Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 Essay Example for Free

Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 Essay The law allowed an increased cost exemption, which stated that employers that can demonstrate a one percent or more rise in costs due to parity implementation will be allowed to exempt themselves from the law. The Mental Health Parity Act did not include rules for service charges, designations for the number of inpatient hospital days or outpatient visits that must be covered, coverage in connection with Medicare or Medicaid, restrictions on a health insurance plan’s ability to manage care, and coverage for treatment of substance abuse or chemical dependency. I do not think that the Mental Health Parity Act was successful, because there are many people still in this world who don’t have insurance have to pay more than what people with insurance do. Even some people with insurance have to pay a lot out of pocket for services. Even when it was still in act, it only took effect to people with major disabilities. This left most of the population having to pay for many of the services themselves.

Avoiding the Alignment Trap in Intormation Technology Essay Example for Free

Avoiding the Alignment Trap in Intormation Technology Essay An alarming pattern has surfaced in that many companies are concentrating on alignment and are finding that their performance is either declining or moving sideways. Companies are focusing on the wrong solutions with respect to their Information Technology problems, resulting in severe bottlenecks to growth. Companies need to learn how to break out of the trap and build IT organizations that allow for growth rather than obstruct it. Companies will need to be committed as doing so will require a continuous effort. The essential goal for these companies in order to succeed is to move IT into the upper-right quadrant, where they will be highly effective and highly aligned, and where IT appears to be enabling growth rather than inhibiting it. In order to move in this direction, it is my recommendation that the companies begin by installing local area networks locally, as well as a central database stored on a server to connect to head office. This option is economically feasible, will improve local efficiencies and will allow the sharing of resources and records. I would also recommend that the companies begin feasibility testing to explore the implementation of an internal ERP system to support global operations in the near future. Doing this will help companies to keep up with the competition. Current Situation Companies are getting caught in an â€Å"alignment trap† whereas they are spending large amounts of resources towards being highly aligned and not realizing the importance of being highly effective as well. There are four quadrants within which companies are being categorized with respect to their ability to be effective. They are being measured based on the ineffectiveness as far as completing projects on time and on budget, and the ineffectiveness of alignment to an important business objective. The first of these quadrants is â€Å"alignment trap†. Despite being highly aligned, the companies within this group are less effective in completing budgets on time and within the budget. Charles Schwab Co. is currently in this position and as a result, continues to spend money on projects and seeing no growth. The second quadrant is â€Å"maintenance zone†. Companies in this quadrant are less aligned to major business objectives but are maintaining below average levels of growth even though they are less effective and spending more in IT as a result. In this zone, IT is not performing well, is not valued and is segregated from the company’s main functions. Management is budgeting enough to keep the system running, but IT is not providing any added value to the business. Third is the â€Å"well-oiled IT† quadrant which can be categorized as second best. In this group, companies are highly effective at bringing projects in on time and on budget. They are more focused on execution. Still, companies are less aligned meaning that their IT group does not fully understand the priorities of the business and where to spend the resources. Lastly, the â€Å"IT-enabled growth† quadrant is where all companies would like to be. This quadrant encompasses those companies who are not only highly effective at making IT projects successful, but are also highly aligned in relation to their business objectives. Examples of companies who have succeeded in this respect are Nestle, Wal-Mart, FedEx and Dell. The following are IT-related issues that organizations are currently facing as they attempt to align their business goals with IT technology: Believing that alignment is the solution to their IT problems, companies are spending enormous amounts of money without solving any problems. Various divisions are driving independent initiatives, each one designed to address its own competitive needs, resulting in complexity of IT systems (no standardization). As a result, costs increase and the fragmented divisions make it harder for managers to coordinate across business units. Complexity in systems is making enhancements to systems and improvements to infrastructures more and more difficult to implement and potential benefits are left unused. Redundant applications that perform the same or similar functions. Outsourcing the wrong activities. Data in multiple information systems are viewed as â€Å"garbage† and producing inconsistencies (i.e. salespeople are promoting products that are discontinued) In companies similar to Charles Schwab Co. for example: IT staff response have become slow and expensive; IT engineers are spending more time fixing bugs in the systems than ever before; and several big and ambitious projects are overdue and preventing the company from being competitive. Criteria The following criteria will be used to evaluate each of the alternatives: IT spending must be aligned with the company’s growth strategies (need to reduce IT costs i.e. savings on software licensing costs where bleeding money, and head count). Must be shared ownership and shared governance of IT projects. Need to reduce complexity (or emphasize simplicity). Increase efficiency (doing things in a cost effective way with no duplication of time and effort). Economically feasible. IT infrastructure to support networked operations in multiple locations. Need to centralize and simplify the IT functions. Need high effectiveness to achieve an objective through the use of: 1. simplicity (or reducing complexity) – by implementing companywide standards, replacing legacy systems, building new solutions on simplified and standardized infrastructure; 2. right sourcing – choosing the right source for a capability and maximizing effectiveness while minimizing cost; and 3. accountability – executives should get the information they need to measure the progress of IT and IT people should be held accountable for outcomes. IT needs to be reliable, without excess complexity, and needs to deliver projects consistently with desired functionality, timing and cost. IT systems need to run smoothly and reliably. IT functions such as architecture and infrastructure need to be balanced with respect to the needs of the entire organization and those of individual businesses. Need a good governance structure so as to set parameters to keep an organization on track (i.e. no more than four new technology releases per year).

