from the dark ages, rediscovery of antique philosophy, the expansion of colonialism and exploration of non-European cultures, violated established order and lead to expansion of new ideas doubting tradition. The Enlightenment recognized that human history changes and that societies experience material and mental, moral or philosophical progress. It became clear, that modernity is just another stage of development, that does not lead the end of history, but might be as well a beginning of some better, new society. Eighteen century thinkers considered reason as the leading force of change, believing, that human knowledge and consciousness may develop linearly. Since the Enlightenment was an age of science and reason, philosophers tend to classify and order possessed knowledge. That lead to a few theories of historical stages development of societies that arranged historical periods in progressive order  [3]  . Marx inherited from the Enlightenment that linear and deterministic perspective on development of societies, building his theory on the idea of progress. In his works he wrote about successive stages of development of societies: primitive society, feudalism, capitalism (bourgeois formation), socialism and communism. He abandoned the concept of reason as the leading force of progress, though. For Marx the key force of development was ownership and mode of production emerging from it. HeEach of the stages presented different social relations, policies, politics and consciousness all of which resulting from economic relations. The mode of production representing each of historical formation of society was regarded as a base, and resulted in different superstructures culture, religion and politics. Every stage of history was more complex than another and lead to the next one. For Marx it meant that the history of all societies is inevitable and must lead through the same phases. The Enlightenments attachment to the notion of progressive development of societies lead to the ideas of future utopia final, goal stage of social evolution. It was a very optimistic concept of history, beginning in dark, oppressive periods of the past, through ambiguous and chaotic modernity, leading to some enlighten, better and just future. Such utopian vision was described by Condorcet, for whom future society would prevail tyranny by changing tradition and superstition into reason  [4]  . Delany wrote of the Enlightenment as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦characterized by a certain utopianism, which was a reflection of the belief in the promises of modernity to bring about freedom. Unlike earlier social thought, it displayed a great belief in the power of human action to shape the future  [5]  . The same was true for Marx, who saw communism as the perfect and most of all just, social system. For Marx the end stage of human history communism represented the most desired and final pha se of human development. As Sideman wrote: Marx never gave up his Enlightenment faith in the coming of a new era  [6]  . But contrary to the Enlightenment philosophers, for Marx, the utopia was not to be obtained through evolution and development of reason, but through revolution of working class. The idea of revolution was not present in eighteen century before the experience of French revolution. Though it is sad, that the Enlightenment prepared the ground for the revolt in France, works of eighteen century thinkers did not appeal to force or violent change. Marx shared the romantic vision of revolution with socialist thinkers and activists supporting French strife. Moreover, unlike his eighteen century ancestors, Marx sought emancipation in proletariat the working class of modernity. The Enlightenment was an age of intellectuals, giving special role to philosophers in the process of development of society  [7]  . In eighteen century thought, reason had the emancipatory force. Marx violent vision of revolution did not reserved place for intellectuals, though Marx was one of them. Social structure The Enlightenment was a period of a great expansion of egalitarian theories. The idea of natural laws developed and notion of equality had spread. Eighteen century philosophers attempted to find and describe origins of social order as well as discover best social conditions to maintain and expand individual freedom. Especially the latter freedom, understood as unconstrained development and expansion of reason was an important issue in the theory of state and governance. The Enlightenment cherished the idea of liberated individual in the society free from state, church and other collective forms of organizations. To reconcile the concepts of state and freedom, the idea of civil society was developed. Individuals became citizens residents of a state that had their natural, internal rights, individuals who through that civil rights gained freedom. Though human beings were not equal, especially because of different kinds and sizes of ownership, they had the potential of equality inte rnalized through their natural, inalienable rights. For Marx idea of equality was a goal of the development of societies. Contemporary social structure was far from egalitarian one. To describe social structure Marx used a concept of class as sets of people or parts of society that differ by the effective control over the means of production and property ownership  [8]  . The class designated people who lived in similar conditions. For bourgeois stage of development social structure was basically dichotomous, consisting of two classes owners (capitalists) and workers. Since individuals within one class shared alike economic positions they also shared the same interests. Individuals from different classes, on the other hand, remained in permanent conflict as they interests were opposite. For in Marx theory class structure is a structure of permanent class-conflict. As E.C. Cuff and others expressed it: Since the inequality between the owning class and the labouring class is not simply an economic one, narrowly defined, but involv es a social relationship of power and control, the difference of interest between these classes refers to freedom and further: The conflict of interest between owning and labouring classes is, then, a conflict over power and freedom.  [9]  Once again Marx theory rejected peaceful and optimistic assumptions of the Enlightenment. Ideologies and religion The end of the Middle Ages ended the era of gods laws and theological explanation of social order. The Enlightenment separated religion from politics. Eighteen century brought to life the concept of public private spheres. Religion became private matter of citizens. Gods rights no longer decided on political questions and social relations. Secular society was based on secular rules. The Enlightenment believed in reason and science, and through them sought emancipation from religion and superstition. Social change required that cultural traditions be weakened to allow for new ideas and attitudes favoring social progress  [10]  . Religion and tradition constrained social change and overruled the utopian vision of future. It does not mean that the Enlightenment was a truly secular era. Rejection of religion covered only public, political sphere. None of the great philosophers of the period Becon, Diderot, Locke postulated atheism  [11]  . The issue was to separate religion fr om science, theology from logical reasoning. Religion intruded cognition, so had to be abandoned in the sphere of knowledge. Marx also shared with the Enlightenment the concept of secular society, though he brought the idea of secularization further. For Marx every ideology and meta-narration of society, in every stage of its development, was a product of current economic relations, and so was religion. Religion internalized rules, regulations and prohibitions served justification of the conditions of production and hence, the justification of exploitation. In this sense religion was a mechanism of oppression. It was no longer a private issue, but a political one, that justified bourgeois order. As in the eighteen century religion obstructed change, but this time, though, it was not suppose to be withdraw from public life, but destroyed absolutely. That is why, according to Marx, emancipation not only required rejection of theological order of the world, but also complete rejection of religion. Once again this emancipation required revolution dramatic and sudden change of economic conditions that would change social relations, including execution of religion. The role of science The Enlightenment was the era of development of sciences. A great expand of sciences such as mathematics, medicine, natural sciences changed the view of modern philosophers on the world and human kind. Science revealed mystery of existence and the order of nature. That is why science became one of the ways to obtain individual freedom. Eighteen century philosophers presumed that one day science will lead to discovery of logical, rational order of human and societal relations. For Marx science also had an important role in revealing the rules of organization of society. Marx knew that in order to change, it is necessary to understand the social forces institutions, cultural traditions, social groups  [12]  . In Marx theory science held the explanatory role by revealing the real nature of social order, gave information about social classes, modes of production and rules of historical development. According to Marx, science should be based on rational assumptions and logical laws, it should reject common sense and superstitions. When discussing the role of science in Marx theory, his contribution to scientific methods is worth mention. The Enlightenment admired achievements of modern mathematics and physicists, especially those of Newton. Philosophers were dreaming of finding scientific method, similar to methods used in physics and mathematics, to investigate and describe social world. Modern thinkers presumed that since the complex world of nature can be characterized through clear rules and patterns of numbers, the same can be done with human environment. Marx sought different path of inquiry. His scientific method characterized as historicism  [13]  postulated investigation on every social phenomena in their historical context. Marx claimed that all individuals and their actions are embedded in broader setting, since none human being exists separated from his environment. Moreover he posed the question of a researcher as a social actor, entangled in social reality beside investigated objects. Marx claimed that scientist shares common consciousness to the same degree as all other members of society. True scientific method required from the researcher detachment from false, superstition knowledge embedded on the surface of social life  [14]  . Here again Marx expressed belief in reason and logic, similarly to his eighteen century ancestors. Economic perspective Though Marx theory shares materialistic perspective, he was not the one to introduce economic interpretation of social life. Adam Smith, Adam Ferguson and others eighteen century thinkers saw the leading role of economy in social life. Those early economists wrote about dehumanization of work and disintegration of society through modern specialization of production and technical development of the production process  [15]  . Industrial revolution of eighteen century brought to light new phenomena that were not overlooked by present-day thinkers. Negative effects of industrialization, demographic explosion and urbanization were thoroughly discussed by that time. As we can see, the importance of material conditions for human individual and collective life was not the Marx invention, though he also observed that technology destroys social relations. According to him, innovations, machines and devices used in the process of production serve the dominant class for exploitation of workers  [16]  . Nevertheless, with his materialistic view on society, Marx went further with the idea, claiming that: the reproduction of material life precedes the production of culture  [17]  . For Marx material conditions of existence were the basis for all other characteristics of life. In this concept, living conditions determined social structure, policies, rules and morality. Marx showed that certain social conditions shape certain forms of consciousness. That was a great contribution of Marx thought to social sciences. Since Marx, social scientists began research on the role of material conditions on human thoughts, believes and attitudes, giving a star t to many disciplines of social sciences, as sociology of thought, sociology of knowledge or sociology of religion  [18]  . Moreover, since then, social scientists considered development process and ownership relations of societies as some of the most important criteria of social studies analysis. The concept of state Eighteen century philosophy was critical towards the old order or regime. The Enlightenment developed several state theories  [19]  , all connected with the concept of social contract. Hobbes, claimed that the states are made on the basis of common agreement in which citizens give their rights to absolute power. John Locke postulated conception of liberal state based on tolerance, private ownership and freedom of economic action. In this conception it was not the absolute ruler but society that hold the power. Kannt, on the other hand, proposed peaceful republican regime of federation of states. Finally Rousseau wrote about egalitarian regime of equal chances, conditions and rights of citizens. All the eighteen century concepts of authority were positive ones, assuming rationality of power and universality of interests. Marx concept of the state was not the optimistic one. In his works state power had class character  [20]  . Regime authority served class interest of dominant group of society capitalists, through organized violence towards the suppressed class. There was no possibility to gain freedom through or within the state. Unlike the eighteen century theories, Marx project of desirable future assumed abolishment of the bureaucratic, oppressive, class regime. Decomposition of the state should be accomplished through a proletariat revolution that would lead to class-free society of common owners. Individualism and collective action In earlier philosophy, the status of human being in society was constant and determined, not by human himself, but by external forces the world order, gods will, some kind of justice and internal sense of social existence. Enlightenment and especially the French revolution, brought the idea of civil society and civil rights  [21]  . The Enlightenment claimed that all human beings share some common characteristics that are independent of external, historical or natural conditions. It was the kind of individualism, that claimed that human nature in general have some common qualities inherited from the state of nature. That is what makes society egalitarian differences between human status in society are merely secondary, in a sense that all (male) human beings are equal and share the same civic rights. Emancipation in this context was a political emancipation of citizens from feudal, traditional relations. Marx connected human position in social structure with material conditions and idea of work and ownership. For him the idea of society was not based on the idea of civil rights, but on the idea of economic relations between different social groups classes. It was dichotomous vision of society made of workers and capitalists the owners of means of production. Emancipation was possible not on the basis of civil rights, but on the basis of changing economic relations. This was a revolutionary perspective, leading to turnover of social order. Unlike the Enlightenment, Marx did not perceived emancipation and concept of freedom in individual actions. He clearly rejected individualism both in terms of individual social actions and as the method of inference about human conditions. Marx claimed that every individual is rooted in his collective history and society, and his consciousness, as well as beliefs, goals and needs are shaped through that heritage. That is why not only analysis of human conditions, but also the projected change of social relations, has to take into consideration collective baggage and collective effort. Conclusions As we can see, Marx benefited much from the Enlightenment philosophy, though we have to keep in mind, that issues presented in this paper are merely examples of eighteen century tradition in Marx thought. Marx indeed was a child of the Enlightenment in a sense, that he took form that tradition in different ways, sometimes directly, sometimes developing further ideas and sometimes criticizing and negating the eighteen century thought. This heritage however seems somehow natural, since we cannot abandon of our history and are always influenced by previous discourses. What we have to remember about is, that eighteen century tradition does not exhaust Marx thought but merely enriches and embeds it in historical context.

