The U.K Governments Policy of Deficit Reduction Essay

The U.K Governments Policy of Deficit Reduction - Essay Example s printing money, but that too had its ill effects, such as people do not sit with such money in hand, rather they spend it, creating demand for goods and then it can lead to inflation. Without printing money the government can resort to borrowing, but that will include equal amount of less private spending, thus jobs created by stimulus spending will be equaled by jobs lost by decline in private spending. Another case is where the people can investment in government bonds when they know that taxes would go up. This will put the net effect to zero (Cochrane, 2009). UK government could have taken the path decreasing corporate and income taxes instead of increasing them. Tax increase immediately leads to more money getting accumulated, as liquidity trap, and less mobility. Tax cuts on the other hand could have increased the overall spending and helped reduce the crisis. Government spending is another component of aggregate expenditure. If the government expenditure increased then the b enefits of multiplier effect could have been derived (Petroff). It has been debated whether these policies of the UK Government were appropriate in this context. Firstly, the Government declared an increase in taxes. This was expected to lower the level of production in the economy. Secondly, high taxes in an economy also have a deterring effect on the taxpayers because citizens have tried to evade taxes in economies which have imposed high levels of taxation. Thirdly, the reduction in Government spending was also supposed to lower the economic production. Fourthly, reduction in Government spending could have a detrimental effect on the consumer and the investor spending which would further decrease the level of its production. Fifth, when the Government of a country decreases its spending... This essay declares that the UK government could have come up with other alternative policies such as printing money, but that too had its ill effects, such as people do not sit with such money in hand, rather they spend it, creating demand for goods and then it can lead to inflation. Without printing money the government can resort to borrowing, but that will include equal amount of less private spending, thus jobs created by stimulus spending will be equaled by jobs lost by decline in private spending. Another case is where the people can investment in government bonds when they know that taxes would go up. This will put the net effect to zero. This paper makes a conclusion that UK government could have taken the path decreasing corporate and income taxes instead of increasing them. Tax increase immediately leads to more money getting accumulated, as liquidity trap, and less mobility. Tax cuts on the other hand could have increased the overall spending and helped reduce the crisis. Government spending is another component of aggregate expenditure. If the government expenditure increased then the benefits of multiplier effect could. It has been debated whether these policies of the UK Government were appropriate in this context. The decision to finance higher education and designing policies for its betterment is crucial for any economy. Often students opt out of higher education due to the cost and as a result there arises shortages of qualitative human capital

Prison system in the united states Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Prison system in the united states - Term Paper Example It is often believed in America that the prison and criminal justice systems promote economic and social inequalities and it has an unequal and unfair effect on poor, the American minorities and less privileged class of the society. It has adverse effects on not only the prisoners but also on the families and the closed ones. The groups and people who are influential, wealthy and resourceful control the whole criminal justice and control mechanism, as they are in a position to exercise greater influence through the legal process hence suppressing the poor. One of the face of injustice in the system is that it is believed that the prisons are used to lock up those individuals of the society who have been involved in the most serious offences and are a threat and disgrace to the society, which is proved wrong by the revelation of the fact that American prison system incarcerates the drug users who usually belongs to lower class and the upper lower class of the society- It sees crime as an act of lower class only. Usually, the American blacks (minorities) are involved in criminal activities due to their racial discrimination in America, hence they are the ones most incarcerated. The prisons and jails in America are usually situated in the urban locality which makes the prisoners and staffs feel isolated from the people and make it difficult for the families and the closed ones to meet the prisoner. It does not only affect the people involved in the system but also affects their families.... Usually, the American blacks (minorities) are involved in criminal activities due to their racial discrimination in America, hence they are the ones most incarcerated. The prisons and jails in America are usually situated in the urban locality which makes the prisoners and staffs feel isolated from the people and make it difficult for the families and the closed ones to meet the prisoner. It does not only affect the people involved in the system but also affect their families. (Lynch, Micheal, J. 2007; Blakely, Curtis, R. 2005) Previously the inmates were given freedom to access the judiciary to defend their cases which was in accordance to the constitution and was an ethical practice. The Civil Rights Act allowed the inmates regardless of race and gender to file a suit against any mistreatment, violence, medical ignorance or any such unethical practice. With the passage of time the system developed more flaws and attempts were made to weaken this Act. It is considered that unsuccess ful lawsuits are costly and are an additional expense which lead to reconsideration whether access to the court should be granted freely to all inmates or not resulting into reduced chances of inmates to defend their cases and approach courts which was their only way to hold prison operators legally accountable against any mistreatment. (Blakely, Curtis, R. 2005; American Assembly.1973) The legal system in America has gone through many changes over time mostly influenced and affected by scholarly work and studies on human behavior and psychology. It is widely believed that there is a positive correlation between the deterrence of crime and severance of punishment. The severe the punishment the

