10 Facts on Exchange Systems and Economics in the USA for a Presentation

10 Facts on Exchange Systems and Economics in the USA for a Presentation In order to fully discuss exchange systems and economics in the United States, it is important to fully understand what each factor represents and how they work together to influence monetary policies in a community. So here are a few definitions to get us started on the right path. Exchange Systems in their simplest form are the different ways in which consumers connect with producers. These different ways may include barter, or the use of money as a purchasing tool to acquire items and in the United States, money serves as that means of exchange. While economics can simply be defined as the social science that describes the factors that determine the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Therefore, this article will be providing some accurate facts on the exchange system and its effect on the economic and monetary policies in the US. Widespread use of the US Dollar: the United States reputation as the most influential nation on earth is also shared by its money as can be seen by the following statistics. The US Dollar is the currency mostly used in international transactions and it also serves as the world’s primary reserve currency. While the one dollar bill is the most circulated bill locally in the US. It makes up 48% of the paper bills printed by the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The US chosen exchange rate system is the floating rate exchange system. This means that the amount in which the Dollar trades for when compared to gold is set by market forces to a large extent. The US started using the managed floating exchange rate system in 1973 after the Bretton Woods fixed rate system became untenable and harmful to the US economy. The United States trade partners: an economy is reliant on its imports and exports which in turn becomes a factor that determines the exchange rate of that country. So here are the USs trade statistics: A 2014 survey puts China at the top of the pyramid of countries the United States imports from. The US imports approximately 66 billion worth goods annually from China. While Canada ranks at the top of the export list for the United States exports approximately 46 billion worth goods on a yearly basis to Canadians. The United States most traded commodities: in terms of importation, crude oil takes the lead as the most imported good coming into the US while domestic items are a close second. In 2014, the US spent close to $300billion dollars on importing crude oil and it is important to note that a large percentage of these imports were from Canada. Unsurprisingly, Americas biggest export quantifiable in dollars are also crude oil products which brings in approximately $130billion a year. America is a service based economy: the US tops the world in providing private services across diverse industry nichesfinance, insurance, telecoms etc.extensively. Travel services nets the US approximately $50 billion yearly, royalty and licensing approximately $100billion while patents come after oil products at $100billion. The US debt profile: every nation has its debt due to international economics and the need to raise money for wars, domestic growth etc. and the US is no different. Approximately 45 years ago in 1970, the total US debt both home and abroad including business debt, government debt and consumer debt was approximately $2trillion. Today, the total US debt is just over $20 trillion. In 2011, the US paid $454 billion dollars on interest alone servicing its debts. This was the highest fee paid as of 2014. The United States Economy and the World: the US status as one of the most developed countries in the world means that fluctuation in its economy also affects world economics. In 2001, the United States GDP accounted for 32% of all global economic activity which goes to show its influence. And despite the recession, in 2013, the US GDP still accounted for approximately 22% of all global activities. The Economy and the American household: everyone knows about the American dream of been able to comfortably take care of ones family in order to live happily ever after. But do the statistics back this dream? In 2013, statistics showed that approximately 20% of households with breadwinners under the age of 35 lived in poverty. 40% of Americans live in a home were a member is dependent on one or more government programs for monetary support. The US government runs 83 diverse welfare programs and approximately 33% of the US population participate in at least one of these programs. The Economy and US social security benefits: the number of people on social security benefits also plays its part in affecting the US economy due to their reliance on it. 2015 data shows approximately 58 million Americans dependent on social security and predictive analysis put the 2035 numbers at 91 million citizens. Also, the social security system is expected to face a $130trillion shortfall over the next 3 years. The wealth demographic: the wealth spread among citizens in the US also plays a part in telling the story of the US economy. The 20 wealthiest Americans are credited to have more wealth than the poorest 152 million US citizens. The top 0.1 percent possess wealth which is more than the combined wealth of the bottom 90% of all Americans combined. These are some of the interesting facts on the exchange system and economics in the US which you can put to use in your own essay concerning the economy. The facts places emphasis on the US currency, exchange system, trade partners and economic state of its local people. Make sure to also check our 20 topics on exchange systems and the US economy as well as a standalone guide on the genre of a presentation for this subject. Lastly, these facts are accurate and can be used as references. References: Paul, K. (2003). The Concise Encyclopedia for Economics: Exchange Rates.  econlib.org/library/Enc1/ExchangeRates.html Dixit, Avinash. Hysteresis, Import Penetration, and Exchange-Rate Pass-Through. Quarterly Journal of Economics  104 (1989): 205-28. Wikipedia: Economy of the United States. (2010).  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_United_States U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Economic Indicators Division Journal. (2015). Top US Trade Partners 2015. trade.gov/mas/ian/build/groups/public/@tg_ian/documents/webcontent/tg_ian_003364.pdf Christopher, C. (2016). United State Government’s Debt 2016.  usgovernmentdebt.us/ Social Security Administration: Fact Sheet. (2014). Fact Sheet.  https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/factsheets/basicfact-alt.pdf Fast Facts and Figures about Social Security 2014. (2015) 32, 34.  https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/chartbooks/fast_facts/2014/fast_facts14.pdf

