Research Survey on Use of Opportunity Cost in Project Evaluation at Selected Commercial Banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain Essay Example

Research Survey on Use of Opportunity Cost in Project Evaluation at Selected Commercial Banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain Essay RESEARCH SURVEY ON USE OF OPPORTUNITY COST IN PROJECT EVALUATION AT SELECTED COMMERCIAL BANKS IN THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN A RESEARCH PAPER PRESENTED TO THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AMA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN BY MUBEEN FATIMA August, 2012 ABSTRACT Accounting and Economics work for two different purposes. Today managerial decision making uses economics, as well as accounting concepts, methods practices of scrutiny given by decision sciences. Literature shows that there are four basic tools and techniques of decision making used by economists, these are; augmentation, statistical valuation, projecting, numerical study, and game theory, most of which are equally procedural in nature they helps us to gather the idea of how decisions are made in economics. Since resources are limited relative to wants, the usage of resources in one way hinders their use in other means. This implies the cost of opportunity, which is lost, is actually the profit of whose output is given up, this indicates that, lost time, satisfaction or any other benefit that provides usefulness should also be taken as opportunity cost. Opportunity cost in literature is the cost referred as the next-best choice available to a rational consumer who has to select between a number of mutually distinct projects. It is, thus the key concept in economics. It has been illustrated as conveying the basic relationship between deficiency and choice. Yet its relation to the economic profit is seldom discussed. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Survey on Use of Opportunity Cost in Project Evaluation at Selected Commercial Banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Survey on Use of Opportunity Cost in Project Evaluation at Selected Commercial Banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Survey on Use of Opportunity Cost in Project Evaluation at Selected Commercial Banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Background of the Study Prior research work provides us the idea that opportunity costs is one of the key differences between the concepts of economic cost and accounting cost. Being treated as a cost, opportunity cost had always been considered vital in calculation of the true cost of a project has always effected a management accountant decision However the modern economists, particularly the Austrian school of thought treats opportunity cost as something that has neither existence nor has any importance in decision making. Though the field of economics gave birth to the concept of opportunity cost, the awareness about assessing the second best alternate is now taken over by management accounting, today this concept is being taught in academic graduate courses of economics however; in practice, the economists today emphasize on mathematical techniques in decision making there by ignoring various conceptual factors like opportunity costs and worth of projects being missed. Evaluating opportunity costs is important to find out the true cost of any project under consideration. If the financial worth of second best alternative of an investment project is low, then, overlooking that opportunity costs, gives an impression that benefits of next best alternative, cost practically nothing. The invisible opportunity costs then become one of the hidden costs of that particular project. Mr. John Stuart Mill, a British philosopher and a civil servant was the first man to give the idea of Opportunity Cost in his economic theory of free markets as well as explaining his concept of liberty and an individual and freedom of choice. Opportunity costs are thought of as the retrospective costs that cannot be recovered in the field of Economics and Corporate decision making. Opportunity costs are occasionally compared with â€Å"potential costs† which obviously are the future costs that may or may not incurr depending upon the decision taken. Both past aswell as prospective costs can be either static or dynamic Austrian school of thought pay attention to the concept of opportunity costs on both sides of the market links very deeply to the importance of finance and economic profit estimation in their model of the market process. They argue that the money of an investor having opportunity cost means that his money has many uses but the uses are not unlimited. With the assumption of a market with seamlessly exclusive capital goods, those goods will have no opportunity cost as every exclusive good has only one yield. In a market of seamlessly standardized capital goods, they have no opportunity cost because all of the goods are same in terms of use and benefit thus can be used equally well for each yield. In practice the calculation of project cost by an accountant is different from that of an economist. This variance is not grounded in different fundamentals on what to assess or how, but lies in the basic difference in understanding-of costs and profits. However if opportunity costs are not ignored by the economist then while calculating the GDP of Country the economist must also consider the large scale pearl diving industry in certain areas of Bahrain. Statement of the Problem The study aims to discuss the relevance of the concept of Opportunity Cost in project evaluation procedure adopted by commercial banks in Kingdom of Bahrain. The opportunity cost has different importance in the opinion of economists and accounts professionals and therefore the use of this concept in project costing . This research will attempt to find out importance of Opportunity cost while considering an investment proposal. Specifically it sought to answer the succeeding questions. 1. What is the status of the opportunity cost in project evaluation at Selected Commercial banks in Kingdom of Bahrain? 2. What are the banking operations where opportunity cost is deemed important by Commercial Banks in Kingdom of Bahrain? 3. What are the factors effecting the importance of opportunity cost faced by Commercial Banks in Kigdom of Bahrain? 4. What are the problems encountered in application of Opportunity cost concept by the Bankers while evaluating a project? Assumption The study assumed that the respondents are honest in answering all the questionnaire Significance of the Study The study is beneficial to the following: Decision Makers: the study will help the decision makers in Commercial Banking industry to find the true cost of a project and therefore finding the true profit or loss generated by it Future Researches: the study will help in relating the two concepts i. e, opportunity cost and Project Costing by using the quantitative methodology of research. It will further help in decision making and project evaluation for the accounts Managers and Economists. Scope and Limitation The aim of this study is to deliberate the significance of the concept of Opportunity Cost in project evaluation procedure adopted by Commercial banks in Kingdom of Bahrain. The opportunity cost has different importance in the pinion of economists and accounts professionals and therefore the use of this concept in project costing . The study includes Bank Officers at selected Commercial Banks working in Kingdom of Bahrain. The target population is Executives and managers (top and middle level ) who are directly involved in decision making This research focused on finding out importance of Opportunity cost while considering an investment proposalstudy is conducted in Commercial Banks of Bahrain, the re sponses therefore reflect the most important sector of Bahrain economy. The study is conducted in the natural settings i. during the business hours and responses are taken while the samples are on their work places, therefore 100 percent reliability of responses is not possible due to various un controllable distractions. The period covered by this study is January till December 2012. All the data is collected in Bahrain and responses therefore will represent the local population. Definition of Terms Opportunity Cost (OC) The cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. Put another way, the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action (John Stuart Mil) Economic Value Added (EVA) A measure of a companys financial performance based on the residual wealth calculated by deducting cost of capital from its operating profit (Stern Stewart) EVA is also referred to as economic profit. CHAPTER 2 Review of Related Literature and Studies Foreign Literature Mankiw ( 2000) from Harvard University USA and the author of† Principles of Microeconomics† explained here that Economic profits are calculated by using both explicit as well as implicit costs however Accounting profits are calculated using only explicit costs. Therefore , accounting profits are higher than economic profits Neale( 2001) have found that due to forgoing opportunity costs, delayed decisions can be seen as option between certain loss and the risk of greater or zero loss. Chung, (2005)from Princeton University have conclude in their work â€Å"The Opportunity Cost of Admission Preferences at Elite Universities† that economic cost of a decision relies on the cost of the project that is selected and also the profits that the second best alternative project may had given if selected. This perspective of scarcity of resource leads to the dimension of opportunity cost. Hawkins et. al ( 2008 ) in their article â€Å" Cost and benefit Analysis† are of the view that the â€Å"next best alternative† is an important concept in cost and benefit analysis (CBA). The benefits gone by not implementing the second favorite choice are known as opportunity costs. Opportunity costs are relevant in calculating costs of a project. Opportunity costs help in economic scrutiny. In financial investigation market values are used as the market price for man power has the market value same as a person’s wage The Indian scholars are also of the view that Opportunity Cost of Idle Capacity Zero, supporting the work of (Coase 1938). The researchers of M2 Presswire publications have found that opportunity cost of ignoring the markets, have disastrous results as eBay failed to beat yahoo in this regard. Buchanan (1969 ) says that it is just to bind the term opportunity cost to this idea that only decision