Abuse of elderly - Smart Custom Writing Samples

Abuse of elderly - Smart Custom Writing French architectureReliable history of French architecture begins with the Middle Ages, from the XI century, as reliable information about the earlier Celtic and Frankish cultures did not survive. In France, mainly in the south, in Provence and Dauphine, the remains of temples of the Gallo-Roman period are saved. Among numerous places of worship and fantastic beauty are two buildings – Chartres Cathedral and Pantheon. From the point of view of Art History these masterpieces attract universal attention. For this paper just these very buildings were chosen because of great popularity, unique history, out of the ordinary design etc. All these factors make the work given unusual, interesting for readers and informative for those who studies Art History. As France is home to the Gothic style, it is considered that foundation is the church architecture, French Gothic reaches its peak in the era of "rayonnat" style, vivid example of which is the cathedral of Chartres; Pantheon, in tu rn, is one of the most magnificent buildings in Paris of neoclassical style. This significant difference, which is expressed in design, materials, technology, lay-out, decoration and function was the reason for writing such paper. It also can be considered as a comparative characteristic among the reasons of showing the interest to this topic. Chartres Cathedral shows the highest achievements of Gothic architecture. The three-building plan is a Latin cross with a short three-nave and transept deambulatory. The eastern part of the temple has several semi-circular radial chapels. Three of them were markedly in favor of the boundary of semicircle deambulatory, the four other are less deep. At the time of construction the vaults of Chartres Cathedral were the highest in France, which was achieved through the use of based on the abutment of flying buttresses. Additional flying buttresses supporting the apse, appeared in the XIV century. Chartres Cathedral was the first in the construction of which was used this architectural element, which gives it a completely unprecedented external shape, increased the size of windows and the height of the nave (36 feet).[1] Feature of the appearance of the cathedral are its two very different towers. 105-meter spire of the south tower built in 1140 is in the form of unpretentious Romanesque pyramid. North tower of 113 feet has a base, the remainder of the Romanesque cathedral and the spire of the tower appeared at the beginning of the XVI century in the style of Flamboyant Gothic. Chartres Cathedral has nine portals, three of which have survived from the old Romanesque cathedral. Northern portal dates from the year 1230 and contains a sculpture of the Old Testament characters. South Portal, created between 1224 and 1250 years, using stories of the New Testament to the central composition, dedicated to Judgment. Western portal of Christ and the Virgin Mary, popularly known as the Royal, is dated 1150 and is known for depicting Christ in glory, established in the XII century. Entrances to the north and south transepts are decorated with sculptures of the XIII century. Total decorations of the cathedral ha ve about 10,000 sculptures of stone and glass. On the south side of the cathedral are astronomical clock of the XVI century. Before the failure of the mechanism in 1793, they showed not only time but also the day of the week, month, time of sunrise and sunset, moon phases and the current zodiac sign.[2] The shape of Pantheon is also the cross (pic. 2). It is located on top of the hill of Saint Genevieve. Pantheon is a temple with a large dome, built in honor of the patroness of Paris, St. Genevieve. It was built in 1758-1789 under the project of Soufflet in the heart of the Latin Quarter. During the French Revolution, it was decided to use it as a shrine to the outstanding French. It is a huge structure: its length of 110 meters, width 82 m, height 83 m. crosswise building is topped by a huge dome. Huge powerful facade, on the pediment is the famous inscription â€Å"AUX GRANDS HOMMES LA PATRIE RECONNAISSANTE† ("Grateful motherland to great people"). Soufflet decided to recreate the typical Gothic architecture sensations of light, space and proportion in the classic (if not Roman) forms. To this end, he took advantage of the plan in the form of a Greek cross, the nave and chapels which were designed as a system of flat arches and semicircular arches, supported by rows of colu mns in the interior. Bulk composition of the building develops the idea of central-domical facilities, of having in terms the outlines of a Greek cross. Central dome rises to a height of almost 120 m. Its goal in this project was the combination of strict regularity and monumental Romanesque vaulted ceilings with graceful ease of supporting columns and freestanding Corinthian columns. In its plan the church had the form of a Greek cross, with a facade placed huge temple pediment. Free-standing columns were unable to maintain the dome of the building, and it eventually had been propped up. The outer surfaces of the walls almost without decoration solved using the classical contrast of dismembered and undifferentiated mass.