Is it boon or bane free essay sample

The pork barrel scam has always been a very sensational issue which erupted on July of 2013. Many people did raise their eyebrows at anyone upon hearing such issue. But some just don’t care anyway. So, what really makes this issue ring the bell among all the Filipino people of this time? What is pork barrel? Is it a bane or boon? Pork barrel has been interchangeably used with PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund). Pork barrel is a political slang used to describe a government appropriation, bill or policy that supplies funds for local improvements. Under the pork barrel system, each branch of the government (legislative, judiciary and executive) has its own pork barrel allocation. The controversy however, has centered more on the legislative’s pork barrel. The pork barrel’s history can be traced back in the pre-Civil War period, where its possible origin can be traced among three practices: (1) The practice of the landowner setting aside a definite portion of salted pork in wooden barrels for their black slaves, (2) the practice of American farmers in preserving pork in barrels in anticipation of hardships of winter, when the pork was shared with their needy neighbors and (3) that it comes from an old adage â€Å"Bring home the bacon. We will write a custom essay sample on Is it boon or bane? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † Pork barrel couldn’t just simply be pork barrel without the scam at the end which makes it clamor for public attention. Pork barrel has never been new to the Philippine society. As a matter of fact, this law has been introduced in the Philippine government in the year 1922. This so called fund was established as a public fund intentionally for public purposes, like building of public infrastructures, schools, health assistance, livelihood assistance, scholarships and the like. However, the things that are supposedly allocated for some better purpose goes nowhere but in the many deep pockets of our corrupt politicians. All of these things all boil down to the term pork barrel spending. This term pertains to the unwise, improper and unjust spending of the pork barrel in the hands of these dirty politicians, which lead to the pork barrel scam. As we all know, from the very beginning that the government was solely made for the people, by the people to the people. Therefore this improper spending of the pork barrel has legitimately defied all the principles of what true governance is. Therefore, this act is painstakingly an immoral act. Basing it from the social teachings of the church, such people are in their authority to lead and not to exploit and most especially to serve and not to abuse. These people exploit the money that the people pay as taxes, which in return nothing goes back to the one who must benefit it, which in this case the act of this spending can be none other termed as stealing. I believe that the idea of pork barrel is a system that could help alleviate the condition of the poorest among the poor in the society or it is something that can make the society a better place to live; in that is a given fact. This is made to help the people, the society and the country to be the best of it can. However, in the hands of the dirty politicians, this kind of systems turns out to be immoral for this goes nowhere but in the own pockets of the greedy crocodiles. Therefore, I conclude that this is no longer a great a help in our society since this system grows a generation of politicians the turns out to be selfish, greedy and the worst monsters. Which makes this pork barrel simply BANE.

Essay Topics For College Students

Essay Topics For College StudentsIf you are planning to submit an example argumentative essay to your college English department, it is important that you understand the basics of essay writing and the factors that will affect your final grade. By knowing a few key points in essay writing, you will be able to see clearly what is expected of you and how much you need to know before you begin writing.Beginning with factual information, or an 'idea,' is one of the best examples of essay topics for college students. It is important to present as much information as possible, including all points of view in order to provide a balanced evaluation of an issue. Focus on the facts rather than trying to convince or persuade the reader.For example argumentative essay topics for college students, it is important to write in a clear and straightforward manner. Using jargon, including complicated terms, is not a good idea, nor is presenting opinions that are contrary to the facts of the argument. Your goal is to present the facts as accurately as possible in order to help the reader make a rational decision.You can also find many great examples of essay topics for college students when you consider looking at essay topics in certain areas, such as politics, religion, and even the arts. When you look at these topics, you can see a wide variety of topics that are commonly used by college students in their writing. By considering how a typical college student would approach an argument or topic, you can get a better idea of what kind of arguments or topics to use for an example argumentative essay.With respect to the subject matter, you should always have a personal viewpoint that is completely unique to you. This makes you unique from every other author in the essay, which will make your essay stand out as a special work of literature. You can help make this point by allowing the reader to come to aconclusion based on your personal experience rather than the experiences of oth ers.Your essay must contain a strong balance of original content and accepted information. Remember that the original content is what the reader wants to read, but they are distracted by the accepted information that they need to digest. By making sure that the accepted information is concise and clearly stated, you can give the reader a clear understanding of the issues at hand.For example argumentative essay topics for college students, keep in mind that the most successful essays and papers are those that follow professional writing principles. In other words, your essay should not only be informative and original, but it should also show the reader how your opinions are based on solid facts. By using the same academic writing practices and by following rules like using proper grammar and proofreading, you can create a quality essay that will stand out from the rest.Finally, remember that you must show your audience that you know your topic very well, which is why it is so import ant to learn about essay topics for college students before you begin writing. Research the topic that you wish to write about, along with the different rules and guidelines that will allow you to write effectively. Taking the time to understand the basic rules of essay writing can be the difference between a poor essay and a high-quality essay.

