Do Illegal Immigrants Hurt The Us Economy Essay - 2159 Words

The United States began its immigration policy soon after it won independence from Great Britain on July 4th, 1776. For over two hundred and forty years ago. The law has since been shaped through different eras and different political views over the years. In more recent years, unauthorized immigration law in particular has become a major topic. From our law making politicians, Congress, political debates and school; it has been one of the focused topics. Do Illegal immigrants hurt the US economy? This question has been a matter that has plagued so many for years without any perfect answer. Many hearts have been filled and troubled with lots of thoughts which have led to the question; how do unauthorized immigrants affect the US economy. Many might argue that immigrants do not pay enough in taxes to cover the public services they receive from the government at the present time. According to Maria Santana on CNN MONEY, illegal immigrant â€Å"Collectively, they paid an estimated $10.6 billion to state and local taxes in 2010, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). Illegal immigrant in most states does not qualify for welfare, food stamps and Medicaid. What most people seem to forget is that illegal immigrants do not even get any benefit from their daily job, some have no name or record if anything was to happen in their line of work. Some employers see them as dispensable with no question. Yet, these same employers take out taxes, Medicare and otherShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Immigration On The Us Economy929 Words   |  4 Pagesnumber of immigrants entering the United States legally is greater today than it was at the turn of the century, so as the US economy. US economy has proved to be raised dramatically in the past few years. This made me think about Immigration and the US economy on a same page in my mind. Many questions started populating in my head such as Does immigration in some way affect the US economy? If yes, how? After doing some research, I found that Immigration plays an important role in the US economy. I’llRead MoreIllegal Immigration Is Defined As The Phenomenon Of Entering And A Territory Without Any Government s Approval1442 Words   |  6 PagesFadil Bourkouli Professor Worley Throme English 101-3007 02/15/2016 Final Draft Research Paper Illegal immigration is defined as the phenomenon of entering and living in a territory without any government’s approval; In fact, it has lately raised a considerable debate on the pretext of the fact that it is an image of threat and weakness for the country. Many researches proved that the percentage of undocumented people is shooting up each year particularly in the United States as it is consideredRead MoreIllegal Immigrants in America Essay1001 Words   |  5 PagesIllegal Immigration in America Illegal immigration has caused a lot of controversy within the United States. The media has influenced our society to make us believe that illegal immigrants are horrible people. One thing that I have learned throughout life is, â€Å"Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains (Rousseau 4).† This sums up how society dictates our lives and limits us to what the media wants to us to believe. Whether it is legal or illegal, everybody should be treated equally. IllegalRead MoreCan Illegal Immigrants Boost The American Economy? Essay1382 Words   |  6 PagesCan Illegal Immigrants Boost the American Economy? A standout amongst the most intense discussions all over the United States these days is the topic of immigration. Immigration is the activity of coming to live permanently in another nation. In particularly, there are a huge number of issues surrounding unauthorized immigrants who remain in America. As a rule, the media likes to celebrate the negative parts of this issue to advance their own plan and outlook on the subject. In fact, illegalRead MoreDo Illegal workers help or hurt the economy1582 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Do Illegal Workers Help or Hurt the Economy? While growing up in Mexico, I heard many stories of people who were going to work in the United States, some illegally, so they could provide a better life for their families. To them, they were going to the land of opportunity, where jobs were plentiful for people who were willing to work hard. They planned to go to the United States and do the work that Americans didn’t want, while getting paid more than they could make in Mexico. ManyRead MoreThe Official Definition Of Illegal Is â€Å"Contrary To Or Forbidden1517 Words   |  7 PagesThe official definition of illegal is â€Å"contrary to or forbidden by law†. The definition of an Immigrant is â€Å"an individual who comes to live permanently in a foreign country†. Therefore Illegal Immigrants are foreigners who enter another country, the United States of America, without a Visa. They cross the border by avoiding inspection and overstay the allotted period of time allowed as a visitor, tourist, or business person. There are 12 million illegal immigrants in America today. How is the possibleRead MoreEssay on Immigration Issues Between UU And Mexico1256 Words   |  6 Pagesundocumented immigrants living in the United States. For undocumented immigrants from Mexico, population experts have discovered that there is a constant flow of both immigrants into the US and leaving the US . This is the primary reason why the exact number remains unknown. Mexicans make up the single largest group of undocumented workers. Many cross illegally into the United States each year looking for work. Experts suggest that many of these workers acquire low-paying jobs that do not last longRead MoreIllegal Immigration And The United States1732 Words   |  7 Pages In 2012, a recent study found that there were nearly 11 million illegal immigrants in our nation s border. This has been a recurring problem going on since the late 19th century, when the federal law was passed which prohibited entry of convicts and prostitutes. Although this isn t the case of everyone crossing our nation s borders, it is still a national problem. Not allowing more people to infiltrate our country will provide Americans with more jobs, will lower the incarceration rates, andRead MoreDACA Essay1538 Words   |  7 PagesCNN, on September 5, US Attorney General Jefferson Sessions gradually terminated Mr. Obama’s policy of â€Å"Dreamers†, which is DACA (De ferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and will be completely terminated in six months. This policy was introduced in 2012 to allow illegal immigrants who, under 16 years old enter the United States to apply for two-year repatriation and to allow them to apply for a work permit. As this policy allows renewal, it essentially allows illegal immigrant children to live permanentlyRead MoreFamily Values Linda Chavez Summary1304 Words   |  6 PagesAre Immigrants actually hurting America? In the article â€Å"Supporting Family Values† Linda Chavez writes to inform Americans about immigrants. In American people make the assumption that immigrants are here to hurt America instead of improving America. In reality there is only a small group of immigrants that hurt America. People need to separate the groups to realize that there are immigrants who help America and that they should be allowed to stay in America under certain circumstances. Immigrants

Denvers Coming of Age in Toni Morrisons Beloved Essay...

Denver has to recognize her dependence on others and start to rely on herself so that she can become her own person and reach her full potential. Before Beloved, Denver had only left the house a few times and needed someone’s help to do something. As Beloved and Sethe grow closer, Denver has the chance she needs to realize the dangers of reliance on Sethe and Beloved. In order to survive, Denver is forced to fend for herself and become independent for the first time. Denver’s desperation for approval and dependence on others prevents her from being an independent young adult because her focus on approval and others assistance does not allow her to focus on herself. When Paul D first arrives, Denver cries to Sethe, â€Å"I can’t no more†¦ I†¦show more content†¦Denver chooses to forget her fight with Beloved because it would put a strain on their relationship. If their relationship was strained, Denver would lose her friend and only form of accepta nce and admiration. Denver’s maturity and growth is blocked by her reliance on others for acceptance. Denver’s exclusion from Sethe and Beloved helps her realize the negative effects Beloved has on her and Sethe so that she can turn her life around for the better. Beloved’s distraction of Sethe brings Denver isolation and hunger. â€Å"The thirty-eight dollars of life savings went to feed themselves with fancy food and decorate themselves with ribbons and dress goods† (283). Sethe spends all of her savings, which are meant for an emergency, on Beloved to make up for her murder of Beloved. After Sethe stops going to work, she put her full focus on Beloved and tries to please her with the most expensive food and goods that she can buy. Sethe’s actions allow Denver to realize that Sethe is spending all of her money to please Beloved who is manipulating Sethe. Denver starts to isolate herself from Beloved because she is seeing the effect on her mother and does not want to be near someone who is going to manipulate her. Denver’s removal of herself from Beloved, helps improve her life and brings her closer to being an independentShow MoreRelated Analysis of Toni Morrisons Beloved Essay4369 Words   |  18 PagesAnalysis of Toni Morrisons Beloved Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize winning book Beloved, is a historical novel that serves as a memorial for those who died during the perils of slavery. The novel serves as a voice that speaks for the silenced reality of slavery for both men and women. Morrison in this novel gives a voice to those who were denied one, in particular African American women. It is a novel that rediscovers the African American experience. The novel undermines the conventional idea