Behavioral Phenotypes of Inbred Mouse Strains :: essays research papers

Molecular geneticists have recently been using targeted gene line mutations so as to effectively isolate certain genes as being the cause of a specific phenotype. However the effects of a gene can be a result of complex interactions within its genetic background. Scientist have tried to maintain and isogenic genetic background. However in choosing the appropriate isogenic background it is important that all of the effects of it be documented so that the appropriate selection of genetic background can be chosen for an expected phenotype and so that the results can be interpreted properly. The effects of different strains on the performance of various different tests of an animal’s behavior are documented here. A well established measure of mouse behavior is open field locomotion. In this measurement a mouse’s amount of movement, rate of movement and other behaviors are measured. These measurements are proposed to suggest specific levels of emotionality and anxiety in mice as well as other underlying traits. The levels of activity and anxiety have been measured for specific strains. The best choice for a strain when trying to assess the level of activity or anxiety for a mutation is the strain that is known to produce the opposite level of anxiety or activity. There are two types of learning tasks that have been assessed for. Complex learning tasks involve and animal using multiple pieces of information simultaneously and Avoidance tasks which involve the animal avoiding a location where they have previously received a shock. Other behavioral traits that have been assessed are aggressiveness, reproductive behavior and the effects of acoustic startle where the reaction of a mouse to a loud noise is measured as well as its reaction when the sound is preceded by a relatively quiet sound The effects of genetic strains have also been studied with regard to their effects on certain drugs. The effects of drugs such as ethanol show that it is very hard to generalize the effects of a specific drug on a specific strain since the reactions vary with the dose given and with the reinforcing effect that it has on the mice. In some studies it was shown that despite the noticeable mean effect of ethanol on a strain it did not have the same effect with a different dose. However certain generalizations of strains sensitivity to ethanol have shown themselves to be robust across several procedural variations.

Board of Directors

Describe at least six recommendations that you would make to improve the effectiveness of today's boards of directors. 1 I would require the board of directors degree of Involvement In strategic management be active participation (approves, questions and makes final decisions on mission, strategy, policies and objectives) or be that of a catalyst (takes the leading role In establishing and modifying the mission, objectives, strategies and polices).This would ensure that the board of directors takes a hands on approach (Wheeled, p. 47). 2 I would require the board of directors to set corporate strategy, overall direction, Nilsson or vision for the company. This needs to come from the board of directors. They need to set the standard. 3 I would make the board of directors responsible for the hiring and firing of the CEO and top management. This is an important role and must be mandated from the board of directors. Keeping the right CEO in position and keeping top management in place is extremely important (Wheeled, p. 45). 4I would make the board of directors responsible for controlling, monitoring, or supervising top management (Wheeled, p. 45). The guidance that the board of directors provides is much needed and top management will follow the boards lead. 5 Corporations inside the united States usually have 2 insiders and 8 outsiders that make up the board of directors (Wheeled, p. 48). I would have at least 5 insiders and 5 outsiders make up the board of directors. This would make the makeup of the board of directors more even. 6 Of the 5 insiders, I would allow 2 of them to be company employees that sit on the road of directors.These employees can bring an inside look at what is happening from the employees point of view to the board. Of these six suggestions, I would select number 1 as the most important. I would require the board of directors degree of Involvement In strategic management be active participation (approves, questions and makes final decisions on mission, strategy, policies and objectives) or be that of a catalyst (takes the leading role In establishing and modifying the mission, objectives, strategies and policies). This loud ensure that the board of directors takes a hands on approach.Board of Directors By bias]Nanette I would require the board of directors degree of involvement in strategic role in establishing and modifying the mission, objectives, strategies and policies). Mission or vision for the company. This needs to come from the board of directors. Corporations inside the United States usually have 2 insiders and 8 outsiders that require the board of directors degree of involvement in strategic management be strategy, policies and objectives) or be that of a catalyst (takes the leading role in