[3]   As it can be seen, both the Pantheon and Chartres Cathedral have the shape of cross in their planning and Gothic style of building in the base. No less remarkable is the interior of the Chartres cathedral. The spacious nave, unmatched in all of France, rushes to the magnificent apse in the eastern part of the cathedral. Between the arcades and rows of the upper windows of the nave is trifory, massive columns of the cathedral are surrounded by four powerful pilasters. Arcade of deambulatory surrounds the choir and altar area, which are separated from the rest of the carved wall. The wall appeared at the beginning of the XVI century and during next two centuries was gradually decorated with carved figures depicting scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin. (pic. 3) The central part of the facade has retained a heavy Romanesque wall, which is embedded in the three magnificent portals, belonging to the XII century. In the central portal of the Royal track is "Christ in Glory" - on both sides of the figure of Christ are fantastic winged animals and beneath them is a wide belt with sculpted figures of saints. In the central p ortal of the south facade you can see the relief of "Judgment Day" (about 1210-20), differing with forms of generosity and deep spirituality of the images. It is considered as one of the best reliefs the heyday of the Gothic (pic. 4). In the center of the cathedral floor is designed as a circle inscribed in the "labyrinth" - figured laying of multicolored stones, which has been preserved only partially. The circle has a diameter of 12.89 meters and the length of the labyrinth is 261.5 m. The size of the labyrinth is almost identical to the size of the window rose of the western facade, and the distance from the western entrance to the maze is exactly equal to the height of the window. (pic. 5,6) Chartres Cathedral is one of the few Gothic cathedrals of France, who kept almost unchanged its glazing. It is decorated with stained glass of 12-13 centuries, occupying an area of about 2600 sq.m., it is the largest extant ensembles of stained glass of that era. In the cathedral there are 146 stained glass windows, which, except for some figures are shown in 1359 different story. (pic. 7) Stained glass windows decorate with "roses" of the main transept. Stained glass windows of Chartres Cathedral are extremely intensity a nd purity of color and range of subject images. Along with scenes from the Old and New Testaments, the prophets and saints - they take advantage of the upper band – at the bottom is about a hundred scenes from the life of kings, knights, artisans, who sacrificed stained glass windows in the cathedral, and one of the "roses" is dedicated to the peasants. Particular performance skill, memorable power of the image are windows depicting the Virgin Mary, stained window with scenes from the life of St. Evstafy and a portrait of Charlemagne. The richest external and internal decorations of the cathedral have a total of about 10,000 sculptures. The cathedral has a huge carved wooden altar, which shows forty stories on evangelical issues. A distinctive feature of the stained glass windows of Chartres Cathedral is an extraordinary richness and purity of the colors, the secret receipt of which was lost. For images typical extraordinary breadth of subject matter: scenes from the Old and New Testament stories of prophets, kings, knights, artisans, and even peasants. [4] Chartres Cathedral is built of very durable sandstone, which is mined in quarries of Bersher, 8 km from Chartres. Some blocks of stone in the cathedral walls are 2-3 feet long and a meter in height. Columns of the Pantheon create a prospect of a spectacular interior, richly decorated and refined with classical ornamentation and relief. The building is perceived as a monument to enlightenment, a bright mind, citizenship. Soufflet really managed to reach the Gothic lightness in classic guise. Numerous sculptures and murals on the walls are devoted to the history of St. Genevieve - the memory of a time when the building was of her name. To the central dome a huge Foucault pendulum showing the rotation of the Earth is suspended. Staircase at the entrance to the temple leads to the "pronaos" (porch) with 22 columns, which support the pediment. On the pediment is sculpture of the allegorical story of David d'Anzhera 1831, representing France, between Freedom and History. The walls are decorated with frescoes, the most famous of which are scenes from the life of St. Genevieve, executed by Puvis de Chavannes. The crypt, which is located under the church, keeps the ashes of many famous p eople: here the tomb of Victor Hugo (placed here in 1885), as well as the tombs of Emile Zola, Voltaire, Soufflet, Carnot and Mirabeau. 425 steps lead to the summit of cathedral, where magnificent panorama of the city is opened to the eye. At the exit from the Parthenon the semi-circular area with two symmetrical buildings on the right and left overlooks, and stretching far out Soufflet street between them with rising above the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Such a triumph of symmetry arose here at the behest of Soufflet, which was concerned not only about building the church, but also the spectacular organization of space around it. [5] To understand the function and value of construction of these buildings we need to turn to history. At the place of modern Chartres Cathedral were a lot of the churches. From 876 year the Holy Shroud of the Virgin Mary is kept in Chartres. Instead of the first cathedral, burned down in 1020, a Romanesque cathedral with huge crypt was built. He survived a fire in 1134, which destroyed almost the entire city, but was badly damaged in a fire of June 10, 1194. From the fire, made by lightning, survived only towers with the western facade and crypt. Miraculous