The Issues of Gender Inequality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Issues of Gender Inequality - Essay Example A typical case that shocked me was the ordeal of a close female friend. In fact, it is without a doubt upsetting and unforgettable. Philip and I looked at the scene helplessly as Jennifer; our best friend and classmate faced the wrath of her fuming father after she refused a proposal to abandon school for a rich man her father forced her to marry. What was even more disgusting was the age difference. We had just joined college together with Jennifer. I looked at her straight in the face and realized something was amiss. Emotions were literarily overcoming the slender and innocent-looking girl. The next day, I sought to inquire from her about what exactly transpired. The young girl spoke candidly; she narrated her ordeal trying to break down the difficulties, as well as challenges she had gone through in the hands of her own parents. Jennifer was categorical that men had a huge influence on female lives (Mary Wollstonecraft). It was heartbreaking to hear from the helpless girl how her efforts and pleas to evade attempts by her father to force her into marrying the wealthy 52-year-old man were always futile. It is beyond any logical reasoning for such a respected man to make a harsh resolve decide for his daughter when and the kind of man she should marry. It is even more complicated bearing in mind that the girl was industrious and focused to achieve her dream plan of sensitizing women in the society regarding the importance of fighting for gender equality (Mary Wollstonecraft). Against expectations, the extent to which the practice had almost become the norm in the neighboring community was even alarming. Philip and I were always against the stereotype that said women are the weaker gender. I have personally seen the positive, as well as negative sides of gender stereotyping and believed they were both harsh and discriminatory against women. It beat logic when some individuals argue that men are wiser than their female counterparts are (Mary Wollstonecraft).  

Organizational Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizational Culture - Essay Example There are various perspectives that are used in interpreting the organisational culture. Each organisation has its stated approach in interpreting organisational culture. This explains the reason why there is a discrepancy in the performance of many organisations operating in the same field. For instance, some organisations fuse organisational culture with other aspects that enhance its performance. On the other hand, some organisations solely rely on the organisational culture to enhance their performance. As it is explicitly seen, some organisations will have an upper hand as compared to other organisations (Levinson, 2010:15). The first perspective in organisational culture is the scope of maintaining the organisational culture at all times. In this perspective, an organisation sticks to its intended organisational culture at all times. Though there may be changing times, the organisation will focus on its organisational culture through all times. This is mostly done in organisati ons that have strong organisational cultures that were implemented by the founding fathers. Some of these organisations were formed long time ago with strong organisational cultures that were influential in the success of the organisation. To ensure the organisation keeps improving, the organisation makes the decision that it will stick to the organisational culture as initially stated. To begin with, some organisations stick to their initial organisational culture to enhance uniformity. Uniformity explains the way people in the organisation interact, work and behave. This is a continuous process that does not change through different times. For instance, some organisations have a belief that their behaviour inside and outside the organisation will have direct effects on the... The researcher of this essay states that success in any organisation starts with understanding of an organisation’s culture. Workers and people that understand the culture of an organisation are well prepared to make effective changes when they are needed. For instance, the organisational culture explains the acceptable behaviour as required by the organisation. As such, workers will be observant as they do not want to let down the organisation. Collective assumption of such will enhance the performance of the organisation as all the workers are in unison. Secondly, organisational culture shows enhanced communication in an organisation. Thirdly, understanding organisational culture shows uniformity and organised working. The workers will be in constant communication in achieving the organisation’s goals and vision. As such they will be working in unison for the success of the organisation. Fourthly, understanding organisational culture ensures workers are focused on imp lementing positive attributes in the organisation. This includes success, service delivery, quality production and uplifting the name if the organisation that were discussed in the essay. Lastly, Understanding organisational culture ensures there is development of people’s experience. In conclusion, organisational culture is a vital aspect that should be given utter consideration. This will be vital in making the developments as required. However, when the organisational culture is not observed, the organisation is not likely to make positive change.

Relationships in Minimum of Two Essay Example for Free

Relationships in Minimum of Two Essay The story ‘Laps’ encapsulates the importance of confronting past failures and losses. As a young adult, Queenie is rejected by her hometown community of Angelus, made into â€Å"a loser, an outcast†. From early on in the opening passage we are given an indication of past hurts, â€Å"a grave and a crusade and a well of bitterness†. Through this use of strong imagery and metaphor, Winton establishes character and highlights Queenie’s sense of disconnection from her past. Additionally, the use of interior monologue such as â€Å"all this time they’ve been growing, and I’ve gone to fat† gives us an indication that although time has passed and people have moved on with their lives, Queenie has remained stationary in her past, unable to move on from her rejection and loss. She is numb with the weight of the past, feeling â€Å"as though all this was a story she had read somewhere; it didn’t seem part of her life†. Queenie’s isolation is further reflected in the setting. Angelus is a physical representation of Queenie’s past, as she says â€Å"I want to confirm things†¦. ike this town being the past†. Additionally, water is used as a reoccurring symbol; the ocean, once a place of happy childhood memories, is now a place of exile and defeat. The metaphoric description of the â€Å"steel surface of the harbour† is an example of pathetic fallacy, reflecting Queenie’s hardness, her sense of rejection and defeat as an outsider. Furthermore, juxtaposition in setting is used to contrast the urban – representing the present, new life of â€Å"softness† – with her prior life in the countryside – a symbol of â€Å"hardness† and her past loss and defeat. Queenie is aware that she has not moved on from her past, â€Å"The hurt of seven years before had healed them together in a way they had not expected†¦she had been numb for longer than she could remember†. She confronts her husband, suggesting they return to Angelus for a weekend, saying â€Å"places shouldnt frighten us anymore†¦. a place can’t screw you forever†. We can see that Queenie has come to the realisation that in order the move forward she must take a step back into her past. As Queenie and her young family approach Angelus, the town is described as a â€Å"new galaxy†, reflecting change and as well as Queenie’s sense of foreboding and anticipation. As they enter the town, the family is dumbfounded by how much it has changed – â€Å"Angelus had learned to live off its dying†¦it was a town looking bright faced into the future†. The notion of the town and community having moved on in time is a stark contrast to Queenie’s step back into her past. As they return to Angelus, Winton begins to give us snippets of information similar to flashbacks – of her past. The revelation of Queenie’s loss and defeat to the reader is parallel to Queenie’s confrontation with her past. As the family move through the town, visiting places from their past, we see that Queenie slowly gains hope and comfort that she can move on with her life, as well as regaining her confidence, putting her past into a broader perspective. The idea of Angelus as â€Å"just a place† suggests that through visiting , Queenie is finally able to detach herself from her past. The story ends on a sense of hope as Queenie lunges into the water, â€Å"not invincible but strong†. She comes to the realisation that â€Å"she knew she could swim it all out of her† – she can finally move on from her grief and loss. Through this story, Winton reveals that sometimes in order to move forward you have to take a step back; you have to move on or your past will destroy you. â€Å"Gravity† is another story highlighting the importance of confronting the past. On the anniversary of his father’s death, Jerra is forced to confront his loss and father’s absence. From earlier stories in the Nilsam suite we learn that Jerra