The education system is meritocratic Essay Example

The education system is meritocratic Paper The education system is viewed in many different ways by different sociologists. When talking about the education system sociologists are referring to forms of education where people experience secondary socialisation which is the relearning of the norms and values learned during primary socialisation in the family; it is also viewed as an agent of social control where children are taught to conform to societies expectations and they are taught this through the hidden curriculum which is lessons which arent part of the national curriculum which the government says are needed to be learnt but are lessons such as how to be obedient and who to be obedient to. The system of meritocracy the idea that the ones who do well are rewarded and the ones who not do well are not i. e. those who do the best get the best job. The meritocratic view of the education system means that the system is fair and supports all however, other sociologists discard this view as legitimising a system of inequality where some people dues to wealth/class do better than others. Functionalists believe that the education system is meritocratic. A meritocracy is the idea that those who work hard receive rewards this is the view the hardest working students get the best grades and go on to get the best jobs they believe that it is difference in cultural values that lead to differences in class results which have been seen throughout the years and were evident in the end of the recent academic year with children in the highest social classes doing better than those in the lowest social classes. We will write a custom essay sample on The education system is meritocratic specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The education system is meritocratic specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The education system is meritocratic specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Trough this system of meritocracy there is an equality of opportunity which is where school creates a system where all people can become equal no matter what class, gender or ethnicity everyone has the same opportunity to become a police officer or a doctor. This meritocracy is said to sift and sort perspective students into their correct positions as an adult in society. According to Parsons school is simply the bridge between the family or primary socialisation and entry to employment. He views the education system as a positive system of placing the best students at the top both in school and eventually the work place. This idea is supported by Davis and Moore (1945) who say that meritocracy is the system which social institutes (this includes school) use to sift and sort its members into different positions in this way they believe that school is meritocratic. They view meritocracy as allowing the principles of stratification to take place where individuals are place and motivated into different positions. Marxists criticise Davis and Moore for having extreme conservative views and being very class based. Functionalists view meritocracy as being evident in society and they use evidence such as the rise of working class children in universities as there has been a rise of working class children in higher education than in the fifties supporting the idea of a meritocracy. This view however like others comes up against scrutiny from Marxists who say the proof that is given isnt as conclusive as would be made out as the expansion of universities has largely benefited the bourgeoisie as there are more middle and upper class people in universities. They say that meritocracy is made yup in order to legitimise the system they view the few working class kids in universities as letting a few through to keep the rest quiet as it means people accept their positions as if I would have worked harder I could have achieved this. Marxists then due to this fact view the education as unfair and not meritocratic. They do however believe that there is a myth of meritocracy which was made up to legitimise the system of unfairness in which the bourgeoisie rule and the proletariat are exploited. The myth of meritocracy sets up a way of making the working class accept that they are working class and will always be working class this is where legitimising comes in they believe that the few working class kids that go to university make the rest of the working class think that its possible but they just didnt try hard enough to achieve the top positions and in this way as Althusser talks about a docile and obedient workforce is produced because the education system of a capitalist society passes on the belief through meritocracy that it is fair and the poor should accept their poverty as its their fault as they didnt try hard enough or they messed around. The myth of meritocracy is spoken about by Bowles and Gintis they said that school did allocate students into jobs but said this was not a positive concept but a negative one which was legitimised by the myth of meritocracy where there is an idea that meritocracy exists and this is fed through the hidden curriculum as children are told through school if you work hard you can achieve this but this doesnt exist its just said to not only to make sure there is not an uprising against the capitalist system but also reproduce the classes. Marxists criticise functionalists ideas behind meritocracy for numerous reasons. Functionalists say that the free education system is proof of fairness however, Marxists disagree and talk about the existence of grammar schools (whose students are mostly from the middle class) and private schools which are also very middle class institutions and public schools which are too expensive for anyone outside the upper class and because these schools exist and have better funding and more money they can afford the best things to help students do well. Marxists also believe that there are disadvantages for working class children before they even start school this through things such as material deprivation this is that working class kids cant afford things that others can such as tutors and in some cases computers this means that they have disadvantaged resources so they cant possibly have the same chance as others. Also Bourdieu though criticised for being culturally bias and suggesting the working class culture is a deprived one he picks up the point that teachers are middle class and so schools are middle institutions and for this reason the working class cant fit in as well as the middle class who have cultural capital do the best which is proven year after year when GCSE and A-Level results are released. They are also disadvantaged in the way that they speak; Labov and Bernstein talk about speech codes and how these disadvantage the working class. Bernstein spoke about two different kinds of speech codes these are elaborated which are very descriptive this is a middle class way of speaking and what is needed in school and restricting which is colloquial and consists of slang words which create a view of a person not being as bright. Labov went on to say that we must be careful not to assume a restricted speech code means that a person is thick however, judgements are made based on the way people speak; because of these disadvantages the system can not be meritocratic as meritocracy is based on a system of fairness and depends on people being equal from the beginning. Interactionalists agree with Labov and Bernstein as they agree that people are labelled on how they look and sound so how can their be a meritocracy if people are treated differently according to aspects of their personality? The interactionalist approach is mostly against the idea of a meritocracy because they believe that teacher labelling exists and George Herbert Mead spoke about symbolic interactionalism where our behaviour is in part created by the way we are treated by those around us; in particular significant others which are people who have power and control in our lives such as parents, teachers, friends and partners. In particular the role of teachers in education is picked up upon as Jacobson and Rosenthal (1968) found that when a group of children came up from primary school all at the same level they told teachers that some did particularly well on a test they made which predicted future genius this was a fake test and they chose randomly who would be the intellectual bloomers after a term they went back and found those that were labelled as intellectual bloomers done a lot better than others this proves that meritocracy can not exist as teachers label and can change results so not every one gets a fair chance as if your labelled as bright youll do better and if your not you wont do as well. David Gillborn whos research is largely ethnographic and still continues to this day said in his book Racism and Education: Coincidence or Conspiracy published in 2008 that the system is not designed to promote equality but to maintain the achievement gap between the white pupils and those pupils of ethnic minorities by stating this he immediately rejects the idea of a meritocracy as meritocracy is about people having equality from the beginning and being judged upon hard work however, if people are judged upon by ethnicity fairness cannot exist. Evidence for this is that Gillborn found that there was race labelling in the Local education Authorities (LEA) who expected a rise in white pupils attainment of 40 percent but only a 17 percent rise in that of black pupils and because interactionalists believe that we are largely shaped by those around us if black pupils are not expected to do as well then they will not; this is the idea of a self fulfilling prophecy in which a child in continuously told that they will not do well so they do not do well. Stephan Ball (1981) also used ethnographic study in order to conduct his research. In his study Beachside Comprehensive he found that teachers treat pupils differently based on streaming which is where a person is put in one stream for all subjects (assuming a person who is bright at one subject is bright at all subjects) and setting which is when you have different sets for each subject (accepts pupils are bright at different things) and because of this difference in the way that people are treated there can not be a meritocracy as not everyone is treated the same and as teachers are considered as a significant other in the way we establish ourselves if they view us as not bright we will consider ourselves not bright. Social democrats look at class and attainment. Hasley (1960s) criticised the education system for wasting talent this is because streaming exists as if you are good at a particular subject but are placed in a lowest because you are not good at national curriculum subjects your talent at that subject is wasted because it may lead the child to think that they are not good at that subject so give up which wastes their talent and because of this equality of opportunity is not provided so therefore a system of meritocracy cant exist. The social democratic political time brought into play the comprehensive system as a way to try and make a meritocracy but they do not believe that it exists. The social democratic view is that of Gordon Brown and the Labour Party they believe in helping people to do well and not wasting talent but many social democrats believe this is not yet happening. Feminists believe that gender differences mean that the education system cannot be meritocratic because for good or for bad there are gender differences in attainment and because of such obvious differences they see that their cant be fairness. In the beginning of education girls werent doing as good as boys were and liberal feminists focused on law change and change in social attitudes to make the system and results more equal and stop gender stereotyped lessons being taught. Although after the introduction of the national curriculum girls tended to do better and this is put down to feminisation of the workplace and because there is still a difference between the sexes so there cant be a meritocracy while there are such obvious differences. These differences are proved by the results which are achieved by students each year at GCSE and A-Level data retrieved by DfES and UCAS found that there are 10% more girls achieving five or more A* to C grades and 8% more girls achieving A-B grades at A-Level and because of this factor there are 8% more girls being accepted into university degree courses. There are many different types of feminist though the main theme is gender difference and how this can not equate a meritocracy and although black feminists speak about ethnicity playing a role and Marxist feminists talk about economic factors playing a part in gender difference feminism as a whole accepts that because these differences exist there cant be fairness and therefore there cant be a meritocracy. Sylvia Walby (1999) who is a post-modernist feminist found that equality could not occur in the education system today when she spoke about her triple systems theory in which equality will only occur when we take into consideration the triple impact of sex. Class and race on a persons life experiences and because these things can either act as advantages or disadvantages to a persons education their cant be a meritocracy which is based on all people being the same and doing well due to their own personal attempts. Heaton and Lawson also argue that even within the hidden curriculum there is a system of inequality which operates in 5 ways: books and text books were women are displayed as dependant on men and absent from science text books, female students being made to feel uncomfortable in certain subjects (e. g. woodwork which is considered a male profession), teachers who label and assign girls and boys different tasks such as asking boys to move furniture and girls to wash up, a patriarchal curriculum where boys are more recognised than girls in subjects such as PE, and lack of positive role models. This however at the time was applied to girls failing but can also be attributed to the system not being meritocratic as the encouragement of working class boys into wood work which would not necessarily be put to middle class boys sees the myth of meritocracy in place as they are not treated (boys and girls as well as working and middle class) the same. Post modern is a period of time which occurs after the 1970s the period between the industrial revolution and 1970 is known as the modern where things were new and things were changing the time which we live in now is after the modern so is known as the post modern society. Post modernist sociologists view society as diverse and they believe this is represented in the educational system with the array of qualifications such as BTEC, Diploma and Vocational as well as GCSEs and A-Levels. They talk about society in terms of a grand narrative this is that religion and science are nothing but a big story and because knowledge that we have is a story then teachers are story tellers and as narrative changes over time teachers can never really prepare you for life this proves according to them that a meritocratic education system can not exist as it is designed to sift and sort people into their roles in society and if society is always changing the education system is pointless as what job school prepares you to take may not exist. Moore and Hickox (1994) argue that because our world changes so much so quickly it is impossible to provide a national curriculum that fully prepares people for the world they will live in this is further support that sifting and sorting cant take place because jobs can exist one moment and not the next which means that the meritocratic system cant put the brightest at the top as the top is continuously changing. The New Right are a political v iew like the social democrats but they criticises the system in a different way. The New Right claim that schools and the whole educational system are too soft and easy as children are not encouraged to be independent and this is mostly due to the welfare state which is the introduction of free schooling, free healthcare, pensions and sick pay and this has made a dependant society which has a lack of responsibility and because of this new culture of dependency there has to be a lot of money spent by the government to keep society running. This is a very right wing view as they believe schools should be run like a business and increase competition between schools with the introduction of league tables and different types of school. This view is associated with the conservative party in government which initially between 1979 and 1997 was run by Margaret Thatcher but is now run by David Cameron. The view that the education system seems to be out weighed by the evidence against its existence however, it must be accepted that there are more working class people in university than in the fifties when people did what their parents did and this means that a meritocracy where people can move up and down the social ladder must exist as if it did not then their would be no working class kids in universities. However Marxists hold the view that because there is such a small number of working class people in university that they are just there in order to make meritocracy seem as though it exists and legitimise the myth. Interactionalists also hold the view that meritocracy doesnt exist and talk about labelling which matches in with the Marxist view put forward by Labov and Bernstein when they spoke about speech codes and interactionalists talk about the significance of when teachers pick this up. Feminists talk about gender differences which play a role in how well males and females do in education. Political views such as the social democratic and new right also hold the view that meritocracy doesnt exist because the system wastes talent or is wasteful of resources. Post modernists talk about how a meritocracy to make everyone equal cant exist because of the vast differences in society. When weighed up meritocracy appears to be a myth made in order to make society function well and for continuation of the classes as middle class people cant move down as they will inherit money from their parents so that means working class children need to go on and become working class adults. Although this concluding view is a very Marxist one it must be accepted that different schools of thought also have an input in the conclusion post modernism in particular as it sets out how different society is this means that there cant be a way to make everyone equal in order to have a meritocracy as things such as cultural capital advantage the middle class however, not all teachers are middle class which must be accepted but even despite this fact there is still the element of material deprivation which leaves the working class at a disadvantage because they cant afford the same things as the higher classes such as tutors. The education system therefore is not and can not be meritocratic as it meritocracy is influenced by many other factors.

