Macro economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Macro economics - Assignment Example High rates of inflation affect the output of the economy and influence the growth of the economy. A permanent or long lasting inflation shock affects the economy on a larger note. On the other hand, the continuous rate of deflation leads to a persistent decline of prices and affects the economy at large1;2. With this regard, the assignment elaborates the present issue of euro zone with respect to the below target inflation rate. The different consequences that may arise due to deflation have been elaborated in the paper. Furthermore, the different macroeconomic tools that are available to avoid such side effects have been detailed. Inflation rates that are prevalent within a country help in determining the different monetary policies important within an economy. Inflation rates help in determining various conceptions predominant for determining monetary policies of a nation. The monetary policies guide in developing different economic frameworks to be determined within an economy. The below target of inflation affects the economy on a whole and has a major impact on the output of a nation. The long run inflation targets are one of the major issues that help in determining the different economic operations of a nation. Inflation rates that are operating in a nation determine the interest rates and the value of money at large. Inflation rates can never be zero, as this would be highly unrealistic and would lead to a larger fall in the value of money within the economy. Both continuous rise and fall in the rate of inflation has adverse effects on overall economy of a nation. Below target inflation, for a continuo us rate may lead to a steep fall in GDP and even lead to a fall in the value of money3;4. With the above mentioned concepts, the below target inflation rate in the Eurozone has been lower than the estimated rate of inflation for a given tenure. This is even noted that the specific monetary as well as fiscal policies that are

The Persian Letters by Montesquieu :: Persian Letters Montesquieu

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book The Persian Letters by Montesquieu is a fictional novel that was written by the author so he could comment on the society in which he was living. This novel has served as a good example of the ideas that were present during the early Enlightenment. There are many ideas and themes that Montesquieu discusses by using the point of view of two Persian travelers in Europe that correspond with letters to each other and others back in Persia. By using a foreigner's perspective, Montesquieu was able to present things in a way that gave a much more lasting effect then if he had used two Frenchman commenting on their own country. Through the many themes in the book, one that is prevalent is Montesquieu's attitude and ideas towards religion. The use of a Muslim Persian is quite effective in commenting on Christianity because the religions are alike in that they are both monotheistic, which can be good for drawing comparisons. Montesquieu believes that God is just an d obedience to his laws is crucial. He does not see anything wrong with having different religions because all of them have precepts that are useful to society. All the different religions promote obedience to the law and require their followers to be good and just. He believes that even if there was no God these ideas can still help society function correctly. Montesquieu also criticizes numerous aspects of established religion and shows that he sees it as useless and so he responds to it with indifference. He feels God's precepts are of the greatest importance and that is exactly what has been lost from the established church. Montesquieu's beliefs were also similar to many of the other philosophes. They criticized the established church and 'certainly opposed the ritual forms of both Catholic and Protestant worship'; (O'Brien et al 631).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of Montesquieu's key arguments throughout the novel when dealing with religion is that God's precepts are more important then anything else. He says 'for, whatever religion one may have, obedience to the laws, love of mankind, and respect for one's parents are always the principal acts of religion'; and no matter what your religion is, you should acknowledge 'God loves mankind, since he founded a religion to make them happy; †¦ and you are certain to please him by loving them also; that is to say performing all the duties of charity and humanity towards them, and in not violating the laws under which they live'; (101).