Financial Information System Essays

Financial Information System Essays Financial Information System Essay Financial Information System Essay It is one of the most modern, largest vertically integrated textile company in Pakistan. Insist Mills Ltd. Is amongst Pakistanis oldest and most respected institutions in the field of textile processing. Insist Apparel is a state of the art facility and was incepted in May 2007. Initially Insist Apparel used Data Flex for its operational and informational needs. This system was implemented for several years but, as the business was experiencing phenomenal growth, coupled with several inherent shortcomings of the system, the growing information needs of the company along with the technological advancement in the ERP field necessitated Nights move to a more sophisticated and advanced system. These reasons have been detailed as follows: Issues with initial system (Data flex): Obsolete: The version of Data flex that was being used at Insist Mills was out-dated and no further vendor support was available for it. Insist was expanding in terms of business and complexity. Thus they required greater support from their system which it was unable to provide. As there was no vendor support to modify the system as per their needs, they had no option else than to switch to an alternative with better vendor support. : Incapable of processing high volume of transactions efficiently: The expansion of Insist Mills resulted in a similar increase in transaction volume that needed processing. The Data flex system with its out dated technology was unable to efficiently handle huge volume of transactions. This resulted in operating in-efficiency and higher costs. The old system thus became the weak link that needed to be replaced in order to support the growth of Nights operations while allowing a greater operating efficiency. Non-centralized database: The initial Data Flex system had a non-centralized database thus each department at Insist Apparel had to maintain its own data leading to great deal of data attendance. Since each department had to update its data separately there were several sets of data being maintained and updating data was not an easy Job. Multiple versions of same data developed inconsistencies which resulted in loss of data integrity. Furthermore, it was not possible for departments to share data with each other, thus each department was effectively working in isolation. Batch Processing: Insist Apparel was competing in the international market for clients like Levies and Dockers. One of the compelling requirements of time was to give short lead times amidst its international competitors. This could not be achieved with the initial Data Flex system which was based on batch processing. There was a time lag between occurrence of business event and the correspondent transaction being processed. This means that the only time the master data was up-to-date was right after the processing has been completed. As soon as the next business event occurs, the master data are no longer up-to-date. This led to lack of proper information for decision making Choice of ERP system: While shifting to new ERP system Insist Group had three basic concerns; they wanted to have a centralized data base, real time transaction processing and a yester that could handle large volume of transactional data. They decided to switch to the Oracle ERP System since it could best cater to their informational needs with respect to the large volume of transactions and also provide the other features that were required, as mentioned above. Oracle ERP system could provide the following benefits to Insist: Better integration across departments Up-to-date database No processing lags caused by the system Better internal controls Improve customer service Reduced lead time Better management decisions Better inventory management Cheaper procurement. Lower costs. Transition Phase: Training Sessions: In order to move from Data Flex to Oracle, month long training sessions were conducted for the employees to train them to work on the oracle system. During this period, they were also made to work on dummy data in order to strengthen their command on the new system. After the conclusion of the training period, one-on-one sessions were carried out with the employees to check for any shortcomings and further build upon their learning. The company had to slightly modify their methods of operation in order to align them with the best practices as dictated by the Oracle yester. Modular Approach: A modular approach was undertaken for the implementation of the Oracle system. The system was installed on a department wise basis like Accounts, Purchase, Inventory, Human Resource and more. Within each department, internal controls were developed to ensure that the organization meets its objectives, such as system logins for users to avoid UN-authorized access. Furthermore, system was modified according to the needs of different units of Insist Mills. For example in Insist Apparel, keeping in mind its nature of business, demand gets generated automatically once bill of materials is prepared which is not a requirement for spinning , weaving or dyeing unit of Insist Mills. Running parallel systems: The older system was still operating in parallel to the new system so that business activities would not be affected. A centralized database was developed and data was transferred from the old system to the Oracle database. During the day, employees used to work on Data Flex and at the day end they transferred the whole days data to the Oracle database. Employees were required to put in extra hours for this purpose. Duration of transition phase: The entire changeover from Data Flex to Oracle consumed nearly 1. -2 years and is still undergoing minor development. For instance, the ERP system pertaining to Human Resource is still undergoing modifications to best meet the organizational needs. Problems Faced: Employee trainings: The employees were acquainted with Data Flex and in order to switch them over to the new system, trainings were conducted. This put on additional stress in terms of loss of time, business process efficiency and HRS costs. Downsizing: Dat a Flex required more manpower to operate the system in contrast to Oracle which squired fewer people. The firm had to downsize as there was excess manpower employed within the firm as per required by Oracle. The layoffs resulted in loss of morale with existing employees and many suffered from the survivor syndrome. Resistance from employees: The decision to upgrade to the new system was not warmly received by some of the employees as they had a thorough command on the previous system. Their ease with the existing system made them unreceptive to change and expressed their displeasure. As a result, they had to be motivated and educated to make the change successful. Information sequencing issues: Insist had a great deal of redundancy within its database. There were multiple versions of the same data stored. This has put on additional problems while transferring data into the new centralized database. They were unsure as to how to consolidate the different versions of data in the new database. Setting up wireless communication links: Successful implementation of Oracle required the set up of wireless routers across offices. This resulted in huge costs to establish the infrastructure that complemented the use of Oracle. Explanation of Entries of Control Matrix The purchase cycle is broadly classified into three sub-processes; purchase requisition, receipt of goods and payable. We have identified the following present controls and we will analyze how these controls meet the operational