Political Representation for Women

Political Representation for Women Free Online Research Papers Politics and governance involve all aspects of power: who has power, what power relations exist, how power is exercised, the institutions of power, how they operate, what laws and policies are churned out from these institutions and what impact those have on people. Through the patriarchal powers vested in them by society, men become the ‘directors’ of virtually all public life – the ‘face’ of politics and governance. (Lowe Morna, 2004: 25) It is a statement of the obvious to note that women have been discriminated against in the political arena for centuries, enjoying little to no representation and playing no role in the governing of their countries. To effectively give credence to the arguments for women’s representation and to be able to evaluate the effectiveness of various ideologies, electoral systems and the use of quotas in offering women political equity, we must first understand how they have been politically marginalised. To that end, this paper begins with an exploration of the concept of citizenship: what it means, how important is it in having access to rights and representation and how and why the notion is gender-biased. Arguments are then presented that highlight the imperative need for women to have a face in governments, indicating their right to be a part of the policy making process. Women’s representation is, however, not a cut and dried issue for many political theorists and there are a number of debates surrounding the issue including the matter of women’s interests being a part of policy making, the legitimacy of feminists in government and the substantive effect of descriptive representation. Each of these will be discussed and evaluated as will the effectiveness of liberal democracy in terms of women’s rights and representation. Finally, a focused discussion on electoral systems and quotas and how they can be used to ensure fair representation and participation for both genders ensues. Based on this, the required evaluation of their effectiveness in increasing the number of women in government is made. Once again, this is a subject that elicits much debate but has in certain instances, as will be demonstrated in the final section, been immensely successful. 2. Women and Citizenship The term citizen is a broadly used and widely interpreted one that has meant different things to different people across the centuries. The basic understanding of the word is any member of a state who is politically and legally recognised as an individual and who, by democratic principle, therefore has both rights and responsibilities toward that state. Erasmus goes one step further to outline those rights in terms of equal access to judicial, political, social and economic independence. Despite the fact that days where women, ethnic minorities and the mentally ill were not formally considered citizens at all have passed in democratic countries, the question remains whether their inclusion is meaningful to the extent that they have access to the political mechanisms of democracy. A history of the state highlights some of the reasons why the concept of citizenship has traditionally been gender-biased. These include the perception that it is by defending a state in military terms or contributing to it in economic terms, that one has rights to citizenship. As both of these fields have, for centuries, been off limits to most women across the globe, their exclusion was a natural result of their relegation to the lesser-valued private sphere. In addition, land ownership laws, inheritance laws and marriage laws have been used to ensure that women were passed along from the care of their fathers to that of their husbands without ever enjoying either the experience or recognition of being individuals. (Phillips, 1991a:96) While most of these laws have been changed over the last century, the perception that accompanies them has been slow to follow. In her article, Citizenship and Feminist Theory, Phillips explores the notion that citizenship is no longer just viewed as one’s right to show up at a polling station every four or five years, but is an â€Å"evolving complex of civil, political and social rights† that calls for more active participation and â€Å"more substantial citizen involvement and control.† (Phillips, 1991b: 78) This then calls seriously into question any instance where a group is denied the required access to get involved and make a contribution, making them, by implication citizens of a lesser degree, if at all. Lowe Morna comments on this point that women are often â€Å"rendered non-citizens by their virtual non-participation in decision making.† (2004: 26) It is with this in mind that we turn our attention to the arguments for women’s representation, for what more fundamental way to be an active citizen than to represent one’s people in government. 3. Arguments for Women’s Representation While the need for women to be adequately represented in government may be as obvious to some as to defy the need for justification, there are no shortage of tangible reasons for those who are less certain. Phillips poses four arguments in her book, Engendering Democracy, why women should have equal representation to men. The first is a matter of democratic justice. Democracy claims to recognise the human rights of all individuals and this must necessarily include women. It is therefore a violation of human rights to exclude women from public representation just as much as when racial groups or ethnic minorities are given no political say. The second reason is utilitarian in nature, posing that it is an immense waste of knowledge, wisdom and skills to automatically exclude half the world’s population from your list of eligible politicians. As prior discussions on feminist ideologies have illuminated, women have a potentially vast and unique set of attributes to contribute to t he public sphere. This ties closely with the third justification for women’s representation, which is that women bring something distinctly different and unique to political positions. This is important both in recognising that women are different and cannot be adequately represented by males and in creating a socially balanced political arena. â€Å"The representation of women and the inclusion of their perspectives and experience into the decision-making process will inevitably lead to solutions that are more viable and satisfy a broader range of society. (Lowe Morna, 2004: 29) Finally, in a world still battling to attain social equality between the genders, having women represent their communities in government creates a vital role model for upcoming generations. (Phillips, 1991a) Phillips also makes rather astute reference to the renowned ‘for the people, by the people’ slogan, which is so widely associated with democracy, noting that in its truest sense, liberal democracy does not just promote a system that fights, or claims to, for the rights of all its citizens, but rather one in which all of those citizens have an equal say in the governing of their country. (1995: 28) If liberal society has, as it claims, acknowledged that old arguments that women are not possessed of similar reason or intellect to men are both incorrect and uncondonable, then it stands to reason that women are equally qualified and eligible for positions in the political arena. It therefore becomes a moot point to argue for women’s representation but is rather the responsibility of anyone opposed to the notion to offer valid justification for women’s exclusion. As logical or obvious as these arguments may seem, there is not a single country in the world that boasts equal gender representation at this time. There are a number of reasons for this that call into question just how democratic liberal democracy has proven to be for women. Aside from the very pervasive social barriers to women’s participation such as the perception that their characteristics are not suited to the task, that they lack confidence and the support of other women and that they have been socialised into a submissive mindset, there are various more tangible, political constraints as well. A new system of public management, dominant in most liberal democracies has witnessed the devaluation of policy-making expertise in government positions in favour of management skills, a dynamic that tends to marginalise those politicians bent on representing particular issues (which would include most female candidates) in favour of those with financial clout and the ability to outsource. In addition, female candidates suffer from a form of backlash politics where men in authority, closely protecting the old guard, actively prevent their progress. (Sawer, 2006: 121) These hurdles are compounded by theorists that claim that gender equality issues are special interest pleadings and should be treated as such rather than being given a seat in government and that enforcing women’s rights through the mechanisms of government undermines the very foundation of democracy by limiting the rights of the individual in favour of a group. The latter two arguments will be dealt with more extensively in the section on debates surrounding women’s representation, but the constraints mentioned as a collective lead us to explore the relationship between women’s rights and liberal democracy. 4. Liberal Democracy and Women’s Rights Liberal democracy, by its very definition, is both ideologically and pragmatically, a system of government that claims to protect above all else, the rights of the individual. It has as one of its founding tenants, the principle that all people are equal and have equal rights. It is disappointing then, to say the least, that even in countries that have been democracies for centuries, while all members of society have been formally recognised as equal, there are still vast numbers of citizens who do not have claim to the equal rights that should theoretically follow this recognition. In addition, there seems to be little urgency among governments across the globe to rectify this situation. This holds true for women who have been given the vote, but have only the option of voting for male dominated parties. There are theorists who say that this is not simply a failure to implement democracy, but resultant of ideals within the practice that fundamentally oppose equality. Mendus phrases it rather succinctly, claiming that â€Å"democracy is not something that, as a matter of unfortunate fact, has failed to deliver on its promises to women. It embodies ideals that guarantee that it will never deliver unless it embarks upon extensive critical examination of its own philosophical assumptions.† (1992: 208) These ideals include the continued emphasis on the public, private dichotomy, the opposition of the notions of individual rights and rights of minority groups, the ideology’s understanding of citizenship and the male norm as the basis for the entire philosophy. Earlier discussions on the nature of the democratic state revealed that the clear divide between the public and private sphere is not only a result of socially entrenched patriarchy but also a calculated formula that has allowed male dominated governments to legitimise violence, making it an integral part of any state, including modern day liberal democracies. This split effects women’s political rights on two fronts. Firstly, they are still, in a very real sense, perceived to be inferior citizens and the social inferiority that relegation to the private sphere perpetuates severely hinders their access to self-governance (the basis of democracy). As Phillips notes, â€Å"If the supposed equality of the vote is continually undermined by patterns of patronage and subservience and condescension, then society is not democratic.† (1991a: 159) Secondly and on a more practical note, women’s continued responsibilities in the home even in instances where they have entered the workplace, places a double burden or workload on them, restricting the time that they have available for involvement or participation in the political arena. In terms of democracy’s emphasis on the rights of the individual, it is important to note that the concept of an individual in this case is based on a male norm. The term is most often understood in a market context in terms of ownership and activity in the economic arena. Much of the effort that goes into supporting women’s rights in modern politics uses as a basis the fact that women were unfairly judged for being different or deviating from the norm, when in fact it is not the judgment that is the problem but the perception of that norm and women’s deviance from it. (Phillips, 1991a: 150) In this context, liberal democracy assumes success in achieving gender equity as having allowed women ‘into the club’ as it were, by creating employment equity laws and giving them the vote. The very notion of that ‘club’, however, and a male dominated government’s place to allow women to do anything, upholds the strongest notions of patriarc hy. Feminists themselves refer to this type of inclusion or progress for women as assimilation feminism, where women’s success is based on their ability to match up to men in a male defined world and it leads to another major conflict between liberal democratic theory and women’s rights, namely the concept of difference versus equality. Democracy has always held that a belief in equality implies a sameness about all citizens and that areas of difference, interpreted as deviance or disadvantage, should be downplayed or minimised. In order for democracy to truthfully reflect the diversity of modern day states, equality needs to be understood as being independent of, or existing in spite of differences. As Mendus points out, â€Å"where democratic theorists have urged that, in decisions about social policy, we should aim to minimise the disadvantages that spring from difference, feminists ask why such normal states as pregnancy should be categorised as disadvantages at a ll.