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Art of Andalusia

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Source: Adam Smith Institute

URL: HYPERLINK “http://www.adamsmith.org/news/press-releases/high-speed-fail-%E2%80%93-there-is-no-case-for-hs2” http://www.adamsmith.org/news/press-releases/high-speed-fail-%E2%80%93-there-is-no-case-for-hs2

Economic Principles: opportunity costs, marginal benefits, limited resources, unlimited wants, capital, scarcity, efficiency, labour, production, economic problem, return on investments, and demand.

News Analysis Assignments

Introduction

The case of the High Speed 2(HS2) is a failed one because it does not make any economic sense. The benefits of the of the HS2 were over estimated, with the total costs incurred in the fundamentally flawed project being exorbitantly high as compared to the revenues that the project is supposed to generate. The huge costs of the project to the taxpayer will be exorbitant and will not be able to match the opportunity costs projections, especially if it is compared to London to the Channel Tunnel (HS1) and other international examples. The HS2 will not make enough money make a tangible return on investments; thus it will bring marginal benefits. The few tangible benefits that will be realized from the project will be so minimal to cover the operational and construction costs, and the most of the uptake projections were very optimistic.

The funding of the project came at a time when there were limited resources from the tax payers point of view during the period of austerity and increasing debt interest debt payments. Given that HS2 will be a state funded project, with seventeen billion pounds being spent on the first phase, and another fifty billion pounds to be used when the project expands to Scotland. There exist unlimited wants from the public by giving the government more pressure to construct more tunnels, and it costs much more per kilometre to build a railway tunnel through the environmentally sensitive regions of Chilterns, which will push the construction costs higher. This will exert the DfT’s budget under strain, implying that there is less capital to be invested anywhere else on the United Kingdom railway network. In the light, of the current inflation, a potential for going above the four billion pounds optimism premium that has been set aside for overspending will be too high.

The decision making process for the project must consider the if HS2 will make a profitable return, based on the number of passengers forecasted for previous rail projects in the United kingdom, such as London and Continental Railways (LCR). The projected number of passengers for EuroStar in 2004 was 21.4 million, which in reality, the number of passengers was one third of this figure. This will create an economic problem, since the figures do not add up for HS2, because HS1 costs amounted to 5.7 billion pounds and only raised 2.1 billion pounds when it was sold off. The passenger forecast did not consider the competition generated from classic train franchises and airlines, which pose passenger scarcity for the optimal demand of HS2 services.

The efficiency of HS2 in terms of environmental benefits are some of the strengths of the project, it has very little environmental case though, there are weak carbon emission reduction projections, and the actual environmental benefits can only be quantified after the completion of the project’s phase three in thirty years’ time. There is little rational to commit labour in the construction of the tunnel that will produce no significant benefits, if the government does not hit brakes on HS2, then this will mean wasteful spending on wildly unrealistic projects. Governments are known to be very poor in predicting the future. To spend £ 17 billion up to around £ 50 billion on a train network, which has less demand, would be obscene and wasteful during a time of austerity.

Article Review- Economics of Happiness

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Economics of Happiness

By Bruno S. Frey and Alois Stutzer

In their article, Economics of Happiness, Frey and Stutzer argue that the measurement of happiness constitutes a good approximation to utility (Frey and Stutzer 25-41). Put simply, human happiness is reliant on the concept of relative utility as understood by economists. The authors begin their article by explaining how economists can be deemed as fortunate especially because their micro-economic theory is based on relative utility. They further explain that even though it is commonly believed that utility cannot be measured in absolute terms, new research on consumer happiness argues for the link between economic theory, policy, as well as, utility. Accordingly, the authors define utility as the measurement of customer satisfaction. In economics, the term refers to the state at which customers enjoy total satisfaction from purchasing and consuming particular goods and services.

Fundamentally, the purpose of the authors in the article is to call attention to the importance of consumer happiness as is brought about by the theory of micro-economics, so as to, encourage economists to carefully consider relative utility as a key constituent in economics (Frey and Stutzer 25-41). Given this, economists can, therefore, speak evocatively of growing or declining utility, and for that reason, they can expose economic behavior in relation to the increment of consumer utility. To further explicate on the concept of utility the authors explain to their readers that utility is greatly affected by consumption, as well as, wealth and the amount of time set aside for leisure purposes. In philosophy, utility is closely associated with happiness, which further illustrates the association between consumer happiness and economics.

