A Resort with a difference

This will be a hotel that is modified for Christians however will be available to all to the extent they keep up the way of life of the spot. Various administrations will be offered including nourishments and beverages, meeting offices, sports offices, convenience, amusement and profound sustenance offices for Christians.Services will be offered in a quiet situation and no mixed beverages or other unchristian conduct will be permitted in the spot. Profound sustenance offices will incorporate Christian writing, music and instructing sessions.The Resort will be exceptional in that other than offering basic administrations it will keep up a situation that will empower socialization and simultaneously give otherworldly sustenance. All offices will be given incredible thought on sustaining great ethics and individual developments.The Resort will fill in for the neighborhood bar or club just that administrations and offices will all be outfitted on socialization and amusement as well as bo th on otherworldly and physical turn of events. There are numerous individuals who might want to profit by offices offered in bars, resorts and clubs however their virtues, beliefs or open standing keep them from going to such places because of the idea of arrangement of administrations in such places.However, a Resort for Christians will be remarkable and will give the unobtrusive condition that such individuals require; they will have the option to watch football, mainstream TV programs or a film in a spot they are agreeable in and with the organization of individuals they would want to be with. The chapels and other Christian associations have various gatherings and guests and will be handily tricked into utilizing this sort of resort on account of the discernment that it is a Christian place.In the following five weeks the Resort will be in the hatching time frame. In this period we will set up a fabulous opening of the Resort. We will do top to bottom exposure of the up-coming Resort and the excellent opening occasion. Exposure will be done through print and electronic media, boards and post office based mail to conspicuous people.In this period the Resort offices will be arranged altogether and enlivened so as to beâ The hatching time frame will end with a stupendous opening of the Resort which will likewise check the section into the presentation stage. As indicated by NetMBA Business Knowledge Center site (http://www.netmba.com/showcasing/productlifecycle) â€Å"during the presentation stage, the essential objectives is to set up a market and assemble essential interest for the item class.†We would do this through exceptional distributing the hotel by the fantastic opening and proceeded with notice. We would welcome conspicuous individuals in the general public, particularly the individuals who have a notoriety of humility, to effortlessness the event. We will at that point likewise receive an entrance estimating methodology by offering ideal valuing for our items for the primary month of our operation.As the business develops we will ceaselessly assess the administration arrangement frameworks in the offices and guarantee we offer quality administrations. This is on the grounds that, as refered to in NetMBA Business Knowledge Center site (http://www.netmba.com/showcasing/productlifecycle), as an item travels through the various phases of its life cycle, it requires change of the promoting methodology along these lines calling for constant assessment and re-adjustment.We will set up a humble and remarkable culture so as to guarantee that our administrations are unique in relation to other people. This item separation along with proceeded with advancement will guarantee that our administrations are liked. We will likewise put resources into innovation in order to expand productivity and viability in arrangement of services.We will keep up a very much point by point site and build up joins with movement offices. We would a ssess our business persistently and increment or decrease the administrations we offer and how are they are advertised. This will be intended for keeping up our administrations as unique in relation to those of our rivals and guaranteeing cost viability. We would likewise continue investigating better approaches for advancing our administrations in order to keep up our piece of the overall industry and to contend effectively.ReferencesNetMBA Business Knowledge Center. The Product Life Cycle. Recovered January 07, 2008 from http://www.netmba.com/advertising/item/lifecycle

Praise and Children Essay

Disclose how to help youngsters and youthful people groups fearlessness and confidence. We can bolster youngsters and youthful people’s self-assurance/confidence and advance this in settings by doing a scope of verbal/non verbal things to guarantee kids have certainty. It is significant that we give youngsters consolation while attempting another movement, we can do this by verbal discourse, for example, ‘can you attempt to do it’? or on the other hand non verbal ways, for example, hand motions approval or grinning and so on. Likewise after a kid has accomplished something positive we should consistently applaud them verbally with a ‘well done’! or then again approval and so forth even a sticker diagram or group focuses has a similar impact. In the event that we don't give youngsters acclaim and support they are less inclined to participate in new exercises which won't give them certainty to encounter new things and become independant. It is significant that youngsters are constantly