Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister 1979â€1990

Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister 1979–1990 Margaret Thatcher (October 13, 1925 - April 8, 2013) was  the  first woman prime minister  of the United Kingdom and the first European woman to serve as a prime minister. She  was a radical conservative, known for dismantling nationalized industries and social services, weakening union power. She was also the first  incumbent prime minister in the UK removed on a vote of their own party.  She was an  ally of US Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.  Before becoming prime minister, she was a politician at lower levels and a research chemist. Roots Born Margaret Hilda Roberts to a solidly middle-class family- neither rich nor poor- in the small town of Grantham, noted for manufacturing railroad equipment. Margarets father Alfred Roberts was a grocer and her mother Beatrice a homemaker and dressmaker. Alfred Roberts had left school to support his family. Margaret had one sibling, an older sister Muriel, born in 1921. The family lived in a 3-story brick building, with the grocery on the first floor. The girls worked in the store, and the parents took separate vacations so that the store could always be open. Alfred Roberts was also a local leader: a lay Methodist preacher, a member of the Rotary Club, an alderman, and the towns mayor. Margarets parents had been liberals who, between the two world wars, voted conservative. Grantham, an industrial city, experienced heavy bombing during World War II. Margaret attended Grantham Girls School, where she focused on science and math. By age 13, she already had expressed her goal of becoming a member of Parliament. From 1943 to 1947, Margaret attended Somerville College, Oxford, where she received her degree in chemistry. She taught during summers to supplement her partial scholarship. She was also active in conservative political circles at Oxford; from 1946 to 1947, she was the president of the University Conservative Association. Winston Churchill was her hero. Early Political and Personal Life After college, she went to work as a research chemist, working for two different companies in the developing plastics industry. She stayed involved in politics, going to the Conservative Party Conference in 1948 representing Oxford graduates. In 1950 and 1951, she unsuccessfully stood for election to represent Dartford in North Kent, running as a Tory for a safe Labour seat. As a very young woman running for office, she received media attention for these campaigns. During this time, she met Denis Thatcher, a director of his familys paint company. Denis came from more wealth and power than Margaret had; he had also been briefly married during World War II before divorcing. Margaret and Denis were married on December 13, 1951. Margaret studied law from 1951 to 1954, specializing in tax law. She later wrote that she was inspired by a 1952 article, Wake Up, Women, to pursue a full life with both family and a career. In 1953, she took the Bar Finals, and gave birth to twins, Mark and Carol, six weeks prematurely, in August. From 1954 to 1961, Margaret Thatcher was in private law practice as a barrister, specializing in tax and patent law. From 1955 to 1958, she tried, unsuccessfully, several times to be selected as a Tory candidate for MP. Member of Parliament In 1959, Margaret Thatcher was elected to a rather safe seat in Parliament, becoming the Conservative MP for Finchley, a suburb north of London. With Finchleys large Jewish population, Margaret Thatcher developed a long-term association with conservative Jews and support for Israel. She was one of 25 women in the House of Commons, but she received more attention than most because she was the youngest. Her childhood dream of becoming an MP was achieved. Margaret put her children in boarding school. From 1961 to 1964, having left her private law practice, Margaret took the minor office in Harold Macmillans government of Joint Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance. In 1965, her husband Denis became the director of an oil company which had taken over his familys business. In 1967, opposition leader Edward Heath made Margaret Thatcher the oppositions spokesperson on energy policy. In 1970, the Heath government was elected, and thus the Conservatives were in power. Margaret served from 1970 to 1974 as the Secretary of State for Education and Science, earning by her policies the description in one newspaper of the most unpopular woman in Britain. She abolished free milk in school for those over age seven, and was called for this Ma Thatcher, Milk Snatcher. She supported funding for primary education but promoted private funding for secondary and university education. Also in 1970, Thatcher became the privy councilor and co-chair of the Womens National Commission. Though unwilling to call herself a feminist or associate with the growing feminist movement, or credit feminism with her success, she supported womens economic role. In 1973, Britain joined the European Economic Community, an issue about which Margaret Thatcher would have much to say during her political career. In 1974, Thatcher also became the Tory spokesperson on the environment and took a staff position with the Centre for Policy Studies, promoting monetarism, Milton Friedmans economic approach, as contrasted with the Keynesian economic philosophy. In 1974, the Conservatives were defeated, with the Heath government in increasing conflict with Britains strong unions. Conservative Party Leader In the wake of Heaths defeat, Margaret Thatcher challenged him for leadership of the party. She won 130 votes on the first ballot to Heaths 119, and Heath then withdrew, with Thatcher winning the position on the second ballot. Denis Thatcher retired in 1975, supporting his wifes political career. Her daughter Carol studied law, became a journalist in Australia in 1977; her son Mark studied accounting but failed to qualify in the exams; he became something of a playboy and took up automobile racing. In 1976, a speech by Margaret Thatcher warning of the aim of the Soviet Union for world domination earned Margaret the sobriquet the Iron Lady, given to her by the Soviets. Her radically conservative economic ideas earned the name for the first time, that same year, of Thatcherism. In 1979, Thatcher spoke against immigration to the Commonwealth  countries as a threat to their culture. She was known, more and more, for her direct and confrontational style of politics. The winter of 1978 to 1979 was known in Britain as the Winter of Their Discontent. Many union strikes and conflicts combined with the effects of harsh winter storms to weaken confidence in the Labour government. In early 1979, the conservatives won a narrow victory. Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher became prime minister of the United Kingdom on May 4, 1979. She was not only the UKs first woman prime minister, but she was also the first woman prime minister in Europe. She brought in her radical right-wing economic policies, Thatcherism, plus her confrontational style and personal frugality. During her time in office, she continued to prepare breakfast and dinner for her husband, and even to do grocery shopping. She refused part of her salary. Her political platform was that of limiting government and public spending, letting market forces control the economy. She was a monetarist, a follower of Milton Friedmans economic theories, and saw her role as eliminating socialism from Britain. She also supported reduced taxes and public spending, and the deregulation of industry. She planned to privatize Britains many government-owned industries and to end government subsidies to others. She wanted legislation to seriously restrict union power and abolish tariffs except to non-European countries. She took office in the middle of a worldwide economic recession; the result of her policies in that context was serious economic disruption. Bankruptcies and mortgage foreclosures increased, unemployment increased and industrial production fell considerably. Terrorism around Northern Irelands status continued. A 1980 steelworkers strike disrupted the economy further. Thatcher refused to allow Britain to join the EECs European Monetary System. North Sea windfall receipts for off-shore oil helped lessen the economic effects. In 1981 Britain had its highest unemployment since 1931: 3.1 to 3.5 million. One effect was the rise in social welfare payments, making it impossible for Thatcher to cut taxes as much as shed planned. There were riots in some cities. In the 1981 Brixton riots, police misconduct was exposed, further polarizing the nation. In 1982, those industries still nationalized were forced to borrow and thus had to raise prices. Margaret Thatchers popularity was very low. Even within her own party, her popularity waned. In 1981 she began replacing more traditional conservatives with members of her own more radical circle. She began to develop a close relationship with the new USA president, Ronald Reagan, whose administration supported many of the same economic policies hers did. And