escape from the fire of the sacred shroud was considered a sign from above, and prompted the construction of a new, more ambitious building. Chartres Cathedral preserved to this day virtually untouched. It escaped the devastation and plunder, was never restored and rebuilt. As to the Pantheon, it is of no less value. The Pantheon was built in 1758-1789 under the project Soufflet in the heart of the Latin Quarter. The building is conceived as the Church of St. Genevieve, but already in 1791 it was decided to turn the building into the Pantheon, a monument to the great men of France. In two-plus centuries this building became a classic, which was followed and subverted by next generation of architects. For the Baroque, with its pomp, pretentiousness and decorative fancifulness, the return to the strict simplicity of ancient Greece was almost a shock. Therefore, the project angered conservatives and delighted progressives. Soufflet decided to join in its creation the best achievements of world architecture, accumulated by that time. He created a magnificent six-Greek portico, crowned with a dome building, which the ancient Greeks did not know, made the interior a light and bright, as in the Gothic style but used vaulted ceilings of Romanesque. 5    Coming to conclusion we can say that both buildings are of great historical value and have a lot in common: both are cathedrals (in first planning), the lay-out is cross-formed shape with decorations and elements of corresponding era, decorations and frescos depict the scenes from the life. Architectural images are less unique, embody not private, transitory "spirit of the times", but more typically, the leading art sights and tastes of society. These qualities determine the value of outstanding architectural monuments as a historical source: they bring to us in its content not random, but typical, not private, but the main feature views of the era.

A Critical Assessment of the Agricultural Subsidies of the United States of America (US) and the European Union (EU)

A Critical Assessment of the Agricultural Subsidies of the United States of America (US) and the European Union (EU) Introduction Subsidies are deployed as a means of boosting production, by giving financial grants from one party to another in order to increase production beyond the market equilibrium. From an economist’s perspective, funding has been adopted in different contexts to give varying implications and significance.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Critical Assessment of the Agricultural Subsidies of the United States of America (US) and the European Union (EU) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines subsidies as â€Å"measures that keep prices for consumers below market levels, or measures that keep prices for producers above market levels† (OECD 2006, p.3). Many economists argue that the term subsidy can be applied to mean all forms of payments made directly by a government to various producers. In light of these explanations, this paper considers subsides as including direct means of regulating the equilibrium between consumption and supply of products and services in the market, among them being cash grants coupled with provisions of interest-free loans from the government. Low-interests loans, tax wavering write-offs of depreciation charged on assets, rent rebates and insurance are also considered among the alternative forms of subsidy. The main purpose of this paper is to conduct a comparative analysis of the similarities and differences between the US and the EU agricultural subsidies. The basis for this research is founded in existing literature that relate to economic theories on taxes and subsidies. In addition, to expand on the discussion involving the similarities and differences in agriculture subsidies within the US and EU, as well as their implications on economy, a literature review of economics of subsidies and taxes will be considered first.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Le t's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The paper further presents the differences between the US and the EU agricultural policies, concerning the legislation on agricultural subsidies and the critical reception towards these policies. This section is followed by a discussion on the similarities between the US and the EU’s agricultural policies in the context of benefits to farmers and influences on income. Lastly, the effects of agricultural subsidies on famers, from the dimension of family budgets and taxes are given substantial attention. Economic Theory on Subsidies and Taxes To understand the economic theory on subsidies and taxes, one needs to be aware of the function of subsidy and tax accords within the area of global trade pact. One will get to understand why the government upholds such accords as well as identifying the most preferred way of handling the subsidies within the global trading schemes. Therefore, studies pertaining to the economic impact of subsidies have provoked mixed reactions from economists. For instance, Krishna and Panagariya (2009) argue that, â€Å"subsidies are a form of protectionism or trade barrier by making domestic goods and services artificially competitive against imports† (OECD, 2006, p.236). Such protectionism impairs the ability of consumers to consider and select imported goods and services, in their pursuit of alternative goods that are produced outside a nation’s boundaries through unethical or illegal channels (Anderson 2005, p.165). In the economic sense, subsidies