applauded for accomplishing something great with the goal that they have a high confidence and will need to show the conduct once more. We should guarantee that kids have the certainty to settle on there own decisions by giving opportunities to them o do this. for eg give them the decision of what toys they need to play with, what exercises they might want to do or what snacks they might want. It is significant we do this to urge youngsters to turn out to be more independant. On the off chance that we don't permit kids to settle on there own decisions they may get dependant on a grown-up and not pick essential things further down the road that could influence them. We can likewise advance self-assurance by compensating youngsters with things, for example, desserts or stickers. This can be a decent method of applauding youngsters however can likewise make kids ‘go back’ with conduct or get things done to much just to get a prize. For instance if a kid is remunerated for utilizing the can or attempting to utilize the latrine they may simply sit on it the entire day so they get compensated. We should do normal perceptions of kids to discover there interests and create exercises around these to assist youngsters with meeting achievements. This is significant as the youngster is in charge of there own learning and will feel like they matter. For instance if a childs intrigued by trains you could utilize them in what you are doing. In the event that the kid has control of there learning they are bound to settle on decisions and believe in doing as such. It is additionally significant that we guarantee the kids realize that they can confide in their key laborer and can address them about anything, so the youngster has constructive associations with the individuals in there setting.

How to Give a Wedding Speech If You Have Social Anxiety

How to Give a Wedding Speech If You Have Social Anxiety Social Anxiety Disorder Coping Print 8 Tips for Giving a Wedding Speech If You Have Social Anxiety By Arlin Cuncic Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder and 7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety. Learn about our editorial policy Arlin Cuncic Updated on October 05, 2019 Social Anxiety Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes Treatment Living With In Children Satoshi Kawase / Getty Images If you are a bride or groom who suffers from social anxiety disorder, the idea of giving a speech at your wedding may be causing you to panic. Dont worry! You can get through that speech, and even shine on your special day if you just take some time to prepare.   First, if you havent already been diagnosed or received treatment for your social anxiety (such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication) add that to the top of your list. However, you probably have limited time between now and the wedding and need to know how to get through that speech without the help of outside interventions. 8 Helpful Tips for Giving a Great Wedding Speech Despite Being Nervous Below are some steps you can take to help calm your nerves about giving a speech at your wedding. Become Familiar With the Venue Make sure that you are familiar with the reception hall before the wedding. Find out where you will be seated and where the microphone and podium will be. Becoming familiar with these surroundings early on will make you more comfortable when the big moment comes. Dont Script It Although it may be tempting to write out a speech word for word, unless you are very experienced in public speaking there is a risk that you will come across as stiff and wooden. Instead, carry point form notes with you to the podium and try speaking in a conversational tone. Practice There is no substitute for lots of practice when it comes to public speaking, and a wedding speech is no exception. By practicing what you are going to say in advance, you will gain confidence that will carry through to your big day. Imagine Success Athletes have used this trick for years â€" by imagining yourself relaxed and confident while delivering your speech, you train your body to respond in the same manner. Exercise Make sure to engage in regular exercise leading up to your wedding. Regular exercise helps to alleviate stress and anxiety. Avoid Caffeine While it is never advisable to consume large amounts of caffeine, those who suffer from social anxiety should try to avoid it altogether. Remember that in addition to coffee and caffeinated soft drinks, tea and chocolate also contain caffeine. Admit to Being Nervous Before you begin speaking at your wedding, acknowledge that you are nervous. Simply admitting to having a little stage fright often goes a long way to overcoming performance anxiety. Focus on Your Speech Instead of scanning the room and worrying about what others are thinking, focus on what you are saying. Allow yourself to be swept away by the moment and notice how your anxiety tends to be swept away as well. Remember, these are the tips to shine while you give your speech: Find out where you will be speaking.Bring point form notes only.Practice and imagine success.Get regular exercise and avoid caffeine.Admit you are nervous and then focus on your speech. While many people may feel nervous about giving a wedding speech, you might actually find that you enjoy it! At the very least, feel proud that you took the time to try and overcome your fear to make this important contribution to your special day. Years from now your spouse wont look back and remember your fear and anxietyâ€"only the thoughts that you shared.

