How to Write a Sample Grant Application Essay

How to Write a Sample Grant Application EssayIf you have ever been told that you need to write a sample grant application essay, you know the burden that it can cause. It seems like the first thing that you have to do is write an essay, but it really isn't necessary.As you are reading this, a grant may be granted to your university or student organization. You have probably already prepared a grant proposal and some other basic information, but you can still learn a lot by writing a sample grant application essay. Many students and college faculty alike are still skeptical about whether grants are effective. They assume that there is no point in applying for grant money if the money will not be given to the students and faculty who need it.However, a grant application essay is one of the most effective ways to explain your ideas, your goals, and the importance of your grant. Since so many of the grants are competitive, being able to express yourself clearly in a concise way will be v ery important.Grant proposals generally outline what the grant funds will be used for and why it is necessary. That means that they are a great place to highlight your talents and your objectives as a scholar.This also works very well when you talk about the process that led up to the grant. Don't just talk about the grant itself, however. Talk about why the funding is needed and the importance of the projects you will be working on. These will be discussed in detail in the grant proposal, and they are also crucial to the success of the grant.The grant application essay is a great place to find out what people think about your application. Since so many people are reviewing and judging your application, it is a good idea to let them know more about your experience and achievements. Since so many people are reviewing your application, you want to make sure that you give them everything they need to know.Students who don't participate in any research and development projects, who atte nd lecture seminars, and students who have to be at their classrooms at a certain time each day are not likely to be included in the grant selection process. So you want to focus on these groups of people, and by writing a grant application essay you can ensure that you get a grant.

4000310515center Essays - The Great Gatsby, Film,

4000310515center 9/28/20173300095000 9/28/2017420003263900880008851265 Sanvir Gill 450000 Sanvir Gill 420003263900175001760220 The Great Gatsby Journal Assignment450000 The Great Gatsby Journal Assignment Chapter 1-3 Summary The novel opens with the narrator of the story, Nick Carraway. Nick introduces his fathe r's advice that had received when he was younger, and it has stuck with him ever since. The advice Nick's father gave him was "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." Nick states that this advice from his father has made him inclined to reserve judgement. By Nick narrating that he reserves judgement, it gives the reader the first piece of information on a character. We now know that Nick reserves his judgement, or at least attempts to. Further into the no vel, Nick moves to west egg to begin his career as a Bond man. Nick rents a small house in the middle of 2 huge neighbouring homes, more signifi cantly, beside a man as Gatsby. Nick visits his distant cousin Daisy, who lives with his Yale class member Tom. Jordan is introduced to Jordan Baker, a famous golfer. Nick is also introduced to the oppression that Daisy adheres on a daily basis from Tom. After visiting Daisy, Nick returns home and sees his neighbour, Gatsby staring and reaching out for the green light on Daisy's dock. In the following chapter, we are taken to a new setting, known as the valley of ashes. This new setting represents poverty. Subsequently w e are introduced to Tom's mistress Myrtle and her husband George Wilson , as well as an important symbol known as the billboard of the eyes of doctor T.J Eckleburg, that watch over the valley of ashes like the eyes of God. Nick is forced to spend the day with Tom and Myrtle and he later witnesses Tom hitting her and breaking her nose for mentioning Daisy. Afterwards, Nick realizes that one of the reasons behind Gatsby's popularity is because of his huge parties. Nick is the only person to receive an invite, so he is intrigued and decided to go. Nick finally meets Gatsby for the first time and he is surprised by the way Gatsby acts like such a gentleman. Gatsby then tells Jordan something privately but is not able to tell Nick just yet. Following the party, Nick be gins a relationship with Jordan, however he also claims that she is dishonest. Personal Response In my opinion the beginning chapters of the novel are very thought-provoking and demonstrate the true potential of the novel. I believe that the advice Nick's father had given him as a child is solid advice and could be used to prevent early judgement towards a person. The advice has really stuck with me because now when I begin to judge somebody right away I remember that I may have some advantages that they do not and therefore I should reserve my judgement. This has really helped me grow and will prove to be very helpful in the future because it has changed my perspective on judgement. This advice from his father also revealed what I think is a very important part of Nick's personality. He believes that he reserves his judgement however in his actual life he creates judgements of people very quickly. Knowing that Tom is cheating on Daisy and abusive to Myrtle makes me feel angry. This is because I know the novel takes place in the 1920s and in this time, a man of power and wealth such as Tom had the ability to do anything he wanted. However, his actions really demonstrate that he has a very aggressive and deceiving personality. Another thing about this situation that makes me angry and sad is that Daisy does not have the ability to leave Tom even though she knows perfectly well about the other woman. In these 3 chapters, various symbols are also introduced including the green light. The green light symbolizes Gatsby's desires and dreams and Gatsby often attempts to reach out and grab it. This tells us that Gatsby is set on his goals and wants to achieve them very desperately. I feel that having an