can be self-indulgent and immature, taking a long time to accept changed circumstances. This inability to confront the past reaches a climax in â€Å"Gravity†. Jerra is unable to move on – the loss of this father has bounded him to the past, giving him a sense of emptiness, â€Å"there was a hole in him†¦something was lost. † From the opening passage Jerra’s self-indulgence and bitterness is evident by his reluctance to return to the party he is supposed to be co-hosting. The use of flashbacks of Jerra’s father teaching him to ride a bike highlights the bond of the father-son relationship and the pain of Jerra’s loss – â€Å"And then the grip gone, no old man. Sudden grave feeling of independence. Turning, turning†. Jerra is hit with the realisation that his father is gone, that he is alone â€Å"it was riding down that street, as though he had been balancing a cycle for the first time. There was no exhilaration in it, only a terrible sense of gravity†. The memory of learning to ride a bike is a metaphor of Jerra’s current struggle to deal with reality – he must stay on the bike in order to move forward or be dragged down by gravity; Jerra must move on or be held down by the past. The vibrant atmosphere of the party is a stark contrast to Jerra’s sense of loss. Everything is a blur, â€Å"he felt a little punch drunk†, disoriented. As â€Å"the party wore on†, Jerra seeks refuge in the studio which his father built for him. As Jerra unlocks the studio door, he is unlocking his past. The studio is linked to â€Å"the Tower of Babel†, suggesting a safe haven, a place of sanctuary. Compared to the world outside the walls of the studio, everything within is clear – Winton uses listing to describe the studio in great detail. The studio is a physical representation of the connection between father and son. By coming here, we are given an indication that Jerra is ready to confront his past and move on with his life. The studio is full of memories, and as Jerra is forced to confront them and reflect, we see a sudden change in the way he sees the world. â€Å"Nilsam was a father. He was a husband. He was a son† – Jerra finally accepts his responsibilities and understands his place in life. As with ‘Laps’, the story ends on an optimistic note, the setting of dawn symbolizing a new day and bright future. Today he would do many things† – Jerra is finally able to move forward and make the most of his life, after directly confronting his father’s loss. Jerra acknowledges his father’s death and his responsibility of his own role as a father, and comes to the realization that life needs to be lived. On the other hand, ‘Minimum of Two’ challenges the idea of confronting the past. The story highlights that taking the wrong approach to a problem, especially matters that involve others, can have disastrous consequences. Madigan is consumed with anger, frustration and bitterness over the rape of his wife Greta. The use of short, sharp syntax in the quote â€Å"I was ashamed. That hatred came back and I was frightened of myself† illustrates Madigan’s raw emotion of fear, anger and guilt at his inability to console his wife. Winton uses contrast to show Greta’s deterioration – â€Å"Greta had never been a weak person†¦ [but] Greta was no longer strong, there was nothing†. Madigan is well aware that the couple’s relationship is disintegrating, likening it to â€Å"starving to death†. This simile shows his utter helplessness as he watches his wife suffer physically and mentally. His hunger for his wife and helplessness at her alienation drives Madigan into darker emotions, his anger building up into hatred and revenge, to the want â€Å"to kill Fred Blakey†. Unlike ‘Laps’ and ‘Gravity’, the story has a sombre ending, with Madigan realising that â€Å"something had slipped from [his] grasp†. Consumed with anger, Madigan kills Fred Blakey, yet â€Å"in that moment [he] knew [he] had lost [his] life. [He] was a dead man. † In the moments following his act of revenge, Madigan has the crystalline realisation that revenge means absolutely nothing. In this story, Winton suggests that sometimes when we try and confront our problems, we end up making things worse. Winton explores both the positive and negative outcomes of confronting one’s problems, highlighting the need to do so in order to move forward. This message is evident in ‘Laps’ and ‘Gravity’, where the protagonists are forced to confront their past loss and defeat. In these two stories, Winton suggests that in order to move forward, a backwards step into the past is necessary. Although the process may bring back painful memories, Winton shows that there is hope for those who confront their problems. However, Winton also emphasises the need to deal with problems from the right approach, with calm rather than bitterness, the failure of doing so resulting in potentially disastrous consequences as seen in ‘Minimum of Two’. As a whole, the anthology of stories reveals to us that those who confront their problems do deal with them more successfully, and are able to move on with their lives.

The power of transnational corporations

The power of transnational corporations Footloose can be defined as free to go wherever one likes or to do as one likes. According to Taggart (2010), he said that organizations which are flexible and no national loyalties in moving their businesses or operations to anywhere quickly freely and have different nations of consumers. Transnational Corporation can be defined as a company that operates in more than one country. According to UNCTAD (2004), a Transnational Corporation (TNC) is an organizations which control the foreign assets other than its home countries, they usually owning certain of equity capital stake. Nestle and Ford is the example of TNCs in the international country. Based to Fox, Tom and Prescott (2004), they stated that globalization has lead the organizations to spread or operate widely to search for cost efficiency and to implement production strategies across states and regions. Nowadays, Transnational Corporations (TNCs) are central players in the economic environment. According to Macleod and Lewis (2004), TNCs has affect the governments policies which not only local but also include international, besides they also affect the agenda of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Moreover, TNCs also affect the economies and eco-system in the developing world, the wage-levels set by them can influence the purchasing power and demand of goods as well. Power of TNCs According to Dunning and Rugman (1985), TNCs has the capabilities to overcome or reduce market imperfections, improving local and international markets, and to develop systemic, network-related rather than just asset-based only. Furthermore, the power or strength of TNCs also include they can support the global market in terms of survival, profitability and growth. According to Christian Aid (2001), he stated that TNCs has increased and growth quickly and dramatically over the past 30 years, there were only 7,000 TNCs available during 1970, however today there are 63,000 parent companies which operating with about 690,000 subsidiaries in the world. (Further information refers to Appendix 1 2). TNCs have involved themselves in different sectors, industries, economic activities in the global market. Most of the TNCs are mainly from Western economies, TNCs now occupy a powerful position in the global economy, which around two-third of international trade. General Electric which is one of the TNCs, had revenues of $126 billion in year 2001, which is more than the combined national incomes of sub-Saharan African countries, except the Republic of South Africa. TNCs are playing important roles in the global economies and it might be possible that they have the power to control over the economy in the future. As Michael Kitson (No date) states, TNCs are very powerful than the previously, nowadays they are playing an important roles and act as powerful players in the global economy. TNCs not only affect the local economic but it is also involve the global economic because they operate in large business which surrounding the world, it would affect the global employment rate and economics. Factors to Move As Footloose The factor that drive TNCs move and operate freely in the international country is the cost of production and also labor cost. This issue usually will be the first and most important reason for TNCs to consider with. According to Schaub (2004), he states that TNCs are profit from a division of labor, they tend to concentrates their operations in those countries which are usually allocate labor-intensive and specialized tasks to peripheral countries. They invest in different geographical areas to get multiple advantages from other countries so that they able to improve their operation in their home country. Many of the US firms are prefer to set up production facilities in the foreign market because they saw an opportunity to reduce production and distribution costs or low threat of their market position. For example, Renault-Nissan is one of the examples of TNCs which manufactures its product in China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, to profit from low-cost, high quality labor. Other than generate huge profits, resources available will be also one of the factors that lead TNCs to operate freely and globally. The resources are referring to human resource management, technology