ENGH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ENGH - Essay Example imes, she would sit with my friends and I as we watched the other neighborhood kids turning on the fire hydrants and running underneath the water spray just to cool off. During those instances, she would ask us to each tell a story about what we thought the other kids were doing under the spray of water. While my friends and I made up stories about the scenes unfolding before us, grandmother would pull up her rocking chair and ask us to sit around her. This was often the signal for the game that she loved to play with us. She would ask a child to start the story and then point to another child to continue the story and we would go on like that for around an hour or so until she would say â€Å"last 4 kids need to help end the story.† That was how we whiled away our time during our youth. My grandmother encouraged us to let our imagination soar and get as creative as possible with the stories that we were chaining together. It was really sad that we could only practice the chain story telling when my grandmother was staying with us. Our parents did not have the time to play with us the same way that she did. As for me, I enjoyed the story telling activity so much that I wanted to keep doing it even while my grandmother was away. That is why I once asked my mother to buy me a notebook and some extra pens. I would sit on our front step and observe the people who passed me by. Then I would jot down something that I observed about that person and what I thought he or she was thinking as she walked past. Before I knew it, I had begun to write simple stories of the fictional kind. Maybe it was because of the constant repetition of the activity, it maybe it was the enjoyment that I got from releasing my imagination and allowing it to soar. But I discovered later on that I had a natural talent and love for fictional writing. My grandmother was my first ever editor and my biggest fan. She encouraged me to continue discovering my writing talent in a way that my parents

A Modest Proposal for preventing the children of poor people in Essay

A Modest Proposal for preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick - Essay Example However, the statement to follow changed the mood established at the start. It says: â€Å"I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasie, or a ragoust† (Swift, 2003). For me, this ending was a bit surprising because it shifted its proposed solution, from a very traditional perspective of allotting budget to solve poverty into a peculiar one, and that of selling the flesh of infants to reduce unemployment and economic crisis. Of course, Swift is not suggesting cannibalism or what. To reiterate, it just serves as a criticism to the authorities and citizens. This is clearly explained by this phrase, â€Å"Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients, till he hath at least some glympse of hope, that there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice† (Swift,

The Political Environment Of Business

The Political Environment Of Business Business environment consists of all those factors that have a bearing on the business, such as the strengths, weaknesses, internal power relations and orientations of the organization; government policies and regulations; nature of the economy and economic conditions; socio-cultural factors; demographic trends; natural factors; and, global trends and cross-border developments. Business Environment Interrelationship Any meaningful organization has certain mission, objectives and goals and a strategy to achieve them. Business environment has a bearing on the shaping of all these integral and interrelated elements. It is, therefore, only very appropriate that formulation of strategy is sometimes defined as establishing a proper firm environment fit. Indeed, the mission /objectives/goals themselves should be based on an assessment of the external environment and the organizational factors (i.e. the internal environment ). A SWOT analysis (analysis of the strength and weaknesses of the organization and opportunities and threats in the environment), therefore is one of the first steps in the strategic management process. Business dynamics , to a large extent , is a dependent factor it depends on , inter alia, the environmental dynamics . hence , the importance of environmental analysis . The external environment has , broadly , two components , i.e., business oppourtinities and threats to business . similarly , the organizational environment has two components : strengths and weaknesses of the organization .thus , strategy formulation is properly pitting th organizational factors (internal environment ) against the opportunities and threats in the external environment . In other words , business decisions are conditioned by two broad sets of factors , i.e., the internal environment and the external environment. Business Decision A SWOT analysis therefore is one of the first steps in strategic management process . business dynamics, to a large extent , is a dependent factor it depends on , inter alia , the environmental dynamics. Hence, there is a importance of environmental analysis . Types of environment On the basis of the extent of intimacy with the firm , the environmental factors may be classified in to different types or levels . as indicated above , there are , broadly two types of environment , the internal environment , i.e., factors internal to the firm and external environment , i.e., factors external to the firm which have relevance to it . The internal factors are generally regarded as controllable factors because the company has a control over these factors ; it can alter or modify such factors as its personnel , physical facilities , organization and functional means , such as marketing mix , to suit the environment . The external factors , on the other hand , are , by and large , beyond the control of a company. The external or environmental factors such as the economic factors , socio-cultural factors , government and legal factors , demographic factors , geo-physical factors etc., are , therefore, generally regarded as uncontrollable factors . It may , however , be noted that a firm may not sometimes have complete control over all the internal factors . also , it is some times possible to change certain external factors. Some of the external factors have a direct and intimate impact on the firm ( like the suppliers and distributors of the firm ) . these factors are classified as micro environment , also known as task environment and operating environment . there are other external factors which affect an industry very generally ( such as industrial policy , demographic factors , etc . ). They constitute what is called macro environment , general environment or remote environment . Business environment Dimock observes : the two most powerful institutions in society today are business and government ; where they meet on common ground-amicably or otherwise together they determine public policy , both foreign and domestic , for a nation The political environment includes factors such as the characteristics and policies of the political parties , the nature of constitution and government system and the government environment encompassing the economic and business policies and regulations . these factors may vary very considerably between different nations , between different provinces of the same nation and also over time. The major economic policy decisions often have political underpinnings. The adoption, in the early 1950s of the principle of socialist pattern of society as the socio-economic philosophy by the congress party, which ruled India until 1995 except for a brief period (1977-1980), was mainly responsible for the public sector dominated development strategy followed in india until the early 1990s. It is indeed the dramatic changes in the political environment in the erstwhile USSR and the East European countries that gave rise to drastic changes in their economic policies in the late 1980s. And these developments have encouraged a revolutionary change in Indias economic policies in 1991. Peter Drucker in the Management Challenges for the 21st century observes : Even within transactional economic units , national politics still over rule economic rationality despite the European economic community, for instance, it has proven all but politically impossible to close a totally redundant plant in Belgium and shift the work to a French plant of the same country only 30 miles away, but on the other side of a national border. Many political decisions have serious economic and business implications. The economic policy of ruling party is very important. In the past communists and other leftists favored state capitalism and were against private capital, particularly foreign. Important economic policies such as industrial policy, policy towards foreign capital and technology, fiscal policy and foreign trade policy are often political decisions. Business is an economic activity. But to be effective, business mangers, must also take into consideration the non-economic environment of business. One should give importance to politico-legal environment of business. The Government is a political institution, but it also serves a social purpose, it formulates and executes social policies , it provides the means of maximizing social benefits and minimizing social costs. In other words, the Government itself has a social value and culture. In the modern world, business of any type any structure and any size is often affected by Government polices, programmes and legislations. The Government has its own form, structure, style and ideology or outlook. Business has to organize its activity, and the businessmen have to define their respective business strategy and business tactics depending upon the nature of the Government at work . In other words, business policy decisions are designed according to the Governments overall policy and environment of the system. The ideology or philosophy or outlook of the government of every country enacts and executes a set of policies and programmes. few of the policies are being executed through legislations. The politico-legal environment constitutes the legislations and enactments, rules and regulations, systems and procedures, policies and plans, statements and announcements, directives and guidelines by the Government . To become a successful manger, one should take into considerati on the political environment of business, and then capitalize on the opportunity available in Business environment. The political environment of business consists of several critical elements, e.g., the nature and form of government, the ideology of the ruling party, the strength of the opposition, the role and responsibility of the bureaucracy, political stability, the effectiveness of the Government, its plans and programmes, the socio-economic legislations, and politico-legal institutions, etc. The political environment of business contains a number of critical elements: The Form Of Government Gone are the days of Laissez fare, government intervention to some extent in business activity every where in the world is a rule rather than an exception. So, the form and structure of the Government is a very crucial and decisive factor for the business sector. Following examples may be cited to illustrate this point. As it is said that in democracy such as in India , we have government of the people, by the people and for the people. Peoples participation is so important that even at the enterprise level, we seek workers participation in management, i.e., industrial democracy . Under a federal form of government, we tend to confine the authority of the Central Government with respect to the functional autonomy of the State Governments and, due to this, we allow both Central as well as State level public enterprises. In the same way, the principle of democratic decentralization, authorize even the local Government to collect some business taxes and spend money on local activities. Thus, the system of government and the structure of administration affects business. And in order to secure maximum favor from the existing Government, businessmen also create their own lobby and this factor partly decides whether the Government adopts pro business or anti business measures. For example , as India is a democratic country (or peoples government) , to help medium and small scale entrepreneurs , it has been undertaking several steps like setting up of banks and financial institutions; formulating various policies and schemes, etc. All such measures are specifically focused towards the promotion and development of medium and small scale entrepreneurs. The government (central and state ) has been taking active steps to promote entrepreneurship in various industry and service sectors. It has declared several policies and also implementing schemes and programmes to enhance the global competitiveness of small enterprises across the country. The Ideology Of The Ruling Party In a democratic set up, like in India, the ideology of the ruling party influences ownership , management structure and size of business. rightist inclination of a ruling party may formulate liberal pro-business policies, whereas a leftist bias of a ruling party will develop measures like nationalization and excessive centralization. So the ideology or outlook of the ruling party may help or hurt the core of business activity. Earlier, our government favored progressive income taxes and opposed unregulated business and finance. In recent years they followed centrist economic and social democratic agenda. But , today our ruling party focuses on neo-liberal policies which includes social liberalism secularism and free enterprise system with government regulations. Under the regime of Mr. P. V. Narasimham Rao and then finance minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, significant economic reforms were initiated and more stress was given on efficiency rather than equity considerations. This affected the work ethos in the day to day operations of public enterprises. In 1991 congress with its alliance introduced New Economic Policy in which they welcome the idea of privatization , which was discontinued by the BJP government under the leadership of then prime minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee . In 2004, again the privatization came into existence with the emergence of congress party. The Strength Of Opposition In a democracy opposition plays as vital role as the government. a government to work in a proper way and according to the will of the people, equally strong and sensible opposition is requisition. an opposition like this leads to the success of democracy like in England which the oldest democracy of the word. Usually , there is one strong political party is opposition which is the strength of democracy in that country. Under the two-party system, the party which gets an absolute majority forms the Government. Under the multi-party system, the party which gets a relative majority forms the Government with the collaboration or support of some other political parties. Others which do not command majority form the Opposition. The strength of the Opposition very often depends on whether or not the Opposition parties are united or divided. They may be ideological differences between parties but the Opposition must act as a whole, and the parties must rise above their ideological differences and should judge every move of the ruling party critically. in India there are a number of opposition parties. The effective working of opposition in democracy is very important. The opposition fastens the growth of the county and slow down its growth by untimely agitations. For example, the violent agitations in Gujarat, Bihar, Assam and Punjab resulted in great loss of life and propensity and failed entirely to gain their objectives which affects the working of business entities. So if the Opposition is fair, firm and consistent, it can make constructive criticism of Government polices affecting business. As a result, the Government cannot afford to act irresponsibly with regard to the business sector in the economy. Recently also, the Governments policy of foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail is wrongly criticized due to political reasons by opposition. Such kind of destructive approach is against the national interest. So in a democracy, an effective Opposition is as crucial as Government to protect, promote and regulate business in the best interest of society. Role And Responsibility Of Bureaucracy In any country , Government works through the bureaucracy. In a democratic set up, different parties may be voted in or out of the Government as and when elections are held. Even if the same party rules, thee is no guarantee that the same person will hold charge of a Ministry. Ministers change from time to time, but Government administration must continue without any break. This is where the bureaucracy comes in. bureaucracy is the permanent machinery of the Government, it is meant to keep the flow in Government operations in relation to both business and non-business sectors. In a system where the Government controls and regulates the business extensively, the bureaucracy is very powerful in enforcing Government rules and regulations, systems and procedures, licenses and restrictions. So the Businessmen, should, tend to oblige the bureaucracy in a number of ways. Role of bureaucracy in a country like India which is a developing country are: Policy Formulation- Formulation of Policy is the crucial function of political leaders or members. But the executives also have to play a vital role in it. They advise the ministers in policy making . Political leaders or members being amateurs cannot understand the technical complexities of laws and policies and hence depend upon the expert advice of professional civil executives. Policy Implementation This is the most essential and fundamental function of civil servants. They formulate and execute laws and policies to attain the goals of welfare state that is social equity, economic development, growth and so on Delegated Legislation- This is a quasi legislative function performed by the civil executives. Due to unavailability of time, pressure of work and increased complexities of legislation the legislative makes laws in raw form and delegate its power to the civil executives to make the full fledge bill . so in this sense civil executive makes bills ,rules and regulations, but within the boundary of the parent law that is enacted by the legislature. Delegated legislation is also known as executive legislation or subordinate legislation. Administrative Adjudication- This is a quasi judicial function performed by the civil executives. The civil executives settle disputes between the citizens and the state. There are Administrative Tribunals with judges who solves this dispute among citizens and the state. Examples of some of the tribunals in India are : the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Industrial Tribunals, Rent Tribunals and Railway Rates Tribunals. These tribunal functions beyond the ordinary court system. In addition to the above, the civil executives also performs the following functions-Administrative planning, administration of public enterprises ,handling financial operations etc. When the Government introduced liberalization in 1991 i.e., relaxation of rules and regulations, streamlining of systems and procedures, control turns out to be redundant and meaningless. At that time the bureaucracy finds that it is going to loose its age old role and responsibility of enforcing controls, as the same has happened with economic reforms. Powerlessness is a terrible situation for the bureaucracy. So they opposed towards liberalization. The bureaucracy enjoys imposition and execution of controls and regulations and the subject of controls and regulations had profound implications for business. For example, professional management of quite a few of our public enterprises has become a perpetual tussle between bureaucrats and technocrats. Politico-legal institutions Business and economic policies are statutorily enforced through laws. Various socio-economic legislations are subject to business operation which constitutes the legal environment. In todays scenario there are so many laws that are prevailing which can affects the business operations and it is required by the modern businessmen to have a basic knowledge regarding law and he needs legal advice constantly. Today business is more a kind of a legal contract rather than a social contract. Business laws are numerous in number and various in form. The laws are enacted to protect the business interests of various groups in society. The laws are needed to protect consumers, workers, mangers, owners, shareholders and society at large. There are many business legislations such as MRTP,FERA, IDRA etc. The order is maintained in the industrial economy through the above said legislations . Industrial order and harmony is essential for survival and expansion of business. Laws are not only meant to protect the business but sometimes it also creates the business. for example in Tax laws , more the number of operations of business ,the more the complications of tax laws the more will be the business of tax consultants. Thus economic legislations and business environment are interdependent on each other. Last but not the least, the legal institutions also plays a crucial role as a part of the noneconomic environment of business. The organs of the Government effects functioning of the legislative, executive and judicial business environment directly and indirectly in all manners. The above said organs run through organizations and institutions. The judiciary functions through organizations and institutions. For example, in India the judiciary runs through the Supreme Court, the High Courts and the lower courts. Unless these courts function efficiently, adjudication of business matters, will be at stake. For example , unless the police department acts with vigilance, the economic offences in a country will increase. The successful operation of business depends upon cooperation and coordination between number of Government departments like DGTD, DGS D BPE, etc. Sometimes, business suffers because of inter-ministerial or inter-departmental conflict. To avoid this kind of conflict, very often coordinating cells are created. Efficient working of the cells will helps in running business prosperously without constraints, otherwise, red-tapism, procedural delay, excessive centralization, lack of dedication and absence of departmental coordination will frustrate business activity.

