Running The British Economy Essay examples -- Economics Macroeconomics

Running The British Economy Introduction ============ A study of economics in terms of whole systems especially with reference to general levels of output and income and to the interrelations among sectors of the economy is called macroeconomics. Macroeconomics is concerned with the behavior of the economy as a whole—with booms and recessions, the economy’s total output of goods and services and the growth of output, the rates of inflation and unemployment, the balance of payments, and exchange rates. Macroeconomics deals with the increase in output and employment over long period of time—that is economic growth—and with the short-run fluctuations that constitutes the business cycle. Macroeconomics focuses on the economic behavior and policies that effect consumption and investment, trade balance, the determinants of changes in wages and prices, monetary and fiscal policies, the money stock, the federal budget, interest rates, and national debt. In brief, macroeconomics deals with the major economic issues and problems of the day. In this software of running the British economy we will observe different outcomes in the British Economy by changing these four variables. They are 1. Government Expenditure 2. Tax Rate 3. Value Added Tax (VAT) 4. Monetary Cash Flow Through this assignment I have given a chance to run the British Economy for five years. In order to understand this assignment we first have to understand what these above four variables are? Explanation Government Expenditure ====================== It covers what so ever government spends in purchasing goods and services in order to perform their factions properly. This includes spending on such items such as defense e... ...es, which are 6.79. And by this all economy get a boast. People started getting better off and government got success keeping the interest of investor in economy. Balance to payment went down to 5, which is not bad. Bibliography Books 1. Diulio, Eugene A. Theory and Problems of Macroeconomic Theory. London. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 1974. 2. Fischer, Stanley. Dornubusch, Rudiger. Macroeconomics. USA. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 1990. 3. Glahe, Fred R. Macroeconomics Theory and Practice. USA. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc. 1992. Websites 1. http://star2.vub.ac.be/~dvermeir/mirrors/ingrimayne.saintjoe.edu/econ/ISLM/ISLM.html Accesses on: 15/12/2004 2. http://users.ox.ac.uk/~scro0519/macro.pdf Accessed on: 15/12/2004 3. http://www.wabash.edu/dept/economics/Faculty%20Work/ISLM.pdf Accessed on: 16/12/2004

