Serial Killer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Serial Killer - Research Paper Example His brutality can be analyzed from the fact that he labeled the spraying of cyanide on to his prey as the best killing option that he liked. Richard Kuklinski was a criminal who did not feel guilty about his acts. His dark childhood laid an impact on his future killings (Holmes et al 2009; Martin 2006). Richard Kuklinski was born to Anna and Stanley Kuklinski. They belonged to a low income household. His father was an alcoholic and his mother was a Catholic and a strong follower of her religion. He received many beatings at the hands of his father and his mother. The cruelty with which his father used to beat the children can be analyzed from the fact that his beatings resulted in the death of one of Richard’s siblings. Thus, Richard was brought up in a very disturbed household. His childhood was not only darkened by the trauma that he had to suffer at his house, but Richard was also the victim of the bullies of his neighborhood (Shaw 2008). The instillation of violence in his character began at an early age. He used to make the cats of his neighborhood as the victim of his violence. He committed his first murder at the bare age of 14. He killed a boy named Johnny who was bullying him by using a cue stick as his weapon. His first killing raised his spirits and he continued this act of killing anyone who displeased him. He got married to a woman named Barbara at the age of 26 years. He then adapted the criminal path for his livelihood. He first sold pornographic material and later he became a hit man for the Gambino family. He fell in the hands of the police authorities in the year 1986 during a major crackdown operation (Holmes et al 2009; Martin 2006). The differential association theory of crime truly depicts the character of Richard Kuklinski. The differential association theory puts forward the fact that a person is directed towards committing of crime from what he learns and sees. This can be understood as Richard was instilled with

Catwalk Versus Visual Fashion Shows Dissertation

Catwalk Versus Visual Fashion Shows - Dissertation Example The paper "Catwalk Versus Visual Fashion Shows" discovers Young Designers Preference and fashion shows. The research is done by considering choices of young fashion designers from UK and Korea. In the introductory portion, the content, aims and objectives of this study and limitations faced while conducting the research work are clearly stated. Literature review comes next where all aspects related to visual fashion shows are dealt in details including current trends, influencing factors, recent shows, etc. Next is methodology, where the procedure, which was followed while doing this research work, is outlined. Research approaches, philosophies, data collection process, sampling etc, with every details are depicted in this section. Several people were interviewed. Continue with ‘findings’, summarizes the answers given by the respondents. Carry on with ‘discussion’, the answers of the respondents were interpreted, analyzed and compared. The views that came up through their answers were related with trends, practices and concepts referred to in ‘findings’. In the final section, a brief conclusion is provided to the whole study from point of view of the researcher. Along with a justification is also provided for young designer’s preference for visual fashion shows over live catwalk shows. Visual fashion shows are gradually taking over live fashion shows in recent times. Unlike the traditional fashion shows where the model catwalks down the ramp, visual fashion shows present digitalized images.... Unlike the traditional fashion shows where the model catwalks down the ramp, visual fashion shows present digitalized images of the same but, projected on a screen. Thus, on one hand the people fail to perceive the liveliness, but on the other hand designers could easily showcase their creations. For this reason, one could find an increasing popularity of visual fashion shows among designers, especially among the young the young fashion designers. Content In the present times, the fashion world is experiencing a new type of fashion show- the visual fashion show, which involves digitalized images of models decked up in fashion items. Contrary to conventional catwalk shows, visual fashion shows saves time, energy, organization, and are flexible in nature. At the same time, the visual fashion shows are also cost effective and interactive. This is the reason why many young designers in present are choosing visual fashion shows over the traditional ones (Menkes, 2010). Aims This study aim s at finding out whether the young fashion designers from UK and Korea prefer live catwalks on ramps or visual fashion shows. Objectives 1. To find out the choice and preferences of young designers from UK and Korea. 2. To explore what factors have affected their choice. 3. To examine relevance and effectiveness of visual fashion shows in contemporary fashion industry. 4. To analyze success of visual fashion shows in terms of marketing, promotion and popularity. Methodology For this paper, both primary and secondary sources will be used data collected by interviewing some people as well as those collected from books, journals, and reviews and articles from fashion magazines will be interpreted and analyzed. Findings It was found out that the new concept of

Plantation agriculture Essay Example for Free

