Monday, September 30, 2019

Sydney Sheldon’s Master of the Game: Reaction

Master of the game is a kind of story that will make you see life from the other side. Sheldon is really is the best story teller. Showing the reader a sequence of event from the very root of the story. It really amaze me how he arrange the story. How you see or realize the transition of the story. We Just then look back and realize that wow, many things already happened but then you're not yet even at the center part of the book or you're not half way there.But theirs a lot to take in already. Sheldon will do that to you, or at least that's what I felt. The story then moves one hundred years back to Jamie McGregor. He leaves his home in Scotland for Klipdrift, South Africa in 1883 under the assumption that many get wealthy there by mining diamonds. He nearly dies making it there due to the only safe means there being fully booked, and Jamie nearly dies by taking the mail carrier which does not stop moving for two days.Making it there, he is encouraged by the town's bartender Smit to see the wealthy Dutch storekeeper, Salomon Van Der Merwe, for assistance in mining. Besides meeting Van Der Merwe, he meets Banda, Van Der Merwe's black servant, and Margaret, Van Der Merwe's daughter, who encourages him to get assistance. However, after nearly risking his life to find diamonds, he finds out that he has been defrauded and that the Afrikaans-written contract states that Jamie is merely a laborer for Van Der Merwe looking for a diamond mine and Van Der Merwe now owns the mine on his own.When Jamie attempts to fght back, it is revealed that Smit and Van Der Merwe are working together and they make Banda leave Jamie in the desert to die. Banda later revives and saves Jamie from being eaten by vultures, saying he believes Jamie will help Banda find vengeance for Banda's sister who died at the age of eleven after being aped and then eventually giving birth to Van Der Merwe's child. They plan an extremely risky diamond heist in the Namib Desert and make it out alive. Band a only takes enough for him to buy a farm and a wife while Jamie keeps the rest.Jamie, now rugged and unrecognizable, returns to Klipdrift after a year of being taken into the desert, where no one faintly remembers him and he goes under the assumed name of Ian Travis. By depositing his diamonds into a bank, the whole town recognizes Ian Travis as a wealthy businessman. Van Der Merwe takes an interest to Jamie/lan's plan o invest in a diamond mine, hoping to capitalize on it. With help from a reformed Smit, Jamie eventually makes Margaret fall for him and makes love to her. When they learn that Margaret is pregnant, Jamie tells Van Der Merwe the truth, and refuses to marry his daughter.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

How does Hosseini present Baba Essay

Chapter 10 is a transitional chapter, set just after the Soviet invasion, which sees Baba and Amir fleeing Afghanistan for Pakistan. In this chapter Khaled Hosseini presents Baba in more details. We get to see Baba’s behaviour and his attitude towards other people and especially his son – Amir. Hosseini focuses on Baba and he tries to express what this character is like, but is this the same Baba? Is this Baba we have met in previous chapters? The author of â€Å"The Kite Runner† decided to present Baba in this chapter as the hero. When Russian soldier demands â€Å"a half hour with the lady in the back of the truck†. Baba’s response is mechanical. He stands up and he asks Russian officer â€Å"Where his shame is†. We know by this time, that â€Å"Baba saw the world in black and white† and when he decides to protect that woman he risks his life he proves his ideology. He knows that woman deserves a respect and it is natural reaction for him to back up her. Other people, such as Amir, don’t understand his behaviour. Amir is scared of loosing his father and he tries to stop him. Baba is not happy with his son conduct and he says: â€Å"Haven’t I taught you anything? â€Å". It also shows Baba’s disappointed. In chapter 3, Baba says: â€Å"I’d never believe he’s my son†. I think Baba becomes more disappointed with Amir and his performance each chapter. Amir is a coward. He is different to Baba. He proved this in previous chapters when Hassan got raped and Amir did not do anything to defend him. Baba is trying to protect that woman and he also is ready to sacrifice his life. Baba is the hero and Amir admits it too: â€Å"Do you have to always be the hero? Can’t you just let it go for one? But I knew he couldn’t – it wasn’t his nature†. Baba is a person who believes in only one crime, which is stealing. In that case, Russian soldier wanted to steal some woman’s privacy and her right to belong only to one man. When the officer started arguing with Baba and threatening him, Amir’s father became more confident and he was full of anger: â€Å"Tell him he’d better kill me good with that first shot. Because if I don’t go down, I’m tearing him to pieces, goddamn his father! â€Å". Baba doesn’t care about anything just saving Afghan woman’s honour. He is determined and ready to die. Baba knows that he needs to escape from Afghanistan, to save himself and Amir, but the whole journey proves that its not about saving their lives but attesting some values and protecting other people too. When Baba finds out that they have been cheated by Karim, he becomes furious again, but this time he uses more violence towards a liar: â€Å"Kamir slammed against the wall, his sandaled two feet above the floor. Wrapped around his neck were Baba’s hands. â€Å". They all paid a price to get out of Afghanistan but it didn’t matter for smuggler because they excepted to get more. Baba is adamant and stubborn. â€Å"He kept choking him until the young mother (†¦ ) begged him to stop. â€Å". She was the one who knew that if Baba would hurt Karim, there wouldn’t be a way for them to flee from there. Baba forgot about it, and everything that mattered was to teach Karim a lesson, as he was the one who wanted to steal their right to leave the country and live somewhere else, far from a war. â€Å"Baba finally let go†. Even Amir admits that he â€Å"didn’t want to see the murderous look on Baba’s face†. I think that it was the first time when Amir got to that point when he saw Baba being so obstinate and angry. When all men pray for the rescue, Baba is the one who decided not to do so. They ask him why he won’t join them, his answer is being given straight away: â€Å"What’ll save us is eight cylinders and a good carburettor. † As we know that he always â€Å"saw the world in black and white. † He knows that God won’t come from heaven and give them a hand. He is a realist and Khaled Hosseini shows this again, in chapter 10. Baba has been also shown as a person who loves his country no matter what happens and his behaviour proves that he is going to miss Afghanistan as he spent his whole life living there. â€Å"He picked up a handful of dirt from the middle of unpaved road. He kissed the dirt. (†¦ ) Stowed the box in his breast pocket, next to his heart. † This is an example of a person loving their country. We could refer to Pope John Paul II who used to kiss ground of his motherland (Poland) whenever he was coming to visit his beloved country. Baba realises, that he might never come back to Afghanistan so that he chooses to have a piece of his land next to his heart for ever. Finally, the author presents Baba as a father too. When they all are in a truck, and they can’t breath easily, Amir starts to panic. Baba knows his son and he wants to make a journey easier to him. â€Å"Baba tugged at my sleeve and something glowed green in the dark. (†¦ ) Baba’s wristwatch. â€Å". Baba knows that Amir is still frightened therefore he says: â€Å"Think of something good (†¦ ) Something happy. â€Å". He helps his son. Even if he sometimes thinks that Amir is completely different to him, he knows that this is his son and every son needs his father, especially when he didn’t experience motherly tenderness. To recap, Baba has been shown in two different lights in chapter 10. The writer decided to confirm that Baba sees the world in black and white and he also showed that Amir’s father can be quite violent and adamant just to protect norms and values that he sees as a priority. On the other hand, Hosseini showed that Baba can be quite caring towards his son. Personally, I think that this is Baba, we’ve met in pervious chapters but in chapter 10 we get to know him better and he proves that he is not a coward and he can take action in a point of honour. Baba is a role model to me, even if he doesn’t seem to be a good father I think that he is just trying to teach Amir how to live a life and how not to become a coward. Amir might not understand it but Baba is a reasonable and intelligent man who has his own ideology and he never makes any mistakes. Baba is the hero, patriot and a good and wise man.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Economic Globalization Essay

