ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The problem of the effectiveness of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the indicator for the country’s socio-economic progress is widely discussed today. The cause for the discussions is the fact that being considered as the socio-economic indicator, GDP concentrates on measuring material factors, productivity, and wealth which are not enough for discussing the standard of living in the country. The socio-economic progress and standard of living as the components of the societal well-being are closely connected with such factors as health, education, personal activities including social life and job, environment problems, social interactions, and economic security. To present the complete picture of the socio-economic situation in the country which is considered as the population’s well-being, it is also necessary to measure these aspects. GDP cannot be thought of as the acceptable measure because it does not include the not-paid sector. In this situation Net Domestic Product and Net National Income are more effective for presenting the real vision of the country’s progress. Today the public can be rather critical while analyzing the statistical data reported by the governments on the question of the economic situation in countries and the population’s well-being. GDP can be considered as an effective measurement when it is used for assessing the material aspect of the population’s state including income, wealth, and consumption. Thus, it is an efficient indicator for measuring the productivity of the country as the cause for increasing the material well-being of the population. That is why when the information from the statistical reports is presented as the data which are related to the notion of the population’s well-being in general it should be perceived as the reflection of the situation predominantly in the economic sector with references to the material well-being of the public. The gap between the statistical data reported by the government and the perceptions of the public of this material is a result of the lack of information about those aspects which can be measured with the help of GDP. Paying attention to the data presented, the public can compare the data on well-being as the general notion with the real situation in society. Thus, the data will reflect only the economic aspect without including such positions as the health quality, social interactions, education, and the state of environment. Moreover, the commentary on GDP data can also be opposite to the real situation associated with the real standard of life. That is why the combination of such factors as the lack of the public’s knowledge, the incorrect usage of the indicat
Introduction The ongoing presidential campaign has kicked up a lot of heat and dust vis-à-vis the nation’s pressing economic issues. This has become more pronounced given the current crisis arising out of the bursting of the sub-prime bubble. This paper examines the position of the two leading contenders Barack Obama and John McCain, with respect to the taxation aspect of the economic policy. The tax proposals of both the candidates have come under scrutiny as they have each announced tax reform to a substantial degree. As expected, the candidates have divergent positions on economic issues in line with the traditional stand of their parties. While McCain favors tax breaks for the rich, Obama has famously gone of record that one can show one’s patriotism by accepting higher taxes. The debate on the economy is having an effect on the presidential campaign and is bound to influence the outcome of the election. The paper is divided into three sections. The first two sections deal with the positions of McCain and Obama on the issue of taxes and a look at the merits and demerits of the same. These sections list the policy proposals in detail. The third section deals with the potential consequences of each on the American economy in the context of the current scenario of the financial meltdown. John McCain John McCain’s tax proposals are heavily skewed in favor of the rich. According to estimates, his tax proposals would add more than $5 Trillion to the federal budget. This is because he favors raising the income limit for the tax breaks. He is reported to have said that he would consider people who earn over $5 Million a year as “rich,” and thus, the tax breaks would be available to anyone who earns below this. Though this statement was later reported to have been a “causal remark” by the McCain camp, nonetheless, it underscores the candidate’s position on favoring tax breaks for the rich. This is something
Ferguson and other Normandy suburbs outside St. Louis were wealthy middle-class areas, however, the population’s racial split caused severe consequences for their economy. After African Americans arrived in the area, the native citizens tried to apply segregative practices by, for example, refusing to provide real estate in certain places to keep them “whites only” (Rothstein 165). While suburban areas represent stability and safety, the urban ones are accosted with poverty and minority-occupied space (Rios 185). In Ferguson, two-thirds of the population are African Americans who represent the minority group (Rothstein 166). Moreover, the unemployment level is high, and conflicts such as Michael Brown’s shot in August 2014 make the area unsafe (The New York Times). Consequently, Ferguson and other Normandy suburbs cannot be identified as suburban areas as they do not comply with its concept. Policing practices reflect the areas’ social structure and