Accordingly, philosophers have argued for the maximization of total utility for the greatest happiness of individuals and the society as a whole. Relevantly, the authors argue that employment, income, and inflation have been the greatest determinants of happiness in society. They state that these three economic factors have impacted consumer utility and happiness throughout time as they affect consumer behavior in all parts of the world irrespective of the geographical location. Particularly, the authors argue that unemployment, income, and inflation affect the happiness and well-being of individuals in a society (Frey and Stutzer 25-41). However, because utility cannot be directly measured as previously stated, this measurement is established as a self-reported subjective report from individual consumers for the estimation of the degree to which the economic theory affects utility. Accordingly, individuals may experience increased utility when they are employed as compared to when they are not employed. This is because employment has been closely associated with the social welfare of individuals. Those who are not employed are more likely to have very low income, which in turn affects their access to the basic needs and requirements.

Employment grants individuals various things that bring about satisfaction such as access to medical facilities, as well as, all other social institutions (Frey and Stutzer 25-41). Income also plays a great role in consumer utility, as it is through the acquisition of income that individuals gain the power to attain their daily needs and requirements. Income equals money, and money is what is needed for the purchase of products and services for consumption. For that reason, individuals who have access to a substantial amount of income are more likely to experience increased happiness and utility as opposed to those who do not have access to income.

Conclusively, inflation is the third economic factor that Frey and Stutzer have associated with consumer utility and happiness. According to the authors, inflation affects consumer utility in that it determines what individuals have access to (Frey and Stutzer 25-41). When inflation occurs, the price of most goods and services increase, and because the income does not change as a result of inflation, individuals with a low income have limited access to certain products and services. This limited access, therefore, interferes with consumer utility as it reduces the amount of things that individuals have access to. As the authors explain, the concept of utility is applied by economists in economic models such as the indifference curve, which illustrate the permutation of products and services that individuals or the society accept as the commodities for the assurance of a level of satisfaction. Put simply, economists have used the concept of utility to determine some of the economic factors affecting utility and happiness, which according to Frey and Stutzer include employment, income, and inflation. In essence, relative utility is interpreted as a social welfare function and the institutions that make up the society are solely responsible for utility in society (Frey and Stutzer 25-41). The authors refer to this as welfare economics, and they argue that the institutions and authorities in a society determine the level of happiness and utility for individuals. The authors conclude their article by explaining that the extent of political centralization or decentralization has an impact on the happiness and utility of individuals in a society (Frey and Stutzer 25-41). the authors also explain that the type of democracy practiced in a country or state determine individual happiness as it determines the level to which individuals practice their economic rights.

Work Cited

Frey, Bruno S. and Stutzer, Alois. Economics of Happiness. World Economics: Journal of

Current Economic Analysis and Policy, 3.1. (2002): 25-41.

Article and Website Analysis

Article and Website Analysis

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Part 2

Article: Sleep deprivation: Impact on cognitive performance

Link: HYPERLINK “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656292/” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656292/

The experiment sought to find out how lack of enough sleep affects one’s health and in particularly the cognitive development and memory.

The experiment was conducted through clinical trials where data was collected from a set of participants. The results were analyzed and conclusions made based on the results and the data outlook.

The results showed that 805 of the participants indicated that lack of sleep caused them to have headaches and poor memory. The results also showed that 7 in 10 respondents indicated that lack of sleep was a major cause of depression as also shown in the clinical trials. The experiment data showed that majority of the trials done were positive and confirmed the hypothesis that lack of enough sleep was responsible

Research suggests that sleep helps learning and memory in two distinct ways. First, a sleep-deprived person cannot focus attention optimally and therefore cannot learn efficiently. Second, sleep itself has a role in the consolidation of memory, which is essential for learning new information. The article sums up that lack of Sleep deprivation (SD) has many health consequences like loss of memory and depression. Based on the article’s findings, it is true to say that sleep is a vital part of human life as it is interconnected to memory and brain activity.

The findings of the article relate to the day to day life and shows how people generate cognitive issue with time due to lack of enough sleep. In addition to coping with SD, recovering from it also deserves attention. Cognitive recovery processes, although insufficiently studied, seem to be more demanding in partial sleep restriction than in total SD.

The study findings are well outlined and also touch on how my health is hinged on the sleep patterns I establish. I found a great co-relation between the time I sleep and how the article outlines on the effects of little sleep. I will apply the experiment findings in improving my sleep life and thus attain the right health levels in reference to the cognitive levels.

Part 2

Website: HYPERLINK “https://www.brightstorm.com/” https://www.brightstorm.com/

The website is an online education platform that connect students with teachers for learning purpose. Since its founding, Bright Storm has helped millions of students acquire good grades through its wide range of learning options and online assistance.