changing cost represents an analysis of given up â€Å"opportunities. † and to invent other vivid terms to mention ecision altering cost in a logic of choice and to the objective cost of the predictive theory. Hebert (1985 ) gave a very comprehensive idea about the market value. Yet his belief of fundamental value has quite possibly been a red-herring in the antiquity of economic analysis, according to him market value is sensitive to elements other than â€Å"on record costs† few of them are independent. Horwitz (2010) identifies the partiality of opportunity costs on either si des of the market connections so well to the importance of capital and economic calculation in the Austrian theory of the market process. Aherns (2008) says that management accountants’ most prior duty is to relate the available reserves with the future dealings of the business. Whereas this process is rather simpler in economics to determine which of the available alternates is going to pay off highest future cash flows Kearing et. al (2005) are of the view that multiple allocation of capital funds , commercial analysis and manufacturer side opportunity costs are all the unified part of the Austrian ideology. Woodbery (2000) says that the true opportunity cost of using the additional capability is the change in the worth of the firms choices. By emphasizing on the state-contingent nature of best decisions, his framework distinguishes that the cost is not always identical to the present value of explicit venture or manufacturing decisions. Taylor (2005) suggests that many proficient economists may not completely comprehend opportunity cost. Frank (2005) said that comparative prices helps in finding out the comparative worth of ordained opportunities. His hypothesis is based on an indepth study of consumer indifferense curves. According to the author the economic cost is virtually the opportunity cost. Samuelson( 2009) puts stress on a close link between opportunity costs and cost of available resources. Economic cost consist of not only the noticeable monetary purchases or on record financial transactions but also more indirect opportunity costs, such as the profits on the manpower supplied by the owner of a resource company and other returns of similar nature. The factors mentioned are firmly controlled by the quotations available and demand in competitive markets. Henderson (2011), said that by â€Å"opportunity cost† of a resource, the economist mean the financial worth of the second favourite utilization of the available resource. Opportunity costs as in (Lawrance Gitman 2000) are those profits or returns that could be obtained from best alternative use of an a retained asset. So opportunity cost is the cash that shall not be obtained because of engaging an asset in project under consideration. Due to this, opportunity cost should be included as an expense or loss while doing the project evaluation. Raftery et. al(1999) writes that consideration of opportunity cost is essential for the economists while determining the costs. As resources are less compared to the needs, so application of resources in one profitable project hinders their use in other profitable pojects Bauman (2011) says that opportunity cost is the second best choice, he said that it is difficult to clearly frame the opportunity cost as identifying second best choices is a knotty matter. According to him the concept of opportunity cost can only be clearly defined in academic problems as in practical field a project â€Å"price to worth† calculations are complex Kimberly (1998) said that computerized accounting systems today solely emphasize on cash in and out of the firm, this eventually attracts clever dealers to dump credits that produce a big accounting profits. By the introduction of opportunity cost in persuit of calculating the true costs enforces further control on reporting process. Such concept implication helps the auditors to identify the fake earnings shown in the financial statements made in the year end. Recklies (2001) argues that from economic perspective the cost include all those expenditures that are crucial for perpetual succession of a business as as going concern, it also consist of the reimbursement for owners in shape of profit so that they maintain their investment portfolio within the firm. Marshall (2009) identifies the income as a total of personal skills, capital funds invested, assets possessed and the reputation of the business. Leeson (2008) has explained in his research work the uses if the concept of uncertainty and derives from this concept of the value of information and how it can be calculated. And emphasized upon the role of management accounting in the decision-making Berntell (2005) have focused on the optimum utilization of scarce resources like water to give maximum utility by reducing various costs and losses. For which economist must make a clear cut cost and benefit analysis Dmytrenko (1997 )has elaborated in his price to value investigation the opportunity cost of increased automation in a firm via changing the human resource by computers and equipment Caplan (2003) says that the term opportunity cost is sometimes confusing. Sometimes it is used to submit to the profit foregone from the next best option, and Often it is used to mention the difference in benefit of decision made and the benift of second favourite decision that is given up Fraker( 2006) suggests that EVA is a unique financial performance determining tool . Unlike other financial efficiency ratios, it gives a different outlook of a Bank’s financial health by including the cost of Capital employeed in the business and is more of concern to its shareholders. Shcherbakov( 2012) explains that implication of the concept of EVA is an enhanced measuring technique to find out the effect of internationalization on the commercial performance of any business King (2009) explained that Accountancy and Economics work for different purposes. He explained the multi-national corporation scenarios and compared the use of economic profits with that of accounting profits Local Literature (Hasan Al-Basteki 1998) worked on the use of modern Accounting techniques in the decision making in Bahrain and he concluded that not just the western world is implementing the new costing techniques but the middle east is also adopting the modern techniques Synthesis of the Literature Review The synthesis of the literature reviewed enlightens few similarities and differences with this research studies . The main similarities found in the literature are as follows i) Opportunity cost has been used in different parts of the world particularly in Banks and Construction industry ii) The No. f alternatives available influence the Opportunity Cost iii) Economic factors like inflation has effect on the project evaluation by the Banks . A closer review of these research papers show that Economists belonging to the Austrian school of thoughts are of the view that i) Opprtunity cost is not as important as Economic Profits are for economic decision making ii) Scarcity of resou rce is a factor which effects the decision makers approach The literature explains the significance of opportunity cost in framing the actual picture of the financial position of a company, same is the case evaluation of an investment project. Opportunity cost helps identifying the true cost of a project Opportunity cost is important in the determining the accurate financial position, hence in this research the relationship between the factors effecting opportunity cost and decision making is under study Theoretical Frame Work The study tends to explore the Opportunity cost and EVA for a given project in order to understand their relationship with each other. Very little literature is available in Economics and Accounting to determine the true profits of an organization(Denise Woodbery). The idea behind this research is to establish the nature of relationship between Economic value added that reflects the monetory importance of a given project or in other words the economic profit and that of Opportunity Cost that reflects the accounting profit of the same project. Conceptual Frame Work The idea behind this research is to find out how effective is Opportunity cost in project evaluation perceived by the Bankers in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The data is collected and analysed to understand what status opportunity cost concept holds in project financial evaluation and its relative efficiency perceived by the bankers at selected commercial banks of Kingdom of Bahrain The study tends to explore the two concepts for a given project in order to understand their relationship with each other. The Opportunity cost as discussed in literature like any other relevant cost adds to the overall project expenditure (Ferraro Laura O Taylor) Opportunity cost effects the total Cost of a Project , any increase in Opportunity cost means increase I nthe total cost of the project The higher the Opportunity Cost of a Project is the Smaller will be the net profit of it However the higher the net profit of the project is Opportunity Cost of the Project will be lower. Financial decision making tends to go for a project with smaller cost and hence inclusion of opportunity cost will alter the project cost and alter the decision ultimately. Various factors like availability of alternatives (James Raftery 1999), Scarcity of resources (Robert Frank 2005), Economic factors like trade cycle recession, inflation (Peter T leeson 2008) effects the use of opportunity cost in Project costing CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the research design and methodology, sampling design, respondents of the study, research instrument, validity and reliability of the instrument, data gathering procedures, and statistical treatment of the gathered data. Research Design This study used the descriptive type of research which involves assembling data which provide knowledge about the variables and then systematically tabularizing, portraying, and defining the data gathered (Glass Hopkins, 1984). To get evidence concerning the current standing of the incidences to describe what happens in terms of change in value of the variables or settings in a state of research.. Opportunity Cost reflects the monetary importance of the next best alternative project. The study helps to find out how effectively this concept is incorporated in project evaluation procedure Research Design This is a descriptive research in which the population from which data is collected are the Management Personals from different business