Media Manipulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Media Manipulation - Essay Example Those people oppose to the media argue that the media has failed to play its designated role in society. Nonetheless, today, it is clear that the media as shifted from its role as a tool for information, and has become a major tool for manipulation in society. The advancement of technology has allowed for the widening of the media. Today, there is media forms include books, newspapers, television, radio, internet, and movies, among many others. Therefore, people today are exposed to a variety of information sources; hence, there is a flood of information from different media, directed to the public. Furthermore, since the media is in business, the different media forms are in a competition. This competition has contributed to the divergence of the media from its ideal role as a tool for information. Although there is an overflow of information in society, people are hungry for the truth. This is because, the media, which should ideally be a source of true information, is owned by ind ividuals, who are only interested in pursuing their interests through the media. For this reason, the media ceases to be a tool for information, and becomes a tool for manipulation. There is a high level of manipulation and bias in the media today. According to the Centre for Research on Globalization

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Essay Example There were also looming strikes from small business owners and farmers (Polenberg 113). He possessed exceptional political tactics as this is proven the the fact he was reelected in office for a record four times (PBS). His victories in politics were based on his abilities to relate to the needs of people as well as global requirements. As he campaigned, he knew the deficiency’s citizens were experiencing and he created speeches and promises aimed at addressing these needs. Additionally, he adapted a campaign song that became popular political rhythm in the United States. Happy Days Are Here Again was a signature FDR political song (PBS). FDR had an objective of ensuring that the economy of the United States is revived. For this to be possible,he realized the need to change the way in which created laws (Brinkley 42). For instance, he created laws that increased the employment of women in government positions and offices as well as the military (Polenberg 95). In addition, the new employment laws led to the decrease of unemployment rates to 2%. FDR also created laws that governed the conduct of Wall Street, banks and the transport system (Brinkley 36). This greatly changed the United States economy as people became more productive. Other major creations by the congress under his leadership were the Social Security and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In addition, he encouragedthe growth of liberty (Polenberg 116). His approach to foreign affairs was also exceptional. At the time he was elected, the globe was at brink of warfare that threatened global peace. In Europe, Nazis Germans dominated as they denied the prevalence of democracy (Brinkley 84). China was also faced with invasion threats from Japanese. The United States shared great relationships with China as well as the United Kingdoms. FDR collaborated with Scotland, Wales and Great Britain to end the dominance of Nazis in Europe. FDR also