CUBA: The Great Journey in Economic Development on the United State’s

CUBA: The Great Journey in Economic Development on the United State’s Doorstep Introduction A discussion of Cuba and the occurrences within the country over the last century is often surrounded by probing analysis as to the extent to which the Revolution of 1959 actually served as a change from past regimes. It is ignorant to evaluate the revolution in a vacuum, because past events that created the climate where such a change could take place. Yet it is also immature to state that 1959 was purely a product of history and previous revolutions. The story of the Cuban revolution and events since does not begin with the revolution itself. Rather, it starts from the political, economic, and social situations which evolved over centuries. The revolution of 1959 was not the first revolution to take place in Cuba. Political struggles within the state had been occurring for years trying to create a stable system that would provide the stage for Cuba to assume its possible level of economic development and growth. Additionally, there was a desire to release the pop ulation from dictator control. The rise of the leader Fidel Castro continues to mark a drastic divergence from previous leadership and policy. For this reason the political changes of 1959 and afterwards must be viewed as a revolution, a complete change of the political system and policy of Cuba. Moreover, after seizing control of Cuba, Fidel Castro implemented a very unique form of Communism often referred to as â€Å"Castroism.† Under Castro’s control – and with substantial help from the Soviet Union – Cuba flourished in a number of areas including health care and equality. This Communism and relationship with the U.S.S.R., however, led... ...kin, p. 53 [7] Rabkin, p. 50 [8] Rabkin, p. 54 [9] Rabkin, p. 54 [10] Peter Taaffe, Mai Cuba: Socialism and Democracy. 2000. http://www.slp.at/theorie/cuba_2.html [11] Peter Taaffe, Mai Cuba: Socialism and Democracy. 2000. http://www.slp.at/theorie/cuba_2.html. [12] Rabkin, p. 53 [13] Rabkin, p. 55 [14] Rabkin, 51. [15] Rabkin, p. 170 [16] Speech by Fidel Castro, December 6, 2002, attended by Kimberly Roberts [17] Plank, p. vii [18] Plank (Wriston), p. 32 [19] Plank (Wriston), p. 36 [20] Peter Taaffe, Mai Cuba: Socialism and Democracy. 2000. http://www.slp.at/theorie/cuba_2.html. [21] Peter Taaffe, Mai Cuba: Socialism and Democracy. 2000. http://www.slp.at/theorie/cuba_2.html. [22] Garza, Laura. â€Å"UN Condemns U.S. Embargo On Cuba† 1995. [23] Plank (Wriston), p. 40 [24] Rabkin, p. 53