concerns established and working in Kingdom of Bahrain, directly or indirectly associated with the decision making and investment evaluation . Respondents of the Study The target population includes the working class particularly the managers , assistant managers and executives who work in Bahrain and their field esponsibility include Investment Analysis ,Project evaluation and decision making of similar nature. Sample Size The sample size is 50 and the response rate is well above the international standard of quantitative research required to validate the result of the study Sampling Design There are many methods of sampling; however for this study Random Sampling is used that is from the target population a sample of 100 is coll ected on random basis. The study uses random sampling for convenience and to avoid bias of respondents that work in one organization have one opinion(as in cluster sampling) Research Instrument The instrument used in this study is Questionnaire, the content of the questionnaire that consist of 20 queries the first five of which are about the general information of the respondent, remaining queries for which the respondents will answer on a Likert Scale. All the queries will help to find the relation between the two variables Opportunity Cost (IV) and Decision Making (DV) Part I: Provide demographics of the respondents in terms of age , gender, educational attainment, work experience in years Part II: Provide the data about the respondents opinion on various factors that influence their decision while making financial evaluation of a project. The answers to these questions will be given on a five point rating scale. 5. Strongly Agree 4. Agree 3. Moderately Agree 2. Disagree 1. Strongly Disagree Validity of the Instrument The validity of instrument is carefully checked by the research committee that includes research professors, statisticians and advisors. The recommendations were incorporated. The justification of this validation was to avoid vague items and bias statements which have been correctly achieved. Reliability of the Instrument The questionnaire is pre-tested to test the reliability of it, with a small group of individualsworking in different companies in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in order to check their understanding of the questions. Data collection Method Questionnaire copies were distributed among bank officers in different branches of distinct commercial banks in various regions of Kingdom of Bahrain. The target respondents are expected to be acquainted with the subject and questions, included in the questionnaire. There are other methods of data collection like documentary analysis and interview however for this study survey methodology is opted. A copy of questionnaire is provided in the appendix Statistical Treatment of the Data There are many choices of appropriate statistical methods however Correlation Coefficient as statistical method is used, so to find out the relation between the two variables. The survey form was used the Likert five point scale for the respondents to choose from as follows: [pic] Very few enterprises are using opportunity cost for just one reason. It is clearly evident that Opportunity cost related information is being used to accurately manage wide range of activities across a banking organization. Activities influenced by Opportunity cost calculation Activities |% of respondents | |Product Costs Profitability |65 | |Performance Measurement |47 | |Shared Service Costing |41 | |Planning Budgeting |40 | |Customer costing |38 | |Customer/Channel Costs Profitability |38 | |Transfer pricing |25 | |Outcome / Output based management |25 | Expectedly, opportunity cost is used for product costing by approximately two by three of those respondants working in banking sector. It ’s precision over traditional costing methods is borne out later in the survey with 87% finding that their Opportunity Cost product costs differed substantially from traditional costing methods, leading around 50% to reprice their products as a result! Validating the views expressed by Kaplan Norton in their latest book ‘Strategy Maps: Converting Intangible Assets into Tangible Outcomes’, which lays emphesisis on the importance of using Opportunity Cos to support a Balance Scorecard, nearly half of all respondents are using their Opportunity Cost data to support their Performance Management The use of Opportunity Cost to support Shared Services costing has increased in popularity over the last few years. Now that internal services are represent up to 30% of an organisation’s costs, it has become imperative to accurately reflect how those services are consumed by business units. Over 40% of respondents are using opportunity cost to support Shared Service costing, enabling them to understand who and what is driving consumption of their internal services, and thereby increasing the effectiveness of their focus an core business. These trends are repeated by those who do not yet use opportunity cost, but are plannin g to. They want to use opportunity cost to support Initiative |% of respondents planning to use OPPORTUNITY COST | |Product Costing |55 | |Planning Budgeting |36 | |Customer costing |27 | |Process/Continuous Improvement |27 | The most noticeable difference is that only 18% are planning to use the information to support Performance Measurement. This could well be because the ease of which opportunity cost lends itself to Performance Measurement is not evident until an opportunity cost is up and running. Alternatively, the respondents may be looking to introduce opportunity cost to solve a pressing business requirement, and the links between Opportunity Cost and performance metrics are not immediately apparent. Opportunity Cost for Planning The emphasis of Bankers has moved from historical costs to future costs. An enormous 94% of those questioned are now using opportunity cost, or plan to use, opportunity costs for developmental drives. Opportunity cost Planners are looking at all aspects of their organisations in order to identify improvement opportunities. Some 60% are looking to identify process improvements, with 55% looking at activity level improvements via resource planning, and 49% looking to affect strategy formulation. However, only 13% are questioning their organisation’s process design in a fundamental way. Consistent with historic uses of opportunity Cost planning data is being used to support a variety of initiatives, although there is a surprising focus on opportunity cost for goal setting. |Initiative |% of OPPORTUNITY COST Planners | |Shared Service Costing |51 | |Product Costing |49 | |Defining team/dept goals |27 | |Defining organisational goals |13 | Product/Service Costing and Customer Profitability By using cause and effect tracing rather than allocations, opportunity cost better reflects the value chain of how organisations consume costs and provides more accurate product, service and customer costings than achieved using traditional costing techniques. The difference in opportunity cost product costs to absorption or other allocation based costings can be dramatic. The survey shows that 87% of practitioners found that their product and service costs differed from traditional costings markedly. The majority had an average variation of between 5 and 10%, which can be dramatic at a gross or net margin level. However, a surprising number of respondents (11%) experienced variations of over 100%! |Average variation |% |Maximum variation % | |0 |13 |; 10% |25 | |1-5% |15 |10-25% |17 | |5-10% |26 |25-50% |25 | |10-15% |13 |50-75% |14 | |15-20% |10 |75-100% |8 | |; 20% |23 |; 100% |11 | Cost Reduction and Process Improvement That ABC can improve your bottom line is beyond doubt, with potential cost savings amounting to 25% of cost bases being identified. Some organisations are yet to find where they can reduce their costs, but it is worth noting that over 70% of those who have not identified cost savings have less than 100 activities in their model. Whilst it is important to prevent ABC models become too large and unmanageable (primarily because they can induce analysis paralysis), it is essential that a reasonable level of detail is available, so that there is sufficient information on which to make cost reducing or revenue enhancing decisions. After all, profit outcomes are the result of process design and activity workflow Maximum potential cost saving as a % of cost base |% | |0% |18 | |1-5% |21 | |5-10% |33 | |10-15% |8 | |15-20% |13 | |20-25% |2 | |;25% |5 | A variety of methods are being used to help organisations translate their ABC data into real cost reductions. Cost driver analysis is the m ost frequently used method for aiding cost reduction and/or process redesign, with 67% of organisations using this technique. Process mapping and benchmarking are also popular, as is repricing of products and/or services, and analysis of the value that an activity adds to an organisation. Top techniques used to aid cost reduction |% | |Cost driver analysis |67 | |Process mapping redesign |52 | |Benchmarking |52 | |Repricing |50 | |Value adding analysis |42 | |Product rationalisation |38 | |Value chain analysis |32 | Conclusions ABC can, and does, add value to organisations. 96% of respondents have found the experience to be beneficial to their organisations, and 98% are expecting their implementations to deliver even more positive returns on their investment in the future Level of benefit delivered by ABC |% achieved |% future | |Adverse impact |4 |2 | |Negligible benefit |22 |13 | |Moderate benefit |54 |60 | |Substantial benefit |20 |25 | Regardless of the benefit analysis above, respondents recommend the use of ABC unanimously! In particular, practitioners recommend using ABC for product costing and cost reduction, to derive the most benefits, although there is a general belief held by ABC practitioners that the methodology should be broadly used as shown below. ABC supporting |% of organisations | |Product/service costing profitability |80 | |Cost reduction |65 | |Continuous Improvement Program |56 | |Business Process Re-engineering |55 | |Shared Services Costing |51 | |Customer, channel or value chain analysis |44 | ABC is generating real benefits for all sorts of organisations across Australia. These benefits can only increase as more organisations are looking to start an ABC project for the first time, but the full potential of ABC will not be realised as so many existing ABC users are still not employing ABC to its full capabilities. It is important that experienced ABC compani

