India’s Trade in 2020 Essay Example for Free

India’s Trade in 2020 Essay Introduction Indias trade has generally grown at a faster rate compared to the growth of GDP over the past two decades. With the liberalization since 1991 in particular, the importance of international trade in India’s economy has grown considerably. As a result the ratio of international trade to GDP has gone up from 14 per cent in 1980 to nearly 20 per cent towards the end of the decade of 1990s. Given the trends of globalization and liberalization, the openness of Indian economy is expected to grow further in the coming two decades. The more exact magnitude of Indias trade in 2020 and its proportion to Indias national income would be determined by a variety of factors. Many of these factors are in the nature of external shocks and are beyond the control of national policy making. One illustration is the recent surge in the crude oil prices in the international market to unprecedented levels that have impacted the country’s imports in a significant manner. In addition, the implementation of various WTO agreements are likely to affect the Indias trade. Indias trade is also likely to be affected by various bilateral/ regional preferential trade arrangements that have been concluded and those that might take shape in the coming years. This paper attempts to provide a mapping of different factors that are likely to shape the patterns and magnitudes of Indias imports and exports over the coming two decades. These factors are classified into three, namely: 1) factors affecting the demand for Indias exports of goods and services; 2) factors affecting the supply of Indias exports of goods and services; and 3) factors affecting the demand for Indias imports. The supply of imports may be assumed to be elastic and hence is not discussed. The structure of the paper is as follows. Section 1 maps out various factors affecting demand for India’s exports, Section 2, factors affecting supply of India’s exports. Section 3 lists the factors that are likely to affect demand for India’s imports. Section 4 briefly summarizes emerging patterns of India’s comparative advantage in exports of good and services. Section 5 makes some concluding remarks. 1.Factors Affecting the Demand for Exports There is a multitude of factors that are likely to affect the demand for Indias exports of goods and services as seen below. 3 Growth Performance of World Economy and Key Trading Regions The growth rates of the world economy and world trade do influence the overall demand for Indias exports. For instance, the rates of stagnation in the growth rate of world trade in the period since 1996 have affected the growth of Indias exports. Some broad correspondence between the growth rates of world trade and Indian exports is evident from Figure 1. Depending upon the intensities of Indias trade relations the growth prospects in these specific regions may also affect the demand for Indias exports. The regions which may be particularly important for Indias exports include North America, the European Union, Middle East, East and Southeast Asia and South Asia. Therefore, it will be important to watch the growth outlook and projections for these regions. Figure 1: Growth Rates of World Trade and Indias Exports Over the 1990s Source: RIS on the basis of WEO Database of the IMF 1.1.1. World Output and Trade at the Turn of the Century and the Outlook The world economy in 2000 seems to have fully recovered from the slow down of 1998-1999 on account of the East Asian crisis. The estimated world output growth of 4.8 percent in 2000 is highest since 1988 and of world trade at 12.4 percent is highest of the past 25 years (Table 1, Figure 1). The impressive recovery of the world economy and world trade in the early part of 2000 generated optimism all around as countries expected to benefit from favourable spillovers in the form of rise in demand for their exports. However, the optimism has proved to be short lived. It has been partly tarnished somewhat by the crude oil prices hitting the roof in the third quarter of 2000 and adversely affecting the outlook of many regions besides raising the threats of inflation in different parts of the world. Furthermore and more importantly, the emerging trends confirm that a trend of slow down was set in the US economy in the third quarter of the 2000. Hence, fears of a hard landing of the US economy in 2001 have continued to grow. A scenario of hard landing of the US economy in 2001 is thus likely to short-circuit the rebound of the world economy of 1999-2000, even though the major European Union economies are improving their performance. The Japanese economy continues to remain sluggish. The slow down of the US economy has a compounded effect on the growth of the world economy by adversely affecting the demand for the products of partner countries as well. As a result the growth rate of world output is likely to slow down in 2001 from the levels reached in 2000 to 3.2. The world economy is expected to pick up moderately to 3.9 per cent in 2002. The effect of the impending slow down is more severe on the growth rate of world trade which is likely to reduce by nearly half from the rate achieved in 2000 to around 6.5 per cent in 2001 and 2001. In the light of recent trends, the outlook for the world economy and trade growth over the next ten years could be taken at 3 and 6 per cent respectively. *Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. #ASEAN-4. Source: RIS based on World Bank (2001), IMF (2001). 1. WTO Agreements Since the implementation of the Final Act of the Uruguay Round in 1995, the WTO Agreements have become important factors in determining the patterns of world trade. Their full impact is not yet obvious as many provisions of these agreements are yet to be implemented because of the transition period provided. Most of the remaining provisions of the WTO agreements would be implemented in the coming five years. Therefore, the patterns of trade in 2020 would have to be speculated keeping in mind the impact of full implementation of the WTO agreements. Some of the agreements which are likely to affect Indias exports are the following. 