Public finance and policy solution gruber Essay

Questions and Problems 1. The government of Westlovakia has just reformed its social security system. This reform changed two aspects of the system: (1) It abolished its actuarial reduction for early retirement, and (2) it reduced the payroll tax by half for workers who continued to work beyond the early retirement age. Would the average retirement age for Weslovakian workers increase or decrease in response to these two changes, or can you tell? Explain your answer. The first policy change, abolishing the actuarial reduction, would tend to lower the average retirement age. The actuarial reduction is intended to make workers approximately indifferent between retiring early and waiting until standard retirement age. With the reduction, early retirees have a smaller benefit over more years. Abolishing that reduction would make early retirement more attractive: the benefits would be just as high as if workers had waited, and they would be paid over more years. The second policy change would increase the return to working later in life and thus would tend to raise the average retirement age. The overall effect would depend on a number of factors. If people discount the future by enough (that is, have a high enough internal discount rate), they will tend to retire early: the benefit is immediate. People who have a lower discount rate will choose to work longer at the lower tax rate. A second factor that would influence the decision is the potential re tiree’s health status or personal (as opposed to statistical) life expectancy. Someone who believes he has a fairly high probability of living long and well late in life will be more likely to opt for later retirement. A third factor that will tend to increase the  retirement age is that the early retirement effect is truncated at the age designated for eligibility: even people who choose to retire early will only be able to retire a few years earlier than before in order to benefit. People who choose to retire later may retire many years after the standard retirement age. 2. When you called her last night, your grandmother confided that she is afraid to sell her home because doing so will affect her Social Security benefits. You told her that you’d call her back as soon as you read Chapter 13. Now that you’ve read it, what will you say to her about how her benefits will change when she sells her house? Social Security benefits do not change with changes in the value of assets held by the beneficiary. The formula used to calculate benefits under Social Security is based on earned income only. Your grandma’s Social Security benefits will not be affected by the sale of her house. 3. Congressman Snicker has proposed a bill that would increase the number of years of earnings counted when computing the Social Security Average Indexed Monthly Earnings amount from 35 to 40. What would be the effects of this policy change on the retirement behavior of workers? Would the Social Security trust fund balance increase or decrease? Why? Workers may work longer if their best 40 years counted rather than their best 35. Generally, you would expect earned income to increase over a worker’s lifetime; thus, the last several years are likely to yield higher income than the first several years. Being able to count 5 more high-earning years  would induce some workers to remain in the workforce to increase their calculated benefits; if they did not work longer, that 40 years might include some very low or zero-earning years (when the worker was in his or her twenties, possibly still in school). Increasing the number of years of earnings counted would certainly increase the trust fund balance if it caused people to delay their retirement: people would be paying in longer and withdrawing for fewer years. Offsetting that increase would be the increased benefits payable by including 5 higher-earning years in calculating benefits. This offset may not be huge, though. The highest-earning workers would not increase their benefits by very much due to the redistributive nature of the calculations. Low-wage earners who have zero or very-low-wage years among the 40 would have a lower average on which to base the benefit calculation. In addition, by including 5 more years, people who did not delay retirement would have an even lower calculated benefit: their lifetime average would include those low-wage summer or entry-level jobs. 4. Suppose the Social Security payroll tax was increased today to 16.4% in order to solve the 75-year fiscal imbalance in the program. Explain the effect of this change on the value of the Social Security program for persons of different ages, earning levels, and sexes. An increase in the payroll tax would reduce the value of Social Security for younger workers relative to older workers. Older workers would benefit from having a more secure plan, and they wouldn’t have to pay in at the higher rate for very long. Younger workers would have to pay the higher rate over many more years, and their benefit calculation would not increase (because the increase in taxes is meant to keep the current system solvent, not to increase benefits). The very-highest-earning workers would not be harmed as much as lower-earning workers because the payroll tax is not imposed on earnings above $87,900 (currently); however, their payroll tax burden would increase. Women generally benefit more from Social Security because they live longer than men. They are also more likely than men to have interrupted their careers to raise their families, so they tend to pay in less. They are  also more likely to receive benefits as a surviving spouse. All of these factors would continue to exist with a higher tax rate. The higher tax rate would be borne by the employed, not by those who receive benefits because of their survivor spouse status. 5. Senator Deal proposes to offer a choice to future retirees: Retire before age 70 and the benefits are calculated on the last 35 years of income; if you retire at age 73, however, you receive benefits calculated on only the last 15 years of income. Which option are high-income workers likely to choose? Low-income workers? Why? A high-income worker may not benefit by much if he delays retirement until age 73, and he would lose three years of benefits. He is likely to choose the earlier retirement age. Assuming no major work interruptions, which is perhaps a more reasonable assumption for a high-wage earner than a low-wage earner, his benefits will be calculated based on his wage since he was in his mid-thirties. These are likely to be fairly-high-earning years, as they begin a decade after a person would have completed his education. Because of the regressive nature of benefit calculations, the higher wages of the last 15 years would yield a low marginal benefit. High-wage earners are also better able to save for retirement in other ways, so they may be able to afford retiring three years earlier. Low-wage earners will be more likely to delay retirement until age 73. They would lose three years of benefits, but their benefits, once they do retire, will be higher if their income is higher in the last 15 year s of work. This option will be particularly attractive if these workers had some low- or zero-earning years over the course of their working lives. In addition, calculated benefits are a higher percent of  average monthly wage for these workers, so they stand to lose less by working more years. 6. A recent study found that people nearing retirement age were more likely to retire early if they experience large windfall gains (that is, sudden large increases) in the value of their homes. The author of that study concluded that this is evidence that Social Security and private savings are substitutes. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this argument and of the empirical evidence? It seems intuitive that all sources of private wealth combined substitute for, or augment, Social Security, particularly among higher-earning workers, because their Social Security benefits will not replace as high a percentage of their pre-retirement wage. If Social Security benefits are expected to be a relatively small component of post-retirement income, as may be the case for higher-earning workers, then the official Social Security retirement age might be less influential in retirement timing. A sudden increase in the market value of an asset (like housing) might be more influential in the timing decision. One concern this scenario poses, though, is the direction of causality. The implication is that the windfall gain caused early retirement by giving the retiree more money on which to retire. However, retirement may have led to realization of the windfall gain. Increases in the value of a person’s home are realized upon the sale of that home. Perhaps people sold their h omes and realized the gain because they were retiring and relocating. Even under this interpretation, though, the windfall gain would contribute to the retiree’s income, augmenting Social Security benefits. A second concern is that increases in home value are a relatively illiquid form of private savings. Extending this particular correlation (housing value and retirement) to a general statement about private savings requires a bit of a leap of faith. Data on other savings and investment value might help clarify this interpretation. Perhaps these retirees had anticipated inflation in the housing market and included it in their retirement plan portfolio—a portfolio that included assets and Social Security benefits. Finally, other correlates must be considered. A windfall gain in the housing market may be correlated with geographic location, as housing booms can be local in nature. A gain may also correlate to membership in a demographic group that tends to buy the kind of real estate that is most likely to appreciate and that tends to retire early. Suburban businessmen, for example, may tend to fall into both groups. 7. Senator Dare suggests lowering Social Security benefits by reducing the rates at which Average Indexed Monthly Earnings are converted to the Primary Insurance Amount. Senator Snow instead proposes reducing the rate at which benefits are indexed to inflation so that when the Consumer Price Index rises by one percentage point, Social Security benefits rise by less than one percent. Which proposal will benefit the elderly more? Senator Dare’s suggestion immediately and certainly reduces the benefits paid to retirees. Senator Snow’s proposal would reduce the benefits gradually, and in unpredictable ways. In times of extremely low inflation, Senator Snow’s proposal would very gradually erode the spending power of retirees’ benefits checks. However, suppose the plan were to increase benefits by, for example, 90% of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) each year. The following year,f the Cinflation-adjuste 10. Dominitz, Manski, and Heinz (2003) present survey evidence suggesting that young Americans are extremely uncertain about the likelihood that they will receive any Social Security benefits at all. How might demographic trends in the United States contribute to this concern? The most obvious trend in this regard is the aging of the baby boom generation. Young Americans are aware that, in a few years, the baby boom generation will become an extremely large body of retired people. Exacerbating that retiree population bulge is the fact that people live longer now than they have in the past. Those baby boomers will be around for a long time, collecting their Social Security checks. In addition, family sizes are smaller. Baby boomers may have grown up with several siblings, but they had fewer children as adults. Therefore, there will be fewer workers contributing for each baby boomer collecting. 11. The Social Security Administration Web site has a link to a publication entitled Social Security Programs Throughout the World. The European version is online at http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2002-2003/europe/index.html. Pick any two countries in Europe and compare the key attributes of their social security programs. Which of these two countries do you think will have the greater rate of early retirement? Why? Responses to this question will obviously depend on the countries chosen. There are fairly wide variations in the ages at which retirees become eligible for benefits in different countries. Retirement age is lowest in Slovenia, at 58 for men and 54 for women. Other Eastern European countries, such as the Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and Serbia, also have low ages of eligibility. These countries should see relatively low rates of retirement prior to the local age of eligibility, because eligibility occurs at relatively young ages. In contrast, the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Iceland, and Norway have the highest age of eligibility, 67. Holding health status equal across countries, countries in which eligibility occurs at older ages should experience higher rates of retirement prior to eligibility. It is difficult to generalize given the different currencies and complex structures of individual countries’ rules. However, most  countries generally provide an amount equal to a percent of average working wage. Some calculate it based on a fairly short window of working years; in Serbia, for example, the base is calculated using the best ten consecutive years. Advanced Questions 12. Suppose the Social Security system becomes fully privatized, so that all individuals save for their own retirements. Consider two of the various alternative methods of paying off the legacy debt of the program. (One such example is double taxation of existing generations of workers.) Compare and contrast the benefits and drawbacks of each potential â€Å"solution.