Plantation agriculture Essay Plantation agriculture is a kind of commercial arable farming in the world. It is especially important in humid tropics with luxuriant growth of vegetation. Its economic effectiveness is always emphasized, bringing both positive and negative impacts. In recent decades, crop diversification is introduced and the ecological balance of the natural environment is greatly conserved. Plantation agriculture refers to the growing of cash crops on large foreign owned estates in countries of tropical environment. It is usually practiced in a large scale with monoculture, in which only a certain type of plant is dominant. Take Papua New Guinea as an example, in the area, cacao, coffee and rubber are mainly grown in the region for export to other countries. Under this kind of farming, there are positive impacts to the economy. Firstly, due to its large scale of operation and being export-oriented in Papua New Guinea, the supply of products is regular and of uniformly high quality. With high demand for the products, this attracts large amount of investment of capital from the foreign countries, such as Europe and North America, thus allowing the farmers being financially able to provide the expensive machinery capable of turning out a high grade product. Benefiting from economies of scale, this enables both the transportation cost and production cost to be lowered. Secondly, plantations are also able to undertake greater scientific research and the eradication of pests and diseases. For example, one large sugar company in the former British colony of Guyana was able to employ a large research staff to produce a strain of sugar cane resistant to leaf-scald disease. Besides, government assistance has brought improved crop varieties, scientific research, new pesticides and fertilizers and effective marketing, The government of Papua New Guinea launched The Cape Hoskins Oil Palm Scheme to solve land disputes of many small holdings, strengthening national self-reliance. With increasing demand for the plantation, the employment rate of Papua New Guinea is greatly increased as there are more needs for personnel to manage crop growing and researching. Some crop processing and manufacturing industries are set up to satisfy the demand for crops. The farm productivity is increased as well. As people can earn more income from this kind of farming, this stimulates the rate of urbanization, hence the development of infrastructure and improvement of public facilities, such as roads, railways, ports, towns, schools, hospitals and the supply of electricity and water. As a result, the living standard of the labour is greatly improved. Despite the economic benefits, plantation farming somehow brings negative impacts to Papua New Guinea. First is the reliance upon the protected markets in Australia. At present, about one-third of the copra, 40 percent of the coffee, most of the cocoa and rubber is exported to Australia, which is assigned to admit duty free. In return, Papua New Guinea has to pay taxes for any imports. This leads to outflow of capital to foreign countries because this kind of farming is highly export-oriented. Second is the problem of labour. Plantations require large amount of cheap labour, but the wage rate is progressively higher because of the rising living standard and commercialization of the country. This increases the cost of production and thus reduces the competitiveness among other countries for the same kind of farming. Apart from this, the risk of crop failure is an important factor for consideration. As plantation agriculture is highly specialized. People highly rely on monoculture to earn a living. When the price of cash crops falls drastically or there is a sudden of crop failure, the income of farmers will fall as well. As a result, the earning of farmers tend to be unstable and badly affected the national income of Papua New Guinea. Besides, people have to import other necessities from other countries instead of planting within their own country, self-sufficiency cannot be achieved. In this way, there is no other source to safeguard the return of farmers. To overcome the negative impacts, crop diversification is a good method to reduce the over-reliance on certain types of cash crops. Ecologically, this method can also be beneficial to the environment. Since different types of crops are grown, the risk of crop failure decreases. This can stop the spread of diseases and pests for a particular type of crops. The population of pests decreases. This in turn reduces the use of pesticides. Hence, the chance of stream pollution is smaller, the sea organisms will not be poisoned or suffocated so easily, the nutrient flow can be more stable. There will be greater diversity of species of biomass, so the ecosystem will be more stable. Furthermore, diversification of crops increases the vegetation cover. There will be less surface runoff and soil erosion, yet infiltration increases. The nutrients of the soil can be preserved. Crop diversification also reduces the exhaustion of certain type of nutrients, fertility can be maintained and thus the use of fertilizer will be less common as well. Climatically, because of less crop failures, the amount of biomass increases. The evapotranspiration rate and wind speed can be more stable, so the microclimate can be maintained constant, the risk of global warming will not be getting serious so fast. In conclusion, plantation of cash crops is significant in Papua New Guinea for economic development. Though crop diversification may not be as profitable as plantation agriculture, ecological environment should not be ignored. In long-term, diversification of crops is a good way to safeguard the natural environment and brings more stable income to the farmers as well.