1. Agreement on Textiles and Clothing The Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) proposes to phase out the MFA quotas imposed by the developed countries on the imports of textiles and clothing from developing countries over a period of 10 years ending on 31st December 2004. Given the fact that India has substantially fulfilled her quota for the products coming under MFA, it may appear that the phasing out of these quotas would help in the expansion of exports. However, the impact of the phase out is likely to be a mixed bag. This is because with MFA phase out, Indian exporters would be competing directly with other exporters of textiles and garments such as China, Korea, Taiwan, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, Mexico, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, among others. Therefore, while ATC provides an opportunity to Indian exporters to expand their exports of textiles and garments by removing the quota restrictions, it also poses a challenge of increased international competition. Some of them will enjoy preferential access to the importing countries due to their least developed country (LDC) status such as Bangladesh. There are apprehensions on the full benefits of phase out being available to developing countries. As such the schedule of the phase-out has been back-loaded over a ten-year long phase-out period. The industrialized countries may use other protectionist measures such as anti-dumping to prevent market access after the phase-out of quotas. A large number of textiles and clothing products already face tariffs in the range of 15 to 30 per cent in the Quad countries (World Bank, 2000). Some attempts of restricting them with anti-dumping duties have already been made against these exports including those from India. Another factor that will affect the competitiveness of Indian exports of textiles and garments in the post-MFA regime is the availability of trade preferences to emerging competitors of India. For instance, Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Cyprus and Malta and Central and Eastern European countries enjoy free trade agreement with the European Union ahead of their full membership. The Caribbean countries enjoy a similar preferential access to the United States market under the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). Mexico enjoys a privileged access to the North American Market as a member of NAFTA. These trade preferences have already resulted into diversion of trade in textiles and clothing to these countries. For instance, Mexican exports of clothing to the United States have grown at the rate of 27 and 15 percent in 1998 and 1999, respectively with the growth rate of exports to Canada in these years being 30 percent and 26 percent, respectively. Similarly, exports of clothing from Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Turkey to the European Union in 1998 have grown at 26 percent, 14 percent, 11 percent, 23 percent and 11 percent, respectively (WTO, 2000). The ability of Indian exporters to take advantage of phase out the MFA quotas by 2004 will depend upon a number of factors such as their ability to enhance overall international competitiveness with productivity and efficiency improvements, quality control, ability to quickly come up with new designs, ability to respond to changes in consumer preferences rapidly and the ability to move up the value chain by building brand names and acquiring channels of distribution to more than outweigh the advantages of her competitors. The reservation of the garment industry for small-scale sector has affected capital investment, modernization and automation in the sector in the country. Although the small sector operation has imparted flexibility, it has prevented exploitation of economies of scale and scope by the Indian industry. The new Textiles Policy takes care of some of the concerns. It remains to be seen if the Indian industry will be able to exploit the opportunities provided by the incr eased market access with the MFA phase-out. 2. Agreement on Agriculture (AoA): The AoA proposes to liberalize the international trade in agriculture by restricting the agricultural subsidies provided by governments to the farmers, reduction in export subsidies in agriculture, removal of QRs and establishment of tariff rate quotas applicable to trade in agricultural commodities. In general India’s obligations under AoA are limited given the low level of agricultural subsidies compared to EU and the US. It is believed that implementation of the AoA commitments by industrialized countries will benefit countries like India in terms of market access for some agricultural commodities. However, the implementation of the commitments on the part of industrialized countries so far does not provide any room for optimism. The extent of subsidies given by industrialized countries have actually increased over the past few years as acknowledged by OECD reports. It is possible that in the coming years the provisions of the Agreement are implemented in the letter and spi rit. The likely effect of the full implementation on India’s trade is difficult to be speculated. However, one can have an idea about the likely scenario from efficiency indicators and incentive structure. Given lower than world prices of rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, chickpea and cotton in India, their exports may expand under the liberalised trade in agriculture. Hence the area under cultivation for these crops may increase since profitability and effective incentives will get tilted in favour of these crops. The same is true for pearl millet, pigeonpea and soyabean. However, production of oilseeds e.g. groundnut, rapeseed, mustard and sunflower, and pulses may be adversely affected in a free-trade scenario given the lower world prices. Thus, the import dependence in edible oils and pulses may increase. 