Decisions determine destiny Essays

Decisions determine destiny Essays Decisions determine destiny Paper Decisions determine destiny Paper When this happened to him it really hit home of how true this quote truly is. He began in high school experimenting and doing things that were against his beliefs Just to have some so called fun. I tried helping him and explain to him that wickedness never was happiness but It was hard for him to understand. While I was serving my OLDS Mission this accident took place. He went on vacation with 3 buddies to a friends birthday party. That night he himself was not intoxicated but he put himself in a situation in which those around IM were drinking. He decided not to participate and went out to the car to sleep. While sleeping, his buddies came back, Intoxicated, and decided they would go home that night instead of waiting until the next day to head back home. They didnt put their stables on nor on my friend who was still asleep as they drove home. Now, the kid who was driving drunk, fell asleep at the wheel, and the car rolled and my best friend flew out the windshield, landed on his head and was pronounced dead on the scene when the cops finally arrived. My friend had a dream of being a successful assessing, a wonderful husband, father, brother and uncle. Therefore, he let his passions or what he wanted at the moment get In the way to have so called fun, his dreams were destroyed. I didnt get to say goodbye or even attend the funeral, but I ended up learning how life can be gone in the blink of an eye and how truly precious life is to you and l. Life is not a race, It is a Journey and it is meant to be enjoyed. Never letting my passions destroy my dreams has helped me very much in my life today. I also see this as never letting what I want at the moment affect what I want In he long run. This is very important to me because I look at things with an eternal perspective. I think of what will happen today, tomorrow, or even in a week after every choice I make. I believe every person should think like this and make decisions based off of this knowledge as well. My family Is the most Important thing to me In the inure world. When I talk about family I dont just refer to the one I have now with 1 OFF my parents, out ten Tamely I will nave one cay. I am a very religious man Ana I pray for my wife and kids every day. I pray that I can continue to make good choices and e blessed to be a great husband and father someday. That being said, every decision I make, I think of how it will affect my future family. Here is when decisions determine destiny comes into play. I want to become a great father, husband, brother and son, and set an example to all of those around me. I envision myself becoming very successful as I continue to put God first and my family second. As I do that and as I remember who I am fighting and working for, I will have what I am longing for. Humility, patience, and service are the keys to success. Charity as well is an attribute I am working on developing. I know and believe that the decisions and choices we make now will affect our future generations and are the hinges of our destiny. One bad choice can change what happens years from now. I believe that as we control our passions, or what we want at the moment, our dreams truly can become a reality and we can experience a never ending happiness. I believe in eternal happiness and that comes from being obedient and being a good person. True happiness comes from within a family. That I am most sure of, and that is my destiny.

Catalogue Of Christian Herasie Essay Research Paper

Catalog Of Christian Herasie Essay, Research Paper St Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, called the Council of Nicea to cover with some of the unorthodoxies of the clip, such as Arianism and Novatianism. This council lasted 2 months and 12 yearss, and had 318 bishops in attending. The benefits from this council were of import to reaffirming the religion. It stated that all people could be forgiven of their wickednesss, no affair how bad the wickedness is, every bit long as the individual was genuinely regretful for what he has done. The Nicene Creed is besides a merchandise of this council. The Nicene Creed is a announcement of our beliefs as Catholics. Council of Ephesus ( 431 ) The Council of Ephesus was called to cover with the unorthodoxies of Nestorianism and Pelagianism. There were over 200 bishops present, under the counsel of St. Cyril, who was stand foring Pope Celestine. The major parts to faith brought Forth from this council was that Mary is genuinely the female parent of God ( Theotokes ) , and that Jesus was both God and adult male in one being. Council of Chalcedon ( 451 ) The Council of Chalcedon was called by Pope Leo the Great to manage the unorthodoxy of Menophytism. The Emperor Marcian was in attending, along with over 150 Bishops. This council denounced Menophytism, and stated that Christ had two natures, Godhead and homo, which were both in one being. Fourth Lateran Council ( 1215 ) . Pope Innocent III held the Fourth Lateran Council as a call for religious reform. Over 1,200 of the universe s taking clerics were in attending at this council. This council did many things to confirm the religion. It brought about a reform in clerical life, spiritual direction in slang, condemned many of the unorthodoxies traveling on at the clip, seal of confession ( priests can non let go of what you confess during rapprochement ) , one-year confessions and Eucharist at Easter clip, and reaffirmed the seven sacraments and transubstantiation. Council of Constance ( 1414-1418 ) The Council of Constance was called during the Western Schism to make two things. The first was to stop the separation of the church, and the second was to declare who would be the Catholic Pope out of the 3 Catholic Popes who were claiming pontificate. This council did two of import things. It ended the Schism that had 3 cabals of the church controversy over whose positions were right, and whose Catholic Pope was the rightful Catholic Pope. Second, it named Pope Gregory XII as the rightful Catholic Pope, but he steps down and hands the place over to Pope Martin V. Fifth Lateran Council ( 1512-1517 ) The Fifth Lateran Council was called by Pope Julias II to set and stop to the corrupt patterns in the church. There were around 95 high members of the church nowadays at this council. This council put an terminal to many of the corrupt patterns of this clip period within the Catholic Church. Council of Treant ( 1545-1563 ) The Council of Treant was called by Pope Paul III to conflict the Protestant beliefs and clearly lay out the Catholic beliefs. There were over 450 people present at this council over the 18 old ages it was held. Besides, 5 Catholic Popes presided over it during the clip it was held. This council affirmed 12 philosophies on the church, apostolic domination, godly disclosure consists of Bible and tradition, Faith and good plants are necessary for redemption, reaffirmed transubstantiation, the mass is a true forfeit, Penance is the manner in which wickednesss are forgiven, reaffirmed the seven sacraments, Purgatory exists, psyches in purgatory benefit from our supplications, indulgences have a true religious value, condemned superstitious utilizations of relics and indulgences. First Vatican Council ( 1869-1870 ) The First Vatican council was called by Pope Pius IX to reaffirm apostolic authorization and to clear up church learning to onslaughts from enlightenment minds. There were 803 in attending, including 46 from the United States. The major part to faith from this council is the philosophy of Papal Infallibility, which means the Pope can non do mistake when learning church philosophy or on the religion. Second Vatican Council ( 1962-1965 ) The Second Vatican Council was called by Pope John XXIII to regenerate the church spiritually, and to reconsider the church s topographic point in the modern universe. This council made many alterations to the Holy Eucharist, such as doing it common so the common individual could understand God s message. It besides allowed for more engagement in mass by the common individual.