Human Trafficking in Africa Essay

Human trafficking is not a new phenomenon. It has historically taken different forms but always new dimensions. Human trafficking is a complex phenomenon that is multi-faceted and which involves several stakeholders both at the institutional as well as commercial level. Research reveals that up to 900 000 people are trafficked every year around the globe (Adepoju 2005). Human trafficking is rated as third in terms of the biggest profit earners (at about $7 billion) after drugs and armaments for international organised crime. It is described as a global business that is demand driven because of the huge market for commercial sex and cheap labour that are tackled by policy frameworks that are either insufficient or unexercised. The number of trained people to prevent this vice is also insufficient. Traffickers understand that while they can make profit only once on drugs, the same person can be sold overt and over again earning them infinite profit. Studies also show that the primary victims of human trafficking are women and children (Adepoju et al. , 2008). According to Hagen (2004), these victims are primarily sold into forced marriage, sexual slavery or various forms of debt bondage and forced labour. Adepoju (2005) explains that poverty is the key driving force for the supply of humans for trafficking. Other forces include poor education standards as well as lack of employment that make people vulnerable to traffickers (Adepoju 2005). The human trafficking industry which is responding to the escalating demands for cheap and malleable labour as well as an increasingly expanding sex industry that has been globalised assures a ready supply to meet that demand (Altman 2003). According to statistics, developing and third world countries such as those in Asia and Africa are more prone to human trafficking and in fact report highest incidences of this vice (Coday 2003). The rate of human trafficking is said to be escalating in Africa as years pass by. South, west and Central Africa report the highest incidences of human trafficking. War torn areas in other regions such as eastern Africa are also reported to experience higher rates of child trafficking (Sita 2003). Factors that Contribute to Human Trafficking in Africa Poverty has been cited as the primary cause of human trafficking in the world. In Africa, it is worse as most people live in poverty. Poverty as a result of unemployment, poor education and war increases the vulnerability of population to the deceptions of human traffickers. According to (Fitzgibbon (2003), human traffickers target poor people with promises of better job opportunities and employment in the places they bare going to. Destitute families who are not able to provide support to their children are in fact most vulnerable to traffickers’ persuasion to sell them or hire them out (Mooney, Knox & Schacht 2008). Girls, who are perceived to be the weaker gender in Africa are the most susceptible to commercial exploitation. Because of the desperation and desire to end their situations, poor people are easily convinced by traffickers either through deception of better jobs or convincing of families to sell out their children for a certain amount of money (Fitzgibbon 2003). Poverty contributes largest to multinational trafficking as vulnerable persons are promised of greater things in European and Asian (particularly the Middle East) countries. Gender discrimination is also widespread in Africa and is one of the factors contributing to the high rates of human trafficking in the region. It denies women of their rights making them defenceless against such vices (Truong 2006). Gender discrimination is also characterised by attitudes that perceive women and girls to be inferior and weak encouraging their objectification (Masika 2002). This objectification and tolerance of violence against women as a result of gender discrimination support the existence and continued trafficking practices that deliver women and girls into in atrocious working conditions (Truong 2006) Africa also happens to be one of the most affected regions by the effects of HIV AIDS and in particular orphanage. AIDS has been identified as one of the factors that contribute to the escalating human trafficking in Africa mainly because of family disintegration it causes through death (Kristof 2000). Millions of African children have been orphaned by AIDS and left to live in poverty, fending for themselves with no one to look after them. Such children are very vulnerable to traffickers who deceive them with promises of better lives. In their innocence and desperation, orphaned children end up being victims of human trafficking trade (Beeks & Amir 2006). Child prostitution and normal prostitution as a result of poverty and orphanage is also prevalent in Africa (O’Connell & Sanchez 1996) Such women are more prone to emotional intimidation which makes them vulnerable and easily moved into the hands of traffickers (Kristof 2000). Such individuals are often trafficked for sexual exploitation abroad. Armed conflicts are also very common in most African countries. In addition to destroying livelihoods, armed conflicts destroy national economies and bring about mass population movements. The heightened insecurity during wars makes women and children more vulnerable and promotes dramatic survival tactics including prostitution (Martens et al. , 2003). During these tomes, women and children are often abducted into armed factions where children are used as armed soldiers and the women are sexually exploited (usually raped) (DeStefano 2007). These conflicts increase the number of orphans and widows. One of the endemic characteristics of armed conflicts is intensified poverty for survivors, particularly orphans, widows and those families that are headed by females. This increases the vulnerability of these groups to traffickers. Migration of people as a response to insecurity and armed conflict results creation of large refugee populations