Essay on Roman constitution essays

Essay on Roman constitution essays In the course of ancient history many nations rose and fell and many forms of government were tried. Some were successful, some were a terrible failure, and others were just sufficient. The Greek historian Polybius believed that the constitution and government of Rome at the time of the Hannibalic War was by far the best of any form of government ever set up by any other nation (Polybius pg. 311). The Hannibalic War took place from 218-201 B.C., Polybius (205-118 B.C.) was writing in the second century B.C. (quotationspage.com/author.php?author=Polybius). To Polybius the greatness of Romes government was that it combined three forms of government; aristocracy, monarchy, and democracy and utilized the best aspects of each while each had some form of a check and balance on the others to help curb the vices of each (Polybius pg. 317). Polybius believed Rome had set up a balanced constitution that had advantages over any others, but he did not foresee the political and social pressu res that led to the downfall of the Roman republic. Roman government consisted of two consuls, the Senate, and the people. Consuls were an elected office. The people were represented by an assembly and elected tribunes, of which there were originally two to match the two consuls. There were other magistracies in the Roman government, but they are not necessary to mention for this paper. The Senate was made up of the men who had held consulship, been tribune, or held any other magistracies (Shelton pg. 207). Once a man was a member of the Senate he was so for life (Shelton pg. 207). The consul, the people and the Senate represent the three kinds of governments (monarchy, democracy and aristocracy) that Polybius believed balanced Romes constitution and set it apart from others (Polybius pg. 311). For Polybius the Roman constitution, its form of government, carried out by three branches, was so interdependent and checked and...

