Federal Reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Federal Reserve - Essay Example The article argues that even as the Federal Reserve has been in existence since 1913, it wasnt until the 1970s that it assumed as great a control of the American financial system as it has today. The Federal Reserve was created in 1913 by Woodrow Wilson. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries credit was controlled entirely by private banks. Farmers in the mid-western regions grew increasingly upset by this fact, as they complained that oftentimes the banks would alter their credit options at times when the farmers were vulnerable. The Federal Reserve was created as a compromise, with the banks still controlling credit, but the government determining the supply of funds. While the intervening years have seen significant reforms in the way the Federal Reserve operates, its underlining function has remained the same. Private banks are able to borrow from the reserve at a discounted rate, they then loan this money to borrowers at the federal funds rate, or interest rate. As the Federal Reserve raises rates, so must the banks raise the rates of loans. This system is designed to ensure fair and equitable lending throughout the country. The current chairman of the Federal Reserv e, who was recently reappointed in January of 2010, and Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker preceded him.(Johnson, Web) When the recession hit the Federal Reserve began the process of lowering interests rates to increase consumer spending. At this point, the Fed has virtually lowered the interest rate to 0%. In addition to lowering the interest rate the Fed has engaged in a number of unorthodox methods in an effort to revive the sputtering economy. â€Å"Those techniques include buying vast amounts of longer-term Treasury bonds, mortgage-backed securities issued by government-sponsored companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and commercial debt issued by private companies and consumer lenders.† (NY Times, Web) In addition to these techniques, the reserve helped in JPMorgans merger with Bear

Mental Health Promotion Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mental Health Promotion Project - Essay Example This definition does not focus on the mere absence of illness or disease; but also on the presence of wellness on multiple factors. This concept is in opposition to the way in which many clinicians view the concept of health. Often the emphasis is on the absence of symptoms of illness; and medical professionals forget to attend to the presence of wellness. While this may or may not be as significant with illnesses of a purely physical nature; such a narrow perspective may not be adequate when dealing with problems that affect mental health. While House (2002) and Seeker (2005) claim that focusing on the symptoms and pathology helps keep a focus on resolution of symptoms and encourages a curer's approach; it needs to be mentioned that a person who is diagnosed and receiving help may be feeling better in part due to the fact that he or she is experiencing being cared for as against someone who is not receiving care. Squire (2002) has noted that someone who does not share the competenci es with the rest of the population could be termed as unhealthy; something that is rather unfair. A better definition is that of the Health Education Authority (HEA) (1997) which includes emotional and spiritual resilience. This is the factor that allows one to enjoy the experience of life and cope with pain (Squire, 2002; Jeanette, 2009). We may say that the WHO (2004) definition that mental health is a state of wellbeing is a more positive definition that focuses on the ability to cope with normal stressors and the ability to work in a fruitful and productive manner and to contribute to the society around them. Promoting Mental Health. Barry and Jenkins (2007) have found that a focus of developing mental health has helped in reducing the number of people diagnosed with mental disorders. It also has the positive impact of increasing the number who recover (Friedli, 2009). Promoting mental health can thus be defined as â€Å"Any action to enhance the mental well-being of individual s, families, organizations or communities (DH 2001).† The national service framework of 1999 has established certain standards of care that are designed to enhance the recovery experience of patients. Over time, the focus has been on not only reducing the extent and number of symptoms seen; but also on the growth of a wellness principle. This principle is one that guides the treatment and carer actions such that the emphasis is on overall recovery and health. Most policies for health care are aimed at the working population. This has many reasons; from the density of this population; to the contribution they make towards the running of the significant services, including the health services. The working population is also the population which contains the parents of minors – a population whose overall wellbeing is to some extent contingent on the wellbeing of the adults who influence their lives. Any country functions best when its working population is well and functio nal in that they participate in meaningful activities and have healthy relationships with people and elements of their lives. The ‘Quality Framework for mental health promotion (Health Education Authority, 1997) was put in place in order to ensure that mental health promotion projects are effectively planned, consistently delivered and properly evaluated. This