Pros and Cons of Whole Group Discussion

Pros and Cons of Whole Group Discussion ​ Whole Group Discussion is  a method of teaching that involves a modified form of classroom lecture. In this model, the focus is shared between the instructor and the students throughout the information exchange. Typically, an instructor will stand before a class and present information for the students to learn but the students will also participate by answering questions and providing examples. Pros of Whole Group Discussion as a Teaching Method Many teachers support this method as whole group discussions typically provide greater interaction between teacher and students. It provides a surprising amount of flexibility in the classroom, despite the lack of the traditional lecture. In this model, instructors give up the format of dictating the lecture and instead control what is being taught by steering the discussion. Here are a few other positive outcomes from this teaching method: Auditory learners find them appealing to their learning style.Teachers can check on what students are retaining through questions posed.Whole group discussion is comfortable for many teachers because it is a modified form of the lecture.Students have a tendency to stay focused on the lesson because they might be called on to answer questions.Students may feel more comfortable asking questions during whole group discussions. Cons of Whole Group Discussion as a Teaching Method: Whole group discussions can be unsettling for some teachers, as they require setting up and enforcing ground rules for students. If these rules are not enforced then there is a possibility that the discussion could quickly go off-topic. This requires strong classroom management, something that can be a challenge for inexperienced teachers. A few other drawbacks of this option include: Students who are weak in note-taking skills will have trouble understanding what they should remember from group discussions. This is even more so than in lectures in many cases because not only the teacher but fellow students are talking about the lesson.Some students may not feel comfortable being put on the spot during a whole group discussion. Strategies for Whole Group Discussions Many of the strategies below can help prevent the cons created by whole class discussions. Think-Pair-Share:  This technique is popular in the lower elementary grades to encourage speaking and listening skills. First,  ask  students  to think  about their response to a question, then ask them to pair up  with another person (usually someone nearby). The pair  discusses their response, and then they  share that response with the larger group. Philosophical Chairs:  In this strategy, the teacher reads a  statement that has only two possible response: to agree or to disagree. Students move to one side of the room marked agree or to the other marked disagree. Once they are in these two groups, students take turns defending their positions. NOTE: This is also an excellent way to introduce new concepts to the class to see what students know or do not know about a particular topic. Fishbowl: Perhaps the most well-known of classroom discussion strategies, a fishbowl is organized with  two-four students who sit facing each other in the center of the room. All the other students sit in a circle around them. Those students seated in the center discuss the question or predetermined topic (with notes). Students on the outside circle, take notes on the discussion or on the techniques used. This exercise is a good way  to have students practice discussion techniques using follow-up  questions, elaborating on another person’s point or paraphrasing. In a variation, students on the outside may provide quick notes (fish food) by passing them to students on the inside for use in their discussion. Concentric Circles Strategy:  Organize students into  two circles, one outside circle and one inside  circle so that each student on the inside is paired with a  student on the outside. As they face each other, the teacher poses a question to the whole group. Each pair discusses how to respond.   After this brief discussion, the students on the outside circle move one space to the right. This will mean each student will be part of a new pair.  The teacher can have them share the results of that discussion or pose a new question.  