Friday, November 29, 2019
Machiavellis Claim to Be Either Feared or Loved
Niccolo Machiavelli, a reputable Italian philosopher, posed a question in his book the Prince, ââ¬Å"Is it better for the Prince to be feared or loved?â⬠Through this question, Machiavelli attempts to offer pragmatic and practical advices on the means of acquiring and sustaining power.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Machiavelliââ¬â¢s Claim to Be Either Feared or Loved specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this regard, he discussed multiple merits and demerits of each trait of leadership methods that allow a prince to gain leadership control. Mostly, during his era, the princeââ¬â¢s main role in power was to acquire new states, tackle internal uprising, form alliances, and maintain a strong military base. Classically, Machiavelli observed and presented the ideal characters that would form the good qualities of a prince in order to prevent inappropriate governance. Although some personal virtues prescrip tion may have been depriving to the state, they were indispensable for its efficient operation (Clester 2011, p. 74). Nevertheless, the attainment of the good will of oneââ¬â¢s followers is essential in the maintenance of power for a prince or leader. In describing a leaderââ¬â¢s demonstration of his personal skills and knowledge for the attainment of the stateââ¬â¢s good, Machiavelli focuses the importance of statesmanship. In this regard, he elaborates how the availability of good laws indicates the existence of a strong military. Evidently, he indicates that a stateââ¬â¢s growth depends entirely on the successful wars that form the foundation of every state. Therefore, applying the fear or loved concept demonstrates how one will acquire new territories and handle domestic insurrections. In such cases, effective leadership entailed the use of power in the formulation of military strategies that ensured successful warfare. Some of the military strategies that were criti cal included international mediation, domestic politics, tactical strategy, geographical mastery, and historical analysis of a leader (Lee 2002, p. 144). Therefore, it was necessary for a leader to choose the appropriate design of leadership as either to be feared or loved. Considering that the actual expectations of oneââ¬â¢s followers are to realize a leaderââ¬â¢s strategies, a leader had to inculcate the appropriate methodologies in handling state strategies. It was significantly important for a leader to maintain goodwill and reduce hatred from his followers while in power. In this regard, it was better for him to be loved than be feared. This was mainly due to the belief that hatred caused mistrust and an eventual princeââ¬â¢s downfall.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Machiavelli advocated for the use of cruelty and dictatorship as long it never interfered with the long-run good will of a princeââ¬â¢s people. Additionally, such leadership designs guaranteed respect from the priceââ¬â¢s subjects and the best defense against domestic uprisings and foreign aggressions. To reduce instances of hatred, a prince had to avoid taking extreme measures such as the confiscation of personal property or interference with traditional institutions as he executed his duties (Machiavelli 1979, p. 124). Through this approach to leadership, a prince will be confident that his haters cannot rise against him. In this regard, Machiavelli indicates how peopleââ¬â¢s goodwill is essential in sustaining a prince in power. Machiavelli defines the appropriate virtues that leaders should exhibit. The most essential virtues that ensured the sustenance of power included generosity, compassion, and devoutness. In this regard, a prince was supposed to portray exemplary virtues to his people and expect reciprocation from them. Despite the fact that the pursuit of v irtues could be depriving concerning the maintenance of principality, a prince needed to evaluate the appropriate virtues for each context. For instance, during the periods of domestic insurrection and foreign aggression, a leader could resort to cruelty or dishonest for the benefit of the state (Morris 1999, p. 102). These characters were attributed to the effective realization of harmony and respect both internally and externally. In this regard, the pursuance of a virtue should be based on the effects it has on the state other than its intrinsic moral values. Generally, the leaders who portrayed this skill retained power and maintained support from their subjects. Nevertheless, such leaders could easily win the interest of the subjects and manipulate them for their own personal gains. Considering the unstable human nature, Machiavelli demonstrated the importance of a leader to adopt the appropriate leadership design to help him deal with the varied human nature. In this regard, p eople acted in any situation for their own benefit. The fact that during prosperous moments, people are trustworthy and respectful, but on adversity, they turn selfish and deceitful exemplifies this observation. Repeatedly, people appreciate traits like generosity, courage, and piety in other individuals, but they rarely portray such virtues themselves.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Machiavelliââ¬â¢s Claim to Be Either Feared or Loved specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this regard, Machiavelli advocates for leaders to be knowledgeable on the human nature and demonstrate the ideal virtue for any context (Machiavelli 2003, p. 72). Additionally, conflicts between the statesmanship and virtuousness could cause adversity to the state. This means that people will hate a prince if he fails the state rather than when he lacks virtues. Thus, it is wise for a prince to understand that duty should not conflict with s elf-sacrifice. For a feared leader, the probability maintaining power is higher compared the leader who adopts the aspect of love. In this regard, a leader would instill fear and loyalty from his people. For the fear of their leaderââ¬â¢s wrath, people will attempt to work according to the laws outline by the state. Considering that the peopleââ¬â¢s satisfaction emanates from guaranteed basic needs and security, a leader would retain power for a considerable time. In the event of a domestic insurrection, a feared leader would threaten the concerned individuals. This would help to mitigate the potential harm of such individuals to the state. At the same time, when foreign aggressions emerge, a feared leader would compel his military men to face their adversaries with courage and purposefulness (Bireley 1990, p. 124). As a result, the people of the state would be assured of security and foreign enemies would refrain from any intents of war. On the other perspective, a leader who adores being loved rather than feared would gain support from his people. This implies that the leader would have to exhibit fundamental virtues that his followers appreciate. Some of these values include courage, generosity, piety, and being considerate. Machiavelli asserts that when a prince becomes extremely generous and loyal to his people, greed, and deceit emerges. From such a notion, jealously and competition develop among the people. The outcomes of this form of leadership will likely lead to dire ramifications for the ruling prince. In this regard, to suppress domestic insurrection, it would require considerable efforts in negotiating with people (Viroli 1998, p. 128). Naturally, although the people may have a liking for a virtuous leader during the times of prosperity, they will be defiant to such a leader in adversity. As a result, leaders should be considerate concerning the virtues they exhibit to avoid ruining their states because of the failure to adhere to their dut ies.