Adult children of alcoholics

Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence within the family setting often results in a serious psychological and social disorder that many now consider a family disease.   Truly, the family is not at ease, and the family relationships are not only disrupted but also disrupting.Undeniably, each member of the family can be victimized by the disturbing effects of problem drinking on the stability, unity, values, attitudes, and goals of the family unit.Countless millions of American adults have been exposed to problem-producing family drinking through endangered physical, mental, social, economic, and even spiritual welfare; unhappy and unfulfilling marriages; broken homes resulting from desertion and divorce; impoverishment; and sometimes violence involving both spouse abuse and child abuse.The family and marital interaction of alcohol-abusing people have become a growing area of research recently.   We now know that evidence linking alcohol abuse and family violence is not simply one of cause and effect.   Indeed, the husband who beats his wife is sometimes a battering father, but alcohol consumption may be coincidental to the circumstances that end with the abuse.Sometimes the drunken father is the target of violence from the wife and even the children.   To complicate the family situation, violence is often interspersed with periods of calm that mistakenly encourage the victims to believe that the personal abuse will not be repeated and in some instances, alcohol abusers can hold all other family members psychologically hostage to their threats of misbehavior or embarrassment, so that problem drinkers will â€Å"get their way† and so non-problem drinkers allow the abuse to continue through their own silence and inaction.Adults and Children of Alcoholics:Currently, it is estimated that there are 29 million Americans who may be designated as children of alcoholics (COA) or adult children of alcoholics (ACOA).   Nearly 7 million of them are under 18 ye ars of age, and almost 3 million of this group will likely develop alcoholism, other drug problems, and other serious coping problems.About half of all ACOAs will likely marry alcoholics and thus at risk of re-creating the same kind of stressful and unhealthy families in which they themselves grew up.  Ã‚   There is no doubt that all children are affected adversely by family alcohol abuse and suffer negative consequences.The larger proportions of COAs & ACOAs seem to function fairly well and do not develop serious problems during childhood or adulthood.   Many ACOAs & COAs make positive adjustments to their families’ alcoholism and other related-problems (Dunkel, 1994).Many children of alcoholics, however, are at an extremely high risk for developing alcohol and other drug problems, and often live with overwhelming tension, stress and fears.   Some have high levels of anxiety and depression, others do poorly in school and still others experience problems with coping.Amo ng the most frequently observed differences in ACOAs and COAs are deficits in mental functioning; in perception, reasoning, intuition, and the process of gaining knowledge.   While these children tend to achieve lower scores, they nevertheless test within normal ranges for intelligence and knowledge of specific academic subjects.But they often experience school problems, repeat grades, fail to graduate from high school and require referrals to school counselors and psychologists (Wegscheider, 1981).When COAs and ACOAs were first identified as a special population with unique needs and problems, a standard group of symptoms (the COA and ACOA syndrome) was formulated to describe children and adult children of alcoholics.The problems and symptoms were toleration of bizarre behavior displayed by parents as normal and acceptable, inability to trust others, difficulty in expressing inner feelings, experience of depression, and increased risk for mental illness.They tend to have developm ent of guilt feelings for supposedly causing a parent’s alcoholism and have loss of self-esteem and perception of self and family as oddities.   These individuals feel helpless in controlling their selves and life events.Children even have shown a belief in a magical person who will eventually save the child from harm and there is a development of an inward life focus to escape from the turmoil of the home.COAs and ACOAs commonly assume one of the following distinctive coping roles within the family; the family hero or junior mom caretaker, who is quite successful both at home and at school; the scapegoat who is something of an angry rebel and often involved unapproved social behavior.The lost child or angel, who withdraws to the background, never causes trouble, has no opinion, feels unimportant, and isolates himself or herself from others; or the mascot, who manages to defuse explosive and tense situation, often through humor, by focusing attention on himself or herself ( Jorgensen & Jorgensen, 1990).Recent critics of the theory of the COA and ACOA syndrome have contended that many children of nonalcoholic, but strong dysfunctional families such as those marked by sexual or physical abuse and incest, also share some of the characteristics as COAs and ACOAs.   Although the uniqueness of the ACOA and COA syndrome may be abandoned, the pain created within children who grow up in an alcoholic home is still acknowledged as significant and serious.The revision of this syndrome appears to include the following characteristics; A greater likelihood of becoming an alcohol or other drug abuser; a strong disposition toward having psychiatric symptoms as an adult; a moderately significant increase risk for marital problems; more impulsive behavior as a child as well as delayed language development, fine motor coordination and sociability; and a higher incident of cognitive disorders.Although most COAs and ACOAs have few common psychological factors that distin guish them from other children who experienced a disadvantaged childhood, one researcher has found that disproportionate number of children born to alcoholic or drug addicted parents have abnormal brainwave patterns.   