Economic globalisation is a concept that has become common in the recent times and it is popularity is growing overtime. It virtually implies the process by which two or more countries economically integrate with an aim of enabling a global marketplace or in other words creating a global single market (Fung, 2006, pp 1). The main purpose for economic integration is to enable the expansion of the market, that is, corporations are enabled to operate beyond the borders of their country of origin. The concept of economic globalization can be perceived to posses both positives and negatives depending on the context over which is being analyzed from (Gardner, 2005, pp 67) The concept of economic globalization can be traced back to the ancient days during the trans-national trade period, which is several thousand years ago. The process of economic globalization is in control of the world trade organisation that provide rules that need to be followed in enhancing effective trade interactions between various countries of the world (Stalker, 1998, pp3),. The main goal of the WTO is to enable the producers of goods and services, the exporters of the goods and the importers of goods to conduct their business with much easy. The rules are based on the agreements that are set among the trading nations, where the agreements are expected to be ratified by the parliament of respective nations (Gu, 2006, pp 157). The WTO membership is currently 153 world countries with also a number of observers. The admission date into the organization of various nations vary from one country to other as it is a voluntary participation. For example, China joined the organization on 11 December 2001 (Peerenboom, 2007, pp 145). This proposal is based on carrying a research concerning the effects of Economic globalization and China’s accession to WTO on domestic companies. The proposal starts at first providing the background information concerning economic globalization in china and its effect on the Chinese Economy. The research questions and objectives are then provided, the scope of the study and the significance of the study as the part of introduction. Literature review will then follow methodology and lastly the time plan. The research will use the Shenzhen Energy Corporation in China as one of the China’s domestic energy enterprises in analyzing the effects of economic globalization on domestic companies and the response of these companies to the competition that arises from economic globalization in ensuring market sustainability. 1. 1 Background Economic globalisation is perceived to have enhanced China to attain an accelerated economic growth following the expansion of its market size, which enables the country to produce more following the increased demand for their products and services (Kotler, 2005, pp 37). The country is perceived to be benefiting from the global market in a reasonable manner following the country’s comparative advantage of cheap labour (Lu, 2003, pp 567). The cheap labour is enhanced through the high population of the country that implies abundant supply of labour (Prigoff, 1999, pp 89). This situation provides the country with a competitive advantage in the world market on the reason that its products are likely to bear a low price compared to the ones of their competitors who experiences high costs of production (Allan, 2004, pp 17). Following the encouraging of economic globalization by China becoming a member of WTO, the volume of foreign investments grew in China that were likely to compete with the local producers of goods and services (Hopper, 2006, pp 297). Shenzhen Energy is one of the domestic companies that felt the impact of the foreign investment competition and responded to it accordingly in enabling market sustainability. Shenzhen Energy Corporation was established through a fund raising in 1993 on it being approved by the people’s government office in the city of Shenzhen. The company was listed in the Shenzhen stock exchange market in September 1993, and it was the first large shareholding enterprise in the national electric powers to be listed in the stock market. The company was also the first public service stock company to be listed in the Shenzhen stock market (http://www. sec. com. cn/en/about/index. aspx? ModuleNo=080102 ). The company is controlled by the shareholder, Shenzhen Energy group company that was founded in 1993 as a state owned power company. The controlling company had been growing rapidly in proportionate to the economic growth of Shenzhen economy. The scope of business for the company is to develop, produce, purchase and market the various convectional energies and new energies within China. The company engages in investments and carries operations that are meant to enhance development. It participates in the transporting raw materials that are energy related and also involves itself in port, dock and storage industry. The company has investments and operations that are related to energy in the land industry, real estate industry and also the leasing industry. The company’s investments and operations are also extended to high technology industries that are meant to improve the efficiency in the utilization of energy. The company’s operations go beyond the border of China, that is, it involves in the import and the export of various goods. The goods that are exported and imported by the company include the set of equipment, supporting equipment, machines tools and also the vehicles that are to be used in energy projects. The company is also engaged in providing services that are related to the energy industry that include the designing, construction, management and providing the day to day operating services to energy projects. The company also provides service that includes staff training, consultation among other services that are mean to enable improved performance of the human resources in the energy industry and the making of informed decisions. The participation in developing environmental protection technology is a task that is carried by the company following the pollution claims that are raised concerning the consumption of energy. From the accounting reporting of the company’s performance in 2007, the company had a total asset base worth 24. 5 billion Yuan. The larger proportion of the company’s market is based in Shenzhen where it also hold majority of the share value of the plants. Its operations are mainly concentrated in Shenzhen and its surrounding. Some of these plants in which it holds shares include Shenzhen Mawan General Plant, Shenzhen Yuelianngwan Power plant, Dongguan Zhangyang Power Plant, Huizhou Fengda Power Plant, Guangdong heyuan Power Plant, and Ghana Combustion Engine Power Plant. The last two plants as provided in the list above are under construction. The company’s performance as been desirable overtime. Shenzhen Energy Corporation has consistently been awarded various tittles that include outstanding enterprise, Advanced party committee and the law abiding tax payer. Therefore, Shenzhen energy Corporation can be perceived as being a local company in China that is likely to be affected by the foreign investors in china in the energy industry as a result of economic globalization. 1. 2 Problem Statement Following the participation of China in the economic globalization as an avenue over which economic growth can be enhanced and the China’s accession to WTO can be perceived to have posed some effects on the domestic companies in China. The effect on the domestic companies arises from fact that a number of foreign companies are likely to be established in China to compete with the domestic companies. The competition between the domestic and the foreign companies in a given industry imply that the market for some industry is likely to be divided among the competitors with respect to their competitive advantages. The companies that produce their goods and services within the market standards and price will stand a better chance of taking a larger marker share compared to the companies that are less competent. In the wake for economic globalization and China’s accession to WTO, there has been quite a large inflow of foreign companies into the Chinese economy. The energy industry has not been the exemption. A large number of power enterprises have been flowing into the economy, and they are characterized by having a large capital base, they are of high technology and possess management efficiency. These characteristics enable these foreign power enterprises to compete favorably with the domestic power enterprises like Shenzhen power corporation. The competition has been tight between the domestic power enterprises and the foreign power enterprises that require respective enterprises to undertake some strategies in enabling them to survive in the market. Shenzhen power corporation has not been an exemption in the competition that is posed by both foreign power enterprises and the local enterprises. The corporation has been thriving despite the increased and tight competition in the energy industry. Therefore, the aim of the study is to bring the strategies that have been taken by Shenzhen power corporation in enhancing the capability of being influential and profitable in the energy industry that seem to be flooded by the foreign power enterprises that have a large capital base, operate with high technology and posses effective management skills. 1. 3 Research questions The main research question of the study is to explain the marketing strategies that have been taken by Shenzhen power corporation in enhancing market sustainability in an industry that is dominated by foreign power enterprises. The questions to be answered in the reach for answering the main question include; i. How does the corporation gather information that is meant to aid in designing marketing strategies? ii. What are the company’s target groups? iii. How does the company do its pricing? iv. To what level is customer satisfaction used as a marketing strategy? v. The nature of public relation of the corporation? 1. 4 Research objectives The main objective of the study is to establish the kind of marketing strategies that have been undertaken by Shenzhen power corporation in enabling market sustainability in foreign enterprises dominated industry. The auxiliary objectives that will enable to attain the main objective of the study include i. Identify the various means in which the corporations gather information that is used in designing marketing strategies ii. Identify the target groups for the company’s products and services. iii. Identify the criteria that the company uses to set its prices in ensuring effective price setting. iv. Establish the level of customer satisfaction by the corporations v. Establish the nature of the products and services provided by the corporation to the market and their uniqueness compared to the products of the competitors. 1. 5 Scope of the study The study will be based on the looking at the practices adapted by Shenzhen power corporation in relation to the attempt of the corporation to ensure market sustainability in tight competition offered by the foreign power enterprises that are characterized by a large capital base, operate with the application of high technology, and inherent with effective management. Therefore, the study is meant to address the responses from Shenzhen power corporation following the tight competition in the industry that enable the company to thrive in the industry. 1. 6 Significance of the study The significance of the study follows from the argument that economic globalization is certain to disadvantage the domestic industries, that will have an adverse impact of retarding economic growth. Following the economic globalization of China and the example of Shenzhen power corporation, the above statement seem to be invalid because Shenzhen power corporation is still profitable regardless of the economic globalization as a China’s domestic company. This implies that, there are lessons that are to be learnt from the practices of Shenzhen power corporation following its enhanced market sustainability. The lessons will be applied by other corporations that associate their failure to the concept to economic globalization. 1. 7 Hypothesis of the study The hypothesis of the study is that domestic companies are not affected negatively by economic globalization, but it is their economic inefficiency that makes them incompetent in competing with the foreign companies. Therefore, the companies’ poor performance after economic globalization is not as a result of the many competitors, it is because of their inefficiency that makes them less competitive. Competitive advantage is earned by designing relevant strategies and not by reducing the number of competitor. Competition is required in the economy in avoiding the excesses that are associated with the monopolies, because the inefficient companies are certain to exit the market due to their inability to compete favorable. Therefore, competition is likely to ensure efficient utilization of resources in meeting the needs of the society. Domestic companies should thus design strategies that are meant to enable them withstand the competition in the market, and that will also promote efficient utilization of the national wealth in meeting the needs of the society. 2. 0 Literature Review 2. 1 Gathering information for strategy designing On ensuring effective strategy designing, an organization is required to gather information that is meant to be used as a tool for strategy designing. This act is meant to eliminate the act of designing strategies arbitrary as it posses the possibility of the strategies becoming irrelevant. Therefore, an organisation requires to lay some measures in ensuring that information that is available and to be used for designing strategy is representational of the real market situation, otherwise the expected results from the strategies will never be realized (Hiebing, 2004, pp 2). The source for information that will be useful for designing the strategies varies in relation to the nature of the industry, the operations of organisation and purpose to which the information will be put into. For example gathering information that is meant to be used in designing the marketing strategies, an organisation is required to get the information concerning the market condition (Boone, 2005, pp 37) The information concerning the market condition may include the desires of the customers, the market price of some products as provided by the demand and the supply forces, and practices of competitors. The right source for information that is to be used in designing marketing strategies should be obtained from the various agencies of the organisation who interact with the customers, because they are the ones who are accessible to the customers, hence likely to understand the customer desires than the managers who are responsible of administration related matters (Cundiff, 2007, pp 48) On ensuring effective designing of strategies that are meant to improve the organisation’s competence, an organisation is supposed to base its redesigning using the past experience. This will enable an organization to avoid the possibility of repeating the errors that were committed in the previous designs (Bradley, 2005, pp231) 2. 2 Pricing. The pricing mechanism normally depends on the nature of the market structure. A market structure can either be a monopoly, an oligopoly or a competitive market (Gummesson, 2002, pp 137) Price setting in each market structure vary depending characteristics in each market. For example, in the competitive market, every firm in the market is a price taker. They are price takers on the reason that none of the firms can determine the price in the, otherwise the price in the market is influenced by the price mechanism. In a monopoly market, a firm has the powers to determine the price of its goods through the controlling of the supply (Luck, 1985, pp 132). For a firm to survive in the competitive market, the firm is expected to sell at the market price as provided by the market mechanism, otherwise its products are likely to experience a low demand compared to the products of the competitors (Adcock, 2001, pp 102). This follows from the demand law, that explains that when the price of a good increases, the demand of the good is likely to decline. The decline of the demand follows from the consumer either switching to the consumption of a substitute good that will benefit a competitor or reduce the consumption of the good due to the budget constraint (Hisrich, 2000, pp 112) In the competitive market, a firm that is likely to produce its goods and services at the lowest costs is the one that is likely to earn a competitive advantage over the other competitors in the industry. This follows from the fact that the production of goods with low costs will have an impact of increasing the profit margin of the company when selling the goods at the market price (Kotler, 1988, pp 199). This will also enable the firm to compete favorably in the price war in enhancing the demand of the its products, because the company will be able to realize the desired profits level even when selling the goods at the price below the market price (Gualtianan, 1995, pp 89). A firm will only attain the low costs of production if it produces the goods with a lot of efficiency in avoiding waste, that is, the firm should enhance optimal allocation and utilization of the resources in attaining an optimal amount of output at a given the specific level of technology. Organizations can enhance the efficient utilization of the resources by adaptation the various practices that are meant to optimally utilize the resources that include human resource development and the adaptation of the appropriate technology that is certain to enable efficient utilization of the resources owned by a firm (Webster, 1995, pp 47) 2. 3 Customer Satisfaction. Customer satisfaction plays an important role in creating consumer loyalties. The creating of loyalties will rescue the firm from incurring a lot of expenses in advertisement on the look for customers (Davenport, 2001, pp 69). The created consumer loyalty will retain the customers, as they are likely to consume the products of the company in the future. Therefore, it can be perceived as an investment that is meant to benefit the firm to realize the flow of income in the future following the enhanced loyalty. Consumer loyalty is maintained by the firm providing high standard goods to their customers and listening to the desires of the customers, otherwise, the firm is certain to loose the already created loyalties in the future if it does not meet the desires of the customers. The firm is also required to engage in product innovations overtime that are supposed to improve the quality of the products in factoring in the desires of the customers (Hutt, 1981, pp 201). This will reinforce the existing loyalties and also create other more loyalties that are certain to ensure the future demand for the products and services provided by the firm. There normally exist variations in the desires of the customers, implying that the providing of standardized services and products to customers is certain to satisfy the customers in varied ways. In such a situation, a firm is required to either provide a wide range of products that is meant to meet the varied desires or provide customized products and services that are meant to improve the level of customer satisfaction. The advantage for creating customer loyalties through customer satisfaction is that the firm is likely to reduce the costs in advertisement and other promotions because the customers that are retained are aware of the operations of the firm and its operations (Godin, 1999, pp 32). This will enable the company to reduce its cost of operation that will be reflected as an increased marginal profits, hence a positive step towards profit maximization. 2. 4 Product differentiation and patenting. Product differentiation can be perceived as being a strategy that is meant to make the products of some firm unique compared to the products that are offered by the competitors. It will enable the customers to identify the products easily without mistaking it for the ones offered by the competitors. Differentiation may include the adding of some features to the products offered to the market that is meant to sway the customers in enhancing high demand. The differentiations that make the product unique can be copyrighted to avoid the competitors from imitating the design of the product (Sandshoes, 2000, pp43). The patents will bar the competitors from imitating the products, thus a marketing strategy that is meant to enable the firm to minimize competition. 3. 0 Methodology 3. 1 Design The research will involve the collection of information concerning the organisation in question, evaluate its performance over time, and mostly by focusing at its profitability over time in relation to the various strategies that were taken by the organisation to enhance the performance. The study will look at the marketing strategies that are adapted by the organisation and their effects on performance of the organisation. The evaluation of the effects of the strategies on the organization will be identified on using the theories that have been established in relationship to the impact of various changes that are done within the organisation on the performance of the organisation. Therefore, the study will rather use qualitative data than quantitative given the nature of the topic addressed. 3. 2 Participants The main participant in the research is the shenzhen Energy corporation. The company is chosen as a representational of the domestic companies in evaluating the impact of economic globalization on domestic companies and on how best the companies should responding through the designing of marketing strategies in enhancing competence. Shenzhen energy corporation has been used as a representational following its ability to withstand the competition from foreign companies in the energy industry in China. 3. 3 Data collection Following the design of the research, the data that will be collected should be related to the marketing strategies that the Shenzhen energy corporation had taken in enhancing competitive advantage. The strategies that need to be identified include, how the company is enhancing customer Satisfaction, how does the company do pricing, how does the company reach the target group, how does the company gather information that is to be used in decision making concerning the design of marketing strategies, and how the company make its products competitive in the market. 3. 4. Data analysis Data analysis will be done by confronting the identified marketing strategies with the existing marketing theory as provided in literature. This will enable the study to bring out the logic behind the strategies that were taken by Schenzhen energy corporation is ensuring its success. 4. 0 Time Plan. The research will take a time frame of ten weeks, where each week will be allocated its tasks as provided by the schedule below: Task Week Making contacts on places where data and literature will be collected 1 Literature Reviewing 2-3 Collection of Data 4 Data Validation 5 Data Analysis and Interpretation 6-7 writing a draft report 8 Third party reading of the report 9 writing the final report 10 Bibliography Adcock, Dennis. Marketing: Principals and Practice. Financial Times/Prentice hall. 2001. Allan, Clement. Economic Globalization: Social Conflict. labour and Environmental Issues. Edward Elgar Publishing. 2004. Bradley, Frank. International Marketing strategy. Financial Times/ Prentice hall. 2005. Boone, Louis and Kurtz, David. Contemporary Marketing. Thomson South-Western. 2005. Cundiff, Edward and Govoni, Norman. Fundamentals of Modern marketing. University of California. 2007. Davenport, Teresa. Marketing Training Programs: Marketing Training Programs. American Society for Training and Development. 2001. Luck, David. Marketing Strategy and Plans: Systematic marketing management. Prentice hall. 1985. Lu, Ding and Zhou, Huizhong. China’s Economic Globalization Through the WTO. 2003. Shenzhen Energy Website. Company Profile. Retrieved from; http://www. sec. com. cn/en/about/index. aspx? ModuleNo=080102 Fungi, Hung-gay. Chinese Challenges of Economic Globalization: The effect of WTO Sandhusen, Richard. Marketing. Barron’s Educational Series. 2000. Gardner, Susannah. Buzz Marketing with Blogs for Dummies. Wley. 2005. Godini, Seth. Permission in Marketing. Simion & Schuster. 1998. Gualtianan, Joseph and Paul, Gordon. Marketing Management: Strategies and Programs. McGraw-Hill. 1995. Gummessoni, Evert. Total relationship marketing. Butterworth-heinmenn. 2002. Hiebing, Roman and Cooperi, Scott. The One Day Marketing Plan for an organisation: Organizing and Completing a working Plan. McGraw-Hill Professional. 2004. Hisrichi, Robert. Marketing: Business Libr. Barron’s Series. 2001. Hopper, Paul. Living with Globalization. Berg publishers. 2006. Hutt, Michael and Speh, Thomas. Industrial Marketing management: A Strategy View of Organizational Markets. University of Michigan. 1981. Kotler, Philp. Principles in Marketing. Pearson Prentice Hall. 2005. Kotler, Philip. Management Marketing: analysis, planning process, implementing, and controlling. Prentice hall. 1988. Peerenboomi, Randalla. China’s Modernization. Oxford University Press. 2007. Prigoff, Wyner. Economics of the Social workers University of Michigan. 1999. Stalkeri, Peter. The Social Effects of Globalization. Prentice Hall Publishing. 1998. Webster, Fredrick. Industrial , Marketing Strategy. John Wiley and Sons. 1995.