United Nations and International Peace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United Nations and International Peace - Essay Example International peace is a prerequisite to any country's progress and prosperity that determines the country's development both in terms of social and economic aspects. For decades, terrorism has been a nightmare for countries, which will collapse the economic and social set up of a country and hurdle its economic growth and development. At this juncture, the present essay is relevant as it deals with the role of United Nation's role in preserving and encouraging peace among the member countries. The essay further examines the role of the UN in monitoring and maintaining peace across the world as an international agency in the context of its powers. The essay takes a critical approach to the success and failure of UN in international peace with real examples such as Rwanda, Iraq and Kosovo. The essay is concluded with a short debate on the present role and significance of the UN to contribute to international peace. United Nations came into existence on 24 October in 1945by virtue of the Charter ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of other signatories. "The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945. The Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the Charter" (Introductory Note). The day October 24 is celebrated each year all over the world as UN Day. The basic idea behind setting up of such an organization is to work for peace and development by bringing all countries together in harmony. According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes: to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights; and to be a centre for harmonizing the a ctions of nations (Article 1). As regards the membership is concerned, the Charter states that "membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states which accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations" (Article 4). The top most official of the UN is the Secretary General and Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea, the eighth Secretary-General, holds the position at present. The operations of the UN are regulated by different departments. A brief account of the structure of UN in general is outlined below: The General Assembly The Security Council The Economic and Social Council The Trusteeship Council The International Court of Justice The Secretariat The UN System The Role and Powers of UN in International Peace One of the main areas of concern of the UN is the preservation of world peace. International peace and harmony have been in the agenda f the UN since its inception. By signing the Charter, member states/countries undertake to take efforts to avoid crisis situations between countries and tackling of disputes by peaceful means. Since it inception, the UN has been playing a major role in helping defuse and eliminate international crisis and in resolving protracted conflicts. In its efforts to harmonize the member countries, the UN has experienced both successful and disappointing outcomes. Over the years UN efforts

Federal Reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Federal Reserve - Essay Example The article argues that even as the Federal Reserve has been in existence since 1913, it wasnt until the 1970s that it assumed as great a control of the American financial system as it has today. The Federal Reserve was created in 1913 by Woodrow Wilson. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries credit was controlled entirely by private banks. Farmers in the mid-western regions grew increasingly upset by this fact, as they complained that oftentimes the banks would alter their credit options at times when the farmers were vulnerable. The Federal Reserve was created as a compromise, with the banks still controlling credit, but the government determining the supply of funds. While the intervening years have seen significant reforms in the way the Federal Reserve operates, its underlining function has remained the same. Private banks are able to borrow from the reserve at a discounted rate, they then loan this money to borrowers at the federal funds rate, or interest rate. As the Federal Reserve raises rates, so must the banks raise the rates of loans. This system is designed to ensure fair and equitable lending throughout the country. The current chairman of the Federal Reserv e, who was recently reappointed in January of 2010, and Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker preceded him.(Johnson, Web) When the recession hit the Federal Reserve began the process of lowering interests rates to increase consumer spending. At this point, the Fed has virtually lowered the interest rate to 0%. In addition to lowering the interest rate the Fed has engaged in a number of unorthodox methods in an effort to revive the sputtering economy. â€Å"Those techniques include buying vast amounts of longer-term Treasury bonds, mortgage-backed securities issued by government-sponsored companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and commercial debt issued by private companies and consumer lenders.† (NY Times, Web) In addition to these techniques, the reserve helped in JPMorgans merger with Bear

United Nations and International Peace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United Nations and International Peace - Essay Example International peace is a prerequisite to any country's progress and prosperity that determines the country's development both in terms of social and economic aspects. For decades, terrorism has been a nightmare for countries, which will collapse the economic and social set up of a country and hurdle its economic growth and development. At this juncture, the present essay is relevant as it deals with the role of United Nation's role in preserving and encouraging peace among the member countries. The essay further examines the role of the UN in monitoring and maintaining peace across the world as an international agency in the context of its powers. The essay takes a critical approach to the success and failure of UN in international peace with real examples such as Rwanda, Iraq and Kosovo. The essay is concluded with a short debate on the present role and significance of the UN to contribute to international peace. United Nations came into existence on 24 October in 1945by virtue of the Charter ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of other signatories. "The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945. The Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the Charter" (Introductory Note). The day October 24 is celebrated each year all over the world as UN Day. The basic idea behind setting up of such an organization is to work for peace and development by bringing all countries together in harmony. According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes: to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights; and to be a centre for harmonizing the a ctions of nations (Article 1). As regards the membership is concerned, the Charter states that "membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states which accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations" (Article 4). The top most official of the UN is the Secretary General and Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea, the eighth Secretary-General, holds the position at present. The operations of the UN are regulated by different departments. A brief account of the structure of UN in general is outlined below: The General Assembly The Security Council The Economic and Social Council The Trusteeship Council The International Court of Justice The Secretariat The UN System The Role and Powers of UN in International Peace One of the main areas of concern of the UN is the preservation of world peace. International peace and harmony have been in the agenda f the UN since its inception. By signing the Charter, member states/countries undertake to take efforts to avoid crisis situations between countries and tackling of disputes by peaceful means. Since it inception, the UN has been playing a major role in helping defuse and eliminate international crisis and in resolving protracted conflicts. In its efforts to harmonize the member countries, the UN has experienced both successful and disappointing outcomes. Over the years UN efforts