Management in context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management in context - Essay Example The simulation game required framing the marketing, financial as well as human resource strategies for the organization or the new venture. The simulation game involved actual applicability of the business strategies that also involved financial implication for each of the decisions. The simulation game also involved running promotional activities including cost and benefit analysis. The game also showed financial results for each of the strategies that also included profit and loss figures indicating the implications of the strategies on the financial health of the company. The business selected was that of a billboard advertising agency. Part A Overview of Decisions & Outcomes of the Business Simulation The initial decisions in the simulation game involved a market research which formed the basis for forecasting demand and sales targets. The next stage involved initial book keeping activities as well as adoption of the marketing mix that included design of the product and other spe cifications. This phase also created the strategy with regards to the suppliers. Considering the initial phase and the overall costs of the activities the company suffered a net loss of 696 pounds in Feb 2011. In the nest month marketing and sales activities which included the design of a web page. These activities also led to a loss of 3097 pounds. Realising the importance of the market conditions the next step involved a detailed market analysis as well as training and development activities. Losses amounted to 1793 pounds in this month. The next stage was crucial as it involved setting up a limited liability firm to ensure further expansion. Nine out of the total orders were contracted as manpower seemed to be less as compared to the total task. The next significant step involved an overdraft facility as well as increasing the price of the product. This led to a net profit of 2502 pounds which represented an increased from 2106 pounds profit of the previous month. The nest stage involves increasing discounts on products, salary hike, price hike which resulted in an overall cumulative profit of 12569 pounds. The nest quarter focussed on business enhancement which mainly included participation in exhibitions, and increased focus on marketing especially the online channels. These activities again led to a loss of 3581 pounds which resulted in salary cuts and database management. The next significant phase included an overhaul of the distribution strategy as well as giving advertisements on television. The firm also entered into a strategic tie up with RAD. This coupled with contracting of orders and increasing the upscale selling activities led to a jump in the overall cumulative profit margins to 51799 pounds. The company’s strategies of dealing with the suppliers as well as promotional activities helped in generating good orders for the firm. This was significant as it was largely realised that long term sustainability required generation of large sca le profits for the organization. Part B Summary of Personal Capabilities to be successful in SimVenture SimVenture is a popular online business simulation game that helps an individual to test his/her entrepreneurial and decision making skills in real life situations. The game basically creates a situation in

Marketing and Branding Strategies Research Proposal

Marketing and Branding Strategies - Research Proposal Example Moreover, Nike controls around half of the sports foot wear and apparels market and the combined strength of Adidas and Reebok will make them able to attain almost the same market share as that of the Nike. Thus the merger will strengthen the competitive power of Adidas and Reebok. The combined company won't want to cut its own bottom line by launching a price war. Others, however, think consumers may see more products and aggressive marketing from smaller players in the industry as they work to protect their shares. (Petrecca, and Howard). The mergers are often welcomed by the consumers because of their anticipation of good quality products for cheaper prices. The inability to reduce prices may reflect as a weakness of merger among the public. Any time two competitors join forces, there is a tendency to stop competing - a concept that looks good on paper but can be deadly in-market (Howard). It is quite possible that the lack of competition and trust between the companies may force them to reduce their expenditure on advertisement like activities which will negatively impact the marketing activities of both the companies. Moreover, the reduced marketing campaign by these companies will open the doors widely for the competitors like Nike. The companies say they have already identified about $150 m... Hence these companies will get an opportunity to spent more moneys in other markets where previously these companies spent less for advertisements. Threats Often when former rivals join forces there is a tendency to try to change product lines so they don't go head-to-head. "The real danger may be in trying to reposition one brand or another to not compete. ... Both brands could be diluted in the process." (Petrecca, and Howard) The decreased competition between these companies will force them to reduce their activities which may result in spoiling of their popular products in the market. Benefit of the merging Uniting two of the world's top sports companies and creating a much stronger challenge to Nike, particularly on the global giant's home turf: the prime North American market that accounts for about half of the category's sales worldwide. (Petrecca and Howard) It is not possible for either Adidas or Reebok to challenge the supremacy of Nike in North American markets. But the merger made them capable of raising stiff challenges to Nike in these markets as well. Possible marketing strategies Retailers are in an advantageous position because of the opportunity to deal with products two famous brands. Adidas which dominates the soccer shoes market have contracts with David Beckham like soccer personalities whereas Reebok has contracts with global basketball stars like Yao Ming (Petrecca, and Howard). Thus they can utilize these sports personalities in a complementary manner conduct their marketing strategies effectively. In short, the merger between Reebok and Adidas made them capable to compete effectively with their main competitor Nike. Works Cited 1. Howard, Theresa. USA TODAY. 2005. "Adidas, Reebok lace up for

Dawn of the (Evil & Symbolic) Dead Essay Example for Free

Dawn of the (Evil Symbolic) Dead Essay Over the past decade, interest in zombies in pop culture has sky rocketed. There have been over 100 games and movies featuring the living dead. George Romero’s 1978 film Dawn of the Dead, sequel to Night of the Living Dead, gives its audience insight into these evil symbolic structures known today as zombies. In this film, there are four survivors that take refuge in a huge shopping mall, sealing the doors and creating a zombie-free hideout. This movie is often referred to as one the best horror films of its time and a door way to today’s interest in zombies. Throughout the film, the four survivors deal with hundreds of zombies and at the climax are also having to deal with a biker gang. Although not all four of these characters survived, the mall was a perfect spot for the movie to take place according to a review done by the Spinning Image Company. â€Å"The mall is a brilliant location, not just for the satirical possibilities it offers Romero, but also for creating some clever, unsettling imagery,† said Daniel Auty in his review. Auty is speaking of the several times throughout the film where Romero would cut to a scene of just zombies roaming random parts of the mall. These zombies were different than what we see today however. â€Å"[The zombies] look silly, they fall over a lot, and Romero mostly shoots them in either broad daylight or the stark fluorescence of the mall† (Auty). The zombies in Dawn of the Dead appeared from the first minute without Romero giving any sort of insight on how it happened. So in order to understand the body in its monstrous state, one must know the origins of the zombie. Many scholars agree that the term zombie originated from the voodoo religion in Haiti. In â€Å"Slaves, Cannibals, and Infected Hyper-Whites: The Race and Religion of Zombies†, writer Elizabeth McCalister discusses these origins in great detail. â€Å"The word zonbi appears in writing as far back as colonial Saint- Domingue, glossed by travel writer Moreau de Saint-Mà ©ry as the slaves’ belief in a returned soul, a revenant†(3). The Haitians still heavily believe that this is a part of the spiritual world. They say that these entities separate the body and the soul and compel one to work without the other, in this case the body without the soul. Over the years, however, these origins have begun to vanish due to new forms of the zombies. In the early 20th Century, films began to show Eurocentric ideas that created African-Americans to be viewed as these zombie creatures. Films such as White Zombie (1932) and I walked with a Zombie (1943) â€Å"invariably cast black sorcerers plotting for conquest of and control over white women, and blackness is unmistakably linked with primitive menace, superstition, and the diabolical† (5). These views began to change by the time Romero’s films came out. Now this monstrous creature is as simple as â€Å"a ghoul who lumbers around trying to eat people.† Today’s society is used to seeing these ghouls in pop culture. Because of the more than 100 shows, movies and video games on the market now, people are more accepting of this idea of a â€Å"zombie apocalypse.† In many places, they have held events, such as 5K races and obstacle courses, that center around a zombie theme. In Muskegon, Michigan they held a zombie apocalypse day where civilians dressed as zombies and chased after those that were dressed as civilians. â€Å"Zombie participants got creative and tore up and stained their clothing. They also added scars and bloody makeup,† said an article in the Muskegon Chronicle. This goes to show how immune today’s society has become to the idea of these flesh-eating monsters. Not everyone is taking it lightly though as some have plans set in stone for when the apocalypse may happen. The CDC, Center of Disease Control, has its own website dedicated to a zombie outbreak. The blog includes a brief history of the creatures, a list of survival tools for a kit and their own plan for survival if it would ever happen. â€Å"If zombies did start roaming the streets, CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak.† The CDC tells us that it would be taken just as seriously as any other disease, and thanks pop culture and today’s society in helping to prepare for that day. Christopher Moreman takes a look past the plan in his book Zombies Are Us: Essays on the Humanity of the Walking Dead. The author looks into a world that is already ruled by the dead and sees how society would have to live to survive. He speaks for society as a whole through one line by referencing the graphic novel The Walking Dead: â€Å"In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living† (5). The creatures in Romero’s Dawn of the Dead may not be the scariest or deadliest of monsters, but it is when they are in large numbers that they can cause havoc. It is hard to deal with hundreds of flesh eating monsters at once no matter how fast or intelligent they may be. Much of the films’ audience saw Romero’s zombie as a symbolic structure of other things that could take down America. McCalister analyzes all of Romero’s films on the living dead and the time frame that they were made. â€Å"Night of the Living Dead attacks the nuclear American family, patriarchy, and racism; Dawn of the Dead fastens its attention on the deadening effects of rampant consumerism; and Day of the Dead offers an indictment of militarism and American misuse of science and technology† (17). These things were on the minds of Americans in the time the movies were made. Now they can be related to something different such as the events going on in the Middle East. Stephen Asma takes a look into the torturing of Iraqi soldiers and how the Americans may be the ones viewed as the evil creatures. In his book On Monsters, Asma references Dr. Philip Zimbardo and his theory called The Lucifer Effect. This idea helps to explain how good people can become evil in specific ways. He focuses on the torture of Iraqi soldiers. â€Å"The fact that seemingly normal American soldiers engaged in torture and degradation techniques on Iraqi detainees offers more evidence, Zimbardo thinks, for his view t hat abuse and aggression are not the results of inner character flaws† (Asma 413). He goes on to explain how Zimbardo believes these soldiers were not just a case of just one spoiled apple, but a bad barrel that spoiled anything put into it. In the case of the zombies, one can make the case that everyone on this planet will eventually fall to the disease and it is not because of the one zombie who started it all, but because everyone is infected to begin. These kinds of ideas are what bring the monstrous view of zombies into society. Kyle Bishop writes in his book American Zombie Gothic about how the use of the zombies in Dawn of the Dead creates a connection with the audience. He says that because the zombies look very similar to just another regular human being, it can make the audience feel terrified of the creatures. However, the way that the zombies act can tell the audience obvious differences between one that is still human and one that has turned. â€Å"Romero’s monsters are primarily ‘othered’ creatures, possessing virtually no subject ive, human qualities and encouraging almost no psychological suture with the audience† (Bishop 159). The comparison of zombies to human qualities can go on forever. Asma continues to analyze the psyche of the monstrous through the Id. â€Å"Rage is a powerful force that, along with other socially deleterious impulses, lives like a frustrated virus in the dark cellars of the Id† (354). The Id is the part of the personality that can make decisions unconsciously based off of desire and instinct. In the case of the zombies, all they want and need is food and in this case, the flesh of the protagonists. The zombies in Romero’s film were often times the ones being killed, whether it is a gunshot to the head, a bat to the head, a car hood to the head or a screwdriver through the ear. However, Romero kept scenes where humans were eaten by these creatures to give the audience a clear understanding of what to expect from the movie and who would be the good guys. In David Gilmore’s Monsters, the author discusses of ways on how to approach the monster. â€Å"Mythologistsâ € ¦ have written much about the theme of the Epic Hero who goes out to fight monsters in order to rescue maidens or to save society as a whole† (12). The monster is obvious in film but no Epic Hero is there to save the day. Taken this perspective into Dawn of the Dead, the audience can tell that it is society as a whole trying to fight the monsters to save the world from the dead. There are several ways to see why Romero’s Dawn of the Dead was up for awards. Much of it was not based off the effects and acting but what thought and background was put into the project. The study behind the zombies was thorough and began giving more meaning to the story. The symbolism of these creatures and how the good human being became an evil, flesh-seeking monster were just two of the things to write about. When all is said and done, the zombies may never come, but if they do, it is because of films like this that could help with survival. Works Cited Asma, Stephen T. On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Print. Auty, Daniel. Dawn of the Dead. Rev. of Dawn of the Dead. n.d.: n. pag. The Spinning Image. Web. Bishop, Kyle William. American Zombie Gothic: The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of the Walking Dead in Popular Culture. Jefferson, NC: McFarland , 2010. Print. Gilmore, David D. Monsters: Evil Beings, Mythical Beasts, and All Manner of Imaginary Terrors. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2003. Print. Haiti and the Truth about Zombies. Www.umich.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. http://www.umich.edu/~uncanny/zombies.html. McCalister, Elizabeth. Slaves, Cannibals, and Infected Hyper-Whites: The Race and Religion of Zombies. Anthropological Quarterly 85.2 (n.d.): 457-86. Web. Public Health Matters Blog. Public Health Matters Blog RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/.