3. Anti-dumping Regulations The Indian exports of a number of commodities have been subjected to anti-dumping regulations by some of our important trading partners such as the United States and the European Union. The onslaught of the anti-dumping measures on Indian exports is likely to increase in future with the growing competitiveness of Indian products. In order to minimize their disruptive effect of these regulations on Indias exports, the industry and government will have to strengthen the machinery to counter such actions (Panchamukhi, 2000). 1.2.4. Tariff Negotiations and New Trade Round Although the average tariff rates in the industrialized countries are low, they have high peak tariffs for certain products, some of which are of export interest to India such as textiles and garments, and agricultural commodities (see Table 3). Market access for these products could be facilitated by our ability to secure reduction in these tariffs in the industrialized countries through future tariff negotiations in the WTO framework. N.B. HS Chapters are given in parentheses. Source: RIS based on UNCTAD/WTO (2000) The Post-Uruguay Round Tariff Environment For Developing Country Exports: Tariff Peaks and Tariff Escalation, UNCTAD, Geneva (TD/B/COM.1/14/Rev.1; 28 January 2000) 1.2.5.Trade Preferences for the Least Developed Countries One emerging development in the WTO system has been the tendency to divide the developing countries with the offer of special trade preferences for the least developed countries. A sizeable proportion of Indias exports still comprise labour and resource intensive goods that are also exported by some of the least developed countries. If successful these preferences have the prospects of diverting trade from India to the least developed countries. The potential of these trade preferences for adversely affecting India’s exports needs to be kept in mind. 2. Chinas Accession to WTO One of the important events of the coming years for the world trade may be the entry of China into the WTO regime. China signed an agreement with the US for its entry into the WTO in November 1999. It has subsequently been negotiating such agreements with other WTO members. The accession of China to the WTO and hence the MFN status that it will receive from other WTO countries may have some implications for the competitiveness of Indias exports. This is because India and China compete in the international market for a number of labour intensive and matured technology goods such as textiles and garments, leather goods, light engineering products, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, among others. China has already been giving tough competition to Indian exports in many commodities and markets. There is a view that the accession to WTO may further strengthen China’s competitiveness and hence may affect the Indian exports adversely. There is another view that the accession of China to WTO would force it to follow WTO norms and procedures, etc. and will bring their trade policy under international surveillance. State subsidies will be regulated and hence it will make it more difficult for the Chinese exporters to dump their products in the world market. The exact impact of the accession of China to the WTO on the Indias export prospects will depend upon these counteracting effects. It is important to analyze the effects of Chinese accession to WTO on the competitiveness of Indian exports. 1.4. Preferential Trade Arrangements/Free Trade Arrangements in Rest of the World The last decade and a half has seen the proliferation of regional trading arrangements in different parts of the world. The major trading blocks that have emerged over the years include the European Union, NAFTA, Mercosur, AFTA, COMESA, among others. Besides, these free trade and common market agreements, a number of other countries have become integrated with the trading blocks through a variety of preferential or free trade arrangements. For instance, European Union has extended free trade agreement treatment to a number of Central Eastern European Union and Mediterranean countries in anticipation of full membership to these countries in the EU. These arrangements could also act to divert trade away from India especially in the labour intensive goods, as indicated earlier in the case of textiles and clothing. 1.5.Regional/Bilateral Free Trade Arrangements India has taken several steps to liberalize trade with her trading partners in the South Asia region on regional as well as bilateral basis. These steps include participation to SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangements (SAPTA) that came into being in December 1995. Under this Agreement, India has exchanged trade concessions with the SAARC member countries for nearly 3000 commodities in the first three rounds of negotiations. The fourth round of these negotiations is in the process. It is expected that the process of trade liberalization in the framework of SAARC will culminate into a South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), although, it may take some time to take shape given the current impasse in the SAARC process. Besides SAPTA, India has recently signed a bilateral free trade agreement with Sri Lanka. India already has bilateral free trade agreement with Nepal and Bhutan. A bilateral free trade agreement is being contemplated with Bangladesh as well. There are other attempts of regional/sub-regional economic integration which may also come into being in the coming decade, for instance, BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation) which has been formed recently may adopt a preferential trading arrangement between the member countries. Although India is also a founder member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), a preferential trading arrangement is not contemplated as the Association has adopted the concept of open regionalism on the lines of APEC. All these attempts at free trade with the regional partners may open the markets for Indian goods further in the countries concerned. It is evident that the share of South Asian countries in Indias exports has increased from 2.73 to 4.9 over the period 1990 to 1999. The recent initiatives in regional/ bilateral trade liberalization may help to divert some trade of the countries concerned from their other trading partners in favour of India given the supply capabilities. 