Bright Storm’s mission is to be the best place to learn in the world. Bright Storm was founded in 2008 with more than 12 million users to date. The wide coverage of topics and learning option has given Bright Storm a good base with more online learners logging in daily.

Bright Storm is useful to learning professionals and students who visit and get online assistance on different subjects. The wide coverage of topics makes Bright Storm a relevant site for students where it helps millions annually in various topics.

There is a great depth of relevance in the information provided in the website page and the reality of what is offered. The websites are well arranged and easy to navigate and this makes it student-friendly. Still, the website brings new outlook into the learning ease as it provides a subject-oriented platform that makes it easy for students to use. Still, the website offers the best interphase to leaners in the simplicity of use and the relevance of the information it provides.

The experiment exists a learning platform where it continues to inspire leaners to better methods of acquiring ideas. The website is true help to the learners and also allows volunteer tutors to assist leaners in areas they face difficulties.

Article Critique on bullying in the classroom

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Bullying in the classroom

The article being reviewed is by Simon Mallory, about an eleven year old boy, who committed suicide, after being bullied at school. Jaheem committed suicide in the year 2009, on the 16th day of April. On the day he died, he did want to neither attend school nor eat. He attended school at Georgia, in an elementary school known as Dunaire. He was extremely outgoing and on that day, came happy, from school. He gave his mother Bermudez a report card and the results showed that he had passed. This was a happy occasion and later on, he went to his room, while the mother made dinner. Later, he was called to eat, but there was no response from him. Jaheem’s mother and sister went to his room only to find out that he had committed suicide. He hanged himself using his belt (Mallory, 2009).

The reason for committing suicide was that he was being bullied at school. The bullies used to call him names such as virgin, ugly and gay. Jaheem had told his mother about the issue, which seemed to affect him greatly. It seems that the bullying had become extreme to the point whereby, the only solution was to end his life (Mallory, 2009). At some point, he had decided that his mother should not become involved in this matter. The number of complaints by him had reached up to eight times. Despite all this attempts, nothing much was done, as he ended up committing suicide.

Jaheem wanted to make friends, as well as acquire an education, but his shyness seemed to be an obstacle in his life. He liked having fun, dancing as well as making friends. It seemed that he attracted the attention of bullies, due to his traits as well as personality. Nothing was done to the bullies to stop them (Mallory, 2009). There was no one who did anything beneficial to save Jaheem. Jaheem believed that he was alone in this problem, thus the reason to end his life. This shows that bullying in classroom is an issue, which needs to be solved, as the consequences are detrimental.

After the death of Jaheem, the issue on bullying became vital to the school board. They wanted to ensure that the students in the school were in an environment, which is nurtured. Also, they ensured that a safe environment for the students existed (Mallory, 2009). This meant that bullying would not be condoned. Death was the only solution to his problem of bullying according to the best friend. It is extremely unfortunate how bullying can cause the death of a young boy such as Jaheem. This means that children are being affected by bullying when they are in school. They suffer and nothing is being done to make sure that this issue is eliminated.

Learning is usually disrupted by bullying, as the students are not able to focus. Schools should come with programs, which reduce bullying .This will in turn ensure that the bullies attitudes as well as behaviors are changed to become positive (Mallory, 2009). The program also seeks to ensure that teachers intervene in cases of bullying and also, reduce behaviors which are anti-social. Strategies should be enforced to ensure that children are not being bullied while at school. If such strategies had existed at Jaheem’s school, he would be alive.

Reference

Mallory, Simon. (2009). My bullied son’s last day on Earth. CNN U.S. Retrieved from. http://articles.cnn.com/2009-04-23/us/bullying.suicide_1_bullies-gay-tired/2?_s=PM:US

Article Response

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The article presents a very interesting topic about precision medicine and brings in an in-depth analysis about the co-relation between health and accuracy in medicine development. The flow in the article makes it easy to read and understand as it has a well outlined message. Based on the structure and content of the article, it is true that it builds a strong message that is easy to read and understand. The article offers very direct message that shows how trial drugs has been the foundation of vaccines development and the impact it has on medicine effectiveness. The article shows how the drug makers utilize background test to build a strong drug sequence thereby overcoming environmental, genetic, and biological obstacles to good health. The article is both well-articulated and easy to read and this is achieved through in-depth research and analysis. One of the positive sides about the article is that it narrows down the message with clear examples and illustrations. The article is thus well summarized and also easy to read and follow.

