Thursday, January 30, 2020
Trade Liberalization Essay Example for Free
Trade Liberalization Essay Trade is very critical in any country as it ensures that although countries have different production capabilities they can acquire all types of goods. Different capabilities arise due to the fact that different countries have different natural resources, educational capabilities, varying physical capital as well as the technological knowledge. Trade liberalization entails the reduction of limitations on trade across countries. Artificial barriers as well as other forms of distortions are reduced. (Alvarado S and Morici P, 1992, 59). Protectionism is completely eliminated and tariffs which entail the raising of import prices, quotas that see to it that there is physical limitation on goods that can be imported as well as non tariff barriers like regulation and legislation that hinder easy entry for foreign competitors are eliminated. The US is committed to ensuring that countries eradicate barriers as is seen through its efforts in General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and World Trade Organization (WTO) and in Free Trade Area (FTA).             Trade liberalization or policies ensure that economies are open to trade and investments with the rest of the world. It is crucial for any nation if sustained economic growth is to be attained. Free trade ensures the creation of jobs, better working conditions and the over all economic growth. No country can attain economic growth, which comes along with improved standards of living if it is in exclusion with the rest part of the world. In other words, no country is self-sufficient. Trade openings as well as foreign direct investment ensure economic success especially in third world countries. Trade liberalization has seen many third world countries develop competitive advantages in the production of certain products thus increasing their production and consequently increasing the profits derived from them. This has seen the number of people living in the margins of poverty decrease. It is evident that countries focus on the outward development rather than inward developments thrive more. Such countries focus more on the interrelated relationship with other countries and together all the parties involved benefit. Countries as India, Vietnam and Uganda are relevant examples of how faster growth and poverty reduction is realized when trade liberalization takes place. Lowering of tariffs comes along with quick growth compared to those who do not. (www.kent.ac.uk).             Trade liberalization benefits the poor more. Protection is associated with large implicit subsidies that most third world countries cannot afford. Liberalization of trade ensures that the poor people‘s incomes increase with almost the same proportion as the total population as a whole increases. With trade liberalization there is the creation of jobs, which can suit the semi and the unskilled workers in a nation, such a move, ensures their graduation from a lower social status to a higher one. Again, the reduced inequality gap that had been observed since the 1990s was partly due to trade liberalization and its effects on the economic growth. More gains can be accrued if many barriers to trade are eliminated. Third world countries are more likely to benefit from trade liberalization as a percentage of their GDP than the developed countries since their economies tend to be more or highly protected and also because they face more barriers. (www.imf.org).             To maximally leap the benefits of trade liberalization it is important that countries specialize in producing goods that they have a comparative advantage in. The opening of their markets and ensuring that their companies compete internationally then follow this. This necessitates stiff competition and increased efficiency that ensures that prices go down making the goods more attractive and affordable. Demand consequently rises and there is continued or increased production to match it. As the businesses, boom the Gross National Income rises and all people benefit from it.             Trade liberalization encourages or facilitates the increased imports of strategic goods and services, attracts foreign direct investment and enhances technological transfers. It also ensures the development of endogenous capacities as well as the development of infrastructure that is appropriate to support national objectives for industrial development.             It can indirectly be beneficial to a country’s natural resources as with the increased trade, countries can acquire the finances needed to support environmental protection, its conservation as well as remediation efforts. Although there are potential negative effects associated with trade liberalization policies that promote the positive effects ought to be enhanced. It is also important to ensure that institutional as well as human capacities of developing countries or those that are in the transition process to the market economies are well organized. This would ensure effective integration between the environment, trade and development policies. Negative effects or impacts of trade should be avoided and curbed before they even emerge and once they start being manifested, they should be addressed quickly. It is important to take into account the sustainability of a country’s environmental as well as natural resources when designing the trade liberalization policies. This will go a long way in ensuring that there are fewer or no adverse effects. In Bangladesh, the shrimp culture became beneficial with the introduction of liberalization. The economic gains included the increased GDP that recorded an increase of approximately 70 %. Exports increased and there was the increased employment rate for the locals.             