† An inescapable problem with the Social Security system is that it pays current retirees from current workers’ taxes. If current workers were to â€Å"own† their own Social Security accounts, there would be no flow of funds available to pay current retirees, as their deposits have already been paid to the preceding generation. By double taxing a single generation, the system could switch over, but members of that one generation would have to pay their parents’ benefits as well as fund their own retirement accounts. That is a serious burden to impose on them. However, it would only have to be done once. Subsequent generations would simply fund their own retirement accounts. Another possible solution would be to increase payroll taxes over a longer time period to retire the legacy debt over several generations, while allowing current and future generations to invest privately. The high taxes necessary to accomplish this solution, however, would offset much if not all of the gains from investing in higher-yielding stock funds. An alternative to increasing taxes is reducing benefits. Several options exist to accomplish this reduction. One way would be to increase the full benefits age of retirement and adjust early retirement benefits to be actuarially neutral. An advantage of doing this is that it adjusts Social Security rules to reflect longer and healthier lives among people in their sixties and seventies. Not everyone in those age groups can continue to work, however, and this change would impose a hardship on them. In addition, there is something essentially unfair about changing the rules of the program after people have been paying into it for their entire working lives. A similar objection would be raised if the system were changed to reduce the benefits paid to the wealthy elderly. This approach seems reasonable; after all, those retirees who are wealthy do not need Social Security to stay out of poverty. But they paid into the program and perceive it to be more of a pension than an anti-poverty program. Making the program more ambitiously means-tested (as opposed to just redistributive) changes the nature and perceived legitimacy of Social Security. 13. Does Social Security provide much benefit in terms of consumption smoothing over the retirement decision? Contrast Social Security with a different social insurance program, unemployment insurance, which provides income support for half a year to individuals who have lost their jobs. Do you think that unemployment insurance is likely to pro vide more or less consumption smoothing than Social Security? Unemployment insurance smooths consumption over discrete, fairly brief, unanticipated interruptions in work; Social Security allows retirees to remain out of poverty after stopping work. Retirement is not a surprise. In the absence of Social Security (and even in its presence), people with foresight plan and save for retirement. Social Security payments alone are not enough to allow retirees to maintain their pre-retirement consumption level, but they do substantially reduce the number of retirees in poverty. The purpose of Social Security was not to allow retirees to maintain pre-retirement income (that is, to smooth consumption) but to help them avoid poverty. Unemployment insurance is much more explicitly aimed at  consumption smoothing between employment spells. It allows people to maintain their standard of living over intermittent dips in income. Thus, Social Security provides less consumption smoothing than does unemployment insurance. 14. Edwards and Edwards (2002) describe evidence that following a social security reform in Chile that reduced the implicit tax on working in the formal sector, informal sector wages rose. What do you think is the mechanism at work here? In equilibrium, prices and wages tend to equalize. In the case of Chile, if formal sector wages are particularly low, people will choose to work in the informal sector. One reason formal sector wages are low is that those wages are taxed. When tax rates are high, more people seek work in the untaxed, informal sector. However, when tax rates fall, as they did in Chile, the effective wages in the formal sector increase and people exit the untaxed sector to accept jobs in the formal sector. Wages in the informal sector must then increase to retain those employees who are tempted by higher after-tax wages elsewhere. 15. Suppose that you had information about the amount of private savings during the years before and after the introduction of the Social Security program. How might you carry out a difference-in-difference analysis of the introduction of the Social Security program on private savings? This data would be helpful in determining the extent to which Social Security crowds out private savings, but there may be reasons for savings rates to change that are unrelated to the introduction of Social Security. You could use difference-in-difference analysis to distinguish between differences in private savings that are related to general trends in saving behavior and those that are associated with the introduction of Social Security. Depending on how many years of data you have, you could determine the difference in savings rates between pairs of years preceding the change. You could also determine the difference in saving rates between pairs of years after the introduction of Social Security. Then you would want to investigate differences in savings rates in the years immediately before and after the institution of Social Security. This test is meant to determine whether that difference is statistically significantly different from the patterns of differences measured for pa irs of years in which there was no change. Specifically, if savings rates fell between the year immediately preceding Social Security and the year of the change by more than it fell for other pairs of years, you would have evidence consistent with crowding out. 16. Suppose you find evidence that high school dropout workers are more likely to retire at age 62 than are college-educated workers. You conclude that these workers do so because they are more liquidity-constrained than are other workers. Can you think of alternative explanations for this finding? One possible explanation is that less-well-educated workers are more likely to have jobs that are relatively more physically demanding and particularly difficult to continue after age 62. Similarly, the physical wear and tear of demanding jobs may leave these workers unable to comfortably work later in life. Another possible explanation is that these workers have already had their 35 best years: they began working at a younger age than college-educated workers and their upward mobility is constrained, so they will be unlikely to have high salaries later in life. Finally, higher education is correlated with better health; less-welleducated workers may  retire fairly early if they anticipate having a reduced life expectancy. 17. Consider an economy that is composed of identical individuals who live for two periods. These individuals have preferences over consumption in periods 1 and 2 given by: U = log(C1) + log(C2). They receive an income of 100 in period 1 and an income of 50 in pe riod 2. They can save as much of their income as they like in bank accounts, earning an interest rate of 10% per period. They do not care about their children, so they spend all their money before the end of period 2. Each individual’s lifetime budget constraint is given by C1 + C2/(1 + r) = Y1 + Y2/(1 + r). Individuals choose consumption in each period by maximizing lifetime utility subject to this lifetime budget constraint. a. What is the individual’s optimal consumption in each period? How much saving does he or she do in the first period? Optimizing the utility function subject to the budget constraint yields max U = ln(C1) + ln(C2) subject to C1 + C2/(1 + r) = 100 – C1 + 50/(1 + 0.1), or max U = ln(C1) + ln(C2) + ÃŽ »(145.45 – C1 – 0.91C2). This yields first-order conditions of 1/C1 = ÃŽ »; 1/C2 = 0.91ÃŽ »; and 145.45 = C1 + 0.91C2. Solving for C1 yields 0.91C2, and substituting into the budget constraint yields C2 = 79.92, C1 = 72.73, and savings in the first period are 100 – 72.73 = 27.27. b. Now the government decides to set up a social security system. This system  will take $10 from each individual in the first period, put it in the bank, and transfer it to him or her with interest in the second period. Write out the new lifetime budget constraint. How does the system affect the amount of private savings? How does the system affect national savings (total savings in society)? What is the name for this type of social security system? The new budget constraint reduces first-period income by $10 to $90 but increases second-period income to $50 + $10(1 + r): C1 + C2/(1 + r) = 90 + 50/(1 + r) + 10(1 + r). Solving, C1 + C2/(1 + r) = 90 + 45.45 + 11 = 146.45. Following the same procedure as in a, you would find savings by solving the constrained optimization problem: max U = ln(C1) + ln(C2) + ÃŽ »(146.45 – C1 – 0.91C2), which yields C2 = 80.47, C1 = 73.22, and total savings are 10 + (90 – 73.22) = 26.78. This social security system is a funded plan because the money that is paid in during the first period is used to pay the benefits in the second period. c. Now suppose that the existence of the new social security system causes an individual to retire in period 2, so he or she receives no labor income in period 2. Solve for this individual’s new optimal consumption in each period in this case. What is the new level of private and national savings? Does this differ from the level of savings in part b, and if so, why? (Explain intuitively.) The new budget constraint is C1 + C2/(1 + r) = 100. The new optimization problem, then, is max U = ln(C1) + ln(C2) + ÃŽ »(100 – C1 – 0.91C2). Solving, C2 = 54.95, C1 = 50 and, savings are 100 – 50 = 50. Total savings is greater with earlier retirement, as this consumer must save enough during the first period to completely finance consumption in the second period. 18. For each of the reforms listed below, briefly discuss the pros and cons of the reform, paying attention in particular to efficiency implications (through potential behavioral responses to the change) and equity implications (who wins and who loses). [Note that all reforms are intended to save the system money, so you do not need to list this as a benefit.] a. Increase the number of years used to calculate benefits from 35 to 40. Increasing the number of years used to calculate benefits could lower benefits, because more low- or zero-earning years would be included in a retiree’s average wage. To avoid this reduction in benefits, workers might choose to delay retirement so that they had 40 high-earning years included in the calculation. Workers who spent many years in college and graduate school might be most vulnerable, as they will have had fewer fulltime working years by the time they reach retirement age. Similarly, workers who have had some interruptions in their employment, to raise a family or to retrain for a new career, for example, will also have to delay retirement in order to avoid inclusion of zeroor low-wage years. b. Reduce benefits for beneficiaries with high asset levels (wealth). Means-testing, by considering asset levels, would increase the redistributive nature of Social Security but would induce some perverse behavior. People might be able to increase their benefits by hiding assets, by setting up trusts or other entities, for example. They might also change the timing of selling some of their assets in order to retain Social  Security benefits, which distorts resource mobility, an efficiency concern. While this plan may appear to benefit the less wealthy at the expense of the wealthy elderly, it seems vulnerable to loopholes and evasive behavior. c. Add new state and local government workers to the pool of covered workers (i.e., they pay payroll taxes now and receive benefits when they are old). Broadening the tax base to include these workers would yield a net increase to the system. Current Social Security participants will, over their lifetimes, pay in more than they withdraw. Therefore, increasing the number of workers covered provides a net increase to the cash flow in the system. The new workers stand to lose from this system relative to a plan in which they had their own retirement accounts (because with Social Security they will pay in more than they receive), but the Social Security system benefits. This new rule may induce some to exit these jobs, but since most workers are covered by the system, they will have little choice as to where else to work to avoid this tax. d. Gradually increase the normal retirement age (NRA) from 65 to 70 (under current laws, the NRA will gradually rise to 67 by 2022; the proposal is to speed up this process so the NRA will be 70 by 2022). Gradually increasing the normal retirement age will save the fund money by reducing the number of years during which retirees can collect. People who need to retire earlier for health or physical limitation reasons will be adversely affected. If they are able to, they may attempt to find less physically demanding work or they may increase private savings in order to be able to afford to retire earlier. Note: The icon indicates a question that requires students to apply the empirical economics principles discussed in Chapter 3 and the Empirical Evidence boxes.