2. Factors Affecting the Supply of Exports It is widely believed that the major factors constraining India’s exports lie not in the lack of demand but more in the supply side constraints. Most of the supply side factors need to be addressed as a part of the policy towards trade. Some of the factors that constrain the volume and composition of Indias exports are as follows: 1. Infrastructural Bottlenecks It is widely accepted that Indias export potential remains considerably unfulfilled because of infrastructure bottlenecks such as power shortages, port handling facilities, delays in transportation which in turn are due to poor transport links within the country and poor communication facilities. The inability of Indian exporters in meeting supply schedules costs dearly in terms of image of India as a reliable source of supply. Not only that the availability of the infrastructure services is inadequate but the efficiency and quality of the delivery of what is available is highly uneven. The ability of the government in removing these constraints in the coming years will also determine the supply side of Indian exports. 2. Growth of Domestic Demand A rapid growth of domestic demand may also affect Indias ability to export at least in certain products, for instance, in tea where the rapid growth of domestic demand is expected to reduce the export surplus in the coming years. It may also apply to a number of other agricultural commodities such as rice, cotton, among others. 2.3 Inflows of Export-oriented Foreign Direct Investment Multinational enterprises (MNEs) have played an important role in the rapid growth of manufactured exports from the East and South-East Asian countries. This is because the South East and East Asian countries were able to attract export platform investments from US and Japanese MNEs in the 1970s and 1980s. The export platform or export-oriented investment arises in the process of relocation of production by MNEs abroad in order to maintain their international competitiveness in the face of rising wages and other costs in their home countries. In Malaysia and Indonesia, for instance, 70 percent of the projects involving FDI have been export-oriented. In China, the share of foreign owned firms in exports has risen from 5 percent in 1988 to 40 percent by 1997. In contrast, the share of foreign affiliates in Indias exports is marginal at 5 to 7 percent (Kumar and Siddharthan, 1997, for a review of evidence from different countries). Therefore, India has not been able to exploit the potential of MNEs for export-oriented production. MNEs can play an important role in promotion of Indias manufacture exports with relocation of export platform production in the country with their access to global marketing networks, best practice technology and organizational know-how. To some extent, therefore, Indias ability to attract export-oriented FDI will determine the magnitude of Indias exports in 2020. The studies have shown that export-oriented FDI inflows are of special type and are determined by different factors than other types of FDI (Kumar, 1994). The studies also find differences in the nature and determinants of export platform investments that are geared to MNEs home markets and those targeting the third countries (Kumar, 1998). India may make an effort to target the export platform investments of both types by sharpening her bundle of resource endowments and created assets in the light of determinants identified by these studies. 5. Technological Upgrading and Movement along with the Value Chain The Indian export structure has been highly dominated by simple and un-differentiated products where the main competitive advantage lies in cheap labour, low levels of skills and simple technologies compared to that of China and South East Asian countries except for recent growth of pharmaceuticals and software services (Lall, 1999). Not only these products are slow moving, the export structure is highly vulnerable to competition. Indias competitiveness has also been adversely affected by the failure to diversify the commodity composition of our exports. In fact the commodity concentration of Indias exports has increased with a 9 percent rise in the share of top six groups of exports in total and exports between 1987-1988 to 1998-99 (Kumar, 2000a). In comparison to India, Southeast and East Asian countries have rapidly diversified their export structure in favour of technologically advanced goods. For instance, share of technologically advanced goods (differentiated and science based goods) in India’s manufactured exports rose marginally to about 8 per cent by the mid-1990s over 5.6 per cent in the mid-1970s; in China, this proportion increased from 8.8 per cent to 23 per cent over the 1987-95 period, and for Malaysia from 12 per cent to 57 per cent over the 1980 to 1995 (Pigato et al. 1997). The markets for low technology undifferentiated goods are highly price competitive and margins are kept under pressure by constant competition by entry of new low wage countries.

