Population Growth 1750-1830 essays

Population Growth 1750-1830 essays In this essay we are going to consider the population growth from 1750-1830. The basis for the material is taken from the "Macmillan Series, Mastering Economic and Social History" written by David Taylor. In his book, Taylor gives several reasons as to why the population increased between 1750-1830. He argues that the practice of living-in disappeared, there was a decline in apprenticeships, and the speenhamland allowance encouraged large families. He also concluded that the general well-being of the people improved though diet. There's no one explanation as to why this happened, or one history. It may have been the fall in the death rate and the increase in the birth rate. Up to the nineteenth century no official census had taken place. In 1086 the Doomsday book placed the population at about 3.5 million. Attempts were made at counting the population in the seventeenth century by Gregory King a civil servant. Nevertheless, it proved unreliable and was more or less a guesstimate basing his figures on hearth-tax returns and parish records. Taylor states concerning Gregory Kip^i M(ie estimated the number of people living in a house and gradually built up a cumulative total of people of the whole country - the figure he arrived at was 5.2 million". The first official census was taken in 1801 and has been conducted every ten years apart from 1941. The population was low before 1750 owing to a number of factors. "Between 1520 and the end of the seventeenth century the population of England and Wales seemed to have risen from about 2.5 million to about 5.2 million. This contrasts with the fact that the population had risen hardly at all since the Black Deat h, and from 1650 to 1750 it rose only by a further million. Interrupted by bad harvests, with or with out outbreaks of plague, influenza, smallpox and dysentery in 1550s, 1580s, 1590, and 1630s". (A new History of England 410-1975) The bubonic plague of 1665 also took its toll on the po...

Critically analyze laws of comparative advantage Essay

Critically analyze laws of comparative advantage - Essay Example The theory of comparative advantage formulated by English economist David Ricardo in the early nineteenth century1. Ricardo encouraged each country to specialize in producing commodities for which it is best suited and then trade with other countries to obtain a wide variety of goods. The increased efficiency of production within each country makes greater worldwide consumption possible. This theory suggests that all nations have an interest in opposing restraints on trade. If less developed countries (LDCs) remain isolated and closed to foreign trade and investment, they lose opportunities to benefit from the technology, capital, and consumer goods offered by industrialized nations (Barry Clark, 1998). The theory of comparative advantage, of course, argues that unrestricted exchange between countries will increase the total amount of world output if each country tends to specialize in those goods that it can produce at a relatively lower cost compared to potential trading partners. Each country then will trade some of those lower-cost goods with other nations for goods that can be produced elsewhere more cheaply than at home. At the end of the day, with free trade among nations, all countries will find that their consumption possibilities lie outside their domestic production possibilities. The basic theory assumes that all the factors of production are... Further, it is assumed that perfect competition, and not monopoly production prevails and that all resources in each country are fully employed. The last is an especially important assumption, particularly for less-developed nations, since with less-than-fully employed resources, tariffs or other forms of protection (including subsidies) to block imports and to increase domestic employment could well be the preferred policy. With less-than-fully employed resources, the key allocative issue becomes an internal mobilization of domestic resources to their full use, rather than a reallocation among alternative uses. To be reasonably confident in applying the basic Ricardian analysis and its conclusions to any country or situation, it seems sensible, in practice, to inquire to what degree the assumptions of the theory conform to the reality of the economy under investigation. (James M. Cypher, James L. Dietz, 1998) While these are important considerations having to do with the validity of assumptions in practice, there are other concerns about a blanket endorsement of the comparative advantage argument and free trade recommendations for less-developed nations. Joan Robinson's comment on the real-time effect of following free trade and specialization, at least as far as Portugal was concerned in Ricardo's original example, remains provocative and presages our reformulation. (James M. Cypher, James L. Dietz, 1998) . . The imposition of free trade on Portugal killed off a promising textile industry and left her with a slow-growing export market for wine, while for England, exports of cotton cloth led to accumulation, mechanization and the whole