Advance Practice Nurse

Advanced nursing practice is a term that describes an advanced level of nursing practice that maximizes the use of in-depth nursing knowledge and skill in meeting the health needs of clients (individuals, families, groups, populations, or entire communities). In this way, advanced nursing practice extends the boundaries of nursing scope of practice and contributes to nursing knowledge and the development and advancement of the profession.Currently, the most recognized role of advance practice nurse is that of the clinical nurse specialist. Although the term advanced nursing practice is frequently used to describe the practice of nurses in such a role, until recently, there has not been agreement within the profession about the definition and nature.Under the umbrella term of advanced nursing practice, four distinct roles are identified: nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist, and nurse anesthetist.The cornerstone of advanced nursing practice is expertise in a sp ecialized area of nursing. Clinical experience and additional education equip the nurse with the skill to synthesize from a broad range of nursing, experiential and scientific knowledge in addressing the health concerns of clients along a continuum of care.Nurse practitioners believe that they and other colleagues should be able to practice in an employment situation which gives equal right and responsibilities, to everyone operating at the same standard.The advance practice nurses should provide consultation to both colleagues and clients and have a vision for nursing practice within the context of the health care system.The minimal educational preparation for advance nurse practice is a graduate degree in nursing. A formal graduate degree program in nursing is valued, because it covers the growing theoretical base of nursing, promotes nursing research and the incorporation of new knowledge into the nurse’s practice and evaluates and documents the nurse’s achievements .The central focus of nursing practice is clinical practice in which there is a direct relationship between nurse and client. Direct care is supported by nursing education, research and administration.A clinical nurse specialist is a registered nurse who holds a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing with expertise in a clinical nursing specialty. An expert practitioner, the clinical nurse specialist provides direct care, education and consultation to clients, as well as education and consultation to the healthcare.The United States is the country with the most well developed advanced practice roles and the greatest degree of consensus on the nature and scope of advanced practice. In the U.S., there are four established advance nurse practice roles: nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, nurse anesthetist, and clinical nurse specialist. All but the nurse-midwife role require graduate education, although the majority of nurse-midwives have masters or doctoral degrees.All registere d nurses are personally and professionally accountable for their actions. Legislation and regulation of advanced practice nurses should be set up using a professional practice model in which practitioners have sole authority for their practice, clear standards of practice, accountability for decision-making, and maintaining skills.As well, legislation and regulation should protect the titles nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, and advanced practice nurse.More than 70 percent of the employers surveyed said they already had nurses in advanced practice roles, and 30 percent said they intended to hire more nurses in such roles in the future. Employers reported a need for clinical nurse specialists, particularly in practice areas where gaps in service were reported, such as primary care, geriatrics, and mental health.Lack of funding was reported as the most common barrier to implementation. Nurse practitioners were seen as most needed in primary care and palliative care.A nurs e practitioner is a registered nurse, who has completed advanced education (a minimum of a master's degree) and training in the diagnosis and management of common medical conditions, including chronic illnesses.Nurse practitioners provide a broad range of health care services. They provide some of the same care provided by physicians and maintain close working relationships with physicians. A nurse practitioner can serve as a patient's regular health care provider.In 1965, the profession of nurse practitioner was instituted and required a master's degree. In the late 1960s into the 1970s, predictions of a physician shortage increased funding and attendance in nurse practitioner programs.During the 1970s, the nurse practitioners requirements relaxed to include continuing education programs, which helped accommodate the demand for NPs. Currently, all three educational options to attain nurse practitioners status are valid.Nurse practitioners are expert nurses who work within a specifi c area of practice incorporating advanced knowledge and skills. They practice both independently and in collaboration with other health care professionals to promote health, prevent disease and to diagnose, assess and manage peoples’ health needs.They provide a wide range of assessment and treatment interventions, including differential diagnoses, ordering, conducting and interpreting diagnostic and laboratory tests and administering therapies for the management of potential and actual health needs. They work in partnership with individuals, families and communities across a wide range of settings. Nurse practitioners may choose to prescribe medicines within their scope of practice.Nurse practitioners also demonstrate leadership as consultants, educators, managers and researchers and actively participate in professional activities, and in local and national policy development.Nurse practitioners integrate into their practice elements such as diagnosing and treating health pro blems and prescribing drugs. Nurse practitioners work autonomously, from initiating the care process to monitoring health outcomes, and they work in collaboration with other health care professionals.Nurse practice in a variety of community, acute care and long-term care settings. These include, but are not limited to community health centers, nursing outposts, specialty units and clinics, emergency departments and long-term care facilities.Nurse practitioners can serve as a patient’s regular health care provider and see patients of all ages. The core philosophy of the field is individualized care. Nurse practitioners focus on patients' conditions as well as the effects of illness on the lives of the patients and their families.A clinical nurse specialist is an advanced practice nurse, usually with a Master of Science in Nursing. A clinical nurse specialist is similar to a nurse practitioner; however they may have less autonomy. A clinical nurse specialist is a masters prepar ed, advanced practice nurse whose care focuses on a specific patient population, like medical, surgical, diabetic, cardiovascular, operating room, emergency room, critical care, neonatal, etc.The clinical nurse specialists divide their time into five general areas – clinical practice, teaching, researching, consulting, and management. Their assessment skills tend to be more focused than nurse practitioners, since they focus on a particular area of specialty. But they make up for this by being able to provide more expertise than even an expert level staff nurse.In any medical facility, registered nurses work with doctors to provide the best patient care possible. But clinical nurse specialists are a little different from the usual registered nurse. Clinical nurse specialists are experts in a specialty area of nursing care and are an important resource for hospital staff members.They keep abreast of current developments in their specialty, from new drug therapies to new treatme nts to innovations in patient care and make this knowledge available to other staff members by acting as teachers and advisors.Many clinical nurse specialists actually run clinics. They have full responsibility for coordinating and making decisions about patient care. Some also prescribe and monitor the effects of patients' medication. They manage research protocols, keep an eye on costs to make sure care is being delivered efficiently and cost-effectively, and develop research projects and clinical studies.These nurses have developed extensive specialist knowledge about a specific area of medicine. They generally have an undergraduate degree or a Master of Science and work closely with doctors who specialize in the same area of healthcare.They also help ensure that national healthcare standards are put into practice locally, and may contribute to developing policies that govern how patients should be cared for.The National Association of clinical nurse specialist is the professiona l organization that represents clinical nurse specialists, provides career development and networking opportunities, and provides a forum for discussion of issues and trends that affect and shape the evolution of  clinical nurse specialist practice.A clinical nurse specialist must be able to care for individuals, families, groups and systems with complex health needs within a specific clinical area; use theoretical and clinical expertise to assist health care providers and consumers in promoting or achieving optimal health.Develop and implement standards of nursing practice; serve as consultant or resource person for other health providers; facilitate an interdisciplinary approach to meeting the needs of the patient; use effective utilization of resources in order to provide cost effective care; seek consultations and make referrals as needed; use and promote research to improve clinical nursing practice.The practice of nursing continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of cli ents. Trends in the delivery of health care are providing opportunities for nurses to create new roles and expand current roles. Among these trends are: an increased emphasis on primary health care, new models of collaborative practice, the shift from institutional to community care, new developments in technology, and the supply and demand for various health providers with particular skills.BibliographyDaniel C. (2004). Higher level practice in nursing: the making of a profession. Professional Nurse, 19(7).Hickey J.V., Ouimette R.M., Venegoni, S.L. (2000). Advanced practice nursing: Changing roles and clinical applications. (2nd edition). Philadelphia: Lippincott.Mundinger M. (1994). Advanced-practice nursing: Good medicine for physicians? New England Journal of Medicine.Sutton F., Smith C. (1995). Advanced nursing practice: New ideas and new perspectives. Journal of Advanced Nursing.

us history motivation essays

us history motivation essays One nation, under God... These words come from the United States pledge of allegiance. The United States, upheld by its prestige, has always been and still remains the worlds most promising and elite nation. Its institution of democracy, effective economic structure, diversity of ethnic backgrounds, military prowess, stable government, and advance technology supports its renowned reputation. Established as its individual nation apart from Great Britain in July 4,1776, the United States experienced as much accomplishments as it did struggles. Its history, whether its grain smoothened or splintered, conceals much more to it then just events of the past. Thus, the history of the United States brings fascination because of selective reasons pertaining to self-awareness, loyalty, and pride. First and foremost, the wonders of ones own place and belonging helps magnify their curiosity for their countrys history. Whether natively born, or as a settling immigrant in the U.S., the knowledge of ones own country should undoubtedly be considered. The history of the United States helps explain much of its functions. A figurative way of looking at it would be that without the past, there would be no present. Also, the metaphoric connection between ones household and ones nation argue why one should be sincere about their countrys history. In other words, ones country resembles the essence of a family and should serve likewise. Like the family name, a country has its own distinctions. In perspective, knowing ones place only results from the insatiable urge of finding ones self. The historical outline of a nation should be regarded simply out of respect. The Puritans, Americas first non-native inhabitants, strived for their freedom against British oppression. Thus, they contributed to the existence of the United States. In doing so, their accomplishments deserve undivided recognition. As one of ...