† (1992: 213) When faced with all of this theory, it is important to remember that individual programmes such as quota systems cannot correct thousands of years of patriarchy in one swift move and that as long as they are making headway in leveling the playing field, they hold value. It is none-the-less, both edifying and helpful to know what the theoretical debates are. 5. Debates Surrounding Women’s Representation In a liberal democracy, where representatives in government are supposed to speak and act for the constituents who have voted them into power, women’s representation is, for many, not as simple as being merely right or wrong. There are several debates of legitimacy and effectiveness of women in government that deserve some attention. The first of these is the issue of women’s interests, which impacts on women’s representation in two ways. Firstly, there is the question of whether there is a common idea of what women’s interests are in any given country, given the diverse cultural and economic make up of most democracies, and secondly, the question is raised whether it is appropriate to use a seat in parliament, congress or similar government bodies to fight for what some people perceive to be special interests. For decades, when women across the globe faced, over and above their more personal experiences of oppression, the common obstacles of total political and economic exclusion, the notion of women’s interests could plausibly be defined as a single set of goals. With suffrage, however, and a fair amount of political and economic liberation, women now face the more intricate and personal portion of their oppression. This creates vast divides between women in varying racial, economic, ideological and religious groups. The likelihood, for example, of an African American, single mother working for minimum wage, a wealthy European stay-at-home mom and a single, lesbian British student sharing common experiences of oppression or fighting for similar goals is highly unlikely. As Philips states, representative democracy cannot produce a perfect reflection of society. (1991a: 14) Although it might be desirable to elect students, pensioners, unemployed, women and men in numbers that mirror their proportion in society there are some practical problems, which electoral systems face trying to increase women’s representation in Parliament. For example, there are no geographical concentrations that could form the basis for women’s constituencies and as long as voting is tied to localities, no women candidate can seriously present herself as representing women alone. The argument then, that women should have a face in government in order to advance the position of all women’s interests becomes an impossible one to justify. This point is illustrated when Dodson refers to a major study done on women in the 103rd and 104th USA congresses, and highlights how female representatives from the two parties and even within parties spend much time feuding bitterly over women’s issues. While Republican women may fight for harsher abortion laws, decreased welfare for single women and incentives for women to stay home with their children, female representativ es for the Democrats may find these notions as oppressive as any that a purely male government might endorse. (Dodson, 2006: 60) The logical rebuttal to this argument, however, lies quite simply in creating the male parallel. No man in government mirrors the profile, needs and beliefs of every man he represents. Quite simply with enough men and women in any parliamentary system, the best that any democracy can hope is that each of the predominant cultures, religions and classes within the country finds a voice. What one can be sure of, is that despite the commonly heard argument that a white man, if he is a responsible politician, will do everything he can to fight for the rights of a black women, women constitute half of every population and every group within that population, making it impossible to claim fair representation until they have an equal showing in the halls of parliament. Turning to the question of whether women in government should be focusing on women’s issues (would we, after all, want men in government fighting solely for the good of men?), critics argue that activists for any particular cause are non-representative of their people. Women are voted into positions of power by both the men and women in their regions and should, therefore focus on the needs of both. As Phillips notes, focusing on statistical representation and women working on gender specific policies can be seen to give credence to competing and exclusionary groups and can produce policy that divides people. (1995: 22) It is, on the other hand, impossible to deny that when weight has been given to one side of any political imbalance, time and effort is required to correct that balance. Therefore, just as it was necessary for the South African government post-1994 to put the weight of parliament and legislature behind combating the oppression so long institutionalised by Apart heid, so governments should necessarily legitimise and make room within their mechanisms for the correction of women’s oppression and exclusion. In doing this, they create a fairer society for all members of the country, both male and female. Interestingly, Dodson’s research showed that with an increase in women’s representation in Congress, there followed a definite increase in governmental focus on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic abuse and employment equity, and that those women undeniably effected both the researching and processing of the related policy as well as the final vote, seemingly putting paid to the notion that women’s interests can not be fairly represented just by putting women in government. 6. Quotas and Electoral Systems Today women constitute only 16% of the members of parliaments around the world with a mere six female head-of-state. (Dahlerup, 2006: 17) The concept of gender quotas for representation emerged in response to the under-representation of women in the formal political arena and involve the use of specified minimum levels of representation for each sex. Surprisingly, Rwanda has taken a world-wide lead in terms of women’s parliamentary representation with 48.8%. â€Å"Rwanda is an example of the new trend to use electoral gender quotas as a fast track to gender balance in politics.† (2006, Internet Source 1) Electoral quotas for women may be constitutional, legislative or in the form of a political party quotas. They can apply to the number of women candidates proposed by a party for election, or be in the form of reserved seats in the legislature. The use of quotas is the topic of much debate with strong arguments both for and against. It is difficult to prove the effectiveness of quotas due to the untenable nature of research regarding women’s impact on policy making. â€Å"Some research has suggested possible changes in the political attitudes of women and in the nature of public policies. However, the actual policy impact of the boost of women’s presence in parliament is still unclear. â€Å" (2006, Internet source 3) Lowe Morna refers to a study on women in the South African legislature, writing that â€Å"greater number of women in legislative bodies have resulted in increased attention to laws and policies dealing with families, women and children. (2004: 30) She also notes that evidence suggests that women can â€Å"impact the nature of the institution itself once they have critical mass.† In favour of a quota scheme implementation are arguments such as the belief that it is the most effective way of translating legal equality between men and women into de facto equality by guaranteeing women’s presence in leadership in the immediate term. By bolstering the number of women working together in parliament, quotas eliminate the stress placed on token female representatives who often find themselves simply towing the party line. (Dahlerup, 2006) The balance created by quotas can also be perceived as creating a good example and a starting point for increased women’s participation in all fields of life and commerce. Lowe Morna’s investigation into the effects of women in South African governmental institutions revealed that positive changes included infrastructure changes to the facilities themselves, more family-friendly hours and work environments, changes to the discursive style of parliamentary debates, an increase in the confidence of women in pow er to fight their causes and positive alterations in the attitudes of men in the environment. (2004: 38) When added to the actual laws and policies that have been created due to a female presence, supported by Dodson’s research on the 103rd and 104th USA Congress, this has to amount to a success story for women’s representation and the quota system. Opponents of quotas, a group composed of both men and women (some of them feminists), argue that they are discriminatory and elevate under-qualified women to power. There are also fears that the introduction of women’s quotas will lead to other groups – ethnic minorities, homosexuals, specific industries and the like – to demand their own quotas (an interesting reference back to the argument that women in parliament fighting for women’s rights amounts to giving special interest groups a place in government.) (2006, Internet source 2) In response to the argument that quotas are undemocratic as they don’t allow voters full control over whom they vote for, Dahlerup comments that political parties always choose the candidates on offer, so nothing is being removed from the power of the voter. In addition, to the theory that quotas allow people who are not necessarily qualified to achieve positions beyond their skill, she counters that representation in a democracy should be based on just that – representation: a shared experience with constituents and the intention to act on their behalf – rather than on qualifications alone. (Dahlerup, 2006) Other controversies include the perception that those elected to office by means of a quota will lack legitimacy and authority because the means of their election will be judged as unfair and manipulative. Quotas have been contested in courts and in industrial tribunal, for example, in the United Kingdom, in 1996, the Labour Party’s all women shortlists were ruled to be in breach of fair employment practices. (2006, Internet source 2) Even those who stand to benefit from quotas have their reservations, voicing concerns that stipulated targets turn a lower limit into a ceiling that should not be breached and focus on the ever controversial ‘category women . In addition, the implementation of quotas comes under scrutiny due to the fact that they are not necessarily self-executing. Under a list system, quotas only work if female candidates are placed in a favourable position on the list, under a single-member constituency system, they work only if the constituencies in which women stand are, in political terms, winnable seats. (2006, Internet source 2) With all of this theory in mind, it remains now to explore the actual effect of quotas on governments around the world. 7. Conclusion Having explored all of the debates and arguments, many of which concern themselves infinitely with semantics and apparent attempts at justifying existing beliefs or structures, it is impossible to deny the basic right of women to be equally represented in and by their governments. Any notion that this can be done effectively in systems where they either comprise a minority portion of parliaments or where they operate within the rigidity of male rules and power plays is absurd. This means that liberal democracies have to rethink existing paradigms and find a way to change both the ideas and principles they promote in terms of a women’s value as well as the mechanisms that govern how the country is represented and run. It is at this juncture that quota systems take their place and while they can not be saddled with the responsibility of correcting women’s political oppression entirely (they do not pretend to be an all-encompassing solution to a centuries-old injustice) th ey have value in speeding up the corrective process necessary for true ideological change. As to how quotas, and in fact the presence of women in government at all, effect the outcome of policy making, we have noted how difficult this is to measure. However, if democracy is founded on the principle of fair representation for all then, as Lowe Morna notes, â€Å"women have a right to equal participation in political decision making, whether they make a difference or not.† (2004: 27) There is, however, no clearly defined and universal concept of quotas as they are conceived and implemented with very different contexts in individual countries. Quotas in themselves do not remove all the other barriers for womens full citizenship. In order to be truly effective, â€Å"it is important that quotas are not just imposed from above, but rest on grass root mobilization of women and the active participation of womens organizations.† (Dahlerup, 2006) (Word Count: 4 371) 9. Bibliography Dahlerup, D. (ed) 2006. Women, Quotas and Politics. Routledge, London. Dodson, DL. 2006. The Impact of Women in Congress. Oxford University Press, New York. Held, D. 1991. â€Å"Between State and Civil Society: Citizenship† in Andrews, G (ed). Citizenship. Lawrence and Wishart, London. Lowe Morna, C. 2004. Ringing up the Changes. Gender Links, Johannesburg Mendus, S. 1992. â€Å"Losing the Faith: Feminism and Democracy† in Dunn, J. Democracy the Unfinished Journey. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Pateman, C. 1989. The Disorder of Women: Democracy Feminism and Political Theory. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. Phillips, A. 1991a. Engendering Democracy. Polity Press, Cambridge. Phillips, A. 1991b. â€Å"Citizenship and Feminist Theory† in Andrews, G. (ed) Citizenship. Lawrence and Wishart, London. Phillips, A. 1993. Democracy and Difference. Polity Press, Cambridge. Phillips, A. 1995. The Politics of Presence. Clarendon Press, Oxford. Sawer, M. 2006. â€Å"From Women’s Interests to Special Interests: Reframing Equality Claims† in Chappell, L and L. Hill (eds). The Politics of Women’s Interests. Routladge, Oxford Vickers, J. 2006. â€Å"The Problem with Interests: Making Political Claims for Women† in Chappell, L and L. Hill (eds). The Politics of Women’s Interests. Routladge, Oxford Websites â€Å"Women, Quotas and Politics.† Internet Source 1, accessed 08 September 2006. quotaproject.org/aboutQuotas.cfm â€Å"Quotas: a Key to Equality?† Internet Source 2, accessed 08 September 2006. statsvet.su.se/hemsidor/drude_dahlerup_right.htm â€Å"Gender Quotas in a Comparative Perspective.† Internet Source 3, accessed 08 September 2006. www.essex.ac.uk//women/workingPapers/Gender_Quotas_in_a_Comparative_Perspective_oct2002 Research Papers on Political Representation for WomenBringing Democracy to Africa19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraPETSTEL analysis of IndiaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesQuebec and CanadaThe Fifth Horseman