A Study into the Process of Downsizing and Reengineering Essay - 2

A Study into the Process of Downsizing and Reengineering - Essay Example wnsizing and reengineering as well as practical applications need to stress total quality management (TQM), improvement of total level of strategic thinking, reengineering instead of downsizing whenever possible, process safety management (PSM), and other factors. Managing expert Geoffrey James argues that downsizing is one of the five stupid management concepts that should be cut from the management corpus (2010). â€Å"How, exactly, did the company get into a situation where it needed to fire people in order to remain competitive?†, James asks. Yes, markets can be unpredictable and things can change at the drop of a hat, but this is what management is for. Downsizing is a sign of company failure: It is a sign that the company did not anticipate the changing marketplace and grew too much or spent too much. Downsizing is passing the buck: Management failed, but workers pay the bill. When downsizing is required, CEOs should be fired, not improved. Reengineering needs to be conceptually separated from downsizing. Downsizing is almost by definition cutting down capital, particularly labor. It involves terminating peoples jobs, hurting resumes, economic dislocation and externalizing onto the system. But reengineering is a far more generic term. Reengineerings popularity has led to a backlash effect (Business Architects, 1999). It is often confused for downsizing, and thus has become negatively associated with the concept. Further, reengineering, unlike downsizing, can be conceptually â€Å"fuzzy† (Business Architects, 1999). Whats the bright line between reengineering and simply changing a companys strategic approach? If reengineering involves firing some people, isnt that downsizing? What if it merely involves some demotions, or some increases in responsibility without commensurate increases in pay? Nonetheless, reengineering is in fact very different from downsizing, and has unfortunately been falsely associated with do wnsizing when it is conceptually