usually are a significant source of a city’s financing. Ta-Nehisi Coates (2014) states that in Ferguson, “with primarily white police forces that rely disproportionately on traffic citation revenue, blacks are pulled over, cited and arrested in numbers far exceeding their population share.” Indeed, the regulative policy became the reflection of a racial conflict in the city, and Michael Brown, killed by a policeman, revealed the urgency to address the situation. Police officers apply closer surveillance for the minority group representatives, and the regulative actions towards them are rather aggressive. When Michael Brown refused to move from the middle of the street to the sidewalk, he was shot (The New York Times). The police’s control of public places remains the same for the last 50 years as Aden Allen, one of the first African Americans who lived in Ferguson, describes it. Rothstein (2015) cites Allen: “I’ve been stopped, searched, and I don’t mean searched laying across the hood of a car. And then told after they found nothing that my tail light bulb was burned out” (171). Racially-biased policing control of public places caused deaths of innocent people and civil rights protests in multiple cities nationwide. Works Cited “Michael Brown’s Shooting and Its Immediate Aftermath in Ferguson.” The New York Times , 2014. Web. Rios, Jodi. “Everyday Racialization: Contesting Space and Identity in Suburban St. Louis.” Making Suburbia: New Histories of Everyday America, 2015, pp. 185-207. Rothstein, Richard. “The Making of Ferguson.” Journal of Affordable Housing & Community Development Law , vol. 24, no. 2, 2015, pp. 165-204. Ta-Nehisi Coates. “The Racist Housing Policies that Built Ferguson.” The Atlantic, 2014.
Introduction High-Tech Corporation (H-T) is a huge computer manufacturer with a long history. Nowadays, the organization hires more than 300,000 employees and rates among the major manufacturers of computers, hardware, and software, as well as computer-associated services (Bhimani, Horngren, & Foster, 2008). High-Tech Corporation has several plants that are engaged in different types of production (Kunda, 2009). One of them is located in Essenes, France. It manufactures logic and memory chips made of silicon wafers that are sliced from a silicon cylinder. The production at the plant is almost never interrupted: it works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 52 weeks a year (Heisinger, 2009). Analysis The major recent objective of the organization was to assign costs in such a way that the quality of the output products would be maximized whereas the number of spoiled chips from each cylinder would be decreased. In order to identify what could be done to reduce wastes, the company started with a comprehensive survey of its employees. The managers of the organization believe that job satisfaction is one of the most influential factors in production as the more content employees are the more likely they are to pursue the goals of the organization (Drury, 2013). Since the questionnaires identified stability as the major value of employees, the leaders of the company decided that it would be more cost-saving to rely upon a fewer number of highly professional workers who would show better performance due to the feeling of satisfaction and stability that it would give them (Kaplan & Atkinson, 2015). Thus, the decision was made to reduce the costs connected with the employees’ salaries and space occupied by the plant. The planned charge-out rate for an information system (the salaries of the employees, accounting costs, and expenses connected with the mainframe central processing unit) was $10,000 per hour, for utilities (repair works, electricity, running water, fuel, taxes on property) – $20,000 per square kilometer, for maintenance (machinery repairs) – $80 per labor hour, whereas for a quality guarantee – $52,000 per person. The time period for the plan implementation covered 5 years. Over this period, the organization reduced the number of buildings occupied by the plant and offices by 60%. The number of employees was reduced by 40%. The relevant costs for this decision included the costs of new equipment (that was required to substitute for the human labor and to facilitate the process) as well as the increased costs of old machinery repairs required for the same reason. The reorganization costs that appeared as a result of reduced office space (necessitating redistribution of the available area) can also be attributed to relevant. The non-relevant costs included employees’ salaries and non-financial incentives (as they could not be avoided by canceling the decision). As a result of the measures taken, those who continued working for the corporation had to boost their performance in terms of quality and productiveness as the newly created environment was highly competitive. Over the above-mentioned period, the pr