The Suicide of Willy Loman Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Suicide of Willy Loman - Research Paper Example As an elderly male, he fits into a category that has a lot of suicidal cases. Willy reveals that he has lost his purpose and has placed his hopes on his sons, meaning his life should be ended so that the insurance money gives them a chance. Willy Loman takes his life because he is depressed, he has lost his job and his hope for his own future, and believes that in ending his life he is giving his sons a future through the life insurance company. According to Cafferty and Lerner, â€Å"When we meet Willy at the beginning of the play, he is worn-out, sad, and confused† (90). Willy has gone through a series of events that have made him feel like he is out of options. He has always seen his life as it should have been, rather than as it has been, and regrets what he could not accomplish, while also blaming everyone else for the reasons that he never achieved what he felt he should have achieved. It seems that Willy has always been sad and frustrated. He envies others and is never happy with his own life. Something as simple as the refrigerator that his neighbor owns brings him a great deal of unhappiness, as he feels his own one does not equal that level of quality he expects. He says, â€Å"I told you we should’ve bought a well-advertised machine. Charley bought a General Electric and it’s twenty years old, and it’s still good, that son of a bitch† (Miller 56-57). ... Biff says, â€Å"I’m thirty-four years old, I oughta be makin’ my future. That’s when I come running home. And now, I get here and I don’t know what to do with myself. [after a pause] I’ve always made a point of not wasting my life, and every time I come back here I know that all I’ve done is waste my life† (Miller and Sterling 52). Cafferty and Lerner state that â€Å"The sons, Biff and Happy, inherit their fathers worst qualities, the various tensions between them leave plenty of scope for all sorts of analysis†, which is evident in this statement by Biff. Biff cannot be satisfied by his work because he reflects the expectations that Loman has about making money (82). Because Biff witnessed his father having an affair while he was still in high school, the way he idolized his father was shattered, leaving him adrift in the world and picking up on the worst of Willy’s sense of failure. According to Gale, â€Å"The betra yal resonated with Biff his whole life and created a sense of distrust between father and son†. This distrust deflated Biff’s sense of self, as he had framed his life through Willy’s beliefs. When he saw his father as imperfect, those beliefs dissolved. He became the part of Willy that could not find the key to success. Willy has aged past his dreams now, his depression is a common problem amongst older adults, as he has past the point of being able to chase most of his dreams. He now looks towards his sons to carry on his hopes. By killing himself, he believes to support their futures. Scogin states that â€Å"Older adults have the highest rates of suicide of any age group, and this is particularly pronounced among men". Willy represents some of the reasons for the sense of