Indias Financial Markets

Indias Financial Markets As all the Financial Markets in India together form the Indian Financial Markets, all the Financial Markets of Asia together form the Asian Financial Markets; likewise all the Financial Markets of all the countries of the world together form the Global Financial Markets. Financial Markets deal with trading (buying and selling) of financial securities (stocks and bonds), commodities (valuable metals or food grains), and other exchangeable and valuable items at minimum transaction costs and market efficient prices. Financial Markets can be domestic or international. The Global Financial Markets work as a significant instrument for improved liquidity. Financial Markets can be categorized into six types: Capital Markets: Stock markets and Bond markets Commodity Markets Money Markets Derivatives Markets: Futures Markets Insurance Markets Foreign Exchange Markets The Financial Markets play a major role in the Global Economy because it helps businesses to raise capital (in capital markets), they facilitate transferring of risk (in derivative markets), and they help international trade (in currency markets) to prosper. The International Stock Markets form a major part of the Global Financial Markets. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange, which started operating in continuous trade in the earlier part of the 17th Century. Some of the Important Stock Exchanges of the world are: The New York Stock Exchange (merged with Euro next): The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is a stock exchange based in New York City, USA that was incorporated in 1817. In terms of dollar volume, it is the largest stock exchange in the world, and in terms of the number of companies listed it is the second largest stock exchange in the world. The NYSE is also known as the Big Board. The indexes used in the NYSE are the NYSE Composite Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index. The NYSE functions under NYSE Euro next, the formation of which was the result of NYSEs merger with Archipelago Holdings and Euro next. Tokyo Stock Exchange: The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), incorporated in 1949, is located in Tokyo, Japan. In terms of monetary volume, The Tokyo Stock Exchange is the second largest stock exchange in the world, only next to New York Stock Exchange. The indexes used in the TSE are Nikkei 225, Topix, and J30. NASDAQ: The National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations, or NASDAQ, is an electronic stock market based in New York City, USA that was incorporated in 1971. The NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. is the owner and regulator of NASDAQ. The main index used in NASDAQ is the NASDAQ Composite. London Stock Exchange: Established in 1801, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) is one of the oldest and largest stock exchanges in the world. In terms of market capitalization, the London Stock Exchange was ranked 4th among all the other important stock exchanges in the world in March 2007. The London Stock Exchange is located in Paternoster Square near St. Pauls Cathedral, London. The stock market index of London Stock Exchange is the Footsie (FTSE). Euro next (merged with NYSE): Founded in 2000, Euro next N.V. is a pan-European Stock Exchange, which is based in Paris. In terms of market capitalization, Euro next ranks as the fifth largest stock exchange in the world. There was a merger of Euro next with the NYSE Group, which led to the formation of NYSE Euro next and it is the first global stock exchange. The main indexes used in Euro next are the Euro next 100 Index and the Next 150 Index. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE): Located in Mumbai, India and founded in 1875, the Bombay Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange of Asia. The main index of BSE is called the BSE Sensex (Sensitive Index) or the BSE 30. In terms of volume of transactions, the BSE was ranked as one of the top five stock exchanges in the world in 2005. Some terms that are used in the Global Financial Markets are: Geek, a Quant Grim Nerd, a Quant Quant Big Swinging Dick Rocket Scientist White Knight Today equity research has become a specialized activity, although confined to a very small segment of the market. It would be a little early to consider equity research as an independent business segment, but at the same time it must be appreciated that the value of equity research is being felt by the market. This is an interesting stage in the growth and development of equity research, especially in a situation where the traditional individual investor is unwilling to pay for vital stock related information while the institutional investor is already paying for research reports. The phenomenal growth of the financial markets over the last quarter of a century has meant that the very character of investment has changed with ever larger scales of market capitalization. The emergence of the Fund Manager as a new value addition in investment related financial services is actually a part of the growth and development of the institutional investor. The fund managers sole objective is to ensure maximum returns for his clients whose money he invests working in tandem with research inputs. The fund manager and his client are a vital part of the institutional investment process sustained by an advanced and research driven approach to capital market investment. Equity research still has some time to develop as a sustainable business model, but like any other research activity it has its limitations in developing into a booming business. Institutional investors are willing to pay ever higher amounts for in-depth and precise research in accordance with their requirements. Some of the modes of equity research are: Fundamental Analysis Technical Analysis Securities Market Analysis Index Momentum Analysis Securities Momentum Analysis Securities Chart Analysis India n Financial Market India Financial market is one of the oldest in the world and is considered to be the fastest growing and best among all the markets of the emerging economies. The history of Indian capital markets dates back 200 years toward the end of the 18th century when India was under the rule of the East India Company. The financial market in India today is more developed than many other sectors because it was organized long before with the securities exchanges of Mumbai, Ahmadabad and Kolkata were established as early as the 19th century. By the early 1960s the total number of securities exchanges in India rose to eight, including Mumbai, Ahmadabad and Kolkata apart from Madras, Kanpur, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune. Today there are 21 regional securities exchanges in India in addition to the centralized NSE (National Stock Exchange) and OTCEI (Over the Counter Exchange of India). The corporate sector wasnt allowed into many industry segments, which were dominated by the state controlled public se ctor resulting in stagnation of the economy right up to the early 1990s. Thereafter when the Indian economy began liberalizing and the controls began to be dismantled or eased out, the securities markets witnessed a flurry of IPOs that were launched. This resulted in many new companies across different industry segments to come up with newer products and services. A remarkable feature of the growth of the Indian economy in recent years has been the role played by its securities markets in assisting and fuelling that growth with money rose within the economy. This was in marked contrast to the initial phase of growth in many of the fast growing economies of East Asia that witnessed huge doses of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) spurring growth in their initial days of market decontrol. During this phase in India much of the organized sector has been affected by high growth as the financial markets played an all-inclusive role in sustaining financial resource mobilization. Many PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings) that decided to offload part of their equity were also helped by the well-organized securities market in India. The launch of the NSE (National Stock Exchange) and the OTCEI (Over the Counter Exchange of India) during the mid 1990s by the government of India was meant to usher in an easier and more transparent form of trading in securities . The NSE was conceived as the market for trading in the securities of companies from the large-scale sector and the OTCEI for those from the small-scale sector. While the NSE has not just done well to grow and evolve into the virtual backbone of capital markets in India the OTCEI struggled and is yet to show any sign of growth and development. The integration of IT into the capital market infrastructure has been particularly smooth in India due to the countrys world class IT industry. This has pushed up the operational efficiency of the Indian stock market to global standards and as a result the country has been able to capitalize