Friday, September 27, 2019

A Dream Family Vacation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Dream Family Vacation - Essay Example Despite the cost implications, the wildlife, including all flora and fauna, and the people will make the vacation worth. The East Africa vacation would provide the family with the much needed relaxation. The coastal beaches will present an opportunity to swim in the ocean; in warm water heated by the sun. The warm equatorial temperature will play a critical role in making the vacation perfect, away from the snowy American weather. East Africa occurs at the equator and thus enjoys perfect weather all year round. The natural African wild will be sure to give the refreshing look of nature and the natural clean environment sure to relax every part of the body. Therefore, the vacation guarantees wholesome relaxation. Visiting East Africa would provide the family with an opportunity to witness the seventh wonder of the world – wildebeest migration. The Great Wildebeest, Migration as it is known, refers to the migration of over 2 million animals from a national park in Tanzania throu gh the famous Mara River into a national reserve in Kenya in search for greener pastures. It normally takes place between the months of July and October. This migration has made some of the internationally accredited media such as BBC set camp in the region to constantly report on the developments and the life in the region. Associating with such international stars in witnessing the life in the wild would be an honor for the family. Migrating together with wildebeests are zebras, gazelles and elands. This vacation will therefore present an opportunity to see different wild animals in their natural habitat at the same time. Other than the wildebeests’ migration, the vacation will provide an opportunity to witness carnivorous animals in action. As the wildebeests cross into the Kenyan wild, the crocodiles in the Mara River hunt them down. Because of their large numbers, it would be difficult for them to be missed by the crocodiles. Thus, the family can be sure of witnessing th e crocodiles hunting the wildebeests live. In the plains, the family would also witness lions and leopards hunt down their prey. The vacation being during the wet season in the region will be perfect to see herbivorous animals come out in the plains to graze. Therefore, witnessing carnivorous animals hunting them down is almost sure as it happens in the open plains. The wildlife reserves in Kenya and Tanzania provides an opportunity to also see various kinds of wild animals. During this vacation, we will hire experienced tour guides who will take us round the wildlife reserve and specifically to spots where we would see different wild animals. During such wet seasons, wild animals would be within visibility. This would therefore be an opportunity to see most of the wild animals we only see on television. We will see lions, leopards, gazelles, buffaloes, giraffes and snakes. It will also be an opportunity to see different birds including flamingoes, ostriches, marabou stork and crane birds among others. With a majority of these animals only found in Africa, including the giraffe, elephant, impala and marabou stork, this vacation will set us apart from our neighbors who would not have seen these animals live. We, on the other hand, would have had the privilege of not only seeing these animals, but seeing them in their natural habitat. The black rhinoceros is one of the endangered species of wild animals in East Africa that we will see. Other endangered species of wild animals in the region that we could see include the cheetah, African elephant, African lion and Grevy’s zebra. Taking this vacation would provide a chance to see these animals before extinction. The East African wild comes with an endowment of vegetation that would add onto our

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Law Constitutional & Administrative Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law Constitutional & Administrative Law - Essay Example Executive prerogative is therefore important as through it the state can achieve self-preservation, it also shows the trust that the people have on the Crown or the executive to implement and rule on their behalf. In the United Kingdom and most nations under the commonwealth, the Crown, prime ministers and cabinets, governor-generals or persons on whom executive prerogative powers may be bestowed, may exercise prerogative powers. Examples of prerogative powers exercised by the Crown or its representatives in England include the powers over wars, the prerogative of mercy and the power to call for independent public inquiries. Others may include recognizing states or acquiring and ceding territories. However, at times the exercise of the prerogative powers by the Crown or its representatives through the executive may come under strict scrutiny by members of the public or the citizens. In the United Kingdom and other nations following the common law system, prerogative powers may be exe rcised by the Crown either by herself or through the prime minister and his cabinet and may be subject to scrutiny or oversight by either the parliament or the judiciary. Parliamentary Oversight of Executive Prerogative Powers The role of the legislature to oversee and question the exercise of prerogative executive powers is one of the important tenets of governance present in countries that appreciate the supremacy of parliament. Through statutes enacted by the parliament, the legislature can abolish a specific statute. For example, the Canadian 1689 Bill of Rights removed some of the Crowns executive orders that were deemed contentious. Parliament can also displace executive prerogative powers by withdrawing a prerogative previously bestowed on the crown and enacting it in the form of a statute while the prerogative power is withdrawn from the crown. Accordingly, when a statute encroaches into roles that had previously been exercised by the crown, it can be said to have supplanted the role of the executive in exercising the prerogative role of the executive, This was held in A.G v De Keyser's Royal Hotel Ltd1 and Lord Advocate v Dumbarton D.C 2. This is where the learned judges stated that where the statute overlaps the role previously carried out by the prerogative power, the power will be held in abeyance and the executive must abide by the provisions of the statute in question (Hogg and Monahan 2000, p.17). Parliament may play its oversight roles in regulating the exercise of prerogative powers by the executive through a number of methods. These may include through parliamentary debates, divisions, questions asked in parliament, select committees and the interpellation method. Voting which is an important prerequisite for any democracy is also effective especially when the opposition can gather enough members to put the government in check. Parliamentary questions are an important mode of getting information from the government in that oral questions may enable the legislators to have a probe on the policies being implemented by the government. Written questions also help in allowing the members of parliament to get detailed responses from the executive.