Such differences appear to correlate strongly with certain behavioral characteristics, including impulsivity, social deviance, and lower IQ (Dunkel, 1974).The Recovery:Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy based on the proposition that disturbed relationships among various family members may have contributed to or resulted from the destructive drinking of one family member.   This form of treatment emphasizes family interaction factors, in addition to individual problems of the alcohol abuser, and proposes changes in the communication patterns of family members.All family members are treated as a unit, rather than isolating the alcoholic and treating that person apart from their family.   Behavioral therapy is a general form of psychotherapy that is based on the application of human learning theories in a clinical setting.   Behavioral therapists emphasize changing the coping patterns of the alcohol-dependent individuals rather than changing the underlying causes of self-destructive alcohol abuse.Some behavioral therapies focus on assertiveness training and improving communications skills and problem solving methods.   Such treatment emphasizes that drug dependent people can gain control over their own actions, reaffirm the value of sobriety, and eventually overpower alcohol.   This basic belief stands in sharp contrast with the philosophy of Alcoholics Anonymous, which emphasizes personal powerlessness over alcohol (Schuckit, 2006).Alcoholics Anonymous is one of the most successful approaches in recovery from Alcoholism.   Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a fellowship of problem drinkers who want to help in maintaining sobriety.   Voluntary membership involves an emotional commitment that the alcoholic is powerless over the cont rol of alcohol and that only a power greater than the self can restore soundness of mind.The famous â€Å"Twelve Steps† of AA express the philosophy and recovery process of this international association.   Offering hope of recovery from alcoholism is an essential feature of Alcoholics Anonymous.   Such hope is provided by both example and supportive interrelationships with other members of this self help fellowship.   Each person is expected to become involved with the Twelve Steps of AA, an ongoing process referred to as â€Å"working the program†.The Twelve Traditions of AA are the operational principles of the fellowship and express the importance and significance of the group in relationship to its membership, nonmembers, and society in general.   At present, Alcoholics Anonymous has an estimated membership in excess of 1.5 million people in 114 countries around the world.Despite its evident spiritual orientation, AA continues to thrive, based on singlenes s of purpose, group autonomy, self-supporting financial operation, maintenance of non-professional status, noninvolvement in public controversy, and personal anonymity.   Patterned closely after AA are the AlAnon family groups for spouses and friends of recovered and recovering alcoholics and Alateen groups for children of alcoholics (Ammermann, Ott & Tarter, 1999).Summary:Alcohol abuse is everyone’s problem.   Whether nonuser, moderate or social drinker, or alcoholic, everyone is directly or indirectly affected by alcohol abuse.   Whether alcoholism is perceived as a personal threat or not and whether drinking is viewed as good or bad, the most important thing to remember is that ethyl alcohol is a drug with the potential for adverse drug effects even when used in social settings.Social drinking is usually moderate, but the limits of appropriateness are likely to vary from one drinker or drinking group to another.   Consequently, promoting so-called responsible drink ing behavior may be less than adequate as a method of reducing alcohol problems and alcohol abuse.In a similar manner, urging drinkers to â€Å"party sensibly† or â€Å"know your limits† may sound like good advice, but these recommendations have been criticized as lacking in specificity and dealing with glittering generalities that cannot be applied easily.Problem drinking refers to alcohol consumption that will result in damage to the drinker, the drinker’s family, or the drinker’s community.   Problem drinkers include not only alcohol-dependent individuals and long-time alcohol abusers, but also moderate and light drinkers who drive after excessive drinking and cause accidents.Problem drinking is a form of substance abuse as well as a consequence of substance abuse.   Use of alcohol continues despite a persistent social, occupational, psychological or physical problem related to such consumption.   Problem drinking is also a form of substance abus e because alcohol intake recurs when such use is dangerous to oneself or to others or both.Reference:Ammermann, R. T., Ott, P.J., & Tarter, R.E. (1999).   Prevention and societal impact of    drug and alcohol abuse [computer file].   New Jersey: Erlbaum Associates.Dunkel, T. (1994).   Dealing with demons of a new generation.   In Annual Editions:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Drugs, Society and Human Behavior 94/95, p. 128-130. Guilford, Conn.:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dushkin.Jorgensen, D. & Jorgensen, J. (1990).   Secrets told by children of Alcoholics.   Blue Ridge   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Summit, Pa.: Tab Books.Schuckit, M. A. (2006).   Drug and Alcohol Abuse a Clinical guide to diagnosis and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   treatment.   New York: Springer.Wegscheider, S. (1981).   Another chance: Hope and Health for the alcoholic family.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   California: Science and Behavior Books.