The process can be repeated several times during a class period. Pyramid Strategy: Students begin this strategy in pairs and  respond  to a discussion question with a single partner. At a signal from the teacher,  the first pair joins another pair which creates a group of four. These groups of four share their (best) ideas. Next, the groups of four move to form groups of eight in order to share their best ideas. This grouping can continue until  the whole class is joined up in one large discussion. Gallery Walk: Different stations are set up around the classroom, on the walls or on tables. Students  travel from station to station in small groups. They perform a task or respond to a prompt. Small discussions are encouraged at each station. Carousel Walk:  Posters are set up around the classroom, on the walls or on tables. Students are divided into small groups, one group to a poster. The group brainstorms and reflects on the questions or ideas by writing on the poster for a specific duration of time. At a signal, the groups move in a circle (like a carousel) to the next poster. They read what the first group has written, and then add their own thoughts by brainstorming and reflecting. Then at another signal, all groups move again (like a carousel) to the next poster. This continues until all the posters have been read and have responses. NOTE: The time should be shortened after the first round. Each station helps students to process new information and read the thoughts and ideas of others.   Final Thoughts: Whole group discussions are an excellent teaching method when used in conjunction with other methods. Instruction should be varied from day to day to help reach the most students possible. Teachers need to provide their students with note taking skills before starting discussions. It is important that teachers be good at managing and facilitating discussions. Questioning techniques are effective for this. Two questioning techniques that teachers employ is to increase their wait time after questions are asked and to only ask one question at a time.

United States Colonization of the Philippines Essay

United States Colonization of the Philippines - Essay Example The period between 1898 and 1946 became a time when the Philippines underwent torture, enslavement and loss of their individual rights. Therefore, the colonization of the US was oppressive to the people of Philippine and it benefit for the US. In the year 1898, Philippines fought against exploitation by Spain and managed to reach a treaty. Therefore, the country was in the process of reconstruction before the US arrived in this country. The US disguised in its entry and pretended to have the motive of conducting business with this country. Although trade was part of the plan, it dawned that the purpose of the invasion was to take advantage of the country and leverage economic benefits from the country. In April 1898, the US army engaged the Philippines in war, which led to the death of many people. In the year 1902, the US government elected a civil law to govern the people of Spain (Fitzpatrick and Richard 840-845). This resulted into a tough battle between the two sides, but the Philippines had to finally give up and submit to the rule of the US. Therefore, Philippines served under the rule of Spain in the next 40 years. The motive of the US government to enter Philippine became clear immediately after it took over in the country. To begin with, the government took over the land that the Philippines had invested their efforts on. They were dispossessed of the rice and wheat lands that they had ploughed. The citizens served in these lands with little or no pay, what amounts to slavery. The US took advantage of the fertile lands to develop their industrial sector, which was the main reason for the expansionism strategy. In fact, many Americans became natives of Philippine and they even retained their identities after independence in 1946. The motive of the US was much similar to that of other western countries in the period of colonization. It was a strategy to

Supporting Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supporting Activity - Essay Example th the influx of computer hackers in the market, that information is no longer as safe as earlier thought of and hence it is important to protect it from hackers who sell it to competitor organizations. Confidentiality is also another reason for increasing the security of the information especially from clients (whether high ranking, celebrities or just the local citizen). Unauthorized access to information especially concerning records of medical health or financial records can damage the credibility of the organization and even tarnish the name of the owner and especially if the information is accessed by the wrong people. One of the basic elements is passwords to protect the information. The key to making this effective is in the strength of that password and ensuring that it cannot be easily cracked or hacked into. There is also encryption of most important or sensitive information in the organization. The information is kept in codes whose decryption key lies with the top management or clients of the organization who are the owners of the information (Wilshusen, 2011). There are also asset tracking software and devices that keep track of all the information and where it goes and if it falls to the wrong hands, alarm is raised and hence shut down is necessitated. There are also authentication systems which ensure that only authorized personnel access information and the information is protected from malware like viruses and scam

Political and Economic Factors in International Relations