Employee Engagement and HRM Practices

Question: Discuss about the Employee Engagement HRM Practices and Competitive Advantage. Answer: Evidence-based HRM Evidence-based HRM is a specific application to a broader term, Evidence-based management that proves to be the cornerstone in the subject. The first journal was taken from Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance and titled as Employee engagement, HRM practices and competitive advantage (Albrecht et al., 2015). Evidence-based HRM practice considers as the process that can critically identify and employ HR interventions as well as approaches that have strong basis of empirical support in a way of attaining desired outcomes. In other words, Evidence-Based HRM practice is a way of working whereby the Human Resource practitioner strategically uses the best evidence, values as well as expertise and values for making the decisions that matters to the business organization and their employees. Hence, Evidence-based HR Management means using the existing evidence that are made available within the field of Human Resource Management so that information is conveyed rega rding the Human resource policy, interventions, strategy as well as decision-making process (Armstrong Taylor, 2014). The second journal article was taken from Human Resource Management Review and titled as An evidence-based review of e-HRM and strategic HRM (Marler Fisher, 2013). Evidence-based HRM is important in HR practice as it help in getting more informed as well as effective decision-making process that will enhance the ability for aligning with the human resource practice. This practice works towards attainment of strategic goals of any business organization. HR policy as well as practices is mainly based upon the working rather than the thought of work. This help in improving the credibility for the discipline of human resource practices as well as for practitioners as it requires analytical approach taken from the existing information, analytics, data and statistics (Cavanagh et al., 2017). Explain each source that will support Israel pitch for Mark and French and CERA executive team Israel Tobin (Human Resource Manager at CERA) had to pitch Mark French (Founding Director and CEO at CERA) regarding the human resource planning and work design human resource planning. CERA (Civil Engineering Research Associates) was one of the consulting companies that were established on 2007 that deals in civil construction in Sydney. The first news was taken from Forbes and titled as What should HR Leaders focus on in 2016? that explains the ways that help in getting best strategic HR value function in any business organization. The second news was taken from Human Resources Today and titled as The rise of the People Strategy Platform? At CERA, it has been viewed that they are clear with their setting of vision and strategic choice by the Founding Director (Mark French). It is thereby essential for Israel Tobin for differentiating in the current market by rendering high-contact services orientation and innovativeness in design as well as engineering. It is essential for CERA Executive Team for remaining fairly reactive to development in the external environment. The main problem faced by Israel Tobin was to manage workforce planning that was intimated to Mark French in the presentation. Other issue that is faced by Israel Tobin was coordinating with Executive team. It was then decided by Israel Tobin for managing the workforce by conducting informal canvassing of industry figures as well as own people at CERA prospects in the next five years and more. Israel Tobin presented his viewpoint and actions to Mark French that he needs to meet each of the managers for communicating and informing the drawbacks at CERA. After discussing the matter with Kellie Lincoln, it was impressive to view at her interest towards development of CERA as she was ready with the projected demand figures and understood the need for CERA for moving beyond core metropolitan footprint. She pointed out the need for diversification when they planned for working on smart structures. There was even need for stronger engineering focus for the workplace at CERA as they need adaptive capability for working on specific and unique challenges faced in the rural areas when CERA went down the path for moving outside at Sydney (Guest, 2017). CRAP Test CRAP test is one of the ways for evaluating the source based on the given criteria such as Currency, Reliability, Authority and Purpose or Point of view. This test has been illustrated below for both the news that is listed below separately. This will help in bringing out the causes and effects of the news and linking it with the strategic value function for the CERA Executive Team (Kehoe Wright, 2013). The first news was taken from Forbes and titled as What should HR Leaders focus on in 2016? ("Forbes Welcome", 2017). Currency The above news article is a written source from Forbes and presented on 4th of February 2016. This information is not as recent as it belongs to last year but has the necessary information that will guide Israel Tobin for convincing Mark French for bringing strategic HR value function at CERA ("Forbes Welcome", 2017). Reliability The above news articles information is taken from secondary sources and the news was published by Edward E. Lawler III ("Forbes Welcome", 2017). The information that is cited in this article is not peer-reviewed and part of the information that is available will help Israel Tobin for presenting the developmental plan for CERA. The information provided in the news article is general in nature and balanced at the same time. Authority This news article was written by a single person who has the expertise and provides opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors. Some of the HR goals involve bringing out integrated set of HR policies as well as programs that needs to be developed as far as possible. Human resource planning directly links with the goals of the organization (Marchington, 2015). Purpose or Point of view The intended audience of this particular news article is the business organization who needs to bring change in their workforce planning ("Forbes Welcome", 2017) The second news was taken from Human Resources Today and titled as The rise of the People Strategy Platform? Currency The above news article is recent news that was published on 7th of March 2017 ("Forbes Welcome", 2017). Reliability The news has been gathered by using secondary sources of information and informs the business organization for discussing the future of HR as well as trends in recent times ("Forbes Welcome", 2017). This news provides reliable information that helps Israel Tobin while presenting the data in front of Mark French. Authority This news was published by Visier who discussed the condition in recent business environment that has an unmatched opportunity for HR for creation of value for the business. This majorly ensures the practitioners for getting some idea regarding the work that is based upon historical and current evidence ("Forbes Welcome", 2017). Purpose or Point of view The intended audience was the large companies who hinges on people strategy for discussing the future of Human Resources. Israel Tobin felt the need for environmental engineering capability. He further pointed out that there was need for the people for becoming smarter at the time of performing sophisticated environmental impact assessments that involves broad range of stakeholders (Marler Parry, 2016). Drawing conclusion regarding the nature of information At the end of the study, it is concluded that Israel Tobin was confident that his group was well-positioned for taking the challenges ahead as he was cautious while planning divisions. This division was small, and tight teams where there was no room for mismatches between the demand as well as supply of professional skills. It is recommended for investing time and effort for developing a workforce plan for CERA. After attending several meetings, Israel thought of listing the four stages that will help in viewing at the processing at CERA. The first step was to gather external market data on potential demand based on the scenarios. The next step is running a workshop with the managers as well as their competence so they can fix on translating the demand numbers into staffing functions. The third step is taking an inventory of numbers, skills as well as demographics in current staffing activities. The final step was to analyze the gaps and working out the ways for dealing with the stra tegic HR value at CERA. References Albrecht, S.L., Bakker, A.B., Gruman, J.A., Macey, W.H. Saks, A.M., (2015). Employee engagement, human resource management practices and competitive advantage: An integrated approach. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2(1), pp.7-35. Armstrong, M., Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Cavanagh, J., Bartram, T., Meacham, H., Bigby, C., Oakman, J., Fossey, E. (2017). Supporting workers with disabilities: a scoping review of the role of human resource management in contemporary organisations. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 55(1), 6-43. Forbes Welcome. (2017).Forbes.com. Retrieved 11 March 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardlawler/2016/02/04/what-should-hr-leaders-focus-on-in-2016/#157df62348c7 Guest, D. E. (2017). Human resource management and employee well?being: towards a new analytic framework. Human Resource Management Journal, 27(1), 22-38. Human Resources Today. (2017).Humanresourcestoday.com. Retrieved 11 March 2017, from https://www.humanresourcestoday.com/ Kehoe, R.R. Wright, P.M., (2013). The impact of high-performance human resource practices on employees attitudes and behaviors. Journal of management, 39(2), pp.366-391. Marchington, M. (2015). Human resource management (HRM): Too busy looking up to see where it is going longer term?. Human Resource Management Review, 25(2), 176-187. Marler, J. H., Fisher, S. L. (2013). An evidence-based review of e-HRM and strategic human resource management. Human Resource Management Review, 23(1), 18-36. Marler, J. H., Parry, E. (2016). Human resource management, strategic involvement and e-HRM technology. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 27(19), 2233-2253.

John Calvin Essays - Calvinism, Atonement In Christianity

John Calvin There are many people in history who have made a very big impact on their culture, times, and or religion. John Calvin was by far one of these few great people. He had such a big influence in the time which he lived from 1509 to 1564. John Calvin devoted almost his whole life to the promoting of Protestantism and made such a difference that his impact is still seen today in Christianity. Calvin was born in France and was the second son in his family of five brothers. He grew and then decided to go to the famous University of Paris to study to be a priest. His father then had a conflict with the bishop who employed him so he then turned to the study of law. While he was studying in Paris he came across the writings of Martin Luther. His cousin then introduced him to the ideas of reformation. Protestantism began gathering momentum all over Europe. Then by 1533 Calvin began getting involved with the movement. That year Calvin had his salvation experience. He wrote about it later and stated, "God subdued and brought my heart to surrender. It was more hardened against such matters than was to be expected in such a young man." Calvin then knew to full fill his place with God he would have to turn away from the Roman Catholic church, so that is exactly what he did. His first attempt was November first that year. He gave a speech just like Martin Luther's, attacking the church and demanding a reform. He figured that if he spoke to the people and educated them on Protestantism then they would be ready to make changes in the Roman Catholic church. It did not turn out his way at all. This resulted in anti-Protestant protests all over Paris, forcing him to flee for his own safety. He roamed from place to place and then ended up in Basle, Switzerland. This is where he started his writing. You see John Calvin was considered a quiet, timid natured man. The kind of man who would never fight in disputes. In his time there he really got to do the things he wanted to accomplish out of life. These were to study and learn about God and his holy word. After this he went to Geneva after getting kicked out for his teachings he got invited back to help turn the city around spiritually. He never held a political office in Geneva but he ruled with strictness and sin was punished. He had laws passed to promote Christian behaviour. Persecuted Protestants fled from all over Europe to reside here. One last thing Calvin is known for is his theology. This is put together in a Calvinism. The ideas of the Calvin doctrine are men are completely unable to save themselves with their own works. Salvation is a matter of God's choosing those who will be saved, and that God chooses without any consideration of a man's good works. If someone is chosen of God, there was no way they could ever reject Christ or fail to endure to the end of their Christian life. Finally, he taught that Jesus died only for the people who God chose. This is called limited atonement and is one of Calvin's most controversial doctrines in Calvinism. As you can see John Calvin was truly a great man. Through his writings, speeches, and Calvinism he really reached his goal in life to learn about God and his holy word. John Calvin devoted almost his whole life to the promoting of Protestantism and made such a difference that his impact is still seen today in Christianity.

Pygmalion Act Iiii Essays - Pygmalion, English-language Films, ELIZA

Pygmalion Act Iiii Essays - Pygmalion, English-language Films, ELIZA Pygmalion Act Iiii The trio return to Higgins' Wimpole Street laboratory, exhausted from the night's happenings. They talk about the evening and their great success, though Higgins seems rather bored, more concerned with his inability to find slippers. While he talks absentmindedly with Pickering, Eliza slips out, returns with his slippers, and lays them on the floor before him without a word. When he notices them, he thinks that they appeared out of nowhere. Higgins and Pickering begin to speak as if Eliza is not there with them, saying how happy they are that the entire experiment is over, agreeing that it had become rather boring in the last few months. The two of them then leave the room to go to bed. Eliza is clearly hurt (Eliza's beauty turns murderous, say the stage directions), but Higgins and Pickering are oblivious to her. Higgins pops back in, once again mystified over what he has done with his slippers, and Eliza promptly flings them in his face. Eliza is mad enough to kill him; she thinks that she is no more important to him than his slippers. At Higgins' retort that she is presumptuous and ungrateful, she answers that no one has treated her badly, but that she is still left confused about what is to happen to her now that the bet has been won. Higgins says that she can always get married or open that flower shop (both of which she eventually does), but she replies by saying that she wishes she had been left where she was before. She goes on to ask whether her clothes belong to her, meaning what can she take away with her without being accused of thievery. Higgins is genuinely hurt, something that does not happen to him often. She returns him a ring he bought for her, but he throws it into the fireplace. After he leaves, she finds it again, but then leaves it on the dessert stand and departs. If we consider the conventional structure of a romance or fairy tale, the story has really already reached its climax by this point, because Cinderella has been turned into a princess, and the challenge has been met. Then why does the play carry on for another two acts? This would appear completely counter- productive, only if one thinks that this play is only about changing appearances. The fact that the play carries on indicates that there are more transformations in Eliza to be witnessed: this act shows the birth of an independent spirit in the face of Higgins' bullying superiority. The loosely set-up dichotomy between people and objects (i.e., whether Higgins treats people like people or objects) is brought to a head when Eliza flings his slippers in his face, and complains that she means no more to him than his slippersYou don't care. I know you don't care. You wouldn't care if I was dead. I'm nothing to younot so much as them slippers. Not only does she object to being treated like an object, she goes on to assert herself by saying that she would never sell herself, like Higgins suggests when he tells her she can go get married. This climactic move forces Higgins to reconsider what a woman can be, and, as he confesses in the final act, marks the beginning of his considering Eliza to be an equal rather than a burden. One thing to consider in this act is why Shaw has chosen not to portray the climax at the ambassador's party where Eliza can prove how well she has been instructed by Higgins (although his movie screenplay does allow for a scene at the embassy). One reason is that most theatrical productions do not have the capacity to stage an opulent, luxurious ball just for a short scene. But another reason is that Shaw's intention is to rob the story of its romance. We are spared the actual training of Eliza as well as her moment of glory (that is, both the science and the magic); instead, all we get is scenes of her pre- and post- the dramatic climax.