Impact Of Immigration On The United States - 1017 Words

America has always been a country of immigrants. During the 1891 to 1924, over twenty million immigrants came to the U.S. (Daniels, 1997, p. viii). Several pieces of key legislation were also passed during that time that affected immigrants. America’s view at this time reflected that of strong Nativism. Several anti-immigration groups had their fair share of influence in political affairs that had a negative affect on certain groups. This paper will outline the events that led to three pieces of legislation. This paper will also highlight the impact on immigration and how the chosen pieces of legislation contributed to future legislation (if at all). The first piece of legislation highlighted in this essay is the Geary Act of 1892. For†¦show more content†¦45) From America’s point of view at that time, it made sense to pass such legislation that prevented disease and even future crime. The passing of the Immigration Act of 1891 paved the way for even more restrictive legislation. The Geary Act of 1892. This act strengthened the already existing Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 by extending the ban on Chinese becoming citizens (Daniels, 1997, p. 14). It is now generally acknowledged that the Chinese exclusion act was an unfortunate mistake. The discrimination was uncalled for with the main reason being that the Chinese were stealing jobs (even though they were often jobs the Americans did not want). Other restrictions that applied to the general immigrant population were also passed at this time. Another piece of key legislation was the Anarchist Exclusion Act of 1903. This was in response to the â€Å"assassination of of President McKinley by an American-born anarchist with a foreign name† (Daniels, 1997, p. 60). On March 3, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Act into law. One might think something like this would already be in place, but it took a tragic event for real action to be taken. The Anarchist Exclusion Act denied Anarchists or people who supportShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Immigration On The United States1301 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The US Council of Economic Advisers on Immigration s Economic Impact. Population and Development Review, 33. 3, (2007), 641. Web. Feb. 2017. Immigration remains the subject of significant public and political debate in the United States. In May and June of 2007, a lot of public attention was concentrated on a debate in the U.S congress on legislation. The bill in front of the senate formally named the â€Å"Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007,† was controversialRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On The United States1415 Words   |  6 PagesRecent immigration has not only increased since the end of World War 2, but also gained momentum, reaching numbers in the 1990s. The national origin of US immigrants also changed sharply over the past fifty years. Before 1960, the vast majority came from European countries or Canada. Even as late as the 1950s, more than two-thirds of all arrivals were from these countries. During 1960s, however, when family reunification criteria rather than national origin quotas became the basis for allocatingRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On The Unite d States971 Words   |  4 Pagesimmigrants in the United States? What is the impact of immigrants in the United States economic system? How can we define the history of immigration in the United States? According to Nancy Kleniewski, â€Å"It has often been said that the United States is a nation of immigrants. Immigration has been a long-term trend, but both the locations where immigrants settle and the places from which they come have changed over the years† (Kleniewski, 169). For a very long time in the United States, there seemsRead MoreImpact Of Immigration On The United States1283 Words   |  6 Pagescreate a safer border environment by facing the multiple Issues and Challenges, like illegal Immigration, Drug Enforcement, and cross-border Transportation, and Technological improvements by Homeland security influence the agents, trying to cease these issues. A vast complication that the United States goes through is the huge illegal immigration. Each year thousands of illegal immigrants enter the United States across the U.S.-Mexican border. The result is that the congress has mandated increased effortsRead MoreImpact Of Immigration On The United States Essay1434 Words   |  6 Pagesharm. Major impacts of immigration can be observed in several forms of a countries economic system such as employment opportunities for both immigrated workers as well as current citizens along with unemployment rates, wages, profit margins, the ability of local and international business’ to grow and the overall GDP of the specific country. For this paper specifically the developed country that will be analysed will be Australia. Considered to be one of the worlds â€Å"major immigration nations† (togetherRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On The United States1279 Words   |  6 Pagescreate a safer border environment by facing the multiple Issues and Challenges, like illegal Immigration, Drug Enforcement, and cross-border Trans portation, and Technological improvements by Homeland security influence the agents, trying to cease these issues. A vast complication that the United States goes through is the huge illegal immigration. Each year thousands of illegal immigrants enter the United States across the U.S.