resources and also the resources to build up the products. This can be explaining by the technology advancement, human capital and capabilities, rich of the resources in a country. TNCs will consider all these factors in a country only will decide to operate or set up their manufacturing factory in a new place. Due to limited of capital resources, Intel actually relies extensively on the global manufacturing network, they set up manufacturing company at Penang, Malaysia is because they can get the resources at there and the human capabilities is high. On the other hand, political conditions will also affect the TNCs to operate freely in a country. Since China opens their market to the foreign investors and enters into the international trade, China has become the new and favorite place for TNCs and FDI to make investment and set up new subsidiaries and factories. Chinas rapid integration into the global economy has created many investment and trade opportunities between China and the rest of the world. It has created a lot of business opportunities and employment opportunities for the local people of China. China is a country which has the advance infrastructure, reasonable levels of taxation, cheap labor cost and production cost, and also the conditions that support personal security and the most important is stable political. Examples of TNCs which operate their business in China include Wal-Mart Stores, BP, Royal Dutch/Shell Group, Toyota Motor, Ford Motor and many others. TNCs will rather invest in China than Middle East Count ries as they always suffer with political unstable as well as race discriminations. Barries That Restrict TNCs to Move However, there are some factors such as Trade Barriers that will restrict TNCs to move freely in the international countries. It is usually refers to the external factors that is unable to be control by them. The most common sorts of trade barriers are things like subsidies, tariffs, quotas, duties, and embargoes. While TNCs enjoy the profits they earn, governments are usually concern with the consequences of these products have produced, and these consequences is usually caused by smoking, drinking, asbestos, chemicals and fertilizer/pesticide that can seriously lead to water pollution. Many countries are suffer 80% of their water is polluted by the chemical toxic such as pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides with consequential effects and the nations have to pay higher price for their water. Besides, the other TNCs needs to overcome this entire problem before the consumer can use it or consumed it safely. In this situation, profits of TNCs will be reduce when the citizen pay for w hat an unpolluted and healthy resources or goods, they always have a human right to consumed clean, safe and drinkable water. Besides that, some of the governments argue that TNCs locate in third countries or poor countries just want to make a profit only, they usually pay low wages, especially to those innocent such as women and young children. Some of the people said that TNCs usually look after themselves rather than them. Local labors usually poorly paid, most of the profits will go overseas, and products often of little value to local people and TNCs may pull out anytime. In order to guarantee the life and also the rights of local people, government usually will restrict some rules to protect their peoples. Senegal is the example that the government and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of International concern with the workers rights and health. For your information, Senegalese workers are employed with low wage and do not provide basic social services such as social security, medical check up and health insurance. Hence, TNCs wish to offshore to Senegal must be able to fulfill the requirement of the government whereby treat the local labors fairly. Besides that, culture will be also one of the barriers for the TNCs to offshore or move abroad. Cultural issues would not affect all the TNCs, it is usually refer to the food industry. For example, McDonald is carefully selected suppliers and also producers of their ingredient. The food of McDonald is including beef, chicken, pork, egg, milk, coffee and potatoes. However, pork is not accepted by the people, who are religious Islam; they are anti-pork due to the religious. Hence, if McDonald wishes to franchise their business to those Middle East countries or Islamic countries, they could not sell pork meal and get any pork supplier at there. It is the same case in India, Hindu state that cow are a gift of the gods to human race. Hence, for Hindus do not eat the meat of the sacred cow. McDonalds is the worlds largest user of beef. Therefore, all foods are strictly segregated into vegetarian and nonvegetarian lines to conform with preferences in a country where many Hindus are vegetari an. McDonalds has had to customize its offerings to the tastes and preferences of a Hindu culture that venerates the cow, will not eat beef, and has a large vegetarian population. Cultural factor will affect McDonald to operate their business in a new place such as Islamic country and India. Next, the other barriers that TNCs might face also include customer preferences. Customer preferences are refers to the consumers buying habits, product usage and so on. Nowadays, the living standards and income of peoples have been increase and they tend to enjoy their life. As income increase, so the purchasing power has been increase as well. China would be the best example; Chinas luxury car market is mainly controlled by Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Previously, Toyota will be the first choice for the China as this is more affordable for them. China does have their own automobiles produced such as BYD, Chery, Hafei, Roewe and so on. As the income and lifestyle have been improve, many of the Chinese tend to purchase high quality and foreign car as this is the status recognition for them. Hence, in this case it is a barriers for Toyota as they have the own manufacturing in China. Customer preferences change has cause negative effect to Toyota as it will affect their profits. Customer pr eferences would change anytime and TNCs could not estimate about it, hence before they want to set up new business in a country they need to encounter this problem and think of solutions. Fact to Support TNCs Move As Footloose After analyzing the factors to drive TNCs operate freely and globally, it show that Transnational Corporation can move footloose within the global economy. However, it is not all the TNCs able to move freely, some of the industry might be difficult to move. According to Ha-joon Chang, who is a South Korean economist in Economics and Politics faculty at the University of Cambridge (UK), he notes that there are some industries such as cloth, shoes, foods and garments where the sunk costs are low and firms can be easily footloose, while for the high elements of sunk cost such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals are more difficult to move. Overall, majority of TNCs are moving as footloose in the global economic, and this is support by Dicken (1998), he outlined that TNCs are becoming global corporations, stateless, placeless and locally embedded. Many authors suggest that the ideas of transnational manufacturing investments are footloose and not tied to particular locations and regions. For example, TNCs located in the Republic of Ireland also show signs of being highly footloose. Ireland is a country which their manufacturing industry is heavily dependent on foreign TNCs. The importance of TNCs for the Irish economy is now reflected in the fact that in the manufacturing sector, foreign plants accounted for 47 percent of employment, 77 percent of net output produced and 83 percent of total exports in Ireland in 1995 (Central Statistics Office, 1997). Ikeas Successful Footloose Manufacturing Network (Ferdowsi, 2009) With a network of 1300 suppliers in 53 countries, IKEA which is a Swedish furniture company with à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬14.8 billion sales in 2005 and growing at 15% annually and like to find the right manufacturer for its 9500 products. Ikea usually look for new suppliers with its own 46 trading offices in 32 countries. Major are in Europe, but IKEA want to add suppliers from other regions, especially Asia. In 2005, China, with 18% of all its purchases tops the list, followed by Poland (12%), Sweden (9%), Italy (7%), and Germany (6%). IKEAs suppliers are an integral part of this unique and intelligence system. IKEA design their products with standards modules and procures similar pieces used in different product from the same suppliers. It is a brilliant use of footloose manufacturing. IKEA simplifies what it needs from factories, hence has many potential bidders and gets competitive prices, and does not reveal design of its new products to its widespread and leak-prone supply network. Impact of TNCs to Move As Footloose Besides benefits to TNCs itself, they actually also bring benefits to the country that they operate other than home country. TNCs and the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) bring in able to improve employment rate, increase productivity, enhance skills transfer and technology transfer, increase volume of exports and also contribute to the long term economic development of the developing countries. The