Verbs with Thou and Thee

Verbs with Thou and Thee Verbs with Thou and Thee Verbs with Thou and Thee By Maeve Maddox The pronouns thou and thee were replaced by you in standard English a very long time ago, but the old forms still hold interest for modern speakers. A DWT reader wrote to me recently about a pastor who encourages his parishioners to use the â€Å"thou† forms in prayer. Many Bible readers still prefer the King James translation with its thous and thees to more modern ones. Apart from a religious context, the old forms crop up in advertising and entertainment, often with the wrong verb forms, possibly for intended comic effect. For example, an insurance ad on television features an agent dressed in paper armor made from insurance policies. He exchanges a few words with another agent. Here are some of their attempts at what the ad writer characterizes as â€Å"broken Old English.† It’s not Old English, but it is very broken. I doth declare that thou have brought overmany discounts to thine customers! Thou cometh and we thy saveth! We doth offer so many discounts, we have some to spare. The second person singular forms fell out of standard use as Middle English passed into Early Modern English. Without going into too much detail, or trying to account for every variation, I’ll illustrate some of the uses of the forms thou, thee, thy, and thine. Thou art my friend. (subject) I love thee. (object) Is this thy dog? (possessive adjective) No, I thought it was thine. (possessive pronoun) Thine was also used as a possessive adjective in front of a noun beginning with a vowel: Is he thine enemy? Verbs used with the subject form thou usually ended in -st. For example, What dost thou still in bed, thou lazy lout Can I go out with my friends, Mother? No, thou canst not. The -th ending doesn’t go with thou or, as in the insurance ad, with we or any other pronoun. The -th ending signals third person: What doth he still in bed? He doth what he liketh best; he sleepeth. The use of thou still exist in some English dialects, although in altered forms, such as tha. The use of a second person singular in the â€Å"plain speech† of the Society of Friends (Quakers) continued into modern times. Among some Quakers, the archaic verb endings dropped away and the subject form thou was superseded by the object form thee, much as the object form you replaced the subject form ye in standard English. If you ever decide you want to use archaic pronouns and verb endings in an ad or a historical novel, you might want to review the forms. 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 Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†Comma Before ButShow, Don't Tell

Martin Luther King Jr Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Martin Luther King Jr - Essay Example Many union leaders were arrested while others died during protests (Brands et., p766). Despite, the hardship, their spirits never died. No matter how long it took, US now enjoys equal rights and even has a black president. The journey to womens rights has faced many challenges since independence (Brands et., p785). Before the 1990s, the number of top jobs women held was less than three percent of those available (Brands et., p786). However, by 1998, the number had increased tremendously. By 2009, the womens wages were established to be eighty percent of the earnings given to men (Brands et., p786). There has been a wide perception on the rights given to the gay community throughout US history. In the administration of Bill Clinton, it was an issue with the pentagon on the acceptance of the act in the military (Brands et., p789). However, in the arrival of the new century, the Supreme Court in 2000 ruled that all rights should be given to all civil unions. Presently gay unions receive a continuous acceptance in several parts of the

Chinese Popular Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinese Popular Culture - Essay Example e styles of Chinese people are entirely different from that of the other parts of the world, mainly because of political reasons rather than cultural reasons. Chinese people do not have the freedom to express their views and opinions freely. They forced to adapt a culture or living style which is digestible to the communist administration. Chinese media is under the control of Chinese communist administration and independent functioning of media is impossible in China. Another cultural aspect of China is the spreading of martial arts. In fact many of the current popular martial arts like Kung Fu, Tai Chi etc were originated in China. This paper analyses Chinese popular culture in general and media and martial arts specifically to know more about the Chinese popular culture and its effects on people. Morton & Lewis (2004) in their book, China: Its History and Culture, have pointed out that â€Å"Buddhism is wide spread in China with somewhere between 70 and 100 million followers. Buddhist and Daoist philosophy advocates deep breathing and slow motion martial arts activities in order to improve health† (Morton & Lewis, p.278). Buddhism and Daoism are two of the prominent religions in China. There are many similarities in the beliefs and practices of Daoism and Buddhism in China. Both the religions stress the importance of practicing martial arts and deep breathing for maintaining physical and mental health of the people. Moreover, ancient Chinese administrators and military also asked the people to practice these things in order to prepare a strong military force. â€Å"One can trace a history of military support for sports and martial arts back to the early imperial period peaking in the Tang dynasty†(Morton & Lewis, p.267). According to Kennedy and Guo (2010), â€Å"up until about 1900, Chinese martial arts training were conducted either in the military by active duty soldiers or villagers† (Kennedy and Guo, p.1). In order to win sports events and also to win

Economics Unit †housing prices from different cities Essay Example for Free

Economics Unit – housing prices from different cities Essay The cost of housing is commonly the reflection of the value of the land plus the price of the house and the amenities that come with it. This is often affected by what’s around the place, the nearest recreation areas or sceneries. This affects how housing is priced, and is also usually affected by the supply and demand of the land. Because of this, there are various considerations when choosing where to have a house, including the total costs and what you’ll actually get from it. Usually, these prices also vary from city to city, as it is known that not all cities are the same regarding what you get from the housing deals, like the nearest public transportation, market, and schools. These all appeals to the needs of the people, and these are usually the ones that affect the pricing. The housing prices are directly affected by the changes in supply and demand of the land. This is because of the developments done in housing, wherein house prices are thoroughly based on the value of the amenities that are directly available in the neighborhood (Nelson). Because of this increase in demand, there will be an increase in the competition for the houses, since there are a lot of people wanting the same thing, and that is a good housing. As a number of residents are acquiring homes, the more the managers of the land would try and make sure to provide benefits for these residents. This includes additional security, recreation areas and shopping areas for the people. They are not only investing on the housing that they are being sold, but also with the things that come with it that would surely benefit the people. This is how the housing value is affected when there is an increase in demand: it is not only because you have to increase the price when a lot of people demand for housing in a specific city or area, it is also because of the increase in the services that one should provide for these increasing number of residents. The cost of those additional amenities would then be reflected in the housing price: the more amenities offered, the higher the price (Duca). Comparison of different cities In order to actually see how amenities affect the price of housing, the housing situations in various cities are compared. This is by comparing the price of a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house in several cities like San Francisco, California; Topeka, Kansas; Dallas, Texas; Concord, Massachusetts; and Seattle, Washington. The results for the housing prices in these different cities were varying, and it is because of the added amenities that you can find available upon purchase, plus the neighborhood and the type of house. The most obvious result was between the housing of a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house in San Francisco, California and Dallas, Texas. The cost of housing in San Francisco, California ranges from $600,000 to a million US dollars. Meanwhile, the cost of housing in Dallas, Texas for a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house ranges from $40,000 to a hundred thousand US dollars (Realtor. com). The difference is quite large, and this is roughly because of the amenities that are included upon purchasing these houses. Housing in Dallas, Texas doesn’t offer much, wherein it is far from public transportation, and are often in subdivision areas. On the other hand, housing in San Francisco, California has amenities like community exercise and recreation areas, hill/mountain view, Water view, and so much more. Because of those differences, the prices of these housing deals are comparatively far from each other. These differences in housing deals give the people choices, wherein they are free to choose what type of amenities they want in their house. Also this variety would give them a wide array of choices, either wanting a plain, not so costly house, or to a fully-packed house that would surely cost them money. Other amenities present (or lacking) in some of the houses in various cities which could have affected their prices includes access to shopping areas/markets, nearby elementary or high schools, parks and recreation areas, and the type and quality of the house itself. With all these, the price the housing offered in the various cities is greatly varying. References: Duca, J. V. (2005, September/October 2005). Making Sense of Elevated Housing Prices. Southwest Economy Retrieved May 5, 2007, from http://www. dallasfed. org/research/swe/2005/swe0505b. html Nelson, A. C. (2000 ). Effects of Urban Containment on Housing Prices and Landowner Behavior. Land Lines, Volume 12(Number 3). Realtor. com. (2007). Find A Home. Retrieved May 5, 2007, from http://www. realtor. com/Default. aspx

The Case for Introducing a Property Tax, Collected at Local Government

I propose that an annual residential property tax be introduced and collected at central government for an introductory period with a view to control being handed over to local government and the revenues generated by the tax to be used solely for local publicly provided goods. But for this to be an efficient and effective method of funding local authorities and not adversely affect the balances of the exchequer there needs to be an overhaul as to how local authorities are currently funded and run. Introducing a property tax will hopefully broaden the tax base and go some way to overhauling how the tax system works in Ireland and how local authorities are funded. Rationale for a residential property tax in Ireland Stability There are many reasons in support of a residential property tax. Firstly, it will provide a stable and less volatile income for the exchequer, as is the case with a transaction such as stamp duty, and generally improve macroeconomic stability. The tax income collected by stamp duty made a huge contribution to the exchequer, but as we can see from Fig 1.1, it tended to fluctuate, making it more difficult to budget long-term and susceptible to market forces, as is the case currently. A â€Å"recurring annual tax is less economically distortionary than the imposition of tax on either income or capital† (TSG 09/07) and a more reliable and stable tax income achieved from a proposed residential property tax would help with investment planning, as an â€Å"over-reliance on expenditure and transaction taxes has resulted in tax revenue dropping more quickly than (nominal) GNP† (Commission on Taxation Report 6:2.2). As we can see from the data contained in the ‘Commission o n Taxation Report 2009’ (Fig 1.1), revenues from sta... ...t such scenarios and ensure the equitable nature of the tax is maintained and â€Å"serious administration and avoidance problems arise when rates differ between jurisdictions† (McDowell 1988). Bibliography Research Papers McDowell, M. 1988. University College Dublin, Department of Political Economy. Financing Local Authorities: The Questionable Viability of a Local Property Tax. Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. Gurdgiev, Dr.C. 2009. Trinity College, Dublin. Macroeconomic Case for a Land Value Reform in Ireland. Dublin 2, Ireland. Reports Tax Strategy Group. 2009. Property Taxation. Dublin. Ireland Commission on Taxation. 2009. Report 2009. Dublin, Ireland: Stationary Office Online Resources Collins, S. 2011. Property Tax Brought Forward. The Irish Times, 21st December. Available at: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1221/breaking6.html