Introduction Population movements have been a common feature in the world for a long time. Some of the main reasons that influence population movements in many countries are political, social and economic reasons. For instance population movements came about as people were trying to look for better lives in other lands (economic reason for population movements), others were trying to escape from wars from their own countries and many other reasons. This paper will therefore trace the population movements in the world and some of the factors that contributed to the evolution of the world’s population. Discussion During this period a lot of countries were developing politically, economically or socially, this therefore meant that the countries that were not developing as first, the people had to move in search of jobs. For instance in Cuba, a lot of Cubans migrated to the United States after Fidel Castro became their leader. This was a result of the political developments in Cuba. Hence the population in the United States increased significantly. Today Miami Florida where a lot of Cubans settled their influence is still felt, this is especially in terms of language. The same case applies to Europe whereby, by this time there was a lot of land in Europe and this really encouraged population increase and movements. Many developing countries were characterized by a lot of population growth and movements during this period. Most of these movements were labor movements that is people were migrating to different world in such of labor; this was especially so due to the industrial revolutions that was taking place in the world. Family structures played an important role in the population movements in the world. For example most of the developing countries required peasant’s laborers to work in their farms, hence the peasant farmers moved in groups that are as families this contributed to growth of the population. In France, for example, the population growth was not very stable because agriculture was not stable. Therefore there was a lot of movement in and of France as peasant families were looking for farmlands. Through these movements the world’s population has evolved through the different relationships that were formed. Hence by intermarriages between the people of different counties, a more diverse population was formed. In this case a research carried out in Italy helped to show the differences in the intermarriages and the importance of migrations, as the higher the migration rate the more diverse a community is. Therefore population movements helped to diversify the population, this is especially so in terms culture. For example, in Miami the language that is commonly used is Hispanic,
The Special Exhibition of Cézanne’s work on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York until May 8, 2011 confirms the master’s importance and solidifies his influence on modern art as a whole. Pablo Picasso once characterized Paul Cézanne ‘the father of us all’ – the “all” meaning every painter who identified with the modernist movement – and Cézanne apparently “referred to himself as the Moses of Aix” (Feaver 128). Cézanne is perhaps best known for his 1906 masterpiece “The Large Bathers,” a modern art essential work that served as the inspiration for Picasso’s later masterpiece “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon”. One of the paintings on display in this exhibit is Paul Cézanne’s “The Card Players,” which dates from 1890–92. It is oil on canvas and measures 25 3/4 by 32 1/4 inches. Cézanne was in his early fifties and resided on his family estate at Aix en Provence in France at the time of its inception and execution. Aix en Provence provided the backdrop as well as the subject matter for the work; it was here that he used the local peasants employed by his family on the estate to sit for the paintings. “The Card Players” is part of the Metropolitan Museum’s Special Collection put together by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and The Courtauld Gallery based in London, England. This painting is part of an exhibition that opens with engraved reproductions that locate card playing in its historical and artistic context from Renaissance painters to Flemish and Dutch Baroque masters (Campbell n.p.). The exhibit also shows Cézanne’s studies used for t
Introduction and scope of the research Benjamin Graham is an eminent investment mentor one of the greatest investors. Graham is very stringent in analyzing investment securities. Graham’s books, “Security Analysis” and “The intelligent Investor” are great guides to investors at all times. According to Benjamin Graham, the main investing principle is that investors should invest within a safety margin. Graham insists that investors should expect profits from their investments, and they should know whether they are passive or active investors (Graham & Dodd 2008). Active investors are enterprise investors who seriously commit their time and energy and they always get high returns from their investment and hard work. On the other hand, inactive investors are defensive investors who may not commit their time or energy in investing. An example of a defensive investor is an investor who buys some shares of a company and expects to earn dividends if the company gets a profit. The inactive investors do not commit their time or energy in the management of the company. Graham clearly states that investors need to be great risk takers. Investing in stocks, for example, is dealing with uncertainties, and one may be tempted to exit during tough times of market stresses. According to Graham, smart investors will always take advantage of the market volatilities to find chances of great investment. The modern economic climate needs a smart investor who will accept to take risks, but take a strategic approach of combining various portfolio assets to reduce the overall investment risks. In the modern portfolio theory, stocks will generate more profit than bonds, whereas the bonds will generate more than the money market. However, the risk of volatility in the stock market is very high, and smart inve