Intercultural Relations Essay Example for Free

Intercultural Relations Essay Question: There is no need to study intercultural relation. Discuss Communication occurs between individuals who have varying degree of intimacy within each other. Intercultural relations capability is the degree to which people effectively adapt his/her nonverbal and verbal messages to the appropriate cultural context (Kiss 2008). Intercultural relations can be taken place when individuals influenced by different cultural societies exchange shared meanings in communication. Yet, intercultural relations can be formed of different nationalities, different ethnic and even different religion, as well as communication among individuals of different sexual orientation. However, communicating and exchanging values within different culture of individuals is complex as communication process is apparently complicated involving cognitive process, cultural background, individual’s linguistic capability and even biological process. Stienfatt and Roger 1999, claims that one of the most illuminating aspects of intercultural communication is that it opens our minds to the interplay of varied influenced. The world these days is facing great challenges of an increasingly diverse in cultures. Interaction and exchanging values between individuals from different cultures can lead to a whole host of benefits, for instance establishing good relationships within society and healthier communities. Yet, culture allows individuals to connect in small communities to larger communities through exchanged experiences and values (Lull 1995). Intercultural relations assist students step back from their characteristic point of view of seeing the world and demonstrates the influences that have constructed the ways of viewing this world. Cited in Stienfatt and Roger 1999, Gitlin 1995 indicated the concept of people thinking that human think within the intellectual and cultural currents that surround them. Back into the last decade, invasion; colonialization; and warfare brought individuals among countries with divergent cultures into face-to-face contact. An improvement of technologies in communication and rapidly evolving the transportation has changed the way individuals interact and communicate with each other in terms of intercultural relations and communication. However, people from different cultures are usually representative of divergent norms and psychological elements. The crusade explored that communication through various cultures occurred among individuals by human nature. Jerusalem is one of great examples cities in Middle East where people in different cultures and religions; Muslims; Christian; and Jews living together in relative peacefulness and harmoniousness. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Jerusalem indicated that communication effectiveness among divergent cultures and religions are not relying on the study of intercultural relations. Nevertheless, cited in Yinyan 2013, Y. Y. Kim (1988) argued that person who wishes to accomplish an effective intercultural interaction in terms of intercultural relations must be equipped with skills and abilities to be capable and deal with dynamics of cultural diversity. Yet, cite in Sydney morning herald article, Munro (2009) had explored the experiences of an Australian diplomat who worked in Jakarta decided to resign from her workplace due to the strict rules of international diplomacy. The purpose of this essay is demonstrated the necessity of intercultural relations for human being and discuss the terms of intercultural. People are socialized in their own culture and also different in cultures are different norms. An effectiveness communication in intercultural relations can occur by human being in every generation as indicated in our predecessors in Crusades which is people should be culturally sensitive.