Use elements of minimum core in applying theories and principles for Essay

Use elements of minimum core in applying theories and principles for planning and enabling inclusive learning and teaching - Essay Example This process can be applied in any of the phases and it should be continuous, meaning that there is no limitation to the number of cycles that can be made in a learning situation. According to this theory, with no limitations, one would simply go on repeating the same mistakes. According to the theory, individuals learn in four ways and they are likely to develop one mode of learning more than others. Thus learning is by concrete experience, by observation and reflection, by experimenting actively, and by active conceptualization. These four processes can be applied by learning facilitators or teachers (Coffield, et al. 2004). This can be applied in literacy and language. For example, in reading one can use readable, accessible texts also teaching learners explicitly how they can develop comprehension skills using activities that are related to their texts. Learners are also encouraged to highlight the main words also ideas in texts, successful questioning, setting the picture, as we ll as stimulating previous reading prior to any reading so as to offer learners’ great chances of decoding the text, will also work. There are other diverse theories and principles that have been developed to aid in understanding planning and enabling inclusive learning and teaching. The minimum core elements can be applied in enabling inductive learning and teaching. One of these elements is the use of reinforcement. It is vital that the teachers integrate positive reinforcement to learning and teaching. Positive reinforcement includes rewards given to students and positive remarks made by the teachers. This can be given to encourage behaviour, achievements and notable improvements (Curzon 2003). This is important in learning as it is important how learners view themselves, their self esteem and being aware of their strengths and weaknesses affects their learning ability. The learners’ degree of motivation as well as engagement in learning and the phase

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Housewife who got off the Couch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Housewife who got off the Couch - Essay Example In an article entitled â€Å"The Housewife Who Got Up Off the Couch,† the story is told of Eleanor Josaitis. Josaitis is a Detroit woman who, as a housewife and mother of five, decided one day that she was going to make a difference in her backyard. Working with other community leaders, Josaitis has been successful in founding a non-profit organization in the heart of Detroit that provides job training and support for low-income families designed to get them off of the poverty rolls. Analyzing the article for evidence of enlightened self-interest provides clues to Josaitis’ goals and ethical principles as well as provides tools for assessing the role of ethics within the business organization. Enlightened self-interest is a basic concept stating that the best way one can help oneself is to help others. The article refers to this type of interest when it illustrates the reasons why Josaitis began getting involved in her community. â€Å"In 1962, as she sat watching a television program about the Nuremberg trials, Josaitis – then a housewife with five children – asked herself what she would have done if atrocities were taking place in her own backyard† (147-148). Discovering that atrocities were taking place in her backyard in the form of the Civil Rights Movement in the South followed by race riots in Detroit, she co-founded the Focus: HOPE organization. Thus, Josaitis was motivated to help others because they were suffering near her own home. Her participation in protest movements in support of the black people’s bid for equal rights is an example of indirect enlightened self-interest in that Josaitis knew something had to change for black peop le but did not see the immediate connection to her personal living situation. This became direct enlightened self-interest when she watched her city burn during race riots, literally

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Angioplasty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Angioplasty - Essay Example ding of the procedure has helped this procedure to be acknowledged as safe, and at least in the short term, the success rate of this procedure is high (1999 Heart and Stroke Statistical Update), where successful therapy has been defined as persistence of less than 50% residual stenosis. However, despite the frequency of its usage, research has found that the main limitation of this procedure is restenosis which has been defined as renarrowing of the original arterial lesion at the site of dilatation. Most of the data indicate that around 35% of the patients have restenosis and within six months following the angioplasty procedure (Savage et al., 1998). To improve this statistic and to improve the life-threatening complications following angioplasty or to back up and improve the outcomes of results from balloon angioplasty, the use of stents came into vogue which essentially was balloon angioplasty with introduction of an implant into the arterial area of narrowing that would prevent the renarrowing of the arterial segment (Sculpher et al., 2002). The results of failure of angioplasty are many. The first important ones are unacceptable short and long-term clinical and angiographic outcomes. Next are the high rates of restenosis, high incidence of abrupt closure of the target vessels leading to life-threatening complications, and low incidence of target vessel revascularization, which happened to be the intended objective and indication of angioplasty as a procedure. Although there are numerous studies researching the implications of a failed angioplasty in the clinical scenario, despite having quite a number of studies, investigating the economic issues related to angioplasty as a procedure has been inadequate (Hannan et al., 1997). A second procedure during the same hospital stay, a failed procedure needing another, associated morbidities of a failed procedure all have negative implications for the patient or the providers, although all these scenarios adds to

Monday, September 23, 2019

Contamination and remediation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Contamination and remediation - Essay Example The contaminated land may be contaminated either by low or high concentrates hazardous wastes or pollution but are potential enough to be reused after remediation processes. But the land which is severely contaminated by such contaminants does not come under brownfield classification. It has also been seen that there are few cases where the owners are â€Å"not willing to transfer the brownfield or put it into productive reuse†, as those of Mothballed brownfields in United States. It is because these may cause blight, threaten public health and the environment and even hold back economic development and revitalization i.e. staking social, economic as well as environmental wellbeing.2 The extent of cleaning and the costs involved in the remediation process wholly depends upon the type, amount and area of contamination. The standards of cleanup adopted also influence the cleanup process. For example the clean up standards would be more stringent if the property or land is to be used for residential purposes and less strict if to be used for industrial purposes as the exposure to the contaminants would be quite less in this case. And the types of the contaminants too determine the cost while clean up process. For example if the groundwater of the site is found contaminated the cost of remediation process will be much higher than if just the soil is found contaminated. The costs of the cleanup to the property owner can also be contributed by other parties such as previous owners if they too are found responsible for contributing towards the contamination. (footnote 1) It has been seen that due to costs involved in the safe standards of cleaning processes of contaminated sites, most of them usually sit idle and unused for huge number of years. It is because the even the worth of the property after cleanup is much less than the costs of

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

Romeo and Juliet Essay In Romeo and Juliet there is an emphasis on the theme of communication and the tragedy of misunderstanding. The examples of this in the play are the fight between Romeo, Mercrutio and Tybalt, when Juliet’s parents believe that she is crying over the death of Tybalt but really she is crying for Romeo and the miscommunication between Friar Lawrence, Balthassar and Romeo. There is a vast lack of communication between Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt. Tybalt demands Romeo to fight him but Romeo does not want to fight because he does not see the point in it as well as realizing that Tybalt is his kinsman because of his and Juliets secret wedding. When Tybalt is trying to pick a fight Romeo replies, I love thee better than thou canst devise So, good Capulet, which name I tender as dearly as my own, be satisfied (119. 69-73). This confuses both Mercutio and Tybalt because they do not know why he is saying this and why he suddenly likes the Capulet’s. However Mercrutio fights Tybalt when Romeo refuses to. Romeo tries to stop the fight and he orders Benvolio to, Beat down their weapons, then he demanded, Hold Tybalt! Good Mercutio! (121. 87+91) as he steps in front of them. He fails to stop the fight and instead Mercrutio is killed. This leads to Romeo becoming infuriated and he kills Tybalt. All of this could have been prevented if Romeo had only told everyone that he had wedded Juliet, who made him and Tybalt related, therefore explaining why he would not fight him. Misunderstanding is the root cause of the fight between Mercrutio, Tybalt and Romeo. In another scene in which there is poor communication is when Juliet’s parents assume she is heartbroken by the death of her cousin, Tybalt, because they do not know she is married to Romeo and is crying because he has been banished. Therefore, they try to do what they think is best for their daughter by marrying her to Paris to take her troubled mind off her dead cousin. In this scene Lady Capulet informs Juliet about her father’s arrangement by asking her, Weeping for your cousin’s death? and continuing, Marry my childParisshall make thee a joyful bride. Juliet contemptuously responds, He will not make me a joyful bride! (161+165. 72,117-120,+122) and pleads with her mom not to make her wed Paris. Later in the same scene Juliet beseeches her father as to not force her to marry and he tells her, Disobedient wretch! Get thee to church o’ Thursday or never after look me in the face! (167. 166-168). Juliet never revealed to her parents that she married Romeo so they always thought she was crying over Tybalt’s death. All of this could have been avoided if Juliet had only told her parents she had married Romeo. In the scene where everyone thinks Juliet is deceased there is a lack of communication between Friar Lawrence, Friar John, and Romeo. When Balthasar discovers Juliet is dead he goes to tell Romeo the bad news. When Romeo spots Balthasar he asks how Juliet is doing and he replies, Her body sleeps In Capels monument. (211. 119). When Romeo hears that, he is devastated and decides life is not worth living if he cannot be with Juliet. Romeo does not know the truth because he never received the letter from his mentor, Friar Lawrence. Later in that same scene there is a lack of communication between Friar Lawrence and Friar John. Friar Lawrence never warned Friar John how essential it was that Romeo was to receive the letter, no matter what. When Friar Lawrence sees John he asks how the delivery went and John says, I could not send it. The Friar replied, Unhappy fortuneThe letter was not nice but full of chargeand neglecting it may do much danger. (page 218, lines 14-20). The letter could have been delivered to Romeo if Friar Lawrence told Friar John just how vital it was that Romeo receives the letter. William Shakespeare emphasizes the hardship of misinterpretation, in his tragic play Romeo and Juliet, through a lack of communication between many different characters. There are many scenes throughout the play in which he shows a void of communication such as the fight scene between Tybalt and Mercutio, the scene when Juliet is arguing with her parents, and especially in the scene when everyone thinks Juliet has died. In his play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare shows that poor communication often leads to confusion and, more importantly, catastrophe. He does this to show the irony that immense misfortunes can occur due to the fact that people do not communicate with each other as well as they ought to, and when they do not dilemmas erupt.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Factors Determinant Tax Revenue In Malaysia