15 Reduplicative Doublets

15 Reduplicative Doublets 15 Reduplicative Doublets 15 Reduplicative Doublets By Mark Nichol Reduplicative doublets are a small class of idioms in which a word is repeated after the conjunction and; such repetition is intended to provide an emphatic boost to a statement. Here are fifteen such constructions with definitions and sample sentences. 1. Again and again: repeatedly (â€Å"I practiced the maneuver again and again so that I didn’t have to think about what I was doing†) 2. By and by (or by-and-by): later, or eventually (â€Å"I think he’ll come around to our way of thinking by and by†) 3. Done and done: done thoroughly and satisfactorily (â€Å"The team avenged its loss with a decisive victory done and done†) 4. Ever and ever: always, or seemingly so (â€Å"I had to wait for ever and ever for my car to get fixed†) 5. Half and half: in equal parts; also, a food or drink made of two often equal ingredients, or a mixture of cream and milk, or a person of dual nationality or mixed ethnicity (â€Å"She likes half and half in her coffee†) 6. Hot-and-hot: multiple courses of food served individually as soon as cooked (â€Å"The catered meal was served hot-and-hot†) 7. Less and less: increasingly less, progressively decreasing, or decreasingly true or prevalent (â€Å"I’m less and less confident of success as the days pass†) 8. More and more: increasingly more, progressively increasing, or increasingly true or prevalent (â€Å"It’s getting more and more difficult to find in stores†) 9. Neck and neck: very close in a contest or race, suggesting two horses whose necks are side by side (â€Å"The candidates are polling neck and neck lately†) 10. On and on: continuously (â€Å"The speaker droned on and on beyond her allotted time†) 11. Out-and-out: complete or utter (â€Å"That’s an out-and-out lie!†) 12. Over and over: repeatedly (â€Å"He said it over and over, to make sure I understood†) 13. So-and-so (or so and so): a placeholder name for a person (often initial-capped), a placeholder word for one or more things, or a euphemism for an offensive epithet (â€Å"I talked to So-and-so that guy over there†) 14. Such-and-such: a placeholder for a thing or action (â€Å"If you were to go to such-and-such a place, you’d find the building†) 15. Through and through: see out-and-out (â€Å"He’s a loser through and through†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?"Certified" and "Certificated"Sentence Adverbs

Writing Tips Paraphrasing a Source

Writing Tips Paraphrasing a Source Paraphrasing a Source It can be tempting to quote sources at length when writing a college paper. After all, you’re told to reference your sources, and how better to do that than using the actual words you’ve read? However, most of the time there’s a better option: paraphrasing. But what is paraphrasing? How do you paraphrase a source? And what are the advantages? Let us explain. Paraphrasing vs. Quoting Paraphrasing and quoting are both ways of sharing someone else’s ideas in your own work. When you quote a source, you use the exact words of the person you’re quoting (enclosed in â€Å"quote marks†). But when paraphrasing you need to explain the other person’s ideas in your own words. You might want to paraphrase a source in order to: Demonstrate your understanding of the subject matter Avoid using too many quotations in a document Explain a complicated idea (especially if the original text is hard to follow) Focus on one aspect of an idea that is relevant to your own work In fact, the only time you truly need to quote a source instead of paraphrasing is when the exact wording is important (e.g., because you’re drawing on a key piece of terminology or interpreting the specific words used by an author). In most other cases, paraphrasing will work just as well or better. Remember, though, that you still need to cite a source if you paraphrase it. Even if you have rewritten something in your own words, you still need to show where your ideas come from. 5 Tips on Paraphrasing Rewriting something in your own words can be tricky, but we have some tips: Read the original source carefully to make sure you fully understand it Consider whether you need to paraphrase the passage in full (i.e., with all the details contained in the original) or simply summarize it (i.e., picking out key details relevant to your work) Before you begin writing the paraphrased version, consider how you would explain the passage to a friend Write your paraphrased version and compare it to the original passage to make sure you haven’t missed any important information If you have used any exact phrases or key terminology from the original, enclose these in quotation marks and cite the relevant page numbers If you do all of the above, you should be able to communicate your ideas clearly without having to quote your sources at length every time.