Political and Economic Factors in International Relations Faculty of Economics and Management Which of the two suppose nowadays a greater danger for justice in IR: political or economic factors Justice in International Relations Introduction This essay raises the question of which factors pose threat to Justice in International Relations at present. It is centered around idea that these factors, which are not only economic and political in nature, but also historical, derive from the domestic practices and ideas of various states. There are three study cases that show from various perspectives how in different ways the internal order spills into international and what set of ideas and methods influence justice in international relations. The complex issue of Justice in International Relations presupposes that we pose and define, at least in this essay the view on the role and the nature of the Justice on the international arena. Whether this notion contradicts or not with the opinion of some major scholars on how just the international order is and can be, it is crucial for us to further follow the logical way of this essay. In my opinion, the international order, interstate relations since the start of the human history had very little space for the just approach: even the civilized nations were generally led by the right of the strongest to do what he wills. Correlated, perhaps, by the power of a free human though and technological advancement, still, the rule of sheer military power was something to be revered. And it has been recorder well in the Greek and Roman history through the famous Melian dialogue. This excerpt of it demonstrates clearly the ways of approaching the international business of the day by perh aps, the most civilized and humane people of the time: Of the gods we believe, and of men we know, that by a necessary law of their nature they rule wherever they can. And it is not as if we were the first to make this law, or to act upon it when made: we found it existing before us, and shall leave it to exist forever after us; all we do is to make use of it, knowing that you and everybody else, having the same power as we have, would do the same as we do (Strassler 1996). We see clearly how little space is given to the notion of justice. Even less was expected when the nations dealt with barbaric people or great empires of the East, despotic in the nature. The same is as well expressed in the Ancient Roman history: when faced with overwhelming forces of the Gauls in 390 BC, the famous vae victis (woe to the conquered ones) was coined. And this lesson of injustice, of what might happen to the ones that fail, was learned well by the Romans and later they would go on to establish the ir own rule on those weaker and less successful. Hardly there was any discussion on the actual righteousness of their actions. Yet, in the cruelty of the civilized ones, there is found a set of ideas that would later contribute so much to a completely differing set of ideas and notions, a whole new historical perspective of people living in completely different, just and fair conditions. These ideas, in my opinion were first the ideas of freedom and domination first coined by the Athenian political leader Pericles, and second Greco-Roman stoicism and cynicism and the concepts coined within this philosophy (like cosmopolitanism). Both set of views, in part with many others, undoubtedly, served later as the cornerstone for the revived Western Civilization, which, at least by name, calls itself humane and adhering to the principles of justice, human rights, democracy and opposing despotism. The description of these ideas, undervalued in modern times, and the way they shaped the Wester n notion, is not a part of this essay, yet, it is important to say that they are the ones that called for a dialogue whenever the West acted oppressively towards the rest of the world, and even more a tool for discussion and social change in the vey western countries themselves. So, we can clearly say that the historical experience of the countries is another important factor influencing their understanding of the domestic justice and hence, justice on the international arena. The more just, democratic, law abiding the society of the country is, the more it correlates with the demands for a fairer world on the international arena. This very important statement will be later developed in the essay. Those countries that did not undergo a certain process of inner development of the ideas on justice and more humane order, have little to contribute to the international system. Moreover, the higher the development of the countrys political and economic system, the deeply economic and pol itical factors influencing the notion of justice both on the domestic and the international level are intertwined. Domestic policies and international order And before looking at the perspective of justice in the international relations, it would be wise to consider several cases of how domestic ideas of justice, as well as practices of it, influence and shape the international approach. The first country to start with, the one that has been dominating international politics ever since the Second World War, is the United States. Being at some point a breakaway from the old and, as seemed obsolete European absolutist ideas, the new state brought the value of republicanism and democracy to the highest level. The very main document of the state was a drastic breakthrough from the Old World and in a way a revolutionized, the dream of many political thinkers of the time. The words of one the main document of the state started with