then, in 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, perhaps encouraged by the effects of military cutbacks under Thatcher. Margaret Thatcher sent 8,000 military personnel to fight a much larger number of Argentinians; her win of the Falklands War restored her to popularity. The press also covered the 1982 disappearance of Thatchers son, Mark, in the Sahara Desert during an automobile rally. He and his crew were found four days later, considerably off course. Re-election With the Labour Party still deeply divided, Margaret Thatcher won re-election in 1983 with 43% of the vote for her party, including a 101 seat majority. (In 1979 the margin had been 44 seats.) Thatcher continued her policies, and unemployment continued at over 3 million. The crime rate and prison populations grew, and foreclosures continued. Financial corruption, including by many banks, was exposed. Manufacturing continued to decline. Thatchers government attempted to reduce the power of local councils, which had been the means of delivery of many social services. As part of this effort, the Greater London Council was abolished. In 1984, Thatcher first met with Soviet reform leader Gorbachev. He may have been drawn to meet with her because her close relationship with President Reagan made her an attractive ally. Thatcher that same year survived an assassination attempt when the IRA bombed a hotel where a Conservative Party conference was held. Her stiff upper lip in responding calmly and quickly added to her popularity and image. In 1984 and 1985, Thatchers confrontation with the coal miners union led to a year-long strike which the union eventually lost. Thatcher used strikes in 1984 through 1988 as reasons to further restrict union power. In 1986, the European Union was created. Banking was affected by European Union rules, as German banks funded the East German economic rescue and revival. Thatcher began to pull Britain back from European unity. Thatchers defense minister Michael Heseltine resigned over her position. In 1987, with unemployment at 11%, Thatcher won a third term as prime minister- the first twentieth century UK prime minister to do so. This was a much less clear win, with 40% fewer Conservative seats in Parliament. Thatchers response was to become even more radical. Privatization of nationalized industries provided a short-term gain for the treasury, as the stock was sold to the public. Similar short-term gains were realized by selling state-owned housing to occupants, transforming many to private owners. A 1988 attempt to establish a poll tax was highly controversial, even within the Conservative Party. This was a flat rate tax, also called the community charge, with every citizen paying the same amount, with some rebates for the poor. The flat rate tax would replace property taxes which were based on the value of property owned. Local councils were given the power to levy the poll tax; Thatcher hoped that popular opinion would force these rates to be lower, and end Labour Party domination of the councils. Demonstrations against the poll tax in London and elsewhere sometimes turned violent. In 1989, Thatcher led a major overhaul of the finances of the National Health Service and accepted that Britain would be part of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. She continued to try to fight inflation through high interest rates, despite continued problems with high unemployment. A worldwide economic downturn aggravated economic problems for Britain. Conflict within the Conservative Party increased. Thatcher was not grooming a successor, though in 1990 she had become the prime minister with the longest continuous term in the UKs history since the early 19th century. By that time, not a single other cabinet member from 1979, when she was first elected, was still serving. Several, including Geoffrey Howe, the partys deputy leader, resigned in 1989 and 1990 over her policies. In November of 1990, Margaret Thatchers position as head of the party was challenged by Michael Heseltine, and thus a vote was called. Others joined the challenge. When Thatcher saw that she had failed on the first ballot, though none of her challengers won, she resigned as party head. John Major, who had been a Thatcherite, was elected in her place as prime minister. Margaret Thatcher had been prime minister for 11 years and 209 days. After Downing Street The month after Thatchers defeat, Queen Elizabeth II, with whom Thatcher had met weekly during her time as prime minister, appointed Thatcher a member of the exclusive Order of Merit, replacing the recently deceased Laurence Olivier. She granted Denis Thatcher a hereditary baronetcy, the last such title granted to anyone outside the royal family. Margaret Thatcher founded the Thatcher Foundation to continue to work for her radically conservative economic vision. She continued to travel and lecture, both within Britain and internationally. A regular theme was her criticism of the European Unions centralized power. Mark, one of the Thatcher twins, married in 1987. His wife was an heiress from Dallas, Texas. In 1989, the birth of Marks first child made Margaret Thatcher a grandmother. His daughter was born in 1993. In March 1991, US President George H. W. Bush awarded Margaret Thatcher the US Medal of Freedom. In 1992, Margaret Thatcher announced she would no longer run for her seat in Finchley. That year, she was made a life peer as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, and thus served in the House of Lords. Margaret Thatcher worked on her memoirs in retirement. In 1993 she published The Downing Street Years 1979-1990 to tell her own story about her years as prime minister. In 1995, she published The Path to Power, to detail her own early life and early political career, before becoming prime minister. Both books were best-sellers. Carol Thatcher published a biography of her father, Denis Thatcher, in 1996. In 1998 Margaret and Denis son Mark was involved in scandals involving loan sharking in South Africa and US tax evasion. In 2002, Margaret Thatcher had several small strokes and gave up her lecture tours. She also published that year another book: Statecraft: Strategies for a Changing World. Denis Thatcher survived a heart-bypass operation in early 2003, seeming to make a full recovery. Later that year, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died on June 26. Mark Thatcher inherited his fathers title and became known as Sir Mark Thatcher. In 2004 Mark was arrested in South Africa for attempting to assist in a coup in Equatorial Guinea. As a result of his guilty plea, he was given a large fine and suspended the sentence, and permitted to move in with his mother in London. Mark was unable to move to the United States where his wife and children moved after Marks arrest. Mark and his wife divorced in 2005 and both remarried others in 2008. Carol Thatcher, a freelance contributor to the BBC One program since 2005, lost that job in 2009 when she referred to an aboriginal tennis player as a golliwog, and refused to apologize for use of what was taken as a racial term. Carols 2008 book about her mother, A Swim-on Part in the Goldfish Bowl: A Memoir, dealt with Margaret Thatchers growing dementia. Thatcher was unable to attend a 2010 birthday party for her, organized by Prime Minister David Cameron, the wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in 2011, or a ceremony unveiling a statue of Ronald Reagan outside the American Embassy later in 2011. When Sarah Palin told the press that she would visit Margaret Thatcher on a trip to London, Palin was advised that such a visit would not be possible. On July 31, 2011, Thatchers office in the House of Lords was closed, according to her son, Sir Mark Thatcher. She died on April 8, 2013, after suffering another stroke. The 2016 Brexit vote was described as a throwback to the Thatcher years. Prime Minister Theresa May, the second woman to serve as British prime minister, claimed inspiration by Thatcher but was seen as less committed to free markets and corporate power. In 2017, a German far-right leader claimed Thatcher as his role model. Background Father: Alfred Roberts, grocer, active in local community and politicsMother: Beatrice Ethel Stephenson RobertsSister: Muriel (born 1921) Education Huntingtower Road Primary SchoolKesteven and Grantham Girls SchoolSomerville College, Oxford Husband and Children Husband: Denis Thatcher, wealthy industrialist - married December 13, 1951Children: twins, born August 1953Mark ThatcherCarol Thatcher Bibliography Thatcher, Margaret.  The Downing Street Years.  1993.Thatcher, Margaret.  The Path to Power.  1995.Thatcher, Margaret.  The Collected Speeches of Margaret Thatcher. Robin Harris, editor. 1998.Thatcher, Margaret.  Statecraft: Strategies for a Changing World.  2002.Thatcher, Carol.  A Swim-on Part in the Goldfish Bowl: A Memoir.  2008.Hughes, Libby.  Madam Prime Minister: A Biography of Margaret Thatcher.  2000.Ogden, Chris.  Maggie: An Intimate Portrait of a Woman in Power.  1990.Seldon, Anthony.  Britain Under Thatcher. 1999.Webster, Wendy.  Not a Man to Match Her: The Marketing of a Prime Minister.