The Factors Determinant Tax Revenue In Malaysia INTRODUCTION Malaysia is a federation of 13 States and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan. The Federal Constitution contains special provisions regarding sources of revenue that are assigned to the Federal and the State governments. Those that are assigned to the State governments include revenue fom land, forest, mining, entertainment, water supply, bank interests, returns from investments, fines including forfeitures (other than imposed by Federal Courts) and fees for licences and permits (but not licences relating to motor vehicles and registration of businesses). All other revenues, not specifically assigned to the states, are Federal Government revenues. Taxation become crucial economic tools to govern economics for any country, especially to developing countries like Malaysia. With the rapid trend toward globalization and internationalization, the pattern of tax revenues and economic growth accross countries has become a significant concern to economists. Recently, Malaysia has also performed well and shows the similar growth pattern in economy. Therefore, fund collected from taxation used by the government to provide facilities for its population and for the development of the nation. Other than that income tax is one of the surest way to make sure the Government fund is available for spending. Inland Revenue Board (IRB) has play their main role as an agent of Malaysian Government and to provide services in administering, assessing, collecting, and enforcing payment of income tax and other revenue as may be agreed between Government andd the Board. For many years, the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) has presumed that its activities promote better tax collection starting from Official Assessment System (OAS) until Self Assessment System (SAS). Malaysia Federal Government revenues are broadly classified as tax revenues, non-tax revenues and non-revenue receipts. Tax revenues include both Direct and Indirect Taxes. Direct taxes are collected by the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) and includes taxes such as income tax on individuals and corporations, petroleum income tax, stamp duty and real property gains tax. While for indirect taxes the responsibility of collection is taken by the Royal Customs and Excise Department. Indirect taxes include import duties, export duties, excise duties, sales tax, service tax and last but not least; goods and services tax (GST) that replace sales tax and service tax. Non-tax revenues of Malaysian Government consists of fees for issue of licences and permits, fees for specific services, proceeds from sale of government assets, rental of government property, bank interests, returns from Government investments (including gains from sales of investments) fines and forfeitures. The non-revenue receipts consist mainly of repayments and reimbursements such as refunds of overpayments in previous years and repayment of loans from the Federal Governments Consolidated Fund (Revenue Account) received from other Federal Government Agencies and State Governments. The trend of tax collection in Malaysia is inconsistent, changing upward and downward depending upon economic conditions. However, over a 30 period, most years show an increasing incremental in total collection. The exceptions are when there is an abnormal economic condition such as financial crisis, war or increase in world oil prices. During the early stages of its development which is in year 1960, Malaysia similar with most developing countries relied heavily on indirect taxes accounted for 76.7% (Kasipillai, 2006). However as the economy developed and with the tax reform less reliance was placed on indirect tax which starting from year 1999 the major contribution to government revenue is come from direct tax (69%). In 2008 the collection of direct tax represents 52% of the Government total revenue (Economic Planning Unit, Ministry of Finance and Bank Negara Malaysia). It is believed that the encouraging growth in Gross Gomestic Product (GDP) in 2009 stood at 23% contribute positively to the national revenue collection (9MP). After brief introduction the remainder of this paper is structured as follow. Chapter 2 provide some sort of literature review regarding all the variables included in this research. Chapter 3 consist of research methodology and design, data collection, theoretical framework, hypothesis statement, and data analysis. Chapter 4 provides data description and result analysis and finally in section 5 gives conclusion and summary of the study. BACKGROUND OF STUDY Tax is the main sources of income for government. Tax is defined as a fee charged (levied) by a government on a product, income, or activity. If tax is levied directly on personal or corporate income, then it is direct tax. If tax is levied on the price of a good or services, then it is called an indirect tax. Malaysia is a very tax friendly country compared than the others. Income tax comparaly low and many taxes which are raised in other countries, do not exist in Malaysia. All earnings of companies and individuals acccumulated in, derived from or remitted to Malaysia are liable to tax. Government will used this tax revenues to fund all spending made by government in order to achieve an economic growth and also to promote a sound of economy. Government will present their budget in Parliament around September each year. Determination of budget is based on estimation of government revenue and spending. An increase in government revenue will increase the allocation for government spending. The tax rate is one of the components in government budget. The government will decide whether to increase or decrease the tax rate or to remain unchage based on the goals of government in each budget every year. Definition Of Terms Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Gross domestic product (GDP) is the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time. It is also define as an economic measurement that monitors the overall income and output of a country. It is a way to interpret the overall prosperity of the economy. It is culculated on an annual basis with quarterly updates. The data produced by GDP is interpreted in number of ways. Some use it to measure the productivity of the country, in that it shows how much product was produced and sold. Others use it to measure the general health of the economy and the standard of living of those living in it. Inflation Rate Inflation rate is a measure of inflation, the rate of increase of a price index. It is the percentage rate of change in price level of time. The rate of decrease in the purchasing power of money is approximately equal. The used of inflation rate is to culculate the real interest rate, as well as real increases in wages. When interest rate are high, fewer people and businesses can afford to borrow and it will usually slows the economy down. Unemployment The definition of unemployment is an economic condition marked by the fact that individuals actively seeking jobs remain unhired. Unemployment is an important measure of the economys strength. A high unemployment rate generally indicates an economy in recession with few job opportunities, while a low unemployment rate points to an economy running at or near full throttle. Openness The meaning of openness has become similar to the notion of free-trade, that is a trade system where all trade distortions are eliminated. Openness also means the extent to which an economy is open to trade, and sometimes also to inflows and outflows of international investment. The openness here means trade openness that consist of imports and exports from a large percentage of GDP. PROBLEM STATEMENT Malaysia is facing budget deficit every year since government expenditure exceed government revenue. If the governments budget are not sufficient, some of the macroeconomic factors cant be achieved. Government cannot reduce unemployment and inflation rate and also cannot increase the economic growth and promote currency stability if they cannot reach a sufficient budget to cover all the expenditure. Tax is the main component of government revenue that will use to finance all the government expenditure to stabilize the economy. The expenditure here means the used of governments revenue for the development and operational expenditure that will bring an economic growth. This study is undertaken to discover factors determinant of tax revenue which are independent variables namely Gross Domestic Product (GDP), inflation rate, unemployment and openness (trade) on dependent variable which is tax revenue. It tries to grasp those variables volatility impact on tax revenue in a given economic environment and horizon. Besides, this study was brought up to strenghten tho prove of previous similar study. However, due to the changing environmentof the economy, past researchers cannot be deem a suitable for current application. There is a need to revise the findings from the previous researchers, so it is consistent with current economic situation. The horizon of the research will cover from 1995 to the ending 2009. From this, all the indpendent variables are important towards dependent variable. Therefore the problem statement for this study is which variables that have strongly positive significant relationship towards tax revenue? RESEARCH QUESTION In order to realize the factors determining tax revenue, this question must be taken into consideration. The question is: What is the relationship between GDP and tax revenue? What is the relationship between Inflation rate and tax revenue? What is the relationship between Unemployment and tax revenue? What is the relationship between Openness and tax revenue? This question must be taken into consideration because the questions will answer the overall study and to make sure whether the problem lies within this factor or the others factor. OBJECTIVES OF STUDY General objectives The general objective of this study is to identify the factors determine tax revenue in Malaysia from year 1990 to 2009 which is 20 years. Specific objectives To know what are the factors that will increase or reduce the total tax revenue collected by government. To determine whether growth in GDP significantly affect tax revenue collected by government. To determine whether inflation in Malaysia significantly affect tax revenue collected by government. To determine whether unemployment in Malaysia significantly affect tax revenue collected by government. To determine whether the degree of openness in Malaysia significantly affect total tax revenue collected by the government. SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY This research study can help the researcher to determine the most significant independent variables to the dependent variable. From this study, it can help the relevant parties to know which variables can give influence to the tax revenue collected government. The findings from this research can provide the information to the other researcher for future research that is similar or related with this study. SCOPE OF STUDY The scope of study is as follow: This study focus on factors determining tax revenue collected by government. The data will be collected from 1990 to 2009 which is twenty years in yearly. Four variables are choosen which are GDP, inflation rate, unemployment, and openness. Software that used as a regression tool is Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 16.0. LIMITATIONS OF STUDY Cost Cost also becomes one of the limitations in doing this research because the researcher needs to bear all the cost and expenses in completing this research without getting any sponsorship. The cost that incurred such as stationeries expenses, photocopying, printing, transportation expenses and others are fully support by the researcher. Choice of Variables Choice of variables is the other limitation of the study. There have many variables that are determinants tax revenue and the researcher need to choose the exact variables so that it is suitable with the dependent variable. The variables that are choosen in this study are GDP, inflation rate, unemployment, and openness. Data Collection Data collection is one of the limitation of the study. The data covered a period of twenty years which is from 1990 to 2009 in yearly. Besides that, there have difficulties while choosing the exact journal and literature review that are strongly support all the variables. Accuracy of Data Accuracy also become a limitation of the study. Researcher used secondary sources in conducting this stdudy to collect data. The secondary sources such as annual reports, books, article, journal that the researcher found from internet and library. So, the accuracy of data depend from all the secondary sources that found in various materials. It means that, the researcher trying to maintain the originality and quality of the journal but the data needed depend on the materials. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEWS The amount of literature that directly deals with an analysis of factors that determine tax revenue collected by government in Malaysia is fairly limited. Minea and Villieu (2009), in their research show theoretically that a tighter monetary policy should induce the government to improve institutional quality in order to limit the erosion of tax revenue. The model developed by them exhibits two interesting results. First, by finding an inverse relationship between the level of effort and the inflation target, the authors show that the lower the inflation target is, the higher the governments effort in enhancing the quality of its institutions will be. In other words, by setting a lower inflation target, the supra-authority encourages the fiscal authority to intensify its effort to implement a more efficient tax-collecting administration in order to recoup the loss of seigniorage revenue due to a tighter monetary policy. Effectively, a decrease in the inflation target reduces the interval in which governments effort is minimal and increases the interval in which the effort in improving institutional quality is maximal. To conclude, it i s important to note that the incentive of the government to improve the collection of tax revenue could be nonetheless diminished by a significant decrease of inflation rate. Huang and Wei (2006) extended the model developed by modifying the principal-agent setup and by incorporating an indicator of financial development and social welfare function. They conclude that, conditionally to the cost of institutional reforms, pursue a low inflation target encourages the government to increase the performance of its tax collection system. Therefore the adoption of Inflation Targeting in emerging countries is expected to exert a positive effect on tax revenue collection. Indeed, empirical literature has provided evidence that tax revenue is negatively affected by inflation, the so-called Olivera-Tanzi effect (Tanzi, 1992). This inverse relationship is usually explained by the fact that the real value of tax revenue is erode by inflation, since it exists for some tax categories a time-lag between the date of imposition and the effective collection of these taxes. Therefore, by theoretically maintaining inflation at low levels, and therefore by increasing the