the words: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happ iness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed (Virginia Declaration of Rights). And indeed, from the end of the 19th century up till nowadays for the many oppressed the USA remains the place of freedom, in a way a political ideal to be reached. Not only it is just in itself, but it as well actively engages in establishing freedom and democracy all around the world. Yet, what is important here is to take a closer look at the domestic stance with equality and justice in the USA. Despite the declared equality, economically the population is very diverse. The salary differentiation between the poorest and the richest may vary in 300 times, which is, of course unprecedented. As it was said, the economic fractionalization lead to the fact that different social strata and communities live different lives, with ones striving to have a decent life, while the other many times more than enough then a human being can consume. As the graph suggests, 80% of the American population own only 15.1% of the national wealth. To compare: 50% of the USA population owns 14.5 trillion dollars, the same amount of money could be gathered in 10 years if the tax on the rich would increase by 2%. Such economic inequality undoubtedly spurs political debates in the country. As well, we should take into account that financial diversification goes in hand with ethnic and cultural division of the households. Despite the fact that the just order is guaranteed by the law, existing social institutions, bureaucratic apparatus and the democratic tradition, the income inequality as well as other discrepancies the economic division raises stem into the political sphere and cause debate. And with certain economic groups tied up with the political decision makers, the inequality transforms into a vicious circle: rich and economically affluent influence the politics, thus preserving their positions and becoming more rich, while the ones receiving medium and below medium salary have little say in the decision making and instead are more and more occupied with the process o guaranteeing their financial prospects. Domestic inequality and the practices of economic exploitation clearly is receive continuation on the international arena. Changes in economic inequality over the last 30 years (The Economist) On the international scale we see that in the countries where republican ideas, rule of law, democratic principles, respect to human rights, freedoms are of paramount importance, the economic practices and laws allow for inequality and exploitation in domestic relations, but even more on the international level. MNCs acting in accordance with the law and indeed bringing the change to some third world countries, in fact contribute to the implementation of practices that undermine the attempts to establish international justice through establishment of unfair practices. Thus, the stance of the United States on the international arena is ambiguous on the one hand through establishing relations with the others states and participating in the work of the international organizations, it promotes the political principles established in the country, and are generally favourable for the fairer world, but on the other hand the economic policy through trade and actions of MNCs have a controver sial effect: exploitation of resources and population, cardinally unequal income distribution and often practice of dealing with corrupt politicians and non democratic political regimes. When the primary goal is only to maximize the profit, then the ways of making it in the third world countries have little to do with the notions of promoting justice. Historical factors and views on global order Another study case, this time a country that is not a part of the classical Westetn civilization, is China. Becoming in many ways a modern capitalist economy, its political views on the international arena and its place in it may not fully fall in line with the Western vision of China. Chinese foreign trade is strongly intertwined with the Chinese foreign economy policy. We can define five major principles, characterizing Chinese economy and demanding adherence to them. First, is keeping open world markets for its exports, more than half of which are produced by factories that are wholly or partly owned by foreigners. The second principle is about securing access to international supplies of energy resources and natural resources, which serve a determining factor to the Chinese industrial development. The third principle demands China is to insulate its economy and national wealth from potentially destabilizing international risks. The fourth principle demands that new technologies a re acquired, together with knowhow and skills. The fifth principle presupposes promotion of global expansion of Chinese own industries through foreign investment. It is obvious that in the last decades China is on the rise, both economically and politically, but the question remains how the increase in Chinese domination will affect the global order (de Jonquieres, 2011). Will it be a US competitor? And can it propose a viable alternative to the existing world order? Until the late Qing, concepts of international order and justice were alien to Chinas imperial rulers. Subsequently, however, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, China perceived itself to be the victim in an unjust world of aggressive, powerful, Western