The Difference Between Un- and Dis-

The Difference Between Un- and Dis- The Difference Between Un- and Dis- The Difference Between Un- and Dis- By Maeve Maddox A reader asks about differences between the prefixes un- and dis-. The question is not easy to address. The prefix un- has been in the language longer than dis-. The Old English prefix on- (now spelled un-) was added to verbs to indicated a reversal of the action: wind/unwind bind/unbind fold/unfold do/undo This prefix has remained alive, giving us such verb opposites as: fasten/unfasten buckle/unbuckle cover/uncover wrap/unwrap Old English also had the prefix of negation un- that was added to adjectives, such as unborn and unburied. We continue to form negative adjectives in this way: unhappy unknown unwanted unavailable unconventional uncool unputdownable Dis- came into English during the Middle English period, along with many Latin and French words. The prefix dis- is related to bis, (two), and can be used in the sense of separation: disjoin disable In the course of centuries, distinctions between un- and dis- have blurred. Sometimes the prefixes are interchangeable. Sometimes not. Sometimes a perceived difference may exist only in the mind of the individual English speaker. Many speakers distinguish between disorganized and unorganized. Disorganized applies to the sort of person who stuffs receipts into the sock drawer and can never find the car keys. Unorganized applies to things which have not yet been arranged in an organized manner. By this reasoning, a person would be disorganized, but an office would be unorganized. At one time, unease and disease (first syllable stressed) could be used interchangeably with the meaning state of anxiety. Now disease (second syllable stressed) has taken on the meaning of illness. Angry arguments are waged over the differentiated meanings of uninterest and disinterest. The argument is that uninterested should be used with the sense of indifferent, lacking in interest, while disinterested should be used only when the intended meaning is impartial. Some argue against the distinction on historical grounds, but the perceived difference in modern usage is a useful one. When it comes to language, those who value logic above all else are just asking for elevated blood pressure. For example, the noun discontent is matched with the adjective discontented, but the adjective that corresponds to the noun discomfort is uncomfortable. About all one can safely say about the use of the prefixes un- and dis- is that their correct use is often a matter of idiom. The best way to master them is to read, listen, and look up questionable forms in a trustworthy dictionary. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"List of 50 Great Word Games for Kids and Adults10 Varieties of Syntax to Improve Your Writing

Introduction to Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Introduction to Economics - Essay Example Francis enjoys an absolute advantage. Why would there be an advantage to turning either task over to Phil and specializing? The answer comes from the Ricardo Theory that was put forth by the 19th century economist David Ricardo (The history of economic thought n.d.). The theory addresses the problem of comparative advantage. As can be seen from the table the cost of a phone call for Phil (.125 statements) is less than the cost of a call for Francis (.2 statements). However, the cost of a statement for Phil is 8 calls, but for Francis it is only 5 calls. Francis can produce a statement for fewer resources than Phil, and Phil can produce a call for less than Francis. They should therefore specialize. Phil should answer the phone and Francis should do the financial statements. This study was undertaken to analyze the effect that demand has on the US real estate market. The project studied the housing costs in 6 major cities. It was theorized that three factors; Demand, Area Income, and Value would affect housing. By evaluating the median housing price, the median incomes, and the housing available at the median price we were able to show the influence of demand. It was found that area income had no effect on housing cost. Likewise, we found that the higher cost areas provided less housing than the lower cost areas. The study concluded that the market was almost exclusively demand driven. The 6 major cities that are listed on the graph in Figure 1 display their median housing cost. It ranged from a high in San Francisco CA of $726,700 to a low in Austin TX of $170,900. The other 4 cities, New York, Boston, Seattle, and Chicago fell in the middle. If there were an increase in cost is due to higher local area wages, it would be expected that all cities would spend about the same percentage of their wages for housing. However, the graph, indicated by Relative % of income, shows that people in San Francisco spend a proportion of their

Governments Should Not Run Businesses But Only Provide Regulatory Essay

Governments Should Not Run Businesses But Only Provide Regulatory Framework For The Business - Essay Example These ideologies positioned themselves towards left, right or center way of political thinking. Several combinations of the political and economic ideologies have taken shape with a proper mixture of what was believed to be ideal at that particular point of time. These combinations took the form of Elitism, Pluralism and Corporatism, the purpose of these theories being to define and describe the relationship between Government, Business and Society. These theories, concepts and ideologies had also given rise to certain economic terms explaining the relationship between government and business, which are important and need an understanding to pursue our further discussions on this paper. They are: Classical Economics - implying a minimal role for the government with greater independence for the business to act and interact on its own with the forces of demand and supply to bring in equilibrium of the economy. Keynesian Theory of Economics - advocating a higher rate of interaction by the government on the market forces at a macroeconomic level, so that the advantages of such interaction can be possessed by the business. According to this theory no equilibrium of the economy will be brought by, without the interaction of an external force like that of the government. Neo Classical Economics - identified the inefficiency the Keynesian theory to recognize the importance of economic infrastructural inputs like transport, ports, education, competitive market etc., which are vital micro economic factors to be considered for the wellbeing of the society. Any inefficiency creeping into these sectors because of the intervention of the government would result in the weakness of the total economy of the nation concerned. "The framework of neoclassical economics is easily summarized. Buyers attempt to maximize their gains from getting goods, and they do this by increasing their purchases of a good until what they gain from an extra unit is just balanced by what they have to give up to obtain it. In this way they maximize "utility"-the satisfaction associated with the consumption of goods and services" - (Roy Weintraub 1985 pp1) Although these principles provide different degrees of governmental interference in the businesses, to determine exactly the role of the government in bringing about the discipline into the business would be rather difficult and would depend upon the infrastructural and natural resources in reserve for the country. This paper attempts to bring about a comprehensive answer to the question, whether the government should extend its presence more into the various businesses or limit its role to a mere regulatory body so that it oversees that the business run smoothly and achieve the goals for which they had been established. The analysis of the answer to this question is being carried out by a review of arguments against the government owning businesses and also a review of the regulations by the government on the conduct of the businesses. 2.0 WHAT ARE THE GOVERNMENT BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND THEIR ROLE IN BUSINESS PROMOTION: The Government Business Enterprises can be defined as" agencies and organisations which are established by government- usually