are unethical because they distort the market and impose higher economic costs. In addition to this case, there are different types of subsides that have been outlined. Amegashie identifies employment subsidies, production subsidies and export subsidies as three that are granted by governmental or non-governmental organisations (Amegashie 2006, p.8). Export subsidies take the form of financial support that is offered by a government to exported products and services, in an effort to improve a nation’s balance of payments (Amegashie 2006, p.8). From an agricultural product context, exporting subsidies is significant in nations whose GDP is mainly derived this particular source. However, the impact of export subsidies varies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Critical Assessment of the Agricultural Subsidies of the United States of America (US) and the European Union (EU) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, the Court of Auditors (2003) argues that, as evidenced by the case of the EU, export subsidies may result inartificially low prices of subsidised products. Furthermore, fluctuations in milk production costs may also occur, as shown in the graph below. Fig 1: Milk products production cost fluctuations in the EU in comparison to other parts of the world Source: Weers and Hemme (2012, p.13) Production subsidies have a key role to play when it comes to product yields. Production subsidies â€Å"encourage suppliers to increase the output of particular products by partially offsetting the production costs or losses† (Krishna Panagariya, 2009, p.237). Thus, the chief aim is to create a means of expansion for the production of certain products at much lower prices than the market forces would make possible (Mankiw, 1997). In doing so, governments also offer their support to consumers of the produced products. In an agricultural context, production subsides may also be provided by offering technical support and financial assistance to help create new agricultural firms and processing plants, possibly on a regional basis. Moreover, employment subsides and incentives, such as social security benefits, are sometimes offered by governments to boost employment levels in certain regions and for certain industries (Szymanski Valletti, 2005). They may also con duct research into new areas of development that would lead to more absorption of unemployed persons.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Although subsidies may be seen as a plausible way of regulating and controlling the markets, they attract controversies over their overall impacts on the performance of a nation’s economy. Subsidies influence competitive equilibrium, and from the fundamental principles of supply/demand relationships, particularly in cases where the demand for a given product goes beyond the supply, prices normally fall. Consequently, reduction of goods supplied to levels below the equilibrium quantity results in price hikes (Covey et al., 2007, P.41). Supposing that the bazaar for any product operates flawlessly â€Å"at the competitive equilibrium, the overall effect of subsidies is to increase the supply of goods and services to levels above the equilibrium quantity† (Kym Will 2011, P.1303). This move leads to an increase of costs beyond corresponding gains of the subsidy. That is, the amount of increase is proportionate to the size of the injected subsidy and hence a â€Å"market failure or inefficiency† (Jerome et al. 2006, p.16). For this reason, some economists claim that subsidies are undesirable in a competitive market. This claim is particularly significant in cases where foreign competition is desired. In support of this assertion, Westcott and Young (2004) argue that, instead of lowering the prices of goods and services, subsides make goods produced within a nation, cheaper in comparison to those produced in the foreign nations; hence incredibly reducing foreign competition. In the context of agricultural goods, giving subsidies(especially in the developing nations) implies that such nations are barred from engaging in the international trade in a more competitive manner, since they receive substantially lower prices on products traded on the global market. In economic theory, offering subsidies in the form of tax wavering is considered as an attempt of protectionism (Wyatt Ashok, 2010, p.1927). In such scenarios, market distortion occurs, acc ompanied by social welfare reductions. On the grounds of economic logic, World Bank policies advocate the total removal of subsidies offered by the developing nations, even though it has no mandate to enforce this removal (Westcott Young, 2004, p.11). The impact includes a reduction in revenue generated by producers operating in foreign nations, which can cause tension between the European Union and the United States, and the nations in the developing world that are known to be offering economic stimuli in the form of subsidies. The developing nations protect their local industries against the influx of foreign products. Such foreign products cost less in the developing nations’ markets due to the economies of scale in the production processes and techniques for production used in the developed world’s industries. In summary, subsidies can provide a short-term solution to an industry. However, on a long-term basis, they end up being unethical, often evolving into nega tive effects (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2007, p. 26) Comparison of the US and the EU Agricultural Policies The subject of subsidies