Why Use Social Media as a form of Recruitment?

Why Use Social Media as a form of Recruitment? Working title Social media recruitment: why use it at the Royal Veterinary College? Introduction The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has commissioned me to evaluate social media recruiting strategies and possible future opportunities to ensure they remain competitive in the recruitment market. Within this proposal, I will outline the context of the research which will provide more background information of social media recruitment and the RVC. I will then provide a summary of an initial literature review which will define the focus and scope of the research project about to be undertaken (Gray 2014). An appropriate research approach and the way in which I intend to carry out my research will be detailed along with how I intend to analyse the date obtained. Possible issues and limitations will be discussed and possible solutions to overcome them. I will propose timescales of the project milestones and finally provide a conclusion. Context Established in 1791 and based at two sites in London and Hertfordshire, the Royal Veterinary College is one of 7 veterinary schools in the UK. A key part of their overall strategy is to be the first choice for those seeking to work in the veterinary, biosciences and One Health Higher Education sector (RVC 2015). The Human Resources (HR) strategy is aligned to the overall strategy to support its objectives and, as such, a key part of the HR strategy is the capacity to attract and retain talent at every level of the organisation from the local, national and international markets in which we compete will remain fundamental to our success (RVC 2015). The utilisation of social media to attract talent is an ever-increasingly popular topic within the HR profession so the HR team are keen to explore its value to help achieve this HR objective and to ensure they remain competitive in the recruitment markets. The HR team are also keen to discover if utilising social media for recruitment bring s other cost and administrative efficiency benefits. As a previous member of the HR team at the College who has seen their current online recruitment process grow and develop for the organisations needs, I am interested in discovering if and how it can be further adapted to utilise social media, whether it can provide a competitive edge in the race for talent and whether this would be a valuable use of their resources. I am expecting that the RVC should have at least some element of social media recruitment presence but, given the diverse nature of its employees and their differing backgrounds and professions, whether social media can provide value to all its recruitment campaigns remains to be seen. Literature Review This literature review will guide the development of my research topic. As Gray (2014) states In order to advance our collective knowledge, a researcher has to understand what has gone before. In seeking to do this I have reviewed numerous relevant literature related to the use of social media for recruitment and common themes were noted and formed the basis of my literature review. An important part of any Human Resource Management (HRM) strategy is the effective recruitment of its staff which the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) (2016) state as central and crucial to the successful day-to-day functioning of any organisation. In an ever-increasingly competitive business environment, organisations are taking a more strategic approach to the staffing of their organisations (Taylor 2014). When Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web, it was not long before it added a new dimension and new opportunities in the recruitment field with the advent of online recruitment which first started in the mid-nineties. Commentators were quick to advocate its use due to the perceived efficiency benefits of as opposed to purely paper-based recruitment. Seminal research by Capelli (2001) stated that, while online recruitment was increasing in popularity due to the reduction in recruitment costs and time saved, its successful use was only achieved by those who fundamentally changed their recruitment process by using online media to market the organisation and build relationships with candidates to create talent pools. The advent of social media enabled organisations to take this marketing concept further by enabling organisations to promote its brand leading to more, better candidates by giving insight into recruitment the process and what it is like to work there (People Management 2013). In addition, social media enabled direct communication with target candidates resulting in a higher probability that a vacancy will be brought to the attention of someone who is ideally qualified to fill it (Taylor 2014). Contemporary research by Schmidt and Landers (2016) also suggest that outgoing social media messages can enhance organisational attraction and recruit more and better applicants by sharing corporate values to increase the reputation and visibility of the organisation. These benefits are why 54% of employers are engaging in social m edia for recruitment (CIPD 2013). The outlined suggested benefits are an attractive prospect. However, little research has been undertaken to establish what the internal costs are of maintaining