How does Brian Friel establish the theme of language Essay

How does Brian Friel establish the theme of language and its effects on communication, power and identity in Act one? In the play Translations, language and its effects is clearly one of the central themes. This is evident because the characters all show what language means to them ranging from Hugh who uses his knowledge of languages as a form of power over the British to Owen who does not show any concern for his language and identity and allows the British to call him Roland. Furthermore the title of the play Translations is ironic because although one of the themes of the play is keeping your identity the book itself looses its identity. This is because although the play is written by an Irish author and set in Ireland, it is written in English. Thus the title foreshadows the outcome of the play. One of the ways Brain Friel establishes the theme of language is by using Sarah as a device to convey the bare minimum of language. Her limited knowledge of language limits her communication. However this could also be a benefit to her as she is able to have secrets without being expected to share them. Sarah is first introduced in the play by the stage directions which say â€Å"Sarah shakes her head vigorously and stubbornly† this is because Manus wants her to speak so she has an identity in the world. This could foreshadow that the Irish, who do not want to speak English will be forced too for there own good as it will help their country prosper. The character Sarah can be interpreted as the symbol of Ireland due to the play opening with her trying to claim her identity by saying â€Å"My name is Sarah†. This achievement of Sarah saying her name at the start of the play shows just how powerful language can be as just a few words can turn you from someone who is unknown to a person who has status in the world. Manus understands this and reacts by saying â€Å"nothing’ll stop us now†. This can either be interpreted as nothing will stop Sarah from learning Gaelic now or that the â€Å"now† in the quote refers to all of Ireland and that as long as people are still learning Gaelic the British will not stamp out their language. The character Manus is Hugh’s eldest son and is a teacher at Hedge School. The relationship that Manus has with his father is made very clear by Brain Freil when Hugh first enters the play as he treats Manus like a slave by handing him his hat and coat â€Å"as, if to a footman†. Brain Friel shows that due to Manus’s lack of communication with his father and his willingness to do all the things his father asks of him, that he has become a servant. Out of all the characters in the play it is only Manus who really sees the British as an enemy in the First Act. This is likely to be because Manus clearly loves his country and his language and sees these two things as part of his identity. Also although the play is not overtly political, political issues do run under the surface. For example when Dan Doalty moves the British’s poles Manus says this is just a â€Å"gesture† to indicate a â€Å"presence†. However when analysing Doalty’s character it can easily be seen that it is highly unlikely he was doing it for this reason and was more likely just looking to make fun of the British. Furthermore Manus is the only one who sees Owen’s job as traitorous to Ireland. All the other characters do not even mention it. However although Manus feels this way about Owen, he himself is guilty of betrayal as he â€Å"ignores† Sarah when she tells him that she said her name. As Sarah symbolises Ireland’s identity ignoring her is like a betrayal to Ireland. The character Jimmy, although contributing to the comedy in act one when Doalty and Bridget are making fun of him. I believe also that this represents just how different the British and Irish culture was in the nineteenth century as his character reveals that in Ireland even the most poor man can speak Greek and Latin. In England it is most likely only the richer upper class people would be able to speak these languages revealing that language doesn’t represent status in Ireland. Furthermore Jimmy’s character is also the only character that stays true to his identity as he is unable to speak English and shows know signs of wishing to learn English â€Å"I have only Irish†. However although Jimmy shows know signs of wanting to learn English his love of Latin and Greek have caused him to be unable to communicate properly with other characters as they only speak Gaelic. Thus Jimmy portrays what could happen to Ireland if they do not learn English as they will be cut off from the world. Additionally Jimmy’s character also uses his knowledge of languages as a power over the British as he mocks captain Lancey for not being able to speak Latin â€Å"Nonne Latine loquitur?†. Brain Friel also shows that due to Jimmy’s reading of Greek stories such as the â€Å"Odyssey† he has created an alternative reality for himself in which figures of myth are as real to him as the people he sees everyday. This is revealed as he imagines situations when he would have to choose between Athene, Artimis and Helen. Due to these fantasies Manus calls Jimmy â€Å"a bloody dangerous man† suggesting that living in the past is dangerous. Thus foreshadowing that Manus, who does not embrace the English language in his country, may be dangerous as he is still living in the past The characters captain Lancey and Yolland although both working for the British army have very different views on what they have been ordered to do in Ireland. This is apparent by the way that they act when they first meet the Irish people. Captain Lancey who clearly symbolises England as his manner is polite and imperative, is very patronising when he talks, thinking that if he just talks slow and loud as if to a child the Irish will some how be able to understand him â€Å"a picture- you understand picture?†. However even though he uses this patronising tone it is clearly unjustified because when jimmy asks him â€Å"Nonne Latine loquitur?† he mistakes it for Gaelic showing that he is not as intelligent as them. Furthermore the language used by Lancey although already in English is very political and imperialistic and it is likely some British people wouldn’t understand what he was saying. In comparison Yolland although a soldier has few characteristics normally associated with the military as he is shy and awkward. This is shown when Yolland says â€Å"I – I – I’ve nothing to say – really -â€Å". The quote reveals that he is not uncomfortable being in Hedge Schools as he stutters. Furthermore unlike Lancey, Yolland is uneasy about not being able to speak Gaelic as he says â€Å"Sorry – sorry† when he can’t understand Maire. Additionally Yolland shows very clearly that he values language and identity as he wishes to learn G aelic. The â€Å"strong-minded, strong bodied women† Maire is a very pragmatic character as she will do things to better herself. This is shown by her willing to embrace the future and learn English so that she can move to America as it is the land of opportunities. This reveals that learning English to Maire is a form of power as it will allow her to escape her poor life in Ireland. However although she desires this, there is a clear uncertainty in what Maire wants as she speaks approvingly of â€Å"modern progress† but on other occasions finds comfort in the belief that things will never change. This is shown when she talks about Baile Beag’s potato crop never failing. The repetition of the word â€Å"never† suggests that her willingness to embrace the future is idealistic and selective showing that she wants some things to change while finding a misplaced assurance in the belief that something’s will never change. This could suggest that although she is willing to give up part of her identity, she is comforted by the fact that it is unlikely to happen. The character Owen is Hugh’s youngest son an presents a striking contrast to Manus, as he is lively and charming. Furthermore although Owen is the son who left his father to pursue his own ambitions he is treated more warmly then Manus. This could be why Owen and Manus’s relationship is uneasy. Owen can either be interpreted as a traitor or as a pragmatic character like Maire. This is because although Owen is helping the British â€Å"standardise† Irish place names, he could just be doing this as he believes embracing English is the only way Ireland will prosper. However due to Owen allowing the British to call him Roland, which is a common British name it is likely that the former is true. This is further apparent as when questioned by Manus about why the British call him Roland he replies with â€Å"It’s only a name. It’s the same me isn’t it?†. This quote reveals that Owen places know value in his identity. Owen’s translation of what Lancey is saying on pages 31/32 also show how Owen uses his ability to communicate with the English as power over the Irish. This is because his mistranslation of what Lancey is saying to the Irish allows Owen to make it seem that the British are in their country to help them, not remove their language. The character Hugh although conveyed as a figure of dignity in Baile Beag is ironically a heavy drinker and is shown little respect by characters such as Daolty as he mocks him behind his back by impersonating the way he acts. Hugh, who is fluent in English, Latin, Greek and Gaelic is very critical of the British language referring to it as a language for traders. Furthermore the distain with which he speaks of Lancey for not knowing any Gaelic, Latin and Irish shows how he uses his knowledge of languages as a weapon against the British as he is able to show his superior intelligence. In conclusion Brain Friel’s uses characters, dramatic setting and many other devices to show how language plays a key role in this play. Furthermore his use of characters in the play to convey the bare minimum of language (Sarah) and the height of language (Hugh) add to the effect of how he uses language.

Frederick Douglass One Pager Essay

Life comes with many obstacles. Overcoming these barriers requires a set mind and perseverance. Slave-born abolitionist speaker Frederick Douglass, in his autobiography The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass depicts his life as a slave and his experiences to show to evil in slavery. His story explains how he changed and what he accomplished throughout his life. This slave narrative illustrates the young slave’s struggle to free himself from the mental and physical traumas tied with slavery. On the visual, the rock wall represents a difficult barrier (or many barriers) one must overcome to achieve greatness. Frederick Douglass went through the pains of being a slave to criticisms and harsh judgments to achieve what he saw morally right. The quote reads, â€Å"In coming to a fixed destination to run away, we did more than Patrick Henry, when he resolved upon liberty or death.† Douglass says this to show his comparison in the evils of slavery and death, and that sometimes he saw slavery as worse than death. He, nor could any slave, settle for death. They fought until the end for freedom and rights. Douglass educated himself to become one of the most intellectual and influential speakers for the American Anti-Slavery Society. While reading this narrative, I gained a deeper comprehension of the lives of slaves and the hardships they faced. It also made me realize that everyone starts at the bottom of the rock wall and that each person must climb it to prove his or her worth in the world. Whether one is born into a wealthy or poor family, he or she has to earn the respect they deserve.

How Belief Systems Effect Politics Essays - IslamicJewish Relations

How Belief Systems Effect Politics Essays - IslamicJewish Relations How Belief Systems Effect Politics The belief systems of the modern world have helped determine the policies and politics of nations around the world. For centuries before, and almost definitely for decades after now, there will be disputed between people and countries on account of their faith. Religions have started wars, ended them, impacted, and persuaded people. Needless to say, beliefs are very influential on the world today. People of different faiths dont only fight over their basic beliefs and land but they end conflicts. Making amends between religious groups greatly helps relieve the constant strain of division that we are all too aware of these days. The Lutheran religion began 482 years ago when monk, Martin Luther, attacked the practices of the Catholic Church. These who followed his ideas eventually into what we call Lutherans today. For those 482 years, Lutherans and Catholics have stayed divided on uneasy terms. Now the leaders of the modern Lutheran and Catholic churches both signed a document that laid to rest those many years of differences under the explanation that it was all a misunderstanding. Sometimes different faiths just dont seem like they want to even try to compromise on a conflict. The Jordanian Muslims and the Israeli Jews fighting over which side of the Jordan River Jesus was baptized on is a perfect example of this. The Muslims have invested over one million dollars t fix up the site. The site will bring in expectantly millions of tourists and with them billions of dollars that will be spent locally to boost the economy. Looking past the irony of the Jews and Muslims disputing over a Christian site, the focal point of the quarreling is that such a site will bring. The Pope and Prince Charles have already scheduled a visit, but as of now, no resolve has come about. These days its not always conflicts between two specific regions, but between regions occupied by faiths who disagree on certain topics. The two groups being the Israelis and the Palestinians, and the compromise on the rift in the settler movement conflict arising in those countries. To the Jews the West Bank is part of the greater Land of Israel, given by God to the Jews. To cement their control over the land, the Jews built forty-two hilltop encampments on the West Bank. They did this to prevent it from becoming a Palestinian state. The Palestinian government claimed that some of the outposts didnt have the necessary building papers and twelve of those sites were dismantled. This disagreement is, for the time being, settled peacefully despite the denounced accord from the Palestinians. In the future more outposts are likely to be taken down. Whatever the rhyme or reason, religions and belief systems have tremendous effects on the way things work in this world. Hopefully nations are learning from their past mistakes what not to do if such an occasion arise again. Whether the Lutherans and Catholics are putting years of disagreement behind them, the Jews and Muslims are settling their dispute, or Jewish outposts are being taken down, we are moving forward into a new and brighter future, and gaining information as we go along. Maybe in the future, more of the religious spats will be settled as the Lutheran/Catholic dispute was...peacefully.