What is a federal grant Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

What is a federal grant - Case Study Example Federal grants are not federal assistance or loans to individuals. A federal grant may not used to acquire property or services for the federal government's direct benefit. The 26 federal agencies offer over 1,000 grant programs annually in various categories. More than 1,000 grant programs are offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies, and these programs fall into 21 categories. I would put together a grant committee and elect any of the categories below to learn more about specific grants and agencies. Some agencies may be listed in multiple grant categories. I would be on the grant writing committee while I was continuing my duties as a therapist on the outpatient unit. Indeed, it is my experiences on the outpatient unit that would allow me to present a convincing grant application. At this juncture, I do not require protection. The key here is to have the time for the committee and my clients. My clients come first, so I would stay after hours to effectuate the application. In applying for our grant I would have the committee begin a Letter of Intent which would cover the areas as explained below. A letter of inquiry clearly and concisely describes the project, its aims, its significance, its duration and the amount of funds required. The document should not be an excessive one, but it should include the following points.: What problem does your project address Why is this issue significant What is the relationship of the problem/issue to the Grantor's current program interests What strengths and skills does St. Luke's organization and personnel bring to this project What makes your organization the right one to conduct this project Who will lead the project I would identify key personnel and attach resumes. What does St. Luke's outpatient unit intend to demonstrate or prove We would intend to prove that therapy for the outpatient clinic is far more meaningful to the client and the therapist when there is a full staff of therapists. What means will St. Luke's use The means to be used by St. Luke's would be the funding and trained retired social workers. (Gebo, 2006) I select r etired social workers because they would have not only the certification and training for this project, they would have the time! What outcome does St. Luke's expect, both immediate and long term Thus, I am assisting with the grant letter of intent on my breaks between therapy sessions. 3. Persons that I Would Include On My Action Team and the Capital That They Bring I would bring in the Director of Finance, the Director of Administration and the Head of the Outpatient Program. The Director of Finance can specifically state what monies are needed and how they can be applied. The Director of Administration can discuss how to implement the money to the program so that the outpatient program gets the direct benefit of the grant. The director of the outpatient program is crucial because they know precisely how the grant should be applied to the program. They know at what points extra staff need to be hired and they know what credentials they require in the additional staff. (Gebo, 2006) 4. The Task of the Action

Bill Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bill - Research Paper Example Since the company’s application in May and the subsequent development within the House of Representatives, the bill have raised substantial arguments. Proponents of the bill argues that it would create employment while its opponents claim points at environmental impacts. According to Coral Davenport of The New York Times, November 18, 2014 passage of the bill may rely on veto powers of President Obama and Nebraska court approval for allowing passage of the pipeline through the district. As a concerned member of industrial revolution in the State, there exists need to remain a proponent of the bill. Conceivably, citizens should duly commit their votes to encourage the proposed Keystone pipeline project in a non-political but rather economic mind. Ideally, the proposed project presents unmeasurable economic benefits coupled with industrial revolution to United States. Society can envy the nay voters on the proposed project, it is logical. However, change always remains inevitable and not to have concerns and commitment based on the current industrial and economic issues raises responsibility questions. Before voting against the noble Keystone project, a reflection of its vitality to United States economy and superiority should remain a fundamental concern. The following ultimate benefits as aforementioned are domineering for question and reflection before opposing the proposed pipeline project. As concerned citizens of United State, there exist a contemporary urgency to reinstate manufacturing back to the country. Domestic manufacturing industry is imperative in provision of employment and production of locally standardized goods that directly sustains the health concerns that citizens cherish as a nation. TransCanada insists that local refining of crude oil would be imperious in sustainability of the economy especially on creation of employment opportunities. It is essential to understand that opposing the idea would

Critically discuss using empirical evidence, the various reasons for Essay

Critically discuss using empirical evidence, the various reasons for Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example The effect of FDI on host economies has been the subject of extensive research. As pointed out by Hanson (2001), both theory and empirical evidence provide mixed results on the net welfare effect of inward FDI on recipient countries. The attitude towards inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has changed considerably over the last couple of decades, as most countries have liberalized their policies to attract investments from foreign multinational corporations (MNCs). In fact FDI has proved to be resilient during financial crises. For instance, in East Asian countries, such investment was remarkably stable during the global financial crisis of 1997-98. This crisis mainly involved four basic problems (CRS Report, 1998): Economists argue that the primary cause of the crisis was too much government intervention in economic activity, leading to misdirected and inefficient investments in both public and private projects. As an aftereffect of the crisis short-term capital inflows were viewed as unstable and thus dangerous; long-term capital movements were seen as stable and thus desirable. Therefore an emphasis was put on de-emphasizing short-term capital inflows and encouraging long-term capital inflows, especially FDI which was seen as directly enhancing domestic productive capabilities. There’s one school of thought which puts the blame for this crisis on FDI itself. They argue that the crisis had shown that over-reliance on FDI carried its own dangers. Rapid FDI inflows had been a major factor enabling these countries to maintain their overvalued exchange rates. No doubt such exchange rates helped keep domestic inflation under control, but they also increased East Asian vulnerability to specu lative attacks. And therefore it was the drying up of FDI, largely as a result of competition from lower wage countries (especially China) and the mobility of regional investment by

The Dynamics of Employee Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Dynamics of Employee Relations - Essay Example Historical Perspective In Britain’s history, three industrial relations systems have dominated during three distinct time periods. The collective laissez-faire system gave rise to trade unionism and industry bargaining, which lasted from about 1890 to 1960; crisis, reconstruction, and technological advances that led to mass layoffs and wage restraints between 1960 and 1980; and the single European market, deregulation, and erosion of economic autonomy, that led to the individualisation of industrial relations after the 1980s and until the present (Howell, 2000). The period 1890 to 1945 saw the most important developments in the role played by collective bargaining and trade unionism. Even prior to the 20th century, there were significant pieces of legislation passed that impacted on the legal obligations between employers and employees, such as the Employers Liability Act of 1880. By the 1900s a â€Å"new unionism† emerged that was characterized by more active union act ivity (particularly the use of strikes and â€Å"picketing†) and an increase in the number of members, accompanied by an increase in the employers’ recourse to the courts to file cases against trade unions. Generally, however, court rulings tended towards relaxation of the law in favour of the labour unions (Brodie, 2003). The entry of Britain into World Wars I and II created exigencies that impacted on government’s labour relations policy. Because of the importance of continued productivity to ensure an unhampered supply of the basic necessities, as well as the implements of war, the government took the stance that restrictive practices that tended to cause friction between employers and employees should be reduced, and cooperation ensured between them. This necessitated heavy government intervention. This was seen by labour as a relinquishment of some of their hard-won concessions. Initially this was left to voluntary means, but when this strategy failed, the state resorted to legislation that controlled profits, froze wages, banned strikes and lock-outs, and suspended restrictive practices. (Brodie, 2003). The post-war period, until the 1960s and 1970s, saw a bid to return Britain to its pre-war socio-economic normalcy. The policy pursued was consistent with the control exerted by the government during World War II, which was seen as highly successful and instrumental in tiding the country through the war. The Keynesian economic theory of state planning and intervention put into effect was accompanied with enhanced power for labour, which was warily greeted by industry. Some capitalists saw some wisdom in the strategy of the Labour government for economic regeneration through increased intervention, but stressed that this intervention must be tempered by â€Å"insulation from working class demands† (Price, 1990, p. 214). For the most part, however, capitalists held little sway over government policy at this time, with trade union ism being accorded

Marketing Orientation in Telecommunication Company Essay

Marketing Orientation in Telecommunication Company - Essay Example A deep analysis of the company has been made within this report. Also based on the study of the company and its competitors, recommendations have been set out for the management. The plan that has been set down which includes the benefits that Etisalat can gain from the recommendation of starting an e-Commerce website. This study has been based on a secondary research. The information collected is mainly from the secondary sources, which include various sources, studies, articles, newspapers, and websites. Secondary data refers to information published by others and which is already available1. It is also data collected by other people rather than the researcher who is carrying out the study2. There has been a through research conducted to gain all the information of this Etisalat. Great care has been taken while choosing the sources from the Internet and it has been ensured that the works chosen from the Internet are from published writers. As Berry refers to the Internet in his books, â€Å"an open door to nonsense to appear, and one way of checking on this is knowing about the author†3. The telecom industry of the Middle Eastern countries has seen a continuous growth. A forecast by Informa Telecoms and Media shows that the year 2009 will continue to see a constant growth, with almost 28.68 million net inclusions into the mobile market this year. The market is very wide and has as many as almost 250 million mobile subscribers and is expected to reach as high as 250.79 million by the end of 20094. Etisalat is one of the oldest telecom providers in UAE. It is headed by Mohammad Al Qamzi, the CEO. The company was incorporated in 1976 and has become a part of the Financial Times Top 500 Corporation. In terms of the capitalization and revenues, this company stands on the 6th position in the Middle East.  