real value of tax revenue, Inflation Targeting may attenuate the governments tax collection effort. Lucotte (2010), used a methodology suggested by Dehejia and Wahba (1999) which consists of dropping treated observations whose the propensity score is higher than the maximum or smaller than the minimum in the control group. The result shows that the estimated average treatment effect on treated (ATT) are all found to be positive and statistically significant. This suggests that, on average, Inflation Targeting has a quantitatively large and statistically significant impact on increasing public revenue in emerging market economies. This result largely support their hypothesis that the adoption of Inflation Targeting may encourage the government to improve the collection of tax revenue. Clausing (2007), analyze the impact of the size and the profitability of the corporate sector on revenues from corporate tax. The result of her regression analysis confirm that the share of the value added of the corporate sector, profit level GDP per capita and GDP growth have a positive impact on revenues from corporate tax, whereas the unemployment level has a negative impact. Kubatova and Rihova (years of study are not stated), found that all of their examined factors (GDP growth, inflation and unemployment) were statistically significant. Along with the growth of GDP comes the growth of revenues from corporate tax. Inflation also has a similar effect. Conversely, higher unemployment leads to a decrease of the revenues from corporate tax. Qazi (2010), in his paper attempts to search the determinants of tax buoyancy of 25 developing countries. He found that growth in import and manufacturing sectors have positive and significant impact on tax buoyancy which shows with the increase in growth of import sector tax revenue collection increases through import duties, tariff, sales tax on import stage and withholding income tax at import stage. Saeed, Ahmad and Akhtar (2010), have studied the impact of corruption index on the tax revenues over 27 developing countries and use annual data for the 2002 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 2006 periods found that GDP per capita is positive but it is significance at 12 percent level. The coefficient of the ratio of exports and imports (openness) to GDP is positive but not significance at even 10 percent level. CHAPTER THREE 3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN RESEARCH DESIGN 3.1.1 Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to determine the factors determinant tax revenue in Malaysia namely Gross Domestic Product (GDP), inflation rate, unemployment and openness. 3.1.2 Research Interference Most of the data used in this study are obtained from the secondary sources from various resources that have been analyzed. The data are collected from an internet resources. 3.1.2.1 Accuracy and Data Reliability Multiple regression analysis and a correlation research design are selected as the method of this study in order to investigate the variables that are associated with the problem. Two random variables are positively correlated if high values of one are likely to be associated with high values of the other and negatively correlated if high values of one are likely to be associated with low values of the other known as correlation. A statistical method used with one dependent variable and more than one independent variable known as multiple regression analysis. Thus, the accuracy and the data reliability of the data may partly depend on the published materials. 3.1.3 Study Setting Secondary data from various resources have been analyzed. Research here is a field study where it is non contrive setting with minimial interference. 3.2 DATA COLLECTION In completing this study, data is the most important thing needed. From the data collected, the researcher can make analysis and interpret the output to find out the result. Secondary Data It refer to the data collected by someone for some other purposes. The sources include census reports, organizational records, surveys and annual reports. This secondary data used by the researcher to gain the idea and information to develop the literature review and complete this study. 3.2.1.1 Internet and website Google Search The major sources that the researcher choose to find and gather journal that related with this study. This website are useful to the reasercher because help the researcher to gain the information about this study. 3.2.1.2 Library Research The researcher find the journal and books through the library reserach. Some of the information from journals and published materials can be used as references to the researcher to get a better picture of the situation. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK INDEPENDENT VARIABLES GDP Tax Revenue Inflation Rate DEPENDENT VARIABLE Unemployment Openness Figure 1.0: Theoretical Framework Based on the figure 1.0 above, it shows the relationship between the dependent variable which is Tax Revenue and the independent variables that includes Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Inflation Rate, Unemployment and Openness (trade). All these independent variables will be test to determine the relationship among these independent variables and dependent variables. 3.3.1 Priory Relationship 1. GDP and Tax Revenue : if GDP increase, the total tax revenue collected by government will also increase. This two variable have a positive relationship. 2. Inflation Rate and Tax Revenue : if an inflation rate increase, the total tax revenue collected by government will decrease. This two variable have a negative relationship. 3. Unemployment and Tax Revenue : if unemployment increase, the total tax revenue collected by government will decrease. This two variable have a negative relationship. 4. Openness and Tax Revenue : if the degree of openness increase, the total tax revenue collected by government will also increase. This two variable have a positive relationship. HYPOTHESIS STATEMENT The purpose of the hypothesis statement is to illustrates which of the hypothesis is most affect the dependent variable. The hypothesis are: H0 : GDP is not statistically significant to affect tax revenue in Malaysia H1 : GDP is statistically significant to affect tax revenue in Malaysia. H0 : Inflation is not statistically significant to affect tax revenue in Malaysia H1 : Inflation is indeed statistically significant to affect tax revenue in Malaysia. H0 : Unemployment is not statistically significant to affect tax revenue in Malaysia. H1 : Unemployment is indeed statistically significant to affect tax Revenue in Malaysia. H0 : Openness is not statistically significant to affect tax revenue in Malaysia. H1 : Openness is indeed statistically significant to affect tax revenue in Malaysia. DATA ANALYSIS In this study, the data analysis need to be explained clearly. The data also consists of independent variable and dependent variable which is GDP, inflation rate, unemployment and openness . Pearson coefficient of correlation is used to the extent of relationship among different variables. All the data has been analyzed by using Statistical package Science for Social (SPSS) program. The data will be examine by: Beta analysia (Coefficient) To find out the relationship between independent variables and dependent variable. Does the relationship exist or not. Coefficient of Determination (R-squared) To know how well the independent variables explain the variation of the dependent variable in the regression. T-Statistic Identify significant relationship of each independent variable with the dependent variable F-Statistic Testing the significance of the overall independent variables with the dependent variable Standard Error of Estimation (See) The objective is to identify whether a particular variableis significant at a certain level of confidence. Multiple Regression Analysis TR = f ( GDP, Inf, Un, Op )This technique will focus on a relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variable. The regression analysis help the researcher to understand how the typical value of the dependent variable changes when any one of the independent variable is varied, while the other independent variables are held fixed. TR = a + b1 GDP + b2 Inf + b3 Un + b4 Op + Ɇº Where: TR = Tax Revenue GDP = Gross Domestic Product Inf = Inflation Rate Un = Unemployment Op = Openness The dependent variable in the above equation is tax revenue while the independent variables are GDP, inflation rate, unemployment and openness. Beta Analysis (Coefficient) Beta analysis is a measurement used in order to find out the relationship between independent variables and dependent variable does exist or not. Therefore, if the result is positive that means the independent variables can explain the changes in the dependent variable. Coefficient of Determination (R ²) The coefficient of determination is a statistic that will give information the goodness of fit of model. It is a statistical measure of how well the regression line approximates the real data points. Is a descriptive measure between zero and one, indicating how good one term is at predicting another. The value of coefficient of determination is shown below: Range of R ² Strength of relationship No relationship with dependent variable 0.1 to 0.5 Weak relationship between independent variables and dependent variable 0.6 to 0.9 Dependent variable is strongly explained by independent variables 1 Dependent variable ia perfectly explained by Independent variables T-Statistic T-statistic is used to determine whether the significance between the dependent variable and the independent variables exists or not. If the computed T-stat is greater than book T-value, the independent variable is statistically significant or vice-versa. In order to get book T-value, the degree of freedom should be culculated at a 95% confidence interval. The degree of freedom can be calculated as follow: Degree of freedom = n à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" k à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 1 Where: k = Number of Independent Variable n = Number of Observation The results for T-statistic: Accept H1, reject H0 If the computed t-statistic is greater than the book T-value at a 95% confidence interval. Reject H1, accept H0 If the computed t-statistic is lower than the book T-value at a 95% confidence interval. F-Statistic F-test is an overall test of the null hypothesis that group means on the dependent variable do not differ. It is used when comparing statistical models that have been fit to a data set, in order to identify the model that best fit the popultaion from which the data were sampled. F-test mainly arise when the models have been fit to the data using least squares. In order to get book F-value, it should be culculated at a 5% significant level. Formula for book F-value is as follow: Book F-value = FÃŽÂ ± (k à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 1, n à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" k) Where: ÃŽÂ ± = Significant level (5%) k = Number of Independent Variable n = Number of Observation k à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 1 = Numerator n à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" k = Denominator The result for F-Statistics: Accept H1, reject H0 If the computed F-Statistic is greater than the book F-value at 5% significant level. Reject H1, accept H0 If the computed F-Statistic is lower than the book F-value at 5% significant level. 3.5.6 Standard Error of Estimation (See) It is a measure of the dispersion of tthe data points from the regression line. Its objective is to identify whether a particular variable is significant at a certain level of confidence. Standard error can be measured in two ways: Using T-stat See = b t-stat Degree of freedom Df = n à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" k à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 1 It is also useful in determining the range in which the dependent variable will point to a specified probability. CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 DATA DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS This chapter focuses on the data description and result analysis. All the data collected in this study were processed using Microsoft Office Excel and the SPSS program. Microsoft Office Excel was used to describe the performance of dependent variable and independent variables. SPSS program was used to analyze the data from the correlation and regression analysis. The method was used to analyze the data was Multiple Regression Correlation Analysis. A multiple regression analysis involves more than one independent variable. The process of evaluating is the same with simple regression, but in order to derive the estimated regression, a computer is employed due to the complex nature of data and time required. The presentation of findings is made to examine the relationship among independent variables (GDP, inflation, unemployment and openness) and dependent variable (tax revenue). This study used Multiple Regression Method Analysis which is the interpretation of Regression Analysis includes Beta Analysis (Coefficient), Coefficient of determination (R-Squared), T-statistics and F-statistics. 4.1 DATA DESCRIPTION Dependent Variable Figure 1 Independent Variables Figure 2 Gross Domestic Product is the value at current prices of the total annual output of final goods and services produced in a country. .. Figure 3 Inflation rate is the percentage annual increase in the general price level, commonly measured by the consumer price index (CPI) or some comparable price index. . Figure 4 Unemployment rate is Figure 5 Openness is 4.2 INTERPRETATION OF DATA AND FINDINGS 4.2.1 Research Analysis From the data obtained, it shows the result of regression output as stated in Table 1 as follows: Table 1 Variables Constant GDP Inflation Unemployment Openness Beta Analysis -144980.369 13.481 1657.557 5860.522 -572.845 T-statistics 8.284 5.562 3.435 2.643 7.017 R-squared : 0.990 F-statistics : 358.696 Standard error of estimation : 6122.50419 4.2.2 Regression Equation From the result obtained, we can derive the regression linear function as follows: General function: TR = f ( GDP, Inf, Un, Op ) Multiple Regression Equation: TR = a + b1 GDP + b2 Inf + b3 Un + b4 Op + Ɇº TR = à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 144980.369 + 13.481 GDP + 1657.557 Inf + 5860.522 Un à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 572.845 Op + Ɇº 4.3 RESULT OF FINDINGS 4.4.1 Beta Analysis (Coefficient) Beta analysis is a measurement used in order to find out whether a relationship exists between the independent variables and the dependent variable. Table 2: The result of beta analysis Variables Beta Analysis GDP 13.481 Inflation 1657.557 Unemployment 5860.522 Openness -572.845 Beta analysis for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) From the results obtained, it shows that when GDP increase by 1 unit, tax revenue will increase by 13.481 units. The increase in GDP will raised the total tax revenue collected by government. It shows that this two variable have a positive relationship and consistent with the economic theory. This is because .. Beta analysis for Inflation From the results obtained, it shows that an increase of 1 unit in inflation can