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Critically analyzing the two types of leadership designs portray by Machiavelli, to be feared is considerably better than to be loved. This is because of the guaranteed safety and progress of a state during the tenure of a feared leader. The inducement of fear through cruelty and dictatorship will earn a leader unity and loyalty among his people. When other people fear a person, they are inclined not to cross boundaries his boundaries because of the anticipated repercussions. At the same time, foreigners who became jealous and hateful towards a state would restrain themselves from taking any action against such a state considering the high probability of a lethal response from the stateââ¬â¢s leader. As a result, the effective maintenance of security and adherence to the needs of the state by the people is realized. Overtime, the Machiavelliââ¬â¢s philosophical thoughts concerning leadership have been considerably critical in the analysis of state politics. For most of the st ates, they apply the two forms of leadership designs on different scales. In countries such as the United States, the feared form of leadership is the most ideal when dealing with other countries. In this regard, the political influence concerning the resources and military prowess exhibited by the United States elicits fear from other countries. Notably, while focusing on the creation of good relationships with other countries, the feared leader design is employed to achieve the objective. In the domestic affairs of a country, leaders demonstrate good virtues to elicit the ethical nature of ideal leadership. These virtues create interest and mentorship among the citizens in embracing the leadersââ¬â¢ efforts in their contributions towards the country (Morris 1999, p. 245). Most countries have portrayed identical leadership characteristics to the United States. As a result, leaders have been able to obtain respect and loyalty from their subjects. In this regard, the laws and the leader play a significant role in achieving the earlier form of leadership suggested by Machiavelli, which elicits fear from the subjects. Following Machiavelliââ¬â¢s suggestion, most states consider a leadership design that portrays the loved prince leadership design as being vulnerable to all forms of manââ¬â¢s wicked nature. In this regard, there is the depiction of human beings as being self-centered from the Machiavelliââ¬â¢s claim that men are ungrateful, deceitful, and selfish. In this regard, the significance of being feared outweighs the urge to be loved since manââ¬â¢s affection can easily be won or lost through proper measures (Viroli 1998, p. 56). Evidently, Machiavelliââ¬â¢s suggestions have had considerable impacts in the maintenance of security and winning manââ¬â¢s loyalty in each state. As a result, most leaders have accepted some of his ideologies and identified them as effective on each particular scenario. For the case of prosperity, being loved by both the stateââ¬â¢s people and foreigners is an ideal form of leadership to portray. At the same time, during adversity to a state, the adoption of the being feared form of leadership presents the best outcome. Nevertheless, Machiavelliââ¬â¢s thoughts have received numerous criticisms of their nature being tyrannical. This is because Machiavelli mainly illustrated the need for leaders to adopt cruelty in enforcing their duties. Such form of leadership is considered unethical and undesirable to achieve favorable leadership. References Bireley, R. (1990). The Counter-Reformation prince: anti-Machiavellianism or Catholicstatecraft in early modern Europe. University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill. Clester, S. (2011). Machiavelli: the prince. Writers of the Round Table: Mundelein, IL. Lee, R., Walsh, J. (2002). The Prince, NiccoloÃ⬠Machiavelli. Spark Pub: New York. Machiavelli, N., Bondanella, P. E., Musa, M. (1979). The portable Machiavelli. Penguin Books: Hammond sworth, Eng. Machiavelli, N., Rebhorn, W. A. (2003). The prince and other writings. Barnes Noble Classics: New York. Morris, D. (1999). The new prince: Machiavelli updated for the twenty-first century. Renaissance Books: Los Angeles. Viroli, M. (1998). Machiavelli. Oxford University Press: Oxford. 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Monday, November 25, 2019
Han Chinese and Starbucks Essay
Han Chinese and Starbucks Essay Han Chinese and Starbucks Essay Case Study Chapter 4 Starbucks 1) In my opinion, the key factors Starbucks had to consider before opening shop in China were all based on one thing; Starbucks had to determine why the Chinese would go to a cafà ©. Since the majority of Chinaââ¬â¢s population is tea drinkers, they had to figure out what they could do to bring tea drinkers into a coffee shop. One of these factors is the fact that Starbucks has determined its target market to be the young people in china coined ââ¬Å"little emperorsâ⬠. They appeal to these young people and their desire for change and sophistication. Another factor Starbucks uses to its advantage is the fact that the Chinese want a comfortable place outside of their small dwellings where they can meet with family and friends. Starbucks capitalized on this by creating larger meeting areas than their North American stores. They made these areas comfortable and cool places for the people to get together and have a latte. Another important factor is that Starbucks has m ore food items on their menu such as duck sandwiches, and green tea cheesecake. Starbucks is not just a drink in china it is a place to meet and look modern. 2) China is a dictatorship so change to how a business operates can happen overnight. One of the key things Starbucks had to do to bring their brand to China was they had to find a Chinese partner that would understand the political and business markets in China. They did this by authorizing local companies to use their brand and the partnering with them. Starbucks started small in China buy only receiving royalties on the licenses, but in 2006 they started buying up shares so they could have more control over their company. China entering the World Trade Agreement in 2001 made buying out their partners and going at the business on their own a lot easier. 3) The Demographic Factor that was
Friday, November 22, 2019
You select the topic of your work. It must have a direct connection Essay
You select the topic of your work. It must have a direct connection - Essay Example The current governors can be competent leaders in the nation and their state. The challenge to incumbent is to mobilize the many resources that are available to them properly to pursue the responsibility entailed by their office today. Since the year 1985, the America state has made statutory and constitutional changes to grant governors more powers. Governors have more formal powers in the American government. To fulfill the roles given to them, governors must have a variety of resources, tools and powers at their disposal (Kousser & Justine 43). Some of these powers come from the office of the governor itself and are referred to us institutional or formal powers. In case the gubernatorial office provides limited formal powers, the governors turn to other available resources to succeed in his or her endeavors (Kousser & Justine 105). There are four aspects of formal powers that governors are provided for. First, there is the budget power which is the degree of state control in preparing the budget for the state. Second is the tenure potential which determines the length of the terms that the governors is eligible to be in office. Next is the power of appointment that provides him or her the gubernatorial control of appointing essential state administrators and finally they have the veto powers, which is the power to oppose any legislation that they donââ¬â¢t agree with. The branch of the executive is in charge of administering state laws whereby the governor is responsible for overseeing this process. For the governor to effectively carry out these responsibilities, he or she has to have a bigger say in the appointment of officers who are in charge of administering these laws. This power of appointment is an important asset for the governors. Recent research has shown that a state administrator who are directly appointed by the governor will more like respond to his or her political and administrative preference (Margaret 200)..