How to Get Organized at Work When Youre a Marketer

How to Get Organized at Work When Youre a Marketer Getting (and staying) organized at work is no easy feat. Your inbox is constantly filling up with emails and meeting invites Your desk is covered in random piles of sticky notes†¦ And your office messaging system is blowing up non-stop. It’s no wonder you struggle like craaazzzy to *actually* get anything done. #truth But when you’re a marketer who is responsible for a million projects, tasks, and deadlines†¦ being organized is a more than just a nice-to-have†¦ Being organized at work is a necessity. And by the end of this post you will: Know how to get organized at work (thanks to # organizational tips) Learn about # powerful organization tools that can help you get organized AND have access to a couple of *very* helpful organizational templates. Let’s get organized, shall we? How to Get Organized at Work When Youre a Marketer via @How To Get Organized At Work Getting organized at work doesn’t have to be a struggle†¦ BUT it does take some effort. And when I say â€Å"effort† I mean that getting organized at work is about more that just â€Å"getting organized at work.† Because honestly, your life *outside* of work also has to be a bit organized for it not to cramp your style from 9 to 5. 😕 Another thingif you’re one of those people who thinks that their disorganization is part of their â€Å"creative genius† Let me stop you right there with a series of cold, hard facts about organization (which come from our latest marketing research report  (as of 2018): Fact #1 Marketers who document their strategies are 538% more successful than those who don’t (which means it’s not left to chance). Fact #2 Marketers who document their processes are 466% more successful than those who don’t (which means success is actually linked to getting organized). Fact #3 Marketers who set goals are 429% more successful than those who don’t (and goal setting doesn’t just happen by accident it takes an organized effort). ^^^Said another way, it’s proven that marketers who proactively organize are more successful than those who constantly fly by the seat of their pants. Getting organized is proven  to help marketers like you succeed. (And tbh that’s pretty sweet). So without further ado†¦ Let’s dive into a series of organizational tips that are going to help you organize your life, your desk (cough cough), and your workload so that you can be a successful (and hella organized) marketer. Organizational Tips Getting organized at work is more than just cleaning off your desktop and sorting files (even though that’s a great place to start) Getting organized at work should actually start with making sure certain aspects of your life are well-organized, too. So before we jump into how to get organized at work, let’s jump into 5 ways you can organize your life. Organized Life Tip #1: Get a good amount of sleep First things first to really feel organized, you need to make sure to always get a good amount of sleep. 😠´ It’s literally impossible to think  clearly when you’re running on a shortage of snoozin hours and WAY too much caffeine. It’s literally impossible to think  clearly when you’re running on a shortage of snoozin hoursTip #2: Rely on a planner Rely on a planner (digital or paper) to help you remember (and show up on time for) every meeting. Plus, writing down important dates + times actually a) makes it easier to remember (because you’ve taken the time to write it down) and b) lets your brain free up important space for idkactually executing a marketing strategy. ;) Tip # 3: Begin your day by knocking out small tasks Begin your day by knocking out small tasks (check your email, put away laundry, unload the dishwasher, etc). You not only get more organized in the process (bonus.) But accomplishing small tasks right away in the morning also means you’re being productive right away.  It’s a feeling of accomplishment that you can carry with you throughout the workday. Tip #4: Schedule regular breaks Managing your mental state at work is KEY to getting organized. You need to give your brain a chance to relax    otherwise you’re going to feel mega-burned out by 3pm (and making decisions when your brain is tired is never awesome). For best results, try to give yourself a break in the morning AND one in the afternoon (about 15 minutes each). Take a walk around the office, around the block, change up your environment by hitting up a coffee shop whatever works best for you and helps you feel refreshed when you get back. Tip #5: Pick up the phone or use chat Pick up the phone or use chat  to communicate with others. Direct communication means you *actually* get answers. Sending emails back and forth is no good for anyone (and usually just results in a cluttered email inbox). Whether you’re checking in on your mom or getting information about an upcoming project at work picking up the phone or sending a chat (Slack or Google Hangouts are great chat tools) makes sure your email inbox doesnt get overloaded (at least as quickly as usual)and you’ll usually get the answer you’re looking for MUCH faster. 👠 To recap: here’s a nice little graphic of the 5 tips you can use to organize your life: Onto the next phase of how to get organized at work†¦ An organized desk. ðŸâ€" ¥ Organized Desk Who doesn’t love a nice and clean desk (and desktop), am I right?. Here are TWO tips to help you maintain a clean, organized workspace.

A Comparison of Robert Frosts Fire and Ice and the Mending Wall

A Comparison of Robert Frost's Fire and Ice and the Mending Wall Robert Frost was a successful poet for many reasons. He was well known for the diction used in all his poems. Along with diction, he was widely known for the complexity of his poems. Imagery also was key in many of Frost poems because of the way he described events, people and places. He appealed to many Americans because of the life lessons told in many of his poetry. In all, Frost was one of the most popular poets in America’s history. The diction in Frost’s poems stood out to many of his readers because of the elementary language he used, which made his poems easy to understand. To make his poetry easy to understand, he ventured away from difficult words. The elementary diction was shown in â€Å"Fire and Ice† and â€Å"The Mending Wall†. â€Å"Fire and Ice† is an example where the diction draws attention to a certain concept or idea for the reader to understand. When Frost uses the antonym words â€Å"fire† and â€Å"ice†, he is making a point to the reader that the words are representation of love and hate. In â€Å"The Mending Wall†, there are examples of elementary diction that noticeably portrays Frost intentional word choices. Frost says that, â€Å"there where it is we do not need the wall†(Frost 23). Another focal point is Frost’s poetry was complexity. The messages of his poems are interesting because he does not usually talk about the main idea directly but by using figurative language to get his ideas across. Frost was also commonly known for writing different types of poems like his most humorous one, â€Å"Home Burial†. One of Frost’s most complex poems is â€Å"The Road Not Taken†. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, Frost uses complex metaphors to describe the story within the poem. â€Å"Two roads diverge in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by† (Frost 19). When Frost uses a metaphor about the â€Å"two roads that diverge†, he is referring to the two paths in life that there are to take. Imagery in Frost poems was extremely vivid to describe events, people and places. Frost often related nature imagery with romantic views. In â€Å"Desert Places†, Frost uses snow to describe an image of loneliness. For example, the word â€Å"snow† is described as expressionless, â€Å"A blanker whiteness of benighted snow/ with no expression, nothing to express†(Frost 12). â€Å"Birches† is a typical example of the use of nature imagery that Frost uses to talk about the dislikes of the pressures of social life. While Frost does not specify exactly which burden he is targeting, the reader can easily piece together enough evidence from various parts of the poem to depict Frost’s meaning. When Frost compares ice to crystal shells, he uses descriptive words to enhance the image to the reader. The words â€Å"shattering and avalanching† (Frost 11) are used to enhance a visual image for the reader. Robert Frost was most famous for the way that he structured and managed his career. Frost became most popular because of the stories told within his poetry. In Frost poetry, he avoided any explicit language. He also did not discuss the economy or anything dealing with politics. Many other Americans became aware of who Frost because he was the first American poet to read poetry at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. He read â€Å"The Gift Outright†, which was a poem that was written especially for the inauguration. In all, Frost was known for the elementary diction that he used in all of his poetry. Along with diction, he was widely known for the complexity of his poems. His use of imagery was descriptive in a way that it painted a picture for his readers. The life lessons that were depicted in his poems were one of many reasons why Americans favored him. Altogether, Frost was one of the most popular poets in America’s history.

American History Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

American History - Article Example Later on, in 1948, Johnson vied for Senate and won. Whilst he was a senator, in the 1950s, his position on civil rights was clear, especially when he passed the Civil Rights Act in 1960, he wanted to end racial discrimination (Heasman, 2011). Johnson came to office following the tragic assassination of President Kennedy, in 1963, as he was the Vice-president. However, in 1964, he won the presidential elections and set on to keep President Kennedy’s programs alive, including the Civil Rights Movement. Johnson relied on convincing Congress to the Civil Rights Act in 1964 as the Act did away with most discrimination the Black Americans and other races were facing (Cokie and Steve, 2004). However, this was not easy as he was facing resistance on the same Act from the Southerners in the US. His motives were crystal as he aimed at getting rid of racial discrimination against the non-natives; moreover, this would guarantee him more votes in the following elections (Cokie and Steve,

Reseach approach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Reseach approach - Essay Example Numerous researches and studies are directed on definition of the problem deeply rooted in the minds of Americans who consume junk food and the number of obese people is growing from year to year. This research paper provides a look of the Interactionist Perspective on the problem of obesity among children. It implies that under pressure of surrounding obese people, a healthy individual would become obese also. Therefore, a parental influence within the family may turn a healthy child in an obese one. Moreover, in accordance with the recent studies, low incomes of families, a low level of education and other negatively influencing socio-economic factors prevent children from exercising and obtrude often eating upon them. Thus, within a peer group an obese individual feels himself comfortable, but in the society he is perceived as a deviant one. Children obesity is greatly triggered within their families if their parents are obese and it is natural of them to eat huge amounts of food. The often eating custom of a certain family turns into a bad habit of their child. The Interactionist perspective is incorporated in the discussion about obesity among children further on. ... Healthcare costs are greatly influenced by obesity. â€Å"World Bank has claimed that the cost of obesity at 12 percent of the nation’s healthcare budget† (Department of Health and Human service, 2000). The costs of obesity cause negative influences on individual and governmental levels. Therefore a struggle against obesity must be held on governmental level because it is an intimidating factor for all nations’ health. There is a need to propagate healthy way of life and increase living standards of ethnical minorities and Americans with lower socioeconomic status. Literature Review: Economic factors Lower incomes lead to high levels of junk food consumption. Affordability and availability of this kind of food increases obesity levels. In accordance with National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, â€Å"there are more obese among non-Hispanic white adolescents from families with low income than from families with higher income families. Obese people among non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican-American children have no low income in their families, on the other hand† (Troiano & Flegal, 1998). Healthy Foods Access Low income of people leads them to wrong food choices: thus people decide to buy food with higher calorie levels due to its lower price (Morland a), 2002).Healthy food costs more than junk food (Drewnowski & Specter, 2004). Data obtained from the study conducted in 2002 signifies that â€Å"†¦there are three times as many supermarkets in wealthy neighborhoods as in poor neighborhoods, and four times as many supermarkets in predominantly white neighborhoods as in predominantly African-American ones (Morland b), 2002). Physical Activity Factors Another

Is it Too Hard to Amend the Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Is it Too Hard to Amend the Constitution - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the makers of the constitution have been said to have placed the bar extremely high for a likelihood of any type of regulation in the constitution. Black argues that the constitution gave the president the authority of being the commandant of the forces, but ordinarily, the president does very little in the event that decisions touching on warfare and peace are concerned (1). This means that the constitution has very little to recommend in regard to nuclear assails. In this case, the main challenge is that the framers of the initial constitution had very little information on the important issues in the country as well as the role of politics in shaping the structure of the constitution (Black 1). Unless this transforms, it might be too time-consuming to adjust the present constitution.  The Senate and the House are required to pass a majority of 2/3 votes if the constitution has to be amended (Black 1). This case has been alien to the country for the earlier periods. Article V of the constitution, as the author terms it, - an â€Å"iron cage†- has made it extremely tasking to amend the constitution (Black 1). The Anti-flag-burning amendment is a  good case in point that failed. The amendment only had 66 votes in favor, and 34 votes opposing the same (Martin 1). This means that the amendment failed to gather the necessary 2/3 votes that would have otherwise led to the Bush government leading the Congress towards holding the power of banning contravention of the treasured American flag.