Nuclear Energy: Energy of the Future or Environmental Disaster? :: Physics, Atom, Radioactivity, Uranium

An atom slams into another, sending a wave of energy outward when it splits. The extremely hot heat wave collides with water, instantaneously turning it to steam. This steam shots up to turn a massive wheel- and electricity is made. This may sound like some cheesy sci-fi movie, but, in fact, is a real process used to make energy around the world. Nuclear power. But many critics and concerned citizens alike argue that it’s not worth it. The controversy around nuclear power only grows each year as the need for clean power increases- but is nuclear power the ‘silver bullet’ to the energy crisis or a risky gamble that we can’t afford to make? Pros The first question many ask is why, why use radioactive uranium instead of simple coal or oil? Think of it this way- Nuclear reactors make thirty-five tons of waste each year. Seems like a lot, right? But, coal plants make over 15 tons of waste†¦per minute. That’s over seven billion tons per year! ( Enc. America 2) Also, reactors release absolutely no emissions – gasses – into the air. That means they don’t contribute to global warming at all. (NEI 2) Not only are nuclear reactors environmentally friendly, they are also economical, too. The building of a reactor is a big project, so it ads many jobs to the US. By using reactors, we lower our foreign fuel dependence by over 2.1 billion barrels since 1979- that’s billions of dollars that stays in the wallet of the United States. (NEI 2) Many people who fear nuclear power imagine a nuclear meltdown to be like an atomic bomb – Mass destruction, mushroom clouds, the lot. But really, the truth is, no matter what, that can’t happen. There just simply isn’t enough uranium to explode. (NEI-2, 1) At a nuclear power plant, all disaster scenarios are considered and multiple safety systems are implemented against them. For example, plants have a wide variety of sensors and monitors measuring everything from temperature, water pressure, water level, and many other things. If any of these sense something wrong, the plant will immediately and automatically shut its self down. (NEI-2, 2) Not only that, but there are many physical barriers as well; ceramic pellets that hold the fuel and the waste; fuel rods made of a sturdy zirconium alloy; a large steel, sealed container with eight-inch wall; and last but not least, the massive concrete structure that is the plant itself.

