Critical Thinking Essay

Critical Thinking Essay Critical Thinking Essay What is Critical Thinking? Aaron Moore Axia College of University of Phoenix . What is Critical Thinking? Does every need to think critically? Yes! If everyone just made assumptions on how they could do things, the world would be in chaos. Critical thinking is what helps everyone in his or her day-to-day decisions. No matter how big or small the decision everyone thinks critically. Critical thinking is basically making wise decisions. In our reading making wise decisions is to â€Å"not being way- laid by temptation, emotion, greed, irrelevant considerations, stupidity, bias, or other similar things. â€Å" (CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING, ANYWAY?) While making a decision, and you let your emotions get the better of you, you may regret your outcome later. The same can be said for greed and temptation. Say you want to buy new clothes, but you know you need your money for other things. What you need and want are not always the same. So if you let your want out beat your need, you may be hurting in the end. Rational decisions, without thinking clearly could create a big mess. Like the story of the teenager who decided to run away from the cops. He thought rational, but didn’t think everything through. And as everyone knows, if you run from the cops it just adds to the felony. But if the teenager had just thought everything though while being read his rights, the teenager probably would have realized

In 2009 the United States Government Spent $950 Billion in a Fiscal Stimulus Package Essays

In 2009 the United States Government Spent $950 Billion in a Fiscal Stimulus Package Essays In 2009 the United States Government Spent $950 Billion in a Fiscal Stimulus Package Essay In 2009 the United States Government Spent $950 Billion in a Fiscal Stimulus Package Essay In 2009 the United States Government spent $950 billion in a fiscal stimulus package. Discuss the extent to which this stimulus will affect output, unemployment and inflation. (18 marks) Before we look into how the United States Government investment in a fiscal stimulus package effects output, employment and inflation, we must ensure we understand what is meant by a fiscal stimulus or policy. It is defined by economists as a package of economic measures put together by the government to stimulate a struggling economy. The objective of a stimulus package is to revive the economy and prevent or reverse a recession by boosting employment, spending and output. [INSERT DIAGRAM HERE] With large investment being placed into a new fiscal stimulus package, the resulting injection will significantly effect the level of economic output. However, the significance of this change depends greatly upon the positioning of the macro-economic equilibrium before the stimulus. This stimulus package qualifies itself to be a form of fiscal policy, and therefore a form government spending, which is a component of aggregate demand. Therefore due to this large monetary injection from behalf of the AD curve will undergo a rightward shift. That said, as demonstrated on the graph above that the economy is far from reaching full capacity utilization, therefore a shift right in the AD curve has very a slight effect on price level however, a significant change in real GDP. This is due to the fact the economy is still operating on the elastic side of the curve. Moreover, there is the possibility of a rightward shift in aggregate supply as a result of the stimulus injection. This therefore as a consequence will encourage firms to meet the demands of the surge in the aggregate demand curve through the purchase of capital goods in aid of production, new forms of technology and further investment in order to increase capacity utilization. Thus increasing economic output. [INSERT DIAGRAM HERE] As represented in the graph above, a rightward shift in the aggregate supply curve results in a decrease in the price level due to the increase in the given output level therefore, resulting in a further increase in real GDP. However, the degree of this shift depends greatly on the marginal propensity to consume (MPC) and the level of confidence of firms going forward. If there is a lack of confidence and low overall MPC on behalf of firms there will either cease to be a shift in aggregate supply or there will be a very small shift. The stimulus package will also have a direct effect on the level of employment within the economy. However, the effect depends greatly on the confidence of firms and other economic organisations. If confident firms will