-Mexican border. The result is that the congress has mandated increased effortsRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On The United States1469 Words   |  6 Pagescontaining several scholarly articles such as JSTOR and GALE. Two sources that will be used to preforme OPVL are a personal interbore from a man who worked in downtown Houston during the 1990’s, and an article published examining the influx of immigration into Texas during the 1990’s Summary of Evidence- During the 1990’s there was an influx in foreign born population. In Texas the native born population was approximately 15,462,074 people. The foreign born population was 1,524,436 meaning thatRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On United States1989 Words   |  8 PagesThe Impact of Immigration on United States (U.S.) Economy Introduction In recent times, migration has been a major point of discussion at different international fora. According to the United Nations (UN), more than 175 million people, about three percent of world’s population, live and work permanently outside their countries of birth (UN, 2002). The changing faces of European migration, at the beginning of the new millennium is different from those of fifty years ago. Also, in the late 19th andRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On The United States1925 Words   |  8 PagesImmigration is a very broad topic, a topic that has been highly discussed in the past. However, what is the reason that most people think people migrate from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, or Guatemala? Most would say it is because of job opportunities that will better their families. Some say it is because of the higher rate of freedom in the United States. However, not many people look at the hard environments back in the homelands of the immigrants. Maybe a big reason for crossing the borderRead MoreThe Impact Of Immigration On The United States1692 Words   |  7 PagesImmigration has radically changed a religion picture in the United States. At the present time people with their unique culture, specific habits and traditions participate in our society. America is their home as well as ours. To live in peace together we have to understand, communicate and integrate with each other. But sometimes unforeseen events happen and crash the whole global hope for productive cooperation. On September 11, 2001, the tragedy in the USA shocked the whole world. It was the message

Financial Analysis Assignment on Ratio Analysis Virgin Media - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1516 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? The company formerly known as NTL Group Limited is a cable and telecommunication firm. It was established in 1996 from the acquisition of National Tran communications limited by international cable tel. It conduct business from its registered head office which is located i London, United Kingdom. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Financial Analysis Assignment on Ratio Analysis Virgin Media" essay for you Create order The company telecommunications services include a national digital telecoms network end to end residential and business telecommunication, internet services, mobile radio communication, visual communications, internet services, internet satellite links and turnkey systems. The company holds several cable TV franchises for Dublin, Galway and Waterford, and all of Northern Ireland. In addition the company holds MMDS franchises for mobile telecommunication covering counties Dublin, Galway, Waterford and Mayo. The company has home businesses such as NTL UK and Ireland cable networks, ITV/C4 transmission network, and NTL Business UK and Ireland. Further the company has international business in Australia, Switzerland, France and Singapore. Background Virgin Media Inc. is an UK based media and communications company. The company is a residential broadband and mobile virtual network operator and also engaged in providing a pay television and fixed-line telephone services in the UK. Virgin Media conducts its business operations through three reportable segments, namely, Cable, Mobile and Content. The company is head quartered at New York, the US. In April 2009, sit-up Ltd., UKs most innovative home shopping retailer and a subsidiary of Virgin Media was acquired by Munich-based industrial holding named AURELIUS AG. Wondering who we are? Well, were the first people in the UK to offer you TV, Broadband, Phone and Mobile all from one place. The future is bursting with fresh entertainment and communication possibilities. Thats why were here to bring all the excitement to you and make your digital place the brilliant place it should be. Suddenly, everythings coming together, and were the first people to provide you with a unique combina tion of: TV that puts you in control Superfast and reliable broadband Phone packages that fit around you Mobile service that gives you just what you want Whatever you choose with Virgin Media, were aiming to make the whole experience as effortless as the award-winning service our Virgin Mobile customers have enjoyed for years. RATIO ANALYSIS Financial statement analysis is a judgmental process. One of the primary objectives is identification