impact for the TNCs itself, they can earn more profits, increasing market share, becoming market leader and so on. While for the local labor, it will create employment opportunities for them, improve their living standards, opportunities for them to learn new skills and knowledge. While for the host country, TNCs actually help to improve the economy conditions, reduce unemployment rate, enhance advancement of technology and attract FDI to invest in their country. Furthermore, TNCs also improve conditions of the private sectors in the countries where they operate, a process which is very important to overall economic growth and economic health. They also bring benefits to the government as they invest money into an economy where it can supplement or free-up government revenues and development assistance funds. Many of the Government tend to welcoming for the TNCs to set up new business of manufacturing factory in their country because they can create more employment opportunities, improve the economy conditions and so on. According to Christian Aid (2001), TNCs bring benefits to the economies of developing countries and improve poor peoples living standard, invest money to build up infrastructure and facilities, provide employment opportunities, their investments can aids in local businesses and also boost up the local economic activities. As a conclusion, TNCs move as footloose has brought a lot of advantages to the community. In this free trade century, many firms tend to expand further in order to gain more profits as well as looking for the opportunities to growth. Although footloose may not suitable to some of the industry, however TNCs tend to move forward and further hence they will try to reduce threats to restrict them to expand globally. In the future, there will be more competitive in the global economics due to the growth of TNCs. (2503 words)

Rights for Homosexuals Essays -- Gay Marriages Homosexuality Equality

Rights for Homosexuals Gay marriage is a hotly debated issue in today's society. Andrew Sullivan and William Bennett offer opposing views in the June 3, 1996 edition of Newsweek. Sullivan's article, â€Å"Let Gays Marry,† offers several arguments supporting the issues of same sex marriage. Bennett counters in his article, â€Å"Leave Marriage Alone,† that same sex marriages would be damaging to the sanctity of marriage. Each author presents several reasons for the positions they defend and bring up valid points to defend their opinions. William Bennett and Andrew Sullivan share a mutual respect for the values and sacredness of the bond of marriage. Their disagreements stem from who they believe should be allowed to marry. Bennett’s article states that there are two key issues that divide people on the idea of same sex marriages; the basic understanding of marriage itself and whether or not same sex unions would strengthen or weaken the institution (29).His concern is that by allowing same sex unions, the rules which govern behavior in the conventional definition of marriage would be shattered (29). He fears that broadening the definition of marriage any further could stretch it beyond recognition (29). The well known promiscuity among homosexual males, Bennett feels, would conflict with the values of marriage. He believes that â€Å"marriage is not an arbitrary construct which can be redefined simply by those who lay claim to it† (30). Bennett sees marriage as a ...

computers and life :: essays research papers

Life in a modern technologhy requires skills in dealing with computers...CH 8 Network Management. 8.1 Network Documentation. *Cut sheet diagrams. The first and most critical component for a good network is documentation. Documentation is the most talked about and least performed task in a network. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · diagrams that indicate the path of the physical wiring layout; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · the type of cable; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · the length of each cable; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · the type of termination for the cable; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · physical location of each wall plate or patch panel, and; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · A labeling scheme for easy identification of each wire. * MDF and IDF layouts This is a Physical and logical layout of the Main Distribution Facility and all of the Intermediate Distribution Facilities in the network, layout of rack mounts, auxiliary equipment, and servers in the distribution facility, patch panel labels to identify cable terminations. Identification and configuration details of all equipment located in the distribution facility. *Server and workstation configuration details This is any physical detail of the computer, model and serial number, Physical location, user, and network identification. *Software listings Standard and special software used on each machine in the network. This list includes operating system and application software. *Maintenance records It is also valuable to keep a list of all repairs that have been done to all equipment included in the network. This will help an administrator predict possible future problems with existing hardware and software. *Security measures Includes "soft" security, such as user rights, password definition, and firewall support, but also physical security. Physical or hard security includes things as simple as identifying how the MDF and IDF's are locked, who has access to these rooms and why, how the hosts are protected (security cables - alarms), and who has physical access to the system. *User policies They contain how the users can interact with the network. These policies include what is and what is not permissible on the network. It should also include what the consequences of violating user policies will be. Other aspects of user policies include what minimum user ID and password length should be, and rules for the content of passwords. 8.2 Network Security includes the following. * Network access It involves making the network as secure as possible against unauthorized access. This is done by establishing security policies, such as minimum password length, maximum password age, unique passwords (not allowing the same password repeated), and only allowing the user to logon to the network at particular times of the day or days of the week. computers and life :: essays research papers Life in a modern technologhy requires skills in dealing with computers...CH 8 Network Management. 8.1 Network Documentation. *Cut sheet diagrams. The first and most critical component for a good network is documentation. Documentation is the most talked about and least performed task in a network. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · diagrams that indicate the path of the physical wiring layout; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · the type of cable; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · the length of each cable; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · the type of termination for the cable; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · physical location of each wall plate or patch panel, and; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · A labeling scheme for easy identification of each wire. * MDF and IDF layouts This is a Physical and logical layout of the Main Distribution Facility and all of the Intermediate Distribution Facilities in the network, layout of rack mounts, auxiliary equipment, and servers in the distribution facility, patch panel labels to identify cable terminations. Identification and configuration details of all equipment located in the distribution facility. *Server and workstation configuration details This is any physical detail of the computer, model and serial number, Physical location, user, and network identification. *Software listings Standard and special software used on each machine in the network. This list includes operating system and application software. *Maintenance records It is also valuable to keep a list of all repairs that have been done to all equipment included in the network. This will help an administrator predict possible future problems with existing hardware and software. *Security measures Includes "soft" security, such as user rights, password definition, and firewall support, but also physical security. Physical or hard security includes things as simple as identifying how the MDF and IDF's are locked, who has access to these rooms and why, how the hosts are protected (security cables - alarms), and who has physical access to the system. *User policies They contain how the users can interact with the network. These policies include what is and what is not permissible on the network. It should also include what the consequences of violating user policies will be. Other aspects of user policies include what minimum user ID and password length should be, and rules for the content of passwords. 8.2 Network Security includes the following. * Network access It involves making the network as secure as possible against unauthorized access. This is done by establishing security policies, such as minimum password length, maximum password age, unique passwords (not allowing the same password repeated), and only allowing the user to logon to the network at particular times of the day or days of the week.