which expose the most vulnerable groups (Hollenbach 2008). African countries have also remained indifferent and lack domestic commitment to protection of those vulnerable to trafficking through awareness, legislation, information and training of the responsible authorities to provide the protection (Sita 2003). Most laws on human trafficking are lenient. Penalties for those found guilty of trafficking humans are not severe. In some countries such as Kenya, the maximum sentence one gets if found guilty of child trafficking is 15 years and sometimes these offenders are set free because of corruption that manifests itself in the region. It should be noted that human trafficking is a very lucrative business with estimated annual profits of up to $ 10 billion (Adepoju 2005). Such individuals get away freely in countries with corrupt systems which most in Africa unfortunately are. Most African countries have weak state structures which are as a result of the turmoil of transitional economies (Hart, 2009). Such structures encourage an environment that favours predatory criminal groups/organisations. Such economies are usually dominated by parallel structures that thrive through intimidation and fear which replace state security (Ciment & Shanty 2008). The fact that these networks are widespread and the perception that they have the ability to get even with victims and their families strengthens their underground nature making investigation difficult because of lack of evidence. Purpose of Human Trafficking People are trafficking for various purposes. Sexual exploitation is one of the main reasons as to why women and female children are trafficked. Other purposes include underpaid and exploitative forced labour in the manufacturing, agricultural, construction and mining industries (Adepoju 2005). Exploitative domestic labour is another reason. It has also been established that children and particularly infants are trafficked for organ harvesting. Strategies used Though the profiles of victims and traffickers vary, the tactics used to deceive, recruit, transport and later exploit the trafficked persons are similar. Victims are more often than not tempted (promised) plausible promises of income, employment and educational opportunities, and sometimes shelter or care within adoptive families in the countries they are being transported to (Marta 2008). Traffickers exploit income and opportunity disparities, poverty and effects of armed conflicts within the region. Case Studies South Africa has been identified as one of the African countries where human trafficking particularly of women and children is most common (Sita 2003). The country is argued to have a large market for the services of trafficked people both from regional as well as extra-regional locations (Cross & Gelderblom 2006). Armed conflict and related dislocation, food insecurity, political and economic turmoil, poor education and lack of employment opportunities, as well as the plight of affliction of the AIDS pestilence make the country a magnet that attracts human migration from all over the continent. Organised crime groups, refugee populations and local traffickers exploit this vulnerable population for agricultural and industrial labour, organ harvesting and sex industry (UNEP 2007). South Africa acts as a transit as well as source country for international market in human trafficking. As a transit hub, South Africa happens to offer direct flights to Asia and Europe. The escalating growth of human trafficking from Africa to the Middle East and Europe implies that South Africa along with other several African countries are already feeding multinational business. It has also been established that internal trafficking also does exist within the continent and the country (Pommerin 2009). According to a study conducted by IOM report (2003), nine distinct patterns of human trafficking have been identified in South Africa. They include trafficking of; women from countries that produce refugees to South Africa (SA), children from Lesotho to Eastern Free State of SA, women and girls from Mozambique to brothels in Kwa Zulu Natal and Gauteng, women from Malawi to SA itself overland and through it to Northern Europe, children (both girls and boys) from Malawi through SA to Northern Europe, women from China, Thailand and Eastern Europe to SA. There are certain factors that contribute to human trafficking in South Africa. According to reports, about 245, 000 children are being exploited for labour including commercial sex (prostitution) making them exposed and vulnerable to exploitation and deception of human traffickers. It is approximated that South Africa has at least 30, 000 children working as prostitutes. Once involved in such an environment, children are easily emotionally intimidated and physically pushed and trapped into trafficking. South Africa also happens to be the regional powerhouse, with a GDP that is almost four times greater than most its neighbours and representing approximately 25% of the entire continent’s GDP. The country is aenjoying a relatively constant economic growth making it an attractive destination for those seeking greener pastures in the region. Traditional migration patterns of labour from the neighbouring countries, the habit of children being sent to their relatives who are better situated in the country by their relatives to be raised and unregulated cross border regulations due to casual border procedures enhance human trafficking (Richards 2004). The capacity of South Africa’s security forces is also challenged by the expensive sea state borders (Pommerin 2009). Unemployment has also increased in the country as a result of retrenchment of migrant labourers from South Africa’s farms and mines in the recent past. This has increased poverty and desperation making the populations vulnerable to traffickers’ deception. Despite the country’s overall economic growth, poverty still is high in both rural and urban areas particularly amongst women and