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Math Quiz Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Math Quiz - Speech or Presentation Example HINT: Please find points on each of y = f( x ) and y = g( x ) and compare the points on y = f( x ) and y = g( x ). 15. Please feel free to use the graph of the equation or test algebraically to determine whether the following equation is an odd function, an even function, a function that is neither odd nor even, or a function that is both odd and even. 19. The weight M of an object on the moon varies directly as its weight E on earth. A person weighs 169.76 lbs on earth weighs 28.86 lbs on the moon. How much would a 241.76-lb person weigh on the moon? 20. The stopping distance d of a car after the brakes have been applied varies directly as the square of the speed r. If a car traveling 60 mph can stop in 200 ft, how fast can a car travel and will stop in 72 ft? d à ± r2 or d= kr2 for a speed of 60 mph , the distance is 200ft. therefore, 200= k (60)2 k= 200/3600 = 0.0556 ; Hence d= 0.0556r2 . For a car to stop at 72 ft; 72= 0.0556r2 ; r2= 72/0.0556 = 1294.96 hence r = 35.9856 mph or approximately 36
Monday, November 18, 2019
Long Term Care Facilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Long Term Care Facilities - Essay Example Food service standards include setting the centralized and decentralized systems, food service stations, and accuracy of each dining procedure. Food service standards must be set for the food safety and sanitation, implementation of patient dining rights and preferences, and dining experience categories (Singh, 2010). Next, management must ensure the dining experience employees understand their benchmarks (Puckett, 2012). The dining employees are allowed to ask clarification questions. The questions will eliminate any gray or vague standards or polices. For example, nurses clarify what to do if the patient has a seizure during the dining experience. Third, management must report the actual performance of each dining employee. Management must collect data on the employeesââ¬â¢ performance outcomes. Data includes the patientsââ¬â¢ dining experience feedbacks. Data also includes the supervisorsââ¬â¢ feedbacks of the subordinate dining employeesââ¬â¢ performances. The employeesââ¬â¢ meeting benchmark requirements ensure the patients receive quality dining experiences (Daft, 2008). Lastly, management must present the consequences of the concerned dining employeesââ¬â¢ actual performances. The effects may include either the stick or carrot method. Under the carrot method, dining employees who meet standards are given rewards, citations and promotions. Under the stick method, the company penalizes dining employees who do not meet standards. Penalties include warnings, fines, suspensions, or terminations (Daft, 2008). Why the value of the dining experience is so important Dining experiences have important values (Singh, 2010). Dining has socializing value. During the dining experience, patients spend time in the company of other patients. Dining offers relaxation value. Special dining comfortable tables allow the use of wheelchairs. Soft music, table skirting, table cloths and folded table napkins brighten the
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Government Expenditure Causes the Revenue Generation by Government Taxation
Government Expenditure Causes the Revenue Generation by Government Taxation INTRODUCTION 1.1 Overview The relationship between government revenue and expenditure is a very important topic and has been an essential issue for many economists and policy makers as it represents budget deficit, government expenditure Plans and taxation structure of a country. Since the main objective of every government is to improve economic growth with low debt levels, better education system, development of infrastructure and job opportunities better fiscal policy is needed to achieve these goals. From a short term perspective fiscal policy is said to be expansionary when government expenditures exceeds the total revenue and the resulting deficit is then financed by the government, However if these expenditures contributes in economic growth then there is a long term relationship exist between government expenditure and economic growth. In addition different studies indicate that the determination of Economic growth is depended on tax levels. Whereas many believe that the most significant factor that c ontributes in economic growth is tax level as the collection for development purposes of most developed and developing countries depend on tax revenue. 1.2 Research Problem In Pakistan the level of budget deficits have consistently increasing from 2005 which is then financed by the government through external and domestic borrowing resulting in a higher debt levels due to high interest cost associated with it and leads to more future tax expectations. Thus the financing by the government for the compensation of deficit is an important variable, several studies have put light on the outcome of fiscal deficit but very few have tried to find the reasons and causes of these deficits which is why the nexus between government revenue and expenditure is still an unsolved issue. Therefore the main purpose of this research is to study the causal relationship between government revenue and expenditure. 1.3 Hypotheses : Tax Revenue causes Government Expenditure. : Government Expenditure causes Tax Revenue. : Tax Revenue and Government Expenditure Bilaterally cause to each other. 1.4 Outline of the Study The research studies the causal relationship between government expenditure and tax revenue to see the reasons for the consistent budget deficits in Pakistan from many years. In addition time series analyses have been done to forecast the trend of government expenditure and revenue based on the leading variable. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Loganathan, Nanthakumar, Taha, and Roshaiza. (2007) have found a stable relationship between spending and revenue. Furthermore there is a long-term impact exist expenditures that enter as input into the production function and those that enter as inputs in investment technologies. Koch, Schoeman and Tonder (2005) found that there is an association between burden of taxes and economic growth according to the findings based on the data of 1960-2002 if tax burden decreases economic growth increases significantly. Friedman (1982) explains expenditure of the government depends on total revenue because as taxes increases expenditure increases by which deficit remains at the same level, he believes that the level of fiscal deficit cannot be reduced by increasing taxes. Buchanan and Wagner (1977) on the other hand have presented an alternative hypothesis that increase in taxes does not lead towards low expenditures because taxes creates higher price of goods for the public due to high interest cost associated with it Buchanan and Wagner suggest that in order to restore deficit government should limit its financing ability. Sobhee and Sanjeev (2004) tested the causality from tax to expenditure and from expenditure to taxes by using the data of public finance and founded that in a small economy government first accommodate the necessary funds then use them for public expenditure, therefore to avoid the situation of fiscal deficit the government must carefully monitor and control its spending programs. Fasano and Wang (2002) in a research on GCC countries founded that the primary Source of revenue is oil and due to the economic fluctuations medium-term expenditure strategy should be adopted according to which expenditure should not exceed the non-oil revenue so that in recessions to compensate expenditures oil revenues can be injected by short-term accommodations. Second hypothesis where causality runs from expenditure to revenue the government first spend and then to accommodate the required level of expenditure adjusts tax policy. Peacock and Wiseman (1979) Argues that due to economic crises government expenditure increases and they also remain at the same level when the crises is over. In their view government expenditure in driven by strong economic crises which is able to change public perception about the size of the government. Gounder, Narayan, Prasad (2007) find compatibility with the second hypothesis that the increase in taxes for the accommodation of government spending affects on the capital investment by investors due to the fear of paying higher taxes in future. The third hypothesis is fiscal synchronization according to which expenditure and revenue decisions are independent and bilaterally cause to each other. Reflecting the traditional theories for the demand for public goods. Meltzer and Richard (1981), according to him the demand of public expenditures and taxes need to compensate these expenditures are compared with many alternative spending programs for cost benefit analysis, therefore the practical implication of this hypothesis is bidirectional causality. Narayan and Narayan (2006) suggest three reasons regarding the importance of nexus between government revenue and expenditure first if proper implementation on policies is taken into consideration regarding government revenue fiscal deficit can be avoided, second if causality runs from expenditure to revenue outflow increases due to the fear that government will spend first and pay for it later by increasing taxes. Third in case of bidirectional causality expenditure can rise faster than revenue which can create huge budget deficits because revenue and expenditure decisions are independent of each other. Baharumshah and Lau (2007) Find two sets of different results where the fiscal policy of Korea, Singapore and Thailand is driven by expenditures where the government finances revenue for the planned expenditures according to the limit of the balanced budget which facilitate the long term sustainable budget position. However the taxation system should be implemented by taking care of the overall smooth fiscal policy. Whereas in case of Malaysia and Philippines expenditures and revenues are independent of each other and the level of government expenditures and revenues is determined through fiscal policy based on marginal cost and revenue. Furthermore the findings indicate that in order to achieve long-term economic growth fiscal consolidation is necessary to reduce deficits and debt levels which lead a country to fulfill expenditure priorities better and provide funds to more productive sectors. Griffin and McKinley (1992) believes that the expenditure policies of the government should be directed towards long-term future growth and for the well being of the people, Therefore activities that contribute more on socio economic development should be increased instead of using resources and funds to military defense projects. King and Rebelo (1990) taxation has a very important role in the long run growth process of a country where growth is not affected by indirect taxation, however direct taxation is harmful for growth. Roshaiza, Taha, Nanthakumar and Loganathan (2008) found in an analysis of Malaysia that the major part of taxes is direct taxes and reducing direct and indirect taxes will lead to reduce in government expenditures, In addition non-tax revenue does not contribute much in economys growth. Hondroyiannis and Papapetrou (1996) find unidirectional causality running from government expenditure to revenues in Greece where the reason of fiscal deficit from a long period of time was government spending decisions. The government spending to GDP is very high in Greece which results an operating inefficiency for the economy. Furthermore the results indicated that reducing fiscal deficit without reducing the government expenditure will leads to failure. Ahiakpor and Amirkhalkhali (1989) Based on the analysis of Canada found that to show the relevant results of fiscal policy government increase taxes which is a temporary and incomplete act in order to fully take control over fiscal deficit the government must reduce or limit its expenditures instead of finding ways to increase tax revenue burden on public. Baghestani and McNown (2004) in a study of Egypt and Jordan claim that to promote domestic savings and private investment it is necessary to eliminate budget deficit for both the counties. Baghestani supported the causality from tax revenue to expenditure in case of Egypt and bi-lateral causality in case Jordan. Furthermore promoted the process of privatization because it facilitate high domestic saving and investment and at the same time helps to reduce fiscal deficit. Neyapti (2008) studied the influence of fiscal decentralization on government revenue and expenditure and indicated that decentralization improves quality of governance which leads to decrease in budget deficit and stable economic condition. However the efficiency of fiscal decentralization increases in case of large population. Keho (2010) Study the data fo 1660 to 2005 to analyses the causal relationship between government expenditure and tax revenue to see which expenditure and revenue items plays a part in the reduction of budget deficit and found that GDP has significant effect on government expenditure. Furthermore the findings of granger causality test indicate unidirectional causality from government revenue to expenditure based on the findings Keho et al. concluded that the implementation for the elimination of fiscal deficit should not me made by just increasing revenues. Thus without spending cuts the results will not be beneficial. In other words tax system should be made with proper spending control system. Brennan and Buchanan (1980) suggest that in order to reduce fiscal deficit constitutional limits should be imposed on post-constitutional governments, so that revenue collection by latter governments can be reduced otherwise the level of goods demand by public to be financed will be minimum whereas revenue collection will be higher. Baffes and Anwar (1990) conducted the research for the countries Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Pakistan to determine the behavior of government towards revenue and expenditures for the alignment of fiscal deficit. The results found to be positive for Mexico, Brazil and Pakistan while the similar findings havent been found for Argentina and Chile. For Brazil, Mexico and Pakistan causality runs in both ways in other words bidirectional causality where decisions for the government spending and revenue are taken simultaneously. However in case of Argentina and Chile causality runs from expenditure to revenue. The results indicates that to control budget deficit the government should increase revenue collection and restrain expenditure whereas public expenditures should be reduced in Argentina and Chile. Stoian (2008) founded in case of Romania by applying Johansen cointegration and Error Correction model that the long run relationship between government revenue and expenditure do not affect major fiscal imbalances. CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODS 3.1 Method of Data Collection Data of the two variables Government Expenditure and Total Revenue is taken from secondary sources with the help of multiple sources which includes (Ministry of Finance), (State bank of Pakistan) and (Hand book of Statistics on Pakistan Economy). 3.2 Sample Size Sample of 31 observations have been used by using the data of public finance from the year 1979-2010. Where the variable (Total Tax Revenue) has been created by adding indirect-tax, direct-tax, Non-tax revenue and surcharges and (Total Expenditure) has been calculated by adding Development and Non-Development Expenditures. 3.3 Research Model Granger model is used to study the causality where TR is the total revenue and TE is total government expenditure. The above two equation represents the hypothesis where the causality running from total expenditure to revenue in equation one and from revenue to expenditure in equation two. Therefore incase of rejection of any hypothesis we conclude unidirectional causality between government expenditure to revenue. However, if both the hypothesis is rejected we concluded bidirectional causality in other words fiscal synchronization exists between government revenue and expenditure. 3.4 Statistical Technique In this research granger causality test by granger (1969) has been applied to study the causal relationship by comparing one time series with another (Government Expenditure with Government revenue) where one variable becomes the cause of the other variable to predict it significantly. In addition cross-correlation has been applied to assess the correlation between both time series variables. CHAPTER 4: RESULTS 4.1 Findings and Interpretation of the results Table 4.1 Pairwise Granger Causality Tests Date: 01/27/11 Time: 17:32 Sample: 1 32 Lags: 2 Ã Null Hypothesis: Obs F-Statistic Prob.