Copper mining in Chile also benefited from trade liberalization. It saw the increased GDP from the sector. The sector contributed to the country’s total exports to a tune of 41% despite the fact that it created employment for just a few people. The liberalization ensured that there was increased private participation and this meant that efficiency and effectiveness would be enhanced. New technologies could easily be adopted and they ensure that costs of production were lowered, competitiveness increased and it was possible to explore previously marginalized areas. (www.kent.ac.uk). This is crucial in ensuring that rural development is attained. Diversified economic development is vital for third world countries as it reduces the rural urban migration and ensures rural development. Infrastructures are developed in areas that could have remained under developed as third world countries lack adequate capital to ensure unified development.             Liberalization enhances competition which works to increase innovation and exploration. It ensures that there is effective exploration especially in areas that had previously been marginalized. It also encourages the use of environmentally friendly technologies geared to ensure that there is minimal harm to the environment. With increased exports or trade in general there is the generation of foreign exchange, attraction of external investment and the creation of employment.             Free trade ensures that there is the creation of trade and domestic production is substituted with cheaper imports. Trade creation is important as it ensures that there is effective production efficiency. (Peloso J, 2005, 154). Factors that determine the effects on trade depend on whether there are lower prices due to tariff reduction and if the price changes are responsive to the supply and demand in the market.             Trade liberalization can be defined as a form of trade where a neutral approach is taken and there is minimal government control. Most developing countries that register minimal growth had a history of poor implementation issue in totality.             Trade liberalization and free trade ensures positive externalities that lead to increased or greater competition that ensures there is much efficiency in resource allocation, economies of scale as well as technological spill over effects. It reduces rent seeking – behaviour and promotes the increased flow of technological knowledge across the globe. There is a greater access to new goods be they capital or intermediate. There is also a faster rate in the imitation of advanced techniques that enable third world countries to prosper economically.             It makes exports more competitive especially in the international markets since it involves the reduction in exchange rates distortion as well as export duties. Trade liberalization and free trade in third world countries ensures that there is export diversification among countries involved. Trade restrictions that hinder or act as an obstacle to trade are erased.             Some third world countries especially in Africa would greatly benefit from increased trade through trade liberalization. Most of them have poor infrastructure that would need huge capital to develop in trying to increase the rates of production. Their inadequate capital makes them it hard to acquire new and more efficient technology needed to ensure that there is considerable economic growth and development. Others are inhibited by their geographical locations in ensuring that they develop economically. With trade liberalization acquisition of goods that land locked countries like Uganda is made easier. Many gains are earned when countries exploit their comparative advantage in the face of free trade and trade liberalization.             History proves that inward development among the third world countries where their governments intervene or control the economy are not effective in ensuring economic growth. In the 1960s and 70s when this approach was used it was characterized by ineffective or deficient infrastructures, underdeveloped financial markets as well as poor human capital resources. Through trade liberalization, it was possible to acquire external finances that would steer up the economy.             The overall effects of trade liberalization are highly correlated to a country’s political, economical as well as social organization. It is also affected by the way reforms are created and implemented for instance reforms on import liberalization and the approach that is taken for example through tariff reduction, structure unification or reduced duty rates.             In Tunisia, trade liberalization enhanced export promotion that created changes in the country’s economic growth and external payments. Import liberalization saw the promotion of domestic production that strengthened competition and consequently the economy’s efficiency was enhanced. It ensured trade competition with neighboring countries like Morocco, Algeria and Egypt. Liberalization of telecommunication sector made significant changes in the country’s economic development. Economic expansion in the country is also attributed to the increased privatization of most sectors making them more efficient and effective.             