Friday, September 20, 2019

Bush Essay -- essays research papers

George Bush is not content with the United States being the top dog. His snarling at one international accord after another besmirches the United States and makes the world a more dangerous place. When Bush nixed at the ABM treaty, the comprehensive test ban treaty, the biological weapons protocol, and the small-arms convention, he sent an unmistakable signal that the United States doesn't care about arms control. This will only encourage other nations to bolster their own arsenals, and the arms race will accelerate on every track. And when Bush led the United States out of the Kyoto accord on global warming, he turned Washington into a laughingstock, with 178 nations on one side and the United States on the other. By not requiring U.S. companies, which produce a huge chunk of the world's carbon dioxide, to curb their emissions, Bush showed a reckless disregard for the environmental health of the planet. Like many know-nothings, Bush believes the United States is better than any other country. They're foreigners; what do they know? So what if 178 nations disagree with us? We've got the Holy Grail. We're so different from all these other nations that our interests can't possibly coincide with theirs. After returning from Europe on his first trip, he bragged to Peggy Noonan, his dad's speechwriter, that he stood down more than twenty leaders (no matter they were our allies) so he could stand up for America. Bush also has Kissinger's phobia: the morbid fear that other countries will drag U.S. soldiers or statesmen to The Hague or elsewhere for prosecution. Belgium is already trying to get its hands on Kissinger, and Bush wants to make sure that Americans elude any court outside our borders. The one job Bush takes seriously is that of chief executive of the corporate class. Boeing, Lockheed, and Philip Morris want to be able ply their wares without interference from any international body, so Bush undercuts those bodies at every opportunity. The World Health Organization, for instance, is trying to get countries to sign on to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which would, among other things, limit advertising, raise cigarette taxes, eliminate subsidies, and consider the possibility of expanding the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice so that tobacco companies could be tried for crimes against humanity. Tobacco killed four million p... ...to boycott the Kyoto protocol could cost U.S. companies business in the area of environmental technology." So even if Bush's ultimate objective is to boost the bottom line of U.S. corporations, he may be going about it the wrong way. Note that I haven't even mentioned the appointment of extremists like John Ashcroft and Theodore Olson, who will be advising Bush about whom to appoint to the federal bench; or Gale Norton, the James Watt protà ©gà ©e now heading the Interior Department, who believes polluters should be trusted to be self-policing; or Andrew Card, the automobile industry's chief lobbyist, now Chief of Staff; or Michael Powell, the new head of the FCC, who has no interest in moderating media mergers. And I haven't said a word about so-called social issues. We should not be surprised by the predatory nature of U.S. foreign policy. Until the U.S. government and until the American people get over their superiority complex, until they understand that United States and most other nations have common interests that transcend borders and jingos, that cooperation not domination is the way of the future, the foreign policy of the United States will have a familiar snarl.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

the bill of rights :: essays research papers

Through out the history of the United State of America many events have been seen and passed, all to leave their mark with our nation. As time ages people change along with our government. Many of these changes occur in our government affect our daily lives. Impacts of these severities are a direct result of our ever changing Amendments, which our Founding Fathers layed apon us. The Constitution said by many to have "stood the test of time" has lasted through many centuries through the use of the ever flexible amendments. During the earlier eras of the United States of America, few had hope in the idea of a government with a central power in the thoughts of the confederates. Although time in and time out this idea seems to be banished within the shadows of the proven government. The constitution changing frequently in order to adapt to quickness americcan life. By the use of amendments the Bill of rights are extended and modified to mold and shape to the society and its nearby surrounding. Ideas conveying the change include the thirtenth Amendment which put an end to slavery and all of its extensions in eigthteen sixty five. The southern states of the nation were allowed to enforce unwilling labor at little or no cost at all to the owners. By the end of the inhuman tradition suggested the nation was snowballing into revolution of change which allowed the government prove their ability to keep current with society. Along with the gaining of Blacks rights and the abolishment of slavery came the gra nted right of voting. Black citizens were bared from voting until late eighteen seventies. The fifteenth amendment offically proctected the Black man right to vote and also allowed congress to "pass laws needed to enforce this amendment." Clearly one is able to view the Constitutions ability to mend the Bill of rights with amendments to grant a viable form of justice. Blod manuvers from the governmnet, has displayed to the society as well as the nation, protection is granted to where is most important. Our granted rights changing in time. Recent periods of evolution and application of our Civil constitution does not date far into our nations history. Amendments have altered the way inwhich citizens vote and gain the ability to vote. In the early nineteen seventies an age of eighteen years old was set to allow one to cast their vote in natioal, state, and local elections. the bill of rights :: essays research papers Through out the history of the United State of America many events have been seen and passed, all to leave their mark with our nation. As time ages people change along with our government. Many of these changes occur in our government affect our daily lives. Impacts of these severities are a direct result of our ever changing Amendments, which our Founding Fathers layed apon us. The Constitution said by many to have "stood the test of time" has lasted through many centuries through the use of the ever flexible amendments. During the earlier eras of the United States of America, few had hope in the idea of a government with a central power in the thoughts of the confederates. Although time in and time out this idea seems to be banished within the shadows of the proven government. The constitution changing frequently in order to adapt to quickness americcan life. By the use of amendments the Bill of rights are extended and modified to mold and shape to the society and its nearby surrounding. Ideas conveying the change include the thirtenth Amendment which put an end to slavery and all of its extensions in eigthteen sixty five. The southern states of the nation were allowed to enforce unwilling labor at little or no cost at all to the owners. By the end of the inhuman tradition suggested the nation was snowballing into revolution of change which allowed the government prove their ability to keep current with society. Along with the gaining of Blacks rights and the abolishment of slavery came the gra nted right of voting. Black citizens were bared from voting until late eighteen seventies. The fifteenth amendment offically proctected the Black man right to vote and also allowed congress to "pass laws needed to enforce this amendment." Clearly one is able to view the Constitutions ability to mend the Bill of rights with amendments to grant a viable form of justice. Blod manuvers from the governmnet, has displayed to the society as well as the nation, protection is granted to where is most important. Our granted rights changing in time. Recent periods of evolution and application of our Civil constitution does not date far into our nations history. Amendments have altered the way inwhich citizens vote and gain the ability to vote. In the early nineteen seventies an age of eighteen years old was set to allow one to cast their vote in natioal, state, and local elections.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

John Steinbecks East of Eden - Religious References :: East Eden Essays

Religious References in East of Eden Religion constantly appears throughout Steinbeck's East of Eden. Among these religious appearances are the similarities between the Cain and Abel story and the characters, the Hebrew word timshel, and the presence of God/Fate in the novel. First, East of Eden is a reenactment of the Cain and Abel tale. Many similarities are seen between the two. The title East of Eden comes from the biblical tale when " 'Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden' " (Steinbeck 352). The relationship between Abel and Cain, who killed Abel, is similar to those of Adam and Charles, who once tried to kill Adam, and Aron and Caleb, who informed Aron of their mother's profession, an act which led to Aron's death in World War I. Charles and Caleb fight for their fathers' affections in the same way in which Cain fought with Abel over the Lord's attention. Also in the novel, "the Cain characters ... are identified by names beginning with "C" (Cyrus, Charles, Cathy, Caleb) and the Abel characters ... with "A" (Alice, Adam, Aron, Abra)" (Lisca 269). Next is the word timshel-- thou mayest-- a Hebrew word spoken to Cain by the Lord: " 'if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him' " (Steinbeck 351). Lee discovers that the verb in this passage has been translated as both thou shalt [rule over evil] and do thou [rule over evil].With the help of his Chinese elders and a Jewish Rabbi, Lee determines that the original meaning is thou mayest-- "the word timshel ... gives a choice" (398) or free will to mankind to commit good or evil acts. This word appears often in the novel and is important at the very end where Adam's final timshel blesses and forgives Caleb and reminds him that even after his "murder of his brother ... he can still choose his course and fight it through and win", meaning Caleb still has the chance to overcome the tendency for evil which he believes he has inherited form his mother. (Gribben 96) One of the novel's epiphanies is Lee's translation of timshel to thou mayest. This translation puts choice into man's destiny. According to this view, we are not condemned; we have a choice between good and evil.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Multicultural Matrix and Analysis Worksheet Essay