on its high growth and attract foreign capital like never before. Potential of India Financial Market India Financial Market helps in promoting the savings of the economy helping to adopt an effective channel to transmit various financial policies. The Indian financial sector is well-developed, competitive, efficient and integrated to face all shocks. In the India financial market there are various types of financial products whose prices are determined by the numerous buyers and sellers in the market. The other determinant factor of the prices of the financial products is the market forces of demand and supply. The various other types of Indian markets help in the functioning of the wide India financial sector. Features OF FINANCIAL Market in India: India Financial Indices BSE 30 Index, various sector indexes, stock quotes, Sensex charts, bond prices, foreign exchange, Rupee Dollar Chart Indian Financial market news Stock News Bombay Stock Exchange, BSE Sensex 30 index, SP CNX-Nifty, company information, issues on market capitalization, corporate earnings statements Fixed Income Corporate Bond Prices, Corporate Debt details, Debt trading activities, Interest Rates, Money Market, Government Securities, Public Sector Debt, External Debt Service Foreign Investment Foreign Debt Database composed by BIS, IMF, OECD, World Bank, Investments in India Abroad Global Equity Indexes Dow Jones Global indexes, Morgan Stanley Equity Indexes Currency Indexes FX Gold Chart Plotter, J. P. Morgan Currency Indexes National and Global Market Relations Mutual Funds Insurance Loans Forex and Bullion Indian money market AS PER RBI DEFINITIONS A market for short terms financial assets that are close substitute for money, facilitates the exchange of money in primary and secondary market. Indian money market was highly regulated and was characterized by limited number of participants. The limited variety and instruments were available. Interest rate on the instruments was under the regulation of Reserve Bank of India. The sincere efforts for developing the money market were made when the financial sector reforms were started by the government. Money markets are the markets for short-term, highly liquid debt securities. Examples of these include bankers acceptances, repos, negotiable certificates of deposit, and Treasury Bills with maturity of one year or less and often 30 days or less. Money market securities are generally very safe investments, which return relatively; low interest rate that is most appropriate for temporary cash storage or short term time needs. The National Stock Exchange, where the stocks of the largest Indian. Corporations are traded, is a prime example of a capital primary market. Regarding timing, there is no hard and fast rule on this, but when describing debt markets, short term generally means less than one year, intermediate term means one to five years, and long term means more than five years. THE NATURE OF MONEY MARKETS In this we define money markets broadly to include all financial instruments easily converted to means of payment that are used by governments, financial institutions and nonfinancial institutions for short-term funding or placements. By convention, we limit our scope to instruments of less than one year maturity. The most important function of a money market is to provide a means whereby economic units can quickly adjust through cash positions. For all economic units (business, households financial institutions or governments) the timing of cash inflows is rarely perfectly synchronized or predictable in the short run. In addition to facilitating the liquidity management of economic actors, money markets fulfill a number of additional economic functions: Interest rates on money market instruments serve as reference rates for pricing all debt instruments; Governments or central banks use money market instruments as tools at monetary policy; Short-term interbank markets, finance longer-term lending when financial intermediaries transform maturities. Features of Money Market It is a market purely for short-terms funds or financial assets called near money. It deals with financial assets having a maturity period less than one year only. In Money Market transaction cannot take place formal like stock exchange, only through oral communication, relevant document and written communication transaction can be done. Transaction has to be conducted without the help of brokers. It is not a single homogeneous market, it comprises of several submarket like call money market, acceptance bill market. The components of Money Market are the commercial banks, acceptance houses NBFC (Non-banking financial companies). It is not a single market but a collection of markets for several instruments. It is a need-based market wherein the demand supply of money shape the market. Money market is basically over-the-phone market. Dealing in money market may be conductive with or without the help of brokers. It is a market for short-term financial assets that are close substitutes for money. Financial assets which can be converted into money with ease, speed, without loss with minimum transaction cost are regarded as close substitutes for money. The major players of money market Reserve Bank of India SBI DFHI Ltd (Amalgamation of Discount Finance House in India and SBI in 2004) Acceptance Houses Commercial Banks, Co-operative Banks and Primary Dealers are allowed to borrow and lend. Specified All-India Financial Institutions, Mutual Funds, and certain specified entities are allowed to access to Call/Notice money market only as lenders Individuals, firms, companies, corporate bodies, trusts and institutions can purchase the treasury bills, CPs and CDs. Money market instruments Money market instruments take care of the borrowers short-term needs and render the required liquidity to the lenders. The varied types of India money market instruments are treasury bills, repurchase agreements, commercial papers, certificate of deposit, and bankers acceptance. Treasury Bills (T-Bills) Treasury bills were first issued by the Indian government in 1917. Treasury bills are short-term financial instruments that are issued by the Central Bank of the country. It is one of the safest money market instruments as it is void of market risks, though the return on investments is not that huge. Treasury bills are circulated by the primary as well as the secondary markets. The maturity periods for treasury bills are respectively 3-month, 6-month and 1-year. The price with which treasury bills are issued comes separate from that of the face value, and the face value is achieved upon maturity. On maturity, one gets the interest on the buy value as well. To be specific, the buy value is determined by a bidding process, that too in auctions. Repurchase Agreements Repurchase agreements are also called repos. Repos are short-term loans that buyers and sellers agree upon for selling and repurchasing. Repo transactions are allowed only among RBI-approved securities like state and central government securities, T-bills, PSU bonds, FI bonds and corporate bonds. Repurchase agreements, on the other hand, are sold off by sellers, held back with a promise to purchase them back at a certain price and that too would happen on a specific date. The same is the procedure with that of the buyer, who purchases the securities and other instruments and promises to sell them back to the seller at the same time. Commercial Papers Commercial papers are usually known as promissory notes which are unsecured and are generally issued by companies and financial institutions, at a discounted rate from their face value. The fixed maturity for commercial papers is 1 to 270 days. The purposes with which they are issued are for financing of inventories, accounts receivables, and settling short-term liabilities or loans. The return on commercial papers is always higher than that of T-bills. Companies which have a strong credit rating, usually issue CPs as they are not backed by collateral securities. Corporations issue CPs for raising working capital and they participate in active trade in the secondary market. It was in 1990 that Commercial papers were first issued in the Indian money market. Certificate of Deposit A certificate of deposit is a borrowing note for the short-term just similar to that of a promissory note. The bearer of a certificate of deposit receives interest. The maturity date, fixed rate of interest and a fixed value are the three components of a certificate of deposit. The term is generally between 3 months to 5 years. The funds cannot be withdrawn instantaneously on demand, but has the facility of being liquidated, if a certain amount of penalty is paid. The risk associated with certificate of deposit is higher and so is the return (compared to T-bills). It was in 1989 that the certificate of deposit was first brought into the Indian money market. Bankers Acceptance A bankers acceptance is also a short-term investment plan that comes from a company or a firm backed by a guarantee from the bank. This guarantee states that the buyer will pay the seller at a future date. One who draws the bill should have a sound credit rating. 