children and is the primary cause of trafficking of these groups. Influx of refugees is one of the practical effects of armed conflict in South Africa’s neighbouring states and extra-regional states. According to studies, refugees are another group that is vulnerable to trafficking because of their desperate situations. In spite of South Africa having a progressive constitution assures gender equality and protection of human rights, gender discrimination has not stopped making women susceptible to traffickers. For South Africa, the apartheid regime legacy is playing a great part in encouraging human trafficking and has to be deconstructed for this trade to stop. Just like most countries, South Africa is yet put in place legislation and policy that will ensure a continued established of a system that will comply with international norms and standards and reinforce responses that are locally and culturally appropriate. The country is however making efforts to curb this internationally prohibited trade. South Africa continues to participate in congresses and campaigns against human and child trafficking such as the First World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Stockholm in 1996. The country has also participated in the Terres des Hommes International Campaign against Child Trafficking which was launched in the year 2001 under Graca Machel and Desmond Tutu’s patronage. Subsequent to these events, several programmes such as social reintegration, protection, rehabilitation and awareness-building have been established. In spite of the government’s participation and efforts, human trafficking still remains a crucial problem in the country. According to Skinner (2010), prevention of this vice requires an integrated and multi-sectoral strategy that deals with migration and trafficking from an overall national as well as development policy perspective (Morehouse 2009). This author suggests exploration of an integrated approach to fighting trafficking through rights-based and gender-sensitive approaches to give livelihoods for women needs. According to him, it is poverty that drives the manifestation of human trafficking and elimination of poverty will help combat the vice. Other countries also report their share of human trafficking. In Eastern Africa, armed conflict between the government and the rebels of the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) has resulted to abduction of thousands of women and children by the rebels. Uganda is argued to be the supplier of trafficked children in the children. These children end up being recruited into rebel ranks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan (other areas experiencing armed conflicts). In West and Central Africa, six forms of child trafficking have been identified. They include abduction, giving poor parents money with the promise that their children will be well taken care of, bonded placement of children as repayment for debt, payment for a token sum for a certain duration, or as gift items, enrolment of the child by the parents for a fee by an agent for some work, usually domestic and deception of parents that they are enrolling their children for school, training or trade (Coluccello & Massey 2007).. Ghana, Burkinafaso, Benin, Togo and Mauritania are the main sources of child labour in the region. These are taken to Gabon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Congo and Equatorial Guinea as domestic workers. Togolese girls are often trafficked into domestic markets while the boys are trafficked into agricultural work. In this region, poverty and ignorance played the greatest role as parents are either deceived that they are enrolling their children to school or paid some amount to hire their children out (. A considerable amount of Ghanaian women and children are often trafficked in the neighbouring countries for prostitution (Anarfi 1998). Most women in this region are trafficked to Europe where they are forced into prostitution. Italy, Spain, France, Germany, The UK, Sweden, UAE and Saudi Arabia are particularly known as destinations for trafficking women for prostitution and pornography (Anarfi 1998). Senegal is reported to be both a source as well as transit country for trafficking of women to South Africa, the Gulf States and Europe for prostitution. It is also a reported to be a destination country for children trafficked from Guinea Conakry and Mali. Women from Liberia, a war-torn country are forced to work as prostitutes in Mali while others are trafficked to Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and France. Mali is also reported to be a transit country for trafficking women from African Anglophone countries to Europe. Most of these women end up working in brothels abroad.

The Debate Over The Drinking Age - 1025 Words

I have always wondered why the drinking age was raised to twenty-one. I have looked and researched the following information but still don’t have a true explanation as to why it was raised to the age of twenty-one. The movement called Amethyst Initiative began recruiting university presidents to provoke national debate about the drinking age. College Presidents from about 100 of the nation’s universities, are calling on law makers to consider lowering the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen by claiming the current laws encourage dangerous binge drinking on campuses. These colleges include some of the popular one like including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State. Mothers against drunk driving officials and the Amethyst Initiative both agree that alcohol abuse by college students is a huge problem. Research has found more than forty percent of college students reported either symptoms of alcohol abuse or dependency. A recent associated press analysis of federal records found from 1999 through 2005, 157 college age people drank themselves to death. This is because they couldn’t legally drink so when they could acquire it they went overboard with drinking. James