Four Diamond Essay Example for Free

Four Diamond Essay Embassy Suites Cleveland in Beachwood, Ohio is a hotel with 216 rooms. The hotel is self proclaimed as beautiful, modern, and spacious. The hotel also claims to be rated as a â€Å"Four Diamond† hotel. The hotel offers some great amenities like, family rooms, room service, free breakfast, a fitness center, a swimming pool, a restaurant, meeting rooms, non-smoking rooms, etc. I stayed at this hotel about two years ago, and the appearance of the hotel is nice but if you look a little harder you will find some major flaws. Although claimed as a great hotel and with abundant amenities, my experience at this hotel was horrible because the hotel has a bug infestation, mechanical problems throughout the building, and the management and service they provided was poor. While visiting at the Embassy Suites in Beachwood, Ohio, with my family and a whole hockey team, I came across some problems. First I was in my hotel room when I discovered a small cockroach, and after bringing this to the manager’s attention, she plead I did not tell the rest of the team member and their families. The management agreed to wash all of our belongings and give us a new room because the surrounding hotels were all booked out. So we agreed, we returned from a hockey game only to find we were not move to a new room yet. The manager apologized and were only able to give us a room two doors down from the original one. When we arrived at our new room we opened the door, clicked the light on and there were two, large cockroaches on the ceiling. We contacted the manager once again, this time she was in tears apologizing and due to the other local hotels being so full we had to stay. The manager moved us again, this time five rooms in the other direction, this room had no cockroaches but the heat didn’t work. We just wanted extra blankets, so we called to the front desk for them and they sent us blankets and somebody to check out our heat, but come to find out he was just the security guard who openly admitted he had no idea how to fix the heater. There are many reasons why I would suggest never to visit the Embassy Suites in Beachwood, Ohio. the first reason is they are infested with cockroaches. Cockroaches were not just spotted once but on several times while I was there. Cockroaches are hard to get rid of and is a sign that this hotel is not clean and has not been clean for a long time. Another reason I would never suggest this establishment, is because the management does not know how to handle problems. The management should be trained to handle problems like the ones I can across while there. Management should not cry when embarrassed of their facility and they should be tentative to unsatisfied guest. The last reason why I would not suggest visiting this hotel would be because there was not only a cleanliness problem with the building but the building had not heat in the middle of February and the main elevator was broken the whole time I was there. The heat was more of a problem than it usually would be because the simple solution would be just get more blankets, but then the cleanliness of the blankets and the cockroach problem come into play again. Some of the other reviews people have left are quite similar to my experience. One of the reviews that struck me was listed on http://www. tripadvisor. com, the review reads as â€Å"from beginning to end, our experience with this hotel was poor. I have found Embassy Suites to be relatively clean, efficient and user-friendly. I will be brief: we found a bedbug in one of our rooms, our car got keyed in the parking lot, there were no towels in the gym or pool area, the functions at the hotel were too loud and went on too late, and the quality of the rooms was poor with many showing obvious water damage. The worst part was the reaction from management. † If you are ever heading to the Cleveland, Ohio area I suggest you never stay at this hotel. After reading many reviews that correlate with my experience, I know my experience was not just an isolated incident. The Embassy Suites has a number of problems and according to the recent reviews I have read, this hotel is not working very hard to correct their awful service.

The Swatch Group Essay examples -- Business Management Marketing Essay

The Swatch Group: Competing In An Increasingly Global Market For Watches Nicholas Hayek and Ernst Thomke formed the Swatch Group (the Group) in 1983 by merging two bankrupt watch-making groups. The merger gave the Group ownership of many of the Switzerland’s dominant watch brands. Swatch, their first product initiative, was so successful that it helped pull the squandering Swiss watch industry out of a slump. In June 1999, with its 14 brands, the Group was the world’s largest watch manufacturer (in value terms). However, the global industry had changed and would continue to change dramatically in the new millennium. The Swatch Group was at a strategic crossroad and had to analyze the industry’s past and future in order to determine its next move. What proceeds is an in-depth analysis of the Swatch Group’s competitive position the global watch industry. We will identify a problem and offer several alternative actions to address this problem. Finally, we will discuss how to implement and evaluate these suggestions. Industry Snapshot: 1999 Historically, the watch industry had been fragmented and protected by the national governments of many countries. In the 1980s and 1990s, however, the competitive environment began to change. First and foremost, newly formed companies began to mass-produce low-cost, technologically advanced watches. The emergence of these products dramatically changed the way people bought and sold watches. Another dominant factor for change was consolidation. As companies merged, they improved their competitive positions through improved distribution, R&D, marketing, and economies of scale. These conglomerates slowly became major global players against which many watch manufactures could not compete. Initially, Swiss watch manufactures chose not to respond to many of these changes. They valued the inherent art of watch making and as such refused to succumb to the competitive pressures of large multinationals such as Seiko and Citizen. As a result, the industry took a dive in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Many companies and groups went bankrupt. Included were the two major groups that Hayek, together with a group of investors, bought back from Swiss creditors. In just a few years, they lifted the merged company (the Swatch Group) out of financial turmoil. Through strategic initiatives, they streamlined and rejuvenated many of t... ... entice consumers and improve brand image. Both strategies would help increase market share in a high-margin/low-volume segment. Let us now discuss how to best implement these suggestions. Implementation The key to successful implementation would be proper planning. The Group may have to restructure the way it’s units are organized so as to better determine which brands would be most viable in each geographic area. Under this plan, the Group would open new retail shops in which it would sell its own brands and any complimentary items that consumers would associate with watches. First and foremost, the Group should establish high tech, JIT-ready distribution centers in the geographic areas in which it plans on opening new retail shops. This would ensure that the shops stay replenished, but not cluttered with too much merchandise. The Swatch group would also need to expand its research and development staff. It would need to hire younger, creative people who know what is going on the world of technology, sports, and the arts. As such, they would be in touch with the needs of these markets. Only then could the Group determine what innovative products to develop and market.