90 days is the usual term for these instruments. The term for these instruments can also vary between 30 and 180 days. It is used as time draft to finance imports, exports. It depends on the economic trends and market situation that RBI takes a step forward to ease out the disparities in the market. Whenever there is a liquidity crunch, the RBI opts either to reduce the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) or infuse more money in the economic system. In a recent initiative, for overcoming the liquidity crunch in the Indian money market, the RBI infused more than Rs 75,000 crore along with reductions in the CRR. Call money market The call money market consists of overnight money and money at short notice for periods up to 14 days. It essentially serves the purpose of equilibrating the short-term liquidity position of banks. The call money market as a significant component of the money market possesses a few special characteristics:- Call money is an instrument for ultra-short period management of funds and is easily reversible. It is primarily a telephone market and is therefore, administratively convenient to manage for both borrowers and lender. Being an instrument of liability management, it provides incremental funds and adds to the size of balance sheet of banks. From the macro-side, developed call money market helps to smoothen the fluctuations in the reserve-deposit rations of banks thereby contributing to the stability of the money-multiplier process. A stable money multiplier in turn serves as a reliable means of monetary regulation and policy guide. From the micro angle, short-run borrowing by banks improves the efficiency of funds management in two ways. One way, it enables banks to hold higher reserve-deposit ratio than would be possible otherwise. In another way, it allows some banks to permanently increase their pool of investible funds. Hence, active well-organized call money market improves the funds management practices of banks which in turn further their overall efficiency and profitability. The money market continued to remain orderly during Q2 of 2009-10. Reflecting the surplus liquidity conditions, the call rate hovered around the lower bound of the informal LAF corridor during the Q2 of 2009-10). The call rate averaged 3.25 per cent in Q2, which was marginally higher than 3.22 per cent in Q1.Interest rates in the collateralized segments of the money market the market repo and the collateralized borrowing and lending obligation moved in tandem with the call rate during Q2 but remained below the call rate. The weighted average interest rate in the collateralized segment of the money market marginally increased to 2.7 per cent during Q2 of 2009-10 from 2.4 per cent during Q1. Transaction volumes in CBLO and market repo segments continued to remain high during Q2 of 2009-10 reflecting the easy liquidity and active market conditions. Banks as a group are the major borrowers in the collateralized segment whereas mutual funds (MFs) continue to remain the single largest len der of funds in that segment. In fact, more than 75 per cent of the lending in the collateralized segment was contributed by the MFs in Q2, reflecting their continued enhanced lending capacity. The collateralized market remained the predominant segment of the money market, accounting for more than 80 per cent of the total volume in the money market in Q2. Source = http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/BS_ViewBulletin.aspx?Id=10690#t56 Objective of call Money Market To provide a parking place to employ short term surplus funds. To provide room for overcoming short term deficits. To enable the central bank to influence and regulate liquidity in the economy through its intervention in this market. To provide a reasonable access to users of short-term funds to meet their requirement quickly, adequately at reasonable cost. Importance of call Money Market Development of trade industry. Development of capital market. Smooth functioning of commercial banks. Effective central bank control. Formulation of suitable monetary policy. Non inflationary source of finance to government. To provide help to the industry and trade. Some practical aspect of call money market v Number of Participants in Call/Notice Money Market:- (As on March 31, 2008) Category Bank PD FI MF Corporate Total I. Borrower 154 15 169 II. Lender 154 15 20 35 50 274 v Market Shares of Constituents in Call/Notice Money Market (In Percent) Borrowings Lendings Year Banks PDs Banks PDs Others 2007 68 32 52 11 37 2008 66 34 45 11 44 v Shares of Select Participants in Call Money Market: Lending (In Percent) Year Banks FIs Total 2007 20 18 38 (15) 2008 17 14 31 (13) Banks: Canara Bank, Central Bank, PNB and SBI FIs: ICICI, IDBI, LIC, SIDBI and UTI. Parenthetic figures relate to those of the SBI. v Shares of Select Banks in Call Money Market: Borrowings (In Percent) Year Banks 2007 36 2008 39 Select banks include ABN-AMRO Bank, Centurion Bank, Citi Bank, Deutsche Bank; Grind lays Bank, HDFC Bank, Hongkong Bank, IDBI Bank and Standard Chartered Bank. Some guidelines regarding call money market by r.b.i It may be recalled that in the annual policy Statement of April 2008, the intention to move towards a pure inter-bank call/notice money market by gradually phasing out non-bank participation was highlighted. Accordingly, in stage I, non-bank participants are allowed to lend, on average in a reporting fortnight, up to 85 per cent of their average daily lending during 2007-08. Subsequently, in the annual policy Statement of April 2008, it was stated that RBI would announce the date of effectiveness of stage II, wherein non-bank participants would be allowed to lend, on average in a reporting fortnight, up to 75 per cent of their average daily lending in call/notice market during 2007-08, depending on the date when NDS/CCIL becomes fully operational. In view of the encouraging developments in the functioning of NDS/CCIL, it is desirable to accelerate the progress of moving towards a pure inter-bank call/notice money market and facilitate further deepening of repo/term money market. Accordingly, it has been decided that effective from the fortnight beginning June 14, 2007, under stage II, non-bank participants would be allowed to lend, on average in a reporting fortnight, up to 75 per cent of their average daily lending in call/notice money market during 2007-08. However, in case a particular non-bank institution has genuine difficulty in deploying its excess liquidity, RBI may consider providing temporary permission to lend a higher amount in call/notice money market for a specific period on a case by case basis. To facilitate monitoring of your operations in call/notice money market on a daily basis, you are requested to continue to submit the daily return in time to the Principal Monetary Policy Adviser, MPD, RBI as per the extant practice. Current market rate = 2.10% 3.30% Commercial Bill market Bills of exchange are negotiable instruments, drawn by the seller (drawer) of the goods on the buyer (drawee) of the goods for the value of the goods delivered. These bills are known as trade bills. Trade bills are called commercial bills when they are accepted by commercial banks. If the bill is payable at a future date and the seller needs money during the currency of the bill, he may approach his bank to discount the bill. The maturity proceeds or face value of a discounted bill from the drawee is received by the bank. If the bank needs funds during the currency of bill, it can rediscount the bill that has been already discounted by it in the commercial bill rediscount market at the available market discount rate. The RBI introduced the Bills Market scheme (BMS) in 1952 and the scheme was later modified into the New Bills Market Scheme (NBMS) in 1970. Under the scheme, commercial banks can rediscount the bills, which were originally discounted by them, with approved institutions. With the intention of reducing paper movements and in a bid to facilitate multiple rediscounting, the RBI introduced an instrument called Derivative Usance Promissory Notes (DUPN). Consequently, the need for the physical transfer of bills has been waived and the bank that originally discounts the bills only draws DUPN. These DUPNs are sold to investors in convenient lots of maturities (from 15 days up to 90 days) on the basis of genuine trade bills, discounted by the discounting bank. Commercial bill is a short term, negotiable, and self-liquidating instrument with low risk. It enhances he liability to make payment in a fixed date when goods are bought on credit. According to the Indian Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, bill or exchange is a written instrument containing an unconditional order, signed by the maker, directing to pay a certain amount of money only to a particular person, or to the bearer of the instrument. Bills of exchange are