College Spotlight Series: Everything You Need to Know About Yale

Yale University stands as one of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in the United States, often mentioned in the same breath with luminaries like Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. The popular US News and World Report rankings place it in a tie for #3 in the National Universities category, and its alums are well-represented in positions of leadership and excellence in the United States and throughout the world. Given this reputation, it’s unsurprising that Yale is a popular choice for motivated students applying to competitive colleges. However, Yale isn’t just a big name; it’s also a real place where real people live, work, and learn. The school has its own culture, traditions, and particular character that makes it an especially good fit for certain applicants. Likewise, getting accepted to Yale isn’t just about proving your academic aptitude. It’s a competitive and challenging admission process that addresses not only your grades and scores, but the potential and perspective you bring to campus and how well you fit with Yale’s approach to college education. Gathering knowledge is a necessity when you’re crafting a successful application for a college like Yale and deciding whether it’s the right fit for you. Read on for all the basics facts about Yale you’ll need to get started with your research. Current enrollment: 5,472 undergraduates, 12,458 students in total Average financial aid award: $48,294 (2015-16) Average SAT score: 1545 (roughly equivalent to 2265 on the old SAT) Yale is well-known for its culture of academic excellence and intellectual rigor. Its students are people who take their education seriously and intend to prepare themselves for leadership roles in the future, though this doesn’t prevent them from having other interests and goals. Undergraduates make up slightly less than half of Yale’s medium-large student body of over 12,000 students, meaning that graduate and professional students do take up some of the resources on campus. However, you don’t need to worry that undergraduates won’t get their share of attention. Yale takes its commitment to high-quality undergraduate education very seriously, and is ranked in US News and World Report’s top 10 schools for undergraduate teaching. As with most colleges on this tier, Yale is an expensive place to go to school. The most recent figure for tuition places that charge at $51,400 per year, and the total cost of attendance for most students is around $64,275 per year. Yale awards only need-based financial aid , meaning it does not provide athletic, academic, or other merit scholarships . However, this need-based financial aid is very generous for students who qualify, and many students end up paying significantly less than their full cost of attendance. Yale’s aid awards are also entirely composed of grant-based aid, meaning that no student is required to take out student loans. Yale’s main campus is located in the downtown area of New Haven, Connecticut. The university owns various properties, including athletic facilities, that are separate from this main campus, but if you attend Yale, the main campus is where you’ll most likely spend your time. New Haven is not far from the urban center of New York City, making the larger city a popular destination for students on weekends and breaks as well as a resource for academic and career development. The campus itself, however, has plenty of charms. It’s well-known for its architectural and historical significance, and was even named the most beautiful college campus in the United States in 2011 by Town & Country Magazine. The most popular academic majors at Yale fall within the fields of economics, political science and government, history, psychology, and biology. In recent decades, Yale has produced a large number of alums who have become significant figures in government and politics, giving the school a reputation as a place where future political leaders are formed. Of course, these aren’t the only areas of academic excellence you’ll find at Yale; the school’s resources and prestige draw well-known scholars and foster top-tier scholarship in many different areas. One area of special interest is Yale’s drama program, which has trained many of today’s leading actors and other media professionals. Yale students are committed to their studies, but they’re just as eager to pursue challenges and activities outside the classroom. The campus is home to over 380 student groups at present, and new groups and programs are always in the works. If you can’t find your preferred activity, you’ll always have the opportunity to create it for yourself. Competitive and informal athletic teams at Yale include the infamous sport of â€Å"bladderball,† a Yale tradition that has been banned by administrators and revived several times. The well-known a capella group the Whiffenpoofs is only one of many performing arts groups on campus, and other activities include a wide range of cultural groups, political organizations, and the Yale Record, the oldest college humor magazine in the country. Like Harvard, Princeton, and quite a few other top-tier schools, Yale’s student housing is arranged according to a residential college system. Most students live on campus within these smaller residential communities. Residential colleges provide students with a place to live, eat, socialize, and find support within the larger Yale community. Each college has associated faculty members and advisors who mingle with students, provide resources, and help organize community events. Our Early Advising Program helps students in 9th and 10th grade discover their passions and build strong academic and extracurricular profiles to succeed in high school. Yale receives over 30,000 applications every year for a matriculating class that usually ends up numbering around 1,300, so the admissions process is quite competitive. In the past few years, only about 6% of applicants have been accepted, and about 70% of those accepted have chosen to attend Yale. Given the large number of applicants, many of whom have very strong qualifications, Yale should always be considered a reach school when you’re making your college list. There simply isn’t enough room for all qualified applicants, so some impressive high school students will inevitably be turned down. Broadly speaking, successful Yale applicants are students who have demonstrated intellectual promise and an ongoing commitment to academic excellence. Their very high GPAs and standardized test scores reflect this level of achievement. However, especially given the strength of the applicant pool, top grades and scores aren’t enough to get you admitted to Yale. You’ll also have to show that you have the potential and the drive to take full advantage of the opportunities that your time at Yale will offer. Yale is looking for students who will not only excel in the classroom, but also use their talents to make a unique impact on the world. Yale offers applicants a choice between the Early Action timeline and the Regular Decision timeline. Early Action applicants submit applications by November 1st and receive their admissions decisions in mid-December. Regular Decision applicants submit applications by January 2nd and receive responses by late March. Both groups of applicants have until May 1st to decide whether to accept Yale’s offer. If you’re considering the Early Action timeline, you should keep in mind that Yale’s Early Action program is what’s known as a single-choice or restrictive Early Action program. This means that you’re not contractually obligated to attend if you’re accepted, but you won’t be permitted to apply to any other colleges in the Early Action or Early Decision round. For more information, take a look at the blog post 6 Things to Consider Before Early Application Deadlines. Applicants to Yale can choose to use either the Common Application or the Coalition Application . Neither form is preferred, so you can choose whichever suits you best. Along with the main Common or Coalition application form, you’ll need to submit Yale’s application supplement, which will ask you a number of additional questions. Your answers will range from a sentence or two to a full essay, and the number of questions you’ll answer depends upon which application form you choose and which academic subject you list as your prospective major. Yale requires applicants to submit scores from the SAT with essay or the ACT with writing; SAT II subject tests and AP tests are recommended, but not required. You’ll also need to submit two teacher recommendations , your transcript, a counselor recommendation and report from your school, and an $80 application fee or fee waiver. Applying to Yale—or to any similar top-tier school—can be a very challenging process. Expectations are high, competition is stiff, and there’s a lot to do before you submit your application. To give yourself the best chance of getting accepted, it’s necessary that you put in the time to get to know Yale and its expectations. We hope this information puts you on the right track toward making informed college choices! Interested in learning more about applying to Yale and other Ivy League schools? Don’t forget to visit the Yale undergraduate admissions office website . When you’re done, check out these posts from the blog for our best advice. Everybody can use a little help with the college application process, and ’s experienced mentors are here to provide that help. We can assist you in identifying your passions, setting appropriate goals, preparing for college application season, and making the most out of your time in high school. For more information about the services we offer, visit our Student Mentorship Program on our website.

Research and findings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research and findings - Essay Example Some of his furniture is a re-work of initial ideas like the combination of a part of a chair and that of a steel material. He is a great designer and studied technology to the professor level in furniture design and industrial design2. The big easy chair is a very famous piece of furniture that was designed and created by Ron Arad particularly for Moroso. This chair is made of a frame from steel material that has stress resistant foam made of polyurethane and also polyester fiber. Although this cover cannot be removed, the armchair has both the properties of a waterproof material and also resistant to light. This makes it easy to use the chair, as it is portable and can be used both outside and inside. It is a rotational chair that can be molded and recycled with colored polythene. The main advantages of this chair are that, it can be used for both outdoor and indoor activities. It is also essential to note that it is waterproof hence, resistant to fade3. This was the first piece of furniture chair that was produced by Ron Arad. This piece of furniture is a fusion of two ideas. The ideas came from readymade of Kee-Klamp scaffolding which was designed originally in the 1930s. The other part that clumps onto the Kee-Klump is the seat of scrap yard which came from a Rover 200. This chair is basically a combination of a car chair with a frame of structural tubing. The frames are what provide the arm and feet rest for the individual sitting on this chair. In 1981, this chair was sold almost at three times its production cost due to its attractive nature. The seat is made of leather while the frames painted in black made of steel material.4 These two designers made it big in the early 1907 to 1978. They were modern architects and also designed furniture. They worked in the industrial and also graphic design including film and fine art. Charles worked in a steel company where he

The Division of Labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Division of Labor - Essay Example The role of people at a different level are labor specific and conform to the specified exchange of service that is needed to perform at that level therefore what is being exchanged becomes more important to who is exchanging. The social division of labor is characterized by complexities in the social hierarchy and traditions in any cultural production that is focused towards development and often results in conflicts. These conflicts basically comprise of developmental issues and ideological contradictions which arise due to disparate social exchanges, promoting social stratification on the basis of class, race, and culture. Within a wider spectrum of social issues which focus on division of labor, conflicts arise because of varying interests of the state and individual during cultural production in a developmental process. Cultural production signifies construction of collective identities on the basis of cultural diversification and therefore, the platform that promotes this production stresses the importance of the technical division of labor that emphasizes the specialized type of labor inputs, required for the different level of production. The technical division of labor, therefore, has become more job specific and highly skilled. The rapid globalization and technological advancement of the recent time have greatly revolutionized the labor processes. With the advent of technology, the collective production has become more complex. There is a significant paradigm shift in the technical division of labor from direct to indirect model that is focused on regulation, administration, improvement, and innovation to meet the challenges of the changing time.