want to increase their overall output and therefore as a result will take on more employees to enhance the level of total output which can be reached (capacity cultivation). This will consequently decrease the level of unemployment within the economy, and mean there will be less government expenditure aimed toward benefits or job seekers allowance. However in retrospect, if firms lack confidence and have a low overall MPC to prevent them investing in ways to increase their overall output, such as capital goods and increasing the labour force unemployment will see no decrease or will only increase marginally. INSERT DIAGRAM HERE] The rate of inflation within the economy will be bound to see a change as a result of the stimulus injection. If we continue to assume that the macro-economic equilibrium is situated by the elastic part of the aggregate supply curve, therefore a rightward shift in aggregate demand will have a very minimal effect on the price level and inflation, however great effect on the real GDP figure. In addition there might even be possibility of a decrease in the price level if the aggregate supply curve shifts right whilst firms simultaneously invest in capital goods and labour force growth. However, this theory depends strongly on the fact that firms have high confidence and MPC. If the macro-economic equilibrium was positioned or was reaching the inelastic segment of the aggregate supply curve, there would be a substantial increase in the overall price level however no or minute change in real GDP. This would result in a negative impact on the economy as the level of output would receive no change however, the price level would. This would therefore mean the population would have less real disposable income, or RDI, available to them this decreasing the MPC and consumer confidence as less can be consumed. The impact on consumers would mean that firms would have little confidence and therefore, wouldn’t invest in means of increasing their output potential. This meaning the aggregate supply curve would see no change and inflation would as a result increase significantly. The multiplier effect also possess great significance in regards to the overall economic impact the stimulus will have on the United States economy. However, before analysing the importance of the multiplier effect, we must be sure we have a thorough understanding of what it means. It is defined by economists as, the process by which any change in a component of AD results in a greater final change in real GDP. In the case of the huge injection from the stimulus package it is more than likely there will be a multiplier response. The injection will cause a surge in economic activity causing a shift in aggregate demand as a result. However, this depends on the number of leakages stemming from, savings, imports and taxes, and the overall size of these leakages. If confidence is high amongst firms and consumers is high it is therefore unlikely that savings will take place as there will be a high overall MPC, the proportion of total RDI that they spend on goods, services and capital aids to production. . However, if there is an overall low level of confidence there will be an increase in the total amount of leakages from the circular flow as there are lots of savings taking place. As a result, this will decrease the multiplier effect. That said it is also worth noting that there may be an increase in imported goods and services as well as a change in taxation which would cause further leakages within the circular flow, thus hindering the impact of the multiplier effect. Therefore in conclusion, it is clear that a fiscal policy injection of this magnitude will create a definite macro-economic change especially in areas concerning output, unemployment and inflation. However, it is only certain that this change will be positive if the macro-economic equilibrium is situated on the lower elastic segment of the aggregate supply curve. If this is not the case the change could well cause economic issues (shortfall) such as high inflation. In addition, the increase in output of the economy depends upon the confidence of firms and consumers and an overall high MPC must be reached in order to ensure the best effect on the economy. This will encourage the purchase of capital goods and an increase in the size of the labour force in order to increase output. However, we must also take into consideration the role of the multiplier effect and as to how an increase or decrease in the volume and level of leakages will impact the economy and the overall effect of the stimulus package.