Application of Managerial Economics in Decision Making

1. 0 Introduction7 1. 1 Definition of managerial economics7 1. 2 Choice and opportunity cost9 2. 0 Basic concerns of economics9 3. 0. 0 Theories of economics12 3. 1. 0 The theory of demand13 3. 1. 1 Tastes14 3. 1. 2 Number of buyers14 3. 1. 3 Income14 3. 1. 5 Expectations15 3. 2 The theory of supply16 3. 3 The theory of production16 3. 4 The theory of price( in government)17 3. 5 The theory of consumer behaviour17 3. 5. 1 Rational behaviour17 3. 5. 2 Preferences17 3. 5. 3 Budget constraint18 3. 5. 4 Prices18 4. 0 Managerial Economics and Economic Theories18 5. 0 General overview of the office of the Attorney General19 6. Decision-making centres under the Office of the Attorney General20 6. 1 Decisions in the Office of the Attorney General:21 6. 2 The role of Public Procurement Act, 2007 in decision-making and application economic theories23 6. 3 Other decisions25 6. 3. 1 Employment decisions25 6. 3. 2 Training decisions25 6. 4 Economic decisions of the Office of the Attorney General and budget constraint25 7. 0 Conclusion26 References28 TOPIC:APPLICATION OF MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS IN DECISION MAKING Introduction This paper attempt to discuss the application of managerial economics in decision-making in an organisation of my workplace. In discussing managerial economics a link has been made to some economic theories and their influence in decision making. The organisation selected is the Office of the Attorney General. The first part of the paper discusses; what managerial economics is and how it relates to economics; the concept of opportunity cost and its application; what are the concerns of economics and how they have been responded. The second part of this paper discusses theories of economics which the office of the Attorney General apply directly or indirectly in its decisions. The theories which have been looked at are: theory of demand, theory of supply, theory of consumer behaviour, production theory and price theory. It is in this part where a brief discussion on the relationship of economic theories and managerial economics is made, emphasis being made on the general decision-making process. The third and fourth part of this paper discuss the general overview of the office of the Attorney General, its statutory functions, various decisions made under the office and decision criterion. Also the role of Public Procurement Act, 2007 in procurement decisions is briefly looked into. The last part of the paper discusses the applicability of economic theories in decision making under the conditions of budget constraints and global financial and economic crisis. 1. 1 Definition of managerial economics Managerial economics has several definition as defined by different economists and authors. Thomas J. Webster defines managerial economics as the application of economic theory and quantitative methods (mathematics and statistics) to the managerial decision-making process. Simply stated managerial economics is applied microeconomics with special emphasis on those topics of greatest interest and importance to managers. McGuigan and Moyer define managerial economics as a branch of economics subject which deal with the application of microeconomics reasoning to real world decision-making problem faced by private, public, and non-profit institutions. Managerial economics extracts from microeconomic theory those concepts and techniques that enable a decision maker to select strategic direction, to allocate efficiently the resources of the organisation, and to respond effectively to tactical issues. The role of managerial economics in a globalised environment cannot be overemphasized. From the above definitions it is obvious that managerial economics stems from the main subject of economics. It therefore important to briefly look at what economics is about so as to appreciate the nature of managerial economics. According to Lipsey there are three economics concerns: i)The allocation of a society’s resources among alternatives uses and the distribution of the society’s output among individuals and groups; ii)The ways in which production and distribution change over time; and iii)The efficiencies and inefficiencies of economic systems. The definitions above are based on the fact that the resources of any society consists not only of the free gifts of nature, such as land, forests and minerals, but also of human capacity, both mental and physical, and of all man-made aids such as tools, machinery and buildings. It is sometimes useful to divide those resources into three main groups: (1) all those free gift of nature, such as land, forests, minerals,etc. commonly called natural resources and known to economists as LAND; (2) all human resources, mental and physical, both inherited and acquired, which economists call LABOUR; and (3) all those man-made aids to further production, such as tools, machinery, plant and equipment, including everything man-made which is not consumed for its own sake but is used in the process of making other goods and services which economists call CAPITAL. These resources are called FACTORS OF PRODUCTION because they are used in the process of production. Often a fourth factor, ENTERPRENEURS HIP is distinguished. The entrepreneur is the one who takes risk by introducing both new products and new ways of making products. He organises the other factors of production and directs them along new lines. The things that are produced by the factors of production are called COMMODITIES. Commodities may be divided into goods and services: goods are tangible, as are cars or shoes; services are intangible, as are haircuts or education. This distinction, however , should not be exaggerated: goods are valued because of the services they confer on their owners. A car, for example is valued because of the transportation that it provides-and possibly also for the flow of satisfaction the owner gets from displaying it as a status symbol. It is undisputable fact that every nation’s resources are insufficient to produce the quantities of goods and services that would be required to satisfy all of its citizens’ wants. Most of the problems of economics arise out of the use of scarce resources to satisfy unlimited human wants. This problem brings economists and other persons to the concept of choice and opportunity cost. 1. 2 Choice and opportunity cost Choices are necessary because resources are scarce. Because we cannot produce everything we would like to consume, there must exist some mechanism to decide what will be done and what left undone; what goods will be produced and what left unproduced; what quantity of each good will be produced; and whose wants will be satisfied and whose left unsatisfied. In most societies many different people and organizations either make or influence those choices. Individual consumers, business organisations, labour unions and government officials all exert some influence. If you choose to have more of one thing, then , where there is an effective choice, you must have less something else. Think of a man with a certain income who considers buying bread. We could say that the cost of this extra bread is so many shillings per loaf. A more revealing way of looking at the cost, however, is in terms of what other consumption he must forge in order to obtain his bread. Say that he decides to give up cinema attendance. If the price of a loaf is one fifth of the price of a cinema seat, then the cost of five more loaves of bread is one cinema attendance forgone or, put other way round, the cost of one cinema attendance is five loaves of bread foregone. The concept of opportunity cost emphasizes the problem of choice by measuring the cost of obtaining a quantity of one commodity in terms of the quantity of other commodities that have been obtained instead. 2. 0 Basic concerns of economics There are basic questions which economists in any society or organization need to ask and have answers as part of the process of resolving the problem of scarcity of resources and choices of satsfiable needs among the possible alternatives. The following are some of the basic questions economists should ask and attempt to answer: i) What commodities are being produced and in what quantities? This question arises directly out of scarcity of resources. It concerns the allocation of scarce resources among alternative uses or resource allocation. The question ‘what determines the allocation of resources in various societies? ’ and ‘what are the consequences of conscious attempts to change resource allocation? ’ have occupied e conomists since earliest days of the subject. In free-market economies, most decisions concerning the allocation of resources are made through the price system. The study of this system works is the main issue in the THEORY OF PRICE (ii) By what methods are these commodities produced? This question because there is always one technically possible way in which goods and services can be produced. Agricultural goods, for example, can be produced by farming a small quantity of land very intensively, using large quantities of fertilizer, labour and machinery, or by farming a large quantity of land extensively, using only small quantities of fertilizer, labour and machinery. Both methods can be used to produce the same quantity of some good; one method is frugal with land but uses large quantities of other resources. The same is true of manufactured goods; it is usually possible to produce the same output by several different techniques, ranging from ones using large quantity of labour and a few machines to one using a large quantity of highly automated machines and only a very small number of workers. Questions about why one method of production is used rather than another, and the consequences of these choices about production methods, are among the issues resolved in THEORY OF PRODUCTION (iii) how is society’s output of goods and services divided among its members? Why can some individuals and groups consume large share of capital of the natonal output while other individuals and groups consume only a small share? The superficial answer is because the former earn a large incomes while the later earn small incomes. But this only pushes the question one stage back. Why do some individuals and groups earn large incomes while others earn only small incomes? The basic question concerns the division of the total national product among individuals and groups. Economists wish to know why any particular division occurs in a free-market society and what forces, including government intervention, can cause it to change. All these questions are discussed in discussed in the theory of DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME, which is not dealt with in Managerial Economics. (iv) How efficient is the society’s production and distribution? These questions quite naturally arise out of questions i, ii and iii. Having asked what quantities of goods and services are produced, how they are produced and to whom they are distributed, it is natural to go on to ask whether the production and distribution decisions are efficient. The concept of efficiency is quite distinct from justice. The latter is a normative concept, and a just distribution of the national product would be one that our value judgements told us was a good or desirable distribution. (v) are country’s resources being fully utilized, or are some of them lying idle? As we have noted that the existing resources of any country are not sufficient to satisfy even the most pressing needs of all the individual consumers. It may seem strange, therefore, that we must ask this question at all. Surely if resources are so scarce that there are not enough of them to produce all of those commodities which are urgently, there can be no question of leaving idle any of the resources that are available. Yet one of the most disturbing characteristics of free-market economies is that such waste sometimes occurs. When this happens the resources are said to be in involuntarily unemployed. Unemployed workers would like to have jobs, the factories in which they could work are available, the managers and owners would like to be able to operate their factories, raw materials are available in abundance and the goods that could be produced by these resources are urgently required by individuals in the community. (vi) is the purchasing power of money and savings constant, or is being eroded because of inflation? The world’s economies have often experienced periods of prolonged and rapid changes in price levels. Over the long swing of history, price levels have sometimes risen and sometimes fallen. In recent decades, however, the course of prices has almost always been upward. (vii) is the economy’s capacity to produce goods and services growing from year to year or is it remaining static? The capacity to produce goods and services differ in different economies. In some economies the capacity grows rapidly but slow or stagnant in others. Stagnation and slow capacity growth is the main feature of economies of less developing countries. There are, of course, other questions that arise, but these seven questions are the mojor ones common to all types of market economies. 3. 0. 0 Theories of economics The world is a very complicated place. In understanding how markets operate, for example, the economists make a number of simplifying assumptions. Without these assumption, the ability to make predictions about the cause-and –effect relationship becomes unmanageable. The â€Å"law† of demand asserts that the price of a good or service and its quantity demanded are inversely related, ceteris paribus. This theory asserts that, other factors remaining constant, individuals will tend to purchase increasing amounts of a good or service as prices fall and decreasing amounts as the prices rise. Of, course, other things do not remain unchanged. Along with ,changes in the price of the good or service, disposable income, the prices of related commodities, tastes, and so on, may also change. It is difficult, if not impossible, to generalize consumer behaviour when multi[le demand determinants are simultaneously changing. It is good to remember that economics is a social, not a physical, science. Economics cannot conduct controlled, laboratory experiments, which makes economic theorizing all the more difficult. It also makes economists vulnerable to ridicule. One economic quip, for example, asserts that if all the economists in the world were laid to end, they would never reach a conclusion. This is, of course, an unfair criticism. In business, the objective is to reduce uncertainty. Economic theories and principles are statements about economic behaviour or the economy that enable prediction of the probable effects of certain actions. Good theories are those that do a good job of explaining and predicting. They are supported by facts concerning how individuals and institutions actually behave in producing, exchanging, and consuming goods and services. But these facts may change in time, so economists must continually check theories against the shifting economic environment. Despite the fact that decision making in the government is not solely based on economic theories it is worthy discussing some of the common theories and later see if they are relevant to the office of the Attorney General. The following are some of the theories which are used in managerial economics: 3. 1. 0 The theory of demand The demand function asserts that there is a measurable relationship between the price that a company charges for its products and the number of units that buyers are willing and able to purchase during a specified time period. Economists refer this behavioural relationship as the law of demand, which is sometimes called the first fundamental law of economics. The law of demand states that the quantity demanded of a good or service is inversely related to the selling price, ceteris paribus( all other determinants remaining unchanged). The demand schedule is the simplest form of the demand relationship. It is merely a list of prices and corresponding quantities of a commodity that would be demanded by some individuals at uniform prices. This can be illustrated as shown below: price of maize Tshs per tonQuantity demanded tons per month 100,000200 150,000250 200,000300 250,000350 300,000400 350,000450 400,000500 The concept of demand is based on the theory of consumer choice. Each consumer faces optimization problem, where the objective is to choose among the combination of goods that maximize his or her satisfaction or utility, subject to a constraint on the amounts of funds available(i. e. budget) to purchase these goods. Economists assume that price is the most influencing factor of quantity of any product purchased. But economists know that other factors can and affect purchases. These factors, called determinants of demand. The basic determinants of demand are (i) consumer tastes(preference), (ii) the number of consumers in the market, (iii) consumers’ incomes, (iv) the pr ice of related goods, and (v) consumer expectations about future prices and incomes. The determinants are expressed mathematically as follows: Qd=f(P, I, T, Ps, Pc, Pe, N†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ) 3. 1. 1 Tastes A favourable change in consumer taste(preference) for a product, a change that makes the product more desirable means the more of it will be demanded at each price. Demand will increase ; the demand curve will slope rightward. An unfavarouble change in consumer preferences will decrease demand, shifting the demand curve to the left. New products may affect consumer tastes; for example the introduction of compact discs greatly decreased the demand for cassette tapes. Consumers’ concern over the health hazard of cholesterol and obesity have increased for broccoli, low-calorie beverages, eggs, and whole milk. Over the past several years, the demand for coffee drinks, bottled water, and sports utility vehicles has greatly increased, driven by a change in tastes. So, too for DVDs and digital cameras. 3. 1. 2 Number of buyers An increase in the number of buyers in the market increases demand. A decrease in the of buyers in a market decreases demand. For example improvement in communications have given financial markets international range and have thus increased the demand for stocks and bonds. Also, an increase in life expectancy can increase the demand medical care, retirement communities, and nursing homes. International trade agreements have reduced foreign trade barriers to most of the countries in the world, thus increasing the demand for those products. 3. 1. 3 Income How changes in income affect demand is a more complex matter. For most products, a rise in income causes increase in demand. Consumers typically buy more steaks, steaks, furniture, and electronic equipment as their incomes increase. Conversely, the demand for such products decline as their incomes fall. Products whose demand varies directly with money income are called superior goods or normal goods. Although most products are normal goods, there are some exceptions. As incomes increase beyond some point, the demand for used clothing, retread tires, and third-hand automobiles may decrease, because the higher incomes enable consumers to buy new versions of those products. Rising incomes may also decrease the demand for soy-enhanced hamburger. Similarly, rising incomes may cause the demand for charcoal grills to decline as wealthier consumers switch to gas grills. Goods whose demand varies inversely with money income are called inferior goods. 3. 1. 4 Price of related goods A change in the price of a related good or service may either increase or decrease the demand for a product, depending on whether the related good is a substitute or a compliment. A substitute good is one that can be used in place of another good. A complimentary good is that can be used together with another good. Substitutes: beef and chicken ars example of substitute goods or simply, substitutes. When the price of beef rises, consumers buy less beef, increasing the demand for chicken. Conversely, as the price of beef falls, consumers buy more beef, decreasing the demand for chicken. When two products are substitutes, the price of one and the demand for the other move in the same direction. Examples may include coca and Pepsi, and Kilimanjaro beer and Serengeti beer. Complement: Ccomplementary goods are goods that are used together and demanded together. If the price of gasoline falls and, as a result you drive your car more often, the extra driving increases your demand for motor oil. Thus, gasoline and motor oil are jointly demanded; they are compliments. So it is with ham and eggs, tuition and text books, movies and popcorn, cameras and films. When two products are compliments, the price of one good and demand for the other good move in opposite directions. Unrelated goods: The vast majority of goods that are not related to one another are called independent goods. Examples include butter and golf balls, potatoes and automobiles, and bananas and wrist watches. A change in the price of one has little or no effect on the demand for the other. 3. 1. 5 Expectations Changes in consumer expectations may shift demand. A newly formed expectation of higher future prices may cause consumers to buy now in order to beat the anticipated price rises, thus increasing current demand. Similarly, a change in expectations relating to future product availability may affect current demand. change in demand is to be distinguished with change in quantity demanded. A change in demand is a shift of the demand curve to the right (an increase in demand) or to the left (a decrease in demand). A change in quantity demanded is a movement from one point to another point, from one price quantity combination to another on a fixed demand schedule or demand curve. In summary, an increase in demand may be caused by the following factors: †¢A favourable change in consumer tastes An increase in the number of buyers †¢Rising incomes if the product is a normal good †¢Falling incomes if the product is an inferior good †¢An increase of the price of a substitute good †¢A decrease in the price of a complimentary good †¢A new consumer expectation that either prices or income will be higher in the future. 3. 2 The theory of supply While we have discussed some of the conditions under which consumers are willing , and able, to purchase quantities of a particular good or service, we also need to say something about the willingness of producers to produce those very same goods and services. This is discussed by the law of supply. The law asserts that quantity supplied of a good or service is directly related to the selling price, ceteris paribus. 3. 3 The theory of production The theory of production is centered around the concept of production function. A production function relates the maximum quantity of output that can be produced from given amounts of various inputs for a given technology. It is a technological relation between what is fed into the productive apparatus by way of inputs of factor services and what is turned out by way of product. The production function is mathematically expressed as: Q=q(L,K), Where Q is tons of output per day, L is labour days employed, and K is units of capital services( e. g. , machine days) used. In varying the combinations of the factor inputs the organisation has to consider three distinct types of decisions: decisions to be made over the short run, decisions to be made over the long run and decisions to be made over the very long run. The short run is defined as the period of time over which the inputs of some factors, called fixed factors, cannot be varied. The factor that is fixed in the short run is usually an element of capital( such as plant and equipment), but might be land, or the service of management, or even the supply of skilled labour. In the short run, production must be varied by changing the quantities used of those inputs that can be varied; these are called variable factors. It worth to take note here that the short run does not correspond to a fixed time period, it is a matter of fact. The long run is defined as the period long enough for the inputs of all factors of production to be varied, but not so long that basic technology of production changes. In our simple two factor example above, the firm varies q in the long run by varying L and K. The importance of the long run in the production theory is that it corresponds to the situation facing the firm when it planning to go into business, or to expand or contract the scale of its operations. The very long run is concerned with situations in which the technological possibilities open to the firm are subject to change, leading to new and improved products and new methods of production. 