Essay Helper

Essay Helper Essay Helper So you need to write a great application essay and dont really know when and how to get started. If so dont despair because this article is an essay helper that will put you on the right track and show you how to write personalized, brilliant and compelling admission essays that the admissions committee is sure to appreciate and reward by stamping it with that special word accept. As an essay helperthis article would like to point out that writing an admissions essay is the only step in the entire admissions process in which YOU are incomplete charge. So give it your best shot. Now is the time to: Think Plan Organize Structure So that you end up with an exceptionally written and crafted essay that is as unique as you are. Here are some useful tips from your essay help to point you in the right direction: Avoid saying too much too soon: stick to the vital point by focusing on your achievements and qualifications as well as the qualities that allow you to stand head and shoulders above the crowd. You do not want to go around repeating things that you have already written in the application form-focus more on who you are rather than what you have done. Dont just say it, prove it: if you claim to have a particular quality then you need to substantiate this with real life events in which these qualities were demonstrated along with more examples and reasons. There is no comparison between merely making a claim and letting it unfold as an interesting story. Use vivid details: from real life events-a thorough description can be a real essay helper.Instead of saying, I am interested in people from different backgrounds with a variety of interests Think of how you can say the same thing in a more detailed and captivating fashion Be precise: another realessay helperis when you zero in on actual incidents and events rather than making general sweeping statements that sound clichd and contrived. Avoid using statements like I always wanted to help people Be original: there is nothing (yawn) as boring as reading something that has been said a hundred times before. Keep these essay helper tips in mind and you are sure to come up with an essay that will make the admissions committee sit up and take notice: If you need term paper help, research paper help, or college essay help, do not hesitate to order professional custom paper writing services on our site and get your term paper written from scratch! Popular posts: Womens Rights Essay Romeo and Juliet Essays Malayalam Essays Lord of the Flies Book Review Life Experience Essay

What is the nature of the controversy between Christians and Essay

What is the nature of the controversy between Christians and evolutionists - Essay Example However, the evolutionists disagree with the spiritual aspect of man and the existence of God. Most of the evolutionists are agnostics or atheist; they believe that the existence of the universe is a never-ending cycle. Evolutionists believe that man is born, has the ability to live and survive, and dies. For them, there is no life after death and that men are created in order to struggle to survive and not to abide from the Scriptures of God; in this case, ethical principles are more important than religious obedience. For the evolutionists, people must be taught with the ethics of the existence of the universe and life per se while the Christians believe that people must learn from the Scriptures in order to gain the life that is set to them after death (Gibbs, 2005). Since time immemorial, these two views have been battling the grounds of the beginning of life and the creation of the earth and the universe. Nonetheless, the nature of the controversy behind is that, up until today, the decision lies within the

The Promise of Stem Cell Research for Solving Complex Medical Problems Paper

The Promise of Stem Cell for Solving Complex Medical Problems - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that stem cell research might seem to be a catch-all solution to a myriad of clinical problems. If the public listens to certain corners of the bioethics field, stem cell research might seem to be a scientific solution that comes at a great cost to human life. Of course, most approaches to stem cells contain far more nuance than â€Å"for† and â€Å"against† embryonic cell research; however, it is a polarizing subject that is divisive even among researchers in the field. The purpose of this paper is to define some of the challenges—both ethical and scientific—posed to embryonic stem cell research, which includes looking at possible future directions for clinical practices, research agendas, and ethical systems that might oppose the use of embryonic stem cell lines. Overall, the â€Å"promise† of stem cell research includes not only the potential for benefiting mankind with novel kinds of treatment for painfu l and debilitating diseases, but also the potential for creating these treatments in ways that do not harm human dignity. First, a distinction should be drawn between embryonic and adult stem cells, particularly with regard to differences in their potentials to grow and regenerate tissues. Stem cells in general are a rare subset of primitive cells that, at the single-cell level, can self-renew as well as give rise to mature, differentiating daughter cells. According to the NIH, embryonic stem cells are grown easily in culture, while adult stem cells are rare in mature tissues. Accordingly, isolating these cells from an adult tissue is difficult, and methods to develop more cells in cell culture have not yet been developed. This distinction is significant insofar as large numbers of cells are needed for stem cell replacement therapies. In other words, adult stem cells cannot provide a sufficient level of coverage for stem cell research, let alone stem cell treatments on a public leve l. Therefore, stem cell research is normally biased toward the use of embryonic stem cells. Such stem cells are taken from embryos that are fertilized in vitro. The development of cells in a laboratory setting is known to scientists as â€Å"cell culture.† Embryonic stem cells are grown by transporting cells from a pre-implantation embryo into a culture environment that holds a nutrient-rich base known as a culture medium. Over the process of development, the cells divide and coat the surface of the dish into which they were transported. Once a cell line is developed, the original stem cells can produce millions or perhaps billions of embryonic stem cells for researchers to utilize in making discoveries and potentially treating diseases. Stem cells that proliferate in a cell culture of an extended period of time but have not differentiated into a specific kind of cell are known as â€Å"pluripotent† (meaning, literally, not constrained toward a specific developmental p athway). These cells are truly useful because they can be

Powers of Prime Minister in Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Powers of Prime Minister in Canada - Essay Example Besides the traditional executive powers that have always been associated with the Prime Ministers of Canada, the same Prime Ministers exert a lot of control over the political party which elects him//her and although the Prime Minister is not necessarily the chairperson of his/her party, there is clear evidence that the Prime Ministers of Canada have always controlled their political parties in a number of ways. For example Right Honourable Stephen Harper, the current Prime Minister is widely respected and feared in his conservative party where he exercises a lot of political influence and is the central force behind all the policies and position adapted by the conservative in regard to all major issues. The Prime Minister of Canada is tasked with very crucial roles something which has led to the current debate on whether the Prime Minister's power are not "too much". As a matter of fact the Prime Minister is the leader of the party with majority of members in House of Commons. This mandates the Prime Minister to form the government, which is responsible for running the government affairs. The fact that the Prime Minister of Canada somehow influences the actions of the governor especially with regard to when elections can be called implies that the Prime Minister is more likely to take decisions, which favors his/her own political party. This has been seen by critics as potential source of abuse of power by the Prime Minister considering the fact that a Prime Minister who desires to extend the term in office may influence election time to his/her advantage. That the Prime Minister can also influence elections although the Prime Minister does not constitutionally have the powers to d o so is evidenced by the fact that the Prime Minister's requests for elections are rarely rejected by the Governor General. The constitutional provision for a Prime Minister to remain in office for as long as the Prime Minister's party has won the elections gives the Prime Minister an easy avenue for remaining at power for unusually longer periods. This is really disadvantageous to the country especially when the Prime Minister's policies and leadership is harming the citizens in any way whether socially or economically but somehow there is nothing, which can be done to do away with the unpopular Prime Minister. Continued stay in power for longer periods pose a threat to the impartiality of the Prime Minister's office in that a Prime Minister who has been in office for a very long time is very likely to abuse office. The other issue facing the Prime Minister's office is the fact that in cases where the Prime Minister has been implicated or accused of gross mismanagement or office abuse, he/she is required to step aside through resignation. Sadly, there are not checks and balances to warrant that the Prime Minister will step aside. Usually most Prime Ministers as history clearly indicates have been unwilling to resign even when conventional wisdom dictates that they resign. This is linked to the lucrativeness of the Prime Minister's office and the considerable powers which the Prime Ministe