The Importance of External Factors in Influencing the Conducting

The Importance of External Factors In Influencing The Conducting Of US Foreign Policy To answer the essay question, external factors are indeed important in influencing the conducting of American foreign policy, as they are for all countries. They are important because they determine the direction American foreign policy takes, and with it, can drastically alter the futures of entire countries (Iraq & Afghanistan post 9/11).This essay will devote itself to exploring and explaining how each external factor is important and influential, and proceed to back it up by providing historic and modern examples detailing its effect on US foreign policy, and the end results. These external factors that will be explored are (sequentially) strategic interests of other nations, geographically-based vulnerabilities of the USA in relation to economic and military interests and finally the successes of grass roots revolution in the Arab Spring in upending both long-standing allies and enemies, and it s effect on traditional US foreign policy stances.The first external factor is the strategic interests of both allies and enemies across the world. Due to the USA’s current position as a hyper-power with a global presence, its influence and interests often collide with those interests or spheres of influence of other nations, ranging from allies such as the United Kingdom, Israel and Poland, to long-time rivals such as the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China or find itself involved in a conflict between two different nations (such as the Falklands issue or the current Israel-Iran crisis).In such situations where the USA must interact with other involved nation-states, the USA has either attempted to compromise with the other parties involved in an attempt to reach an amicable solution or fully backed a local ally/pursued its own objectives to the detriment of local nation-states.One of the more notable examples of the first is in the long-running nego tiations with North Korea, where six-country negotiations (featuring Russia, America, China, Japan and both Koreas) have been ongoing since 2003, primarily concerning North Korea’s nuclear program but also the normalization of trade, demilitarization and normalization of diplomatic relations.In no less than six different rounds of negotiations (with a seventh one starting in 2012), the United States has sat down for talks with the isolationist North Koreans, attempting to reach an agreement to the satisfaction of all the regional powers involved, an agreement that would see international concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program addressed, as well as pave a way towards future reunification.While talks have continually broken down or bore little fruit, this is more so due to unrealistic North Korean demands and various violations than the USA negotiating under false pretenses or seeking personal advancement. The North Korean talks in particular stand as a specific cas e where the USA has and continues to work alongside regional powers for the benefit of all involved. The second approach taken by the USA is that of fully favoring one side or party in a conflict or situation (usually a long-term ally or one of more relevance) over the other side, sometimes to its own eventual detriment.A prime example of this would be the Israel-Palestine situation in the Middle East today. While the United States has several allies among the Arab nations (Jordan, the Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, formerly Egypt†¦), it has always prioritized Israel as its main ally in the region, providing it with billions of dollars yearly in grants, equipping it with some of the most advanced military technology in the world and sharing intelligence since the 1950s.As a result of these incredibly close ties to the Jewish state, the United States is often viewed as responsible or linked to Israel’s actions, while at the same benefiting from its use as a local proxy . So mutually linked however are the two nation-states, that it has directly anchored the USA into the morass of the Israeli-Palestine situation, an action that has often invited Arab rage against the Americans, most infamously concerning Al Qaeda and the 9/11 attack.While pure political/strategic matters are a critical and pervasive external factor in US foreign policy, there is also a backdrop of geography-based concerns that are particularly dangerous to the US’s foreign policy aims. The first element of geographic factor is an economic concern relating the international shipping lanes such as those of the Persian Gulf, while the second element is a military one, involving the supplying of NATO military forces in the land-locked status of Afghanistan.The first element is the more globally threatening one, as shipping lanes such as those of the Panama Canal (Central America), the Horn of Africa (East Africa) and the Hormuz Straits (Persian Gulf) are economic chokepoints, im portant to not only a hyper-power as the USA but the entire world economy. They are important because they are integral waterways in the world economy, shipping massive amounts of Persian Gulf oil daily across the world to countries such as India, China and the USA (nearly 46% of the world’s seaborne petroleum is shipped through both areas together).For the US specifically however, the Persian Gulf is a life-line that cannot be severed, even for a brief period. In 2006 for example, U. S. gross oil imports from the Persian Gulf were 2. 2 million barrels per day, accounting for 17 percent of the US total net oil imports. As such, oil-client states such as India, China, America, and Britain among others have warships detailed to the regions to protect and ensure safe shipping, as well as dealing with piracy.The USA specifically maintains its 5th Fleet in the area, being responsible for the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea and the Gulfs of Aden & Oman. The second elemen t, the military one is far more US-centric, however. Ever since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, NATO forces in the country have been reliant on supply routes going through Pakistan in order to continue operating. As reported by CJ Radin, the supply route starts at the Pakistani port of Karachi, where ships dock and offload their supplies onto trucks.The trucks then drive through Pakistan and enter Afghanistan through either the Khyber Pass near Peshawar or through the Chaman crossing near Quetta. However, due to multiple incidents (the OBL Abbottabad raid, drone airstrikes killing Pakistani citizens, various cross-border raids, Pakistani covert support to Taliban cells, Taliban ambushes of supply convoys from the Pakistani border, etc†¦), the relationship between Pakistan and the USA has grown strained, first limiting and then stopping the supplies landing from Karachi.As a whole, the Pakistani route was quite crucial to the NATO military effort, being the closest and most developed friendly port/road network into Afghanistan. Without supplies, NAO faced a struggle to continue their operations against resilient Taliban cells, a struggle that was slowly relieved by the slow build up of a northern network over the course of the last four years through Russia, Turkey and various Baltic, Caucasian & Central Asian states.This network has two different routes, one starting at a Baltic port, then by rail through Russia, Kazakhstan, and then to Uzbekistan before reaching NATO, while the other brings supplies by ship or rail to a Georgian port on the Black Sea, then by rail through Georgia and Azerbaijan, by ferry across the Caspian Sea, and by rail again through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, though it is reportedly by far the most limited.Overall, nearly 35% of US supplies in April 2010, 50% in April 2011, and 55%-65% in July-Sept 2011 came from the new northern network, while other NATO forces received roughly 40% the northern network. These instances both ind icate the striking lengths that the USA is affected by such vulnerabilities, as well as how strongly they are tied to American economic and military instances. In discussing American interests in regions such as Central Asia and the Middle East, one cannot ignore the effects of the Arab Spring.While much ink has devoted to this subject since 2011, here in this essay I will only focus on its affect on traditional US foreign policy stances. To put it simply, since the Cold War, the United States has gained a habit of often backing authoritarian or despotic regimes, monarchies such as Saudi Arabia and Iran (prior to the Islamic Revolution) or strongman republics such as Yemen and Pakistan.These countries repressed their citizenry, yet as long as they were American allies, they were celebrated, or even praised as loyal and as champions of stability and good, while other authoritarian regimes received lambasting and sanctions and other punishments. While Iraq received democracy and liber ation from Saddam, while Condoleezza Rice spoke of the violence wrecked upon Hamas-ruled Gaza and Hezballoh-influenced Lebanon as the â€Å"birth pangs of a new Middle East†, it was the Arab Spring that brought forth a new Middle East.Over a dozen homegrown instances of civil resistance, of rebellion, of revolution, successful or otherwise, all attempted and/or achieved without US prompting. In Libya, in Egypt, in Tunisia, Yemen, long-standing regimes have fallen. Authentic democracies are starting to develop, democracies with no inherent ties or links to the United States, with no reason to reach out to them directly. If I can quote Noam Chomsky on one thing, it’s that the USA cannot count on these new governments to be as friendly or welcoming as their predecessors.It can’t treat these new governments as their predecessors, it can’t control their opinions on Israel or Iran, it can’t easily buy their loyalties, not as things are still unfolding. I n effect, the United States now has to come up with new policies, new strategies to deal with these countries, to decide on continuing pre-existing deals or renegotiate new ones. In conclusion, there are several very important external factors that influence how American foreign policy is conducted, and they are truly important.Learning to how to recognize and compromise in order to accept the strategic interests of other nations, how to handle the geographic limitations and vulnerabilities that often define or control the options available in a situation, and how to adapt to dealing with lesser, developing nations that while democratic are not favorable to you or your interests. Bibliography CJ Radin, 2011, Focus ‘Analysis: The US-Pakistan relationship and the critical factor of supply’ [online] 4 December. Available: Daily Mail Reporter, 2011, Focus: ‘Pakistan gives US two week ultimatum’ [online] 8 November. Available: http://www. dailymail. co. uk/news /article-2066488/Pakistan-gives-US-2-week-ultimatum-abandon-secret-airbase-closes-border. html Cox, M. and Stoke, D. , 2008, US Foreign Policy, Oxford: Oxford University Press Lansford, T. , 2003, A Bitter Harvest: US Foreign Policy & Afghanistan, Ashgate Holsti, O. , 2006, Making American Foreign Policy, Routledge DeAlkatine, N. , 2012, American Diplomacy: Interpreting the Arab Spring, Journal, Range 1996, Available from UWE Library