3. 4 The theory of price( in government) The decision-taking units in economic theory are households for demand, firms for supply, and central authorities for government regulation and control. Given the resources at their command, each household is assumed to act consistently to maximize its satisfaction, and each firm is assumed to act consistently to maximise its profits. 3. 5 The theory of consumer behaviour In addition to explaining the law of demand, the idea of diminishing marginal utility explains how consumers allocate their money incomes among the many goods and services available for purchase. The typical consumers’ situation has the following dimensions: 3. 5. 1 Rational behaviour The consumer is a rational person, who tries to use his or her money income to derive the greatest amount of satisfaction, or utility, from it. Consumers want to get â€Å"the most of their money† or, technically, to maximize their total utility. They engage in a rational behaviour. 3. 5. 2 Preferences Each consumer has clear-cut preferences for certain of the goods and services thathat are available in the market. It is assumed that buyers as well have a good idea of how much marginal utility they will get from successful units of the various products they might purchase. 3. 5. 3 Budget constraint At any point in time the consumer has a fixed, limited amount of money income. Since each consumer supplies a finite amount of human and property resources to society, he or she earns only limited income. Thus, every consumer faces what economists call a budget constraint(budget limitation), even those who earn millions of dollars a year. f course budget constraint are more severe to consumers with average incomes than for those with extraordinarily high incomes. 3. 5. 4 Prices Goods are scarce relative to the demand for them, so every good carries a price tag. We assume that price tags are not affected by the amounts of specific goods each person buys. The consumer cannot buy everything wanted. So, the consumer must compromise; he must choose the most satisfying mix of goods and services. Different individuals will choose different mixes. . 0 Managerial Economics and Economic Theories Most decisions made by managers usually involve questions of resource allocation within the organisation in both the short and the long run. In the short run, a manager may be interested in estimating demand and cost relationship to make decisions about the price to charge for a product and the quantity of output to produce. The areas of microeconomics dealing with demand theory of cost and production are obvious useful in making decision on such matters. Macroeconomic theory also enters into decision making when a manager attempt to forecast future demand based on forces influencing the overall economy. In the long run, decisions must be made about expanding or contracting production and distribution facilities, developing and marketing new products, and possibly acquiring other firms. Basically, these decisions require the organisation to make capital expenditure; that is, expenditure made in the current period that are expected to yield returns in future periods. Economists have developed a theory of capital budgeting that can be used in deciding whether to undertake specific capital expenditures. It is therefore not realistic to think that a firm will make decisions based on one theory or a combination of two. Application of economic theories is an issue which depends on each case. There may be cases which are not complex, these may be simple decisions to be made by organisation which are not faced with constraints. 4. 1 General decision-making Process The ability to make good decisions is the key to successful managerial performance. All decision making shares several common elements. First, the decision maker must establish or identify the objectives of the organization. The failure to identify organizational objectives correctly can result in the complete rejection of an otherwise well-conceived and well implemented plan. Generally, economic decision-making process involves the following steps: 1. Establish and/or identify Objectives 2. Define the problem 3. Identify possible alternative solutions 4. Evaluate alternatives and select the best alternative . Implement and monitor the decision. 5. 0 General overview of the office of the Attorney General Article 59(1) of the Constitution of the united Republic of Tanzania establishes the office of the Attorney General. It states â€Å" there shall be an Attorney General for the Government of the United Republic, who in subsequent articles of this constitution shall be referred to as the â€Å"Attorney-General† who shall be appointed by the president. Thus, t he office of the Attorney General is constitutionally established. The constitution also prescribe the main role and function of the Attorney General in article 59(3). It provides â€Å" the Attorney General shall be the adviser of the Government of the United Republic on legal matters and for that purpose he shall be responsible for advising the Government on all legal matters, and to discharge any other functions pertaining to or connected with law which are referred or assigned to him by the president and also to discharge such other duties or functions which shall be entrusted to him by this constitution or by any law† 5. Statutory functions of The Attorney General As the powers and functions of the Attorney General are derived from the constitution it is undisputed fact that decision making in this office is guided by law. In accordance with the Attorney General(Discharge of duties and functions) Act prescribe the following as functions of the Attorney General: (a)To advise the Government on legal matters; b)To institute and prosecute cr iminal cases in courts of law and defend criminal appeals, revisions and applications on behalf of the United Republic; (c)To litigate civil cases including constitutional and human rights matters on behalf of the Government; (d)To draft and vet legislative instruments, translate and revise legislation; (e)To research, analyse and advice the Government on constitutional and human rights matters; (f)To represent the Government in civil and criminal matters; (g)To represent the government in International Arbitration, mediation and negotiations of contacts, Government Loans and international agreements. . 0 Decision-making centres under the Office of the Attorney General From the organisation structure of the ministry of justice and constitutional affairs(attached as appendix) the following are main departments or directorates: Functional departments: †¢Public Prosecutions Division †¢Civil and International Law Division †¢Legislative Division †¢Constitutional Affai rs and Human Rights Division Supporting departments: †¢Administrative and Personnel Division †¢Policy, planning and Information Services Division 6. 1 Decisions in the Office of the Attorney General: (a)Statutory decisions In making statutory decisions the decision makers are guided by law as to which option to take and the procedure of making the decision. For instance, the decision to prosecute a criminal is both legal and economical but much consideration is given to legal. The criminals have to be prosecuted though the costs associated with prosecution may be very high. In these decisions the decision makers are less flexible. Thus, economic theories are given consideration at the level when the Government as a whole makes a decision of allocating its resources in accordance to preference of the services to offer to the citizens. b)Economic decisions Most of the economic decisions of the Attorney General’s Office are based on the budget which is approved by the parliament. Generally the budget is of two types of expenditures, development expenditure and recurrent expenditure. Development expenditure In the development expenditure each department proposes the development activities which it i ntends to implement in the next financial year. Each department is categorised as a vote and identified by vote number. Some department have divisions which are mandated to control their funds, these are categorised as sub-votes. As between various development requirements the department must choose which projects require immediate implementation, this is because each department has more demands of these expenditures, however, the funds allocated by the parliament in each year are meagre. The decisions for development expenditure are made by top management of each department, each department being led by its core functions. Some of the expenditures which are development include rehabilitation of offices, purchase of office furniture, computers, motor vehicles, etc. The foresaid expenditures are those financed solely by the government. There are expenditure which are financed by donors, these are also divided in two categories: basket funding and project funding. Basket funding are donations by donor countries which are to the general budget of the government. Each donor country individually or in groups contribute to the budget without specifying the project or activities which they wish to assist. The decision as how to spend the money is left to the government through normal budget process. Project funding is done by donor countries(development partners) whether individually or in groups who are interested to assist in specific area which they are interested. There are two main development projects in the ministry of constitutional affairs and justice, these are: the Legal Sector Reform Programme(LSRP) and the Tackling of Corruption Programme(TCP). In these programmes the decisions of what activities to be undertaken in each is a prior bargaining between the Government of the United Republic and the development partners. Usually the agreement in the form of memorandum of understanding(MOU) which stipulates the scope and focus of the project and the role of each party. The AG’s Office being one of the beneficiary of these project is responsible for implementation and monitoring of the progress. In the course of implementation and monitoring economic theories have to be applied. These theories include demand and supply and consumer behaviour. Generally development expenditure are determined by the government at top level and implemented by the departments. There is very little influence of the management of departments in this type of expenditure. hus, at this level application of economic theories is so indirect as most of the decision are made top-bottom. Recurrent expenditure The budget process of the government on recurrent expenditure does not differ much from development expenditure but there is a slight variation. While the great part of development budget is decided by the top level of t he government recurrent expenditure is in the ambit of management of each department. From the start to the implementation of the budget there are various decisions which are frequently made by departments. However, the decision made must confine to other liming factors. When the budget of the ministry has been approved by the parliament each department has to prepare its action plan which is sent to the ministry of finance. The action plan enables the ministry of finance to determine amounts of money which should be issued by way of exchequer issues to each department. An action plan is a timeframe based plan for implanting the budget(see appendix). In the action plan management of each department has to make an decisions on the following issues: (a)Activities which are to be implemented in each quarter, the department may choose an activity to be implemented in the 1st, 2nd , 3rd or 4th quarter. Some of the activities may be spread evenly in all the 4 quarters. The decision as to which quarter an activity should be carried is very critical due to the following reasons: †¢Prices of goods and services may rise and affect the budget adversely †¢Funds may not be available at the time when the goods or services are needed †¢Unexpected event or state may occur. (b)Activities which are not to be implemented as caused by changes in the approved budget (c)Activities which may require application for approval of reallocation and timing of the same. 6. The role of Public Procurement Act, 2007 in decision-making and application economic theories Enactment of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 has made the application of the theories of demand and supply and theory of consumer behaviour to be feasible. The law makes it a mandatory requirement to follow certain procedures when purchasing goods and services for public offices. Section 28(1) requires each ministry, independent department of Government, Region, District and others to establish a tender board for procurement of goods, services and works. Paragraph 4(1) of Government Notice No. 7 states the rationale of the law asâ€Å" the public procurement policies are based on the need to make the best possible use of public funds, whilst conducting all procurement with honesty and fairness†. Paragraph 4(2)(a) goes further to state that all public officers and members of the public and members of the tender boards who are undertaking or approving procurement shall be guided the following basic considerations of the public procurement policy:- †¢The need for economy and efficiency in the use of public funds and in the implementation of projects including the provision of related goods and services. The best interests of a public authority, in giving all eligible suppliers, contractors, and service providers equal opportunities to compete in providing goods or executing works or providing servi ces. †¢The importance of integrity, accountability, fairness and transparency in the procurement process. To achieve the above objectives the law requires that tenders are awarded by way of competitive tendering in which suppliers, contractors or consultants are invited by the procuring entity to compete with each other in submitting priced tenders for goods, works or services. By providing these legal requirements the enhances the application of economic theories in public procurement. Just as demand theory states that other factors remaining constant a consumer will increase quantity of goods demanded when its price is lower, Public procurement Act requires among other things to select the lowest bidder( assuming other things are equal to all bidders, for instance quality and time of supply) The process of budgeting in the Government is both top-down and bottom-top depending on the stage of the budget. The process starts by the Ministry of Finance(MoF) issuing budget guidelines and instruction which are to be followed by all Ministries and departments when preparing the budget. Included in the guidelines are government priorities in the financial year in reference. Budget for the AG’s Office is proposed for both the development and recurrent expenditure is done in departments on the following sequences: (i)Budget guidelines, budget ceiling and instructions issued by the Ministry of Finance (ii)Top Management of the ministry discusses the guidelines and priorities to synchronise with the ministry’s priorities. iii)The top management of AG’s Office make budget strategies and sets the way forward. (iv)Instructions to the Heads of departments are issued for implementation of the guidelines, overall government priorities and ministerial priorities. (v)Head of departments implements the above by proposing their expenditures in the year under reference. 6. 3 Other dec isions 6. 3. 1 Employment decisions Generally all matters related to staff requirements of any government office are dealt with the President’s office Public Service office. When the Attorney General’s Office is need of staff of a certain category, it will have to report the needs to this office. Practice has shown that the Public Service Office will scrutinise the needs and if satisfied will grant a permission to the department to employ subject to the given conditions. Thus, the room to make decision is not based on the application of the production theory, theory of demand but on policies of the government on employment. For instance, salaries payable are not based on the demand and supply for labour but on what are the government scales of salaries. 6. 3. 2 Training decisions Training of staff in the office of Attorney General is based on the training plan. The training plan shows the training needs of all employees and proposed period of training. It is from this plan that each department has to ensure that it includes in its budget funds for training staff. Practice has proved that the plan is hardly implemented due to the fact that funds allocated to training are always inadequate. This poses a problem as to what criterion will be used to select employees to attend training. There is no set criterion for this aspect and remains to be a challenge. 6. 4 Economic decisions of the Office of the Attorney General and budget constraint When budget of the ministry of constitutional affairs is approved by the parliament implementation does not start until the ministry of finance disburses funds by way of exchequer issues. It from exchequer issues that the ministry and its departments can start spending. Release of funds by the Ministry of Finance is made monthly and the amount depends on tax collections in the preceding month. It is therefore apparent that the funds availed to each ministry and department is not necessarily equivalent to the approved budget, in most of the times is less than the budget(see appendix). This compels the ministry or the department to revisit its decisions which were based on approved budget. In this regard some of the decisions are not based economic theories, but on other factors, e. g. , political and social factors. Global financial crisis and economic crisis has contributed to the above mentioned problem by causing a depression in the business sector which has a negative impact on tax revenue. Application of economic theories to make decisions is done both by the top government management and also departmental management. At the government levels directives are issued to cut down expenditures which are deemed not necessary. For instance in the year 2007, the Prime minister issued a directive which restricted government spending on workshops, seminars and unnecessary conferences. In 2008, the government restricted purchase of expensive vehicles. All these measures were aimed at ensuring that the scarce resources of the government are directed towards provision of essential services. This is linked to the theory of consumer behavior and the government as a consumer acts rationally and wisely in spending taxpayers money. Likewise, all departments after having been allocated with monthly funds less than their budgets are expected to act rationally by spending money in areas where they will maximize the value for money. They are automatically required to revisit their needs in the budget and rescale the preferences. 7. 0 Conclusion Managerial economics as a science is used as a road-map to show and aid decision makers in arriving at optimal decisions given various constraints. In its application managerial economics uses microeconomics principles and economics theories. Managerial economics is mostly applicable to risk analysis, production analysis, pricing analysis, and capital budgeting. However, practical life tells that almost all businesses apply managerial economics in one way or another. Managerial economics is used and applied in both profit-making and non- profit making organisations. While the objective of profit making entities is to maximize profit the objective of non-profit making entities is to achieve and maximise the objectives for their establishment. The government as an institution is also faced with economical and social dilemma some of which need application of managerial economics. Like any other institution, the government is faced with the problem of limited resources against unlimited wants. The resources in the orm of capital, Land, Labour, and Management are not enough to satisfy an endless list of their uses. In addition to this problem the world is operating in uncertainty, if decisions are made without accommodating the risk component adverse results are likely to happen. Examples of uncertainties which have impacted government resources in Tanzania include electric power crisis which compelled the government to incur cost to buy fuel for IPTL (Independent Power Tanzania Ltd) power plant. The crisis was erroneously not anticipated and therefore not pre-planned. This has impacted negatively government budget as it had to forgo some of the economic and social activities which were envisaged to be carried in the financial year 2009/2010. Explosion of bombs at Mbagala military camp caused loss of lives and properties of citizens and caused injuries and mental shock of thousands of Dar-es-salaam residents. The government made compensation for damaged property. All these events were likely to be foreseen and the risks minimised or eliminated. Elimination or minimization of these risks entails using techniques under managerial economics(risk analysis). Together with uncertainties which the government can analyse using managerial economics as above there are uncertainties which are beyond the control of the government. For instance, the global financial crisis (GFC) started in the United States of America in the second half of 2007. The crisis was prompted by increase defaults in subprime mortgages. The crisis spread all over the world and has much impacted developing countries than others. Impacts include loss of employment due to closure of businesses, loss of revenue and decline in new investments. Despite the importance and use of economic theories in decision-making process, the government sometimes use non economic factors to make decisions. This is so because according to the nature of some of the activities of the government and laws and rules governing the same. For instance, a decision to build a school in a certain area does not depend on expected revenue in the form of fees but the factor will be provision of education services. Thus, in some of the problems economic theories do not apply. The theory which assumes that the objective of the firm is to maximise profit does not apply to government because its existence does not depend on profit but on welfare of the people. Decisions of the office of the Attorney General apart from applying managerial economics, have to be in line with government policies and in some aspects with the law governing such decisions. It therefore important for decision makers in the governments and its department to make sure that not only policies and laws are considered in making decisions, they should make sure managerial economics together with applicable economic theories are taken on board. References McMconnell, C. R and Brue, S. L,(2005) Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies (16th edn). McGraw-Hill Companies, inc. , New York. McGuigan, J. R. , Moyer, R. C, etal (2005), Managerial Economics: Application, Strategy and Tactics. (10th edn), United States of America. Lipsey, R. G, An Introduction to Positive Economics. (6th edn), Butler & Tanner Ltd, London Jehovaness, A. ,(2009),† The Impact of Global Financial Crisis on Developing Countries†. A paper presented in the seminar on International Accounting Standards and Global Financial Crisis, 28th March, Dar es Salaam. Ngowi, H. P. (20100. â€Å"The current Global Financial and Economic Crisis and its impact on Africa†. A paper for the Medals for Research on Development at the Eleventh Annual Global Development Conference, Prague, Czech Republic. The Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania The Public Procurement Act, 2007