Nature vs. Nurture Essay Example for Free

Nature vs. Nurture Essay A lot of people wonder where they get their freckles from, or their edgy and thrill seeking personality. This type of curiosity about where people get their traits from brings about the worldwide debate on nature vs. nurture. There are scientists who argue that people develop characteristics mainly based on their genetic makeup, and then their are people who say that environment and social interactions has more to do with a person’s traits than do genes. People often question why people are the way they are. Nature and Nurture often have a big impact on a person, and can help in explaining why they are a certain way. The nature vs. nurture debate encompasses a variety of major topics, leading to the idea that both nature and nurture influences people in their behaviors and decisions. Criminals go through different reasoning processes for why they commit a crime. They may have been brought up in a rough environment and are acting out, or because they simply just can not control themselves or their minds. There is evidence which suggests that there could be such a thing as gene mutations that determine our traits. These mutations control how the mind and body react to anger , whether it’s aggressively or controlled. According to Adriel Bettelheim, â€Å"researchers studying a dysfunctional Dutch family announced in 1993 that aggressive behavior may be linked to a single faulty gene that causes a shortage of enzymes needed to break down serotonin molecules that transmit signals in the brain.† This idea that criminal behavior may be associated with genetics, opens the doors to many controversial topics such as the insanity defense or the possibility of gene therapy. â€Å"For many centuries, people have tried to craft legal distinctions for the mentall y ill based on the belief that they should not be held fully responsible for their actions† (). The insanity defense is believed to often be abused and is the easy way out for guilty criminals to be held accountable. There are also people who support the insanity defense and say that the law needs to protect people who are too mentally ill to understand their actions. For some criminals, it’s not just a matter of their genes but more their environment that contributes to why they commit crimes. â€Å"Many social scientists say researchers, in a rush to ‘biologize’ behavior, are ignoring environmental influences, such as poverty, broken families and  racism† (). A lot of times the reason why criminals get in trouble with the law, is because they are acting out. Being aggressive or going against authority is like their coping strategy for dealing with their problems. †The frequency and nature of todays violence can only point toward an inherent anger or frustration† (). Ultimately, both nature and nurture can affect criminals and people ma y never be able to fully understand what exactly leads them to make bad choices. In addition to criminal behavior, there are also many other controversial topics regarding nature vs. nurture, such as intelligence and what contributes to peoples intellectual ability. â€Å"Mental ability seems closely related to the volume of those little gray cells in the brain; and differences in that volume seem to be largely a result of heredity†().Scientists are finding that intelligence goes along with the amount of brain cells (gray cells) towards the front of the brain which can be inherited through the family. There is evidence which suggests that if a person does really well with one mental task, they are more than likely to do really well on other mental tests as well. This concept is considered the general mental ability which is associated with those gray cells. Although intelligence is found as being directly associated with the brain cells, many people believe that intelligence is also based on a person’s environment and how they learn. For a lot of people intellectual ability is not purely genetic. Their intelligence can have a lot to do with how they were brought up or their environment in which they learned. Someone who goes to school regularly will probably have a higher intelligence level, versus someone who doesn’t. How people start off learning is also important because often times, if a child is intellectually stimulated at earlier ages, their brain will mature as the child gets older and that child will have a higher intellectual ability because they started learning sooner. IQ testing is a very controversial topic because many people disagree over whether or not it is a good judge of a persons actual intelligence. â€Å"The rift between psychologists over the value of IQ tests stems from a stark difference in the w ay they define intelligence: One camp sees a central, dominant intelligence, the other envisions multiple types of intelligence† (). Although scientists have not found hard evidence to prove that IQ tests are  not liable, social scientists continue to go against certain theories, such as the idea of general mental ability. They choose to believe and promote that there are different kinds of intelligence and everyone excels in different areas regardless of genetics. While genetics does play a role in intelligence, if a person works hard in achieving their goals they can become just as intelligent through challenging themselves and excelling in certain areas. The worldwide debate on nature vs. nurture also encompasses addiction. In a study about drug addictions researchers found, â€Å"the correlations with psychoactive substance use largely resulted from social environmental factors in adolescence† (). Family environments are important to young children and can have a huge affect on them as they get older. An unstable family life can cause people to resort to drugs or alcohol to help them deal with their emotions. If a child has social issues with their friends when they are young, that can affect them as well and cause them to resort to substance abuse to deal with their problems. â€Å"As people aged, however, more of the correlation in psychoactive substance use resulted from genetic factors†(). As substances such as alcohol are more readily available to adults, genetics can influence them more and also their decisions. If there is a history of substance abuse in the family, that person is more likely to become addicted in their lifetime. In the 1920’s, â€Å"Alcohol prohibition lead to a rise in violent organized crime, a trend critics have compared to the ongoing war on drugs(). Because so many citizens used alcohol and a lot of them apparently became dependent on it, they felt they had rights to it; so they organized a violent crime movement to prove that. People who were involved in this war with drugs were not just the poor or downtrodden, but also the middle class and the wealthy. Addiction has no boundaries, and can affect anyone whether it is through nature or nurture. Nature vs nurture will always be a major dispute over genes and environment, but ultimately they both have an impact on people. The reasoning behind criminal behavior is often questioned. Evidence that suggests there are gene mutations, which contribute to aggressive behavior, argues that nature can have a major role in criminal behavior, just like nature affects criminals  actions. In addition to criminal behavior, another worldwide topic discussed in the nature vs nurture debate is intelligence. Like mentioned earlier, intelligence is thought to be determined by genes and general mental ability; but there are social scientists who believe that there are many different types of intelligence, determined by environment and not just genetic make up. Addiction is another controversial subject because addiction can run in families but it also can happen to someone who had no history of it. Addiction also is very much related to a persons environment and how they deal with their problems. For those who wonder where they get their intelligence and edgy personality, or more seriously why they feel aggressive, or become addicted to drugs, think about nature and nurture , which contribute to peoples personality and traits.