Illegal Pay Discrimination, Bad Pay Policy, or Both Essay

Illegal Pay Discrimination, Bad Pay Policy, or Both - Essay Example However, his salary was $10,000 more than the female associate. Moreover, the other two counselors that were hired had no experience in counseling, and their salary is similar to the female associate. In my opinion, Charles M. Cummings is correct in believing that employees do enjoy having their achievements acknowledged by others, especially their supervisors and peers. Employees gain a sense of accomplishment and belonging when their achievements and successes are acknowledged. They are more successfully driven and motivated when they feel that they are contributing to the company or organization as a whole. Alfie Kohn believes that incentives do not motivate employees to perform their best for the long-term, only short-term. He believes that, when employees feel they will gain incentives for their performance, they will only improve their performance for a short while. Their performance will, eventually, drift back to its same, previous status. On the other hand, there are situations in which Kohn's theory of employees' performance does prove to be true. For example, working in a call center, the job is customer-service, whether the calls are in-bound or out-bound. In this particular situation, the calls are in-bound, meaning that customers call into the call center for help. Answering theAnswering the calls and helping customers with their problems, repeatedly, can become very tiresome. As a result, call centers usually offer their employees incentives for performing their job well, though the boost in the employees' performance will, most of the time, only last long enough to gain the incentive. Call centers also offer their employees incentives to find other people to come and be employees as well, and, more often than not, the performance cycle repeats itself. In conclusion, Charles M. Cummings believes that employees are encouraged when others acknowledge their successes, and this is true. However, there are instances when the theory of Alfie Kohn will be acceptable such as the situation with the call centers. Incentives can motivate employees to be more successful at their job, but the boost in performance will only be short-term. 13.1 - Unionizing FedEx FedEx should be unionized, and there are several reasons for this action. The policies and economic standpoint of FedEx seems to change frequently, these days, as with other companies in the workforce. The information that weighed heaviest on my decision was the fact that, when the employees at the Antigua location of FedEx engaged in a strike, the company terminated all of its employees and closed the office.Employees should have a right to have secure employment at their place of employment. Should FedEx unionized, the employees would, at least, know that their job will not be eliminated. However, if the employees' jobs are eliminated, FedEx would be liable for compensation for their ex-employees, depending on the

The Dynamics of Employee Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Dynamics of Employee Relations - Essay Example Historical Perspective In Britain’s history, three industrial relations systems have dominated during three distinct time periods. The collective laissez-faire system gave rise to trade unionism and industry bargaining, which lasted from about 1890 to 1960; crisis, reconstruction, and technological advances that led to mass layoffs and wage restraints between 1960 and 1980; and the single European market, deregulation, and erosion of economic autonomy, that led to the individualisation of industrial relations after the 1980s and until the present (Howell, 2000). The period 1890 to 1945 saw the most important developments in the role played by collective bargaining and trade unionism. Even prior to the 20th century, there were significant pieces of legislation passed that impacted on the legal obligations between employers and employees, such as the Employers Liability Act of 1880. By the 1900s a â€Å"new unionism† emerged that was characterized by more active union act ivity (particularly the use of strikes and â€Å"picketing†) and an increase in the number of members, accompanied by an increase in the employers’ recourse to the courts to file cases against trade unions. Generally, however, court rulings tended towards relaxation of the law in favour of the labour unions (Brodie, 2003). The entry of Britain into World Wars I and II created exigencies that impacted on government’s labour relations policy. Because of the importance of continued productivity to ensure an unhampered supply of the basic necessities, as well as the implements of war, the government took the stance that restrictive practices that tended to cause friction between employers and employees should be reduced, and cooperation ensured between them. This necessitated heavy government intervention. This was seen by labour as a relinquishment of some of their hard-won concessions. Initially this was left to voluntary means, but when this strategy failed, the state resorted to legislation that controlled profits, froze wages, banned strikes and lock-outs, and suspended restrictive practices. (Brodie, 2003). The post-war period, until the 1960s and 1970s, saw a bid to return Britain to its pre-war socio-economic normalcy. The policy pursued was consistent with the control exerted by the government during World War II, which was seen as highly successful and instrumental in tiding the country through the war. The Keynesian economic theory of state planning and intervention put into effect was accompanied with enhanced power for labour, which was warily greeted by industry. Some capitalists saw some wisdom in the strategy of the Labour government for economic regeneration through increased intervention, but stressed that this intervention must be tempered by â€Å"insulation from working class demands† (Price, 1990, p. 214). For the most part, however, capitalists held little sway over government policy at this time, with trade union ism being accorded

Illegal Pay Discrimination, Bad Pay Policy, or Both Essay

Illegal Pay Discrimination, Bad Pay Policy, or Both - Essay Example However, his salary was $10,000 more than the female associate. Moreover, the other two counselors that were hired had no experience in counseling, and their salary is similar to the female associate. In my opinion, Charles M. Cummings is correct in believing that employees do enjoy having their achievements acknowledged by others, especially their supervisors and peers. Employees gain a sense of accomplishment and belonging when their achievements and successes are acknowledged. They are more successfully driven and motivated when they feel that they are contributing to the company or organization as a whole. Alfie Kohn believes that incentives do not motivate employees to perform their best for the long-term, only short-term. He believes that, when employees feel they will gain incentives for their performance, they will only improve their performance for a short while. Their performance will, eventually, drift back to its same, previous status. On the other hand, there are situations in which Kohn's theory of employees' performance does prove to be true. For example, working in a call center, the job is customer-service, whether the calls are in-bound or out-bound. In this particular situation, the calls are in-bound, meaning that customers call into the call center for help. Answering theAnswering the calls and helping customers with their problems, repeatedly, can become very tiresome. As a result, call centers usually offer their employees incentives for performing their job well, though the boost in the employees' performance will, most of the time, only last long enough to gain the incentive. Call centers also offer their employees incentives to find other people to come and be employees as well, and, more often than not, the performance cycle repeats itself. In conclusion, Charles M. Cummings believes that employees are encouraged when others acknowledge their successes, and this is true. However, there are instances when the theory of Alfie Kohn will be acceptable such as the situation with the call centers. Incentives can motivate employees to be more successful at their job, but the boost in performance will only be short-term. 13.1 - Unionizing FedEx FedEx should be unionized, and there are several reasons for this action. The policies and economic standpoint of FedEx seems to change frequently, these days, as with other companies in the workforce. The information that weighed heaviest on my decision was the fact that, when the employees at the Antigua location of FedEx engaged in a strike, the company terminated all of its employees and closed the office.Employees should have a right to have secure employment at their place of employment. Should FedEx unionized, the employees would, at least, know that their job will not be eliminated. However, if the employees' jobs are eliminated, FedEx would be liable for compensation for their ex-employees, depending on the

United States Economy since November 2004 to November 2007 Essay Example for Free