The Sleeper Curve Technology And The Media Media Essay

The Sleeper Curve Technology And The Media Media Essay Johnson notes that the sleeper curve is a comparison between the level of I.Q and other neurological capabilities in relation to the changing technology aimed at showing how the modern forms of technology and the media are responsible for sharpening our minds (Johnson, page 34). Contrary to most peoples expectations that TV and video games play a role in sharpening our minds, Johnson proves that the complexity of the TV shows aired and video games that are played have a fundamental role in sharpening our minds and making us more attentive. He notes that the attributes derived from playing games and watching television make us more perceptive and train our brains to things in a sound manner. He states that This growing complexity involves three primary elements: multiple threading, flashing arrows and social networks. (Jazz Corner 2005 and The New York Time, 2005). This way, our IQ levels are increased and our brains become more sharpened. He therefore advocates for young people to co ntinue playing video games and watching modern TV shows. He goes on the further state that, The quickest way to appreciate the Sleeper Curves cognitive training is to sit down and watch a few hours of hit programming from the late 70s on Nick at Nite or the SOAPnet channel or on DVD. (Jazz Corner 2005 and The New York Time, 2005). According to Johnson, a sleeper curve can be explained in three different models or levels which are the common driving forces in the sleeper curve. These driving forces include economic factors, neurological factors, and technological factors. The economic factors driving the sleeper curve include the changes that have been effected in the industry to suit the needs of the viewer while at the same time satisfying the financial needs of those in the show business industry. Changes have been cited in the television industry in recent times most of which have been due to changing consumer preferences. This has been done through the introduction of TV series aimed at meeting the viewers needs. For instance, there has been an increase in the story line complexity and television shows that aired 20 years ago re now being regarded as primitive by the viewers. This explains why older shows like the Dragnet cannot match up to most modern shows being produced such as the Sopranos. This has e nsured that people adopt the concept of Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), in an attempt to understand peoples emotional intelligence through reading their minds (Johnson, p.98). For instance, the producers and media people have to read the viewers emotional cues, anticipate their inner feelings and thoughts (Johnson p.98,99). Likewise, when watching television with friends or families, one also has to read their minds; what they anticipate and feel about the program. Therefore, television provides a medium where one can assess peoples emotional intelligence (Johnson, p.99). Technology is a major factor that helps in the understanding of the sleeper curve. The ever changing technology is responsible for the sleeper curve. The technology that is used today cannot be compared to the technology that was used 20 years ago. Everything has changed. First there was the adoption of VCRs, and then came the introduction of CDs and DVDs. This also ranges from the video games that kids play to the TV shows being aired. For instance, the type of video games that were being played 20 years ago ( ie Pong or Duck Hunt), cannot be compared to the ones being played today ( ie Call of Duty or Halo). Most of the games played then just required minimal skills which ranged form motor coordination to pattern formation and understanding. The video games that are played today are very advanced as compared to those that were played back in the early 1970s. Modern video games create a whole new virtual world. For instance, digitalization has been on the rise in the show business. This is usually present in the TV and video games. For instance, Sleeper, the 1973 science fiction explains the incompatibility between the scientists in 2173 and the 21st century generation. The film is against the current generation trying to impose scientific and technological advancement used in cloning. However, current series such as Greys Anatomy embraces technology and scientific advancement by hypothesizing the probability of cloning in the near future. Therefore, the TV and video games pertaining technology helps compare cultures and the superiority of the current intellectual riches. The neurological aspect of the brain is an important factor to look at when dealing with the sleeper curve. The way we think and look at things today is not the same way people looked and thought of things 20 years ago. Today, education does not take place in class alone. There are numerous activities in living rooms and basements which help kids to become smarter today. The mindset of children today cannot be compared to the children in 1970 or 1980. Today, children get introduced to very complex aspects of technology at very young ages. This facilitates adoption of the current trends of technology at the tender ages. The change in the neurological setting is what facilitates an overall need in the change of how technology evolves and our reaction to the different aspects of technology. Viewers have a need to maintain their connection between the virtual world physics and their brain chemistry, therefore, they are attracted to systems that explore the environment and have clearly de fined rewards in spite of them probably having the virtual characters. This explains why the people who are above the age of twenty are not attracted to the rescue princess like games or videos like Nintendo or Zelda. The more grown up video games such as Halo or Call of Duty and the The Sopranos are what they are watching or playing. Additionally, people love mind bending files like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Momento and Pulp Fiction which help them develop neurologically. For instance, Momento uses a reverse chronological order whereby the audience is barely aware of the events preceding in attempt to confuse them. As the film ends, both narratives converge and one understands that the investigation taking place resulted to someone death. Watching the television shows provides a platform for improving our neurological development. Consequences The sleeper curve undermines the long headed belief that pop culture is on a race to the bottom, where the cheapest thrill wins out every time. Johnson quickly states that the sleeper curve has not yet become more superior than the traditional culture. It undermines the premise that mass culture pales in comparison to High Art in its aesthetic and intellectual riches. However, to me his argument is invalid. The sleeper curve has greatly impacted the popular culture generation in the way they live and has therefore become more dominant than the traditional culture. In comparison to the older generations, the