The Effects Of Social Exclusion

The Effects Of Social Exclusion The Concept of Social exclusion tends to focus on those who experience exclusion and diverts attention from the persistent poverty and increasing inequality which characterize contemporary British society. In order to understand the affect of the concept of social exclusion in relations to persistent poverty and equality we need to first answer 1) what does the concept of social exclusion denote? 2) Does the process of overcoming social exclusion take into account dealing with persistence poverty and inequality or does it overlook these aspects in particular persistent poverty and inequality of children in the context of the contemporary British society? Below, section 1 will outline the provenance of the social exclusion concept, its relations to persistent poverty and inequality in the contemporary British Society particularly children, section 2 outlines the status of children in persistent poverty and equality in the British society. The concept of Social Exclusion and in its relations to persistent poverty and inequality Social exclusion can be referred to industrialized countries (notably France in the 1970) and can be taken back to Weber, who identified exclusion as one form of social closure (Parkin 1979) It has been defined as the process through which individuals or groups are wholly or partially excluded from the society in which they live. Similar but in different light (Jordan 1996) highlights the continuous exclusion of one group by another group. The term social exclusion where it is believed France it was used to identify those who fell through the web of the social protection/social insurance system and were excluded by the state (Lenoir 1974, Duffy 1997) known as (Le exclus the excluded) in the 1970 included disabled persons, lone parent and the unemployed especially young adults (Evans 1998). Social exclusion is described as a shorthand label for what can happen when individuals or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor h ousing, high crime environment, bad health and family breakdowns (SEU 1997) Also Duffy (1995) suggests that it is the inability to participate effectively in economic, Social, political and cultural life, alienation and distance from the mainstream society, this in a way clarifies the link between persistent poverty and inequality in the society and in particularly the unemployed are both poor and not in the same stature as others in the society and thus placing them in the process/institutions put in place to overcome these problems and help these individuals live within a society even though not equal creates a persistent poverty for the children that rely on the adults benefiting from these processes. At the same time the process or institutions put in place to overcome these social exclusions are not specifically designed to overcome persistent poverty or inequality. Child Poverty and Inequality in the contemporary British society Persistent poverty is defined as occurring when children experienced poverty (severe or non severe) in three out of five years for which they were analyzed i Children experiencing poverty were all more likely to: Have been in no worker household for one year Lived in rented accommodation for five years Had adults in the household who were ill for between three and four years Lived in midlands Received benefits for three to four years and lived in household with an average of three or more children (Adelman et al). Impact of poverty in children includes, deprivation of education, lack of proper health and children below the age of five die each day due to causes that can be prevented. Poverty is related to negative outcomes like ill-health and shorter life expectancy and this is true for relative (average income, lack of materials to fully participate in an accepted daily life) and absolute poverty (absence of enough resources to make complete someone). World Health Organization (2008) reports shocking inequalities within the countries and cities also persist. The life expectancy of child born in Carlton in Glasgow, Scotland is 28 years less than that of a child born few miles away in Lenzi. The 2007 UNICEF report on child wellbeing ranked the UK bottom out of 21 OECD countries. Bradshaw J argues that child poverty is the inevitable consequences of economic restructuring, globalization, demographic transitions. But it s then the consequence of policy-successive Conservative government ignoring rising child poverty, committed as they were to trickle down theories and their aspirations to reduce public expenditure and cut taxation? Levitas (1998) identifies three different discourses of Social Exclusion, First approach is a redistributive Discourse (RED) which derives from critical social policy, and which sees social exclusion as a consequences of poverty, thus Peter Townsend argued that poverty should not be understood in terms of subsistence, but in terms of peoples ability to participate in the customary life of society: individuals, families and groups can be said to be in poverty when their resources are so seriously below those commanded by the average individual or family they are, in effect, excluded from ordinary living patterns, customs and activities(Townsend,1979,p32).the indicator for social exclusion in RED is low income. She adds Social integration Discourse (SID) is participation in paid work, therefore young people of working age should participate in labor market. Unemployment or economic inactivity indicates social exclusion. The third approach is a moral underclass discourse (MUD), which so cial exclusion is used as a substitute not for poverty or non employment, but for the underclass .This discourse presents the socially excluded as the morally distinct from the rest of the society and does not address inequality. Since the election, there has been increasing tendency to talk about poverty and social exclusion, a shift which can only be welcomed, since it puts both firmly back at on the political agenda. But opportunity for all (Blair, 29 January 1996) A reduction in the proportion of children living in workless households, for households of a given size, over the economic cycle. A reduction in the proportion of children in household relatively low incomes A reduction in the proportion of children in households with low incomes in an absolute sense. A reduction in the proportion of children in household with persistently low incomes. Makes no separation between poverty and social exclusion nor does the poverty and social exclusion (National Strategy) Bill, introduced in parliament under the 10- minute Rule on 10th February 1999. Mud posits strong connection between poverty and social exclusion, but sees the causes of poverty as lying in cultural and moral/self exclusion rather than the other way round. (Levitas, 1998) Conclusion Referring back to the concept of social exclusion and its relation to persistent poverty and inequality, I would argue that although the concept of social exclusion concentrates on those excluded it does address the issues that lead to poverty and inequality but has not been designed to directly tackle the issues of persistent poverty and inequality in the contemporary British society and in particular the children. Poverty is not only deprivation of economic or material resources but a violation of human dignity too. The UN provides a broader definition of poverty: a human condition characterized by the sustained or chronic deprivation of the resources, capabilities, choices, security and power necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. (UN, 2001). The UN definition brings together two important and related themes in contemporary understandings of poverty: the capability approach of Nobel-prize winning economist Amartya Sen and the human rights approach. Inequality is sometimes seen as a form of poverty, and the capability approach to poverty shows us why. By definition, any society with inequality means that some people have less money, resources or power than others do. These people will often be described as relatively poor but there are sometimes questions about whether they are absolutely poor (Barber, 2008; p3)