Article Review Behavioral Study of Obedience

Article Review: Behavioral Study of Obedience

By Stanley Milgram

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Behavioral Study of Obedience

By Stanley Milgram

This article presents a behavioral study on the issue of obedience in human beings. Primarily the study conducted aims at discovering the degree to which individuals can be obedient to those in authority. Throughout the article readers are taken through the procedure for the study conducted, the assumptions of the study, as well as, the results attained after the completion of the study. The general procedure of the study involves ordering one subject to administer electric shock to another in a gradual manner. The study was conducted in the Yale University ground with the subjects included 40 males between the ages 20 and 50. The chosen subjects were of diverse racial and professional backgrounds, and they were obtained through a newspaper advertisement.

The procedure involved the separation of subjects into two main groups including naïve subjects and victims. The naïve subjects were given the responsibility of administering shock to the victims, under instruction from the experimenter. The experimenter provided all participants with the rationale for the study, which is the effect of punishment on obedience, as well as, the relationship between teachers and learners. Those selected to be victims were then subjected to a gradually increasing electrical shock administered by the naïve subjects. The naïve subjects would then be commanded to increase the electrical voltage until the point where the subject refuses to do so, or put simply, disobeys the commands of the experimenter. The assumptions of the study were that naïve subjects would at one point disobey the commands of the experimenter, with a very small number continuing to administer the shock when in high voltage. The results were as per the assumption with more than half of the participants quitting the experiment before it was over.

Effect of the Scientific Style of Writing

Evidently, the author embraces a scientific writing style when writing this article. As compared to other styles of writing, the scientific writing style is complex and sometimes hard to understand for the readers. For that reason, this style of writing may confuse the readers, especially when trying to understand the concept of the message being passed on to them. Scientific writing supports the use of numeric data and figures, something that readers may not be comfortable having to be subjected to. For example the section regarding the shock generator is very confusing, as it contains a number of scientific definitions of tools and objects to be used in the study. The provision of this only confuses the readers, and it is not prerequisite in the article. Instead of putting so much emphasis on describing the scientific aspects of the experiment, the author would have simply explained the procedure and left out the nitty-gritty descriptions of the tools to be used during the study. However, scientific writing gives the impression that the study was conducted by professionals who were well aware of the need for the study. Additionally, it provides the necessary reliability and validity regarding the study. The use of scientific writing in the article suggests that the article is legitimate and exhaustive, as it is supported by scientific data. Accordingly, readers will have the notion that what is being written is truth, meaning that the results are also true.

Artifact #1 Journal

Artifact #1: Journal

Cullen Strady

Florida State University

ENC 2135: Research, Genre, and Context

Andrew Zolot

July 20, 2022

Artifact #1: Journal

Journal:

Date: 07/20/2022

Place: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Women Entrepreneurship Conference.

Today, I had a remarkable experience at the International Women Conference here in Abu Dhabi. This is one of the most educating and insightful women’s conference I have ever attended. Indeed, women are just built different. How the presenters managed to weave fun with serious business is exhilarating. This is exactly why women should be given opportunity to take leadership positions in entrepreneurship spaces. As Adom and Anambane (2019) explain, culture and gender stereotyping affect women’s journey in entrepreneurship in Ghana, which is actually a reflection what is happening larger Africa and other parts of the world. Also, a report by World Economic Forum (2018) on the Global Gender Gap taking into account economic opportunity, political growth, health, training, and survival, as indicators show that in 2018, there was a 68% gender gap. The wage gap is almost 51%, and in 2018 women in leadership positions were only 34%. The same is also true for 2020 (Global Gender Gap score stands at 68.6%) (World Economic Forum, 2020). I do agree with Ms. Arym’s statement that given opportunity, women are more likely than men to start and own businesses. However, as shown in the reports, women’s effort to climb higher the ladder of entrepreneurial leadership is heavily curtailed by gender gap in various economic indicators. Anyway, I can’t wait for tomorrow’s session.

References

Adom, K., & Anambane, G. (2019). Understanding the role of culture and gender stereotypes in women entrepreneurship through the lens of the stereotype threat theory. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies.

World Economic Forum (2018). The Global Gender Gap Report 2018. Geneva. ISBN-13: 978-2-940631-00-1. Available online at:  HYPERLINK “https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-gender-gap-report-2018” https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-gender-gap-report-2018

World Economic Forum (2020). Global Gender Gap Report 2020. Geneva. ISBN-13: 978-2-940631-03-2. Available online at:  HYPERLINK “http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf” www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf

Artifact #2 Tweets

Artifact #2: Tweets

Cullen Strady

Florida State University

ENC 2135: Research, Genre, and Context

Andrew Zolot

July 20, 2022

Artifact #2: Tweets

Tweets:

Women are underrepresented in entrepreneurship and leadership roles. Although women hold a significant number of jobs in the non-profit –