Research paper wind power Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wind power - Research Paper Example The size of turbines, types of rotors and the manufacturing technologies employed in the production of wind turbines have changed. Advanced methods such as compression moulding and injection moulding for blade manufacturing are being employed in order to reduce the time and cost of production and increase performance (Wind-energy-the-facts.org). Recent developments in the wind turbine technology include the use of vibration isolators for reducing sound, the use of active pitch controls for maintaining the performance even at very high wind speeds, the use of inverters connected to turbines, and the use of advanced manufacturing methods and blade designs. The International Energy Agency (IEA) aims at achieving a total output of 2000 GW of wind power by 2050 (Tanaka 1). There has been an explosive growth in the use of wind power throughout the world. According to the International Wind Energy Development – World Update 2010 report, the market value of wind power is estimated to grow from $96.4 billion to $161.2 billion in the period between 2011 to 2015 (Shahan 1). While wind power supplies 1.92% of the world’s electricity, it is expected to increase to 9.1% by 2020 (Shahan 1). The average rate of growth globally is estimated to be 15.5% annually. Estimates by the Global Wind Energy Council and Greenpeace International predict a similar growth. The United States is the second fastest growing markets for wind power, the first being China (DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory). While 10 GW of new wind power capacity were added in 2009, 5.2 GW were added in 2010 and 6.8 GW were added to the US grid in 2011 (DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory). By 2030, it is expected that the US can fulfill 20% of its electricity requirements from wind power (Shahan 1). According to estimates by the American Wind Energy Association, the potential of producing wind power in the US is about 10.8 trillion kWh annually, which is equal to the energy produced by 20 billion barrels of oil that is the present annual oil supply globally (Layton 3). Wind power provides about 3.23% of the total electricity in the US (Eia.gov). The current wind power capacity of the US is more than 20% of that of the total wind power produced throughout the world. In six states of the US, more than 10% of the total electricity is wind powered, with two of the states having 20% of their electricity requirements being fulfilled by wind energy alone (DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory). In the coming decades, wind power can provide for 20% of the total electricity needs of the country. Various government incentives have encouraged the construction and operation of wind power. The United States Wind Energy Policy ensures that incentives in the form of grants, bonus depreciation, and tax credits, such as production and investment tax credits, are provided by the federal and state governments for the installation of machinery for producing wind energy. The Solar , Wind, Waste, and Geothermal Power Production Incentives Act 1990 and the Energy Policy Act (EPACT) 1992 ensure the provision of incentives for production of renewable energy. The production tax credit incentive provided by the US government has been instrumental in expanding the growth of the wind energy industry (Veganverve 1). This incentive however is set to expire in 2012. This incentive offers 2.2 cents per KW-h of energy produced by