and informational goals: Pl- Automatic Notification of Inventory Falling Below Re-order Level: Effectiveness goal C: The ERP system is designed in a way that it automatically notifies the store dept. Whenever the inventory level falls below the re-order level thus ensuring the effectiveness of goal C which states that the inventory level should not fall below the re-order level. Efficient employment of resources: The ERP system automatically informs for inventory shortfalls thus eliminating the need on part of humans to physically check (count) for inventory levels. This leads to efficient employment of resources since no manpower and time is utilized for this purpose. PA- Pre-Formatted Screens For All Internal Documents: Efficient employment of resources: The internal documents in the purchase cycle are in the form of pre-formatted screens. Structured entry cells allow user to reduce the number of keystrokes and increase efficiency by displaying only the required information in a desired format to he user. Input Accuracy, Update Accuracy: Due to pre-formatted screens, once a particular field is filled, the cursor moves to the next field on the screen automatically, thus preventing the user from omitting any required data set. Incorrectly filled fields are rejected, hence reducing errors. *Wherever input accuracy or completeness is ensured, update accuracy and completeness are automatically ensured in ERP systems because update occurs in real-time as soon as something is input. PA- Compare input with master data and Automatic Population of Data: Efficient employment of resources: The automatic population of fields from the master data leads to lesser key strokes which improve the speed and productivity of data entry personnel. Input Validity: The automatic population of data from master data as the information passes through various stages is a testament to the fact that information is being accessed and added on different documents from existing records and those data establish authorization for the transaction. Input Accuracy Update Accuracy: Fewer key strokes and use of data called up from existing records reduce the possibility of errors. PA- Record Input: Automatic recording of input event data by system increases efficiency PA- Interactive Feedback Checks: Input Update completeness: Interactive feedback checks display to the user that the input has been accepted and hence ensures data completeness. PA- Online Approval by HOOD: Ensure security of resources: The Hoods approval at several stages during the purchase process ensures that the companys resources would not be misappropriated for any invalid purposes. Input validity: Hoods approval is required when a demand requisition/POP is being made and when the payable data is being processed. He only approves an event after verifying its Aladdin. Therefore the Hoods approval is proof of the validity of the event reflected in the document being approved. PA- Display Requisition to Relevant Purchase Person: Effectiveness goal A: They have assigned particular procurement items to specific purchase persons due to which they have developed expertise in purchase of those items. This helps to ensure that a vendor that will provide the best quality at the optimum price by the required delivery date (on favorable terms) will be selected. Efficient employment of resources: Automatic routing of only the relevant purchase requisitions to concerned researchers saves them from the trouble of finding the items that have been assigned to them for procurement from all the raised requisitions. PA- Key Purchase Terms in SSP: The authorized person selects the most favorable mode of purchase (Comparative Statement, LLC or Cash) which meets our effectiveness goal A. PA- Maintaining Approved Vendor Data: This allows the purchase personnel to quickly access the approved vendors in the database that they already dealt with and know their repute so they do not need to search for a vendor every time they need to buy a particular item. This saves time ND leads to efficiency. PA- Prepare Quotation Entry Form (Including Tallest 3 Vendors): Effectiveness goal A: While preparing quotation entry form, three relevant suppliers are shortlist and then they are asked to provide quotations. This short-listing of three suppliers out of many helps ensure effectiveness of goal A which states that finally only the vendor providing the best quality at the lowest price by promised delivery date should be selected. POI- Preparation and Manual approval of Comparative statement: Effectiveness Goal A: After receiving short-listed quotations, the HOOD compares the vendors in the imperative statement and selects the required vendor keeping in mind that the optimum combination of price and quality is being achieved. Pl 1- Preparation, Approval and Dispatch of POP by HOOD: The clerk brings the POP in the name of the selected vendor to the HOOD. The HOOD ensures that the POP is made in the name of the approved supplier by approving POP online. This ensures the selection of a vendor who will provide the best quality at the optimum price. Input Validity: Approval by the HOOD ensures the validity of the purchase order. PEP- Approval of Invoice by comparing with POP: Effectiveness Goal D: The invoice received from supplier is matched with the POP and then approved to ensure that correct payments are made to the relevant supplier. Input validity: By verifying from the master data that the invoice has been received against an actual POP, validity of invoice will be confirmed. By checking the approval on invoice, the possibility of entering invalid event data is reduced. Input Accuracy: By checking the approval on invoice, it is ensured that the amount on the invoice is accurate. As the master data is not being updated at this point, so update accuracy would not apply. PEP- Prepare copy for record keeping: Security of resources: Keeping records for transactions allows user to keep a track of the resources employed and this ensures the security of resources. PEP- Manual Comparison of Delivery Callahan with POP and Entering receiving data in gate office: Effectiveness Goal The gate person compares delivery Callahan with POP to ensure that the goods received are not different from the demanded goods and if that is the case, then he has the authority to reject them right at the gate. Input Validity: The gate person enters the amount of goods received in the system after matching it tit the POP which ensures that the goods being received are against a valid POP. Input Completeness and Update Completeness: After the delivery Callahan is compared with the POP, the gate person enters the quantity received into the system and prepares a gate pass which ensures that against each receipt there is an entry in the system. The master data is updated simultaneously with the input of receipt data. PEP- Counting of goods by receipt room when received and entering data in the system: Effectiveness Goal B: The receiving personnel counts the goods received ensuring that the correct amount f goods are being received. With the goods being in hand, the receiving person in the receipt room in a good position to ensure that the correct goods are received. The counting of goods ensures that the receipt room is aware of actual quantity of goods received and there is a less chance of goods being lost without coming into the knowledge of authorities. Input Validity, Input and Update Accuracy, Input and Update Completeness: After physically counting the goods, the data is being entered into the system so the data will precisely reflect the actual delivery making it accurate ND valid. For every receipt, a GIN and GRIN are prepared which