states. Contemporary Chinese perceptions of a just international order have been shaped by such past experiences and encompass a strong element of restitution. Its justice claims start with the Chinese state itself rather than with the needs of a broader glo bal community. Its activity on the international arena can be explained by the need to return the prestige and honour that was presumably lost in the early 20-ies. During the Cold war era Chinese foreign policy was heavily built on the dichotomy of rivalry of the two world powers, using one of them to strengthen themselves. First it was the alliance with Moscow from 1972 with the USA. It as well kept a positive image for the developing world. After the demise of the USSR there appeared a debate among the scholars whether a unipolar or multipolar world is appropriate. Globalisation was seen as a process beneficial for the USA, in which China had to find its place. The international relations had to be democratized. Despite the bright declarations often made by the Chinese officials, the current approach is based around a strategy of bandwagoning and transcending. The first means China adapting to the US and serving as a partner, while the second emphasise the peaceful transition to a more democratic world order. Transcending includes democratizing international relations, promotion of state sovereignty, strong support of the UN. Chinese approach is generally compared with US on the international arena.(Foot 2008) The Chinese approach to Justice in IR during the communist era proposed an another vision of how the relations could be altered. The Three World Theory presupposed that non-aligned states, that want to adhere neither to the comunist, nor to the capitalist world, can work together. Yet, these ideas have never gained power and later Chinese leaders felt in line with a more common view on the international arena. The Three World Theory map proposed by Mao Zedong The increasing importance of China in the International Relations make us listen more attentively to what the leadership of the country says on world order. Yet, as it was demonstrated, the Chinese economic policies go in line with the world practices. And the political and ideological solutions center rather around China itself, then the care of a an alternative, more just order. So, it would not be a wrong generalization to say that many non-Western countries do not contribute to fairer practices and go in line with the general pattern. Spread of negative factors on the regional and international level The last study case, however minor it is in comparison with the two previous ones, demonstrates how political factors influence on the economy and how certain processes taking place in one country, affect the whole region, leading to distribution of the unfair practices. The case here is the political and economic situation in Eastern Europe, and specifically the case of how political and economic practices of one country negatively affect the situation in the whole region. The destructive mechanism of Belarusian authoritarianism on other countries has not been well examined. Often dubbed as the last dictatorship in Europe, Lukashenkas system has proven to remain far more stable than expected. Though not showing great economic progress, remaining politically and economically dependent on Russia, the regime was able to deal with Putins administration, withstand political protests after 2006 elections and 2008 economic crisis. Lukashenka himself built in his own way an effective state structure, with him virtually controlling every significant aspect in politics and economy. However undemocratic the regime may be, with all the violations and electoral fraud during the presidential, parliamentary and local elections, it has been able to remain politically relatively stable for 16 years so far. This, undoubtedly set an example for the governing elite of the neighboring countries, like Russia and Ukraine, Belarusian dictatorship political regime also has a significant economic influence on the economy of Lithuania and to a lesser extent, on the economy of Latvia. We can see how Lithuanian leaders, interested in further economic cooperation with Belarus, especially in the case of transit Belarusian potassium salt, stood as advocates of the Belarusian authoritarian regime and in sometimes gave support to the regime (Belarus: Background and U.S. Policy Concerns). Belarusian contagion spreads in both ways, affecting other states because of the profitable economic cooper ation with Belarus and on personal level, tempting certain officials to breach the law, corrupting their own governmental system. Thus, their state system may become less accountant, transparent, responsive, equitable, legal frameworks become flawed. This is a clear example of how on the regional level political factors in one country spill to the other, making the whole region more corrupt. The bigger conclusion here is as follows: if we leave place for economic and political negotiation with countries with authoritarian or tyrannical regime, we must admit that it will influence. regional and international relations in the negative ways, further spreading contagious practices developed in their countries, that contradict the civilized norms, respect for human rights and the rule of law. To conclude the essay, several main statements should be repeated. First, in my opinion historical experience and evolution is not less important when speaking about the