Privacy in the 21st century Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Privacy in the 21st century - Research Paper Example Security agencies were allowed to do this not only if the threat was to the United States of America only, but also if requested by another country. The bill was introduced to congress by Senator Ted Kennedy in 1977. According to Liu (2011), on December 2005, during the bush administration, the act gained public awareness after an article â€Å"warrantless wiretapping† that blew the whistle on the National Security Agency’s (NSA) domestic surveillance without proper or any court warrants. According to Levy (2007), there have been various amendments on the Foreign Service Intelligence Act (FISA). One of the significant amendments is the Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2007. This amendment was introduced by senators Olympia Snowe, Linsey Graham, Chuck Hugel and Mike DeWine. According to the act, the President of the United States of America was given limited authority to mandate gathering of intelligence through electronic surveillance of people suspected to be involved in terrorism activities in the United States of America. The act however limited the President authority by establishing a congressional oversight. In the same year senator Arlen Specter together with Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced the National Security surveillance bill and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Improvement and Enhancement bill which were later approved and enacted by congress the same year. The act s allowed for warrantless surveillance and appointed FISA as the body to gather foreign i ntelligence. Another important amendment was the 2007 Protect America Act. President Bush persuaded congress to enact a law that would limit restriction of FISA where the subjects under surveillance involve intercontinental communication. The act allowed the National Security Agency (NSA) director with advice from the attorney general to authorize surveillance of people assumed to

Sandy Springs Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sandy Springs Community - Essay Example I live in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a city full of life and robust business. Under the clear skyline on a sunny day, Sandy Springs has a spectacular view. The city has towering buildings that forms offices and business space. It is due to the high number of offices and business premises in the city, that Sandy Springs is always a buzz with activity. I am a Catholic, an astute follower of Christian doctrines. For four years, I played basketball in high school, winning different medals in different basketball competitions. I count myself as a motivational force to the young people, especially those who have the passion of pursuing sports as a career. Through my basketball talent, I was able to tour different places within and around Sandy Springs. Therefore, I frequently join them in our local church’s pitch and provide them with free training on how to become a successful basketball player. I also play the piano in my church, as well as take part in different social work. Sandy S prings has different hospitals, treating people with different kinds of sicknesses or injuries. Annually, I donate blood to these hospitals, with the knowledge that I play a big role in saving other people’s lives. Sandy Springs has different kinds of people. Wealth, education, career, religion and beliefs divide people into different classes and groups. Wealthy Sandy Springs dwellers substantially differ with the poor. Lifestyle is one of the differentiating factors between the dwellers. Although religion and beliefs play a significant role in differentiating people in Sandy Springs, its impact is rarely, felt like that brought about by the wealthy and the rich in the society. A common belief among the people in Sandy Springs, which doubles as a Christianity belief is the equality of all people before God. Thus, we do not judge people according to their religion. While Christianity is the dominant religion, Islam is also popular. Still, a section of Indians living in the city believes in Hinduism. There is also a temple somewhere at the middle of the city, where Jews worship. Churches are all over, with some of the newest established ministries and others, which have existed over a long time. No form of personality or character defines people in Sandy Springs in relation to their beliefs and religion. Most people in Sandy Springs city work in offices; others own different businesses in the city. This forms the class difference between the rich and the poor, as successful business owners have more wealth than the working class. There is no equitable distribution of wealth in the community. The richest people who live in the suburbs have better lifestyles than those living in the heavily populated estates. Down town, Sandy Springs is a buzz with all kinds of business, while the uptown has a cool and serene environment. These people afford to live in expensive homesteads, with guards and alarms connected to the police station. They enjoy personalized services like the EMS, have towering walls to themselves and receive reliable services such as internet connectivity, among others. Serenity defines these areas, with more vegetation cover in the surroundings, springs and grass . These are however the few minority with resounding influence in either the business or political classes in Sandy Springs. They take their children to good schools, can afford the best cars, wine and dine in prestigious hotels and restaurants. Rarely does the rich class take a bus to work, or wait for the train. Their children drive to school, of course in expensive cars just like their parents. Contrary to these people is the working class, which either takes a bus to work or boards the morning train. Their children afford to skate to school, or ride, but cannot drive. Even if they drove, their cars match less with those of the rich. They go to the general schools, with minimal specialization in the kind of learning they provide. These people live in the populated neighborhoods, with little security.

Is it Too Hard to Amend the Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Is it Too Hard to Amend the Constitution - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the makers of the constitution have been said to have placed the bar extremely high for a likelihood of any type of regulation in the constitution. Black argues that the constitution gave the president the authority of being the commandant of the forces, but ordinarily, the president does very little in the event that decisions touching on warfare and peace are concerned (1). This means that the constitution has very little to recommend in regard to nuclear assails. In this case, the main challenge is that the framers of the initial constitution had very little information on the important issues in the country as well as the role of politics in shaping the structure of the constitution (Black 1). Unless this transforms, it might be too time-consuming to adjust the present constitution.  The Senate and the House are required to pass a majority of 2/3 votes if the constitution has to be amended (Black 1). This case has been alien to the country for the earlier periods. Article V of the constitution, as the author terms it, - an â€Å"iron cage†- has made it extremely tasking to amend the constitution (Black 1). The Anti-flag-burning amendment is a  good case in point that failed. The amendment only had 66 votes in favor, and 34 votes opposing the same (Martin 1). This means that the amendment failed to gather the necessary 2/3 votes that would have otherwise led to the Bush government leading the Congress towards holding the power of banning contravention of the treasured American flag.

Sandy Springs Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sandy Springs Community - Essay Example I live in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a city full of life and robust business. Under the clear skyline on a sunny day, Sandy Springs has a spectacular view. The city has towering buildings that forms offices and business space. It is due to the high number of offices and business premises in the city, that Sandy Springs is always a buzz with activity. I am a Catholic, an astute follower of Christian doctrines. For four years, I played basketball in high school, winning different medals in different basketball competitions. I count myself as a motivational force to the young people, especially those who have the passion of pursuing sports as a career. Through my basketball talent, I was able to tour different places within and around Sandy Springs. Therefore, I frequently join them in our local church’s pitch and provide them with free training on how to become a successful basketball player. I also play the piano in my church, as well as take part in different social work. Sandy S prings has different hospitals, treating people with different kinds of sicknesses or injuries. Annually, I donate blood to these hospitals, with the knowledge that I play a big role in saving other people’s lives. Sandy Springs has different kinds of people. Wealth, education, career, religion and beliefs divide people into different classes and groups. Wealthy Sandy Springs dwellers substantially differ with the poor. Lifestyle is one of the differentiating factors between the dwellers. Although religion and beliefs play a significant role in differentiating people in Sandy Springs, its impact is rarely, felt like that brought about by the wealthy and the rich in the society. A common belief among the people in Sandy Springs, which doubles as a Christianity belief is the equality of all people before God. Thus, we do not judge people according to their religion. While Christianity is the dominant religion, Islam is also popular. Still, a section of Indians living in the city believes in Hinduism. There is also a temple somewhere at the middle of the city, where Jews worship. Churches are all over, with some of the newest established ministries and others, which have existed over a long time. No form of personality or character defines people in Sandy Springs in relation to their beliefs and religion. Most people in Sandy Springs city work in offices; others own different businesses in the city. This forms the class difference between the rich and the poor, as successful business owners have more wealth than the working class. There is no equitable distribution of wealth in the community. The richest people who live in the suburbs have better lifestyles than those living in the heavily populated estates. Down town, Sandy Springs is a buzz with all kinds of business, while the uptown has a cool and serene environment. These people afford to live in expensive homesteads, with guards and alarms connected to the police station. They enjoy personalized services like the EMS, have towering walls to themselves and receive reliable services such as internet connectivity, among others. Serenity defines these areas, with more vegetation cover in the surroundings, springs and grass . These are however the few minority with resounding influence in either the business or political classes in Sandy Springs. They take their children to good schools, can afford the best cars, wine and dine in prestigious hotels and restaurants. Rarely does the rich class take a bus to work, or wait for the train. Their children drive to school, of course in expensive cars just like their parents. Contrary to these people is the working class, which either takes a bus to work or boards the morning train. Their children afford to skate to school, or ride, but cannot drive. Even if they drove, their cars match less with those of the rich. They go to the general schools, with minimal specialization in the kind of learning they provide. These people live in the populated neighborhoods, with little security.

The Mystery of the Mummys Curse Essay Example for Free

The Mystery of the Mummys Curse Essay The purpose of this essay is to explain the mystery behind â€Å"the mummy’s curse†. I will do this by first explaining the theory that some believe to be â€Å"the curse of the pharaoh†. Secondly, I will discuss the scientific theories behind the mysterious deaths of the men who were present at the opening of King Tutankhamen’s tomb. Finally, I will conclude with the theory I believe to be true. The first theory, I will discuss is the urban myth about â€Å"the mummy’s curse†. There was a message outside of the tomb that was translated to say â€Å"Death Shall Come on Swift Wings to Him Who Disturbs the Peace of the King†. Legend has it that anyone who dared open the tomb would suffer the wrath of the mummy. A series of unfortunate events suddenly began to affect the men who entered first. Some became ill, others even died. There were many other events that occurred that some believe explains â€Å"the curse†. My second theory would be the scientific explanation behind the mysterious deaths. In 1986, Dr. Caroline Stinger-Phillip discovered the mystery behind the deaths. There seem to be mold growing on the walls of the tomb. The dust particles from the mold had a high allergenic potency. These men who entered the tomb first suffered an allergic reaction, symptoms from the reaction, was probably the cause of their deaths Recent findings give a more convincing explanation of â€Å"the curse of the mummy†. Finally, I conclude with the theory I believe correct, the scientific theory. I do not believe in myths or urban legends. In my opinion, the science in how they inhaled the mold spores, showed symptoms of the allergic reaction, and then going untreated, explains the men’s deaths. Everything else, I feel is pure coincidence.