impacts of video games, TV shows, and technology are greatly felt in the society today. This has changed the American cultural values and the pop culture which was disregarded is now being embraced in a different style and people view it from a different perspective. Earlier on, people detested videos with extreme violence which are now embraced and used to make kids sharpen brain s. They improve the level of perception and increase the analysis speed of viewers. The TV shows and video games are actually making people smarter as opposed to the belief that nothing good can come out of TV shows and video games. The videos and TV shows are now incorporated in education and children are able to grasp more within a limited span of time. Children can now cope with school subjects like mathematics by using video games like Dungeon and Dragons that help kids to increase their calculation capabilities. Additionally, embracing the current trends in technology increases important learning skills such as reading speed and accuracy. Modern TV shows have subtitles that allow viewers to quickly read through and grasp the concept of the TV shows. This way, viewers can master how to read through these subtitles and lines with ease and use the same strategy when studying large volumes of books or numerous readings. The video games that were present 20 years ago are not the same as those which are played today. Games like Pac-Man and Tetris which were very popular back in the 1980s and 1990s are not as challenging as the video games today. Take for instance, a game like Grand Theft Auto 3 which requires mor e than just pattern recognition and motor coordination. Modern games are designed not only to create a challenge for the players, but also to sharpen the skills of the players. Modern games are created to bring into existence an imaginary world which has a lot of details and is very competitive in nature. Importance of understanding the Sleeper Curve It is very important to understand the sleeper curve because of the impact it has on our daily activities. Everyone is affected by the sleeper curve either directly or indirectly. The sleeper curve also affects the way we interact with the environment in general. Understanding how the sleeper curve operates is an important thing to put into consideration. If we are able to understand the changes brought about by the sleeper curve and the resulting effects, we can understand these changes and how vital these changes are as it helps one to come to terms with and evaluate the sleeper curve. This is because video games and TV shows have a great influence in our lives today. If video games and TV shows make kids smarter, then they should be looked into deeply. Anything that affects the social, cultural, and educational aspects of children should probably be looked at very closely. The advantages accrued to the sleeper curve outweigh the negative effects and therefore, people should embrace modern forms of technology particularly the video games and modern TV shows. As we have seen, video games and modern TV shows are major contributors in our cognitive thinking and which increase our IQ. Children who play video games and watch modern TV shows are generally smarter and their smartness is explicitly shown in the educational field. Children learn how to grasp so much in such a small amount of time which also teaches them how to find their way out of difficult situations. People should therefore engage in, embrace video games and television shows to actually see the quickest way to appreciate the sleeper curves cognitive training (Jazz Corner 2005 and The New York Times 2005).

A Study On Immigration Case Study Social Policy Essay

A Study On Immigration Case Study Social Policy Essay Using the very large variation in the inflow of immigration across the states of US and other countries states we examine the force of immigration employment, average working hours, money growth and one most important, the total factors efficiency. At the same time we find striking proof that the total factors of increased productivity. These are some of the very robust reasons of controlling for many other determinants of efficiency that may vary with topography such as RD expenditure, computer implementation, international rivalry in the form of sectors composition and exports. Thus many results suggest that immigration promotes efficiency task specialization and at the same time promotes the adaption of amateurish-based technology as the technological change would forecast. (Peri, November 2009) In what ways can immigration help economy? Immigration does not spoil the Economy nor does any Government lose their money because of immigrants. After all the people of the country makes more money. The common idea that money passes from government to company to clients and back again, if a minor amount of money is moved from manufactures to clients then at the same time a larger amount of money is retained. Immigrants, if accepted as general public, are entitled to benefits. Thus these people are draining over 2 billion dollars from benefits each year. However, once these people get familiar to our ways of living, then they can become very helpful members of society. A basic reality about our economy is that as long as we infuse more supplies and services than we have, the more number of jobs which is nearly limitless. In reality, when the number of workers increases, the more the number of jobs we create. Thus the total number of services and the mass of the labor power has been tracked each other then reasonably closely for 50 years despite dramatic changes in immigration flows. Its a recognized fact that many of the jobs that immigrants are taking are that jobs that Americans are not taking. But we check immigrants from taking these vacant jobs, American producers and clients suffer the cost. (Powell, Friday, January 13, 2006) Do you think economies should welcome immigration? Yes definitely the economies should welcome immigration. An instance is the recent policies adopted by countries like Spain. Suppose that if a western nation were to loosen its borders, thus leading to an overflow of immigrants into that nation, the predicted outcome would be unemployment, rise in crime, social unrest, but Spain Disagrees on these predictions. Over a period of the last ten years, Spain has taken in millions of immigrants from diverse backgrounds, but still it has emerged as the best economy in Europe. The growth average has been 3.2% since the last half decade. Spain is responsible for the creation of 50% of the new jobs in the Euro zone and even unemployment has fallen down. All these factors have been credited to immigration. Immigrants start out by taking the jobs that are unwanted by the local population. The taxes that they pay contribute for more than the public amenities they use. Not only Spain, many other countries have adopted a pro-immigration stand and the success they have achieved is a testimony to the fact that economies should welcome immigration. Immigration also leads to intermixing of societies, thus providing a gateway to the concept of â€Å"ONE WORLD†. (spain:immigrants Welcome, 2007) References Giovanni Peri. (2009). Theeffect of Immigration on productivity: Evidence from US States. NBER Working Paper(15507) Benjamin Powell. (2006).Get this straight: Immigration helps economy. Retrieved March 13, 2010. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2006/01/16/editorial3.html Carol Matlack, Joan Tarzian. (2002). Spain: Immigrants Welcome Retrieved March 13, 2010.http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_21/b4035066.htm