and tax reduction for agricultural products is approached from different directions, yet in similar ways for both the EU and the US. Subsidising the agricultural sector is done with the ultimate objective of boosting aggregate demand or investment in the agricultural sector (Becker 2002). In accordance to the theory of economics of subsidies, such an attempt causes the cost of production for agricultural products to be lowered for both the US and the EU. Consequently, making products become cheaper than importing them. In both the US and the EU, it is appreciated that the removal of subsidies has the impact of dampening economic activities in the agricultural sector. This blow is dependent to certain issues associated with the agricultural sector budget balance. Appreciating the role of subsidies and taxes in shaping the agr icultural sector in the US and the EU warrants consideration of the differences and similarities between their different approaches to agricultural subsidies. Differences between the US and the EU agricultural Policies Legislation on Agricultural Subsidies The US and the EU have put policies in place that encourage their farmers to produce certain agricultural products at much lower costs, in comparison to the global costs of such products (Alston 2008). Although there have been less legislative efforts to encourage the production of various products in the EU, the governing bodies have implemented policies that ensure farmers receive subsidies for producing certain commodities such as dairy products (Alston 2008). In similar fashion, the US has created a process to facilitate subsidy offers for farmers that produce various products, mainly cotton, through legislation such as the 2010 Farm Bill (Babcock 2007. Subsidising US cotton results in low global market prices of the crop, whe rein levels of making cotton produced elsewhere is unsustainable in the market. Hence, many nations are opposed to the legislation provided in the Farm Bill 2002. For instance, Brazil challenged the US subsidies for cotton farmers at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), stating that this distorted the cotton market at an international level. They further argued that it encouraged an increase in income to large-scale farmers at the advantage of the small-scale and poor farmers in the developing world. This case lasted from 2002 to 2008, when it was concluded with Brazil being the victor. In support of this argument, Riedl (2008, p.316) believes that policies encouraging subsidising of the agricultural products in both the EU and the US products have an opposite impact. However, despite the opposition to the continued indirect funding of the EU and the US farmers through subsidies, Summer (2013) proposes that it is imperative to stop offering direct incentives for production, because s uch a strategy for boosting production makes farmers in the US and the EU compete unfairly with others across the globe. Critical Reception of Agricultural Policies From the above arguments, subsidies on agricultural products, especially by major global giant producers like the EU and the US, are not received in good faith within the international arena. In relation to this, LaBorde (2013) postulates, â€Å"a series of weather-related shocks in 2012- including severe droughts in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the United States- contributed to global food prices remaining high for a fifth consecutive year† (LaBorde 2013, Para.5). Although the EU and the US do provide subsidies to different agricultural products, they have refused to heed to these calls. Rather, they have opted to increase subsidies on agricultural sectors domestically. Such strategies have long-term implications on the worldwide food systems, coupled with impairing food securities in the developing nations (Babcock, 2007: Alston, 2008). Similarities between the US and the EU Agricultural Policies Benefits to Farmers According to Westcott and Young (2004), one of the major similarities between subsidies of the agricultural sectors in both the US and the EU is that subsidising has resulted in lowering the costs of production. In fact, â€Å"in 2005, the US government gave farmers agricultural subsidies amounting to$14 billion and in the European Union, dairy farmers received subsidies amounting to $47 billion† (Westcott Young 2004). This equates to more than the sum earned by every person (on average) in the developing nations. This explicitly implies that the US and the EU farmers were able to produce their products much cheaper than those outside of their countries because of government subsidies. Consequently, based on research by Drabenstott (2008), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service’s (2007), foreign traders found it difficult to introd uce their products into these two markets, since the price of the subsidised farm products were lower than those they could sell their products at, even for them to break even. Although such subsidies resulted in stimulation of, and therefore, over-production of subsidised agricultural sector products, farmers in the US and EU benefited in that they were able to place their surplus products in the market in higher quantities. This case meant that the consumption of the products also increased. Influences on Income In 2002, cotton farmers in America earned much of their revenues from the country’s administration through subsidies brought into force under provisions of the Farm Bill (Morgan, Gaul, Cohen 2009). These subsides also stimulated