Ã Ã TOTAL_EX does not Granger Cause TOTAL_RE Ã 30 Ã 0.84135 0.4430 Ã TOTAL_RE does not Granger Cause TOTAL_EX Ã 14.2132 8.E-05 With the help of the summary given in the table above we find that there is a unidirectional causality exist between total government expenditure and total revenue, as the value of F-Statistic is 3.5 we will reject the null hypothesis (TOTAL_RE does not Granger Cause TOTAL_EX). Table 4.1.2 Cross Correlations Series Pair:Total_Revenue with Total_Expenditure Lag Cross Correlation Std. Errora -16 -.177 .250 -15 -.143 .243 -14 -.099 .236 -13 -.056 .229 -12 -.010 .224 -11 .044 .218 -10 .097 .213 -9 .137 .209 -8 .210 .204 -7 .255 .200 -6 .299 .196 -5 .353 .192 -4 .427 .189 -3 .513 .186 -2 .663 .183 -1 .796 .180 0 .994 .177 1 .810 .180 2 .662 .183 3 .544 .186 4 .431 .189 5 .344 .192 6 .271 .196 7 .208 .200 8 .148 .204 9 .094 .209 10 .053 .213 11 .005 .218 12 -.036 .224 13 -.078 .229 14 -.114 .236 15 -.153 .243 16 -.188 .250 a. Based on the assumption that the series are not cross correlated and that one of the series is white noise. Figure 4.1.1 The results of cross-correlation indicates total revenue as a leading time series variabler with a strong correlation of .994 with government expenditures at lag 0, furthermore correlation a possitive correlation has been found from lag 1 to lag 11, However the correlation is dexreasing and from 12 to 16 lags correlation in negative predicting that with the increase in total revenue, total government expenditure will decrease in furture. CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH 5.1 Conclusion In this paper we have studied the causal link between total government expenditure and total revenue in Pakistan using granger causality test and the supportive cross correlation from 1979-2010. Our result from granger causality supports the hypothesis that tax revenue causes government expenditure in Pakistan. In addition cross correlation results have indicated long-term results that with the increase in revenue expenditures will increase. Therefore the major conclusion drawn from this research is that in order to eliminate the problem of fiscal deficit and sustainable economic growth government should focus on the policies which facilitate increasing revenue. 5.2 Discussion Various studies have analyzed the causal relationship between government expenditure and revenue. Some supported with unidirectional causality occurring from revenue to spending and from expenditure to revenue whereas some have indicated the result of bidirectional causality. However, both the variables have significant impact on budget deficit and economic growth. Fiscal deficit in Pakistan is a major issue as the findings of cross correlation indicates that the revenue and expenditures are correlated which means that as revenue increase expenditure increases and deficit remains at the same level and to compensate this deficit government increases its debt financing from domestic and foreign sources which leads towards inflation and high interest rates. 5.3 Implications and Recommendations The model and analysis of this study is very useful for economists and policy makers as it helps in enhancing revenue by tax reform programs. In addition for the determination of optimal spending expenditure reform assessment can be done through cost and benefit analysis which will help in setting objectives for tax collections and better utilization of taxes. 5.4 Future Research Future research possibilities could be as follows first variables like national income and debt financing could be included in the research. Second data sets of multiple countries would be interesting to analyze the causal relationship using the same model in comparison with this research. REFERENCES Ahiakpor, J.C.W., Amirkhalkhali S. (1989). On the Difficulty of Eliminating Deficits with Higher Taxes: Some Canadian Evidence. Southern Economic Journal, 56, pp. 24-31. Buchanan, J. M., Wagner, R. E. (1977). Democracy in Deficit, New York: Academic Press. Baharumshah, A. Z., Lau, E. (2007). Regime Changes And The Sustainability Of Fiscal Imbalance In East Asian Countries. Elsevier, 24 (6), pp. 878-894 Baghestani H., McNown R. (1994). Do Revenues or Expenditures Respond to Budgetary Disequilibria?. Southern Economic Journal, 61, pp. 311-322. Brennan, G., Buchanan, J. (1980). The Power to Tax: Analytical Foundations of the Fiscal Constitution. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Baffes, J., Shah, A. (1990). Taxing choices in deficit reduction. Policy Research Working Paper Series 556, The World Bank. Friedman, M. (1982). Personal interview, The Washington Times, June, p. 2 Fasano, U., Wang, Q. (2002). Testing the Relationship between Government Spending and Revenue: Evidence from GCC Countries. IMF Working Papers 02/201. (Washington: International Monetary Fund) Gounder, N., Narayan, P. K., Prasad, A. (2007). An empirical investigation of the relationship between government revenue and expenditure: The case of the Fiji Islands. International Journal of Social Economics. 34, pp. 147-158. Griffin, K., McKinley, T. (1992). Towards a Human Development Strategy. Occasional Paper 6, December. Hondroyiannis, G., Papapetrou, E. (1996). An Examination of the Causal Relationship between Government Spending and Revenue: A Cointegration analysis. Public Choice, 89 pp. 363-374. Koch, S. F., Schoeman, N. J., Tonder, J. J. V. (2005). ECONOMIC GROWTH AND THE STRUCTURE OF TAXES IN SOUTH AFRICA: 1960-2002. South African Journal of Economics, 73, 190-210. King, R. G., Rebelo, S. (1990). Public Policy and Economic Growth: Developing Neoclassical Implications. Journal of Political Economy, 98, pp. 126-150. Keho, Y., (2010). Budget balance through revenue or spending adjustments? An econometric analysis of the Ivorian budgetary process, 1960 2005. Journal of Economics and International Finance, 2(1), pp.001-011. Loganathan, Nanthakumar, Taha, Roshaiza. (2007). Have Taxes Led Government Expenditure in Malaysia? Journal of International Management Studies. Meltzer, A.H, Richard, S. F. (1981). A rational theory of the size of the government. Journal of Political Economy, 89, pp. 914-927. Narayan, P.K., Narayan, S. (2006). Government revenue and government expenditure nexus: evidence from developing countries. Applied Economics, 38, pp. 285-291. Neyapti, B., (2010). Fiscal decentralization and deficits: International evidence. European Journal of Political Economy, 26(2), pp. 155-166. Peacock, S.M., Wiseman, J. (1979). Approaches to the Analysis of Government Expenditures Growth. Public Finance Quarterly, 7, pp. 3-23. Roshaiza, Taha, Nanthakumar, Loganathan, (2008). Causality between tax revenue and government spending in Malaysia. The International Journal of Business and Finance, 2 pp. 63-73. SOBHEE, Sanjeev K. (2004). The causality between tax and spend of the public sector in maturities: A VECM approach. International Journal of Applied Econometrics and Quantitative Studies, 1-3, pp.115-130 Stoian, A., (2008). Analyzing Causality between Romanias Public Budget Expenditures and Revenues. Theoretical and Applied Economics. 11, No.528.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
To Kill a Mockingbird Provides Insight into the Past Essay -- Literary
Historically based novels give people insight into how things were many years ago. For example To Kill a Mocking-Bird by Harper Lee would be relevant to a person studying America in the early twentieth century. The story is set in Maycomb County, Alabama in the 1930ââ¬â¢s around the time that the author herself was growing up and while the book is based on her life, she found inspiration for the setting, characters and storyline in event s that took place in her own childhood. For example in 1931 when Harper Lee was five, nine black men were accused of Raping two white women. Five out of the nine men were given long prison sentences. Also the character Dill is based on Harper Leeââ¬â¢s childhood friend Truman Capote. At the time when To Kill a Mocking-Bird was released at a time when in Alabama, Harper Leeââ¬â¢s home state there was still a lot of racial tension. The south was still segregated and black people were not allowed to use the same facilities as the white people a nd the Civil rights movement was becoming bigger. To Kill a Mocking-Bird is narrated by Jean Louise ââ¬Å"Scoutâ⬠Finch. Scoutââ¬â¢s father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer. Scout, her brother Jem and their cousin Dill are fascinated by the house opposite theirs, Nathan Radleyââ¬â¢s house, and the stories that go with it about Nathanââ¬â¢s brother Arthur ââ¬Å"Booâ⬠Radley who has lived inside for many years without coming out. One night at the end of summer the children sneak onto the Radley property and are shot at by Nathan Radley who mistakenly believes them to be thieves, while running away Jemââ¬â¢s pants are caught on a fence and they are forced to leave them behind. The next day when he returns to collect them, they are neatly and folded and fixed. Later, in winter, Jem and Scout are standin... ...g-Bird is loosely based on Harper Leeââ¬â¢s childhood. By reading it we learn a lot about how Harper Lee grew up and how she viewed the events that took place during her childhood. The only criticism of To Kill a Mocking Bird is that the narrator, Scout, did not act, speak, or think like a six year old. The story is only based in truth and Harper Lee has only got inspiration from events and people from the past for her story, none of the events or people in the story ever existed. Historical novels can provide a very good source of information to people who are studying the past. To Kill a Mocking-Bird is only roughly based on and inspired by events and a person of the past, but still provides valuable insight into the time in which it was set. By reading a historical novel such as To Kill a Mocking-Bird it is possible to better understand the events of the past.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Macro Level Factors in an External Environment