of major changes in trends, and relationships and the investigation of the reasons underlying those changes. The judgment process can be improved by experience and the use of analytical tools. Probably the most widely used financial analysis technique is ratio analysis, the analysis of relationships between two or more line items on the financial statement. Financial ratios are usually expressed in percentage or times. Generally, financial ratios are calculated for the purpose of evaluating aspects of a companys operations and fall into the following categories: Liquidity ratios measure a firms ability to meet its current obligations. Profitability ratios measure managements ability to control expenses and to earn a return on the resources committed to the business. Leverage ratios measure the degree of protection of suppliers of long-term funds and can also aid in judging a firms ability to raise additional debt and its capacity to pay its liabilities on time. LIQUIDITY RATIOS Working Capital: Working capital compares current assets to current liabilities, and serves as the liquid reserve available to satisfy contingencies and uncertainties. A high working capital balance is mandated if the entity is unable to borrow on short notice. The ratio indicates the short-term solvency of a business and in determining if a firm can pay its current liabilities when due. Current Assets Current Liabilities Acid Test or Quick Ratio: A measurement of the liquidity position of the business. The quick ratio compares the cash plus cash equivalents and accounts receivable to the current liabilities. The primary difference between the current ratio and the quick ratio is the quick ratio does not include inventory and prepaid expenses in the calculation. Consequently, a businesss quick ratio will be lower than its current ratio. It is a stringent test of liquidity. Securities + Cash + Marketable Accounts Receivable Current Liabilities Current Ratio: Provides an indication of the liquidity of the business by comparing the amount of current Assets to current liabilities. A businesss current assets generally consist of cash, marketable securities, accounts receivable, and inventories. Current liabilities include accounts payable, current maturities of long-term debt, accrued income taxes, and other accrued expenses that are due within one year. Current Assets Current Liabilities PROFITABILITY RATIOS This ratio reflects the overall profitability of the business. It is calculated by comparing the profit earned and the capital employed to earn it. Return on Capital Employed = Profit before Interest, Tax and dividend *100 Capital Employed Return on shareholders funds This ratio reveals how profitably the proprietors funds have been utilized by the firm. Net profit after interest tax Total shareholders funds Net profit ratio This ratio shows the relationship between net profit and sales. Net Profit Ratio = Net Profit * 100 Net Sales Earnings per Share This ratio measures the profit available to the equity shareholders on a per share basis. All profits left after payment of tax and preference dividend are available to equity shareholders. EPS = Net Profit Dividend on Preference Shares No of equity shares Dividend per Share DPS is the dividend distributed to equity shareholders divided by the no. of equity shares. DPS = Dividend paid to Equity Shareholder No. of Equity Shares Earnings and Dividend Yield This ratio is closely related to EPS and DPS. While the EPS and DPS are calculated on the basis of the book value of shares, this ratio is calculated on the basis of the market value of shares. Earnings Yield = EPS * 100 Market value per share Dividend Yield = DPS * 100 Market value per share Price Earnings Ratio It is computed by dividing the market price of a share by the EPS. PE Ratio = Market Price of the share EPS SOLVENCY RATIOS Debt Equity Ratio This ratio explains the relationship between the long term debts and share holders funds. Debt Equity Ratio = Debt Equity Debt to Total Fund Ratio This ratio is a variation of the Debt Equity Ratio and gives the same indication as the debt equity ratio. In this ratio, debt is expressed in relation to total funds. Debt Total Funds Ratio = Debt Equity + Debt EFFICIENCY RATIOS Sales to Working Capital (Net Working Capital Turnover) Indicates the turnover in working capital per year. A low ratio indicates inefficiency, while a high level implies that the companys working capital is working too hard. Net Sales Average Working Capital Financial Statement: Profit and Loss A/c: Particular 2008( millions) 2009( millions) Turnover 3776.8 3663.9 Operating Profit -271.8 132 Net interest -473.3 -448.9 Profit Before Tax -860.2 -352.8 Profit after Tax -853.4 350.3 Balance Sheet: Particular 2008( millions) 2009( millions) Intangible Assets 2592.6 2283.7 Tangible Assets 5342.1 5045.8 Fixed Investment 353.5 359.9 Total Fixed Assets 8877.8 8087.5 Cash at Bank or in Hand 181.6 430.5 Total Assets 9933.3 9190.5 Creditor Amount 1475.1 1352.2 Creditor Amount after 1 year 192.7 288.8 Total Liability 7917.1 7698.7 Net Assets 2016.2 1491.3 Ratio of Virgin Media: Items 2009 2008 Current Ratio 1.23 1.42 Liquidity Ratio 1.23 1.42 Shareholder liquidity ratio -0.53 0.67 Solvency Ratio 18.63 -41.68 Assets Cover 4.11 1.31 Gearing (%) 361.03 n.s Return on Capital Employed 130.88 -40.30 Return on Total Assets 60.67 -14.92 Ratio Analysis of Virgin Media: In