C Fell who is a senior program director at the alcohol policy and research center of the pacific institute for research and evaluation in Calverton, Md. says â€Å"that binge drinking among eighth, tenth and twelfth graders has been steadily going down since the drinkingShow MoreRelatedThe Debate Over The Drinking Age2461 Words   |  10 Pagesexplores the debate over whether the drinking age should be lowered or raised in the United States. Multiple different sources are provided, each offering a different opinion. The article discusses the ethical, pathological, and emotional effects if the drinking age were to be lowered or raised. If the drinking age were to change, how would society react to this change and what would be the long term effects. Drinking has always caused neg ative effects, yet how would changing the age effect personalRead MoreThe Debate Over A Proper Legal Drinking Age1243 Words   |  5 PagesThe debate over a proper legal drinking age has been ongoing for decades. Some people believe twenty-one is the right age for legally consuming alcohol, while others believe twenty-one is too old. There are many supporters of an age limit of eighteen on alcohol consumption, but it has not been enough to sway Congress away from their set age of twenty-one. One major advocate for the age of twenty-one is the organization MADD, or â€Å"Mothers Against Drunk Driving†. This organization supports the age ofRead MoreEssay about Debate Over the Legal Drinking Age1735 Words   |  7 PagesThe Debate Over the Legal Drinking Age College life is filled with changes. It is filled with many new experiences. As college students, we are on our own, adults. As adults we are responsible for keeping up to date on information that affects us. One issue that affects college students nation wide is drinking. The current legal drinking age in the United States is twenty-one years of age. The Federal government raised the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 in 1984. Even with the current drinkingRead MoreQuicker Liquor Essay1506 Words   |  7 PagesShould We Lower the Drinking Age? | 18 vs. 21 | â€Å"Quicker Liquor† A Short Research Paper Should the legal drinking age be lowered? Those who supported the change for the 2009 re-authorization of the law (dubbed Pro 18), and those who wanted the law to remain at the current age of 21 (dubbed Pro 21), had three major categories to explore for this debate: safety, binge drinking and maturity. There is opposition and support on both sides of the issue including a coalition founded inRead MoreResearch Paper Drinking Age1565 Words   |  7 PagesThe legal drinking age refers to the youngest age at which a person is legally allowed to buy and consumes alcoholic beverages. The drinking age varies from country to country. Here in the United States the legal drinking age is twenty-one. There has been much debate on whether the drinking age in the United States should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen. People in favor of keeping the drinking age at twenty-one believe that there will be less alcohol related injuries and deaths fromRead MoreLowering the Drinking Age to 18 May Help Reduce Binge Drinking1072 Words   |  5 PagesThe debate of the drinking age has been long discussed throughout America. The drinking age has been 21 for the last 22 years, and people around the country have wondered weather or not this was the right call. People say that 18 year olds may not be mature enough to drink alcohol and might not know when to stop. It isn’t that teenagers don’t know how to stop, but rather have not been properly taught when enough has been consumed or how to drink responsibly. Changing the drinking age from 21Read MoreDebate on the Legal Drinking Age736 Words   |  3 PagesThe drinking age has been twenty-one for the past thirty years, but for the past few years, there have been debates on changing the drinking age back to eighteen. Most individuals under twenty-one have consumed an alcoholic beverage; many have done so because he or she thinks it is cool and/or his or her friends want him or her to. Regardless of why individuals drink before the legal drinking age, if those individuals are caught by authorities, the individual(s) will have to face the consequencesRead MoreLowering The Minimum Drinking Age1429 Words   |  6 Pagesand Thailand are others – with a minimum drinking age over 18† (Griggs, 1). Wh en Ronald Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, its goal was to reduce less-mature adults from consuming alcohol and performing reckless acts (Cary, 1). However, despite the current drinking age, 17.5 percent of consumer spending for alcohol in 2013 was under the age of 21. It is estimated that â€Å"90 percent of underage drinking is consumed via binge drinking†¦with alcohol abuse becoming more prevalentRead MoreEssay on Lowering Drinking Age778 Words   |  4 Pagesyou could not have an alcoholic drink till your twenty one. But there are people out there that think that we should lower that age to eight teen. A group of 129 college presidents are actually asking that there at least be a discussion to the argument (Lewis et al, 2008). They think that it would stop all the underage drinking at colleges and would teach kids at an early age how to handle alcohol (Lewis et al, 2008). In my option lowering it would not help all the problems we have with a lcohol. I feelRead MoreAlcoholism And The Consumption Of Alcoholic Liquor918 Words   |  4 Pages Over eighty percent of the world’s population over the age of eighteen has consumed an alcoholic beverage sometime in their lives. Of which, fifty-six percent of them have consumed an alcohol this month (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/). â€Å"Alcoholism is an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor. Alcoholism is considered to be a mental illness that results in alcohol dependency† (Webster Dictionary). Statistics state that there were 2.5 million deaths worldwide; and 88,000 deaths in the United