MEMO To: Vice President John Doe From: Kathy Brewster-lee Subject: macro level factors in an external environment Date: November 20, 2012 Hello Mr. Doe, It is my understanding that the large presentation on social networking is quickly approaching and a brief memo discussing how macro level factors in an external environment have impacted the structure of the online social networking industry in the global marketplace is required. In order for that to be done properly there is some information that needs to be addressed.Just what are Macro environment factors; they are uncontainable external forces that influence how a company operates. They are essentially out of the control of the company, and it often requires a change in the operating, management, production, and marketing of the company. They are often called PEST or PESTEL. PEST stands for Political, Economic, Social, and Technological concerns and PESTEL has the same definitions for the pest but it also includes Environmental and Legal factors. Associated essay: KFC Planning, Organizing, Leading and ControllingPolitical macro environment factors encompass of effects such as tax policies, government-issued safety guidelines, the accessibility of government contracts, as well as the modifications in the governing political party. International laws, for instance trade agreements and tariffs, can influence the supply and demand chains also obtainable markets for several diverse corporations too. A market boom, recession, or growing increase delinquency can all modify the method an institute tactics for the opportunity as well as functions in the present-day.Economic factors exist frequently complicated to consider, because economic forecasts and analyses differ widely among professionals. Unemployment levels, comparative foreign exchange rates, and the condition of the global economy can completely assist otherwise damage a business' capability to get required constituents and preserve a stable profit. The mood and demographic s of the inhabitants can create the formation of the social area of macro environment factors.Social trends, such as a predilection for on-demand transportable media devices, can correspondingly persuade which products a company manufacturers and where it chooses to spend its advertising dollars. Technological macro environment dynamics can affect how a company ensures business. An innovative kind of machinery, computer chip, or products produced through research and improvement can help a corporation stay updated and at the forefront of the market curve. Holders must be able to precisely identify which new developments will be useful, as well as which be situated as just a trend.With environmental concerns they exist significant to businesses in cooperation in the short and long term of them. In the short-term things similar to natural disasters, can interrupt the production and supply operations or even extinguish a companyââ¬â¢s assets. Programs for instance environmental risk assessment can assistance companies to arrange to handle most probable short-term crises. In the long view, businesses may have an interest in ensuring that their supply chains are not destroyed by unsustainable practices. Legal factors can limit or change how a business operates.As an example they may include to employ additional supervisory employees or acquire safety equipment following a new health and safety law that could have passed. Legal factors are determined in cooperation of local legislation, regional and national laws. In some cases, companies that do dealings internationally can also be affected by international laws. Reference: What Are Macro Environment Factors? From http://www. wisegeek. com/what-are-macro-environment-factors. htm Cachia, R (2008) Social Computing: Study on the Use and Impact of Online Social Networking From http://ftp. jrc. es/EURdoc/JRC48650. pdf
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Evaluate the idea that class conflict is on the decline in contemporary France, paying particular attention to the strikes of winter 1995
Evaluate the idea that class conflict is on the decline in contemporary France, paying particular attention to the strikes of winter 1995. Abstract: Evaluate the idea that class conflict is on the decline in contemporary France, paying particular attention to the strikes of winter 1995. A critical evaluation into the decline of class conflict in contemporary France requires an in-depth analysis into the various political and economic subject areas which surround the issue of class struggle. The main objective of this paper is to discuss declination of class conflict in France and to discuss the significance of the 1995 winter strikes. A conclusion is to be reached after a thorough but concise assessment of this movement and its effects on French class struggles. In order to evaluate this issue there must be a thorough understanding of French political culture in the years post World War II, together with a comprehensive understanding of the specific events and movements that led to an alleged decline. The implication of European integration and French economy must also be understood, as well as the relation of this movement to the values of the left in France compared to that of the right. To initiate this evaluation, one of the factors that must be taken into consideration is France's volatile political culture. One could describe French culture as volatile, because of the numerous changes the French political system has undertaken over the last century. Some may suggest that they are still suffering from teething problems of a relatively new republic and the episodes of 1995 and the elections of 2002 still prove that the French are a nation who are susceptible to political issues they feel may blur their traditional way of living. One of the arguments brought forward is that the strikes of 1995 were ââ¬Ëfundamentally sectional stemming from national fragmentation and French nationalism than any vision of a different future.'1. This is to be discussed in this paper, along with the factors of, economic change in France due to the conditions of the Maastricht treaty; trade unionism and socialism vs. liberalism in relation to the strikes. Firstly, when mentioned the consensual perception of class conflict tends to be based on the proletariat vs. the bourgeoisie. An old argument that has filtered through to contemporary politics via social and hierarchical structures that were originally discussed by Karl Marx. The question in hand asks one to look at a possible decline of class conflict in France. However some would argue that it still remains in France, just not as explicitly as before. Nonetheless the aim here is exploit literature and modern thought to suggest that it has. A classic definition of class conflict can be found in the ââ¬ËCommunist manifesto' Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight that each time ended, either in a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes.2 For Marx and Engels, class conflict or class warfare as it is described by Marxists, surrounded the notion of two main classes. This can be seen in the fragment ââ¬Ëoppressor and oppressed' and the coupling of the descriptive terms, the bourgeoisie were the ruling class and the proletariat were seen as the submissive class with little or no control over production. In the case of the France in 1995, these two classes can be identified as Jacques Chirac and his government taking on the role as the bourgeoisie and the numerous activist workers taking on the role as the proletariat. Here it can be discussed that the view of a socio-political imbalance between those with excessive wealth and those with little wealth is a common thought amongst Marxist's, but arguably a concept that is declining in contemporary French politics. However, looking back on French politics in the last 50 years, is there sufficient evidence to support this notion? The role of political culture is imperative in this discussion and often gives reason to the actions of the masses under