Media studies †Life on Mars Essay Example for Free

Media studies – Life on Mars Essay How does life on mars (2006) use visual codes, technical, audio and narrative codes to create a sense of excitement and encourage the audience to watch. In this first episode of Life on Mars there are many different codes and conventions used to make this series instantly appealing to the audience. The episode is excellently paced and smartly directed, getting us into 1973 within 10 minutes and introducing new characters effortlessly. Sequence 1 of life on mars gets the audience instantly familiar with the genre, the episode begins with a police car chasing down a suspect which quickly shows us this is a hybrid police crime drama. The diegetic sounds of police sirens and dogs along with the non diegetic music, a heartbeat which is corresponding with Sam the detective in the police car creating suspense as we get a feel for how Sam is feeling as the heartbeat signifies his nerves also introducing the audience to protagonist Sam Tyler, these audio codes add up to create an exciting police chase which again expresses the genre of Life on Mars. Once out of the car Sam is forced to chase his primary suspect down an ally way in a council estate in the city giving the audience a feel for the setting. The music isnt as dramatic while the chase is happening but speeds up during more dramatic parts of the chase which creates suspense. Cinema-verte is used when filming the chase which makes the audience feel almost part of the chase, this entertaining filming technique and creative use of music makes Life on Mars exciting to the audience creating enigma and encouraging them to watch on. This chase takes us up to Colin Raimes arrest bringing us to sequence 2. In sequence 2 Sams colleague and girlfriend, Maya, are interviewing suspect Colin Raimes. Sam and Maya facing Colin and his lawyers, which creates tension between these two sets of people. During the interview there is a close up of Colin Raimes which engages the audience creating tension and increasing the viewers curiosity as to what this suspect has done and makes them wonder has he done it or not? The diegetic recording sound in the background shows the viewers the interview is being recorded and shows the viewers the seriousness of the situation, the room is dark with little light which creates a professional mood, the dark setting is a technique used to scare the suspect in to talking, perfect for the situation. The narrative codes in this sequence reveal allot about Colin Raimes as he gets upset by the images he is being shown, we learn Colin sees a psychiatrist and his lawyers talk about how kids would throw fireworks at him on his estate. This is evidence to show that Colin is vulnerable and is possibly mad, the audience may take pity on him or take a different view on the suspect, this makes the viewers curious and increases their want to watch on. After the interview in sequence 3, Maya isnt done with the suspect and decides to follow him on her own, only to be kidnapped. Once Maya is kidnapped Sam becomes sad and heads out looking for her, there is a close up of Sams face and he is distressed with tears running from his eyes. This visual codes will make the audience feel sympathetic towards Sam and shows us perhaps he is feeling stronger than just friendship for Maya. Sams nerves eventually get the better of him when he has to stop the car to refresh himself, standing there half-heartedly he says into himself, The world is a scary place again this shows the audience he is thinking about Maya and wants to find her increasing their sympathy for him and overall making the viewers want to continue to watch to see the conclusion. The different audio codes used express Sams feeling for Maya as the non diegetic music plays softly whilst he cries and thinks about her, this corresponds with the visual codes creating a sympathetic feel for the protagonist making the audience pity him. Sam is unexpectedly struck by a speeding vehicle which brings me to sequence four. Sam is struck very unexpectedly and this may have came as a shock to the audience, the accident is very unexpected and this is done deliberately to shock the audience as this scene is key to the viewers as it is where the storyline unfolds as after this it is based in 1973, where Sam time travels back in time. The diegetic sounds used are very impacting, when the car hits Sam, initially there is a loud sound to signify he has been hit, after this all that can be heard is silence which corresponds with how the audience will feel, as they will be shocked at what has just happened. This creates enigma and increases the viewers curiosity to keep watching and they are now introduced to how Life on Mars is going to take place. (back in time) will Sam be okay? what will happen next? are few of the questions the audience will be asking making them exciting and encouraging them to keep watching. Once Sam is hit and the audience are aware of what happened there is a close up of him laying vulnerably on the ground, this close up shot shows his eyes, wide open but yet not moving, with only police sirens and a heartbeat which is corresponding with Sams as he lays on the tarmac, creating tension and making the audience question if he is even alive. This close up then changes to a high shot as the camera slowly moves up, looking down on Sam which shows how empty the road is, no traffic just him. This suggests a change in time and expresses to the audience what has happened introducing them to 1973. These visual and technical codes all raise the audiences awareness causing them to ask questions and want to know the conclusion. Sequence five is the most important as, Sam wakes up to find himself in 1973, complete with 1970s era clothing and an 8-track playing Life on Mars in a car. Dazed and confused, Sam wanders back to the police precinct he works at, only to find it filled with cigarette-smoking, gum-chewing strangers hes never seen before. The music is significant as before the crash David Bowies 1970s song Life on Mars was playing on Sams ipod in the car. This is strange as he has travelled back in time to when this song was just out and extremely popular. Sams feeling are conveyed in different ways, with voices in his head from when he was a boy repeating, where are you? as he wakes up in a forest, obviously not where he was before. Creating enigma for the audience and making them aware of the time change increasing their excitement and want to continue watching. When Sam stands up in 1973, with no clue as to where he is the camera is low angled and is circling him while Life on Mars plays which really creates a confusing atmosphere showing that Sam does not know what is going on. This technical camera work helps to express Sams feelings and shows the audience a broader understanding of whats going on. Everything has changed in Sams world, The set designs and costumes effectively evoke the era, as well as the grittiness of the run-down neighbourhood and police precinct. Everything feels straight out of the 70s, from the clothing to the cars to the horridly ugly decorating in Sams apartment. Throughout the episode, Sam hears hospital noises and doctor voices and at one point sees a person on late night TV talking like a doctor describing Sam being in a coma. Sam becomes increasingly convinced that he truly is in a coma, and that none of this world is real. he believes it is all part of his imagination. These are some of the ways in which Sam portrays his feelings to the audience during this sequence. Which allows the audience to get to know Sam and begin to have a feel for his character encouraging them to continue to watch Life on Mars. Later Sam meets a young police officer named Annie Cartwright who he begins to open up to and express his opinion and at one point tells her I had an accident and when I woke up, I was here. Only here is 33 years in the past. Now, that either makes me a time-traveller, a lunatic, or Im lying in a hospital bed in 2006 and none of this is real. This quotation of what he says gives the audience insight into how he feels about the whole situation, this again allows the audience to engage with Sam and feel what he is going through, the audience will grow a certain like for Sam and this creates a sense of excitement and encourages the audience to continue to watch Life on Mars.