Microeconomics/Macroeconomics Chapter 1 Questions and Answers

Chapter 1 The Art and Science of Economic Analysis INTRODUCTION THIS CHAPTER HAS TWO PURPOSES: TO INTRODUCE STUDENTS TO SOME OF THE BASIC LANGUAGE OF ECONOMICS AND TO STIMULATE STUDENT INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT. IT CONVEYS TO STUDENTS THAT ECONOMICS IS NOT ONLY FOUND IN THE FINANCIAL SECTION OF THE NEWSPAPER, BUT ALSO IS VERY MUCH A PART OF THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES. BEGINNING WITH THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM OF SCARCE RESOURCES BUT UNLIMITED WANTS, THIS CHAPTER PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE FIELD AND THE ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES USED. CONCEPTS INTRODUCED INCLUDE: RESOURCES, GOODS AND SERVICES, THE ECONOMIC ACTORS IN THE ECONOMY, AND MARGINAL ANALYSIS.TWO MODELS FOR ANALYSIS, THE CIRCULAR FLOW MODEL AND STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD, ARE INTRODUCED. THE APPENDIX INTRODUCES THE USE OF GRAPHS. CHAPTER OUTLINE THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM: SCARCE RESOURCES, UNLIMITED WANTS Use PowerPoint slide 3 for the following section Economics is about making choices. The problem is that wants or desires are virtually unlimi ted while the resources available to satisfy these wants are scarce. A resource is scarce when it is not freely available, when its price exceeds zero. Economics studies how people use their scarce resources in an attempt to satisfy their unlimited wants.Use PowerPoint slides 4-9 for the following sections Resources: The inputs, or factors of production, used to produce the goods and services that humans want. Resources are divided into four categories: 1. Labor: Human effort, both physical and mental 2. Capital: †¢ Physical capital: Manufactured items (tools, buildings) used to produce goods and services. †¢ Human capital: Knowledge and skills people acquire to increase their labor productivity. 3. Natural resources: gifts of nature, bodies of water, trees, oil reserves, minerals and animals. These can be renewable or exhaustible. . Entrepreneurial ability: The imagination required to develop a new product or process, the skill needed to organize production, and the willi ngness to take the risk of profit or loss. Payments for resources: Labor–wage; capital–interest; natural resources–rent; entrepreneurial ability–profit. Use PowerPoint slides 10-12 for the following section Goods and Services: Resources are combined to produce goods and services. †¢ A good is something we can see, feel, and touch (i. e. , corn). It requires scarce resources to produce and is used to satisfy human wants. A service is not tangible but requires scarce resources to produce and satisfies human wants (i. e. , haircut). †¢ A good or service is scarce if the amount people demand exceeds the amount available at a price of zero. Goods and services that are truly free are not the subject matter of economics. Without scarcity, there would be no economic problem and no need for prices. Use PowerPoint slide 13 for the following section Economic Decision Makers: There are four types of decision makers: 1. Households 2. Firms 3. Governments 4. The rest of the worldTheir interaction determines how an economy’s resources are allocated. Use PowerPoint slide 14 for the following section Markets: †¢ Buyers and sellers carry out exchanges in markets. †¢ Goods and services are exchanged in product markets. †¢ Labor, capital, natural resources, and entrepreneurial ability are exchanged in resource markets. Use PowerPoint slides 15-16 for the following section A Simple Circular Flow Model: A simple circular flow model in Exhibit 1 describes the flow of resources, products, income and revenue among economic decision makers. The Art of Economic AnalysisUse PowerPoint slide 17 for the following section Rational Self-Interest †¢ Economics assumes that individuals, in making choices, rationally select alternatives they perceive to be in their best interests. †¢ Rational refers to people trying to make the best choices they can, given the available information. †¢ Each individual tries to minimize th e expected cost of achieving a given benefit or to maximize the expected benefit achieved with a given cost. Use PowerPoint slide 18 for the following section Choice Requires Time and Information: Time and information are scarce and therefore valuable.Rational decision makers acquire information as long as the expected additional benefit from the information is greater than its expected additional cost. Use PowerPoint slide 19 for the following section Economic Analysis Is Marginal Analysis †¢ Economic choice is based on a comparison of the expected marginal cost and the expected marginal benefit of the action under consideration. †¢ Marginal means incremental, additional, or extra. †¢ A rational decision maker changes the status quo if the expected marginal benefit is greater than the expected marginal cost.Use PowerPoint slides 20-21 for the following section Microeconomics and Macroeconomics †¢ Microeconomics: The study of individual economic choices (e. g. , your economic behavior). †¢ Macroeconomics: The study of the performance of the economy as a whole, as measured, for example, by total production and employment. †¢ Economic fluctuations: The rise and fall of economic activity relative to the long-term growth trend of the economy; also called business cycles. Use PowerPoint slide 22 for the following section The Science of Economic AnalysisThe Role of Theory: An economic theory is a simplification of economic reality that is used to make predictions about the real world. An economic theory captures the important elements of the problem under study. Use PowerPoint slides 23-26 for the following section The Scientific Method: A four-step process of theoretical investigation: 1. Identify the question and define relevant variables. 2. Specify assumptions: †¢ Other-things-constant assumption: Focuses on the relationships between the variables of interest, assuming that nothing else important changes (i. e. , ceteris paribu s). Behavioral assumptions: Focus on how people will behave (i. e. , in their rational self-interest). 3. Formulate a hypothesis, a theory about how key variables relate to each other. 4. Test the hypothesis. Compare its predictions with evidence. The theory is then either rejected, accepted, or modified and retested. Use PowerPoint slide 27 for the following section Normative vs. Positive †¢ A positive economic statement concerns what is; it can be supported or rejected by reference to facts. †¢ A normative economic statement concerns what should be; it reflects an opinion and cannot be shown to be true or false by reference to the facts.Economists Tell Stories Use PowerPoint slide 28 for the following section CaseStudy: A Yen for Vending Machines Use PowerPoint slide 29 for the following section Predicting Average Behavior: The task of an economic theory is to predict the impact of an economic event on economic choices and, in turn, the effect of these choices on particu lar markets or on the economy as a whole. Economists focus on the average, or typical, behavior of people in groups. Use PowerPoint slides 30-31 for the following section Some Pitfalls of Faulty Economic Analysis The fallacy that association is causation: The fact that one event precedes another or that two events occur simultaneously does not mean that one caused the other. †¢ The fallacy of composition: The incorrect belief that what is true for the individual, or the part, is true for the group, or the whole. †¢ The mistake of ignoring secondary effects: (unintended consequences of policy) If Economist Are So Smart, Why Aren’t They Rich? Use PowerPoint slides 32-33 for the following section CaseStudy: College Major and Annual Earnings Appendix: Understanding GraphsUse PowerPoint slides 34-39 for the following section Drawing Graphs †¢ Origin: The point of departure, the point from which all variables are measured. †¢ Horizontal axis: The value of the x variable increases as you move along this axis to the right of the origin; a straight line to the right of the origin. †¢ Vertical axis: The value of the y variable increases as you move upward and away from the origin; a straight line extending above the origin. †¢ Within the space framed by the axes, you can plot possible combinations of the variables measured along each axis. †¢ Graph: A picture showing how variables relate. Time-series graph: Shows the value of one or more variables over time. †¢ Functional relation: Exists between two variables when the value of one variable depends on the other variable (e. g. , the value of the independent variable determines the value of the dependent variable). †¢ Types of relationships between variables: – Positive, or direct, relation: As one variable increases, the other variable increases. – Negative, or inverse, relation: As one variable increases, the other variable decreases. – Independen t, or unrelated relation: As one variable increases, the other variable remains unchanged or unrelated.Use PowerPoint slides 40-46 for the following section The Slopes of Straight Lines †¢ The slope of a line measures how much the vertical variable (y) changes for each 1-unit change in the horizontal variable (x). †¢ The slope of a line is a convenient device for measuring marginal effects. Slope reflects the change in y for each one unit change in x. †¢ The slope of a line does not imply causality but indicates a relation between the variables. †¢ The slope of a line is the change in the vertical distance divided by the increase in the horizontal distance. The slope of a line depends on how units are measured; the mathematical value of the slope depends on the units of measurement in the graph. †¢ The slope of a straight line is the same everywhere along the line. †¢ The slope of a curved line varies from one point to another along the curve. †¢ I f the slope is: – Positive: There is a positive or direct relation between the variables. – Negative: There is a negative or inverse relation between the variables. – Zero or assumed infinite: There is no relation between the variables; they are independent or unrelated.Use PowerPoint slides 47-48 for the following section The Slope, Units of Measurement, and Marginal Analysis The Slopes of Curved Lines Curve Shifts: A change in an underlying assumption is expressed by a shift in the curve. Chapter SUMMARY ECONOMICS IS THE STUDY OF HOW PEOPLE CHOOSE TO USE THEIR SCARCE RESOURCES TO PRODUCE, EXCHANGE, AND CONSUME GOODS AND SERVICES IN AN ATTEMPT TO SATISFY UNLIMITED WANTS. THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM ARISES FROM THE CONFLICT BETWEEN SCARCE RESOURCES AND UNLIMITED WANTS. IF WANTS WERE LIMITED OR IF RESOURCES WERE NOT SCARCE, THERE WOULD BE NO NEED TO STUDY ECONOMICS.Economic resources are combined in a variety of ways to produce goods and services. Major categories of re sources include labor, capital, natural resources, and entrepreneurial ability. Because economic resources are scarce, only a limited number of goods and services can be produced with them. Therefore, goods and services are also scarce, so choices must be made. Microeconomics focuses on choices made in households, firms, and governments and how these choices affect particular markets, such as the market for used cars. Choice is guided by rational self-interest.Choice typically requires time and information, both of which are scarce and valuable. Whereas microeconomics examines the individual pieces of the puzzle, macroeconomics steps back to consider the big picture—the performance of the economy as a whole as reflected by such measures as total production, employment, the price level, and economic growth. The 2008-2009 recession illustrates economic fluctuations, the rise and fall of economic activity relative to the long-term growth trend of the economy. Economic fluctuatio ns are also called business cycles. These cycles will be a major topic in the macroeconomics course.Economists use theories, or models, to help understand the effects of an economic change, such as a change in price or income, on individual choices and how these choices affect particular markets and the economy as a whole. Economists employ the scientific method to study an economic problem by (a) formulating the question and isolating relevant variables, (b) specifying the assumptions under which the theory operates, (c) developing a theory, or hypothesis, about how the variables relate, and (d) testing that theory by comparing its predictions with the evidence.A theory might not work perfectly, but it is useful as long as it predicts better than competing theories do. Positive economics aims to discover how the economy works. Normative economics is concerned more with how, in someone’s opinion, the economy should work. Those who are not careful can fall victim to the fallac y that association is causation, to the fallacy of composition, and to the mistake of ignoring secondary effects. The appendix to this chapter deals with the construction and interpretation of graphs. TEACHING POINTS 1.THIS COURSE WILL PROVIDE THE FIRST EXPOSURE TO THE ECONOMIC WAY OF THINKING FOR MANY OF YOUR STUDENTS. ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS NATURAL TO YOU, ECONOMIC ANALYSIS PRESENTS A FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE TO MANY STUDENTS. YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER PRESENTING ECONOMICS AS ONE OF MANY APPROACHES TO DESCRIBING HUMAN BEHAVIOR RATHER THAN AS A BODY OF ESTABLISHED DOCTRINES. INTRODUCING A TOPIC WITH RELEVANT QUESTIONS TO WHICH ECONOMICS PROVIDES AN ANSWER GENERALLY ENHANCES STUDENT INTEREST IN ECONOMICS. SUCH QUESTIONS APPEAR AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH CHAPTER. 2. Students are generally eager and very fresh at the beginning of the semester.Chapters 1 and 2 can be assigned during the first week, and you can move almost immediately into discussions of production possibilities, the idea of opport unity cost, the use of marginal analysis, and comparative advantage (see Chapter 2). It should also be easy to meld a discussion of the points contained in the Chapter 1 Appendix with the analytics of Chapter 2. 3. One point to stress in discussing the role and importance of economic analysis is that, while individual responses to changes in an economic environment are not always predictable, the aggregate response often is.The use of such knowledge is valuable in virtually any context in which individuals, households, firms, resource owners, and so on, are faced with changing opportunities and costs. You might use some examples to illustrate this, such as what is the predicted response to a tax on gasoline and who ends up paying for the tax or the impact of a tax refund on consumer behavior. 4. From a purely analytical perspective, the most important concept introduced in this chapter is the idea that decisions are made on the basis of marginal analysis.You might stress that margin al analysis is a cornerstone of economics. 5. Some terminology in the text may deviate from your own lecture notes. If you intend to use any of the Test Banks, try to mention deviations between the text’s usage and the terms you use in your lectures. For example, the text uses the word resources whereas you might use factors of production in your lecture notes. 6. Some students think that economics is synonymous with business. You may wish to explain the difference, because many of your students will be studying business administration. . Many students will be apprehensive about the mathematics used in the course. A good way for students to master the few mathematical tools needed in class is by through application and by using the Study Guides and the online materials. It is essential for students to become comfortable with reading and shifting graphs as well as dividing fractions. The appendix to Chapter 1 provides a good foundation for the tools needed. 8. Many beginning s tudents do not understand what economists mean by the statement â€Å"consumers are rational. It is helpful to emphasize that rationality does not imply that all consumers must be identical or that all consumers make â€Å"good† decisions all the time. Individuals can have dramatically different tastes for goods and service and yet all can be considered rational. ANSWERS TO End-of-Chapter Questions and exercises ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW 1. (Definition of Economics) What determines whether or not a resource is scarce? Why is the concept of scarcity important to the definition of economics? A resource is scarce when the amount people desire exceeds the amount available at a price of zero.The concept of scarcity is important to the definition of economics because scarcity forces people to choose how they will use their resources in an attempt to satisfy their unlimited wants and desires. Economics is about making choices. Without scarcity there would be no economic probl em, and therefore no need to choose between competing wants and desires. 2. (Resources) To which category of resources does each of the following belong? a. A taxi b. Computer software c. One hour of legal counsel d. A parking lot e. A forest f. The Mississippi River g.An individual introducing a new way to market products on the Internet. a. capital; a manufactured item employed to produce a service. b. capital; a manufactured item employed to produce a good. c. labor; human effort. d. capital and natural resources; the parking lot is on a natural resource (land), but the land has undergone capital improvement in the form of leveling and paving. e. natural resource. f. natural resource. g. entrepreneurial ability. 