a system of rule by the elites. The political culture of France has an almost unforgiving tradition of being conflictual alongside a highly activist nature, using previous strikes in 1935 and 1968 as examples. The division in political ideologies into the left and right, arguably goes back to the French Revolution and continues to remain an important characteristic in the contemporary arena. Consensus often has been reached by uniting behind a strong, charismatic leader, de Gaulle is the prime example here, only to be lost when the leader dies or goes into disfavour. Cycles of consensus followed by alienation seem to be typical of the French political culture.3 While there is admiration for the French nation, language and culture, there are also continuing disagreements caused by these traditions. Division over the meaning of these universal symbols leads to political, ideological and partisan fragmentation. The French seem to combine a distrust of politicians and the political system with a devotion to political s truggle.4 It becomes apparent that the issue of class struggle was once again thrown into the centre of the French political agenda, because of the essential ââ¬Ëreform' that France needed in order to progress as an intergratable nation state, in relation to the EU. The ââ¬Ësà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½cu' otherwise known as the social security plan devised by then French Premier Alain Juppà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ , was received by the public sector workers, with resentment and anger, with the consensual feeling amongst academics and French citizens that EU criteria for satisfactory budget deficit, was the driving force behind the 1995 strikes. This plan coupled with the tradition and characteristics of French political culture have been blamed for the uprising of 1995 and the discontent of the French nationals that was witnessed all over the globe. However just how ââ¬Ëessential' was this reform by freshly elected Premier Juppà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½? The proposed reforms, were all but too far for the French working class, from the proposals of an increase in work before pension entitlement to the taxation programs suggested, the French working class felt they were being victimised by a bourgeois government, echoing the previous period of revolt in 1968. By introducing such an austere program it put the new right wing government in a bad situation, which would ultimately, lead the way for devastating repercussions. Nonetheless, this set of measures was seen as crucial for reassuring the foreign exchange markets that France would be able to stick to the Maastricht timetable. However, these plans were obviously not essential enough for the 5 million citizens that protested against it. Of course, if an individual or a section of society feels that government plans are not in their best interests and will effectively jeopardise their current position, why shouldn't they protest? However it is this type of attitude that have led some to describe the French nationals as being sectionalist and backward looking. By using this sectionalist argument in favour of declination, Tony Adreani comments that we are witnessing the disappearance of major social conflicts, the decline of revolutionary ideologies, the replacement of class struggles with single issue and sectoral movements and a general pacification of society'6. However this comment was made two years before the 1995 uprising which in turn, proves Adreani theory as unfounded in this case. Expanding on this further, it could be suggested that France needed such harsh reform in order to move forward with European integration. The Juppà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ plan threatened to sacrifice short term discontent for long term prosperity, unfortunately using proposed tactics that were unfavourable to those from the lower classes. Thus, igniting the issues of class struggle once again. By introducing such a plan a perception was drawn that the elites are too far removed from the lives of the ordinary French citizen. At this point of the discussion it can be suggested that one may find difficulty in arguing that class decline is present, but class consciousness in fact, is increasing as France becomes more fragmented. On the other hand, it could be suggested that class decline was present because of the handling of the situation by the lower class. With one of the original definitions of the proletariat being unable to control the means of production and in order to survive they must sell their labour to capitalists. It becomes apparent from these strikes that the workers who protested, have realised their rights to be treated equally and their activism was a direct attack on the government and its ideals. Rather than the working class, settling for reform, they protested to protect their privileges. To strengthen this argument, the participation in each mobilisation and the support that it received from intellectuals increased the feeling of a unified state. These factors give foundation for the argument, in the sense that the lower classes would not let the ruling class exploit their powers over them anymore. Although the strike did not involve the private sector, there was enough disruption to immobilise the French economy and force the governments to negotiate with the workers, through the trade unions. Which leads to the next point of evaluation, the role of the trade unions. The unions play a role of incredible complexity in the movement of 1995. The values of the Left in France, embrace trade unionism and working classes and in a majority of democratic states, the role of mediator between governments and workers should theoretically provide a democratic and logical way of fusing the ideologies and interests between organised workers and the employing classes and attempt to blur the struggles between them. Trade unionism participation in France is a reflection of the political culture, volatile and susceptible to change. In fact coexistence of more than one union within the same occupation is a fundamental feature of French trade unionism. Which may explain the low level of trade union membership, due to the overwhelming amount of choice. However, although the Juppà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ plan involved the reorganisation of a large part of the public sector, the unions were not consulted. The undermining behaviour of Juppà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ towards the unions, only fuelled the tension between the governments and the unions, which proved to be a catalyst for the resurrection of class struggle. This move by Juppe, saw the unions questioning their role as partners to the government. The influences of the masses are epitomised by the 1995 French strikes. Illustrated by the way the government tried in vain to stop these strikes, the CGT and the FO would not back down until they were absolutely sure of withdrawal of the welfare reform plan. However, not all unions were united on the movement, as Chris Harman argues, ââ¬Ë union bureaucracies always try to end mass strike movements when they go beyond a certain pointâ⬠¦ Political issues are raised and that requires the sort of political response that the trade union bureaucracy is incapable of making'7 From this, it can be argued that the barriers of political negotiation can be described as a restrictive mechanism for the working class against the elites. In direct relation to class, trade unions can be described as the basic organisation of the lower class which are ââ¬Å"not only a natural, but also an essential phenomenon under capitalism andâ⬠¦ an extremely important means for organising the working class in its daily struggle against capital and for the abolition of wage-labourâ⬠. But once established, the trade unions cannot confine their sphere of activity to economic demands, but inevitably tend to move into the political plane8. This has been proved by the negotiations which took place after the government backed down. However the governments tend to have the upper hand when political negotiation is involved. Here, what is involved is not the occasional struggles of individual groups of workers against their employers, but the struggle of the proletariat as a whole against the bourgeoisie as a class, and its state. In conclusion, the winter strikes of 1995 had a profound effect on the consciousness of the working class in France. The social upheaval that lasted for five weeks involving hundreds of thousands of workers was undoubtedly the highest expression of the class struggle in France since the revolutionary crisis of 1968. The ruling class only narrowly avoided an extension of the strike to the private sector, in which case the movement could have rapidly assumed a pre-revolutionary character. Indeed, it was the growing threat of such a development, in spite of the treacherous role of the trade union leaders, which eventually forced the Juppà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ government into an embarrassing retreat.9 The radicalisation of the working class as a whole was an awakening of a formerly immobile section of society and the shift of middle class and rural opinion to the left all indicate that French society is hurtling towards a new confrontation between the classes. Which finally leads to a conclusive disagreement that class conflict is on the decline. The factors assessed above hold far too much substance to be dismissed and for all classes to come together as a united front. The elites and the working class, will remain apart until there is a common political and ideological consensus, amongst all parties involved.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Touching Spirit Bear Book Report essays