The Origin and Meaning of the Surname, Long

The Origin and Meaning of the Surname, Long Long is the  86th most popular surname  in the United States with origins in  English,  Irish, and Chinese. The most common alternate surname spellings include Longe, Lang, Delong, and Laing. Learn about the famous Longs, genealogy resources and the three main plausible origins for the common last name below. Possible Surname Origins Long was most commonly a  nickname that was often given to a man who was especially tall and lanky, from the  Old English lang  and  Old French long, meaning  long or tall.The Long surname may also be a  reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic name Ó Longin, meaning descendant of Longn, a personal name probably derived from long, meaning tall.If the family is Chinese, the name may indicate descent from  an official treasurer called Long, who lived during the reign of the model emperor Shun (2257–2205 BC). Notable Longs Nia Long:  American actress who is  best known as her characters on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Third Watch on TV. She was also in the popular movies Friday and Too Deep.Howie Long:  Former American NFL defensive end. Howie currently works at Fox Sports as a studio analyst.Shelley Long:  Actress popular on the comedy television shows Cheers and Frasier. She has five Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe Awards.Shorty Long: American soul singer, record producer, and musician who was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Genealogy Resources 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their Meanings: Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census?Long Family Genealogy Forum: Search this popular genealogy forum for the Long surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Long query.FamilySearch - Long  Genealogy: Find records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Long surname and its variations.Long  Surname Family Mailing Lists: RootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Long surname.Cousin Connect - Long  Genealogy Queries: Read or post genealogy queries for the surname Long, and sign up for free notification when new Long queries are added.DistantCousin.com - Long  Genealogy Family History: Free databases and genealogy links for the last name Long. Resources and Further Reading Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German-Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005.Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004.Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Letter of Advice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Letter of Advice - Research Paper Example The most important thing in a new relationship is to develop understanding and trust among each other. Only with understand can hindrances or fail of communication can be coped up. One very common example of a failure in effective communication occurs when interaction or communication between people take place either in a crowded place or through a medium like telephone where the voice cannot be heard properly. Under such circumstances, it is very much possible that a partner could misinterpret or hear something else that was intended to. For example while taking the course we came across a couple in class that shared their experience of miscommunication over the phone. The couple had recently tied the knot and one fine day while talking on the phone from office the female partner said â€Å"Honey my life was so incomplete without you.† The male partner heard the sentence wrong and asked â€Å"Do you mean to say that your life was complete without me and that now I am part of it it’s not complete?† The female partner without realizing what she heard said yes. This infuriated the male partner and he banged the phone down only to return home late and drunk that night. Later when the issue was sorted out the problem looked very simple but because the two of them had not known each other that well, it had looked very big before. Our lecturer then told us that it is very important to develop an understanding so one could know what to expect from the other. The lecturer gave the example of the couple and said that if there was better understanding between the couple at that moment in their life then an incident of that nature would not have taken place. The male partner would know that his female partner would never say something like that and even if she does then maybe in light humour. This was an ideal example of misconception in interpersonal communication (West and Turner, 2010). The relationship of a newly engaged couple is very delicate as both the partners try to make maximum effort in trying to understand each other. It is also a testing time when a partner tests the patience, attitude, behaviour and other characteristics of his or her counterpart. It is very important to select the words in order to create and affect the attitude, behaviour and perception. Words once spilled out from the mouth can never be taken back no matter how sweet or bitter they are. I do not mean to tell you to be extra cautious while talking to one another. That is not good otherwise there will be more silence than talking. All that I am saying is that you two must be in control of your conversation rather than the conversation controls you. If one of you gets upset then the best way to handle the situation is by kindly talking it over rather than spilling out rude words or showing body language that is not appropriate. You two must understand that most of the problems in marriage and other relationships are caused by misunderstanding and what Sigmund Freud described as ego. At the lectures in our courses, the lecturers try to tell us how to handle our ego and help from keeping it away from our relationships. Your ego is your self esteem. It is something that always wants to keep you superior in front of your counterpart. In a healthy relationship the two of you must look to make a compromise with your ego placing more importance to your partner. It is not a problem if the male partner first says hello. There should be

Health Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Health Psychology - Essay Example While the biomedical model is good in gaining a comprehension of the purely medical aspects concerning a patient's health the biopsychosocial is being found to be fundamentally imperative because it incorporates the actual mental states and physical states of the human being. For example, the biopsychosocial model introduces the emotional state, personal issues, family issues, and community issues that might have an affect on a patient's health and medical diagnosis. Therefore the acceptance of this model has stemmed from the fact that medical providers have now come to the realization that the psychological influences in an individual's life can alter the medical care and affect the patient outcome (Borrell-Correlo et al 2004, pg. 577). 2. Investigate Cultural differences in the incidence and prevalence of various diseases, such as HIV/Aids, and Cancer and of life expectancy. What factors do you believe are related to these differences. present, many different cultures approach these based on their religious beliefs, social customs, and over all societal views of them (Martin & Kukall 1996, pg. 993). For instance with Alzheimer's disease, those with a Latino background are more apt to care for their family member at home rather than placing them in a nursing care facility. This is in comparison to how Americans often care for a relative with this medical prognosis. Australian culture follows much the same type of philosophy; with diseases such as AID's, and even Cancer having an influential factor in the life expectancy that might present itself. This is due to the fact that these two cultural bodies carry a collectivist attitude instead of an individualistic one such as Americans have. Therefore, obviously the factors that play a pertinent role in disease and how different cultures relate to it are listed as follows, religion, family bonds, social perception, personal values, societal view, and community support. This clearly shows that some cultures focus more on the psychological aspects of the medical diagnosis; more so than what the actual biological bearing is going to be. 3. What is the Placebo Affect, and why is it often important to include a placebo in health research A placebo is simply an inactive element in medicine that has absolutely no affect on any medical outcome. It is or can be a pill that holds no medicinal qualities, a liquid of the same quality, or even an intravenous fluid that is used in medical studies and other experiments to see if the patient or individual in a study perceives there to be an actual affect. The main purpose is to test the strength of the actual drug and to compare the two too see if the real medicine does promote improved health and destroy cells in the body that can promote more health complications, depending upon what it is being developed for (Hrobjartsson & Gotzsche 2001, pg. 1594). The importance of including a placebo in medical