negotiable instruments drawn by the seller (drawer) on the buyer (drawee) or the value of the goods delivered to him. Such bills are called trade bills. When trade bills are accepted by commercial banks, they are called commercial bills. The bank discounts this bill by keeping a certain margin and credits the proceeds. Banks, when in need of money, can also get such bills rediscounted by financial institutions such as LIC, UTI, GIC, ICICI and IRBI. The maturity period of the bills varies from 30 days, 60 days or 90 days, depe nding on the credit extended in the industry. Characteristics of Commercial bill Securities offered to the public must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission according to the Securities Act of 1933. Registration requires extensive public disclosure, including issuing a prospectus on the offering. It is a time-consuming and expensive process. Most commercial paper is issued under Section 3(a) (3) of the 1933 Act which exempts from registration requirements short-term securities as long as they have certain characteristics. Commercial paper is typically a discount security (like Treasury bills): the investor purchases notes at less than face value and receives the face value at maturity. The difference between the purchase price and the face value, called the discount, is the interest received on the investment. Commercial paper is, occasionally, issued as an interest-bearing note (by request of investors). The investor pays the face value and, at maturity, receives the face value and accrued interest. All commercial paper interest rates are quoted on a discount basis. The exemption requirements have been a factor shaping the characteristics of the commercial paper market. The following are requirements for exemption: The maturity of commercial paper must be less than 270 days. In practice, most commercial paper has a maturity of between 5 and 45 days, with 30-35 days being the average maturity. Many issuers continuously roll over their commercial paper, financing a more-or-less constant amount of their assets using commercial paper. The nine-month maturity limit is not violated by the continuous rollover of notes, as long as the rollover is not automatic but is at the discretion of the issuer and the dealer. Many issuers will adjust the maturity of commercial paper to suit the requirements of an investor. That proceeds from commercial paper issues be used to finance current transactions, which include the funding of operating expenses and the funding of current assets such as receivables and inventories. Proceeds cannot be used to finance fixed assets, such as plant and equipment, on a permanent basis. A safekeeping agent hired by the investor held the certificates, until presented for payment at maturity. The settling of the transaction, (the exchange of funds for commercial paper first at issuance and then at redemption, occur in one day. On the day the commercial paper is issued and sold, the investor receives and pays for the notes and the issuer receives the proceeds. On the day of maturity, the investor presents the notes and receives payment. Commercial banks, in their role as issuing, paying, and clearing agents, facilitate the settling of commercial paper by carrying out the exchanges between issuer, investor, and dealer required to transfer commercial paper for funds. Types of Commercial Bills: Commercial bill is an important tool finance credit sales. It may be a demand bill or a usance bill. A demand bill is payable on demand, that is immediately at sight or on presentation by the drawee. A usance bill is payable after a specified time. If the seller wishes to give sometime for payment, the bill would be payable at a future date. These bills can either be clean bil

Essay examples --

Mary Anne Warren and others argue for a liberal position on the abortion debate. A liberal view of abortion is roughly thought of as an idea that abortions should be able to be terminated at any stage in the pregnancy. In this paper, I will argue a defense of abortion, or a liberal view of abortion, using utilitarianism. I will then respond to a counterargument about the moral worth of the fetus. I will respond to this objection by looking at a strong argument by Marquis. Finally, I’ll conclude that Warren’s is the stronger position. This argument will follow a utilitarian view of the availability of abortion. To examine the ethics of abortion, it is important to first examine utilitarianism. Utilitarianism generally follows the idea that it is important to do whatever the greatest good for the greatest amount of people is. In Michael Sandel’s book Justice, he gives a definition of utilitarianism as â€Å"the highest moral principle will be to maximize utility for the most people† (Sandel, 34). In this essay I will demonstrate how Mary Anne Warren uses this idea to build a solid foundation for her argument in favor of unfettered use of abortions. Similar to Mary Anne Warren, I believe that abortions should always remain legal because there is no stage in fetal development in which a fetus resembles a person. Warren does make the distinction that a fetus may resemble a human being because they have a full genetic code and potential of become a person, however, Warren defines a person as someone with the capacity for rational thought, therefore a fetus might resemble a human but doesn’t resemble a person. (Warren, 11). While it is hotly contested, a fetus doesn’t have rational thought. For the most part, people would not consider a fet... ...oes present an extremely strong argument against abortion, it is not stronger than Mary Anne Warren’s position for the reason that potential beings do not hold rights and thus have no right to a future while actual beings do hold rights and thus should have an absolute right to an abortion. All in all, while there are many views and assessments on the ethics and morality of abortion, the utilitarianism view is clearly the best because it maximizes the utility of actual persons, and because fetuses aren't persons, they don't have to be considered in our utility calculus and can justifiably be aborted at any stage in gestation. Although the conservative view restricting abortions is very strong, it deprives actual persons of their utility in favor of the utility of potential beings and therefore in no way, shape, or form follows the general ideas of utilitarianism. Essay examples -- Mary Anne Warren and others argue for a liberal position on the abortion debate. A liberal view of abortion is roughly thought of as an idea that abortions should be able to be terminated at any stage in the pregnancy. In this paper, I will argue a defense of abortion, or a liberal view of abortion, using utilitarianism. I will then respond to a counterargument about the moral worth of the fetus. I will respond to this objection by looking at a strong argument by Marquis. Finally, I’ll conclude that Warren’s is the stronger position. This argument will follow a utilitarian view of the availability of abortion. To examine the ethics of abortion, it is important to first examine utilitarianism. Utilitarianism generally follows the idea that it is important to do whatever the greatest good for the greatest amount of people is. In Michael Sandel’s book Justice, he gives a definition of utilitarianism as â€Å"the highest moral principle will be to maximize utility for the most people† (Sandel, 34). In this essay I will demonstrate how Mary Anne Warren uses this idea to build a solid foundation for her argument in favor of unfettered use of abortions. Similar to Mary Anne Warren, I believe that abortions should always remain legal because there is no stage in fetal development in which a fetus resembles a person. Warren does make the distinction that a fetus may resemble a human being because they have a full genetic code and potential of become a person, however, Warren defines a person as someone with the capacity for rational thought, therefore a fetus might resemble a human but doesn’t resemble a person. (Warren, 11). While it is hotly contested, a fetus doesn’t have rational thought. For the most part, people would not consider a fet... ...oes present an extremely strong argument against abortion, it is not stronger than Mary Anne Warren’s position for the reason that potential beings do not hold rights and thus have no right to a future while actual beings do hold rights and thus should have an absolute right to an abortion. All in all, while there are many views and assessments on the ethics and morality of abortion, the utilitarianism view is clearly the best because it maximizes the utility of actual persons, and because fetuses aren't persons, they don't have to be considered in our utility calculus and can justifiably be aborted at any stage in gestation. Although the conservative view restricting abortions is very strong, it deprives actual persons of their utility in favor of the utility of potential beings and therefore in no way, shape, or form follows the general ideas of utilitarianism.