Achievements of Louis IX essays

Achievements of Louis IX essays Assess the achievements of Louis IX. The historian Frederick William Maitland was fond of reminding the scholars of his generation to think the thoughts of medieval men as they thought them . To assess the achievements of Louis IX we must try to think his thoughts. We cannot make assessments based on what we perceive to be achievements in this age, as this will invariably lead us to false conclusions. From a detached perspective Louis was a golden king. His administration was second to none. His reputation internationally was unexcelled both in his role as arbiter for other countries, peacemaker in his own and, as William Chester Jordan remarked on his securing of the Languedoc his rapid assimilation of this region must be accounted as one of the most extraordinary accomplishments in medieval history . There can be no doubt that if Louis aim was to be a just and pious ruler and create a harmonious and prosperous France, which would be an example to the rest of the world, his French contemporaries and their forthcoming generations, he seemed to achieve his aim. In the mindset of a medieval man however this was all mere discipline and preparation for the ultimate test of the quality of rulership-the purification of Holy War. To the mind of a medieval ruler, especially one so admired for his piety and called most Christian , this was the penultimate test and one that Louis failed. One has only to read one of his multitude of worshippers to realise he was a ruler who was hugely respected but does the fact that he failed to achieve his one aim in life taint his other achievements as they were in preparation for something that was ultimately a failure? It seems excessive to dismiss what he worked for so ruthlessly but if we follow Maitlands principle we are only doing what Louis himself would have done. The Oxford dictionary tells us that to assess, we must estimate the magnitude...

My Favorite Stephen Sondheim Musicals

My Favorite Stephen Sondheim Musicals Born March 22nd, 1930, Stephen Sondheim seemed destined to become one of America’s most beloved figures in American theater. When he was only ten years old, he moved with his mother to the Pennsylvanian countryside. There, he became neighbors and friends with the family of Oscar Hammerstein II. In his teens, Sondheim began writing musicals. When he showed Hammerstein his work, the famed lyricist explained that it was awful – but he also told him why it was awful. An amazing mentorship began. Hammerstein provided him one-on-one instruction and advice and gave Sondheim difficult yet creative challenges which honed the young artist’s songwriting skills. In 1956, Sondheim was chosen to write the lyrics for Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. Soon after, he created the lyrics for the amazingly successful Gypsy. By the early 1960s, Stephen Sondheim was ready for his compositions to premiere on Broadway. Today, he is beloved among sophisticated audiences and performers alike. Here is a list of my favorite musicals by Stephen Sondheim: #1) Into the Woods I had the pleasure of watching the original Broadway production when I was 16 years old. At the time, I absolutely loved the first act, which plays like a wonderfully crafted and complex fairy tale comedy, ideal for the entire family. During the second half, however, I was quite disturbed by all the chaos and death. The story became too much like real life. And, of course, that’s the point of the show, a transition from fantasy to reality, or from adolescence to adulthood. Gradually, after listening to the soundtrack, and growing a bit older myself, I have come to love and appreciate both acts of this fun and fascinating musical. #2) Sweeney Todd It’s difficult to find a more violent musical than Sweeney Todd. And it’s difficult to find a more haunting melody than Sondheim’s â€Å"Johanna Reprise,† a hypnotic song that mixes beauty, longing, and murder. This is the story of a demented barber who seeks revenge, but goes way too far, driven mad in his lust for bloodshed. (It’s one thing to reap vengeance; it’s another thing to stuff people into meat pies.) Despite the carnage and cannibalism, there is a dark, infectious humor throughout Sweeney Todd, elevating this dreary story to genius. #3) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum If you’re looking for a show that has a simple, laugh-out-loud happy ending, then Stephen Sondheim’s first success as composer/lyricist is the musical for you. During the show’s test run in Washington, D.C., Forum received negative reviews and apathetic reactions from the audience. Fortunately, director and self-proclaimed â€Å"play doctor† George Abbott suggested that they scrap the opening song, â€Å"Love Is in the Air.† Sondheim agreed and created the bouncy, hilarious number, â€Å"Comedy Tonight.† The new opening number energized Broadway audiences, eliciting laughter (and long lines at the box office). #4) Sunday in the Park with George Filled with beautiful songs and exquisite sets, Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George was inspired by the artwork of Georges Seurat, in particular his painting â€Å"A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.† I love stories that examine the lives of artistic geniuses – even if their history is fictionalized a great deal, as is the case with Sunday in the Park with George. The first act focuses on Seurat’s passions: his art and his mistress. The second act transitions to the 1980s, showing the struggles of a modern artist, George (the fictional grandson of Seaurat). Whenever I’m working on a creative project that takes a lot of concentration, I inevitably start to sing â€Å"Putting It Together,† one of my favorite Sondheim tunes, and an insightful commentary on the artistic process. #5) Company For me, this is the most â€Å"Sondheimish† of Stephen Sondheim’s musicals. The lyrics are funny, complicated, and emotional. Each song is like a cathartic experience for the characters. The basic premise: It’s Robert’s 35th birthday. He is still unmarried, and tonight all of his married friends will be throwing him a party. In the process, Robert analyzes his life and the relationships of his friends. It ran for 705 performances on Broadway, and earned six Tony Awards. So, why do I have it as my 5th favorite Sondheim musical? Perhaps it’s simply a personal thing. When I was a kid, listening to show-tunes such West Side Story and Sound of Music, I was vaguely familiar with Company. I liked the songs, but I could not connect with the characters. I assumed that when I became an adult that things would change, that I would eventually like to drink coffee, discuss real estate, and behave like the characters in Company. None of those things happened. Despite my own short comings, I still enjoy the songs and the non-linear storytelling style of Company. What’s Missing? Of course, there are many other great Sondheim works that didn’t make my personal list. Musicals such as Follies and Assassins never struck a chord with me. Tony Award winning Passion almost made my list, but because I’ve watched the video and not a live production, perhaps I wasn’t as entranced by the show as others have been. And what about Merrily We Roll Along? Although it flopped on Broadway, some would argue that it features Sondheim’s most heartfelt songs.