Essay --

Smithsonian Digital Libraries provided various materials for its user which are Databases, Exhibitions and Collections. These materials are very useful to researchers as it provide accurate and reliable information. Besides that, it also provides the collection of online books range from Art, History and Culture. Database is a collection of data to search materials easily. Smithsonian Digital Libraries provides databases such as Taxonomic Literature II which are a selective guide to botanical publications and collections with dates, commentaries and types. In addition, other available database is Smithsonian Research Online that itemized a set of services to the research community both within and outside the Smithsonian Institution. Other examples of databases available are listed as below. †¢ Example of Databases in Smithsonian Digital Libraries: o Taxonomic Literature II o Smithsonian Research Online o Index Animalium o Trade Literature Through exhibitions in Smithsonian Digital Libraries enable users to explore the rich variety of topics, images and materials featured in online exhibition. On the other hand, the current exhibition allows users to view the display of the latest exhibitions as the date and location are being stated. Besides that, National Museum of American History curators created the panel to offer users with reproductions of the world’s greatest pieces such as illustrations from rare books and document from the travelling exhibition column. †¢ Examples of Exhibitions in Smithsonian Digital Libraries: o Online Exhibition o Current Exhibition o Travelling Exhibition o Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web Smithsonian Digital Libraries range from various type of collection. One of the collections is Caldwe... ...for its users. For educational purposes, user can easily access through the three main type of collection that have been provided. Researchers and scientist are being supply with current periodicals and professional society publications. In addition, with the existence of online books, user will acquire the same information as the printed book. On the other hand, user can also view the exhibition on interesting topic as Smithsonian Digital Libraries offers various type of exhibition such as online and travel exhibition. There are no broken links in this digital library. †¢ Link All the listed hyperlinks in Smithsonian Digital Libraries are well-functioning as it takes user to the accurate information. The link contains in this library were involve only internal link. For example, if user clicks on either one of the link, the tab will be open through the same page.