Trade liberalization can be of much importance to third world countries especially because through trade agreements there is the enhancement of the rule of law among the countries involved. Good governance, transparency as well as fair enforcement of contracts is ensured in the countries involved. (Wallace L, 1999, 89). Corruption is in most case eradicated as the rule of law is reinforced and it promotes foreign direct investment. Property rights are also empowered and they ensure that there is effective investment in the involved countries. This ensures that there is increased savings as well as investment and exchange. The competition that comes along with free trade benefits the poor especially in the third world countries where they are susceptible to exploitation by the elites or by a few monopolies. It promotes equality and eradicates the manipulation of trading activities. Free trade also encourages reforms in various sectors of the economy and consequently promotes growth. It sees to it that there is efficiency as the policies established are critical. Again democracies can be effectively strengthened with the establishment of free trade. Free trade in addition to promoting the flow of goods and services it also entails the transmission of ideas and values. Self confidence is therefore ensured as freedom is ensured.             The World Bank reported of the overwhelming growth that came along with the reduction of trade barriers, it estimates that in the 90s the per capita of such countries rose by almost thrice. (www.usemb.gov.do). Trade liberalization encourages domestic reforms that are needed in third world countries. Freedom and openness promote effective governance and macroeconomic policies that ensure there is economic growth. The economic gains arising from increased trade would be effective in ensuring that third world countries reduce the burden of seeking foreign assistance that comes with strings attached or conditional ties.             According to the numerous studies conducted by World Bank and also by the University of Michigan there are more gains attributed to trade liberalization especially in developing countries where trade barriers are approximately four times more than in developed countries. Another study by International Institute of Economics established that millions of people subjected to abject poverty especially in the third world countries would have their living standards improved with the global free trade. (www.usemb.gov.do). Trade liberalization and free trade therefore increases the flow of trade and benefit the third world countries. References: IMF. 2001. Global Trade Liberalization and the Developing Countries. Retrieved on 11th April 2008 from http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/ib/2001/110801.htm Jennifer Peloso. 2005. Free Trade. H.W. Wilson Publishers. P 154 Sylvia Alvarado, Peter Morici.1992. The Premise and the Promise: Free Trade in the Americas. Transaction Publishers. P 59 America U Santos Paulino. Trade liberalization and economic performance among selected developing countries. Retrieved on 11th April 2008 from http://www.kent.ac.uk/economics/papers/papers-pdf/2000/0012.pdf. Michael McGee. 2006. Benefits of Free Trade Agreements for Developing Countries. Retrieved on 11th April 2008 from http://www.usemb.gov.do/FCS-e.htm Laura Wallace. 1999. Adjusting to the Challenges of Globalization. International
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
A Soldiers Life in the Civil War Essay -- Papers
Life during the Civil War was not a pleasant time. There was basically utter chaos going on the South. Soldiers had to deal with the harsh conditions and the thought of death. Plantation owners had to worry about who was going to work their fields. Business owners had to worry about who was going to buy their products. Citizens had to worry about soldiers destroying their property. And the government had to worry about how to pay the soldiers and how to end the war. This was a very rough time to be alive. Soldier Life During The Civil War The camp life for a soldier was hardly one to be desired. â€Å"The weather was hot and the water was bad, yet the men kept in good spirits, and there was no grumbling at the hard drill and harder work(Ratchford, 11).†The weather varied a lot during the Civil War. At times it would snow up to depths of eight inches and sometimes it would rain and hail for hours on end(Russell, 130). Other times it would be very hot. Sometimes when it would rain, soldiers would wake up half submerged(Brown,122). Death was also a major fear during the Civil War. â€Å"We cook and eat, talk and laugh with the enemies dead lying all about us as though they were so many logs(Brown, 115).†The soldier would march threw battlefields where dead men, horses, and smashed artillery were scattered about in utter confusion; the Blue and the Gray mixed-their bodies so bloated, distorted, and discolored from decomposition, that they were basically unrecognizable(Mohr, 326). There was also the duties of the officers. â€Å"Often when a detachment was on scout, there were no men left in camp to release the pickets, and they had to remain on post for seventy-two hours at a stretch(Histor... ...g, and killing(Ratchford, 11). To me it sounds as though the life of a soldier during the Civil War is not one that I would want to live. I would rather sit at my computer and type a paper about it than actually leave through it. The soldiers and the civilians alike, had it very rough. The conditions were harsh and the fear of death would be the only thing on my mind. Or fear of having my house burnt down or taken from me is something I would not want to experience. In conclusion, I would be very proud to shake any soldiers hand that fought in the Civil War. Outline I. Introduction II. Life of a Soldier During the Civil War A. Camp Life B. Death C. Duties D. Shooting E. Food F. Medical G. Pay III. Government and Citizens During The Civil War A. Government Reaction B. Citizens Reaction C. Citizens Vandalism IV. Conclusion