IKEA Case Essay

1. ) There are three main factors that account for IKEA’s success in the furniture retailing industry: (a) its unique, Scandinavian designs, (b) its product strategy, and (c) its cost efficiency. a. IKEA’s simple, yet unique designs are undoubtedly a critical factor in its success as a furniture retailing company. In its early years, IKEA’s cost-focused strategy led to its manufacturing of â€Å"low-priced furniture [that] was functional at best, ugly at worst† (4). However, over the last decade, the company has deliberately focused on creating products with a more distinct design aesthetic. Today, consumers appreciate IKEA furniture for its both its functionality and appeal, rather than solely for its functionality. Ingvar Kamprad, the company’s founder, first introduced furniture into the IKEA product range in 1947. He solicited local Scandinavian manufacturers in the forests close to his home to design and build the furniture. The history of Scandinavian influence on IKEA’s products and its company culture was a major factor in its success. b. IKEA’s innovative â€Å"matrix† product strategy was also critical in the company’s success. Its product-development process was â€Å"overseen by a product-strategy council, which consisted of a group of senior managers who established priorities for IKEA’s product lineup† (3). After analyzing consumer trends, these priorities were established, and a product developer would use â€Å"the matrix† to set the product’s target retail price. The matrix is a grid that consists of three basic price ranges and four basic styles, and within each price range, the company would survey the competition and set benchmarks of prices 30% to 50% lower than those of its rivals (3). The matrix also used to identify gaps in IKEA’s product lineup, because there was a separate matrix for each type of product the company sold. The â€Å"matrix† product strategy was very successful and has generated massive amounts of revenue for the company. c. IKEA’s cost efficiency plan was a huge determinant of its success. In 1956, IKEA began designing products so that they could be packaged flat and assembled by customers on their own. This greatly reduced transportation, labor and storage costs, and it enabled the company to charge lower prices to consumers. IKEA estimated that its â€Å"transport volume was six times less than if it shipped its products assembled† (4). Like Wal-Mart, IKEA emphasized cost efficiency in its company culture. Employees were encouraged to save on electricity by turning off lights and idle computers, and managers always traveled coach and took buses instead of taxis if possible (3). The company focused on cost-efficiency in engineering its products as well. IKEA liked to use high-quality materials on furniture surfaces that were high-stress and visible and low-quality materials on surfaces that were low-stress and less visible to the consumer. These cost-cutting measures definitely helped IKEA become successful. 2. ) I believe IKEA’s slogan – â€Å"Low price with meaning† – perfectly parallels its product strategy and product range. The â€Å"matrix† development system seems overly simple, but it has been proven to work. Of course, there are sure to be some discrepancies regarding the competition’s prices, but IKEA’s product strategy and â€Å"matrix† system does a good job of targeting potential market opportunities as well as pinpointing areas of improvement and gaps in its product range. Overall, I think IKEA’s product strategy and its product range are perfectly suited to the company’s culture and slogan. The matrix system allows IKEA to deliver to customers the best possible product at low prices. 3. ) There are definitely some downsides to shopping at IKEA. The biggest downside is the realization that the furniture you are buying probably won’t last very long. Some of IKEA’s products have been known to fall apart after only a few years or during a simple move to another apartment. Another glaring downside is the fact that customers must pick-up and assemble their purchases without the help of an IKEA employee. Of course, this is part of what makes IKEA unique and what enables the company to charge its low prices. The final downside to shopping at IKEA is the low ratio of sales reps to customers. Ironically, the company’s vision statement proclaims that IKEA wishes to establish a â€Å"partnership† with its customers. On a global scale, IKEA has created a partnership with its customers through selling appealing yet affordable products. But on a smaller scale, and more specifically, within individual IKEA outlets, the company has failed its mission. Its strategy of having consumers purchase products (most likely without the help of a sales rep) and then immediately drive home to assemble them creates a clear disconnect between the company and its customers. Manufacturing functional furniture does not create relationships, it drives profits, and if IKEA truly wants to establish a â€Å"partnership† with each of its customers (while creating appealing and affordable furniture), it has to find a way to make consumers feel less disconnected; they have to feel as though they are a art of the brand. I believe more sales reps could be a good start to fixing this issue. 4. ) I agree with the concept of â€Å"mini-IKEA† stores. Implementing â€Å"IKEA Lite† shops would expose the brand to a larger and more diverse customer base. IKEA outlets are notorious for being large, cavernous warehouses – a typical outlet consumes 15,000 to 35,000 square meters. IKEA could create more brand awareness by installing IKEA Lite shops in shopping malls or in large, urban areas where retail space is scarce. Overall, I think it’s a great concept and would serve the brand well. 5. ) No, IKEA is not being overly optimistic in its growth plan of opening fifty stores in the United States by 2013. Many furniture retailers have far more than fifty stores in the United States. Wal-Mart, the leading US furniture retailer, has 4,005 stores in the US, so I think IKEA’s goal of fifty stores, while lofty, is perfectly reasonable and would position the company well to gain a greater market presence in North America. I think IKEA could improve its value proposition by providing more after-service support and communicating more with its consumers about who its suppliers are, what its working conditions are like, etc. , because Americans value ethical companies and transparency. We want to buy products from a company we can trust. 6. ) I don’t think IKEA needs to change a lot with regards to its product strategy in order to accomplish its goal of having 50 stores in the United States by 2013. I think IKEA should make the product matrix more detailed to account for the larger US furniture market. By this, I mean break down the designations of â€Å"high,† â€Å"medium,† and â€Å"low† in the product matrix into specific percentages. Going along with this, the company could add more than four styles to its product matrix to allow for more specificity. I believe if IKEA created more specific price points and furniture styles, the matrix system will continue to work and help the company identify gaps in its product line.