Representations of Space in Art Movements

Representations of Space in Art Movements Spatial representation is a complex subject involving the scientific technique of perspective and incorporating different periods of art. Discussion of this topic allows for an analysis of both the random and deliberate forms of spatial representation, the ever-changing artistic conventions underlying this representation, and an examination of artists who have challenged this technique. Representation, defined as, the description or portrayal of [†¦] something in a particular way is utilised by artists to produce works that resemble, to varying degrees, their chosen subject. The techniques of spatial representation can be seen in a large number of artworks, such as sculpture, painting, photography, and collage. Composition, defined as, the artists method [†¦] of deciding what to put in and what to leave out in order to make an effective picture remains the most prevalent of these techniques. Both horizontal and vertical forms of composition provide the artist with a powerful means of communication with the spectator. Size is also important in spatial representation and is exemplified in Duccio di Buoninsegnas The Rucellai Madonna , where [†¦] la superposition ou lalignement des figures correspondent à   un ordre hià ©rarchique. Evidently, the more important figure was depicted as larger in early works of art. The varying scale of characters was used as an attempt at perspective. It has been said that the effect of space in a painting is [†¦] the creation of the illusion of three dimensions on a flat surface. Linear perspective, or single-point perspective, [†¦]was adopted as the standard way of representing spaceand works on the principle of orthogonal lines converging to a vanishing point'(see note 5 above), giving the illusion of depth, and thus three dimensions to a painting. Linear perspective was challenged by aerial perspective which utilises the principle of fading shades of colour and the increasing use of blue as the distance from the viewer increases. Aerial perspective can be observed in Turners Lake at Brienz, which uses colour to portray misty distances. La perspective tordue is another technique where le bison est reprà ©sentà © le corps de profil ou les cornes de face [†¦] qui rà ©unit deux points de vue, deux perceptions dans une seule et mà ªme figure . Although perspective remains an important tool, the interior and exterior representation of space needs consideration. In their works, artists can choose how much of the subject they wish to expose to the viewer. The utilisation of interior and exterior space can be seen in Vincent Van Goghs painting, La Chambre à   Arles (1888). Here, Van Gogh has painted a window, leading the viewers eye to the outside world. However, the viewers only connection with the outside world is through a picture of a landscape on the wall of the bedroom. It is also interesting to note the unusual use of the laws of perspective; there is no single vanishing point. Random spatial representation has long been a debatable subject. Frank Stella said, in 1986, the aim of art is to create space [†¦] that is not compromised by decoration or illustration, space within which the subjects of the painting can live. This quotation implies that space is represented in a very deliberate manner. However, the works of John Pollock were often said to represent space randomly as they appeared to have no degree of order to the viewer. It is also argued that when an artist chooses to create and represent space in an image, it creates another random space as a result. Although sculpture accommodates differing viewpoints, space can be represented randomly. For example, The Large Head, by Naum Gabo creates the illusion of a solid structure when viewed head on. However, when viewed from the side, space is represented differently, with the sheets of metal forming a random structure. Whilst a completely random representation of a space is rare, and it has been said that tout point de vue est un choix signifiant: il correspond à   une intention, implying that no art can ever be random, artists have often embraced the technique of Apparent Randomness. This technique is seen in Picassos Guernica and involves the artist deliberately positioning certain objects to create the illusion of randomness. Jackson Pollocks Abstract Expressionist painting, Autumn Rhythm, highlights the chaotic atmosphere which led to an assumption of randomness. Due to the disorderly pattern, the public felt that Pollocks spatial representation was far from deliberate. However, a close analysis revealed an underlying pattern. This technique is also shown in Jean Miros, The Dialogue of Insects, further emphasising how artists represent space deliberately. A further artistic movement which utilises the apparently random positioning of objects is Cubism. Pioneered by Picasso and Braque, Cubism was concerned with the deliberate interaction between geometrical shapes to create planes and lines of vision. Despite its random appearance, each shape was specifically placed. Picasso also developed the technique of collage. Collage is perhaps one of the most interesting examples of how artists choose to represent space. It is quite possible that the random appearance of a collage may have been created by an equally random procedure. However, some thought and calculation is often evident. This can be seen in Raoul Hausmanns, A.D.C.D, where different objects of different materials have been layered on top of one another in a precise manner. It is clear from the lines of an art work that some sense of order is displayed. Pierre Renoirs The Umbrellas shows how the use of repeated circles has created order within the crowd of people depicted. Line also gives rise to perspective. Alexander Rodchenkos Jeune fille au Leica demonstrates linear perspective, using the lines of shadows to lead the viewer to the vanishing point. Line and perspective are key examples of how artists represent space in a deliberate manner. Photography appears to capture life randomly through a lens. However, when a photograph is taken, the photographer has to make very deliberate decisions about what he wants to depict. In Russell Lees, Les mains dune fermià ¨re de lIowa, we see only the hands and lower body of the subject. This is a very deliberate action on the part of the photographer. Photography also clearly demonstrates field of vision and the use of plongà ©e and contre-plongà ©e.The space being viewed is represented far differently when viewed from a different angle. Although this compositional technique can often appear to be random, artists often employ it to convey meaning. An illustration of the multiplicity of points of view can be seen in Holbeins, The Ambassadors. This technique is also known as anamorphosis. The placement of objects must be decided very carefully to illustrate the passage of time in art. In Eugene Atgets Angle de la rue des nonnains dHyeres et de LHotel de Ville, the winding market street descending into fog, and the blurred figures in the foreground have been purposely captured in their positions. Artists must always work within frames, deciding what will be captured or depicted within them and what will be left unseen. This process appears to be far from the ideals of randomness. The variety of artistic techniques used to represent space leads to the questioning of the deliberateness of an artists work. Despite certain random spatial elements within a painting, sculpture, or photograph, it is evident that artists attempt to represent their chosen subjects with accurate spatial representation or deliberate attempts to illustrate randomness with geometric techniques. One can conclude that spatial representation has been used in a variety of ways to create works that appear both random and deliberate. Word Count: 1499