A Memetic Algorithm for Multi Level Redundancy Allocation

A Memetic Algorithm for Multi Level Redundancy Allocation Abstract Reliability Redundancy allocation problem determines the component reliability and redundancy level for each subsystem in order to improve the system reliability. Redundancy allocation problem is NP-hard problem and hence various Heuristic and meta-heuristic approaches are being applied.[1] This paper proposes a memetic algorithm to solve the RAP problem. Although the real engineering experience deals with multi-level systems, in this paper prior assumptions are made such that the algorithm has been applied to single level systems. This proposed MA is then compared against the HGA of a two multi-level systems and the proposed MA has outperformed the HGA of two multi-level system. INTRODUCTION of Articles In this article, a new Memetic algorithm has been proposed to solve the Redundancy Allocation Problem which has attained great attention in recent years. Prior assumptions has been made in order to investigate the Multi-Level Redundancy Allocation problem and the three important assumptions are: If a unit is not at its lowest level then its child units are assumed to be serial and they are fixed. The second assumption is that the redundancy can be allocated to the units at any level and the final assumption is that the quality of each component is predefined and the cost and the reliability are calculated based on child units if and only if the unit is not a component. From the various literature review which has been carried out, it is found that there are few approaches to MLRAP and these are rarely being investigated. Genetic Algorithm and the modified Genetic Algorithm which is the Hierarchical Genetic Algorithm is although considered to be the significant approach for MLRAP, the effectiveness of these approaches can be improved. Thus for the improvement in these approaches, the new Memetic Algorithm has been proposed in this article. Memetic algorithm is a population based eta-heuristic search method which uses the combination of global search engines along with the local search heuristics. According to the article MA is more successful than the GA because of two key issues. One is the appropriate balance between the global and local search engines and the other is the cost effectiveness. In this article two new genetic operators and a new problem specific local search operator are incorporated in the MA framework and a new MA has been proposed for approaching the MLRAP. In this article, the parts of a multi-level serial system has been defined hierarchically at the topmost level and the sub system has been defined at the lower level and the components in the lowest level. As per the assumption made previously, there is fixed number of child units for each unit except a component. The redundancy allocation procedure always starts from the system level and moves to the component level for a multi-level serial system. The reliability of the multi-level serial system can be calculated using, While the reliability of the units at the lower level can be calculated on the basis of the components using, Also the cost for the multi-level serial system is calculated using, When applying the Conventional GA for solving MLRAP, the decision variables becomes in fixed number during problem solving. Whereas in MLRAP problem solving the decision variable changes due to the change in redundancy allocation to a unit. Hence to overcome this problem, a hierarchical structure has been proposed in the article which is capable of changing the decision variables. Nomenclature Explanation of the work presented in journal articles The proposed MA in the article has two types of operators which consists of the genetic operator for global explorations and the local search operator for exploitation. This section explains the articles you reviewed. In the proposed model, the quality of the solutions should be evaluated and from the literature the author of the article has pointed out many techniques to measure the quality of the solution out of which a penalty function which has been proposed by Gen and Cheng has been used to derive the fitness function to evaluate the quality of the solution during the search process. This fitness function is given by, ÃŽÂ ¨(x) is the penalty function which measures the extent of the solution violating the constraints. The initialization of the MA is generally done at the system level and it starts from generating the random population of solutions. For a system of multi-level series, K integer is generated randomly for n child unit n X k redundancy units have to be generated at the second level and goes on until an individual is obtained. Of the two proposed genetic operators, before being applied the hierarchical representation need to be selected. And hence the solution highly depends on type of the hierarchical representation being selected. Then the two genetic operators will be applied to the iteration and both the operator treat the unit or the system at the same level. Of the two genetic operators, the crossover between two individuals occurs in three steps. Initially an intermediate is selected from the system and component level and the higher level is being assigned higher probability. Finally the selected levels exchange their lower structures to give two new individuals. Whereas the mutation also occurs in three steps but is applied to individual level. The first two steps remains the same as the crossover and the third step is replacing the redundancy of the selected unit by a randomly generated integer. Also when changing the redundancy corresponding decision variable o the parent unit should also be updated. The other operator of the proposed MA is the local search operator. In the new MA proposed in the article, local search operator is implemented in three steps. The population solution are evaluated through the metric which is given by, Then a single individual is chosen from the population solution. The local search is carried out based on it. Then the individual with the higher metric is selected for local search. For an MLRAP, it is desired to have an optimal system for a higher reliability and the reliability to cost ratio serves as a measure to determine the potential of the individual solution. The local search operator randomly selects ten pairs of components and for each pair the redundancy of the components are modified and during this search newly generated individual will be stored in the archive if and only if it donot violate the cost constraint. Finally, the preserved inividual will be mixed with the population solution and arranged descendingly and the top most individuals will be used discarding others. Discussion of Contributions Two systems has been taken into consideration. One system with three levels and the other system with four levels. With this systems into consideration, the performance of the proposed MA is to be evaluated and compared with the performance of conventional HGA. Since there are a number of control parameters in both HGA and the proposed MA, there are some values which are to be preset before beginning the experiment. For fair process, the values which has been set for HGA is used as same for the proposed MA for problem A. In this experiment the aim is to study the convergence behavior of the proposed MA in order to compare it with HGA. The best solution obtained in each generation is recorded and the corresponding system reliability is calculated. It is seen that both the methods converged fast whereas the convergence of the proposed MA is significantly better than the convergence of the HGA which is shown in Fig 1. Fig:1 Comparison of convergence between HGA and MA for Problem A.[1] Furthermore the comparisons has been carried by varying the numerous cost constraints. 20 cost constraint values are varied between the intervals 150 to 340 leaving the system parameters unchanged. For every constraint values, MA and HGA were applied 10 times to each cost constraint. The observations are made for each and every run and the reliability and the cost constraints are calculated and compared between MA and HGA. From the calculative comparison, it is evident that the proposed new MA has outperformed the conventional HGA for problem A that is the system with three levels. The same kind of experiment is carried out for problem B to examine whether the advantage of MA holds a variety of system parameters. Similar to the problem A, ten test instances are obtained and the MA and HGA are applied to each instances for ten times. The convergence of MA is significantly better than the convergence of HGA which is shown below. Fig:2 Convergence of MA and HGA for problem 2[1] Since the same kind of experiment was done on problem B, the results were also quite the same. The proposed MA has outperformed the conventional HGA. Discussion of Dificiency and Potential Improvements The article being reviewed here discusses only about the multi-level serial system and the experimentation has been done considering this system alone. Changing the condition and the structure of the system changes the reliability and the cost function of the corresponding solution changes. Also the proposed MA gives significant reliability for the multi-level serial system, the proposed MA should also be extended to multi-level serial systems of complex structures. Also the problems which is being formulated in the article are single objective or are of only one goal of increasing the reliability of the system by having the cost reduction as only one constraint. Instead, in the future research, the problems can be formulated with multiple objective and multiple constraint along with the cost constraint. This type of approach with multiple objective problems will yield multiple solutions which has trade-off between the system reliability and cost constraint. Summary The RAP which has attained a global attention among the researchers motivating them to find the solution for the RAP. Though many algorithms, techniques and approaches have been proposed by many researchers around the world, there is something which can be improved in each and every approach proposed by researchers to solve the MLRAP. In this article, the author has given a detailed approach on how does a reliability problem works and formulated in a way that the problem deals with the multi-level serial system of simple structure. Upon formulating a problem, the author tries to make proper assumptions to advocate the formulated problem. Then the author just solves it with the conventional GA approach which yields a good system reliability. Then the problem is again solved with the new method. This new method is being proposed by the author is the novel Memetic Algorithm where some preconditioning is being done to the solution that is being selected form the population solution. The solution is checked for the quality by using a fitness function. Now the population solution will be initialized and the two search operators of the MA is applied to the selected and preserved solution from the population samples of solution. The solutions which are being obtained from the search operators are then being combined with the population and the best among them is selected. The process is repeated for various generations and the best individual will be selected as the solution for the MLRAP. Then the approaches are compared and it is found that the proposed MA has outperformed the conventional HGA irrespective of the type of multi-level serial system of same structure. Acknowledgments I would like to thank Dr. Wang,   fellow, IEEE, and Dr. Tang, fellow, IEEE and Dr. Yao, fellow, IEEE for their research study that was done by them to prepare the article, which helped me to understand the concept behind the RAP and MLRAP and the techniques used to solve or approach MLRAP. I would also like to express my Thanks to Dr. Pingfeng Wang, Graduate Coordinator in Wichita State University for his valuable advice which guided me through this project and helped me to complete this review successfully. References [1] Wang, Z., Tang, K., Yao, X. (2010). A memetic algorithm for multi-level redundancy allocation. IEEE Transactions on reliability, 59(4), 754-765. [2]  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Sharifi, M., Cheragh, G., Maljaii, K. D., Zaretalab, A., Daei, A. V. F., Vahid, A. (2015). RELIABILITY OPTIMIZATION OF A SERIES-PARALLEL K-OUT-OF-N SYSTEM WITH FAILURE RATE DEPENDS ON WORKING COMPONENTS OF SYSTEM. International Journal of Industrial Engineering, 22(4), 438-453.