Touching Spirit Bear Book Report essays In this chapter, the main character and three other characters were introduced. The main character, Cole is a fifteen year old boy who lived in Minneapolis and he got in trouble with the law most of his life. The three other characters were Garvey, Edwin and Peter Driscal. Garvey was a Tlingit Indian and a parole officer from Minneapolis. Edwin was a Tlingit elder that help arrange Coles banishment. Peter was a kid in ninth grade and was picked on a lot by Cole. Cole was being taken to an island in south Alaska because he beat up Peter Driscal for telling someone that Cole robbed a hardware store. During the trip, Cole remembered Garvey explaining the Circle Justice system to him. Garvey said Circle Justice decides a type of healing process for a crime. After Garvey explained this Cole thought it would be better than going to jail so he joined. When Cole, Edwin and Garvey landed at the island Cole was told that no one will be with so you have to fend for yourself. On the island there was a small wooded shelter for him and supplies. After that Edwin explained to Cole about a special black bear called the Spirit Bear and that it was pure white. He also said it had more honor, dignity and pride than most people. After that Garvey gave Cole a blanket called an at.oow. He said it was past down to people as a sign of trust. After that he and Edwin left. After they were out of his sight, Cole went into the shelter and took the gallon of gas and poured it all over the supplies and walls of the shelter. Then he took a match and threw it in the shelter. As Cole was staring a the fire he started to laugh hysterically until the flames died down then he saw the at.oow Garvey gave him and then he threw it into the fire. Then he remembered that the only person that knew how strong he could swim was his father. So he thought he should escape by swimming island to island until he reached the mainland. So then he took off his clothes and star...
Monday, November 4, 2019
ITM501 MoD 3 SLP the internet as social media Essay
ITM501 MoD 3 SLP the internet as social media - Essay Example It is interesting to note that Twitter was never designed with the intention of being used as a social media website. It was primarily designed as an instant messaging communication platform with a client company. The company touts of having approximately 140 million active users as in 2012 and being the ninth/tenth ââ¬Å"most visitedâ⬠website (Bullas) (Webneel, 2013). Its initial success is attributed to the novelty of the platform which came as à ° breakthrough from others such as Facebook and Orkut. Over the period, Twitter has added features such as expandable tweets and Twitpics to enhance user experience. I found the Twitter platform relatively straightforward and simple. This is because of the companyââ¬â¢s usage of features such as the Follow and Tweet buttons, search option and ââ¬Å"embeddable Tweetsâ⬠(Ellin, 2011, Twitter Developers, 2013). The feature of embeddable tweets is particularly useful as it allows users to convey a brief story through a ââ¬Å" line of codeâ⬠or keywords that can help others follow the story by searching for it anywhere on the web (Ellin, 2011). I was able to generate fair amount of political and general discussion regarding recent economic events in U.S by simply quoting the key words and getting connected with others to shared views on similar topics. Also, these short stories compare with Facebookââ¬â¢s status updates although the reference properties of the former make it easy to share the stories/updates. Twitter also offers tremendous support for bloggers including its own domain ââ¬Å"Twitter Blogsâ⬠with RSS feeds support and easy integration of Twitter content onto blogs using the embeddable tweets. However, my use of embeddable tweets was still fairly simple considering that I am not a blogger and cannot possibly use it on platforms other than Twitter and Facebook. Furthermore, in order to counter its competitors including LinkedIn, Twitter has introduced ââ¬Å"Twellowâ⬠which allows people to search for other people on Twitter via their expertise or occupations. I found this particularly useful for finding my colleagues and connecting with them on Twitter. It also allowed me to find old friends (with whom I hadnââ¬â¢t recently been in touch) and connect with them. Various categories including Recreation, Entertainment, Culture, Computers, Sports and Government are listed which allows users of similar taste to group themselves and share content (iEntry, 2013). This is a useful application of the famous phrase ââ¬Å"birds of feather flock togetherâ⬠. However, the Twitter experience was a bit more complex than my experience with Facebook as it took a lot of time making sense of the features. At the very least, discovering how to actually tweet was complex as tags had to be used for creating the story. Furthermore, it was monotonous to merely tweet and not engage in other interactive content such as games. On the other hand, the ââ¬Ëtwit picâ⠬⢠option compares with other platforms such as Instagram by offering the latest ââ¬Ëtrendingââ¬â¢ pictures (Twitpic, Inc., 2013). I was able to view several personal life photographs of my favorite celebrities such as Kim Kardishanââ¬â¢s baby- North. With just one click, I was able to view all photographs uploaded by Kim Kardishan on her official twitter account along with the
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Parity conditions in International Finance and Currency Forecasting Essay
Parity conditions in International Finance and Currency Forecasting - Essay Example These global investors are encouraged by the differences that exist among countries in the return rates on assets that are comparable. The theory also proposes that the exchange rate value on the foreign exchange market is affected by the transactions that are undertaken on the financial account of a country (Mukherjee, 2002). Madura, (2014) says that, the interest rate parity is an equilibrium. Why is this so? The author notes that, when the exchange and the interest rates are made to change and adjust to the forces in the market in a way that the interest arbitrage is not achievable, then an equilibrium results. The equilibrium is termed as the interest parity. Hence, when an equilibrium exists, the forward rate varies from the spot rate by an adequate extent. The variation is to such an extent that it counterbalances the interest rate differential among the countriesââ¬â¢ currencies. For example, if an investor from the US obtains a greater rate of interest from his or her foreign investment; and he or she has to pay extra per entity of the countryââ¬â¢s currency than what he or she obtains per entity when the countryââ¬â¢s currency is sold forward, then there is a counterbalancing influence. Hence, if the investor has invested in the UK and the UK pound has an interest rate of 4%, while the equivalent in the US has an interest rate of 1%. Then, the two currenciesââ¬â¢ interest rate differential is 3% (4 ââ¬â 3). It implies that the interest rate differential is the profit the investors presume. However, the exchange rate must remain constant if the profit is to hold (Grath, 2011). In the example, the ââ¬Å"pay extra per entity of the countryââ¬â¢s currencyâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ is what is termed as the spot rate. While, ââ¬Å"what he or she obtains per entity when the countryââ¬â¢s currency is sold forward,â⬠is known as the forward rate. Normally, when the spot rate is more than the forward rate, then a discount is in the
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