3. (Goods and Services) Explain why each of the following would not be considered â€Å"free† for the economy as a whole: a.Food vouchers b. U. S. aid to developing countries c. Corporate charitable contributions d. Noncable television programs e. Public high schoo l education aEven if food vouchers allow individuals to â€Å"purchase† food at no cost, producing the food in the first place uses resources and hence has a cost. b. U. S. aid, while free to the recipient country, involves costs to the United States because the aid requires the use of U. S. resources to assist developing countries. c. The corporation (and its owners) pays for these gifts. d. This is perhaps the most interesting example. Free† TV is paid for by consumers through the higher prices of the products advertised there. The cost of advertising is passed along to consumers. e. Public high school education is paid for by citizens, either through taxes or borrowing. 4. (Economic Decision Makers) Which group of economic decision makers plays the leading role in the economic system? Which groups play supporting roles? In what sense are they supporting actors? The main decision makers are households, with firms, governments, and the rest of the world serving as supp orting actors.Households are considered to be the lead actors since they supply resources used in production, and demand goods and services produced by other actors. Firms, governments, and the rest of the world are supporting actors because they demand the resources that households supply and use them to produce and supply the goods that households demand. 5. (Micro versus Macro) Determine whether each of the following is primarily a microeconomic or a macroeconomic issue: a. What price to charge for an automobile b. Measuring the impact of tax policies on total consumer spending in the economy c.A household’s decisions about what to buy d. A worker’s decision regarding how much to work each week e. Designing a government policy to increase total employment Microeconomics is the study of the individual economic behavior of decision-making units in the economy, whereas macroeconomics studies the performance of the economy as a whole. a. Microeconomic issue; it refers t o the price of an individual good. b. Macroeconomic issue; it refers to the economy as a whole. c. Microeconomic issue; it refers to the decision of one individual household. . Microeconomic issue; it refers to the decisions of one worker. e. Macroeconomic issue; it refers to the economy as a whole. 6. (Micro versus Macro) Some economists believe that in order to really understand macroeconomics, you must first understand microeconomics. How does microeconomics relate to macroeconomics? Microeconomics studies the behavior and choices made by individuals. The behavior and choices made by these individuals is added together to determine the economy–wide(or macroeconomic(measures, such as total production and unemployment.Microeconomics studies the individual pieces of the economic puzzle; macroeconomics fits those pieces together. 7. (Normative versus Positive Analysis) Determine whether each of the following statements is normative or positive: a. The U. S. unemployment rate w as below 10. 0 percent in 2010. b. The inflation rate in the United States is too high. c. The U. S. government should increase the minimum wage. d. U. S. trade restrictions cost consumers $40 billion annually. A positive statement is a statement about what is. It can be supported or rejected by reference to facts.A normative statement concerns what someone thinks ought to be. It is an opinion and can't be shown to be true or false by reference to facts. a. Positive. Either the unemployment rate was below 10. 0 percent or it was not. The validity of the statement can be checked with appropriate data. b. Normative. There is no objective measure of when the inflation rate is high and when it is not. The statement reflects someone’s opinion of what rate is too high. c. Normative. The word â€Å"should† is usually an indication of an opinion–a normative statement. d. Positive.In principle, the cost of trade restrictions could be measured. Measurement does not involv e opinions 8. (Role of Theory) What good is economic theory if it can’t predict the behavior of a specific individual? This question highlights the fact that economics, like all social sciences, attempts to describe and explain human behavior. In doing so, it cannot measure and control for all factors influencing behavior. The result is that the behavior of a specific individual cannot be explained or predicted, but the behavior of groups of individuals can be.We cannot, for example, predict any particular individual’s buying response to a sale. We can, however, predict what kind of total selling volume will occur because of a sale. Answers to Problems and Exercises 9. (Rational Self-Interest) Discuss the impact of rational self-interest on each of the following decisions: a. Whether to attend college full time or enter the workforce full time b. Whether to buy a new textbook or a used one c. Whether to attend a local college or an out-of-town college a. Individuals wi ll compare the expected benefits of attending college full time with the expected costs.One benefit might be that the individual’s stock of knowledge and productivity will grow, and so will his or her wage. Costs include not only tuition, but also the wages that could have been earned by working instead of attending college full time. If the expected benefits outweigh the costs, then the rational person will choose to go to college full time. b. Individuals will compare the expected benefits of a new textbook with the higher costs of purchasing a new textbook. Benefits include not being confused by other students’ markings in the book and a higher resale value.However, the out-of-pocket cost of a new book will be higher than the cost of a used book. If the expected benefits outweigh the costs, then a rational person will purchase the new textbook. c. Individuals will compare the expected benefits and costs associated with both colleges under consideration and will choo se the college at which the difference between benefits and costs is greater. The costs of attending an out-of-town college may include greater travel costs and phone bills and benefits such as learning about a different region. 10. Rational Self-Interest) If behavior is governed by rational self-interest, why do people make charitable contributions of time and money? Rational self-interest is not blind materialism, pure selfishness, or greed. Rational self-interest means we choose the option that maximizes expected benefits with a given cost. People will give more to charities when the contribution is tax deductible. The lower the personal cost of helping others the more we are willing to help and contribute.. 11. (Marginal Analysis) The owner of a small pizzeria is deciding whether to increase the radius of delivery area by one mile.What considerations must be taken into account if such a decision is to increase profitability? By increasing its delivery radius, the store will have greater sales. However, these marginal revenues must be balanced against the additional costs incurred, such as greater consumption of pizza ingredients, more gasoline for the delivery truck, and possibly the need to hire additional labor and increase advertising. 12. (Time and Information) It is often costly to obtain the information necessary to make good decisions. Yet your own interests can best be served by rationally weighing all options available to you.This requires informed decision making. Does this mean that making uninformed decisions is irrational? How do you determine how much information is the right amount? Rational decision makers will continue to acquire information as long as the benefit of the additional information exceeds the additional costs. Oftentimes we are willing to pay others to gather and digest the information for us. 13. (CaseStudy: A Yen for Vending Machines) Do vending machines conserve any resources other than labor? Does your answer offer any add itional insight into the widespread use of vending machines in Japan?Vending machines, in addition to being labor saving, also conserve space and time. Given the population density of Japan and the limited â€Å"free time† of the typical Japanese worker, vending machines can be expected to be popular among both sellers and buyers in Japan. 