the analysis I got the ratios from profit and loss, balance sheet. There has different ratios like current ratio, liquidity ratio, shareholder liquidity ratio, solvency ratio, assets cover, Gearing Ratio, return on capital employed, return on total assets. So the analyses of this ratio are as follows: In the current ratio the ratio in 2008 is 1.42 whereas in the year 2009 ratio is 1.23. So its slightly decrease from 2008. In the liquidity ratio also it has the same position in both the year. Like as the current ratio. With 1.42 in 2008 and 1.23 in 2009 In shareholder liquidity ratio, in 2008 it has 0.67 and in 2009 it has negative position as -0.53. So, it has also decrease from 2008. In Solvency ratio, in the year 2008 the ratio is -41.68 and in 2009 it has 18.63. So we can say that it has increase as comparison to 2008. In Assets covering ratio, in the year 2008 1.31 value and in 2009 it has 4.11 values. And it is also good for the company. In the return on capital employed, in the year 2008 value is -40.30 has negative value. And in 2009 it has 130.88. It is also good for the company. In the return on total assets, ratio in the year of 2008 has -14.92 which is not good for company. But in the year 2009 it has good value as comparison to 2008 and got 60.67 values. Conclusion: Provide key company information for business intelligence needs The company strengths and weakness and area of development or decline are analyzed. The opportunity open to the company are considered and its growth potential assessed. Competitive or technological threats are highlighted. The report contains critical company information business structure and operations, the company history, major products and services, key competitors, key employees and executive biographies, different locations and important subsidiaries. The report provides detailed financial ratio for the past years as well as interim ratio for the last four quarters. Financial ratio includes profitability, margins and return, liquidity and leverage, financial position and efficiency ratio.

The Rational Choice Approach Free Essays

Whilst people all around the world debate over which political system is the most effective, social scientists are still in debate over which is the best way to analyse politics. Without the correct analysis of political objects how is one supposed to decide which political system or party is the most effective? It is for this reason that the way in which we analyse political objects is so important. There are many different ways to go about analysing politics. We will write a custom essay sample on The Rational Choice Approach or any similar topic only for you Order Now One main distinction to be noted is how in America the subject is called political science, whereas many European universities just call it politics. European scholars would suggest that the name political science is flawed in the sense that you cannot conduct certain political experiments. Rational choice theorists would suggest otherwise as I will explain later on in the essay. In a lecture delivered by Professor Mark Franklin at the European University Institute, he stated; â€Å"We cannot take a random sample of people and give them a new political system to see what happens† (Franklin, 2006). Debates such as these go far further than just cross-national. In this essay I intend to give a brief background to the various approaches to studying politics. I will then go on to outline the strengths and weaknesses of the rational choice approach to understanding the political, paying close attention to the definition of self-interest, using various scholars work to form a critique of the rational choice theory. The studying of politics can be dated back to the ‘Platonic era’ of ancient Greece, as early as 420 B. C. However, the departments of politics came much later. Within these departments one of the earliest forms of analysing politics was through the method of institutionalism. This involved the studying of institutions. Institutionalists looked at how institutions were formed, what they did and how they were structured. Rather than looking at philosophical questions, institutionalists concentrated on normative questions. Institutionalism was criticised for its lack of rigour as it was mainly a descriptive process. Others called it elitist and described it as â€Å"clever people telling others about their own system† (Parvin, 2013). The 1930s saw the American way of thinking revised as a result of the increasing numbers of European scholars entering America. As a result of this, and with the growing criticisms of the conventional approach, analysis took a behavioural standpoint. At the same time of behaviouralism, rational choice theorists were in writing. However, it only flourished in the 1980s. Rational choice theory involves more questioning of peoples decisions and political objectives and was a lot less descriptive. Rational choice theory, first used in the field of economics, suggests individuals are rational and therefore act in their own self-interest. They do this by weighing up the costs and benefits of a situation. It also assumes individuals are rational meaning they do not act outside the norm. Another assumption is that individuals make their decisions whilst taking into account what other individuals do, or what they believe the other individuals will do. The first weakness of the rational