Globalization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Globalization - Research Paper Example Although the term ‘globalization’ is widely used and assumed to be crucially important across the globe, most people are unaware of the exact meaning of this term, as they have only a scant idea about this process. As Jan Aart Scholte (2000) maintains, â€Å"globalization is a distinctive and significant feature of recent world history. Moreover, the dynamics of globalization involve several of the core forces of modern social life: rationalist knowledge, capitalist production, automated technology, and bureaucratic governance.† (Scholte, 2000, p. 3). Therefore, a critical introduction to the concept of globalization confirms that it is a vital process involving almost all levels of social system of current world, although the discussions of globalization are generally muddled, redundant, unsubstantiated, and hyped due to the context of the world today. It is fundamental to recognize that globalization as a concept refers to the compression of the world as well as the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole. Significantly, the processes and actions connected with globalization have been proceeding from the past over a long period and it is probable that it will go on to be the most engaging concept of discussion in the socio-political and economic spheres for long.

UK Food Labelling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

UK Food Labelling - Essay Example In a nation where consumers want to know more and more about what they are putting into their shopping carts, the way towards a more healthy diet and wider awareness of how eating and shopping habits affect the rest of the country and the world on the whole, more information is needed for each food item and the answer seems to be a label that is ever increasing in size. This essay examines the current guidelines of British food labelling, where Europe feels the guidelines should go and in particular how the elements of the 2006 Conference on Food Labelling might be implemented into UK directives. With reference to stakeholders, current label requirements, necessary information and consumer understanding, the role of the label is ascertained both on its own and in conjunction with other information media now and in the near future. Foods that are sold in the United Kingdom are subject to the legislation of the Food Standards Agency; internally speaking this means that any produce sold, or any packaged foods sold in grocery stores must meet certain standards (Cartwright 1999). Meat, for example, must be traceable to the farm they were raised on so that if any health risks are discovered it will be possible to track down any other potentially harmful produce quickly and efficiently (Fine 1998). Packaged foods must not exceed certain amounts of salt or contain substances not deemed suitable for consumption (Foodlaw; General Guidance for Food Business Operators). In terms of the European Union and food trade agreements, these guidelines have not been imposed strictly on EU nations and so it becomes difficult to legislate on imported produce. This means that the FSA must deal with the concerns of its British population in terms of foreign food standards, plus it must deal with internal pressure to understand the fu ll nutritional value of foods sold locally (FSA; Food Law Enforceement). The FSA is run by an appointed board whose members have recently lobbied for the removal of commercials aimed at children that promote the consumption of unhealthy food items containing high amounts of sugar, salt and fat. The organisation is responsible foremost for the health of British consumers and in this capacity it has taken on many challenges in recent years. The FSA is currently under pressure to establish a new labelling system that might incorporate organic and free range status as well as to stamp each item or ingredient with a place of origin (Mansfield 2004). Consumers want to know that their food is not only healthy for them, but healthy for the environment and that any live animals consumed were treated well before their slaughter (Goldstein and Goldstein 2002). Certainly it is beginning to seem as if there is no end to the information being demanded on each food label, however one must consider whether a person can be expected to eat something that is of questionabl e origin and quality. A traffic-light system has been recently backed by the FSA in terms of categorising several packaged foods by level of nutritional value. A green mark will indicate healthy food to be eaten regularly, yellow indicates moderation and red will indicate a food that should only be eaten on occasion (FSA; Agency's new traffic-light TV ad launched). After