a social media presence i.e. required time spent per day and training staff in the use of social media costs. This valuable information will form part of my initial research methods which will be to establish what, exactly, the RVC would like to gain from utilising social media for recruitment and what the current capabilities of doing so are. An additional, and controversial, use of social media in the recruitment process is using it to screen potential candidates. Contemporary research by Schmidt and Landers (2016) show no link between social media traits of potential candidates and job performance and they recommend that, until more in-depth research is undertaken in this area, social media is better used for recruitment and building a brand than as a selection tool. However, screening candidates in this way is can provide recruiters with a valuable source of information not found using traditional techniques (Davison et al. 2012; Kluemper 2013). Further research in this area by me regarding the potential benefits and risks to recruiters at the RVC of using such an approach to social media will enable me to make a balanced recommendation on whether screening candidates should be undertaken at the RVC. Another consideration when utilising social media for recruitment is the impact it has on equality and diversity (E D). Taylor (2014) and Iddekinge et al. (2013) state that organisations should not solely use social media for recruitment as it is predominately used by women and the younger generations. Rather, it should be used in conjunction with traditional methods. As a higher education establishment with E D considerations high on the agenda, further research and understanding of the RVCs E D commitments and objectives must be taken into account and aligned to before any recommendations are made. With such fast-paced advancements in social media and technology in general, it would be wise to also assess the implications of future developments in social media recruitment to ensure any recommendations provided are future-proofed. One well documented development that promises to have a big impact on social media recruitment is bid data and analytics which Schmidt and Landers (2016) believe will improve the HR discipline by providing it with a wealth of valuable information with which to make decisions. Regarding recruitment, this information seeks to help recruit more suitable candidates. What resources are needed to utilise big data and analytics, and in what capacity it would be suited to the RVC is will form part of my research. Schmidt and Landers (2016) also advocate working with internal IT professionals to help guide and shape the future of human resource management and this relationship, and whether more formal relationships arrangements are required at the RVC, will als o form part of my further research. Methodology I have chosen to conduct this research in a case study format as a case study generates multiple perspectives through multiple data collection methods (Lewis 2003) which I will need to use to ascertain the different perspectives of different people regarding the suitability of using social media recruitment at the RVC and its general use i.e. recruiting managers, HR, recent recruits and other organisations. As Gray (2014) states the integration and contrasting of these different perspectives can build a rich and detailed understanding of the context. The case studys epistemological approach taken will be constructivist since I will be the creator of my own knowledge by discussing and analysing and incorporating peoples different perspectives on social media recruitments suitability at the RVC, rather than discovering it in an objectivist fashion. The question of whether to use Social Media Recruitment at the RVC will heavily depend on the perspectives (data) of RVC staff and similar organisations and I anticipate that the focus and direction of this research will also be led by them. A suitable methodology to use for this case study that will enable this is grounded theory which enable the development of a theory by discovering, developing and provisionally verifying through systematic data collection and analysis of data pertaining to that phenomenon (Strauss and Corbin 1998). Common methods of research used in grounded theory are interviewing and focus groups which will be a valuable way to obtain viewpoints and opinions of my research subjects. Along with the qualitative research methods of interviews and focus groups, surveys to seek opinions would also provide valuable perspectives of social media recruitment and this mixed method of research will provide a richer, contextual understanding of the phenomenon being researched (Hansen et al, 2005) Method I will initially conduct face to face interviews with recruiting managers from each of the differing staff groups within the College and the Operations Manager in HR, as well as conduct a face to face focus between the team of 5 HR Administrators, to ascertain exactly what they are hoping to gain from utilising social media recruitment. This is an important first step in my case study is it will not only enable me to gain a company specific perspective on what is required and feasable but focus the next stage of my research and data collection to ensure it is relevant to their needs. The interviews will be