14. (CaseStudy: A Yen for Vending Machines) Suppose you had the choice of purchasing identically priced lunches from a vending machine or at a cafeteria. Which would you choose? Why? Different students will answer this question in different ways, but the key point is that non-monetary factors affect decision making.For example, students who opt for the cafeteria instead of the vending machine may, for example, do so because of the impersonal nature of the machine and the desire to â€Å"socialize† the eating experience. 15. (Pitfalls of Economic Analysis) Review the discussion of pitfalls in economic thinking in this chapter. Then id entify the fallacy, or mistake in thinking, in each of the following statements: a. Raising taxes always increases government revenues. b. Whenever there is a recession, imports decrease. Therefore, to stop a recession, we should increase imports. . Raising the tariff on imported steel helps the U. S. steel industry. Therefore, the entire economy is helped. d. Gold sells for about $1,000 per ounce. Therefore, the U. S. government could sell all the gold in Fort Knox at $1,000 per ounce and reduce the national debt. a. This assertion is a mistake because the secondary effects of taxes on production and the labor supply are ignored. If the tax rate were raised to 100 percent, for example, no one would want to work or produce. b. This is the fallacy that association implies causation.It is more likely that recession causes a change in imports than the other way round. c. This is a fallacy of composition. True, the tariff may help the steel industry. But it hurts purchasers of steel, in cluding the automobile and construction industries. The overall effect on the economy is unclear. d. This is the fallacy of composition, because attempts to sell so much gold at once would push down the price of gold. 16. (Association Versus Causation) Suppose I observe that communities with lots of doctors tend to have relatively high rates of illness. I conclude that doctors cause illness.What’s wrong with this reasoning? The causality is undoubtedly in the other direction; that is, doctors will tend to locate where there is a lot of disease and therefore a greater need for medical care. 17. (CaseStudy: College Major and Annual Earnings) Because some college majors pay nearly twice as much as others, why would students pursuing their rational self-interest choose a lower paying major? Students select college majors for a variety of reasons, and the expected pay is only one of them. Some students may have a special interest in lower-paying fields, such as philosophy, religio n, or social work.Some students may not have the aptitude to succeed in the higher-paying majors, such as engineering, mathematics, or computer science. And many students, when they select a major, may simply be unaware of the pay differences based on college major. 18. (Global Economic Watch) Select Global Issues in Context and in the Basic Search box at the top of the page, enter the phrase â€Å"selfish. † On the Results page, scroll down to the Magazines section. Choose the red link to View All. Scroll down to click on the link for the December 8, 2008, article â€Å"Going Green for Selfish Reasons. Are the companies described acting out of rational self-interest? The article indicates that, although the companies' actions may help the environment, the companies are primarily motivated to save costs, an example of rational self-interest. 19. (Global Economic Watch) Select Global Issues in Context and in the Basic Search box at the top of the page, enter either the term à ¢â‚¬Å"microeconomic† or the term â€Å"macroeconomic. † Choose one of the resources and write a summary in your own words. Especially emphasize how the resource is an example of microeconomics or macroeconomics.Student answers will vary, but should demonstrate understanding of the definitions of microeconomics and macroeconomics. Answers to Appendix Questions 1. (Understanding Graphs) Look at Exhibit 5 and answer the following questions: a. In what year (approximately) was the unemployment rate the highest? In what year was it the lowest? b. In what decade, on average, was the unemployment rate highest? In what decade was it lowest? c. Between 1950 and 1980, did the unemployment rate generally increase, decrease, or remain about the same? a. In 1931 the unemployment rate reached its highest point, 25 percent.In 1942 it reached its lowest, approximately 1 percent. b. Unemployment was the highest in the decade of the 1930s and lowest in the decade of the 1900s. c. Between 1950 and 1980, unemployment generally increased. 2. (Drawing Graphs) Sketch a graph to illustrate your idea of each of the following relationships. Be sure to label each axis appropriately. For each relationship, explain under what circumstances, if any, the curve could shift: a. The relationship between a person’s age and height b. Average monthly temperature in your home town over the course of a year c.A person’s income and the number of hamburgers consumed per month d. The amount of fertilizer added to an acre of land and the amount of corn grown on that land in one growing season e. An automobile’s horsepower and its gasoline mileage (in miles per gallon) a. In the years between birth and 15, you would expect a person’s height to increase as his or her age increased. After age 15 or so, height would remain constant. [pic] b. The average monthly temperature in your home town over the course of a year varies with the seasons. [pic]Seasons c.In the fol lowing example drawn, the number of hamburgers consumed per month will rise at first as a person's income increases. (The curve is steeply upward sloping from the origin to an income of $10,000). However, after a certain income level, there will be less and less of a rise in the number of hamburgers consumed per month. (The curve is still upward sloping but is flattening between an income of $10,000 and $20,000. ) Then, as income rises further, this consumer will decide to try other foods and actually buys fewer hamburgers per month. (The curve begins to slope downward after an income of $20,000 is reached. ) pic] d. As you add more fertilizer, you expect to produce more corn per acre up to a point of saturation. An acre of land will have some finite limit on what it can produce in one growing season, no matter how much fertilizer is added! [pic] e. As a car is engineered to be more powerful with more horsepower, you would expect it to use more gasoline and to get lower mileage per gallon of gasoline. [pic] 3. (Slope) suppose you are given the following data on wage rates and number of hours worked: | | |Hours Worked | | |Hourly | | |Point |Wage |Per Week | a |$0 |0 | |b |5 |0 | |c |10 |30 | |d |15 |35 | |e |20 |45 | |f |25 |50 | a. Construct and label a set of axes and plot these six points. Label each point a, b, c, and so on. Which variable do you think should be measured on the vertical axis, and which variable should be measured on the horizontal axis? b. Connect the points. Describe the resulting curve. Does it make sense to you? c. Compute the slope of the curve between points a and b.Between points b and c. Between points c and d. Between points d and e. Between points e and f. What happens to the slope as you move from point a to point f? a. It is conventional in economics to measure prices on the vertical axis. Here the wage rate is the price of an hour of labor, so it goes on the vertical axis. Hours worked is measured on the horizontal axis. B. THE GRAPH SHOWS THAT AT VERY LOW WAGE RATES, THE PERSON CHOOSES NOT TO WORK AT ALL. IT’S JUST NOT WORTH HER WHILE. HOWEVER, ONCE THE WAGE REACHES $10 PER HOUR, SHE BEGINS TO OFFER HER TIME IN THE LABOR MARKET BY BEING WILLING TO WORK 30 HOURS PER WEEK.AT HIGHER AND HIGHER WAGE RATES, SHE IS WILLING TO WORK MORE AND MORE HOURS. c. THE SLOPE IS MEASURED BY THE VERTICAL CHANGE THAT RESULTS FROM A GIVEN CHANGE ALONG THE HORIZONTAL AXIS. From point a to point b, the vertical change (wage) is 5, and the horizontal change (hours worked) is zero. Slope is 5/0 = assumed infinity. From point b to point c, the vertical change (wage) is 5, and the horizontal change (hours worked) is 30. Slope is 5/30 = +1/6. From point c to point d, the vertical change (wage) is 5, and the horizontal change (hours worked) is 5. Slope is 5/5 = +1.From point d to point e, the vertical change (wage) is 5, and the horizontal change (hours worked) is 10. Slope is 5/10 = +1/2. From point e to point f, the vertica l change (wage) is 5, and the horizontal change (hours worked) is 5. Slope is 5/5 = +1. A change in the steepness of the curve indicates a change in slope. As the curve becomes steeper, the rate of increase in hours of work (slope) is increasing. The shape of the curve indicates that as the curve flattens, the rate of increase in hours of work (slope) is decreasing. ———————– d a b c e f