Arguments :: essays research papers

Discussions on various topics come up anywhere there is people with certain thoughts. These discussions will come up from out of nowhere and from anywhere. When a discussion becomes a heated debate as two parties utter back and forth then it is an argument. Winning those arguments, whether you know or do not know what you are talking about, is a great feeling. Here is how to win arguments, when you have no clue of what the argument entails, by making things up, using meaningless but weighty-sounding words and phrases, and by using snappy comebacks. Making things up is harder than it seems. Made up phrases just cant be off the top of your head, they have to be thought out. Suppose, in a Peruvian economy argument, you are trying to prove Peruvians are underpaid, a position you base solely on the fact that YOU are underpaid, and you are damned if you are going to let a bunch of Peruvians be better off. DON'T say: "I think Peruvians are underpaid." Say: "The average Peruvian's salary in 1981 dollars adjusted for the revised tax base is $1,452.81 per annum, which is $836.07 before the mean gross poverty level." This second statement suggests the same thought, yet expresses it in a way that sounds more sophisticated and in turn the arguer looks better. Next, use meaningless but weighty-sounding words and phrases. To do this, a list needs to be entered into memory. Stylish words and phrases include: let me put it this way, in terms of, vis-Ã  -vis, per se, as it were, qua, and so to speak. Memorize Latin abbreviations such as "Q.E.D.," "e.g.," and "i.e." These are all short for "I speak Latin, and you do not." Here's how to use these words and phrases. Suppose you want to say: "Peruvians would like to order appetizers more often, but they don't have enough money." Nobody wins arguments talking like that. But you WILL win if you say: "Let me put it this way. In terms of appetizers vis-Ã  -vis Peruvians qua Peruvians, they would like to order them more often, so to speak, but they do not have enough money per se, as it were. Q.E.D." Only a fool would challenge that statement. Finally, use snappy and irrelevant comebacks. Having an arsenal of all-purpose irrelevant phrases to fire back at opponents when they make valid points is great for a final blow.