Economic Interdependence between European countries

Economic Interdependence between European countries Why is economic interdependence necessary? When we talk about economic interdependence between countries the first and foremost factor that comes to mind is the exchange of goods and services then the flow of labour, capital, technology, and finally the flow of funds. Helpman (2011) describes the economic fortunes of a country being intertwined â€Å"†¦via trade, foreign direct investment, and financial capital flows†. Helpman also talks about how the global crises of 2008 illustrated the importance of this interdependency between countries when it caused the volume of international trade to fall by almost a quarter which then adversely influenced even the countries with a sound financial system. Coming to the first aspect of the exchange for goods and services (trade); it is indeed, essential to trade in order to derive maximum benefit from the efficient use of scarce resources available and as economic development and progression takes place resultantly because of globalisation, international trade is becoming i ncreasingly popular particularly when it comes to European countries. Piggott and Cook (2006) talk about the need for international trade quite comprehensively: â€Å"exports and imports can smooth demand fluctuations in the domestic economy, and growth via exports could increase competition at home. Therefore basically trade allows firms to escape the confines of the domestic market, so reducing costs, improving quality and hopefully leading to higher sales and profits†. Furthermore, this leads to the countries’ then helping even their businesses or organisations obtain a competitive advantage through specialisation and giving them access to international markets which in turn helps boost the economy even more. Europe’s global economic position Most of the countries in Europe have a significantly high GDP per capita and are considered to have extremely developed economies when it comes to the Global market; examples of which include Germany, France, Netherlands, and so on. In fact, the International monetary fund in its latest report in 2018 places most of the European countries in the advanced economies’ category whether it is in final domestic demand, stock building, or foreign balance. It is especially impressive that most of these countries progressed themselves post communism particularly with European countries like Hungary and Latvia undergoing financial crises as Grzegorz Ekiert (2012) puts it â€Å"†¦these countries’ political and economic achievements have been in stark contrast to the failures seen in other post-communist states.† The most important role in economic development however, has to be acknowledged as well which is the economic interdependence between these European countries. Economic interdependence and its importance â€Å"Economic interdependence is occurring due to specialization of countries, as they are dependent on others in the purchase of products which are not manufactured nationwide.† (Surugiu, 2015) It should be of a common understanding that progress cannot be achieved by being alone or confining to a limited way of approaching desired economic objectives and it proves to be true in the global economy as well. As more countries pool in their share of different scarce resources and bring about extra demand as well from their economies they do in fact help in reducing the wastage of resources. Needless to say, this really does synchronise with efficiently allocating these available resources too. When we talk about globalisation and economic interdependence the most critical element to have are good international relationships between countries due to the aforementioned fact that it is not only international trade that influences the countries’ economies but also other economic factors such as the flow of labour, easing of trade regulations or even financial tie-ups. These relationships are usually quite diplomatic and do involve a collaboration from both sides, it could even be argued that this relationship in itself is an exchange in order to achieve mutually favourable growth thus, these can also be the difference between maintaining peace and economic well-being. Paul Wilkinson(2007) talks about how paramount these can be in his book â€Å"†¦some of the major problems and challenges of international relations reveals that we live in a very dangerous world, and that many of the most serious threats to our peace, security, and economic and social well-being are the result of human actions.† How and why European countries are economically interdependent Being geographically close such as the countries within Europe gives them an advantage to not only make trading easier and quicker but it also provides them with a strategic advantage of achieving their political missions and their businesses with a competitive edge in the international markets. When countries do intend to come together in order to achieve economic progression they usually end up forming an alliance/trading bloc or in Europe’s case most prominently a regional trading bloc (European Union) which overtime proved to be of immense significance to their   economic and political environment. This proved to be extremely pertinent in making sure that the countries involved not only maintained peace and excellent diplomatic ties but also that they assisted each other’s economies with regards to growth and exchanging of resources allowing them to specialise more distinctively and get an even higher trade advantage. This enabled the member countries to contribute to the union financially and in return the union invested in its members’ economies accordingly. As stated by European Commission (2018) the EU adopted budget aims to invest (in its member countries) about EUR 160, 113.52M in several areas including sustainable growth, competitiveness for growth and security amongst others. The European Union could arguably be one of the most powerful economic integrations. Over the years, it has not only helped its members in areas like capital accumulation, and technical progress but it has also maintained common and standardised policies for trade and as attested by European commission(2018) itself the EU making one of its main aims to become economically interdependent and avoid any future conflicts between its members. Consequently, countries such as Germany, Spain and France who were at war for centuries have now ensured that they now work in harmony to attain mutual benefit (Mankiw, 2016, p.528). Some other examples of European economic integrations include the European Economic Area (EEA) with around 32 members, European Union Customs Union (EUCU) with 28 of the EU and 3 non-EU members (Turkey, Andorra, and San Marino), and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) with currently 4 members. The most compelling benefit however, is provided by there being a single currencies’ adoption by the European Union members which brings with it the convenience of eliminating transaction costs, reduction in price discrimination and the stability of the foreign exchange rate (Mankiw et al, 2016, pp.531). Threats economic interdependence presents While recognising the pivotal aspects of European countries having to be economically reliant on each other we must also look at the limitations it brings with it. Some of these limitations include a 5% decrease in intra EU trading during 2000-2014, Europe’s internal crises in 2015 which was triggered by the euro crises a few years prior, not giving the countries involved to make independent political decisions without undermining their relationships with a majority of their trading partners, and it taking just one opposing country to threaten a powerful alliance like EU as Greece tried to in 2015 against EU sanctions placed on Russia (The German Marshall Fund of the United States, 2016). This can also cause a free rider problem as well which Mankiw, Et al (2016) explains by giving the example of the Greek recession where the government borrowed more than they could pay back and eventually the EU had to bail them out. Most impactful though, are the difficulties that arise because of there being a single currency (Euro) adoption within the selected EU countries; these are including but not limited to fiscal federalism (Mankiw et al, 2016) describes it as the fiscal policy in the currency union working like that of a single economy, they also give up their right to have an individualistic monetary policy, and finally the macroeconomic adjustment generating from the external value of their currencies also known as automatic stabilisers (Investopedia, 2018). In conclusion, it can be said as Monnet (1978) suggests; the process of economic integration in Europe has always been incremental in nature, and often ‘forged in crises’. The main aims of these integrations also keep changing with respect to the challenges the economic environment brings with it and that being said, as long as these aims are met and all countries feel like they are benefiting mutually they will always understand that there are more pros than cons of economic interdependence for them, if not then they can always choose to leave like the UK did with the EU in June 2016. It goes without saying that trading blocs are an integral part of economic integration and political reasoning might also be a huge element in deriving its existence. However, as long as the collective European economies continue to prosper by depending on each other economically and the consequences of abandoning this interdependence do not surpass the benefits of remaining it would not make any sense for a country to be an independent economy. Reference List: European Free Trade Association (2018) About EFTA: The European Free Trade Association Available from: http://www.efta.int/about-efta/european-free-trade-association [Accessed 21 April 2018] European Commission (2018) Budget: Annual budget. Available from: http://ec.europa.eu/budget/annual/index_en.cfm [Accessed 19 April 2018] European Commission (2018) The EU in brief: From Economic to Political Union Available from: https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/eu-in-brief_en [Accessed 21 April 2018] European Commission (2018) Taxation and Customs Union: Customs Union Available from: https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/business/calculation-customs-duties/rules-origin/customs-unions_en [Accessed 21 April 2018] Helpman, Elhanan. (2011), Understanding Global Trade, Harvard University Press Available from: ProQuest EBook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/lsbuuk/detail.action?docID=3300975. International Monetary Fund (2018) World Economic Outlook cyclical Upswing, Structural change: statistical appendix table part A. Available from: https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2018/03/20/world-economic-outlook-april-2018#Statistical%20Appendix [Accessed 20 April 2018] Investopedia (2018) Automatic Stabilizer: What is an ‘economic stabilizer’? Available from: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/automaticstabilizer.asp [Accessed 21 April 2018] Mankiw, G. Taylor, M. Ashwin, A.  (2016), Business Economics: The Global Economy, 2nd edition, Cengage textbooks. Monnet, J (1978),  Memoirs, London. Piggott, Judith. Mark, Cook. (2006), International Business Economics: A European Perspective, Palgrave Macmillan. Surugiu, M. and Surugiu, C. (2015) International Trade, Globalization and Economic Interdependence between European Countries: Implications for Businesses and Marketing Framework, Procedia Economics and Finance, 32 (1), pp. 133. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221256711501374X [Accessed 19 April 2018] The German Marshall Fund of The United States (2016) Policy Brief: How Economic Dependence Could Undermine Europe’s Foreign Policy Coherence. Available from: http://www.gmfus.org/publications/how-economic-dependence-could-undermine-europes-foreign-policy-coherence [Accessed 21 April 2018] The Icelandic Directorate of Immigration (2018), Home: EEA Member Countries. Available from: https://utl.is/index.php/en/eea-member-countries [Accessed 21 April 2018] Wilkinson, Paul. (2007), International Relations: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Family A Tough Bond To Break :: essays research papers fc

Family: A tough Bond to Break Many wise pholosophers say that only 7 stories exist in the world as we know it. The struggle of good versus evil, finding true love, and the rise and fall of important people have been written about since the discovery of pen and paper. One theme that stands out in Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, is the desperation to keep a family together. Odysseus, Telemacus, and Penelope all suffer hardships trying to keep the tight bond their family has, as close as possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Odysseus is determined he will return to his wife and newborn son after the war of Troy was won. Many trials and tribulations are presented to Odysseus on his journey home. Polyphemus, the Cyclops, tries to detain the hero from returning to his home of Ithaca. Poseidon’s son failed and ended up being blinded (Milch p. 29). Odysseus was also tempted by Calypso. The nymph-goddess offered to make him immortal if he would just stay with her on the island for ever. Odysseus refused and started his epic journey to Ithaca once again. Odysseus is told to visit Teiresias in Hades to find a way to make it back to Penelope and Telemacus. He must venture to the land of the dead (Rieu p 160). The only important thing in Odysseus’ life is returning to his family in Ithaca.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Having the same feelings his father possesses, Telemacus’ only desires are to keep his mother from marrying one of the many suitors and acquiring knowledge of his father. He must do this because he knows that if his father is dead, he must return to Ithica to fight the suitors alone (and eventually be killed). His other choice is to stay away from Ithica all together and lose the respect of his people and do harm to his fathers name. To do this, Telemacus sets out on a journey of his own. He first decides to visit his fathers friend, Nestor, first (Rieu, p. 30-44). Nestor tells of his fathers great deeds. After leaving Nestors palace, Telemacus visits Menelaus. He is visiting these great men to find out about his father. Since Telemacus was only an infant when his father set out to fight at Troy, he really does not remember him. By hearing stories about the great acts his father committed, he feels that he knows him better. This brings new feelings about is father.