Accounting Estimates and Policy Essay

Disclosure of significant sources of estimation uncertainty and judgments in applying accounting policies are two important requirements in financial reporting, although these are the most subjective and complex areas, they are of significance in making business decisions to users of financial statements. This paper compares our company’s current accounting practice with the requirements in respective accounting standards in relation to disclosure of sources of estimation uncertainty and judgments in applying accounting policies with the aim the identify any gaps between these two which may trigger ASIC’ reviewers attention. It takes a look first at the requirements in respective accounting standards (Chapter 2). It then examine the current accounting practices in our company (Chapter 3 and 4) and identify the gaps between company’s practice and accounting standard (Chapter 5). At the end recommendations are made for a better-compliant report (Chapter 6). Requirements in accounting standards The disclosure of significant sources of estimation uncertainty and judgments in applying accounting policies should be disclosed separately in the financial reports. Not only the nature of estimates should be disclosed but also the sensitivity analysis to these estimates should be included. Judgments in terms of whether the nature and the amounts are relevant to the company’s operation are critical in applying the respective accounting policies. See more:Â  Mark Twain’s Humorous Satire in Running for Governor Essay Company’s accounting practices Estimations disclosed are impairments for intangible goods, provision for restoration and rehabilitation, employee benefits, estimation of useful lives of assets and ore reserve and revaluation estimates. judgments in applying accounting polices are disclosed in two areas which are depreciation of non-financial tangible goods and taxations. Identifying the gaps Our company prepared the financial statements in compliance to Australian Accounting Standard. However there are minor gaps between our company’s practice and the requirements in accounting standards in terms of content and manner. More significant disclosure could have been made the structure can be improved. Conclusion and recommendations Disclosures about timing in revenue recognition, classification of finance leases and operating leases and going concern could have been included, since they are relevant to our company’s operating and can better assist users in evaluating our company’s performance. The disclosure of estimates and judgments should be disclosed in separate notes since it is required by AASB 101. 1 Introduction ASIC announced recently that one of its focusing area would be the disclosure of entities’ estimates and accounting policy judgements.This is because some entities did not make material disclosure of sources of estimation uncertainty and significant judgments in applying accounting policies, while these disclosures, though subjective and complex, are critical factors in business decision-making. The purpose of this report is to identify any gaps between our company’s current accounting practice and the requirements of accounting standards by firstly looking at the requirements set out in the related accounting standard, then to carry out an examination of the current accounting practice of our company accordingly. The report will then compare the information collected and identify any compliance with or deviation from AASB requirements in regards to disclosure in estimates and accounting policy judgments, and discuss recommendations for a better compliance report to meet the satisfaction of ASIC reviewers. 2 Requirements in respective accounting standards AASB 101 paragraph 112-133 specifically state the requirements for material disclosures of sources of estimation uncertainty and the significant judgments used in applying accounting policies. 2.1 Requirements for disclosures of sources of estimation uncertainty According to AASB 101 paragraph 125-129 which relate to disclosure of sources of estimation uncertainty. entities are required to disclose estimates at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year (AU AASB 101.125). for these assets and liabilities, details of their nature and their carrying amount at the end of reporting period are required. To determine the carrying amount of assets and liabilities, estimations for the effect of future events are needed. for example, when the recent market value is absent, future-oriented estimates are of necessity in measuring recoverable amount of property, plant and equipment. Other examples can be long term employee benefits, or provision liability which subject to future results of legal events. The manner of the disclosures should be in a way that can assist users of the financial statements to comprehend the judgments that managements makes about the future and other sources of estimation uncertainty, usually users will expect to have the nature of the assumptions or other estimation uncertainty and the extent of sensitivity disclosures provided for the estimates. However, in some cases when the extent of possible effects the sources of estimation uncertainty at end of reporting period become impracticable, the entity should state that a material adjustment to the carrying amount of the asset or liability may be required if the outcomes within the next financial period are different from the assumption. 2.2 Requirements for disclosure of judgments in applying accounting policies According to AASB 101 paragraph 117-124, requirements for disclosure about judgments used in applying accounting policies are set out. ‘Judgments’ are defined as ‘apart from those involving estimations, that management has made in process of applying the entity’s accounting policies and that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognized in the financial statement (AU AASB 101.122). Two important elements to be disclosed are judgments about the measurement basis used in preparing financial statements and the other accounting policies. Judgments in terms of the relevance in applying a particular accounting policies should be exerted since management needs to consider whether the disclosure would assist users in understanding the financial position and performance of the company. it is noted that not only AASB 101, but other accounting standards such as AASB 116 (disclosur e of the measurement bases used for classes of property, plant and equipment) also states the requirements for judgments. what should be taken into account when applying a particular accounting policy are the nature of the entity’s operations and the policies that users of financial statements would expect to look at. for example, users would expect a manufacturing company to disclose its accounting policies for depreciation and revaluation on property, plant and equipment. or, users concerning about the entity’s income taxes would expect the entity to disclose information on accounting policies for income taxes, including deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets. it may be the case that even the amount for certain assets and liabilities are not material, but because it is highly relevant to the entity’s operation, then professional judgments are needed when applying the accounting policies. 