Knowledge Based Systems

What is a knowledge-based system? A system which is built around a knowledge base. i. e. a collection of knowledge, taken from a human, and stored in such a way that the system can reason with it. Example: System: What is the patient's name? User: George Smith System: What is the patient's age? User: 52 years System: Is the patient male or female? User: Male System: What are the symptoms? User: Headache dizziness upset stomach high fever System: When did these symptoms first appear? User: 23/03/2002System: I conclude that the patient has a viral infection , my recommendation is that he should take two aspirin, drink plenty of fluid, get lots of rest. What is knowledge? Knowledge is the sort of information that people use to solve problems. Knowledge includes facts, concepts, procedures, models, heuristics, etc. Knowledge may be: * specific or general * exact or fuzzy * procedural or declarative What is an expert system? * A particular kind of knowledge-based system * One in which the knowledge, stored in the knowledge base, has been taken from an expert in some particular field.Therefore, an expert system can, to a certain extent, act as a substitute for the expert from whom the knowledge was taken. What is Artificial Intelligence? Artificial Intelligence (AI) is concerned with exploring such aspects of human (and other animal) mental activity as: * understanding * creativity * Perception * problem-solving * consciousness * using language * Intelligence by simulating them using computers. It is therefore closely connected with such social sciences as: * psychology * linguistics * philosophy Applied Artificial IntelligenceWhat is applied AI? Applied AI is concerned with producing software which is â€Å"intelligent† It is intelligent in that it is based on what we know about human reasoning and other mental abilities We are therefore talking about a branch of advanced computing – computer technology – rather than social science Knowledge eng ineering The term â€Å"knowledge engineering† is often used to mean the process of designing, building and installing an expert system or other knowledge-based system. Some authors use the term to mean just the knowledge acquisition phase. ExpertsAn expert is an experienced practitioner in his/her particular field. More than that, he/she is a highly effective problem-solver and decision-taker in that field. Experts have three qualities: * They make good decisions * They make those decisions quickly * They are able to cope with a wide range of problems. Experts and expert systems Note that: The task that an expert system performs will generally be regarded as difficult. An expert system almost always operates in a rather narrow field of knowledge. The field of knowledge is called the knowledge domain of the system.There are many fields where expert systems can usefully be built. There are also many fields where they can’t. Note also that an expert can usually explain a nd justify his/her decisions. Reasons for building an E. S. One might build an expert system for any or all of the following reasons: * To archive an expert’s knowledge, to insure against the day when he/she leaves, or retires, or dies. * To disseminate his/her knowledge, so that it is available in more (possibly many more) places than the location of the expert. * To ensure uniformity of advice/decisions. As a basis for training other specialists. Advantages of expert systems E. S. have the following advantages over human experts: * The knowledge is permanent * The knowledge is easily replicated * The knowledge is represented explicitly, and can be evaluated * The system is consistent – whereas human practitioners have bad days, computers don’t. * Once built, running costs are low Disadvantages of expert systems a) Developing an expert system usually costs a great deal of time & money b) Historically, there has been a high failure rate in E.S. projects * The pr oject may well fail during development – most likely during the â€Å"knowledge acquisition† phase. * The development may succeed, but the organisation may fail to accept and use the finished system. c) A human expert can update his/her knowledge in the light of * Common sense * Knowledge derived from other domain * Contacts with other experts. An expert system can’t. Choosing an E. S. project a) Because of cost, and the danger of failure, it is important that E. S. projects are carefully chosen. ) The expense must be justified, in the light of the possible benefits. c) E. S. technology must be appropriate a. the right kind of expertise is involved b. Make sure it isn’t a problem which conventional programming could do better. d) Management, and the participants, must support the project fully. Possible expert systems – case histories For discussion; The following seven problem areas may, or may not, be suitable for computerisation as expert system s. * A certain third world country has a large population, very few trained doctors, and insufficient resources to train many more.It is proposed to provide paramedics, who can be trained relatively cheaply and easily, with medical kits and portable PCs, each PC to be loaded with an expert system that can advise on the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of common diseases. * The housing department in a provincial English town is overworked, although the staff turnover is quite low. Much of the work the staff do involves interviewing clients, and there is a clear pattern of questioning (which varies to a limited degree, depending on the circumstances of the client). It is proposed to build an expert system, which will direct the questioning process. A firm of wine importers relies heavily on its chief wine expert, who is skilled at selecting wines that are destined to be popular, on the basis of their taste, colour, scent etc. She is soon to retire. It is proposed to build an exper t system that will enable any of several junior wine specialists to do her job. * An education authority has a severe shortage of primary school teachers. It is proposed that an expert system should be built which can do the job of teaching English and arithmetic to five year old children. * A software company proposes to build an expert system which can perform book-keeping for small commercial concerns. A large manufacturer of diesel electric locomotives has problems in providing enough maintenance personnel who are sufficiently skilled to locate faults in these (highly complex) locomotives. They propose to build an expert system which can perform fault location on such a machine. * A mineral exploitation company wishes to extend its operations, which involve searching for hitherto undiscovered deposits of valuable metal ores. It is short of trained geologists. It proposes to build an expert system which can assess a geological site and come to a conclusion about how likely it is that there is a worthwhile mineral deposit there.