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 :: Free Essays on 1984

1984 was written by George Orwell about a grim future in which people are controlled by a party known as the brotherhood which is led by Big Brother. The background of the story is that nuclear war has ravaged the earth and three superpowers have arisen out of the rubble, Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia, all of which are at war with each other. The leading party in Oceania, where the story take place, exerts and maintains its power through such techniques as the Spies, a youth group that encourages children to report adults, including their parents, to the party officials. Another technique is the thought police, who observe and spy on society and eliminate those who have thoughts against the party.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The party engages in many activities that people would consider blatantly wrong. These include the changing of history with the objective of making the party look good. The worst thing about the party is that it makes up the things it has the people believe through its telecasts, which the entire population watches. The main character is Winston, who works for the Ministry of Truth, which is an ironic name since it makes up what the people are to believe. Winston has thoughts all the time against the party but luckily has never been caught by the thought police. He keeps on seeing some woman and eventually they meet and he finds out her name is Julia. She also hates the party and they keep on meeting, even though it is against the policy of the party for two people to have sexual relations. They break the rule however and end up having sex outside the city. They differ in their view of how best to oppose the party. He believes in a widespread rebellion while she b elieves in just going against the party when it is safe. Eventually, they come to follow a man named O’Brien who is the leader of an opposition party to the brotherhood. He gives the couple a book by a man named Goldstein that is against the brother hood. He reads the book but soon after is arrested by the thought police because there was a hidden camera inside his room. It turns out that O’Brien was a thought police that had tricked them. Both he and Julia are taken away large cells with all the other people that have betrayed the party.

Cnpc and Petro China

Strategy – search for above normal performance 2. What strategy supports growth? Sustained CA- Not easily duplicated, or cost of duplication is higher than the returns Temporary CA- creates value, rare, but easily imitable. 3. Core competency- basic corporate principle around which all your resources are aligned, which builds your CA and differentiates you from your competitor. * Creates value, very few of your competitors can do, and grants you sustained competitive advantage. 4. Sources of Core competency= sources of sustained CA. . Sources of competitive parity, relatively normal, to get the risk adjusted return. 6. Goal of corporate – create CA that create more value than overhead involved (cost of corporates) 7. Business Unit strategy – bring standalone business units together into one corporate entity towards a common corporate goal. 8. Corporate Strategy a. Business units – tactics- how they help me achieve my corporate goal i. Differentiation ii. C ost leadership b. Different business units for different elements of corporate strategy 9.When your competition for customers is in different business segments, UWO and Ivey. 10. Unrelated corporate strategy c. Difficult to transfer core competencies and CA 11. Related corporate strategy- diversification d. Can transfer competencies, activities- distribution channel 12. Three types of corporate strategy e. Limited diversification iii. Single Business – risky portfolio. iv. Dominant business f. Related diversification v. Related constrained- net benefit and sharing. Cost synergies. Increase revenue synergies. Economies of scale.Transfer core competency for net benefit. g. Unrelated diversification- lack of ability to share activities. Best performance you can achieve is normal performance. h. Related constrained 13. Resources which are sources of Comparative parity, not core competency. i. Transfer when core competence creates net benefit for the corporate as a whole 14. Risks j. Systemic Risk or Beta- related to the market (external) vi. Very difficult to diversify it away k. Total risk = systemic risk +specific risk (unsystematic risk) l. Unsystematic risk = internal risk . Return per unit of risk = performance 15. How do you define sustained CA n. Competitor cannot compete it away, but can be destroyed by shocks to the systems by exogenous agents. o. Defined by the ability of the competitor to compete CNPC and Petro China 1. Down-scoping 2. Getting rid of social services business units (non-core businesses) that are not related to oil exploration and oil services. 3. PetroChina- own 88 to 90 % 4. Going from related linked related constrained strategy 5. Re- Strategizing 6. Successful IPO listing 7. Still struggling