Business Functions and Processes (Google. Communication and Research Paper

Business Functions and Processes (Google. Communication and Information Technology) - Research Paper Example Moreover, changing supplementary, either by incorporating computer investments without firm change in organization, or only partially enforcing some organizational requirements and changes, can generate significant productivity losses as any advantages of computerization are normally more than outshined by negative interactions with present organizational policies and practices (Brynjolfsson, Renshaw and Van Alstyne 1997). The necessity for ‘all or nothing’ changes between complementary systems was a part of the logic behind the organizational reengineering shift period during the era of 1990s (Hammer 1990). Furthermore, it can also elaborate why many large scale information technology projects are unable to perform as expected and miserably fail (Kemerer and Sosa 1991), while successful information technology adopters earn substantial rents (Brynjolfsson and Hitt 2000).There are various examples reflecting the historically high cost of information gathering and processi ng as well. For example, hierarchical organizational structures can diminish communications costs because they reduce the number of communications links essential to connect multiple economic factors as compared with the more decentralized hierarchical structures (Malone 1987; Radner 1993). Analogously, producing simple and standardized products remains to be the most efficient way to utilize scale intensive and inflexible manufacturing technology. However, as the cost of automated information processing has diminished by over 99.9 percent since the 1960s, it is not likely that the work practices of the earlier era will remain the same ones that best leverage the value of inexpensive information along with flexible production. In this spirit, Milgrom and Roberts (1990) develop and provide a model in which firm’s transformation and transition from ‘mass production’ to flexible, computer-enabled modern manufacturing’ is pushed by exogenous changes in the inf ormation technology price. Within the same context, the Bresnahan (1999) and Bresnahan, Brynjolfsson and Hitt (2000) highlight that how changes in information technology costs and capabilities direct to a cluster of changes in work organization and firm strategy increasing the demand for skilled labour. Changing interactions with the suppliers Managing a constant and result-orientated interaction and correspondence with suppliers offers numerous pitfalls. The organizations are generating a view that it is no more a feasible option to permanently rely on suppliers and may not disregard this option as for as the short term objectives are concerned. The organizations contend that suppliers have not been able to expectedly fulfil their role and part of work and they provide their excuses for delays. Keeping this view in mind and due to other problems coordinating with external suppliers, large firms often generate and develop many of their required inputs in-house. General Motors is the appropriate successful story of a company whose success was considerably supported by high levels of vertical integration. However, the latest technologies such as internet-based procurement systems, electronic data interchanges and other inter-organizational information systems have substantially diminished business process cost, business design and development cost and other difficulties of interacting with suppliers. Within the same