Seasons of Life Essays

Seasons of Life Essays Seasons of Life Paper Seasons of Life Paper Tamaki Carter The College of New Rockwell Professor V. Pearson April 19, 2008 The Seasons of Life series examines the development process from infancy to late adulthood, and the many challenges that are faced at each stage of the development process. The first video examines the developmental process from birth to approximately age five. The video explores the many components and experiences that contribute to humans early development. The process of human development is very complex. There are many contributing factors that work in cohesion, that make p the developmental process in humans. One being the 3 clocks, which are the 3 clocks of development. The first clock Is the Biological clock. The Biological clock determines our physical growth, such as when we are born and when we die. Its the bodys way of keeping time. The second clock Is the social clock. The social clock Is society way of keeping track of human development. It Informs of what society expects from humans, and when. The social clock determines when a child should begin school, when one should consider marriage, and at what age a person should tire. The third clock is the psychological clock. The psychological clock is humans own personal clock, its human inner schedule. The psychological clock consists of your feelings, emotions, and everything that is you. The 3 clocks examined in video# 1 is the foundation that humans develop on. The 3 clocks are always ticking from birth to death. Video#2 discusses the development of children and adolescents from the ages of 6-20. It explores the many challenges that both children and adolescents endure In human development. The childhood and adolescents stages can be the most challenging stage of development for both the child, and the parents. Children must now adapt to life on their own terms, they must find ways to fit In with others, and all while trying to find their own place in this world. They must learn to deal with challenges and setbacks in positive ways now to ensure that in the future challenges are dealt with in a healthy and positive manner. Adolescents must learn to adjust to their 3 clocks being out of sync. This stage is both difficult for the child as it is for the arenas. Adolescents, on the one hand demand more freedom, while still demonstrating childlike behaviors. This is the time when puberty begins for most adolescents, which only adds to the confusion. Video# 3 discusses the development of young adults. It describes the challenges they face with coming to grips with their childhood, while preparing for their adulthood. During the young adult stage, the social clock Is Informing us that we now have to take life much more seriously. We have to decide our career paths, chose a companion, and decide If where going to extent our females. These are the years of critical decision making, because the decision made now will affect the future in positive or negative ways. The women won are nearing ten Ana AT young adults nave to race ten possible TTY Tanat soon, they will be unable to reproduce children, as their biological clock comes to an end. Men and women also have to deal with marriages that have gone bad, but for men this transition is not as hard for them as it is for women. Most men have the opportunity to start out fresh. In most cases that women are left with the children ND must now for the first time in their lives look for Jobs, whereas the men are single with no children, and are able to date, and find other companions, while the women struggles to make ends meet. Video #4 explains the development procedure of middle adults. The video examines the challenges middle adults experiences in this stage of life in society today, and the effects of the 3 clocks during this period. The social clock informs us of what society expects from us, and at what age. For instance the social clock determines when a child should begin school, when a person should insider marriage, and when a person should be retiring. But in todays society, the social clock is changing. In past generations, returning to school or changing careers in middle adulthood would have been a rare occurrence, but today many more people in middle adulthood are making these and many more changes in their lives. Due to better medicines, and better quality foods, people are living much longer today, than in past generations. People in middle adulthood now, have the opportunity to do Just about anything that they did earlier in their development. The Baby Boomers are showing us how to live in middle adulthood, they are showing us the attitude to have to ensure graceful aging in todays society. Some might not have a graceful aging experience because they have regrets about things either they did, or did not do and this can lead too mid-life crisis. Video# 5 explores late adulthood, and the challenges faced with dealing with ones mortality. Late adulthood refers to anyone over the age of 65, but being over 65 does not mean Just sitting at home knitting anymore. People of this age group are still living like they were young, and in fact there is a group called the Young/Old. The Young/Old are very active, and still seek fulfillment out of life. In late adulthood, the topic of sex is Just as important as it was in earlier stages of development, but now sex is more meaningful, more intimate, and more nurturing. In late adulthood, integrity and pride about ones life is very important, and for them a lifes review will allow them to find peace with themselves. For women this can be a challenging period, because men die sooner than women, any are left to be widows living alone. After many years of companionship, now they must deal with the fact that they are alone, no children, and no husband. The developmental process documented in these videos allows one to see the many stages in human development. From infancy to late adulthood humans have to endure the many seasons of development that life brings. From attachment to adolescents, and on to the mid-life crisis, and then to the lifes review one must constantly adjust to the seasons of life.