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Cultural and Cross Cultural Psychology Essay
Cultural psychology and cross-cultural psychology is no more new, as it has had its momentum picked up for the past few decades. Developmental psychology is something of the same kind and it was a buzzword in between at the turn of the century. The question is how is it possible to study human’s development though we intend to study. Human development is also reflected from the repeated efforts and interests on culture analysis in getting to know the interpretation of signals, code words and gestures. When it comes to testing, research and analysis in psychology related subjects it is quite difficult to understand the significant relation between the test samples and the findings. As there is never a reliable empirical formula. Cross cultural psychology is the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes, including both their variability and invariance, under diverse cultural condition. It’s primary aims are to investigate a) systematic relations between behavioral variables and ethnic-cultural variables, and generalizations of psychological principles. Cross cultural psychology is the science by virtue of the scientific principles and methods it employs. Cross cultural psychology is not primarily concerned with the comparative study of culture, that si the enduring characteristics that mark a culture apart from other countries. (Leonore Loeb Adler, Uwe P. Gieglen, Florence L. Denmark. Cross cultural topics in psychology – Second edition) â€Å"Cross-cultural psychology is the empirical study of members of various culture groups who have had different experience that lead to predictable and significant differences in behavior. In the majority of such studies, the groups under study speak different languages and are governed by different political units†(British, Lonner, Thorndike, 1973, p. 5 – John W. Berry, Ype H. Pootinga, Marshall H. Segall, Pierre R. Dasen. Cross cultural psychology Research and Applications – Second edition, p. 1) â€Å"Cultural Psycology is the study of the culture’s role in the mental life of human beings†(Cole, 1996, p. 1- John W. Berry, Ype H. Pootinga, Marshall H. Segall, Pierre R. Dasen. Cross cultural psychology Research and Applications – Second edition, p. 1) Cultural psychology is the study to examine ethnic and cultural sources of psychological diversity in emotional, social cognition and human development. (Richard A. Shweder, Maria A. Sullivan. Cultural Psychology: Who needs it? 1993 – Internet edition Cultural psychology is nothing but the practices, customs and beliefs we follow differs from place to place and ethnicity to ethnicity. It is the study of various cultural practices, customary traditions and beliefs that influence a particular sector of people, who decides to improve their society by improvising the existing practices and trying to reason few satisfactory logic to get convinced with the practices. The degree of variance is sometimes measurable and sometimes not. The most interesting part is to analyze how and to what extent the traditions, customs, practices and beliefs developed in a region based on something are made use in favor of personal purposes. Whereas cross-cultural psychology is the effort to establish a connection between psychology that is being framed on the basis of the customs and traditions practiced. It simply deals with the different set of experiences and different set of environment which shows a significant influence on the behavior of the person in a place. The cultural psychology stops with the traditions, customs, beliefs and practices in a system whereas cross-cultural psychology is deep about analyzing the effect of these cultural practices in the behavior and thought process of an individual in the system. For eg, the traditional practice of Sati (burning a woman alive after her husband’s death) was followed in India. Learning the practice and the origin of Sati and analyzing its logic, superstitious beliefs is the cultural psychology. Cross cultural psychology tends to explain why women in India are able to accept the practice and get convinced when it is not possible with the other women in the rest of the world. Critical thinking in the cross cultural psychology Cross cultural psychology is interesting to deal with, but actually speaking is highly uninteresting when it comes to experiment and research. It is difficult to format a methodology and bring it in practice, even if brought into practice it is not all that easy to interpret the results of the psychological tests and tasks. How can researchers make out the differences between the results obtained for the same tests from different groups though the questions are same and the groups are different based on the brought up and experience. Is it possible to exhibit a connection between the psychology and the culture with just the interpretation of the results of the tests conducted, and the fact being no one knows to what extent the interpretation falls right. The difference in the thinking may occur due to the difference in the culture influenced thought process, still it is difficult as there is no concrete or empirical formula formulated to decide on it. There is no assurance that the difference in thought process is because of the cultural difference, as there could also be reasons such as bewildered nature of the question, the puzzling nature of the tests, the mood and ignorance of the people and the literacy rate and understanding power of an individual. It does not stop with cross cultural psychology as developmental psychology also faced the similar kind of problem in formatting the research to get to know the exact demand of the scientists and the researchers from the