Under Age Drinking : The Problems It Creates :: Teenage Drinking

Under Age Drinking : The Problems It Creates   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It's a Saturday night, and the bars are packed. People are inside having a few, or more than a few, drinks. A select few are really drunk or passed out. Now lets step outside and take a look at a different type of drinking, drinking at an early age. High school and junior high kids are at a party drinking. Like the adults, some are just having a few, but quite a few are having more than that and are stumbling around.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These kids have been given the idea that drinking is something that adults do, and we all know that kids can't wait to be grown up. Thus, they drink, figuring that if they can at least do what adults do then they will be grown up, in a way. This is how our society works. Enough with the philosophy of it. Now I would like to talk about the effects that early age drinking can have on a person. I grew up in a town that has the most bars per capata in the state of Montana and is in the top ten in the United States. This has a huge effect on under age drinkers. The bars card at the door and as long as your 18 your in. And since the bouncers will stamp nearly anyone they know or like the number of kids is always high. It dosn't help that Dillon is a college town and ther are many under age college kids there. Now lets imagine another party where kids are drinking. The bonfire is roaring, Bubba just decided that singeing everyone's eyebrows off by throwing some gasoline on the fire would be fun. Of course nobody thought that this was very funny except for Bubba. Bubba is not the only teenage person at this party who has had a few to many. There are a lot of under age kids who are just plain drunk. This is a regular kind of party in my hometown, everyone goes out and drinks to get drunk. The sad thing is, that these kind of parties happen a lot of time twice a week expecially during the spring. All this partying catches up with these young peolpe. They don't get jobs because they are too tired from partying all night or all weekend long. Thier grades start slipping. The worst effect, however has to be the addiction to alcohol. I've seen freshman who drink all the time because they feel they can't live without their alcohol. Of course you have to realize that this is a

Review of Brazil the Movie Essays -- essays research papers

Upon watching the movie Brazil for the first time, the first thought which comes to mind is ‘WHAT’. However, once past the exterior of the movie, one is able to divine its true meanings. Written by Terry Gilliam, Charlie McKeown and Tom Stoppard, Brazil was a groundbreaking movie which brought to light many issues within society which were valid in 1985 and remain so today. This text is valued because of the issues it raises, such as technology, an unwieldy government and consumerism, which are timeless issues. Brazil is based around a futuristic bureaucracy, where everything and everyone is property, there is little or no communication, and with the right forms, you can legally do whatever you want. This movie shows the flaws of such a system, that whilst aiming for perfection, is merely digging itself deeper into confusion and destroying the very society it seeks to control. Brazil is a dark comedy which shows us the consequences of handing over our lives to a faceless bureaucracy. Sam Lowry’s world is made up of millions upon millions of machines, upon which everyone relies to survive. Machines perform basically every task that there is, from the most mundane task such as creating food, to the most complex and important tasks such as deciding the fate of every living person within the system. When we first meet Sam his alarm clock is not working, the phone is large and hard to work, and the food that his machines make is completely inedible. This does not bode well for the people, for if the machines cannot even handle the most basic of tasks, how could they possibly handle the complex ones? We are taken further into the world of faults and failings within the system later on, when Sam has major problems with his heating ... ...reedom, and that the mind is the only truly safe place. Brazil is a film which rolls up all of the problems which society was experiencing at the time that it was made into one darkly humorous movie. Commercialism, terrorism, technology, bureaucracy and government control, cosmetic surgery and the lack of freedom and individual expression. This movie was not mainstream because of the way that it delivered its message, and also perhaps simply because the government suppressed it somewhat. However, this film provided great insight into these problems, and continues to do so today, as many of these problems continue to exist. Brazil aims to highlight these problems and make the viewer think about what they have seen. This movie was not intended to change the world, but simply to try to prevent it from spiralling down into a dystopian Brazil-like chaos.