the earths wind :: essays research papers

Extras Meteors A brilliant meteor, called a fireball, may weigh many kilograms, but even a meteor weighing less than a gram can produce a beautiful trail. Some of these visitors from space are large enough to survive (at least partially) their trip through the atmosphere and impact the ground as meteorites. Fireballs are sometimes followed by trails of light that persist for up to 30 minutes; some, called bolides, explode with a loud thunderous sound. Meteoroids The term meteor comes from the Greek meteoron, meaning phenomenon in the sky. It is used to describe the streak of light produced as matter in the solar system falls into Earth's atmosphere creating temporary incandescence resulting from atmospheric friction. This typically occurs at heights of 80 to 110 kilometers (50 to 68 miles) above Earth's surface. The term is also used loosely with the word meteoroid referring to the particle itself without relation to the phenomena it produces when entering the Earth's atmosphere. A meteoroid is matter revolving around the sun or any object in interplanetary space that is too small to be called an asteroid or a comet. Even smaller particles are called micrometeoroids or cosmic dust grains, which includes any interstellar material that should happen to enter our solar system. A meteorite is a meteoroid that reaches the surface of the Earth without being completely vaporized. Meteorites Meteorites have proven difficult to classify, but the three broadest groupings are stony, stony iron, and iron. The most common meteorites are chondrites, which are stony meteorites. Radiometric dating of chondrites has placed them at the age of 4.55 billion years, which is the approximate age of the solar system. They are considered pristine samples of early solar system matter, although in many cases their properties have been modified by thermal metamorphism or icy alteration. Comets Now we know that comets are lumps of ice and dust that periodically come into the center of the solar system from somewhere in its outer reaches, and that some comets make repeated trips. When comets get close enough to the Sun, heat makes them start to evaporate. Jets of gas and dust form long tails that we can see from Earth. These tails can sometimes be millions of miles long. In 1985-1986, a spacecraft called Giotto visited the most famous comet, Halley, on Halley's most recent visit to the inner solar system.

Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin Essay -- Sonnys Blues James Baldwin

Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin "Sonny's Blues" is a story about two brothers, their past, and how their differences came between them. They were apart for several years while Sonny was in jail, but once he got out they had a chance to mend their pasts. "Sonny's Blues" is a well written story that teaches a lesson that has value in every day life. The tone is melancholy and reminiscent. The brother is remembering the past and reflection on the mistakes he and Sonny made. He is sad over their fallout, Sonny's trouble with drugs, and the death of his daughter. He regrets that he wasn't able to keep Sonny out of trouble like he promised his mother he would do, as she had done with their father. The point of view is first person selective, told from the perspective of the brother. He g...

Key Points presented by Philosophers in the 17th Century

IntroductionREALLY, should it not be the purpose of a government to work for the benefit of its subjects? The well-known American George Washington said that â€Å"the happiness of society,† that is, of the people, â€Å"is, or ought to be, the end [the objective] of all government.† Over the centuries, humankind has lived under hundreds of governments. None have truly satisfied the needs of all the people.Whatever the complaints made, however, the fact remains that some sort of government is clearly better than no government at all. Without government there would be no order; it would be no less than mob rule. And if you have ever seen a mob in action you know what that would mean—for in a mob people take the opportunity to vent hatred, greed and viciousness, feeling that no one will identify them for punishment.However, despite of all the disappointments brought about by the human government to the society through the threads of history, philosophers from the o lden times up until the present era still believes that the human society could not exist in an organized manner without the existence of a concrete government in authority.  In this regard, it is thus essential for the present generation to know the vitality of the philosophies presented by the 17th up until the 21st century philosophers and how much important they are with regards to the political systems existing in the human society todayAmong the well-known philosophers to be discussed herein are Rene Descartes, Karl Marx, Thomas Hobbes Leviathan, John Locke, Voltaire Candide, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Montesquieu. These philosophers are most likely agreeing on one theme with regards to their belief of the present situation of the human society and tits need of having a government to rule over its concerns. In this regard, an analysis would be very beneficial to understand the theories and philosophies formulated by the people mentioned above.The PhilosophiesRene Descartes b elieves that in many ways, the human society is in dire need of a government to rule over its activities. According to him, it is indeed naturally innate in humans that they are able to solve and face the challenges they are supposed to meet everyday. The fact that they are capable of speculating on the things that might happen through simple application of theories, humans are indeed capable of solving social issues they face. However, it is also evident in his philosophy that to be able to create the necessary solutions for certain problems, it is important for humans to attain guidance from a higher sort of authority. This is where a government enters the scenario, which is ought to give guidance to the society on how they are supposed to deal with the numerous problems that occur in the society every now and then.Karl Marx on the other end refers to governments as a source of social strength. In his philosophy on the communist manifesto, he states that the idea of communism to  produce socialism is an important factor in helping the human society to progress through their works. According to him, the factual effect of