United States Economy since November 2004 to November 2007 Essay The distinction of the United States as the only remaining super power in the world may not only apply in their military force but in their economic might as well. But historically, according Bernard Baumohl, it was only during the early 1970s that the U. S economy was open to international market following the collapse of the Bretton Woods Agreement, which was intended to establish a stable foreign exchange system. As a result, Baumohl said â€Å"currency values in the world financial market began to float freely, sometimes moving wildly up and down† (p. 240). The immediate impact of this is that the world trade grew faster than ever. Baumohl point out that this development resulted to the influx of cheaper foreign goods which were often of better quality and â€Å"increasingly found their way into the U. S market and started to pose serious competition for US producers† (p. 240). As this was the case, American companies responded by operating more efficiently, and lower their prices while also seeking new market overseas. Baumohl noted that since then, trade has evolved to become one of the most important forces shaping the US economy† (p. 240), the United States economy soared so high that in the short span of time they became one of the most if not the wealthiest economy in the world. Price stability in the United States As the US economy soar high in the international arena and the purchasing power of the US dollar remains strong against the euro, the US has maintained a stable price. The OECD economic outlook noted that inflation in the US has remained with in a desirable range through the help of the long-term household survey measures. Inflation, the OECD noted â€Å"have remained well anchored, even if indexed-bond have drifted somewhat† (p. 24). The article point out that this stability has helped â€Å"limit the second-round effects from the oil price and exchange rate shocks, but it is all the more important that further policy action validate the still serene expectation† (p. 24) In the OECD Economic Surveys United States 2004 article, it noted that in price stability, firmly anchored long term inflation expectations are especially important , not only to maintain public confidence in the durability of low inflation achieved over the past two decades, but also to limit the risk of a potentially self- reinforcing deflationary spiral in the face of hypothetical negative shock (p. 46). Unemployment . Nazimudeen Saleem stated that unemployment in the US soared to a record high in 2004 at 5. 6% reaching over the threshold of 5%. An internet article from entitled Unemployment noted that in April 2007 unemployed adult men stands at 4. 0 percent while adult women, at 3. 8 percent, Caucasians, 3. 9; Hispanic (all races, at 5. 4 percent; African American, 8. 2 percent, and teenagers with the highest number of unemployed at 15. 3 percent. Amadeo noted that the weakest year-by-year employment was 1. 2% in 2004 indicating a trend of decline since 2006. She point out that unemployment is not worsening at all, but it indicate declining trend as unemployment was up at 4. 7% from 4. 4% in October and only slightly up by one percent in May 2007 at 4. 5 percent. Indeed there is a trend of slight decline in the unemployment rate from 2004 to 2007. Healthy Economic Growth In the report to congress on International Economic and Exchange rate policies in December 2006, it cited that the United States has made substantial progress in reducing the federal fiscal deficit from 3. 6 percent of gross Domestic Product in 2004 to 1. 9 percent in fiscal year 2006 Gross Domestic Product, posting an improvement of 1. 7 percent. The report also cited that the United States economy has experienced continuous healthy economic growth in 2005 up to the third quarter of 2006, but during the last quarter economic growth slowed down up to the most recent quarter. From the first quarter of 2004, Gross domestic product or GDP stands at 3. 9% and slightly up by one percent during the second quarter of the same year at four percent. But it slowed down during the third and fourth quarter registering only 3. 1% and 2. 6 percent respectively. However during the first quarter of 2005 GDP was up again jumping to 3. 4% but down by 1% at 3. 3% on the next quarter. The third quarter of 2005 posted a highest growth rate since the first quarter of 2004, at 4. 2 but drastically fell to 1. 8 percent during the last quarter. According to the report of the U. S. Economic Recovery and resurgence as of march 2007, economic analysis of the GDP for the last quarter of 2006 indicates that growth rate has accelerated from 2. 0 percent on an annual basis to 2. 5 percent. The report further cited that although there were difficulties in GDP during the first, second, and third quarter of 2006 but the economy still registered a growth rate of 3. 4 percent, which is still in line with the real growth rates in past few years. According to an article entitled United States Economy 2007, GDP growth rate was under girded by the significant gains in labor productivity that despite of the damage caused by hurricane Katrina it had caused only a minor impact on overall GDP, which stand in 2005. Even the soaring oil price in 2005 to 2006 had only limited impact though it threatened inflation and unemployment. The Purchasing Power Parity GDP in2006 stands at $12. 98 trillion while official exchange rate GDP is $13. 22 trillion, Per Capita GDP $43,500. The graph at the bottom page of this paper shows the economic performance of the United States economy pertaining to the discussion above (see Figure 1). Healthy Balance of Payment (Export/ Import) Francisco Carrada-Bravo pointed out that the best way to learn about the country’s balance of payments statistics is to â€Å"take a careful look at them for a particular period† (p. 110). Bravo noted that the balance of payments of the United States, and other balance of payments from any country in the world, encompasses several main accounts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 110). Bravo explained that the value of current account is determined, at large extent by the result of trade, service, and transfer of sub accounts. Bravo further explained that â€Å"the United States shows a current account surplus, when the sale of US goods and services to the rest of the world exceeds the US acquisition of these items from other countries. How ever, the United States has a deficit in the capital account when US corporations invest abroad in excess of what foreign multinationals invest in the United States. Translating the above explanation to the US balanced payment, Export promotion, which is managed by the Ministry of Finance, provides subsidies in forms of interest rate support, direct financial support, and export rewards and bonuses. In a report made by OECD staff, the total number of firms of exporting goods was 238,284. Out of the total number of firms, 97% percent of that is SME or small-medium enterprise (p. 365). The success of this export sector is through the assistance of government since it has assistance programs and overseas trade offices to help them their small business with â€Å"market research and local assistance (p. 365). Another factor for steady rising of the economy is a policy issued on November 19, 2004, which â€Å"blocked state and local governments from taxing connections that link consumers to the internet for the next three years (OECD, p. 367). This is because the Federal government believed that e-commerce is â€Å"a growth engine for exports and international expansion. Figure 2 of this paper (see bottom page) explains the balance of payment, which includes details on American economy that includes the year 2004, 2005, and 2006. Main Macro economic Policies by the United States John Atlee in his executive summary of the Macro Economic Agenda Recovery Now and Democratic Comeback 2004 outlined macro economic policies that the US government used during the last three years. First is the Analytical Policy Focus, which features an Adopt a growth trend standard of reference for economic policy and analysis. This policy also denies economic recession instead suggest that the country is just experiencing a mild recession. Significant recovery is yet to begin and maintaining structurally balanced growth with unemployment below 4% should be the aim of this policy with reference fro the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978. Another macro economic policy, which the United States government employed during the last three years, is the Budget and Management. John Atlee noted that Bush economic policy is quite weak in its budget, and that this budget vulnerability must be understandable to the voters as well as to the investors who are demanding transparency in government. This policy also instructs that deficit projections and budget should not be based on ever changing and unreliable economic forecast. Furthermore it also to keep deficit close to zero, and eliminate economic forecasts, which is unreliable and ever changing. The government also used Social Security policy making it financially sound to effectively discredit the privatization campaign as this privatization mover promulgates falsehoods perhaps, against the capacity of the government. Taking Social Security (SS) can help finance non-SS deficits. Monetary Policy is one of the key macro economic policies of the government as this is where everything can be fluid. This policy is to recognize the creation of checkable-deposit money by bank, which finances GDP growth through eighteen to one monetary multiplier effect. The policy also aims to eradicate the pretense of interest rate control by increasing reserve requirements and direct control to the Fed. The government also used the Systematic Coordination of Monetary and Fiscal Policy over the last three years. Atlee reports that Fiscal policy is separate from budget management as it is mainly concerned with the over all effect on the economy of the budget. In Atlee’s executive summary of these macro economic policies, he pointed out that the main engine of recovery is the reformed monetary policy, which is facilitated by flexible fiscal policy. Tax Policy is another very important measure that the Bush government had utilized to encourage new businesses in the form of entrepreneurial incentives to new high tech industries and small businesses. This incentive is an exemption from the undistributed profit tax and some measures to avoid unsustainable and excessive stock price increases. These policies aim to sustain the momentum of economic growth experienced by the country since 2004 to 2007. Demand Policy and Supply Side Policy Demand policy is a government policy based on the extremity of the need of a certain sector of the government or society such as the labor sector or the energy sector. Demand policies in the labor sector is increasing the number of quality jobs Mark Rank noted that this policy approach â€Å"has assumed that the labor market by itself will generate enough jobs to meet the needs of those seeking work—that, as the supply of labor increases, the labor market will in turn respond by generating more jobs to meet the demand† (p 204). Thus, Rank suggested various labor demand policies are needed in order to generate a more â€Å"robust rate of job growth† (p. 204) Egbert Tellegen and Maarten Wolsink pointed out that supply-side policy and demand side management â€Å"require widely different abilities from the organization† (p. 184) They contend that the main challenge of supply-side management is â€Å"to develop and manage facilities of the highest technical quality at the lowest possible costs in order to fulfill customers’ needs under all circumstances† (p. 184). Conclusion/Summary American economy since November 2004 to November 2007 despite of ups and downs in the economic performance, yet it remained a steadily growing economy. The 2004 saw its drastic economic decline but it was able to rebound during the first quarter of 2005 to the third quarter of 2006; registering at steady GDP growth rate of three to four percent. Unemployment was also declining as more jobs opportunity is created each year. In general, the United States economy are performing strong up to the recent quarter of 2007 despite of their current internal debt of about 1. 3 trillion and about ten billion dollars in external debt. They remained economically powerful despite the current depreciation of the dollar against Euro and other foreign currencies. Moreover, US economy has purchasing power of about 12. 98 trillion while official exchange rate GDP is $13. 22 trillion, Per Capita GDP $43,500, which continuously grows in the preceding year.