Market Structures: Tesco

This task for Business environment is split in two parts. For Part 1 I will be describing the 4 different market structures that economist usually talk about are perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly. Using the 4 market structures I will illustrate using real life case studies and examples how a selected business of my choice has behaved/responded to its market structure and finally describe how the OFT and other regulatory bodies check against anti – competitive behaviours. In the second part of the assignment I will describe the value of international and EU markets to UK firms. My description will include an evaluation of the pros and cons of UK joining the Euro along with that I will describe the impact of 2 EU policies on UK businesses. The business that I have chosen for this assignment is Tesco; this is because Tesco is a multibillion pound international business. Different types of market structures Market structures are the business orientated characteristics of a market; all businesses must focus on these characteristics of the market because these have an effect on the degree of competition in the industry and influence the business product or service pricing decisions. Perfect competition: In a perfect competition there are few entry and exit barriers, in this type of competition the companies target the mass audience and they differentiate their product with minor changes in the product attributes (Homogenous). Homogenous products are identical products or business e.g. aviation all airlines prove one service which is to get their customers from one location to their destination and most customers have no preference or specific type of airline that they want to travel with, most customers will just look for the cheapest airline. In such type of competition most of the companies use Push strategy, i.e. huge efforts will be done through their sales team, the main focus is the product availability. In this type of competition the companies are forced to follow the competitive pricing strategy in order to survive in the industry, i.e. the buyers have the power to influence the price of the product or services. Examples of a perfect competition to its closest definition are in the financial market like stock exchange, currency exchange market and the bonds/certificates market. As the companies are bound to follow market prices the only way the company can have advantage over its competitors is by reducing its operating costs and working at optimum level of efficiency . Monopolistic competition: Under monopolistic competition, the market consists of many buyers and sellers who trade over a range of prices rather than a single market price. A range of prices occurs because sellers can differentiate their offers to buyers. Either the physical products can be varied in quality, features, style or the accompanying services can be varied. Buyers see different in sellers, products and will pay different prices for them. Sellers try to develop differentiate offers for different customer segments and, in addition to price, freely use branding advertising and personal selling to set their offers apart. In this sort of environment the businesses and trades people have somewhat control over their prices because of the products differentiations. Most common examples of monopolistic competitions are: restaurants as in the right area and right type of food they can have their own small portion of monopoly, professional solicitors, building and project managing firms and finally plumbers as there are less of them and more required. Oligopoly: In this type of competition the industry has a small numbers of large dominant firms that have a firm control over the market. In oligopoly there are many entry and exit barriers such as huge investments etc. In this type of industry firms usually follows pull strategy and make huge efforts in marketing and advertising to attract its target customers, the products in the industry could be highly differentiated or even be similar but hard of getting a hold and this is why businesses use branding or homogenous. Due to the low degree of competition theses big giants can decide on their own price which is most suitable for its target audience and these prices will be non-competition prices however there could be potential for collusion and price fixing so that each dominant business can enjoy their market share and have profits accordingly i.e. their profits margin will vary but still always high. Example of oligopolistic business industries are: supermarkets such as Tesco which alone owns 30.4% which is nearly 1/3 of the UK supermarket retail share market share, banking industry, chemicals industry, oil and energy industry, medical drugs and also the news and media broadcasting industry. http://www.retail-week.com/data/kantar-worldpanel/tesco-market-share-up-as-it-piles-pressure-on-asda/5010942.article (Tesco market share) Monopoly: A monopoly has high barriers to entry and firms have strong controls over their prices and they also control the supply of their product which can increase demand of popular products, because a firm with a monopoly has majority of the market share it can decide to have low prices in order to destroy their competitors. A good and most current example of a monopoly is the Apple Company which has created the iPhone, because of the degree of the monopoly there is a high possibility of price discrimination where the customers and the consumers have their choices limited to what is available in the market. There are three different types of monopolies listed as below: Pure monopoly in where the firm is the industry, for example Transport for London, the firm which owns all buses and underground tubes in and around London, this is where consumers have no or very limited choice. Actual monopoly is where the firm has somewhat majority of the market share in the industry, in this case Tesco is the most famous example, Tesco owns over 30.4% of the market share and is the leader in supermarket industry. Natural monopoly is where there are high fixed costs for example the energy industry like gas and electricity as well as water, telecommunications and the transportation industry like underground and rail. The disadvantages of a monopoly is that customer are exploited to high prices and potential supplies have limited choice for demand and this means that the consumers have less choice and again might have to pay higher prices than normal or the monopoly can even use very low price to push their competitors towards administration or bankruptcy. (http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:qGV5KxXiB80J:www.bized.co.uk/educators/16-19/economics/firms/presentation/structure.ppt+market+structures&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk) What is Tesco's market structure? Tesco's market structure described by the media is believed to be a monopoly, Tesco has also been through the legal proceedings to prove their innocence, Tesco has accused of being manipulative and gaining monopoly by building stores across towns and cities through the country and Europe but realistically Tesco is an oligopoly, although Tesco is the dominant supermarket it has fairly large competitors who also partly control the market. Tesco accused of ‘Manipulative Monopoly' (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23658062-tesco-accused-of-manipulative-monopoly.do) â€Å"A ‘competition test' to curb the power of the supermarkets was unveiled by the Competition Commission last year as part of a planning shake-up designed to boost competition in the multi-billion pound grocery market. But the tribunal agreed with Tesco that the commission did not fully take account of the fact that the test, relating to planning decisions for larger stores, might have â€Å"adverse effects for consumers†, among other matters.† (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23658062-tesco-accused-of-manipulative-monopoly.do) How has Tesco responded to this structure? Monopoly Vs Oligopoly Tesco has over 4,000 stores across the world and out of those 4,000 Tesco has more than half of them in the UK around 2362 stores and this does not include all the Tesco metro and express stores. (http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/about_us/map/) Tesco themselves say that it is an oligopoly, this is because Tesco is not the only supermarket in the UK, Tesco is the dominant shareholder but cannot be called a monopoly as there are many other firms which are in competition with Tesco e.g. Sainsbury which owns 16.3% of the UK supermarket shares and Morrisons which owns 11.5%, this means the entry barriers to entry are very high because the industry is dominated by small number of large firms which control and own that share market. OFT (Office of Fair Trading) The ‘Office of Fair Trading' is the UK's consumer and competition authority and their mission is to make markets work well for consumers. OFT is a non-ministerial government regulator that was established by government in 1973. Another organisation that does similar commerce to what Office of Fair Trading do, Ofcom is an independent regulator and competition authority, for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services. Competition regulators are important in business and are required to ensure equality and a fair deal for all, How does OFT checks anti-competition? OFT plays a leading role in promoting and protecting consumer interests throughout the UK, while ensuring that businesses are fair and competitive. This work is done using the powers granted to the OFT under consumer and competition legislation. OFT gathers intelligence about markets and trader behaviour from a wide range of sources and then they respond to complaints about markets from nominated consumer bodies, where the OFT is able to see potential problems, the OFT undertakes market studies and recommends to take action respectively. In a recent investigation by the OFT has reviled that British Airways has been found guilty over the price of ‘long-haul passenger fuel surcharges' and has paid a penalty of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½121.5m to be imposed by the OFT, therefore enabling the OFT to close its civil investigation and resolve this case. This penalty to the British Airways has been the highest ever imposed by the OFT for violation of competition law and this demonstrates the determination of the OFT to deal strongly with anti-competitive behaviour. In another case, The Royal Bank of Scotland or RBS has also paid a fine of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½28.59 million about 2 months ago in March 2010, after admitting breaches of competition law between October 2007 and February or March 2008, the fine for the bank was reduced from à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½33.6 million to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½28.59 million and this was done to reflect RBS's admission and agreement to co-operate. The OFT has a 5 step method of keeping a good eye on business and other organisations these 5 steps start with Analysis, Prioritisation, Prevention, Partnership and Evaluation, the details of all the steps are on their website under ‘What we do'. (http://www.oft.gov.uk/ about/what/#named2) How do other supervising bodies monitor anti-competition? As the OFT only supervises what happens in the United Kingdom, there is the European Union which is active in a wide range of policy areas, from human rights to transport and trade, the European Union monitors all of the 27 countries that are part of the union, using similar techniques as the OFT but on a much larger scale, the policy to monitor and control competition is said as â€Å"A fair deal for all† and this policy is described as: â€Å"Effective competition to provide goods and services cuts prices, raises quality and expands customer choice. Competition allows technological innovation to flourish. The European Commission has wide powers to make sure businesses and governments stick to EU rules on fair competition. But in applying these rules, it can take account of the interests of innovation, unified standards, or small business development.† (http://europa.eu/pol/comp/index_en.htm) United Kingdom supermarket share Following are the 4 leading supermarket chains in the United Kingdom Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons, these fantastic four have a combined share of 75.6 percent of the UK grocery market accord to the research done in the 12 weeks ending 1 November 2009 (Source: Kantar World pane) http://TNS_Worldpanel What is European Union? (http://europa.eu/abc/panorama/index_en.htm) European Union is a unique economic and political society which is in partnership between 27 democratic European countries. What are its aims? Some of the basic aims of the European Union are peace, prosperity and freedom for its 498 million citizens in a fairer, safer world. What results so far? Under the European Union the members can travel and trade freely without any constraints as long as the members are trading in euro (the single European currency). European Union policies ensure safer food and a greener environment, better living standards in poorer regions, joint action on crime and terror, cheaper telecoms and communication, millions of opportunities to study abroad and more How does it work? To make these things happen, EU countries have set up bodies to run the European Union and adopt its legislation. The main ones are: * The European Parliament (representing the people of Europe) * The Council of the European Union (representing national governments) * The European Commission (representing the common EU interest). How can the members have their say? The European Union is not a perfect society but it is an evolving project and constantly has to be improved. If a community or even an individual has an important point to show to the union they must do some of the following starting with: * Contacting their local MP – European Union policies are part of national politics. * Contacting their MEP and cast vote at the European Parliament elections the European Parliament enacts EU laws: (www.europarl.europa.eu) * Contacting their NGOs (consumer associations, environmental pressure groups, etc.) they work with the EU on shaping policies. The EU has developed a single market system of laws which apply to all member states, and ensures the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital, including the elimination of passport controls by the Schengen Agreement between 26 European Union states which I have listed below. European Union executes legislations in justice and home affairs, and maintains common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. Austria, Belgium, Czech, Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. (http://www.axa-schengen.com/en/schengen-countries) Value of International markets to UK Non EU Exports * In June 2010 the total value of UK's trade-in-goods exported to countries outside the EU was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10.9 billion. * As a comparison the total value of UK's trade-in-goods exported to countries outside the EU in May 2010 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½9.4 billion and for June 2009 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½8.2 billion. * June 2010 showed a 15.5 per cent increase in exports compared to May 2010 and a 33.0 per cent increase in exports compared to June 2009. * The total 2010 year to date value of UK's trade-in-goods exported excluding June 2010 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½45.5 billion, which has been downwardly revised by à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6.9 million. * The final total value of UK's trade-in-goods exported for January 2009 to December 2009 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½101.5 billion. Non EU Imports * In June 2010 the total value of trade-in-goods imported to the UK from countries outside the EU was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15.4 billion. * As a comparison the total value of UK's trade-in-goods imported to the UK from countries outside the EU in May 2010 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½14.0 billion and for June 2009 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12.0 billion. * June 2010 showed a 9.6 per cent increase in imports compared to May 2010 and a 28.4 per cent increase compared to June 2009. * The total 2010 year to date value of UK's trade-in-goods imported excluding June 2010 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½67.5 billion. * The final total value of UK's trade-in-goods imported for January 2009 to December 2009 remains at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½147.3 billion. (https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=noneufullreport) It can be concluded that UK has less exports to the non EU zone compared to the European