choice theory I wish to analyse is the assumption that all individuals are self-interested. To tackle this it is important to define being self-interested. It is often defined as one gaining pleasure from an act. However, is an act still self-interested if the person gains pleasure from helping others? If your answer is no, then what if an act pleasures one’s self whilst helping others, but also putting others at a disadvantage. Is this now self-interested again? For example, when a pressure group member of ‘fathers 4 justice’ climbs a building to encourage politicians to allow him to see his child he would be seen as self-interested. On the other hand, he is doing it in order to care for his child and give him the correct up-bringing he needs. In this instance he may not be considered self-interested. On a further note, by climbing up said building police and other services would be called out to resolve the situation. This could lead to a delayed call-out for police to attend another crime scene, putting others at a disadvantage. Does this now make the act self-interested again? From this series example it is evident that there are usually several parties affected by a particular political movement or decision. It is also evident that upon making political decisions people often have multiple incentives which may involve benefiting ones self and benefiting others, making it extremely difficult to give determine if an act is self-interested or not. Furthermore, assuming it was possible to narrow down an act to being self-interested or not, it is  impossible to say every single person is self-interested. This is outlined by the ‘black swan theory’. This theory suggests that no matter how many white swans you see, you can never rule out the possibility of there being a black swan. One strength of the rational choice theory is that it offers an explanation as to why there has been a a dramatic decrease in political participation since the middle of the 20th century, as outlined in Colin Hay’s book ‘Why we hate politics’. For example, between 1950 and 2001 electoral turnout in the UK has decreased by 24.2% (Hay, 2008: 49). Decreases in electoral turnout doesn’t stop at the UK, since the middle of the 20th century lots of countries including of the OECD countries, bar two. This decrease in political participation may be as a result of voters weighing up the costs and benefits of voting and then coming to the conclusion the costs outweigh the benefits. People feel as if their vote would count for nothing and that one vote is highly unlikely to change who forms the government. Hay goes on to deliver this point of view in the equation of [Uchosen – Uother] p Cvoting. In this equation [Uchosen – Uother] p represents the utility the voter receives if the party they vote for goes into power minus the utility received if the other party goes into power. Cvoting represents the cost of voting and the cost is always greater than the benefits to a rational individual (Hay, 2008: 50). This is further examined by Mancur Oslon in his book ‘The logic of Collective Action’. Oslon highlights how individuals do not participate, letting others put in the work and then reaping the rewards of having a strong government (Oslon, 1971). This has also been linked to the power of the minority and how they can choose to opt out of a trade union but still get the benefits, for example; an increasing wage rate. Both theories presented are easy to accept as they suggest strong explanations as to why there has been a decrease in participation. However, on a closer examination to the voting system, it may appear that there are more benefits to be earned from voting. Many people experience a feeling of pleasure from participating as they feel as if they have done a good deed. Which arguably, they have. Moreover, some people may experience a sense of pride as a result of doing something to help their country. Another point to take into account when weighing up the benefits of voting is that some people may genuinely enjoy the process. On the contrary, when weighing the costs it must be noted that the effort and inconvenience of voting isn’t the only cost in certain cases. Some individuals choose not to vote as they believe by voting they are accepting a certain party’s policies, whereas some people do not agree with any party. Others are anarchists who do not believe governments should exist. In this instance the cost would be far greater, providing further support for the rational choice theory. The rational choice theory has also allowed us to predict behaviour through its vigorous methodology. In the introduction I briefly mentioned the various views on whether or not politics can be viewed as a science. Although we may not be able to conduct experiments which involve observing people in different political systems, we can put them in situations to observe their decision making and relate it to the political. One experiment involving offering two bank robbers the opportunity to either stay quiet or hand over their accomplice saw individuals being rational. The best outcome was if they both stayed quiet and saw them both have reduced sentences, whilst if one stays quiet and the other hands the accomplice over, the accomplice will be sentenced with the one who handed him over going free. However, if they both handed each other over they would both have an increased sentence. This is