contribution to the justice on the international arena. Secondly, the behavior of the state on the international arena is very correlated with its domestic policy. Third, political and economic factors in the complex systems are intertwined, often it is hard to say precisely, which factor stems from the other. Finally. even if the political factors contribute to international justice, economic factors, and the pursuit for profit contribute to inequality and undermine the notion of justice in international relations. Bibliography Robert B. Strassler, The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War, Free Press, 1996, page 352-354 Guy de Jonquieres What power shift to China? ECIPE. Policy briefs. No. 04/2012.ISSN 1653-899. Brussels http://www.ecipe.org/media/publication_pdfs/PB201103.pdf. Viewed on December 17, 2013 Rosemary Foot. Chinese strategies in a US-hegemonic global order: accommodating and hedging. International Affairs 82, 1 http://www.cerium.ca/IMG/pdf/Foot_-_Chinese_Strategies_-_International_Affairs.pdf. Viewed on December 17, 2013 CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html. Viewed on December 17, 2013 The Most Important Chinese Trade Barriers. Derek Scissors. Testimony before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Relations July 19, 2012 http://www.heritage.org/research/testimony/2012/07/the-most-important-chinese-trade-barriers. Viewed on December 17, 2013 Virginia Declaration of Rights http://www.gunstonhall.org/georgemason/human_rights/vdr_first_draft.html Zia Mian and M.V. Ramana, 2010. Imbricated Regional Rivalries and Global Order: South Asia, China and the United States.‘ Belarus: Background and U.S. Policy Concerns. CRS Report for Congress. http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL32534.pdf The EUs Limited Response to Belarus Pseudo New Foreign Policy. CEPS Policy Brief No. 151, 8 February 2008. http://aei.pitt.edu/7543/1/151.pdf European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument. Country strategy paper 2007-2013. http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/country/enpi_csp_nip_belarus_en.pdf 1

Inflation and Investment Essay

â€Å"Inflation Poses Serious Threats to Government† is an article by Leigh Thomas published by Agence France Presse. It deals with section three in the couse companion, Macroecnomics. The article details the negative effects of inflation and what has caused it. â€Å"Foreign Buyers Snap Up Us Real Estate† is an article by Stephanie Armour published by USA Today. It deals with section 4, International Trade. It deals with why U.S real estates are urging Foreigners to buy property in the U.S. The article â€Å"Inflation Poses Serious Threats to Government† focuses on the causes of inflation and the factors that lead to it. Good prices have lifted the inflation rates in Europe. European Unioin’s Eurostat agency said that inflation hit 3.6 percent. Economist Sonil Kapadia s tated that food and oil Prices are the main driers of inflation. Food prices rose 21 percent in China. The oil prices have caused a major dilemma by cutting extra consumer cash and affecting the poor countries negatively. Economists say tat inflation relief might be on the way in the coming months. In addition, inflation threatens economies in Af rica by encouraging governments to take â€Å"knee-jerk† reactions to cope with stress. Real estate agents urge foreign consumers to by land in the United States. The agents are even willing to pay for the air tickets and hotel bills. Because the dollar hit a new low against other currencies, the price of home will be cheaper for foreigners; a discount of 30 percent. This activity is mainly happening in tourists area with warm weathers such as New York and San Diego. Jacky Teplitzky, a real estate agent, said that sales for foreigners rose from 10 percent to 25 percent in the past year. Also, to help attrack foreign buyers, such firms hire foreign speakers in order to translate. Wohlfarth, owner of Wohlfarth & Associates, believes sthat people are diversifiying their investments by buying more land. Inflation due to the rise in food and oil prices has caused disastrous results in the world, especially in poor countries. Oil is often demanded but there is little supply. So this is a type of demand-pull inflation. To reduce aggregate demand, a government could use deflationary fiscal policy, increasing taxes and lowering government spennding and/or deflationary monetary policy, which is rasising interest rates and reducing the money supply. iF all oil producing cuntries increase the output without using more costs, then prices for oil wouldnt necessarily rise. This is Elasticity of supply. Also Elaasticity of demand may help prevent inflation. If the goods were elastic then buyers will resist the price rises. If there are a lot of substitutes for a certain product, then buyers will simply switch spending away from the more expensive products. So if food prices are increasing, it is advised that consumers switch to another brand, if one exists. It is an advantage for both the U.S and the foreign buyers that buy land now in the U.S. But this is occuring because the dollars value is sinking. To improve the economy more efficiently, it is best if the dollar rose its value. THe dollars low value may help real estate agents to buy more land but in the mean time, inflation could arise because of the low value of the dollar. IT wiould help if money market investors shift to the dollar for low interest rates.