Castigo por matrimonios falsos para sacar la green card

Castigo por matrimonios falsos para sacar la green card Es un hecho que se celebran matrimonios falsos con el à ºnico propà ³sito de que el contrayente extranjero obtenga asà ­ la tarjeta de residente permanente (green card) en los Estados Unidos. Pero lo cierto es que la mayorà ­a de las bodas son reales, hechas por amor, aunque ms tarde la relacià ³n acabe mal. Este artà ­culo trata de por quà © se celebran matrimonios fraudulentos para sacar la green card, cules son las estadà ­sticas, cul es el castigo si se descubre la mentira y, por à ºltimo, quà © se puede hacer si se descubre que una boda no es de buena fe. Por quà © se dan enlaces fraudulentos para obtener la green card De todas las formas que existen para sacar la green card, la residencia por matrimonio es la ms comà ºn. Aproximadamente 1 de cada 4 tarjetas de residencia se consiguen de esta manera. La ley permite que tanto los ciudadanos estadounidenses como los residentes permanentes legales puedan pedir los papeles para sus cà ³nyuges, tanto en casos de parejas conformadas por un hombre y una mujer como cuando se trata de parejas gays. En los casos de matrimonio de extranjero con ciudadano se da la mayor incidencia de matrimonios fraudulentos porque ofrece dos grandes ventajas respecto al matrimonio de extranjero con residente: Las peticiones son ms rpidasEn algunos casos, pero no en todos, los indocumentados pueden ajustar su estatus y arreglar sus papeles. Esto no sucede nunca en el caso de boda con residente. Los datos sobre matrimonios entre americanos y extranjeros Aunque no hay estadà ­sticas oficiales se estima que en un aà ±o fiscal tà ­pico se pueden presentar aproximadamente 250 mil peticiones de green card por matrimonios entre estadounidenses, por un lado y extranjeros por otro. De ese total de peticiones, aproximadamente en unos 7,000 casos directamente  el USCIS no reconoce tales uniones como matrimonios, por entender que hay  fraude  y, por lo tanto,  ya no se da la tarjeta de residencia permanente al solicitante. En los casos en los que sà ­ se da la green card, se estima que  hasta un 30% de los mismos pueden ser matrimonios fraudulentos. Sin embargo,  se investigan menos y aproximadamente en 7,000 la green card es revocada. Generalmente porque ha habido una  denuncia de matrimonio por negocio o conveniencia, que puede ser anà ³nima. En estos casos, tanto el ICE (institucià ³n encargado de hacer cumplir las leyes migratorias) como el USCIS (servicio de Inmigracià ³n) estudian si realmente investigan el asunto. Castigo si se descubre que un matrimonio es falso En el caso de que se castigue a una persona por matrimonio fraudulento con el fin de obtener o dar los papeles, la condena puede ser de un mximo 5 aà ±os de prisià ³n y multa de $250,000. Aunque el castigo se puede aplicar a ambos cà ³nyuges, lo cierto es que el extranjero recibe, en general, una mayor pena: puede ser deportado y, si ya le habà ­an dado la green card cuando se detectà ³ que el matrimonio era de conveniencia, se le quitar la residencia. Mientras que en la mayorà ­a de los casos  el ciudadano americano recibir sà ³lo un llamado de atencià ³n. Aunque hay excepciones y a veces depende mucho de la jurisdiccià ³n  en la que se  ventila el caso lo ms comà ºn es que los ciudadanos americanos sean multados e ingresen en prisià ³n por fraude inmigratorio por matrimonio en casos muy excepcionales. Adems hay otra importante diferencia en cuanto a las consecuencias. Si un matrimonio entre un ciudadano y un extranjero es fraudulento y se descubre al menos cinco aà ±os ms tarde, al estadounidense no le pasar jams nada. Esto es porque el delito prescribe (statue of limitations). Sin embargo en el mismo caso el extranjero ser privado de su green card y deber abandonar los Estados Unidos, asà ­ hayan pasado ms de cinco aà ±os desde la boda, porque en este caso no hay prescripcià ³n. E incluso en los casos en los que el extranjero pidià ³ la nacionalidad americana por naturalizacià ³n podrà ­a llegar a perder la ciudadanà ­a. Son proceso muy raros de desnaturalizacià ³n, pero son posibles. Quà © se puede hacer si se es và ­ctima de un matrimonio de conveniencia Es comà ºn que en este tipo de bodas falsas los dos contrayentes està ©n de acuerdo, a veces por amistad entre ambos y, a veces, porque se paga una cantidad de dinero. Esto es asà ­ a pesar de que cuando una persona pide los papeles para otra se est comprometiendo por aà ±os a responder econà ³micamente por ella porque ha firmado el affidavit of support, tambià ©n conocida como declaracià ³n de sostenimiento. Sin embargo, en ocasiones el ciudadano o el residente ni siquiera sospecha de lo que hay no es amor, sino simplemente interà ©s. En estos casos, dependiendo del momento, son posibles diversas situaciones, como por ejemplo:  cancelar la peticià ³n  o incluso solicitar  el divorcio  o, como se seà ±alà ³ ms arriba en este artà ­culo, denunciando. A tener muy en cuenta El matrimonio de un indocumentado con un ciudadano americano no siempre sirve para regularizar la situacià ³n. Depende, en gran medida, de cà ³mo se ingresà ³ a Estados Unidos. Por à ºltimo, seà ±alar que en ocasiones un matrimonio por amor puede levantar sospechas, por la razà ³n que sea. Estos son 12 documentos que sirven para mostrar que el matrimonio es real. Y estas son 65 preguntas que se pueden formular en la entrevista en el consulado para la visa de inmigrante o en la de ajuste de estatus o para el levantamiento de la condicionalidad de la green card (casos especà ­ficos de matrimonio con ciudadano). Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Welfare of Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Welfare of Government - Essay Example This paper discusses the ways in which various governments influence the process of innovation and technological developments, and ways in which the government approaches can help achieve sustainable levels of energy use. Innovation and the Government Governments across the globe support technological innovations, including their creation and demonstration, to give confidence and promote the private investors in their countries to adopt these new technologies. Governments will get involved in innovations through initiating technological research, development and demonstration projects in which they offer wide financial support. Further, governments support innovations and technological developments in their nations through subsidizing programs that support these developments (Deutch 2005). The governments have acknowledged that innovation is the process through which they can effectively achieve technical change. The governments are actively involved in the initial step of innovation , which is the creation of technology in their countries. This is often accomplished through supporting the discovery of new technologies and sciences. As earlier mentioned governments together with the help of the private sector and other foundations, sponsor and fund the discovery activities (Deutch 2005). The research and development activities are performed in industries, hospitals, universities as well as laboratories. Governments also help to deploy new discoveries of science and technology in business enterprises or society. Governments encounter challenges in technological changes when deploying new technological innovations because of the uncertain investment decisions involved, the changes involved in the production process with the personnel and customizing these new products or services to meet the needs and the demands of the customers (Deutch 2005). Government Energy Policy Options The governments are greatly concerned with the energy sector and its policies across the globe. The governments’ involvement in energy policies is because energy is a very significant aspect of the economy. The availability, the pricing and the efficiency of energy in all countries affects the performance of the economy. In addition, energy use significantly affects the environment, more specifically the global climate change, which must be addressed by the governments. In certain governments, such as the United States, the reliance on imported oil, and progressively more gas, has essential security implications for the country as well as its partners (Deutch 2005). Most of the global energy policies for various governments are a shift from nuclear dominated power to renewable energy because of their capacity to be environmentally sustainable. Options in energy policy are defined by security of the energy, the reduced costs and alternatives that aim at promoting sustainable environment across the globe. This renewable energy policy options can be achieved by gov ernments reducing their dependence on the nuclear powering their medium and long-term policy plans (Maeda 2012). More important, the governments should enhance the safety of energy in their countries. Moreover, to achieve environmentally sustainable use of energy levels, the governments ought to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, and reduce the levels of carbon monoxide emissions into the atmosphere (Maeda 2012). Support Options Governments can support the technological innovations through setting the regulations and rules that govern the innovation activities. This will enable the innovations and influence the performance of the process. The support options by the governments include