Knowledge and Plato Essay Example for Free

Knowledge and Plato Essay Plato is one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy and has had an impact on nearly every philosopher from all time periods. Alongside his mentor Socrates and his student Aristotle, Plato created some of the most significant works in philosophy; ultimately building the framework for western philosophic education. The dialogues of his works are wide ranging, from focuses on life and reality beyond what we see and hear, and subjects as practical rules, laws, education and punishment. Historians believe that Plato was born between 427 and 429 BC in Athens, Greece. Born in to an aristocratic family, Plato was involved in politics from an early age; however, he did not stay on the traditional political path for long. In Plato’s work The Republic, his ideas were to transform and improve political life, as he knew there was no escaping it. As the result of an early failure, Plato came to the conclusion that political action would not stop violence and greed, which is what changed his philosophic approach. It is believed that Plato met his mentor, Socrates, in his youth and his education under Socrates shaped his ideas about the world. Socrates played a role in almost all of Plato’s works and was a robust influence in Plato’s life and ideas. Plato was a believer in the importance of ethics and true self-introspection. In many of his writings, he references the importance of self-reflection; â€Å"First and best victory is to conquer self, to be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and objectionable. †1 Plato was also passionate about music and its importance in education. He stated, â€Å"I would teach children music, physics and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning. † 2 Many of Plato’s later works were profoundly influenced by the idea of the soul and the concept of dualism, meaning the separation of the mind and the body. 3 He believed that the real reality is not what we see or what we hear but is something that subsists in a higher realm beyond our day to day life. Many of his ideas on the soul influence a multitude of religions today as he believed that a human’s soul is immortal and that the soul is separate from our physical being. In 387 BC Plato founded what is credited as the first European university, The Academy, in Athens, Greece. The Academy focused on subjects such as astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. While at the Academy, Plato wrote many of his most significant works, including The Republic. 4 Plato spent his time at The Academy encouraging students to learn through discussion in order to become freethinkers. Plato even felt that his works and dialogues should be used more as supplementary aids and that no one should rely solely on what they read in a book or dialogue. Plato’s dialogues are used to this day to aid in the teaching of subjects ranging from philosophy to math. Plato’s out of the box thinking will continue to be thought provoking and influential for thousands of years to come. Many of his idealisms are still taking place in teachings and the living of every day life. His diverse subjects and desire for equality will continue to bring positive motivation to those study his works. Bibliography Cooper, John M. , and D. S. Hutchinson. Complete works. Indianapolis, Ind. : Hackett Pub. , 1997. Hunt, Lynn , Thomas Martin, Barbara Rosenwein, and Bonnie Smith. From the Classical to the Hellenistic World. In The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. 114-115. Richard, Kraut. Plato (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/plato/#PlaCenDoc (accessed September 23, 2013).

Marketing :: essays research papers

WELFARE STATE- A social system whereby the state assumes primary responsibility for the welfare of its citizens.It was created by FDR during the New Deal. TRADITIONAL ECONOMY-It's a characteristic of unendustrialized society. Societies that produce tradition in the old fashioned way where the son inherits the job that the father had. It's harder for that economy to modernize when people are fixed in certain roles and traditional occupations. NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT-In 1935, guaranteed workers the right to orgonize unions adn forbade employers to adopt unfair labor practices. This marked the beginning of the rise of the uninization in the US. JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES-British economist who proposed that high unemployment, being a result of insufficient consumer spending, could be relieved by government-sponsored programs. WAR ON POVERTY-It was a program of Linden Johnson where in 1964, in kansian style he sought to spend a lot of money to end the problem of poverty in the US. OPEC- Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. It was an organization of primarily Middle Eastern oil producing countries that vurtually crippled the economy for many nations when they raised the price of oil. Cap ·i ·tal ·ism-An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation of profits gained in a free market. Dust Bowl-this was th ephenomenon during the depression in 1932 on were large area of the Middle West in the US due to drought the top soil became so dry that the winds came and blew this dust all over the place. Agriculture was just strangled and people had to move out of mid-west. Bretton Woods-In 1946, this agreement established taht the value of the US dollar in terms of gold would be fixed at $35 per ouns, and other curancies would be valued at fixed ate in relations to the dollar indirectly to gold. It established the US as the leader in world trade and it really defines the begining of the golden age capitalism. Deindustrialization-the decline in production due to the change in the economy. It refers to the end of heavy industry of steel production, factory work. It is replacing it with McDonalds, Banks,etc. STAGFLATION-slow economic growth coupled with a high rate of inflation and unemployment. It is the end of the Golden Age in 1973. CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS- it was part of the first new deal. It was when the gov't put millions of young men to work in conservation projects

Park and Sprague

The average American life expectancy is at 75 years, which reflects an increasing population of Senior citizens projected to reach around 80 million when year 2050 comes around. This is also true with countries as developed as the USA and that of Korea estimating to be at one for every five persons belonging to the senior category. What is also projected is the fact that also by 2050, more Americans will live at 85 and above at a 30 percent increase of the population.This implies a lot of things; mainly, the need for continuing care will be increased as facilities for such arrangements obviously have to be taken cared of or planned as well (Park and Sprague, 2007). Changing values in the family, the fact of urbanization and improved financial capabilities of those reaching their senior years account for this increased need for continuing care retirement institutions. The picture of current sophisticated nursing care for the elderly is no longer confined to the typical home for the ag ed.Today’s communities prepared for those in their retirement years take into consideration the sense of independence or autonomy of senior adults, the preservation of their dignity and especially the needed care of each unique individuals, making the residents feel that home becomes an integral ambience of their stay (Park and Sprague, 2007). Definitely, the challenges that are distinctive of the senior years include first and foremost the physical decline of the elderly.This alone cascades into several ramifications including the loss or diminished use of some sensory capacities such as loss of touch and impairment of hearing and visual capabilities (â€Å"Factors in the elder care decision. † 2005). Reduced strength becomes a source of daily struggle since motor reflexes become slow as energy levels are equally diminishing (Park and Sprague, 2007). With these changes, the decision to commit elderly to the care of professionals in institutions is usually made when al l the advantages and disadvantages have been considered.Advantages include having the facilities such as residential care social services where the physical needs are virtually taken cared of; senior community center where the social interactions are looked after to alleviate loneliness and sense of detachment from the family and the community; independent housing, and nursing home care where the health is maintained and diseases are reduced to a minimum; all the needs of the elderly have been thought of and designed basing on the continuum of care concept (â€Å"Factors in the elder care decision.† 2005). Bathing, meals, and medications are practically relieved from the care of the immediate relatives and provided for by trained personnel. In addition, the elderly who can hardly sustain themselves are provided with skilled nursing facilities; those who have become totally dependent such as the bedridden and myriad health problems (Park and Sprague, 2007). Disadvantages start with the rent or cost which is understandably high.Some residential areas may be lower in cost but the isolation may complicate or worsen the health conditions of those who become lonely for their loved ones and other vital connections. Other disadvantages are the risks of physical abuse and neglect which are not hundred percent guaranteed in some or many facilities despite the promise of administrative personnel to their clients. In addition, there may limitations as to the number of residents that a facility may take in; hence it may take a while to apply and be accepted in some of the excellent communities.Questions arise whether excellent care is actually given to the elderly, or whether the staffs that are hired are actually knowledgeable and skilled to take care of the individual clients (Park and Sprague, 2007). In conclusion, the relatives or loved ones of the elderly will eventually make their decision on affordability and sense of security that they feel concerning the pr ospective community that they will confine their elderly into (â€Å"Factors in the elder care decision.† 2005). Studies reveal that most elderly have maintained and/restored vitality when confined to the care of these trained professionals. On the other hand, it would probably be all important that decisions be made exhaustively, as residents may find their options are decisions they need to accept as lifetime (Krooks and Stoppel, 2007) as they will be leaving homes and loved ones, and in all probability will include the decision to sell their residential abodes. Reference:Krooks, Bernard and Kirsten Stoppel. 2000. Continuing Care Retirement Communities. Accessed February 18, 2008