ensures input and update completeness. PEP- Acceptance of goods after signing of GRIN at store: Effectiveness goal B: The signing of GRIN ensures that the right quantities of goods are stored at the store as per the amount stated in the GRIN. Security of resources: Signing of GRIN serves as a final check that the amount stored at the warehouse is the same as the quantity received in receipt room. PEP- Update inventory levels after storage or issuance against relevant demand number: Input Validity: As inventory is being entered after physically receiving goods against relevant demand number, so the input data is valid. Input Accuracy, Update Accuracy: After physical receipt of inventory, entering data in system ensures that there is less chance of error and that the inventory data is accurate. The master data is simultaneously updated. PEP- Attaching approved invoice with D. C, Gate Pass and GRIN: Effectiveness Goal D: The approval of invoice by the purchase department after verifying it with POP from master data and then attaching it with the GRIN ensure that the correct payment is add to the relevant supplier. Efficient Employment of resources: Since approved invoice is attached with the relevant GRIN, so it makes the posting of vouchers more efficient. PEP- Entering payable data in the payable department: The payable personnel with the approved invoice in hand are in a better position to ensure that the payable liability is made against the relevant supplier. Input Validity, Input and Update Accuracy: The comparison between ESP. and GRIN and invoice ensures that that only a valid payable will be approved and become outstanding against the right supplier. The comparison will also ensure that the amount of payable outstanding will be accurate. PEP- Fortnightly printing of payment list and its approval by HOOD: Effectiveness Goal D: The fortnightly listing of payable reveals the suppliers to whom the payment is due along with the payment details. This process ensures that all the requisite payments are made within the credit period. Efficient Employment of Resources: The payable person does not have to physically go through all pending payable and identify those which are due. Automatically generation by the system ensures efficiency. Input validity, Input accuracy, Input completeness: Automatic generation of payment list using existing information from database ensures that it will have only valid (approved) payable and their amounts will be accurate. It will also ensure completeness because system ensures that the list includes all the payments due. PEP- Generation of payment vouchers and printing of checks: Effectiveness goal D: System generation of checks ensures that they are printed against the right vendors bearing the right amounts due. Efficiency of Resources: Automatic printing of check after generation of payment vouchers saves time. Security of Resources: Printing of checks by system ensures that the right amount due is associated with right vendor. This ensures that payments are made against a valid payable hence eliminating any possibility of cash being paid to the wrong recipient. Input validity: The payable list represents the actual, approved amounts due to vendors as a result of past event. Input ; Update accuracy: The rights amounts are appropriated against the right suppliers eliminating the probability of errors. This subsequently leads to accurate update of the payable account. Input ; Update completeness: The system prints checks for every vendor against whom the payment is due and their corresponding payment vouchers are made. This helps to achieve that no due payment is missed and all corresponding vouchers are made. PEP- Preparation of B. O. M against an open sales contract by comparing input with master data: In preparation of B. O. M, the clerk keys in the sales contract number and the system ensures that the demand being generated is against a valid sales contract. Hence, this ensures that the valid goods in the correct amount are ordered. Input Validity: As the sales order number written on the B. O. M. Is matched with the open sales order in the database, this ensures that the B. O. M is made against a valid sales contract. PEP- Automatic Generation of Demand from Bill of materials: Ensure demand validity: As the production planning finalizes the required raw materials in bill of materials, the system automatically generates demand which ensures that the origin of demand is representative of actual requirements. Efficient employment of resources: As the demand is generated automatically by the system, it saves on any human involvement for the purpose leading to efficient employment of resources. Input The information upon which the demand form is based was taken from the bill of material. This verifies that input is more likely to reflect actual demand. Input ; update accuracy: Automatic updating of fields of demand requisition form from bill of materials eliminates the probability of incorrect entry of data and ensures that the requisition form is accurate. PEP- Check inventory level at store and write current inventory level at generated demand: Effectiveness Goal D: Checking goods from the inventory ensures that excess goods are not purchased by mistake and only the required amount of goods is purchased. Efficiency of resources, Input Accuracy, Update Accuracy: As the inventory level is checked from the system instead of going to the store to physically count it so the efficiency is increased and the correct amounts will be entered and updated. PEP- Inspection of goods received by the user: The inspection of goods by the user ensures that the goods received from the supplier are of the required quality and the quantity is in conformance with the demand of the user. PEP- Comparison of Input with Master Data for Generation of SIR: Validity of Input, Input and Update Accuracy: This will ensure that the SIR is being prepared against a valid, approved requisition against which goods have been received. The comparison will identify any erroneous or suspect data and reduce input errors. PEP- Approval of SIR by HOOD: Input Validity, Security of Resources: Approval will ensure that the issue of goods is authorized for a valid use. This will also ensure security of resources. PEP- Comparison of SIR with BOOM to issue goods: The comparison will ensure that the goods are being issued against a valid BOOM and hence prevent misappropriation of resources. Ml- Scrutinizing vendor before addition to approved vendor list :Effectiveness goal A: This will ensure that only the competent vendors who will supply the best goods at the optimum price are entered into the system. MM- Comparison of comparative statement with actual quotations received by HOOD before approval: Effectiveness goal A: This will ensure that the purchase personnel has not included any fake quotation into the comparative statement and only the approved suppliers to which the quotation requests were sent are there on the comparative statement. Input validity: This comparison will ensure that only valid supplier is selected by the HOOD. MM- HOOD accesses inventory data from DEEDS to check inventory status before approval of requisition: Efficiency of resources: This will save time as the HOOD will directly check the inventory status online while approving the requisition and no requisition will be processed for the goods already present in stock. Hence the store department would not be involved in such situations which would lead to efficiency. ANALYSIS Analyzing the ERP system of Insist, we have concluded that they have implemented the system very effectively and are reaping great benefits from this technological advancement.