Case : Trader Joe’s Essay

– What are the key sources of Trader Joe’s competitive advantage? Is their advantage sustainable? Unlike another retail stores, Trader Joe’s aims to provide an extraordinary shopping experience unable to be found anywhere else in the perspectives of the following key sources. Store operations: The Stores are small in old strip malls in suburban locations. There are no self-out checkout lanes so the customers had opportunity to talk to employees. Merchandising: It sold mostly private label goods at reasonable price by stocking fewer items, but more line-ups with dynamic mix compared to typical retail channels. Also, it doesn’t follow trends, but tried to sell new products that customers had not experienced previously. Customers: Trader Joe’s had been targeting clearly and not doing one-way communication. Trader Joe’s really understands the characteristics of customers so it enjoyed a cult-like following. Many customers created Facebook fan pages, wrote cookbooks featuring meals prepared with the firm’s products, and waited in line for hours before a new store opens. The company has made consumers so loyal to it. Marketing: Rather than offering any discount coupons, Trader Joe’s distributed a customer newsletter to provide information on certain products. Trader Joe’s doesn’t have its company-led social media strategy. Instead, the company finds a great deal of content generated by fans of the company. Therefore, credibility of customers has become very high because of such a fan base marketing. People: Trader Joe’s has paid staffs more than they might expect at rival grocers whereas typical grocery stores have cut-off wages of their staff due to its decreased margin under strong competition. Also, the company wants  its employees to become familiar with the company’s products so it provides funds to sample new food. Additionally, the company makes employees not bored about their job by letting employees rotate their jobs not only from day to day, but hour by hour. As the employees are satisfied with company, they always provide best service with customers so customers usually have good experience while shopping. Trader Joe’s will thrive in success for the many years to come because it truly values its consumers. The importance of consumerism is in the â€Å"Frequent Newsletter† and the employees’ dedication to the consumer. Consumers will return to a store in which they feel valued and appreciated. Then, they continue to create a lot of fan sites to have a good impact on brand equity and reputation of Trader Joe’s. I think that there would be virtuous circle on this business for the future.