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– sector, they hold less than 15% of CEO positions in the for-profit sector. Women also hold few board seats, with only 17% of Fortune 500 –

– companies having a female board chair. Despite the limited number of women in leadership positions, women are often found in leadership –

– Roles at the department level. Why can’t they be given positions above that? #WomenInEntrepreneurship

As population increases the needs of housing, electricity, motor cars will also increase

As population increases the needs of housing, electricity, motor cars will also increase. This means that more and more of fossil fuels which generate the much needed energy to power homes and a variety of other things that use energy will have to be increased. This energy resource has to be limited in use and conserved for the future so we will have to look at alternate sources of energy generation like bio gas, solar power, wind power etc to meet the growing needs of the people. Looking for alternate sources of power will help not only in less worry for countries all over the world but it will also be able to conserve the fast depleting fossil fuel energy resources. Since the heat of the sun and wind are natural resources and cannot be depleted, they are the best alternates to meet the needs of the growing population. The over dependence on non renewable resources of energy has made consumers of energy look out for alternate sources of renewable energy. Two different energy alternatives to fossil fuels are solar energy and wind energy. These are alternatives because they are freely available and are non exhaustible. Population increase can be easily countered by using these alternates.

Ascertainment and U.S. Elections Transition Process

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Ascertainment and U.S. Elections Transition Process

Ascertainment as defined under the U.S. elections laws is the process through which administrator of the federal General Services Administration ascertains the “apparent successful candidate” in the general election and the siting president begins the transition process. This process is well documented and all presidents are required to honor it to ensure that the country remains peaceful and the incoming leader is able to take powers in the most convenient way possible. One of the major reasons for the Ascertainment is to ensure that there is no power vacuum and the country remain under good leadership that is essential for security matters (Rinfret et al., 1364). “An election cannot give a country a firm sense of direction if it has two or more national parties which merely have different names, but are as alike in their principals and aims as two peas in the same pod.” The formal presidential transition doesn’t begin until the administrator of the federal General Services Administration ascertains the “apparent successful candidate” in the general election. Neither the Presidential Transition Act nor federal regulations specify how that determination should be made.

Trump’s agency tasked with the transition process is yet to begin its work and this is creating worries among many people. The major reason for the delays is because President Trump is yet to publicly admit defeat after the November 2020 elections. The danger here is that Biden’s team will have difficult time after they take power because of the short time they will get to familiarize themselves with the government affairs. Under the U.S. election laws, the sitting president is required by law to help in the transition process by helping the incoming president with the key tools required in handling the government. To this date, Trump and his team have adamantly refused to own up this role and this is harming the core essence of Ascertainment. This is deeply analyzed by a quote that was put forward in trying to define democracy; “A government of laws, and not of men.”—John Adams Still, the failure to engage with the incoming president has delayed the vital processes that would allow the country address key issues like the pandemic and racial divisions. The Ascertainment is thus a vital process that should be honored at al cost as it endures that the country’s governing cycle remain strong (Sievert & McKee 1057).

It is the high time the country unites and realizes that there are more challenges that divide Americans (Rinfret et al., 1357). One of the best legacies Trump can leave behind is to bridge that division by first accepting the outcome of the results and working with the President Elect to bring the country together. One of the underlying issues in the U.S. is the hurting economy and the worried Americans pressured by Covid-19 pandemic. In a time when an urgent solution to the high number of deaths and infections is needed, a smooth transition would be a great step to healing. Today’s the U.S. is more divided than ever, to counting the biting danger of the pandemic that has left many jobless and many families unable to out up with life (Abramowitz et al., 12). There is a need to ensure that the country gets going to ensure that its global image is upheld as the global super power.

The solution to this lies in Trump’s administration to accept begin the transition process by allowing the incoming administration to access vital tools they need in fighting the pandemic and governing the country. It is so worrying that most Americans believe that trump may refuse to hand over power peacefully that would push the country into more internal chaos amid the intensifying Covid-19. To start with, the trump’s administration needs to lay their ambitions aside and come to the rescue of the country’s image and future that for now looks tainted globally due to the November 2020 election. Works Cited

Abramowitz, Alan I., and Steven Webster. “The rise of negative partisanship and the nationalization of US elections in the 21st century.” Electoral Studies 41 (2016): 12-22.

Rinfret, Sara, and Christina Barsky. “The gatekeepers of US elections: Exploring street level bureaucrats in Montana.” International Journal of Public Administration 43.16 (2020): 1357-1365.

Sievert, Joel, and Seth C. McKee. “Nationalization in US Senate and gubernatorial elections.” American Politics Research 47.5 (2019): 1055-1080.

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