Economic Development Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Economic Development Proposal - Essay Example The M’Bochi lives in the northwest and majority of the Brazzaville’s skilled workers and civil servants are from this group. In addition to these tribal groups, the country also includes a small Pygmy population with approximately 12,000 Pygmies (Overlanding Africa.com). These tribal groups represent different levels of socio-economic development and constitute an economically, politically, and socially underdeveloped community. They are most vulnerable to various forms of economic exploitation, social stagnation, and political isolation. Hence, it is necessary to integrate these tribal groups with the rest of the community on a footing of equality so as to help them attain progressive advancement. This is an economic development proposal that envisages the overall development of the Congo communities in the long run. Congo: An Overview Before framing the development proposals, it is necessary to analyze various economical, social, political, and cultural aspects of the country in order to get a clear view of the current status of the country. The country possesses a potential mining sector and productive agricultural sector. Researches indicate that the Congo’s untapped deposits of raw minerals are expected to be worth over US$ 24 trillion. Although the Congo was the second largest industrialized country in Africa at the time of its independence, currently it is one of the poorest countries in the world. While analyzing the Congolese Economy, it seems that the country’s fiscal policies are weaker and this troublesome situation is identified to be the most potential challenge to the growth of the country. As per the findings of The Heritage Foundation, the country’s business freedom is 40.8% and trade freedom is 61.0%; hence this regulatory environment makes the cost of launching and running a business high in the Congo. Similarly, the country maintains an ineffective tax system although it sets high tax rates. Congo’s highest income tax rate is 50% while its top corporate tax rate is 36%. In addition, the country has low investment freedom of 20% and it also represents a low privatization rate (â€Å"The Heritage Foundation†). Evidently, corrupted bureaucracy has become the major impediment to productive investments in Congo. According to World Bank, the CIPA fiscal policy rating in Congo was 3.50 in 2008. Hence, the tribal council must specifically take into account the weaker investment status of the country as inefficient operations of the Congolese government hamper foreign investments. The Congolese government does not adopt a favorable approach towards entrepreneurs and is less likely to promote productive ventures. According to reports, â€Å"uncertain legal framework, corruption, inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations† have been threatening the sustainable economic development of the country (Asias and Azizet). Due to uncertain ty about economic outcomes, lack of infrastructure, and absence of government support, many foreign business firms have transplanted their operations from the country. According to the statistics, the literacy rate of the Congo was 67.2% as of 2001 data and the literate people constitute 80.9% males and 54.1% females. Three government ministries control the education system in the country and it is very similar to that of

TEMPERAMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

TEMPERAMENT - Essay Example In this period, children develop a sense of freedom and exploration (Feldman p. 187, 2010). Children have been observed to have many different types of temperaments, which have been broadly classified as easy babies, difficult babies and slow-to-warm babies. Easy babies have a consistent behavior, which can be adapted easily to patterns of eating, sleeping and other routines. Difficult babies are very irregular and irritable in their patterns making it harder for them to adapt to changes. Slow-to-warm babies tend not to be very irritable, though their behavior is negative and they recede from public (Feldman p. 188, 2010). Common sense dictates that temperament should effect the development of a baby into a good or bad individual, or a healthy or unhealthy individual. But researches have shown that this is not the case, although temperament does have an indirect effect. The overall effect combines temperament and the societal nature and the general atmosphere around a person also. Temperament directly affects the attachment of babies with their parents. A recent research has shown that the parental attachment can also govern the development of a child’s temperament. Easy to handle babies are generally highly attached to parents (Smith, 2009). Behavior of a mother post-partum is a very important factor in determining a child’s temperament. Women with a higher level of maternal education are able to cope with babies better, having a lesser negative post-partum impact on their children (Smith, 2009). It has been observed that the mode of delivery has a very direct impact on the mother’s emotional stability. Natural and planned cesarean births fare far better than emergency cesareans and epidurals. These can also affect the temperament of children indirectly (Smith, 2009). Scientists are still unsure whether temperament is a completely psychological aspect of a human, or is there some biological effect too as