Eth 125 Syllabus Course

College of Humanities ETH/125 Version 6 Cultural Diversity Copyright  © 2010, 2009, 2007 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course is designed to educate students about issues of race and ethnicity by presenting historical and modern perspectives on diversity in the United States, and by providing tools necessary to promote a respectful and inclusive society. Students will complete several activities that allow them to examine their own values in relation to the values of various other racial and ethnic communities. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: †¢University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. †¢Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Schaefer, R, T. 2006). Racial and ethnic groups (10th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Associate Level Writing Style Handbook, available online at https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/CWE/pdfs/Associate_level_writing_style_handbook. pdf All electronic materials are available on the student website. Week One: Race and Ethnicity: Key Conce pts Details Due Points Objectives 1. Recognize key terms and sociological concepts related to race and ethnicity. 2. Describe subordinate group creation and consequences. Course Preparation Read the course description and objectives. Read the instructor’s biography and post your own. Reading Read Appendix A. Reading Read Ch. 1 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. CheckPoint Defining Race and Ethnicity Write a 200- to 300-word summary that answers the following questions: †¢What do the terms race and ethnicity mean to you? †¢Why are these concepts important to United States society? Tuesday 15 CheckPoint The Sociology of Race and Ethnicity Resource: Ch. 1 of Racial and Ethnic Groups Utilize Appendix B to match key terms with their correct descriptions. Post the completed Appendix B as an attachment. Thursday 15 Assignment Journal Entry of a Subordinate Group Member Resources: Ch. 1 of Racial and Ethnic Groups and the U. S. Census Bureau American Fact Finder website athttp://factfinder. census. gov Select one of the following subordinate groups from Ch. 1 of the text. Because the chapter does not list all subordinate groups, you may select any other group that has a documented history in the United States. †¢Subordinate Groups: Native Americans, African Americans, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, Arab Americans, Filipino Americans, Korean Americans, Vietnamese Americans, Asian Indians, Hawaiians, Irish Americans, Polish Americans, Norwegian Americans, Jewish Americans, Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Ricans. Identify and describe which, if any, of the following creation and consequence situations the group has faced: †¢Creation: migration, annexation, or colonization †¢Consequences: extermination, expulsion, secession, segregation, fusion, or assimilation Write a fictional, first-person account of the creation and consequence situations of a subordinate group in the United States in the form of a 700- to 1,050-word journal entry. Describe, as if you were a member of that subordinate group, where the group originated, how it came to the United States, and one or two locations in the United States where members of your group live. Be creative in your fictional descriptions, and accurate with your facts. Research your text, the Internet, or the University Library for information about your chosen group. Of particular usefulness is the People section of the U. S. Census Bureau American Fact Finder website athttp://factfinder. census. gov Cite your sources consistent with APA guidelines. Post your journal entry as an attachment. Sunday 100 Week Two: Recognizing and Overcoming Prejudice Details Due Points Objectives 1. Recognize how people are impacted by stereotypes. 2. Prescribe methods for strengthening modern efforts to reduce prejudice. 3. Recognize difficulties in analyzing prejudice. Reading Read Ch. 2 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Reading Read Ch. 3 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Reading Read Ch. 4 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Participation Participate in class discussion. 4 days/wk 10 Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. Tue/Thur 10 CheckPoint Implicit Association Test Complete the Harvard-Hosted Implicit Association Test (IAT) using the following instructions. The test should take about 10 minutes to complete. †¢Navigate to the Project Implicit ® home page at https://implicit. harvard. edu/implicit/ and clickDemonstration. At the IAT home page, click on the Go to the Demonstration Tests link. †¢At the Measure Your Attitudes page, find and click on the I wish to proceed link. †¢You will be prompted to select a test. Take one of the following IAT tests: ?Race IAT ?Arab-Muslim IAT ?Native IAT ?Asian IAT ?Skin-tone IAT Post a 200- to 300-word summary that answers all of the follow ing questions: †¢What was the result of your IAT? Do you think that the test produced valid results in your case? †¢In your opinion, is it difficult to accurately measure prejudice? Why or why not? †¢Describe other measurements sociologists utilize to calculate prejudice. Friday 30 Week Three: Countering Discrimination, Immigration in the United States Details Due Points Objectives 1. Recognize sources of discrimination in your environment. 2. Describe your personal cultural background. 3. Associate being an immigrant to the United States with its inherent challenges. CheckPoint Modern Challenges in Immigration Resources: Ch. 4 of Racial and Ethnic Groups and the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website atwww. uscis. gov Browse through the USCIS website, paying special attention to immigration forms, fees, fingerprinting, services, and benefits. Select an immigrant group from Ch. 4 of the text. Imagine yourself as a current member of your selected group, and consider the following question: Would I want to immigrate to the United States, and why? Think about what opinion you would have of the immigration process, including naturalization, the costs, fingerprinting, and so forth. Consider whether the process would seem easy or difficult for you as an immigrant. After you have thought about your answers, proceed to the next step of this CheckPoint. Post a 200- to 300-word summary that answers all of the following questions: Should United States government policy favor certain kinds of immigrants? †¢Should citizenship preference be given to the neediest applicants? The most talented? The most oppressed? The richest? †¢Should applications from certain countries be given priority? (Feltey, 2006, p. 11) Thursday 30 Assignment Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Resources: Racial and Ethnic Groups, the Internet, and the Univ ersity Library Select an ethnic group to which you belong. If you identify with more than one group, choose the group with which you most identify or about which you would like to learn more. Write a 700- to 1,050-word essay in which you answer the following questions: †¢Conduct research to determine if the group colonized or if it immigrated to the United States. Did the group face prejudice, segregation, racism, or any combination of the three? If so, how and why? Include your research findings in your essay. You may search through chapters of the text as part of your research. †¢Was this group affected by any of the following forms of discrimination, or did it participate in any of the following forms of discrimination? If so, describe: ?Dual labor market Environmental justice issues ?Affirmative action ?Redlining ?Double jeopardy ?Institutional discrimination ?Reverse discrimination ?Glass ceiling, glass walls, or glass escalator †¢Do you culturally identify more with the ethnic group you examined, with United States mainstream culture, or with both equally? Format your essay consistent with APA guidelines. Post your paper as an attachment. Sunday 100 W eek Four: African American Group Progress, Modern African American Dynamics Details Due Points Objectives 1. Describe the effects of slavery on modern America. . Associate African American leaders and groups with their successes of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. 3. Weigh persisting social inequities endured by African Americans. Reading Read Ch. 7 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Reading Read Ch. 8 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Reading Read Ch. 11 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Participation Participate in class discussion. 4 days/wk 10 Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. Tue/Thur 10 CheckPoint Leaders and Legislation of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements Research Ch. of the text and Appendix C to identify events and leaders of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements and their contributions to their respective causes. Complete both Parts I and II of Appendix C. Post the completed Appendix C as an attachment. Friday 30 Week Five: Muslim and A rab Americans Details Due Points Objectives 1. Describe the impact of Orientalism on Muslim and Arab Americans. 2. Identify causes of prejudice and discrimination against Muslim and Arab Americans. 