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

The play â€Å"A doll’s house† is written by Henrik Ibsen and was adapted into a film in 1973. It deals with gender discrimination in the Victorian age. It highlights specifically the paths women of the West have treaded to find respect and equality. Ibsen makes it possible to imagine the barbarities that existed within the law and society of those times. Through the years, controversial writings like these, have intentionally or unintentionally forced women to rise up and reclaim their rightful legal and civil rights. In the Victorian Period law dictated that property; children and income belonged solely to men. Divorce or Separation was unthinkable. Women who worked were frowned upon by society. Their status was equivalent to the slaves, criminals or the insane. The main role of a woman was to reproduce children, keep the house clean, and feed the children while their husbands worked. It is sad that although women in the developed world have found equal rights in this century through various equal rights acts and amendments however the women of the developing world still lack basic rights and struggle everyday between gender power relationships. The entire film takes place at Mr. and Mrs. Torvald Helmer’s Apartment. The film is set in Norway in the late 1800’s during Christmas time. This one room shows various shades of hypocrisy, discrimination, arrogance and dishonesty exhibited by society. The room is a microscopic vision of the world. It shows the plight and suffering of every woman in every household all around the world. The fact that Nora does not leave the room throughout the film shows how she is entrapped in this Victorian Doll House. The protagonist of the film is Nora, a Victorian middle class woman. She is ruled by her husband and complete oblivious to her state of unfulfillment. She is thrown into a difficult situation and to protect her husband and family commits forgery. Unaware of the legal consequences she tries dishonestly to obtain a loan. She sits on a puffy pink cloud thinking that her special status would always protect her and her kids in the eye of the state. However, the law expects her to know better. The hypocrisy of the system hits Nora and she tries to break out of her Victorian Doll like shell. She desires a life less frivolous, so she decides to work independently and earn money. She starts enjoying this new found freedom. Her relationship with her husband also spirals downwards and sows the seed of doubt and self reflection. Ibsen broke boundaries when he ended the original play with Nora rebelling against her husband, her father and ultimately the patriarchal society. However, the controversial ending caused shock and disagreement and forced him to change the ending. He later on lived to regret the change. The theme of the play made audiences agree that women should get equal pay for equal work; equal rights to enjoy an independent self sufficient life; rights to child custody and divorce; equal stature in legal matters; Equal access to knowledge. It is unfortunate that Victorian times were so suffocating that Nora had to leave her husband or she would continue to be treated as nothing more than a mere rag doll. She was just an inanimate object, dispensable by others and deserved no respect, rights or esteem. Works Cited Page: Johnston, Ian. (July 2000). On Ibsen's A Doll's House. Johnstonia. Retrieved April 3rd 200. http://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/introser/ibsen.htm Gillis, G. J. and Westhagen, Jen. SparkNote on A Doll’s House. 2 Apr. 2007 .          A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen The play â€Å"A doll’s house† is written by Henrik Ibsen and was adapted into a film in 1973. It deals with gender discrimination in the Victorian age. It highlights specifically the paths women of the West have treaded to find respect and equality. Ibsen makes it possible to imagine the barbarities that existed within the law and society of those times. Through the years, controversial writings like these, have intentionally or unintentionally forced women to rise up and reclaim their rightful legal and civil rights. In the Victorian Period law dictated that property; children and income belonged solely to men. Divorce or Separation was unthinkable. Women who worked were frowned upon by society. Their status was equivalent to the slaves, criminals or the insane. The main role of a woman was to reproduce children, keep the house clean, and feed the children while their husbands worked. It is sad that although women in the developed world have found equal rights in this century through various equal rights acts and amendments however the women of the developing world still lack basic rights and struggle everyday between gender power relationships. The entire film takes place at Mr. and Mrs. Torvald Helmer’s Apartment. The film is set in Norway in the late 1800’s during Christmas time. This one room shows various shades of hypocrisy, discrimination, arrogance and dishonesty exhibited by society. The room is a microscopic vision of the world. It shows the plight and suffering of every woman in every household all around the world. The fact that Nora does not leave the room throughout the film shows how she is entrapped in this Victorian Doll House. The protagonist of the film is Nora, a Victorian middle class woman. She is ruled by her husband and complete oblivious to her state of unfulfillment. She is thrown into a difficult situation and to protect her husband and family commits forgery. Unaware of the legal consequences she tries dishonestly to obtain a loan. She sits on a puffy pink cloud thinking that her special status would always protect her and her kids in the eye of the state. However, the law expects her to know better. The hypocrisy of the system hits Nora and she tries to break out of her Victorian Doll like shell. She desires a life less frivolous, so she decides to work independently and earn money. She starts enjoying this new found freedom. Her relationship with her husband also spirals downwards and sows the seed of doubt and self reflection. Ibsen broke boundaries when he ended the original play with Nora rebelling against her husband, her father and ultimately the patriarchal society. However, the controversial ending caused shock and disagreement and forced him to change the ending. He later on lived to regret the change. The theme of the play made audiences agree that women should get equal pay for equal work; equal rights to enjoy an independent self sufficient life; rights to child custody and divorce; equal stature in legal matters; Equal access to knowledge. It is unfortunate that Victorian times were so suffocating that Nora had to leave her husband or she would continue to be treated as nothing more than a mere rag doll. She was just an inanimate object, dispensable by others and deserved no respect, rights or esteem. Works Cited Page: Johnston, Ian. (July 2000). On Ibsen's A Doll's House. Johnstonia. Retrieved April 3rd 200. http://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/introser/ibsen.htm Gillis, G. J. and Westhagen, Jen. SparkNote on A Doll’s House. 2 Apr. 2007 .         