What is the group’s history in the United States? What is the group’s population in the United States? What are some attitudes and customs people of this group may practice? What is something you admire about this group’s people, lifestyle, or society? 1. Native Americans Native American tribes has a very unique history in North America all their own. That history has been passed down through generations of people and some only exists in archeological remains. Recently, their history has become popularized with the accounts of WWII and the part that Native Americans played. For instance, there where Navajo Code Talkers, which used their native language to transmit messages back and forth that could not be de-coded by the Germans. They have also made a movie about this called Wind Talkers. Native Americans have been running for government offices gaining representation and political power within the government. With the advent some Native Americans using reservations for entertainment such as casinos and outdoor resorts; the tribes have made substantial gains in financial and political power. The Native Americans were the first indigenous people in America before the â€Å"white man† came. But now they only comprise 1% of the current population. Native Americans have managed to increase their numbers in recent years but have nowhere near the population size prior to the westward expansion of the US. â€Å"While there are similarities between tribal heritage and traditions, Native American culture varies from nation to nation. Furthermore, the culture of Native Americans living on reservations differs greatly from Native Americans who do not to live on reservations.† (Pluralism Project at  Harvard University, 2011) The native American way of life is marked with the adherence to tradition. The tribal system has many aspects of benefit for the members of this group. Such things as fairness, communal assistance, and justice based upon equivalent measures of punishment and mercy. 2. Caucasian Americans Caucasian Americans comprise a large group including Italians, Irish, English and other distinct cultures. This mixture of different groups would become the basis for the formation of the United States. The early European settlers quickly meshed forming the unique identity of the American colonies. This group beyond all other would be most directly responsible for the separation from English rule and the formation of the US. Caucasian Americans comprise 75% of the American population. Caucasian Americans have many groups and diverse backgrounds. Many of these maintain heritage and identify themselves independently such as Irish Americans. However, Caucasian Americans have also assimilated into the American Culture so much that often their heritage becomes muddled and confused. Caucasian Americans have had some very famous people that have contributed. Inventions, books, art, different clothing styles for many eras, music like country, and provided the primary language to American culture. Caucasian Americans have successfully meshed their many diverse groups in order to create a single culture that is unique to the US. 3. Pacific Islanders Pacific Islanders cover a vast range of different cultural groups and nationalities within the Pacific Ocean area from Micronesia, Polynesia, and Melanesia. Polynesia is grouping of several islands that form a triangle to include the Easter Islands, Hawaii, and New Zealand. Melanesia consists of Papau New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu. Micronesia has eight different territories that include Diribate, Guam, and the Marshal Islands. European explorers, found this little Polynesian Islands were found on travels during the 17 and 18th centuries by French and English ships. Soon they were laying claims to this small islands. Sadly, the population of true Pacific Islanders has been compromised because of disease the European settlers brought with them. Today there are very few  purely Pacific Islanders left in the world. Pacific Islanders population is a tenuous area of study because of the mixing of racial lines. Often the Pacific Island Population is lumped with Asian Americans. Pacific Islanders alone comprise less than .1% of the total US population. The Pacific Islanders are very family oriented and will always fight for one another. An interesting fact about them is that in Tahiti both men and woman will wear flowers behind their ear, one behind the left means that they are spoken for and behind the right they are single. Pacific Islander culture promotes a lifestyle based honor and nobility. Music and dance is deeply understood in the Pacific Islander way of life. So much is the case, that music and dance are actually a means of communication. Pacific Islanders have maintained their roots and language but as a group they struggle against decreasing population size. Pacific Islanders have added to the American Culture through dance, art language, and lifestyle. Hawaii has a culture unlike most of the United States and is considered one of the greatest places to live due to its relaxed atmosphere. 4. African Americans Unlike other groups in the United States, the African Americans ancestors were shipped to this country as slaves from Africa and other countries. African Americans have also had the unfortunate reality of having to struggle to attain every aspect of equality. This problem persists even today. African Americans have also given rise to some of the most prolific leaders and thinkers concerning civil rights and equality. As a direct result of fighting inequality, civil rights leaders have helped to change the course of American History. Some of these figures include: Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and Martin Luther King just to name a few. These are just some of the more famous African American civil rights leaders and thinkers. There is no doubt that African Americans have through adversity altered the viewpoints of Americans and reshaped law. African Americans today makeup about 14% of the current population in the United States. This statistic has been holding steady for since the 1990’s. African Americans have unique culture in that they have been separated from their land of origin. As a result of this separation African Americans have developed a culture that is  unique to them. Their culture involves independent forms of music (rap, blues, soul) art, and storytelling. African Americans are a strong group of people who have managed to overcome hundreds of years of adversity. Although there are still many problems in the US today concerning prejudice and racism, African Americans have managed to continue to make advances. 5. Hispanic Americans The Spanish explores were the start of the Hispanic American group. They settled lands that we know today as the states of California and Florida. They also claimed the states that are present-day Utah, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico which were claimed by Mexico before the United States claimed them later. Hispanic is a term created by the U.S. federal government in the early 1970s to broadly categorize the Spanish speaking groups of Americans. Hispanics are the largest growing group in the US and many have been here since before the US was even a country. Hispanics and Latinos contribute more than 48.4 million of the total population in the current United States. The Hispanic groups living in America share the common cultural ideology of the â€Å"family unit†. This creates a family concept where you have grandparents, parents, and children all living together in the same house. In most Hispanic groups aiding family is an expectation that must be lived up to. Hispanic culture has also transformed and increased the American Culture in way so obvious that they are often unnoticed. For example, Hispanic foods are everywhere, Spanish and Mexican architecture are prevalent throughout the south and western US. The Spanish language is rapidly making the US a bilingual country. The culture of varying Hispanic groups has added to the unique culture of the US. Food, music, and language are rapidly taken in by Americans. One cannot help but love the Hispanic culture as it has become an American staple including such people and things: Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Antony Bandaros, Cinco de Mayo, and many other people and events. 6. Asian Americans The first wave of immigration began in the 1840’s, with Chinese workers immigrating and migrating to the West. There were also other Asian immigrants Japanese, Koreans, and Filipinos you could find this people traveling to Hawaii at first. But they were persecuted more in Hawaii then other states and were not granted citizenship. During the 1860’s these groups were even barred from entering the US. After World War II, conditions for Asian Americans began to improve. In the 70’s and 80’s the Southeast Asian immigration increased because of the Vietnam War. There is currently around 15.5 million U.S. Asian or Asian decent currently in the Untied States. Asian Americans are very nationalistic in that they are very proud of their heritage and maintain their traditions. This has presented challenges in that second-generation immigrants sometimes struggle with trying to balance tradition with the American culture. Asian Americans have a rich and long history that predates most of the known groups by thousands of years. The three main Eastern philosophies: Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism comprise the largest religions in the world. The beliefs from this religions have built paternally oriented, families that are highly structured, and also hierarchical. Asian Americans are one of the most profound groups that make the United States a culturally rich place. The different groups of Asian Americans have settled into enclaves and created communities that maintain their heritage. There is almost not major city in the US that does not boast a China Town or some form of Asian Area. Part II: Analysis The United States is a diverse nation built on the concept of the ‘melting pot’. While this ideology is pleasant and sounds good in theory it is however not completely true. In reality, the US is more of a collection of different groups. The reality of the US is that it is a pluralistic society maintaining many diverse groups that hold their heritage (Harvard Pluralism Project, 2011). Underpinning this pluralism is an American identity that is highly unique but difficult to assimilate into. Each of the different groups such as Asian Americans, Caucasian Americans, African Americans,  etc†¦Each form the unique culture of America by adding their diversity to the pool of characteristics attributed to culture. For instance, Asian Americans brought their foods and art to America and thus was absorbed into the mainstream. There are no cities in America lacking a Chinese restaurant and many Americans have Asian style furniture or art. As well, Hispanic Americans added to the culture of America through food and events such as Cinco De Mayo. Spanish architecture is prevalent throughout the Southern and Western US. The assimilation process of foreign cultures is often met with intense resistance. Within the Caucasian group Irish and Italian Americans were some of the most persecuted immigrants (Fischer, 1989). These groups have successfully assimilated today but other groups have continued to meet resistance. For instance, African Americans have met with decades of intolerance and racial violence. One major factor that cannot be overlooked is the fact that groups whom share racial distinctions such as skin color often have the hardest time assimilating into the American culture. African Americans and Asians have met with intense resistance and stereotyping. African Americans in particular have been the victims of vicious stereotyping which depicts them as being subhuman or evil. Yet despite these stereotypes having no truth to them have persisted. Worse yet the blatant prejudice and discrimination of the early part of the century has diminished in light of a silent racism or institutional racis m. This unspoken prejudice is built into the fabric of society and can often only be revealed through statistics. For instance, African Americans are completely overrepresented in the justice system; especially the juvenile justice system. African American juveniles are three times as likely to be sent to correctional facilities which Caucasians are often given probation for committing the same crime. In this way the stereotypes and prejudice are built into the systems of law and institutions and are used to continue oppressing certain groups. The problem is systemic of race and racial lines. Although using race as a form of taxonomy has been proven to be scientifically unsound the practice continues today. In the US because the dominant group is Caucasian this sets the standard for racial assimilation. All of the Caucasian groups have managed to assimilate with relative ease suffering a generation or two of prejudice often associated with economics. For instance, Irish Americans and Italian Americans both faced opposition form the American culture  because they began working and the mainstrea m population viewed this as a threat to their livelihood. This division of race has its roots in the slave era of the United States. Growing abolitionist movements would seek to end slavery but would at the same time stoke the fires of prejudice. Southerners would justify slavery by claiming racial superiority over African Americans. Even in the aftermath of the Civil War this hatred would continue to grow in the form of Jim Crow laws and outright violence. So bad was the violence against black that President Grant dispatched the Army to crush the Ku Klux Klan’s first uprising. However the clan would rise to more times across the next 70 years (Newman, 2002). The resulting racial prejudice which seems to prevail in the US is that groups who are similar to the Caucasian culture often meet with less resistance to assimilation than those groups who are dissimilar resulting from racial features such as skin color. No group has met with the resistance to assimilation more so than African Americans. Hispanic Americans are comprised of many different groups having different racial features and they are not always not easily distinguished in the way that African Americans are. The American culture, although rich with the many diverse features of other cultures is still problematic. Race a cultural differences continue to be major problems. But the country has come a long way from the days of old laws and segregation and we seem to continue acquiring and growing into a more tolerance and diverse country. Part III: Sources References: Fischer, D. H. (1989). Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. The Pluralism Project at Harvard University (2011) Retrieved from http://pluralism.org/ Newman, Richard S. The Transformation of American Abolitionism: Fighting Slavery in the Early Republic. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2002. US Census (2010). Current Population Reports. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p20-540.pdf