market, in June 2010 total value of goods exported to Europe was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½11.3Billion compared to the total value of goods exported to the international market which was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10.9Billion. International business traffic is an important feature of the UK economy's survival; almost 50% of UK's export is in the Non European Union zone, there fore international market has a vital role to play in UK's economy. The imports of UK data shows that the import from the non European Union zone is increasing i.e. from à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½14.0 billion to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15.4 billion, hence the UK economy is dependent on the import of essential raw and prepared materials; today the service sector is more and more important to the UK economy as a result of the weakening of the manufacturing sector now imports are crucial and that is why using the international market the UK economy is on the growth as the export data depicts that UK's export is increasing from à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½8.2 billion to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10.9 billion. Value of European markets to UK EU Exports * In May 2010 the total value of UK's trade-in-goods exported to Member States of the EU was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½11.3 billion. * As a comparison the total value of UK's trade-in-goods exported to Member States of the EU in April 2010 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½11.6 billion and for May 2009 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½9.3 billion. * May 2010 showed a 2.9 per cent decrease in exports compared to April 2010 and a 21.3 per cent increase in exports compared to May 2009. * The total value of UK's trade-in-goods exported for January 2009 to December 2009 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½124.2 billion, which has been upwardly revised by à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½48.5 million. * The total 2010 year to date value of UK's trade-in-goods exported excluding May was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½46.2 billion, which has been upwardly revised by à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½273.6 million. EU Imports * In May 2010 the total value of trade-in-goods imported to the UK from Member States of the EU was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½14.7 billion. * As a comparison the total value of UK's trade-in-goods imported to the UK from Member States of the EU in April 2010 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15.3 billion and for May 2009 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12.2 billion. * May 2010 showed a 4.2 per cent decrease in imports compared to April 2010 and a 20.8 per cent increase in imports compared to May 2009. * The total value of UK's trade-in-goods imported for January 2009 to December 2009 was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½162.7 billion, which has been upwardly revised by à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½238.0 million. * The total 2010 year to date value of UK's trade-in-goods imported excluding May was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½59.2 billion, which has been upwardly revised by à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½96.7 million. (https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=euearlypub) The single market benefits the firms, by making it easier & cheaper to do business in other EU countries. No customs tax is charged on goods that are sold or transported between member states. The EU also tries to make each market as similar as possible to ensure fair competition across national borders. Free Movement of Citizens: European citizens have the freedom to live, work, study, and travel in any other EU country. Since 1995 alone, about 100,000 young Britons have spent time studying in another European country. More Jobs: It is estimated the 3.5 million British jobs are dependent on* Britain's membership of the EU. (Source: UK Jobs Dependent) UK joining the Euro (Pros & Cons) Below I have listed the advantages and disadvantages which were discussed by the chancellor Gordon Brown at the times of between 1999 and the year 2002 when the waves of countries in Europe joined the European Union and the currency: Advantages: 1. A single currency should end currency instability in the participating countries (by irrevocably fixing exchange rates) and reduce it outside them. Because the Euro would have the enhanced credibility of being used in a large currency zone, it would be more stable against speculation than individual currencies are now. An end to internal currency instability and a reduction of external currency instability would enable exporters to project future markets with greater certainty. This will unleash a greater potential for growth. 2. Consumers would not have to change money when travelling and would encounter less red tape when transferring large sums of money across borders. It was estimated that a traveller visiting all twelve member states of the (then) EC would lose 40% of the value of his money in transaction charges alone. Once in a lifetime a family might make one large purchase or transaction across a European border such as buying a holiday home or a piece of furniture. A single currency would help that transaction pass smoothly. 3. Likewise, businesses would no longer have to pay hedging costs which they do today in order to insure themselves against the threat of currency fluctuations. Businesses, involved in commercial transactions in different member states, would no longer have to face administrative costs of accounting for the changes of currencies, plus the time involved. It is estimated that the currency cost of exports to small companies is 10 times the cost to the multi-nationals, who offset sales against purchases and can command the best rates. 4. A single currency should result in lower interest rates as all European countries would be locking into German monetary credibility. The stability pact (the main points of which were agreed at the Dublin summit of European heads of state or government in December 1996) will force EU countries into a system of fiscal responsibility which will enhance the Euro's international credibility. This should lead to more investment, more jobs and lower mortgages. Disadvantages: 1. Twenty seven separate countries with widely differing economic performances and different languages have never before attempted to form a monetary union. It works in the United States because the labour market is mobile, helped by the common language and portability of pensions etc. across a large geographical area. Language in Europe is a huge barrier to labour force mobility. This may lead to pockets of deeply depressed areas in which people cannot find work and areas where the economy flourishes and wages increase. While the cohesion funds attempt to address this, there are still great differences across the EU in economic performance. 2. If governments were obliged through a stability pact to keep to the Maastricht criteria for perpetuity, no matter what their individual economic circumstances dictate, some countries may find that they are unable to combat recession by loosening their fiscal stance. They would be unable to devalue to boost exports, to borrow more to boost job creation or cut taxes when they see fit because of the public deficit criterion. In the United States, Texas could not avoid a recession in the wake of the 1986 oil price fall, whereas demand for Sterling changed in the light of the new oil price, adjusting the exchange rate downwards. 3. All the EU countries have different cycles or are at different stages in their cycles. The UK is growing reasonably well, Germany is having problems. This is the reverse of the position in 1990. Since the war the UK economy has tended to have an economic cycle closer to the US than the EU. It has changed because interest rates are set in each country at the appropriate level for it. One central bank cannot set inflation at the appropriate level for each member state. 4. Loss of national sovereignty is the most often mentioned disadvantage of monetary union. The transfer of money and fiscal competencies from national to community level would mean economically strong and stable countries would have to co-operate in the field of economic policy with other, weaker, countries, which are more tolerant to higher inflation. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/single_currency/25081.stm) One of the few reasons that the United Kingdom did not want to join the single European currency with the first wave of countries on 1 January 1999 is that according to the chancellor of the Exchequer at that time in 1999 who was Gordon Brown our current prime minister said that, â€Å"although the government supported the principle of the single currency Britain would not be ready to join at least until the second wave of countries† which occurred in 2002 and during that time he told the European Union that the country should begin to prepare for monetary union but up till now there have been no indications of the United Kingdom joining the European Union currency, Euros. From my understanding there are many possible reasons that the government should consider while joining Euro, joining Euro would reduced exchange rate uncertainty for UK businesses and lower exchange rate transactions costs for both businesses and tourists. Eliminating exchange rates between European countries eliminates the risks of unforeseen exchange rate revaluations or devaluation, further those businesses who involved in commercial transactions in different member states would no longer have to face administrative costs of accounting for the changes of currencies. The loss of national sovereignty is the most often mentioned reason for the UK not joining the monetary union is the transfer of money and financial proficiency from national to community level would mean that economically strong and stable countries would have to co-operate in the field of economic policy with other weaker countries. European policies The European Union is currently active in a wide variety of policies from ‘human rights' to ‘transport and trade'; below is the list of some of the policy areas of the European Union. Agriculture Media Competition Consumers Education Employment Environment External trade Fight against fraud Human rights Taxation Transport Justice, freedom Internal market Customs (http://europa.eu/pol/index_en.htm) Impact of European Union's Competition policy on Tesco Competition policy: A fair deal for all Effective competition provides goods and services cuts prices, raises quality and expands customer choice, allows technological innovation. The European Commission has wide powers to make sure businesses and governments stick to EU rules on fair competition. Competition must be fair It is illegal under EU rules for businesses to fix prices or carve up markets between them. A multinational company like Tesco cannot merge with another giant if that would put them in a position to control the market, though practice this rule only prevents a small numbers of mergers going ahead. If Tesco plans to merge with its competitor, Tesco needs approval from the European Commission, the EUC (European Union Commission) marks their decision depending on the amount of business that Tesco has within the European boundaries. The Commission may agree to a company having a monopoly in special circumstances – for example where costly infrastructure is involved (‘natural monopolies') or where it is important to guarantee a public service. The large may not exploit the small In doing business with smaller firms, Tesco cannot use their bargaining power to impose conditions which would make it difficult for their supplier or customer to do business with its competitors. The Commission can, does and has fined companies for all these practices. No props for lame ducks The Commission also monitors closely how much assistance EU governments make available to business (‘state aid'). This aid can take many forms – loans and grants, tax breaks, goods and services provided at preferential rates, or government guarantees which enhance the credit rating of a company compared to its competitors but in this case this does not apply to Tesco till today as Tesco is already on top of its game. Exceptions that prove the rule Some exceptions to the general rules are possible. The European Union Commission can allow companies like Asda and Morisons to cooperate in developing a single technical standard for the market as a whole. It can allow smaller companies to cooperate if this strengthens their ability to compete with larger ones such as Sainsburys and Tesco. Aid for research and innovation, regional development or small and medium-sized enterprises is often allowable because these serve overall EU goals. Checks and balances The Commission's extensive powers to investigate and halt violations of European Union competition rules are subject to legal review by the European Court of Justice. Businesses regularly have to make appeals against Commission decisions if it seems like a unfair deal. The competition policy stops the Tesco from growing further from their potential market share, something which Tesco has known to be done in the recent years. Effective competition provides goods and services, automatically raises quality and customer choices increase with competition. The policy also allows technological innovation and the European Commission makes sure that these innovations are in the European Unions fair competition policy. Environment: The European Union has some of the highest environment standards in the world, developed over decades to address a wide range of issues. Today the main priorities are combating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and reducing health problems from pollution and marking sure that natural resources are being used more responsibly. Climate change Climate change is one of the gravest challenges facing humanity. The European Union plans to reduce greenhouse gases at least 20% by 2020 (compared with 1990 levels), raise in renewable energy's share of the market to 20% and cut overall energy consumption by 20% (compared with projected trends). All businesses like Tesco's are directly affected by this policy as this aims to cut energy consumption and greenhouse gasses by 20%, meaning Tesco will have to recycle more, reuse materials more and reduce wastage and use of non-biodegradable equipment which will have a small dent on their profit. Emissions trading European Union's rewards businesses and organisations, which reduce their CO2 emissions and penalises those that exceed limits. Introduced in 2005, the scheme takes in about 12,000 factories and plants responsible for about half the EU's emissions of CO2. Under the system, European Union governments set limits on the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by energy-intensive industries and if they want to emit more CO2 than their quota, they have to buy spare permits but most supermarkets stores do not manufacture and this means that they will have to use eco friendly methods of business and equipment. Tesco has already proven that they are committed towards being eco-friendly, â€Å"Tesco Plc, the world's No.4 retailer, plans to spend over 100 million pounds with British green technology companies over the coming year as it steps up its drive to halve carbon emissions by 2020.† (http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE61203720100203) Environmental health Noise, swimming water, rare species and emergency response -these are just some of the areas covered under the extensive body of environmental legislation that the EU has established over the decades. EU has set binding limits on emissions of fine particles known as PM2.5. Released by cars and trucks, these microscopic particles can cause respiratory diseases. Under the new law, EU countries will have to reduce exposure to fine particles in urban areas by an average 20% by 2020. In 2007 Tesco received the Top online green award for their zero-emission delivery vans. Sustainable development Sustainable development has long been one of the overarching objectives of EU policy. EU leaders launched the first EU sustainable development strategy in 2001 and updated it in 2006 to tackle shortcomings and take account of new challenges. Since then there have been significant efforts in terms of policy. Now the focus is on putting policy into practice in to UK's market. As Tesco manly sells general groceries they are affected by the European Union's environment policy, in a way that it has to source materials from the suppliers who obey and follow the European Union's environment policy, this means that Tesco has limited span of potential suppliers.