3 Company’s current accounting practice—Resources of estimation uncertainty The disclosures of significant accounting estimates and assumptions are examined in note 2 to the financial statement, there are seven estimations made for the financial reports, the ones that deserve attention to are impairment of goodwill and intangibles with indefinite useful lives, provision for restoration and rehabilitation, employee benefits, estimation of useful lives of assets and ore reserve and resource estimates. 3.1 Impairment of good will and intangibles with indefinite useful lives detailed disclosure about the assumptions and estimates used in calculating the impairment value are * Discount rate: it requires management’s estimate of the time value of money, in the financial report, weighted average cost of capital of the entity and business risk specific to the unit are accounted for the calculation. * Market conditions: management made assumptions on key domestic market segment activity including construction, mining, agriculture and manufacturing, and also assumptions on GDP, CPI as well as long-term exchange rates for AUD/USD and NZD and made sure they are consistent with external information. * Sensitivity to changes in assumptions: management considered that the carrying amount of the CGUs would not exceed their recoverable amount given any changes from the above assumptions. 3.2 Provision for restoration and rehabilitation the provisions include future cost estimates in relation to dismantling, closure and decontamination of various site, and the calculation for these requires assumptions on application of environmental legislation, available technologies and consultant cost estimates. Since these factors are subject to changes in the future, updates need to be made periodically. in Note 18, three main categories are provision for restoration and rehabilitation, provision for legal customer claims(legal fees) and provision for restructuring. 3.3 Employee benefit employment benefit such as long service leave would require estimation on future salary, discount rate and the years that the employee may work for our company. Other actuarial assumptions are applied when calculating defined benefit plans for employees. 3.4 Estimation of useful lives of assets basing on historical experience, management made the estimation of the useful lives of assets .The condition of the assets is assessed at least annually and considered against the remaining useful life, adjustments are made accordingly. 3.5 Ore reserve and resources estimates This is the estimation of the amount that can be extracted economically and legally from the entity’s mining properties, the calculation is based on the geological judgments and other factors such as foreign exchange rates, commodity prices and the size and grade of the ore body. 4 Company’s current accounting practice—judgments in applying accounting policies Judgments in applying accounting policies were disclosed in Note 2 under ‘Significant accounting estimates and judgments’. Two significant accounting judgments are identified in Note 2, being ‘impairment of non-financial assets other than goodwill and intangibles with indefinite useful lives’, and ‘Taxation’. 4.1 Impairment of non-financial tangible assets Our company take into account the relevant factors, such as business performance, technology, economic and political environments and future business expectations when assesses the impairment of all assets. management decides that the recoverable amount of the asset is determined if an impairment indicator exists. for the financial period ended 30 June 2012, management regarded that the indicators of impairment were significant enough so that assets have gone through impairment tests and recoverable amounts were determined. 4.2 Taxation Our company is subject to income taxes in Australia and jurisdiction where foreign operations apply. While ultimate tax on transactions and calculations are uncertain, judgments is required in assessing whether deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are recognized on the balance sheet and the application of certain income tax legislation. Because there is risk and uncertainty involved in making judgments, there is a possibility that the amount of tax assets and liabilities recognized on the balance sheet would be impacted if there are changes in future circumstances, resulting in a change to income statement. Judgment is also exerted when determining whether deferred tax assets should be recognized, and it is based on that highly considerable likeliness that the tax losses can be recovered by sufficient future taxable profits. 5 Comparisons between company’s current accounting practices and accounting standard requirements It is important that our disclosures are in compliance with the requirements in Australian Accounting Standard Board. After the explanation of AASB101 and the examination of the note to our financial statements, the following points should deserve attention from the board: 5.1 Disclosure compliance Our financial statements disclose and only disclose the critical judgments about the application of accounting policies, and major sources of estimation uncertainty inherent in assets and liabilities, the information provided is appropriately tailored to our company’s circumstances, for example, our company is subject to income taxes, therefore the policies of calculation of income taxes, recognition of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are disclosed in note 1 to the financial statements. Since we are material company, ore reserve is highly relevant to our operating activity, therefore the estimation for ore reserve is disclosed in note 2 listing the factors we took into account when preparing the financial statements. 5.2 Content of disclosure the potential gap between our company’s current practice and accounting standard is that some other disclosures about judgments can be included in the notes, such as the judgments in the classification of leases as finance or operating. Although this figure is not material as shown in the financial statements, leased assets are relevant to our operating activity and should be included. 4.3 Manner of disclosure Another gap is that in AASB 101 critical judgments and major sources of estimation uncertainty should be considered separate categories, in our company’s note to financial statement, these two items are placed under the same note 2. 6 Conclusion and recommendation After the comparison between our company’s current accounting practice and the requirements in accounting standard, to better satisfy the ASIC reviewers, the following points can be noted when preparing for the financial statements: 6.1 Improvement in contents we can included some other judgments we used in applying the accounting policies, such as the classification of assets ( whether a non-financial asset held of sale, or class of financial asset), classification of leases as operating or financial leases, and going concern judgments. The lease assets amount might not be as material as others, but these are relevant to material company like us and therefore the judgment involving in choosing the accounting policies should be disclosed, and so does going concern, it is believed that the reasonable disclosures of management’s judgment on going concern can assist users in making financial decision. 6.2 Improvement in structure Critical judgments should be separately identified from the estimation uncertainties, and should be disclosed in separate notes. This is because in AASB 101 it makes clear distinction between judgments and estimations. Not only the content but also the structure and manner of presentation are critical in achieving true and fair disclosures.

An Introduction to Teaching