Government Funding Essay

Government Funding Essay Free Online Research Papers The process of government funding, whether it be how the funding is allotted or how the money is managed, can be changed for the better by instituting â€Å"good sense† policies. Our current advisors and analysts have many ideas about reforming the management of government funding; however, most of these ideas are a hapless attempt at â€Å"fixing† a strange and confusing aristocratic process that needs a major overhaul. The way of thinking used by these analysts is archaic; to create a better system of funding allotment and management, we can not use the old format to base our reform. If we were to go to the source of the mismanagement instead of trying to initiate a â€Å"quick fix,† our reform efforts would be ensured a fresh look and have a better chance of quelling the fears of the American public. The bureaucracy that we use now and have used in the past does not use â€Å"good sense† techniques; our focus needs to be on the source of the problem. We need to stop the â€Å"big-wigs† like Michael Levitt from using expensive funding for his own personal agenda (Ingersoll). His use of the GulfStream3 has prompted little attention from our elected officials, so our next move should be to make our voices heard. There have been many protests in the past, and the causes for most of the movements were well justified. Reforming the process of government funding and allocation is also justified, and while it may sound a bit blasà ©, it will have a definite impact on our future. The public needs to make a pre-emptive strike to stop this politically incorrect problem and take politics out of the game completely. Our government and elected officials need a wake-up call on several issues. Anyone can argue about the issues, but it takes passion to make the evolution of our great society proceed smoothly and eloquently toward a greater good for all mankind. â€Å"As a Congressional committee heard testimony last week that billions of Iraqi dollars held in trust by the U.S. government still cannot be accounted for, the inspector general charged with tracking the funds said he has referred three contractors to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecutions for fraud† (Fisher). If our government is mismanaging other countries’ funds, what is that saying to the American public? This is only one of the many instances that must be brought to the attention of the American public. â€Å"When the budget is looked at as a whole, the programs lea st likely to yield a return on our investment interest on the national debt ($243.7 billion), Social Security ($586.1 billion), Medicare ($394.5 billion), Medicaid ($276.4 billion) and unemployment/welfare ($367.0 billion) take up 67 percent, or nearly $1.9 trillion, of our nations $2.8 trillion budget. Meanwhile, the programs most likely to yield a return for future generations education and training ($89.9 billion), natural resources and environment ($33.1 billion) and science/technology ($25.0 billion) account for only $148 billion or barely 5 percent of the federal budget† (Oehlert). How can we inform the American taxpayers that their hard-earned money is not being utilized as well as it could be? There are all kinds of blogs and internet sources of people talking about mismanagement, and some have new ideas; those may help to inform the public, but it does not solve any problems. So maybe the effort of reform is not getting the public’s attention, but rather getting them to want to be involved in the process and not just to complain that they are unhappy. Our elected officials say that they want to change and reform our government policies on several topics but rarely make any headway. In fact, I understand voting to be a sacred right bestowed upon us by our national government; we should take the initiative to take our reform plans out of the government’s hands and place it into the voter’s direct control. The voters, not a bunch of politicians who harbor ulterior motives and associate with special interest groups, would then have to provid e a specific plan of reform for the allocation and funding processes. After an adequate amount of time, all the proposals would then be written in an understandable way and distributed to all voters via the United States Postal Service-that would be an acceptable amount of governmental intervention. All voters would pick the top five proposals, and mail it back. The proposals with the most picks will then be written up and mailed; the voters then would pick the one proposal that they think will work best, and mail it back. The purpose of numerous mailings is to ensure that everyone gets their voice heard, not just translated by their elected official. It would be important for the voters to provide their own proposal to fix the current allocation and funding system; the system of our politicians bringing to the table their own ideas does not involve the voters. Who will be affected by the changes the most? Who should be involved in the change of their future? The voters are the most important and integral part of what needs to be done, and that is to correct the many years of oversights and spending due to mismanagement and immoral people in positions of power. Another way of getting the public involved is to make our elected officials work for their positions. The local elected would host public conventions and brainstorming sessions to provide the voters with the action of getting their voices heard. Everyone who attends would need to â€Å"sign in† if they wanted to submit ideas about the reform and betterment of the allocation and funding processes. There would have to be several â€Å"starter† conventions to all ow everyone to voice an opinion or submit a plan; after enough time to get all the voters’ input, the local officials would have a run through a meeting of the ideas and have those who attend the vote on the top five or ten. There would be a need for more meetings, again, so that everyone has voiced their concerns and pick a plan that would best suit their needs and the needs of the public, not just of those who have voting rights. The platforms for enabling the voters to be involved much more than the old ways have been thought through very carefully and would have a definite impact that may create a change in all processes in which the public feels left out. These platforms of reform and change are only two ways of getting the public involved in their futures. I am sure that I am not the only one who feels strongly about getting involved in my government and changing things for the better; the American voters should be tired of the government deciding our present and future without proper representation of the public. Sure, we â€Å"elect† our representatives, but sometimes our selection is thin and we feel that we are not properly spoken for in the process of government. â€Å"The federal budget process is a curious phenomenon in that it usually takes money from the most productive segments of the economy and applies that money to the least productive sectors. As a result, the divisions of the federal budget from which we are least likely to get a return end up being the sectors that soak up the most federal money. The fiscal year 2007 U.S. Federal Budget is an excellent example of this. The Bush administration is touting it as the least wasteful budget in years, but careful analysis of the budget reveals it to be more of the same wasteful spending, from which we can be relatively assured we will receive little to no return on† (Oehlert). Mr. Oehlert has an excellent grasp of our current crisis, and if the voters could have the same passion, we could be on our way to saving the huge amounts of wasted money in which our government allocates so carefully. He also talks of most of the mismanaged funds as going to public services that give very li ttle, if any, return. This is an important realization that needs to have more public attention. Our government is funding one service, while if the appropriated funds were for a more self-lucrative service, two problems would be tackled at the same time. Oehlert’s ideas are a fresh look at the symptoms of a flailing economy and the main culprit of our situation. Oehlert’s ideas have been around for generations; many others after him will write the same ideas and thoughts, and if not properly made known, will not flourish and bring change. Let us make a stand now, and take action against a common enemy: corruption. The objectives of government are pivotal to understanding the diverse negative effects of corruption on public welfare. Corruption renders governments unable or unwilling to maximize welfare. It distorts agents’ decisions and limits the contractual space available to agents and the government, acting as a generous principle. A corrupt principal creates allocation inefficiencies, cripples its credible commitment to effective policies, and opens the door to opportunism. Our beleaguered government has no way to regulate how many billions of dollars the oil companies rake in every year, not that they would want to go down that road. Again, the government is allowing its public to be crushed by sky-rocketing oil prices because its legislation is not getting passed to effectively deny big business to do as they please, as long as they get a hefty bottom line. What is a hefty bottom line if your way of doing business eventually takes you down? Would it not be obvious to lower prices to give consumers a break so that the oil cartel inevitably would go bankrupt when ethanol kicks into high gear? â€Å"Traditional, deposit-taking banks have been regulated since the 1930s because the experience of the Great Depression showed how bank failures can threaten the whole economy. Supposedly, however, â€Å"non-depository† institutions like Bear didn’t have to be regulated, because â€Å"market discipline† would ensure that they were run responsibly. When push came to shove, however, the Federal Reserve didn’t dare let market discipline run its course. Instead, it rushed to Bear’s rescue, risking billions of taxpayer dollars, because it feared that the collapse of a major financial institution would endanger the financial system as a whole†(Krugman). The opportunity for reform is right in front of us. We not only have to think about ourselves in the present but also our future as a country and as a society. Our great democracy has lasted for over 200 years, and our current situation has not begun to test what our ancestors went through to provide the freedom and prosperity that we enjoy today. How can we be ignorant to the constant barrage of information and startling evidence of mismanaged funds? â€Å"Al Gore has put forward a strong, pro-growth framework which includes bold steps for education, research and savings, and working-family tax cuts, said Gene Sperling, the White House economic policy director, who is advising the Gore campaign. Mr. Gores approach ‘not only continues the path toward making America debt-free but even includes a $300 billion surplus reserve to ensure we get there even if unexpected emergencies or contingencies occur,’ Mr. Sperling said† (Stevenson). If Al Gore can put forth his ide as and beliefs to benefit mankind, how hard would it be to come up with some ideas of our own? All we have to do is stand up for our rights and demand that changes for the better must be made. If this paper will at least convince one person to check on this issue, it will have made the world a better place and give hope to our kids. Research Papers on Government Funding EssayCauses of the 2008 Financial CrisisCash or Card?Standardized TestingDefinition of Export QuotasHow did Humanity Begin?Has the British Welfare System beenProbation OfficersCombating Human TraffickingChildhood Obesity EssayPoverty, Violence and Conflict How are they Related?