Knowledge, Truth, Belief Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Knowledge, Truth, Belief - Assignment Example A properly basic belief should be justifiable. For example, I believe man cannot live without eating food. It is justifiable that man has always had desire for food and without food will get malnourished and eventually dies. Empirical knowledge recognises establishment of facts rather than speculations and goes beyond belief. On the contrary, Sellers assertion is not right since the myth of the given is more idealistic than mechanistic. 4. a) If your answer is yes, then exactly how do we explain the â€Å"mystery" of human perception? How do human infants, for example, manage to make the transition from experiencing the world as "a pure stream of consciousness" to being discriminating perceivers of the world around them? b) If your answer is no, then describe, in your own words, where you think Sellers approach takes a wrong turn when it comes to describing what we can, or (more accurately) cannot be said to know, on the basis of sense perception? No. Sellers approach does not meet empherical thresh hold. Perception may not be accurate sometimes and may lead to misjudgement. Perception too can be biased depending on ones interest, health and age. For example knowledge of time may be of no value to an infant which is the reverse of mid adulthood. Seller’s statement does not consider special cases, for example the mongolism that do not transition in their

Online Marketing (independent women's clothing etailing) Essay

Online Marketing (independent women's clothing etailing) - Essay Example t up its Main Branch at London’s world-class visitor destination simply because it wants to tap the already existing market of Covent Garden and be exposed to tourists and visitors frequenting the area. However great the opportunity is for Closet to introduce its brands and clothing line given its marketing plan, the company still needs to identify its Communications Plan to be assured that it will reach its target market within the desired period and achieve 100% of its financial objectives. Closet shall position itself as a retailer of youthful, yet sophisticated clothing lines aimed at dressing up today’s career women. It will be warm, classy yet accessible to the modern-day cosmopolitan woman. Closet does not really emphasize on age, but on attitude. It would provide clothing to women who require a comfortable yet sophisticated set of wardrobe that would match their career and their fast paced lifestyle. Closet embodies the British Lifestyle. It represents the modern day woman – classy, sophisticated, yet trendy and youthful looking. As a brand, it represents class and elegance, yet it proves to be accessible to all those who wish to acquire the Closet Lifestyle due to its strong presence through various media vehicles. Roughly about 35% of Closet’s monthly operational budget shall be allocated to Advertising and Promotional strategies alone. This includes expenses to be incurred in utilizing mainstream media particularly print advertising; other alternative media; and design and production of merchandising and promotional materials. Mainstream-wise, Closet shall utilize print advertising particularly through tie-ups with different magazines. Although this would not be the company’s primary vehicle in promoting its products, it would just aim to maximize its relationship with these magazines whose websites Closet shall be utilizing in its online campaigns. Internet Marketing has become popular because Internet access is becoming more widely

The Effects of Government Intervention Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Government Intervention Essay What is the government? What is the role of the government? How does the government influence the economy? What can we say about the effects of the government influence in Romania? These are some of the questions that we  will try to answer during our case of study. We are citizens of a society, and our society is based on proper rules enacted and enforced by the high powers of our states. We need to act responsibly and inform ourselves, as much as we can, regarding this problem. The people from the government, how did they get there? How is the government organized? How are they elected? By which criteria are these people elected? What are their attributes and what are their initiatives? We must know if they directly influence our lives, our economy! Taxes, import and export restrictions, tariffs, wholesale interest rates are only a part of the government’s duties to be established. Is the government’s money, in fact our money? And if they are our money, how do they spend it, on what, and why? These are some things that must concern us. And now, we should focus on our country, Romania, and, of course, on ourselves. Even though Romania is a country of considerable potential in most of the fields, its economy is very fragile. Our economy is strong related to the European economy, and some of these connections between our economy and the international economy are made by the government. Most of the people tend to blemish the president, the government, the parliament etc. for the fragility of our economy, and to us it might seem not to work, but we have to bear in mind that this is the effect of the whole nation’s actions and of the world’s as well. In the pages that follow we presented subjectively and objectively our ideas concerning the effects of the government’s influence on Romania’s economy, starting with explaining that is the government and which is the government’s role in the economy. The Government Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized. Government is the means by  which state policy is enforced, as well as the mechanism for determining the policy of the state. A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include regime type and system of government. The word government is derived from the Latin verb gubernare, an infinitive meaning to govern or to manage. The Government is the public authority of executive power that functions on the basis of the vote of confidence granted by Parliament, ensures the achievement of the countrys domestic and foreign policy and that exercises the general leadership of public administration. The Government is appointed by the President of Romania on the basis of the vote of confidence granted to the Government by Parliament. Objectives The Government has the role of ensuring balanced functioning and development of national economic and social system, and its connection to the world economic system while promoting national interests. The Government is organized and operates in accordance with constitutional provisions, on the basis of the Government program approved by Parliament. Organization The Government