communism to many countries using the said type of government as a means of ruling the territories they organize. It is through this way of governance that the authorities are able to favor the abilities placed by the workers in contributing to the economy of the entire country.Still regarding politics, Thomas Hobbes Leviathan states in his philosophy that men, when left alone are naturally lovers of violence. They are naturally involved in fights and chaos. However, an existing government designed to help the human generations deal with the conflicts they have against each other, then such conflicts are possible of being solved. The laws prepared and implicated by the human governments help so much in making it possible for the human society to be well organized thus giving humans the chance to control their emotions and reactions towards several conflicts that they are involved with.John Locke on the other hand agrees with the idea of Thomas Hobbes. He believes that through the existence of empiricism, the human civilization would become more organized. He states in his philosophy that the main goal of every government is to establish a certain level of organization within the human society. Aside from this, it is indeed beneficial that the governments help the society to learn the needs and the essential factors contributed by law to the lives of the population of people making up the society. With this, cooperation between each subject within the territories ruled by the government could be established well.John Locke further adds that in many ways, a human government is able to emphasize the need for each person to pursue what they believe is true. Certainly, through the existence of ‘tabula rasa’, which refers to the natural rights of humans, the governments are able to deal with the problems caused by the social conflicts in a better and organized manner.Voltaire Candide meanwhile talks about the utopia of the human generation. According to him, the regular exercise of humans of their right to speak of their minds helps in making a better government. The ability of humans to speak out their minds and the rights that are connected with it constantly helps in making more reliable and practical laws and regulations for the society. Certainly, the constant practice of this right is believed by Candide to be a key source to social development.Jean Jacques Rousseau of the philosophy on Social Contract on the other hand makes a clear point in stating that humans are naturally good, however, because of the government and the environment around them, they become rude and are influenced to do otherwise than what is accepted good. To him, government is a factor of the society that must be constantly controlled by the people since the people placed the government in authority. To him, th e exercise of democracy is the key factor to social success.Regarding the existence of a democratic government, Montesquieu agrees that the present systems used by the European governments, having been able to divide the rulership or authoritative power into three major sectors is among the most progressive  innovation there ever was in the human government. In this regard, it is thus expected to be effective enough in leading the human civilization to a progressive future.ConclusionA peaceful, prosperous and happy world that is what people everywhere long for. Not just humility, but reality and honesty oblige us to admit that it is because all men are imperfect that they are not capable of dealing with the necessary needs of having a true reliable government. The fault lies, not just with those who rule, but also with those who are ruled. True, Instant communication and fast transportation have â€Å"shrunk† the size of the world, so that there is an interlocking of intere sts, and no nation can be an isolated, totally independent unit. What happens in one place affects people everywhere else.Governments can make some minor moves to adjust matters and make conditions a little better for the people. However, such help proves to be only superficial and temporary. As the philosophers discussed in this paper states, the existence of a fine government lies upon the capability of the people to cooperate and be in submission to the laws created by the authorities to attain a social Utopia.BIBLIOGRAPHYSteven M. Cahn. (1998). Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy.Oxford University Press, USA.

5 Year High School

Daniel Kim 12-5-11 Honors English, period 5 High school essay Educators have been recently debating whether or not to extend the four years of high school to five years. They have argued that students need the extra year to have more time to achieve all that is expected of them. Yet, others have argued that the percentage of high school dropouts would increase, because the students would lose interest in their education, and will eventually drop out of high school. Considering all the pros and cons, such as economics, student voice, and curricular plan, sustaining the school year duration of four years would be the most sufficient choice. High schools do have a limited amount of money that is accessible to them. Most schools already struggle to keep the required four years of education in their system. Adding another year would devastate many schools in the United States of America. High schools would have to make major decisions to cut funds in categories such as sports, materials, and hours in a school day. Not to mention that having another whole class of roughly 300 students would require more staff, consequently costing the district more money. Students should have a part in making the decision to either keep the current four-year curriculum, or to extend it to five years. If school boards do decide to extend the duration of high schools without the opinions of high school students themselves, students surely would not just sit quietly about the decision. Four years is plenty of time to achieve what students need to learn in high school. Instead of looking at the decision to increase the duration of high school, educators should be looking at how to increase the efficiency of education throughout the four years of high school. Although adding a whole year of high school would allow teachers more room to teach what they are required to teach, it can also disrupt the smooth flow of education that is being handed to us already. Students who already entered college would be behind a year of education. Educators argued that colleges would like to see high school students develop more in a longer period of time, but having five years of high school would shorten the numbers of students in each class, and when it comes to their senior year, the population would be extremely low. Reviewing the cons of adding another school year to high school, it is clear that educators should not intervene with the current four-year duration of high school. Educators must look at this decision in different perspectives, such as the views of students, because this decision could result in one of the biggest mistakes in education.