test samples. In addition to that few man made minor errors in the research and process leads to an unexpected and unwanted finding and the errors are sometimes left undetected too. The methodology associated with cross cultural research When it comes to methodology of cross cultural psychology, it involves the qualitative methodology to analyze the practices, customs and habits of different cultures, on the other hand it requires quantitative methodology to compare, analyze and juxtapose the difference in psychology of different individuals influenced by the cultures and practices they follow. Psychological and cultural psychology experiments always require the need of qualitative analysis, as the cross cultural psychology is all about analyzing a huge mass of test sample quantitative analysis also comes into picture, perhaps the problem is sometimes the methods are treated mutually exclusive and the results are not compatible all the time. In addition to this, there is a report that researchers employ artificial and unfamiliar methods leading to ambiguous results. The issue is research is done based on the questions answered by individuals in a society rather than the collective answer from a society, that makes the major difference and inconvenience. Conclusion Though the subject is interesting, it is poignant to know the investigation methods have not taken the right direction. Conventional methods and sampling techniques are most desired all the times, perhaps when it comes to bringing out the difference between two cultures and the influence on the thought process of an individual because of the culture, it is advisable not to stop with these conventional techniques, as even previous literature works, media interviews, assumptions can be taken into significant consideration. Apart from all these standard quantitative techniques should be given the appropriate attention too, the results from the conventional sampling techniques and the standard quantitative techniques can be compared and related. This way a convincing analysis can be expected. Reference: Richard A Shweder. Thinking through cultures – Expeditions in cultural psychology John W. Berry, Ype H. Pootinga, Marshall H. Segall, Pierre R. Dasen . Cross cultural psychology Research and Applications – Second edition James W. Stigler, Richard A. Shweder, Gilbert Herdt. Cultural Psychology- Essays on comparative human development. Lumei Hui. (2003)Theoretical and Methodological Problems in Cross-Cultural Psychology. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior John W. Berry, Ype H. Pootinga, Marshall H. Segall, Pierre R. Dasen. Cross cultural psychology Research and Applications – Second edition
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Censorship And Its Effect On Society - 1325 Words
nformation is one of the most fundamental means by which people can acquire power and influence in Western society. It is also said that information is practically the most powerful and important weapon against corruption in the world. Those who have access to sensitive information, by whatever means either through corruption or unrestricted access, can use this information to demand bribes and even obtain more information by corruption or hide it from others. Owning that access and practicing the act of corruption and maladministration will increase transparency and will also enable society and even media to know and use the right information as the truth will be covered. The right to know the information and to fully understand society’s rights is a great value that is not always realised by society, but given the example of the government, the ones who own more information have the power to hide their own actions and to control the information censoring media. As far as the government is concerned privacy, political and economic information is not to be shared, therefore they can deny access to it. This type of information is controlled making society unaware of what is happening. Fortunately, it is a two-way role. There are laws to prevent this from happening and also to give access to the right and non sensitive information. Information free from corruption is vital for society to know what is happening. Digital leaking is a massive new practice among us, society, inShow MoreRelatedCensorship And Its Effect On Society992 Words  | 4 PagesSometimes censorship might have a positive effect on society. For example, parents consider censorship to be important in order to protect minors and some group of audiences from indecent broadcast or obscenity. Contents like this are deemed to be harmful or offensive to public good and are usually highly regulated by the government. 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In the 20th Century, censorship was achieved through the examination of books, plays, films, television and radio programs, news reports, and other forms of communication for the purpose of altering or suppressing ideas found to be objectionable or offensive. There have been assorted justifications for censorship, with some censorsRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1200 Words  | 5 Pagesby life in society, authors are able to create work that speaks to their observations and views on society and its functions. In the book Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury incorporated the corruption of the society in which he lived in into the dystopian society created in his book. Fahrenheit 451, a fictional book about a protagonist’s attempt to overcome a dystopian society’s corruption, was written by Ray Bradbury while living in 1950â⠂¬â„¢s America. The book focuses on themes of censorship, and illustrates
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