Comparative and Superlative Forms Lesson Plan

Comparative and Superlative Forms Lesson Plan The similarity of certain grammar structures, such as conditional forms and linking language, lend themselves to teaching in larger chunks, rather than focusing on one form at a time. This is also true of the comparative and superlative forms. Introducing both the comparative and the superlative simultaneously students can begin speaking about a wide variety of subjects in a more natural form that makes more sense contextually. The correct use of the comparative and superlative forms is a key ingredient when students are learning how to express their opinion or make comparative judgments. The following lesson focuses on first building understanding of the structure - and of the similarity between the two forms - inductively, as most students are at least passively familiar with the forms. The second phase of the lesson focuses on using the comparative and superlative forms actively in a small group conversation. Aim: Learning the comparative and superlative Activity: Inductive grammar learning exercise followed by small group discussion Level: Pre-intermediate to intermediate Lesson Outline Activate students awareness of the comparative and superlative by comparing three objects of your choice. For example, compare life in the US, the country where you are teaching and another country of your choice.Ask students questions based on what you have told them.Have students pair up and ask them to complete the first exercise on the worksheet.Based on their completion of the first task, ask students to give you the rules for the construction of the comparative form. You will probably have to point out that a three letter word following the CVC (consonant : big - biggerHave students complete the second exercise on the worksheet.Based on their completion of the second task, ask students to give you the rules for the construction of the superlative form. Make sure that students are aware of the similarities in construction between the two forms.Have students get into small groups of three to four and choose one of the topic headings for their group. Ask groups to then decide on three objects in the topic area to compare and contrast verbally.Have students write five to ten sentences based on their conversation using the comparative and superlative forms. It might be useful to ask them to write a specific amount of both comparative and superlative sentences. Exercises Read the sentences below and then give the comparative form for each of the adjectives listed.​ Tennis is a more difficult sport than Rugby.I think John is happier now than a year ago.Could you open the window, please? Its getting hotter in this room by the minute.interesting ___________weak ___________funny ___________important ___________careful ___________big ___________small ___________polluted ___________boring ___________angry ___________ Read the sentences below and then give the superlative form for each of the adjectives listed. New York has got to be the most exciting city in the world.His biggest desire is to return home.She is probably the angriest person I know.interesting ___________weak ___________funny ___________important ___________careful ___________big ___________small ___________polluted ___________boring ___________angry ___________ Choose one of the topics below and think of three examples from that topic, e.g. for sports, examples are football, basketball and surfing. Compare the three objects. CitiesSportsWritersFilmsInventionsCars

Felony Inmates Reintegration Back Into Society Essay

Felony Inmates Reintegration Back Into Society - Essay Example There are various felony crimes that could be committed and that have been committed. According to Criminal Law Attorney, felony crimes constitute offenses which are more serious and heavier than misdemeanor crimes like public intoxication and petty theft (2012). The penalty for felony crimes includes fines, incarceration and other punitive punishments. A person convicted of felony crime in a court of law is referred to as a felon (Hattery & Smith, 2010). The rights of convicted felons would often be revoked, for example, the right to vote, the right to bear arms and the right to offer service in the military. Felony crimes could be categorized according to the degree which shows the severity of crime. Of all the felony crimes in this categorization, the most serious are first degree crimes. The definitions of these degrees vary depending on the state or federal laws applicable and also depending on the presiding jurisdiction. While some felony offenders would be tried through the system of state criminal justice, others would be tried through the federal court system. These would be governed by state laws and federal laws respectively. This means that despite the similarity in some types of felony crimes, the outcome could be different depending on where they were tried. Similarly, these crimes could be categorized into two; ones that are violent by intent or act and those ones that are not. Non-violent felony crimes are usually considered as white collar crimes. They would mostly be committed in businesses or professional set-ups with the aim of gaining financially at the expense of another person’s loss. ... These convictions make up about 4% of federal convictions as compared to over 16% in state convictions (Hattery & Smith, 2010). Arson refers to an offense that involves maliciously damaging a building, vessel, inhabited structure or any property through fire or explosive (Travis & Visher, 2005). There are other felony offenses that are neither violent in nature nor intent and include burglary, fraud, forgery and larceny. O’Brien (2010) observed that about 67% of convictions for property felony crimes lead to incarceration. Other non-violent crimes include drug trafficking and possession and about 90% of those convicted of crimes related to drugs face incarceration (Hattery & Smith, 2010). The penalties for felony have been classified into tiers depending on each state’s arrangement. They are often categorized in alphabetical and numerical classes like Class 1, Class A and first degree felony, with crimes in a class bearing similar punishment. Other categories could incl ude Class 2, Class B and second degree classes and Class 3, Class C and third class felonies. Murder felony charges and capital punishment would be in their own category. Federal felony classifications have crimes divided from Class A to Class E charges, which determine the fine to be charged depending on the severity of crime and the offender’s prior criminal records. Generally, felonies convicted on State level are less harsh than Federal punishments (Allard, 2002). How well do inmates regain or create family bonds after incarceration? The terms of incarceration for felony cases vary greatly but usually above one year and could even go to one having a life sentence. According to Scirmer, Nellis and Mauer, M. (2009), 1.7 million American children had their

World War II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

World War II - Essay Example The Second World War was fought between 1939 and 1945 in Europe, in Russia, North Africa and in Asia. Indeed, the Second World War was lasted longer, was more volatile than the First World War. Moreover, the effects of the World War 1 contributed to the emergence of the World War 11. Children, women, men, military either participated in the war or was adversely affected by the war. Indeed, World War II was a global war that was under way by 1939 and ended in 1945 and largely involved all great powers and their armies in a show of might and dominance. The reference world powers later grouped themselves into two alliances, the Allies and the Axis. The war was fought using high technological weapons of unpredictable destructiveness in unsurpassed numbers with the ultimate use of the atomic bomb. It remains the most widespread and destructive war in history. Indeed about, 100 million people participated in the war where there was use of nuclear weapons. So significant was the war that th e participants sacrificed all their scientific capabilities and economic positions to succeed in the war. This paper will give the background, the causes, the participants, and the sequence of the war, the results, and the impact of the World War 11. ... The treaty equally set out the size and capability of the country's armed forces. Moreover, Benito Mussolini led the Fascist movement in seizing power in Italy between 1921 and 1925. As such, he replaced representative democracy and repressed socialist to force Italy to become a world power. At the same time, there were developments in Germany where  Adolf Hitler led  in establishing a fascist government in Germany. These developments worried UK and France where they consequently formed the Stresa Front with an aim of containing Germany. However, Italy invaded Ethiopia with Germany being the only major European nation to support the invasion with a trade in that allowed Italy to support Germany in absorbing Austria. Adolf Hitler on the other hand defied the Treaty of Versailles and  Locarno by reinstating his military  in March 1936. Indeed, Hitler and Mussolini supported the fascists while the soviet supported the Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil war in 1936 where both parties tested their new weapons and methods of warfare in readiness for war. Subsequent attacks followed later with Japan capturing Beijing, China in 1937 as Germany annexed Austria in 1938 (Marshall Cavendish Corporation 12). Additionally, Germany and Slovakia attacked Poland in 1939. As a result of this countries of common wealth were mobilized by France and Britain to declared war on Germany. As such, by 3 September, Britain and France were at war with Germany where Australia, South Africa, Canada, and New Zealand joined them in a weeks’ time. This marked the beginning of the Second World War. The Home front of the war was Britain because the Britons felt that