Corolla Toyota car is one of the many products of the Toyota Group, a Japanese car maker. Corolla Toyota is a brand name that was introduced in 1966 and it became a best seller in 1997. Under the Toyota Corolla, there are numerous brands that have been designed to meet the demands, expectations and tastes of the people. The research paper analyses the marketing mix of Toyota Corolla using the 4ps to determine its competitive advantage. The 4ps are product, price, place, and promotion. Product Toyota Corolla is the most successful product of all the Toyota group products. This is because of its adaptability, reliability, dependability, and affordable price. Toyota corolla is small, fuel efficient, inexpensive, and dependable car compared to other brands of Toyota group (Edmund para.1). It can be used by any person regardless of the gender. Since its introduction in US, it has been designed in various body styles like the wagon, hatchback, coupe, and sedan. The sedan is the latest design of the Toyota Corolla car which is some expensive than the past model although it has been successful. Sedans from other competitors have also been giving the brand a huge competition. The competitors of the Toyota Corolla are Mazda, Hyundai, Honda, and Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai and Mazda (Edmunds para.5). It has been outdone by its competitors in its value, driving pleasure, and interior quality. Toyota Corolla has increased its sales through branding and public imaging. For example, Corolla is a household name in US for the brand is affordable, reliable, and dependable. Product life cycle of Toyota Corolla Source: Anonymous The development of Toyota corolla was initiated through market research and development. The product was developed with features that met the requirements of a middle class citizen. Some of the aspects that were considered during the development of the product include affordability, cost, dependability, and rate of fuel consumptions. During its introduction in the markets, Toyota corolla was well marketed to create brand awareness. The product was well accepted in the market upon its introduction. High sales were reported in U.S especially from the middle class families. This was followed by the growth stage that saw Toyota corolla establish a strong market. For example, a strong brand was established in the US and other parts upon its introduction in the market (Edmunds n.d). Through advertisements and promotions, the Corolla was able to gain a large market share competing with other motor vehicle products like the Mazda and Chevrolet. However, the product had little competition at this phase as it was at the epitome of its success. During the maturity phase, Corolla become stable but somehow started to decline as competitors started to catch up in the competitive market. However, the product had to be differentiated through the introduction of new features. For example, the 2011 Toyota Corolla has more features than the 2010 Corolla. According to the U.S News (2011), the Corolla is struggling to compete with other vehic
The problem of misjudgment based on ethnic stereotypes and the prejudice towards the representatives of specific races and ethnicities, which occurs in courts of the United States, seems to have become infamously common. Despite the recent attempts at introducing cultural sensitivity into the state and private organizations, as well as the incorporation of the multiculturalism concept into the framework of global companies’ operation, the American justice system retains its suspicion towards the people belonging to the ethnicities that are other than American. As a result, misjudgments occur disturbingly regularly in the course of the court proceedings. Despite the numerous attempts taken for addressing the issue, the problem has not lost its topicality yet, which calls for the reinforcement of the ethical principles that the present-day legal system is based on, as well as the rearrangement of the existing approaches to treating racial and ethnic minorities. Although the unceasing fight for equality, which has been going in the United States since the Civil War, has brought a range of fruitful results, the effects of the equity movements are still somewhat lackluster, especially when considering the attitudes towards the representatives of racial and ethnic minorities in the realm of the legal environment. According to the recent evidence, prejudice towards ethnic minorities takes place in courtrooms quite often in the 21 st century. Although, from the legal perspective, all parties taking part in the court proceedings must have equal rights and privileges, in reality, the ethnicity of the people involved often define the outcome of the proceedings as favorable for the representative of the majority of the U.S. population, whereas minorities are often misjudged based on their ethnicity. The ostensibly inept approach, which is adopted towards treating the members of other ethnic communities in a range of the U.S. courtrooms, is clearly a reason for concern. A range of recent cases, some of them reaching the level of an internationally infamous scandal, while others being swept under the rug, showcase the problems of the present-day justice system. Specifically, the case of United States vs. Booker (Ulmer, Light & Kramer, 2011), which enhanced the model discriminating against the Black community representatives, deserves to be mentioned. The explanation for the specified phenomenon to occur is, in fact, rather simple. It would be wrong to claim that the accusation of the people belonging to different races occurs on purpose in most cases; quite on the contrary, a suggestion the opposite will make more sense, as the jury displaying racially insensitive behavior and providing no other basis for sentencing the accused does not make any sense in the