Apostle Peter Essay

Peter (also known as Simon) was one of the original 12 apostles. He became the leader of the apostles, after Jesus’ ascension. Peter was originally from Bethsaida on the northern shore of the sea of Galilee. Peter was married. He was a fisherman with his brother Andrew. His home was in Capernaum. When Jesus called him to be an apostle, he was given the added name Cephas (Aramaic: â€Å"stone,† Greek: â€Å"Petros,† which in English is rendered as Peter). Peter was a native of Bethsaida  Peter was one of the three main apostles, along with James and John, who were chosen by Jesus to be present during certain important moments of His ministry. Peter was the natural spokesman of the twelve disciples. One trait of Peter’s character that stands out in the New Testament account, is his impetuosity. The personality of Peter is one of the most vividly drawn and charming in the NT. His sheer humanness has made him one of the most beloved and winsome members of the apostolic band. He was eager, impulsive, energetic, self confident, aggressive, and daring, but also unstable, fickle, weak, and cowardly. He was guided more by his quick impulse than logical reasoning, and he readily swayed from one extreme to the other. He was preeminently a man of action. His life exhibits the capacities for good. He was forward and often rash, liable to instability and inconsistency, but his love for and associations with Christ molded him into a man of stability, humility, and courageous service for God. In the power of the Holy Spirit he became one of the noble pillars of the church. Peter was famous for many things: For being at Jesus’ transfiguration, for walking on water at Jesus’ bidding, for rebuking Jesus for what seemed to him negative thinking (prompting Jesus’ sharp reply â€Å"Get behind Me Satan†), for his statement to Jesus during the washing of feet during the Last Supper, for his denials of knowing Jesus when Peter was in the courtyard of the high priest, for drawing a sword when Jesus was being arrested, and for being granted the singular privilege of an individual post-resurrection appearance by Jesus (Luke 24:34, 1Cor 15:5). When Jesus asked him â€Å"Who do you say I am? † Peter made that famous statement, â€Å"You are the Christ (Messiah) the Son of the Living God. † (Matthew 16:15-16). Under the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter healed the sick and raised the dead. He made a trip to Antioch (Galatians 2:1), and possibly Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:12). It is believed that Peter later traveled to Rome, and was martyred there by crucifixion in 64 AD. He is said to have requested that he be crucified upside down, because he said he wasn’t worthy of dying in the same way as Jesus. Peter wrote two Epistles, called 1 Peter and 2 Peter. Whereas, the first letter was an attempt to encourage a church threatened with official persecution and repression, the second letter dealt with the perils of Apostasy which was an even greater threat. Knowing that he would not be spared to keep control of the situation, Peter was writing to forestall this calamity and to warn the church of its danger. A key verse within this larger context is chapter two, verse one: But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. An influx of conscienceless agitators who repudiated the lordship of Christ(2:1) and whose attitude was haughty (2:10), licentious (2:13), adulterous (2:14), greedy (2:14), bombastic (2:18), and libertine (2:19) seemed imminent. A looming heresy involved a denial of Christ (2:1) and ridiculed the promise of his return (3:3-4). Certain teachers were consumed with fleshly lusts and despised divine authority. They were rebels—sneaky, reckless, and bold in their opposition to truth. They lived more on the animal level than as godly human beings (2:1, 10-12). These peddlers of error delighted in seducing and taking captive ignorant souls, all the while promising them freedom to live independently of the will of God (2:14, 18-19). They were church outlaws! They will purposely try not to be noticed and bring division in the church by distorting and departing from the word. They will lay down truth alongside the falsehood and secretly bring in destructive heresies. They will deny the Lord who died for them by presenting a different view of the gospel. The focus is not on the cross for salvation. The principal design of this letter was to â€Å"stir† Christian minds to a greater level of spirituality and to fortify them against the danger of certain false teachers who threatened their faith. The key to this letter is the word know of knowledge), which occurs frequently in the three chapters, often referring to knowledge of Christ. This knowledge is not primarily academic, but spiritual, arising from a growing experience of Christ (2Peter 3:18). It produces peace and grace (1:2) and fruitfulness (1:8), is the secret of freedom from defilement (2:20), and is the sphere of Christian growth (3:18). It may be that the false teachers were Gnostics who stressed knowledge as the means to salvation, and that Peter sought to counteract their falsehoods by a positive presentation of true knowledge. Near the conclusion of chapter two, Peter described the false teachers as previously having: (a) escaped â€Å"the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ†; (b) known â€Å"the way of righteousness; and, turned from the holy commandment delivered unto them (vv. 20-21). The inspired apostle concludes his statement by emphasizing the danger inherent in the doctrine these heretics taught—a threat both to their converts and to themselves.