part of game theory and is known as the prisoner’s dilemma. Being rational, the prisoners near enough always handed over their partner. Rational choice theorists would suggest this can be transferred to the political arena by explaining that they would act with this level of self-interest in all situations, including within the political arena. Nonetheless, it is important to note that choosing between imprisonment and who governs are two completely different scenarios. To say that individuals would act the same in both situations with little evidence to show this is somewhat illogical. For example when confronted by a woman asking you for your wallet you may decide to refuse, but when she is holding a gun to your head your answer may change. The game show whereby similar outcomes are offered to two people but instead of prison sentences, the outcome is how much money they receive is evidence of how the answer depends on what is at stake. Within this show there were always different combinations of answers with both self-interested people and people willing to share. From this essay it is clear that there are many weaknesses. However, it should not go un-noticed that one of the most influential factors that caused the increasing use of the rational choice approach was its vigour. Whilst other approaches offer mere descriptions, rational choice theory goes into deep questioning. Furthermore, the methodology is greater than any other with the use of experiments to allow for more precise, qualitative data to be recorded. On the other hand it could be argued that the use of rational choice approach ignores the study of institutions by focusing solely on the individual. All theories possess strengths and weaknesses. It is also apparent that different approaches may offer more concise measurements in different areas so it is important not to rely on one particular approach, but instead use a variety to allow for a more reliable analysis. Despite the outlined weaknesses, it has had much success in the field of economics. Some may argue that this means we should stick with it as a way of analysing politics. However, I fear that it is not plausible to simply transfer a theory from one subject to another, despite both being social sciences. This is due to the nature of politics being focused on equal distribution and fairness (in the vast majority of countries due to the democratic values resulting in a government for all the people). If people were as self-interested as the rational choice approach suggests then there would be a lot more extreme right-wing and left-wing parties present where the rich want to keep all of their money and the poor want as many benefits as possible. Instead we find a middle ground such as the liberal democrats in England. For this reason, it appears that the methodology does not compliment the ontology as no matter what experiments are carried out, none can be related to the political, as the European University Institute outlined. How to cite The Rational Choice Approach, Papers

Effects of Mass Media Worksheet free essay sample

Material Effects of Mass Media Worksheet Write brief 250-to 300-word answers to each of the following: |Questions |Answers | |What were the major developments in the |There were major developments in the evolution of mass media during the 20th century. It | |evolution of mass media during the 20th |first started in the 19th century with Swedish soprano singer Jenny Lind in 1850. She had | |century? Fans crazed over her music with what was called â€Å"Lindomania† that was spread through | | |showbiz by showman P. T. Barnum. Then, about a century later, there was â€Å"Beatlemania†. I | | |wish I was around for that, I love the Beatles. Anyhow, television was the main source of| | |this frenzy of Beatlemania. They were on the Ed Sullivan Show and it was estimated 40% of | | |the U. S. watched that night. That is an amazing number of people in the country watching | | |such a show back in the 1960s. With all that being said, I would say that that | | |television would be the main source that had developed and made a huge change in the way | | |that media was sent and received. We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of Mass Media Worksheet or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the late 20th century, the internet started to evolve| | |as well. That was a whole new level of media that no one was used to in the past years. Newspapers, magazines, and television were and are still popular but since the end of the | | |20th century computers and that sort of technology has taken over. Just about all cell | | |phones have internet on them so you can include cell phones along with video games, CDs, | | |and DVDs, to be included with that mass media of the 20th century. It now being the 21st | | |century I can only imagine what other types of media wee will be seeing in our future. How did each development influence |As the developments of media in the 20th century evolved, so had the influence it had on | |American culture? |American culture. It brought both advantages and disadvantages to American culture. The | | |types of media like CDs, DVDs, television and the internet have changed peoples lives. | | |Some people depend on the internet as their number one source of media, while others still | | |may stick to the most traditional ways like, newspapers, television, and magazines.