consists of Prime Minister and Ministers. Prime Minister leads the Government and coordinates the activities of its members, in compliance with their legal duties. The working apparatus of the Government is composed of the working apparatus of the Prime Minister, Secretariat General of the Government, departments and other similar organizational structures with specific tasks set by Government Decision. Legislative process The Government adopts decisions and ordinances. Decisions are issued for law enforcement organization. Ordinances are issued under a special enabling law, within the limits and conditions specified by it. The decisions and ordinances adopted by the Government are signed by Prime Minister, countersigned by the Ministers who are duty bound to implement them and are published in the Official Gazette. The non publication entails the absence of a decision or ordinance. Decisions with military character shall be conveyed only to the institutions concerned. Legislative initiatives The following public authorities have the right to initiate draft public policy documents and draft legislative acts for adoption / approval by the Government, according to their tasks and activity field: Ministries and other specialized bodies of central public administration, subordinated to the Government, and autonomous administrative authorities; specialized bodies of central public administration subordinated or coordinated by Ministries, by the Ministries under whose subordination or coordination they are; Prefects, county councils, the General Council of Bucharest, according to the law, through the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform. Governments Role in the Economy While consumers and producers make most decisions that mold the economy, government activities have a powerful effect on the Romanian economy in at least five areas. Stabilization and Growth. Perhaps most importantly, the federal government guides the overall pace of economic activity, attempting to maintain steady growth, high levels of employment, and price stability. By adjusting spending and tax rates (fiscal policy) or managing the money supply and controlling the use of credit (monetary policy), it can slow down or speed up the economys rate of growth in the process, affecting the level of prices and employment. The government could affect the economy in multiple ways, but the most common changes that can be made to influence the economy are: (1) Taxes; (2) Import Restrictions; (3) Wholesale Interest Rates; and (4) Government Speeding. TAXES Taxation understandably affects the economy by redistributing money from consumers and producers to the government coffers. The higher the tax, the less people have to spend, the less aggregate demand [total demand] there is in the economy. IMPORT RESTRICTIONS When a country uses protectionism to shield domestic producers from their own inefficiency and inability to compete with foreign firms, they may enact quotas or tariffs. A quota is when there is a maximum amount of a good that can be imported into the country, where imports that exceed the limit have either the responsible parties prosecuted for breaking the law or the goods being turned away. Tariffs are when the price of imports is artificially inflated with a tax, in order to make them less attractive to consumers that are price sensitive. The higher the quotas and tariffs, the higher the prices of those penalised goods in the economy, which in turn will negatively affect aggregate demand. WHOLESALE INTEREST RATES Wholesale interest rates are the rates at which the central bank loans out money to retail banks, which in turn loan out their money to consumers and producers at a higher rate (the difference, in a very basic sense, is their profit margin, or revenue minus costs). If the wholesale interest rates are increased, then retail banks must also increase their rates, otherwise their business would become less profitable (or unprofitable). For large purchases, producers (e.g. investments) and consumers (e.g. buying a home) need loans, since they do not have sufficient cash on-hand. Interest rates are effectively the price of borrowing money and hence affects the Consumption and Investment components of GDP (Consumption + Investment + Govt. Spending + Net Exports). (A small caveat, however, that central banks are created by legislation but are not run by government their actions are independent of politicians agendas.) GOVERNMENT SPENDING Government Speeding (revenues taken from taxes, mentioned above) creates what is known as the Spending Multiplier. When the government consumes, called Government Spending, it is demanding goods and services in the economy. However, that demand in turn generates more demand than a single consume, because of not only the size of the demand (the government has a lot more money than you do) but also the type of demand (e.g. building infrastructure benefits everybody, as opposed to building a private mansion); government spending affects aggregate demand. The spending  multiplier, or how much additional demand is generated from each dollar of government spending, is calculated as follows: Change in Equilibrium divided by Change in Investment. Case Study – Romania Romania is a country of considerable potential: rich agricultural lands, diverse energy sources (coal, oil, natural gas, hydro, and nuclear), a substantial industrial base encompassing almost the full range of manufacturing activities, an educated work force, and opportunities for expanded development in tourism on the Black Sea and in the Carpathian Mountains. The Romanian Government borrowed heavily from the West in the 1970s to build a substantial state-owned industrial base. Following the 1979 oil price shock and a debt rescheduling in 1981, Ceausescu decreed that Romania would no longer be subject to foreign creditors. By the end of 1989, Romania had paid off a foreign debt of about $10.5 billion through an unprecedented effort that wreaked havoc on the economy and living standards. Vital imports were slashed and food and fuel strictly rationed, while the government exported everything it could to earn hard currency. With investment slashed, Romanias infrastructure fell behind its historically poorer Balkan neighbours. Since the fall of the Ceausescu regime in 1989, successive governments sought to build a Western-style market economy. The pace of restructuring was slow, but by 1994 the legal basis for a market economy was largely in place. After the 1996 elections, the coalition government attempted to eliminate consumer subsidies, float prices, liberalize exchange rates, and put in place a tight monetary policy. The Parliament enacted laws permitting foreign entities incorporated in Romania to purchase land. Foreign capital investment in Romania had been increasing