overproduction of cotton in 2002. Much of this excess production was sold to the global markets at much lower prices well below the break-even points of cotton farmers in the developing world. Similarly, in the EU, in 2004,  £3.30 was spe nt in the exportation of sugar worth £1(Oxfam International 2004, p.39). Although, the subsidies had a positive impact on the incomes earned by EU farmers, global market distortions occurred. Subsidies for agricultural products in the US and the EU have an overall impact of protecting revenue losses that are likely to be encountered by EU and the US farmers. However, in the US for instance, farm subsidies favour large-scale farmers over small-scale ones, with non-farm families’ incomes being negatively impacted (see Fig 2). This situation is inappropriate, especially considering that most of the farm families are located in rural areas where the cost of living is lower. Fig 2: Differences between incomes for large farms and small farms in the US Source: (Becker 2002) Effects of Agricultural Subsidies on Famers Family Budgets Farm policies that are realised through subsidies are meant to provide relief on farmers’ household budgets. Unfortunately, they produce opposi te effects, as Becker (2002) states they, â€Å"harm family farmers by excluding them from most subsidies, encouraging the merging of family farms, and raising land values to levels that prevent young people from entering farming† (p.17). This suggests that agricultural subsidies fail to provide relief to the struggling farmers, especially those who are new to farming, because overproduction results in low prices of agricultural products. In turn, the net effect on the capacity to fund family budgets is minimal. Tax Farm subsidies have the overall impact of increasing the cost of living through increased taxes. As the economy for both the US and the EU continues to boom, congress also increases the subsidies offered to farms. Wyatt and Ashok (2010) support this assertion by claiming, â€Å"After averaging less than $14 billion per year during the 1990s, annual farm subsidies have topped $25 billion in the current decade since the passage of the 2002 farm bill, the most expen sive farm bill in American history† (Wyatt Ashok 2010, p.1931). This argument implies that all spending by the federal governments has to be funded by taxes levied from citizens. In the US, Morgan, Gaul, and Cohen (2009) put the costs of farm subsidies at $216 per household in the form of yearly taxes, with an additional extra charging of $104 per household as escalated food prices. Conclusion The central purpose for enacting farm subsidy policies is centred on the need for alleviating poverty among rural farmers, and provision of food security by encouraging over production. Noting this purpose, the paper argues that scrutiny of the impact towards agricultural subsidies from an economic perspective, fails to contend with this aim. This is because such policies result to disadvantaging small-scale farmers outside the EU and the US, since the subsidies result in over production. The repercussion is to lower the prices of products in the global market, with the result that farm ers’ operations in other nations without the subsidies never break even. Within the US and the EU, subsidies create an imbalance of income between families that own farms and those that do not. Agricultural subsidies make families that own farms to earn higher incomes compared to those that do not own farms, yet families owning farms live in the rural areas where the cost of living is low. Hence, overall, farm subsidies have negative impacts on a nation’s economy, even though farmers (especially large-scale farmers) benefit incredibly from higher incomes. The underlying issue however, is that this is achieved at the expense of the smaller farmers operating in the same global market, who do not enjoy farm subsidies. References Alston, J 2008, Lessons from Agricultural Policy Reform in Other Countries: The 2007 Farm Bill and Beyond, American Enterprise Institute, New York. Amegashie, A 2006, ‘The Economics of Subsidies’, Crossroads, vol. 6 no.2, pp. 7-15. An derson, J 2005, ‘Tariff Index Theory’, Review of International Economics, vol. 3 no. 2, pp. 156-173. Babcock, B 2007, Money for Nothing: Acreage and Price Impacts of U.S. Commodity Policy for Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, Cotton, and Rice in American Enterprise Institute, The 2007 Farm Bill and Beyond, AEI Press, Washington, D.C. Becker, E 2002, ‘Land Rich in Subsidies and Poor in Much Else’, The New York Times, January 22, pp.17-18. Chapman, D, Foskett, K, Clarke, M 2006, ‘How Savvy Growers Can Double, or Triple, Subsidy Dollars’, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, vol. 2 no.1, pp. 121-127. Court of Auditors 2003, Special Report no 9/2003 concerning the system for setting the rates of subsidy on exports of agricultural products (export refunds), together with the Commission’s replies, Court of Auditors, London. Covey, T et al. 2007, Agriculture Income and Finance Outlook, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, New York. Dra benstott, M 2008, ‘Do Farm Payments Promote Rural Economic Growth? Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Centre for the Study of Rural America’, The Main Street Economist, vol. 8 no. 1, pp. 57-61. Jerome, M, Stam, D, Milkove, L, George, B 2006, Indicators of Financial Stress in Agriculture Reported by Agri ­cultural Banks, 1982-99 AIS-74, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Krishna, P Panagariya, A 2009, ‘A Unification of Second Best Results in International Trade’, Journal of International Economics, vol. 52 no. 2, pp. 235-257. Kym, A Will, M 2011, ‘Agricultural Trade Reform and the Doha Development Agenda’, The World Economy, vol. 28 no. 9, pp. 1301–1327. LaBorde, D 2013, The hidden cost of US and EU farm subsidies, ifpri.org/blog/hidden-costs-us-and-eu-farm-subsidies Mankiw, N 1997, Principles of economics, Harcourt Brace, Fort Worth. Morgan, D, Gaul, G, Cohen, S 2009, ‘Farm Program Pays $1.3 Billion to People Who Dont Farm’, The Washington Post, vol. 5 no. 2, pp. 99-103. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2006, Agricultural Policies in OECD Countries: At a Glance, OECD Publishing, Paris. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development 2007, Subsidy Reform and Sustainable Development, OECD, Paris. Oxfam International 2004, ‘A Sweeter Future? The potential for EU sugar reform to contribute to poverty reduction in southern Africa’, Oxfam Briefing Paper No. 70. November 2004, pp. 39-40. Riedl, B 2008, ‘How Farm Subsidies Harm Taxpayers, Consumers, and Farmers, European’, Journal of Economics, vol. 3 no. 2, pp. 315-321. Summer, D 2013, Effects of Farm Subsidies for the Rich on Poor Farmers, North Western University, California. Szymanski, S Valletti, T 2005, ‘Incentive Effects of Second Prises’, European Journal of Political Economy, vol. 2 no. 1, pp. 467-481. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 2007, Food Expenditures by Families and Individuals as a Share of Disposable Personal Income data, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Weers, A Hemme, T 2012, Global Review-The Supply of Milk and Dairy Products, Wilhelmitorwall, IFCN Dairy Network. Westcott, P Young, E 2004, U.S. Farm Program Benefits: Links to Planting Decisions and Agricultural Markets, U.S. Department of Agriculture, New York. 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Discuss whether Mexico has the potential to become a future global Essay

Discuss whether Mexico has the potential to become a future global economic power - Essay Example In order for the country to achieve such, it requires an appropriate management of its various economic sectors with the view of limiting the various economic threats that have threatened country’s economy in the past. The expansion of the various economic sectors will likely improve the country’s economic potential by increasing the employment rate of the economy thus facilitating an expansion of the economy (Boyes & Michael, 2012). The discussion below portrays some of the major economic features and an elaborate discussion of the current economic state of the country thus developing the growth potential the economy enjoys. Current economic characteristics of the country The Mexican economy has various vibrant sectors all of which sustain the country’s economy. All of the sectors present a potential for expansion thus promising the growth of the economy into a global economic power. Among the most vibrant sectors in the economy are tourism, communication and tr ansportation (Fox, 2002). Transportation sustains the economic growth in any country. With this knowledge, the successive Mexican governments have often invested in the development and expansion of the country’s transport system. The country has long road network that links nearly every part of the country. With an effective road network that joins every part of the country, the economy enjoys faster transportation of both goods and passengers throughout the different cities within the country. Besides the elaborate roads network, the country has a complementary rail network which also facilitates the faster transportation of goods. The development of the electric rail system has further improved the efficiency in the transportation sector, as goods currently take shorter to reach their destinations (Kates, 2007). The country also has various airports and airstrips all of which facilitate the faster transportation of products within the country. The capital city known as Mexi co City has two international airports, which act as the entry points into the country. Through the two facilities, the country maintains an active economic interaction with other countries globally as the two facilitate the transportation of goods in and out of the country (Aaker & Aaker, 2010). The effective and efficient transportation network has attracted hundreds of investors who enjoy the seamless transportation of both goods and humans to every part of the country. Another great factor that has attracted more multinationals into the country is the cheaper labor and electricity costs. The low cost of the two makes the country favorable for setting up companies. Various companies have therefore set up their manufacturing plants in the country (Tabbush, 2011). The fact that the country competes with the likes of China in labor and electricity costs makes it a favorable destination to most of the American multinational companies seeking cheap labor. This way, the country has con tinuously enjoy infrastructural development and an increasing employment opportunities as the companies provide ready employment. Tourism is the country’s main foreign exchange earner. With such a vibrant tourism industry, the country enjoys sustained influx of foreign currency and an equally large employment opportunity. The world tourism organization rated Mexico as the second most visited country in the world in 2001 coming second to the United States (Cavanagh, 2002). The country has