3. Compare and contrast United States-centric views of Muslim and Arab Americans with United States-centric views of Christian Americans. CheckPoint Characteristics of Orientalism, Prejudice, and Discrimination Resource: Appendix D Post a 200- to 300-word response in which you complete the following: †¢Explain the difference between Muslims and Arabs. †¢According to research and news reports within the past 2 years, what are some of the changes the United States has made to policies concerning the treatment of Muslim and Arabic members of society? †¢List two to three characteristics of Orientalism. How may Orientalism and prejudice contribute to hate crimes against these groups? †¢What may individuals do to promote tolerance and reduce prejudice in their towns and cities? For ideas, visit the Teaching Tolerance website at http://www. tolerance. org, and the Southern Poverty Law Center website at http://www. splcenter. org. Thursday 30 Assignment United States-Centric Views Comparison Provide a copy of Appendix D to a friend or family member and ask that person to complete the table contained therein. In doing so, your chosen participant will consider what he or she thinks are the common United States-centric viewpoints on Muslim and Arab American and Christian American groups. Ask your participant to return their completed appendix at least 1 day before this assignment is due. Complete a duplicate copy of Appendix D, following the same directions as your participant. Write a 350- to 500-word summary in which you compare and contrast your participant’s answers with your own answers, and address the following questions: †¢How are your table answers similar? How are they different? †¢Do either tables list descriptors in the Both Groups category? Describe. †¢From either or both tables, name one or two descriptors that you think represent true facts about each group and one or two descriptors that you think are false. †¢How do you think an average American’s perceptions of each group are created? Post your summary and both completed copies of Appendix D as Microsoft ® Word attachments in your Assignments Section. Sunday 100 Week Six: Native American Cultures Details Due Points Objectives 1. Evaluate the overall effectiveness of Native American organizations in the advancement of their people’s needs. 2. Recognize how key policies shape the relationship between tribal Native Americans and the federal government. 3. Differentiate among causes of tribal poverty and prosperity. 4. Describe levels of Native American assimilation within mainstream society. Reading Read Ch. 6 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Reading Read Ch. 9 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Reading Read Ch. 10 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Participation Participate in class discussion. 4 days/wk 10 Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. Tue/Thur 10 CheckPoint Legislation Legacy Resources: National Congress of American Indians websitehttp://www. ncai. org and the Indian Country Today website athttp://www. indiancountry. com Post a 200- to 300-word summary of a current issue between Native Americans and the federal government. Identify the legislation that you think is linked to the issue, and explain why you think there is a connection. Consult the National Congress of American Indians website, the Indian Country Today newspaper, or another online source for examples of pertinent issues. Friday 30 Week Seven: Hispanic American Diversity Details Due Points Objectives 1. Describe cultural interests important to modern Hispanic Americans. 2. Give examples of diversity among Hispanic American groups. CheckPoint The Official Language Movement Resources: Racial and Ethnic Groups, the Internet, and the University Library Investigate the official language movement, which is an important Hispanic American cultural interest, described on pp. 243–244 of the text by researching bilingualism in education and politics in the United States. Find four to six credible websites or articles that support, oppose, or present information about bilingualism in education or politics. Most sources will focus exclusively on either topic of education or politics; therefore, try to find at least two sources per topic. Write one paragraph about each source, summarizing the main points presented. Provide APA-formatted reference citations. Submit all of your summaries in a 200- to 300-word post. Thursday 30 Assignment Hispanic American Diversity Resources: Racial and Ethnic Groups, the University Library, and the Internet Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word research paper in which you identify the linguistic, political, social, economic, religious, and familial conventions or statuses of four Hispanic groups living in the United States. Your paper must address Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and two groups of your choice from Ch. 9 of the text. Dedicate an equal portion of your paper to each Hispanic group. Conclude your essay by summarizing major differences and commonalties apparent among the groups. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Post your paper as an attachment. Sunday 100 Week Eight: Asian American Relations Details Due Points Objectives 1. Recognize the cultural makeup of Asian American and Asian Pacific Islander minority groups present in United States society. 2. Compare and contrast the cultural experiences of Chinese and Japanese Americans. Reading Read Ch. 12 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Reading Read Ch. 13 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Participation Participate in class discussion. 4 days/wk 10 Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. Tue/Thur 10 CheckPoint Asian Americans According to the U. S. Census Bureau Complete the matrix in Appendix E using information from the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month press release located under the Materials tab on the student website. Post the completed Appendix E as an attachment. Friday 30 Week Nine: Core Concept Application Details Due Points Objectives 1. Describe the effects of the expansion of race and ethnicity on United States society. Capstone CheckPoint Write a 200- to 300-word summary that answers all of the following questions: †¢What information about race and ethnicity in the United States has helped you better understand or relate to specific minority groups? †¢Have you learned something new about your own cultural history? †¢Trends in immigration will continue to shape the face of the United States. What will this face look like in the year 2050? †¢How might the country best prepare for the changing race and ethnicity of its current and future citizens? Thurs. 30 Final Project Race and Your Community Resource: Appendix A. Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word autobiographical research paper that analyzes the influences of race as it relates to your community. In your paper, write your first-person account of how human interactions in your community have been racialized. For the community, you may consider relations within your neighborhood, local government, service groups, clubs, schools, workplace, or any environment of which you are a part. Answer the following questions and provide examples: †¢Do members of your community look like you? In what ways do they look the same or different? How do leaders within your community treat people who are like you? How do they treat people who are different? †¢How do other members of your community treat people who are like you? How do they treat people who are different? †¢Do your texts or work manuals contain information by or about people like you? †¢Do the local media represent people like you? If so, in what ways? †¢What are some similariti es and differences between you and the people who are in leadership positions in your community? Do you think minority group interests are represented within your community? If you could resolve any inequities within your community, what would you change? How and why? †¢Which main concepts from the text relate to race? Apply some of these concepts to your project. Include the following elements in your paper: †¢The thesis addresses racial issues in your local community. †¢The content is comprehensive and accurate. †¢The paper itself draws on your personal experiences with and opinions about cultural diversity in your community. †¢Three sources are used, and one source is a community member, leader, or representative from a local community organization. The paper is written in first-person point of view, with an autobiographical approach. †¢Text concepts are applied to your observations. †¢Assignment questions are answered. †¢The paper includes perspectives from supporting sources. †¢The conclusion is logical, flows from the body of the paper, and reviews the major points. †¢Paragraph transitions are present. †¢The tone is appropriate. †¢Sentences are well-constructed. †¢The paper, title page, and references follow APA guidelines. †¢Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed. †¢Spelling is correct. Post your completed research as an attachment. Sunday 250 Copyright University of Phoenix ® is a registered trademark of Apollo Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft ®, Windows ®, and Windows NT ® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Use of these marks is not intended to imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation. Edited in accordance with University of Phoenix ® editorial standards and practices.