rapidly until 2008, although it remained less in per capita terms than in some other countries of East and Central Europe. Romania was the largest U.S. trading partner in Eastern Europe until Ceausescus 1988 renunciation of most favoured nation (MFN, or non-discriminatory) trading status resulted in high U.S. tariffs on Romanian products. Congress approved restoration of MFN status effective November 8, 1993, as part of a new bilateral trade agreement. Tariffs on most Romanian products dropped to zero in February 1994, with the inclusion of Romania in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). Major Romanian exports to the U.S. include shoes, clothing, steel, and chemicals. Romania signed an Association Agreement with the European Union (EU) in 1992 and a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1993, codifying Romanias access to European markets and creating the basic framework for further economic integration. At its Helsinki Summit in December 1999, the European Union invited Romania to formally begin accession negotiations. In December 2004, the European Commission concluded pre-accession negotiations with Romania. In April 2005, the EU signed an accession treaty with Romania and its neighbour, Bulgaria, and in January 2007, they were both welcomed as new EU members. Romania suffered through a deep economic recession beginning with the 2008 global financial crisis, but should return to positive if very modest growth by the end of 2011. Due to rapidly deteriorating economic conditions, a ballooning budget deficit, and large external imbalances, the Romanian Government was forced to conclude a 2-year, $27 billion financial assistance package with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Commission, and the World Bank in March 2009. Under the terms agreed with the IMF, the Romanian Government embarked on a difficult austerity program to reduce the budget deficit, cut public sector employment, and restructure local and national government agencies. Austerity measures included a 25% cut in public sector wages, a hike in the national value added tax (VAT) rate from 19% to 24%, and thousands of layoffs. GDP declined by 7.1% in 2009 and a further 1.3% in 2010, but the government succeeded in meeting IMF-agreed deficit targets despite strong op position to the austerity measures from labour unions. In late 2010 and early 2011 the government also pushed several important pieces of reform legislation through Parliament, including  pension reforms, an overhaul of public sector pay systems, and modernization of the labour code. The final IMF review under the 2009 agreement, conducted in February 2011, declared the agreement a â€Å"success† in stabilizing the economy and setting the stage for a return to growth. A new 2-year â€Å"precautionary† agreement between Romania and the IMF, effective March 2011, focuses on deepening structural reforms and restructuring or privatizing unprofitable state-owned enterprises. Privatization of industry was first pursued with the transfer in 1992 of 30% of the shares of some 6,000 state-owned enterprises to five private ownership funds, in which each adult citizen received certificates of ownership. The remaining 70% ownership of the enterprises was transferred to a state ownership fund. With the assistance of the World Bank, European Union, and IMF, Romania succeeded in privatizing most industrial state-owned enterprises, including some large state-owned energy companies. Romania completed the privatization of the largest commercial bank (BCR) in 2006. Two state-owned banks remain in Romania, Eximbank and the National Savings Bank (CEC), after an attempt to privatize CEC Bank was indefinitely postponed in 2006. Four of the countrys eight regional electricity distributors have now been privatized. Privatization of natural gas distribution companies also progressed with the sale of Romanias two regional gas distributors, Distrigaz Nord (to E.ON Ruhrgas of Germany) and Distrigaz Sud (to Gaz de France). Further progress in energy sector privatization has been delayed as the government is contemplating the creation of two integrated, state-owned energy producers. However, this â€Å"bundling† scheme has been challenged in court and is also under review by the Romanian Competition Council and by competition authorities at the European Commission. Romania has a nuclear power plant at Cernavoda, with one nuclear reactor in operation since 1996 and a second one commissioned in the fall of 2007. The return of collectivized farmland to its cultivators, one of the first initiatives of the post-December 1989 revolution government, resulted in a short-term decrease in agricultural production. Some four million small parcels representing 80% of the arable surface were returned to original  owners or their heirs. Many of the recipients were elderly or city dwellers, and the slow progress of granting formal land titles remains an obstacle to leasing or selling land to active farmers. Financial and technical assistance continues to flow from the U.S., European Union, other industrial nations, and international financial institutions facilitating Romanias reintegration into the world economy. The IMF, World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and European Investment Bank (EIB) all have programs and resident representatives in Romania. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs were phased out completely in 2008, except for Small Project Assistance Grants, which are still available through the Peace Corps. According to the National Office of the Trade Register, which measures foreign direct capital registered and disbursed to firms, between 1990 and November 2010 Romania attracted a total of $37.91 billion in foreign direct investment, of which the U.S. represented 2.59%. The actual level of U.S. investment, however, is underreported as much of it flows to Romania through European subsidiaries of U.S. companies. After years of consistently high inflation in the 1990s, Romanias inflation rate steadily decreased through 2004, only to rise again along with high GDP growth rates of 4% to 8% through 2008. The deep recession beginning in late 2008 dramatically reduced inflationary pressures, but the VAT tax hike from 19% to 24% imposed in mid-2010 reversed that trend and pushed prices higher. Stoked also by rising global food and energy prices, inflation hit an annualized rate of 8% at the end of 2010, the highest in the EU. The IMF has been critical of Romanias low rate of tax collection and poor enforcement mechanisms as a medium- to long-term impediment to growth. Tax arrears are slightly decreasing, but Romania still has one of the lowest percentages in the EU of revenues collected, at 33% of GDP in 2010. The current account deficit had been a concern, as it reached 13.6% of GDP in 2007 and 12.4% of GDP in 2008. However, due to the recession, the current account deficit dropped to 4.2% of GDP in 2010. Deteriorating education and health services and aging and inadequate physical infrastructure continue to be seen as threats to future growth. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words Conclusion As a conclusion we can say that government’s intervention in the economy can have both a positive and a negative influence on the market. Government intervention does not always end up the way it was intended or the way in which economist’s theories say it would. A fascinating part in the study of Economics is that the law of unintended consequences often comes into play – events can affect a particular policy, and consumers and businesses rarely behave precisely in the way in which the government might want! We will consider this in more detail when we consider government failure. One important thing to remember is that the effects of different forms of government intervention in markets are never neutral thus financial support given by the government to one set of producers rather than another will always create winners and losers. Taxing one product more than another will similarly have different effects on different groups of consumers. A concret example of too much government intervention is the following. Let’s assume that in a time of recession, a government makes and agreement with the banks to lower interest rates and people will start buying houses and other goods on loan. As time goes by, government debt also rises and thus they will be obliged to print out their own money. Printing their own money has a negative impact on the inflation rate and money value will go down. Also, after the recession, the interest rates will go up again and people will end up losing their previously bought goods. Nevertheless in most cases, the government’s intervention proved to be efficient and actually helped the market economy. It all depends on the people that take the decisions and they need to take into consideration any factors that can influence the result of their decision. The European Union provides me the best opportunity to connect with people Europe and to develop my ability of communication. I think is very important to get in touch with different people from different cultures and different countries.

Themes in Hamlet Essay example -- GCSE English Literature Coursework

Themes in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Within the Shakespearean tragic drama Hamlet there are a number of themes. Literary critics find it difficult to agree on the ranking of the themes. This essay will present the themes as they are illustrated in the play – and let the reader prioritize them.    Michael Neill in â€Å"None Can Escape Death, the ‘Undiscovered Country’† interprets the main theme of the play as a â€Å"prolonged meditation on death†:    How we respond to the ending of Hamlet – both as revenge drama and as psychological study – depends in part on how we respond to [the most important underlying theme] of the play – that is, to Hamlet as a prolonged meditation on death. The play is virtually framed by two encounters with the dead: at one end is the Ghost, at the other a pile of freshly excavated skulls. The skulls (all but one) are nameless and silent; the Ghost has an identity (though a questionable one) and a voice; yet they are more alike than at first seem. For this ghost, though invulnerable â€Å"as the air,† is described as a â€Å"dead corse,† a â€Å"ghost . . . come from the grave,† its appearance suggesting a grotesque disinterment of the buried king. The skulls for their part may be silent, but Hamlet plays upon each to draw out its own â€Å"excellent voice† just as he engineered that â€Å"miraculous organ† of the Ghost’s utterance, the †Å"Mousetrap.† (112-13)    The interpretation of the main theme of the play as revenge is popular among literary critics: Phyllis Abrahms and Alan Brody in â€Å"Hamlet and the Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy Formula† decide on revenge as the dominant theme:      There are ten deaths in Hamlet, if we include the death of Hamlet’s father and the â€Å"make-believe† death of the Player-King. The cause of ... ...eath, the ‘Undiscovered Country’.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from â€Å"Hamlet: A Modern Perspective.† The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. N. P.: Folger Shakespeare Lib., 1992.    Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Excerpted from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Themes in Hamlet Essay example -- GCSE English Literature Coursework Themes in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Within the Shakespearean tragic drama Hamlet there are a number of themes. Literary critics find it difficult to agree on the ranking of the themes. This essay will present the themes as they are illustrated in the play – and let the reader prioritize them.    Michael Neill in â€Å"None Can Escape Death, the ‘Undiscovered Country’† interprets the main theme of the play as a â€Å"prolonged meditation on death†:    How we respond to the ending of Hamlet – both as revenge drama and as psychological study – depends in part on how we respond to [the most important underlying theme] of the play – that is, to Hamlet as a prolonged meditation on death. The play is virtually framed by two encounters with the dead: at one end is the Ghost, at the other a pile of freshly excavated skulls. The skulls (all but one) are nameless and silent; the Ghost has an identity (though a questionable one) and a voice; yet they are more alike than at first seem. For this ghost, though invulnerable â€Å"as the air,† is described as a â€Å"dead corse,† a â€Å"ghost . . . come from the grave,† its appearance suggesting a grotesque disinterment of the buried king. The skulls for their part may be silent, but Hamlet plays upon each to draw out its own â€Å"excellent voice† just as he engineered that â€Å"miraculous organ† of the Ghost’s utterance, the †Å"Mousetrap.† (112-13)    The interpretation of the main theme of the play as revenge is popular among literary critics: Phyllis Abrahms and Alan Brody in â€Å"Hamlet and the Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy Formula† decide on revenge as the dominant theme:      There are ten deaths in Hamlet, if we include the death of Hamlet’s father and the â€Å"make-believe† death of the Player-King. The cause of ... ...eath, the ‘Undiscovered Country’.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from â€Å"Hamlet: A Modern Perspective.† The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. N. P.: Folger Shakespeare Lib., 1992.    Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Excerpted from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.