conducted in a semi-structured format which will enable me to understand their experiences, opinions, attitudes, and enable me to probe where required (Gray 2014). They will also enable me to obtain a more well-rounded picture of their requirements, as opposed to other data collection techniques like structured interviews questionnaires which have minimal interaction between the in terviewer and interviewee. A focus group has been chosen for the administrators it will generate group dynamics within a group of differing individuals (Gray 2014) and enable me to understand the degree of consensus (Morgan and Krueger 1993) of what is deemed a valuable use of social media at the administrative level. The good working relationships with HR and recruiting managers already built while working at the RVC will also help facilitate their agreement to being interviewed and their willingness to interact positively and constructively. Analysis of this information as described in the data section of this proposal will guide the construction of a relevant, anonymous questionnaire which will be emailed to all staff recruited in the past year, estimated at 225, in the form of a descriptive survey to ascertain their job seeking behaviors, their opinions of social medias use by employers as a selection tool and their preference for future developments. The survey questionnaire will also enable me to gain an insight into ED considerations. Recent recruits are most valuable as opposed to other people as they have already been recruited with the RVCs objectives in mind so will be most like the future RVC candidates the RVC hopes to attract. A questionnaire is preferred as it will enable me to question many respondents at a low cost and at a time and place that suits them (Gray 2014). In addition, a questionnaire can assure their anonymity, which will help facilitate their honesty and willingness to participate. Finally, I will seek the current stance, future plans and thoughts of other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK of the use of social media recruitment by way of a survey for the HR Operations Managers. This will give me a broader picture of how social media is used for recruitment in the education industry and enable me to make recommendations on whether or not social media recruitment can provide competitive advantage. I will seek as many organisations as possible to provide me with the most accurate picture possible. This will require a questionnaire rather than other methods of research which I will be able to send to all HEIs via email in the UK. The subject area is not particularly contentious so I would not expect anything more than a minimal level of risk in causing harm or damage in the cause of my research. However, informed consent will be obtained prior to any of the three research methods suggested to ensure research participants are provided with sufficient and accessible information about my project so that they can make an informed decision as to whether to become involved, or not, (Crow et al., 2006). Data My initial research of interviews and focus groups with managers and HR will help narrow the focus of my case study by generating common themes and requirements of social media recruitment. To attain these themes, I will use thematic analysis which will help generate descriptive data from the information provided as opposed to similar methods like content analysis which is more data driven. The themes will then direct what questions to include in my questionnaire to recent employees which will be recorded to enable me to focus on the questions asked. While unknown at this point, the questions will be phrased in such a way as to concur, or not, with suggestions and requirements from the interviews and focus groups and to attain additional viewpoints and suggestions from a candidate perspective. Once obtained and transcribed, the information will be analysed for relationships, common themes and additional suggestions to that of the recruiting managers and HR. The types of data yielded will determine the appropriate analysis and statistical tests (Gray 2014). However, whether nominal or ordinal, this categorical data will be put in a descriptive statistical format which will enable analysis of the frequency distribution. The questionnaire for surveyed organisations will be developed and analysed in the same way. All information gathered from my research will be stored securely on my laptop which is password protected. Possible Problems and Limitations While my previously created relationships with staff at the RVC will help encourage availability, access to the Operations Manager and a recruiting manager from each of the staff groups may be problematic due to low availability during the period that I undertake my research. Good forward planning and the fact that the purpose of the case study is to seek new, and more efficient, ways to help them recruit the staff they need will help encourage them to be available. Availability of all of the HR Administrators at the same time for a significant period of time may also be problematic. However, they have a specific time and date every week that they keep clear in their diaries to have team, and other ad-hoc, meetings which will improve the chances of availability. I have the potential to bias the interviews. I can prevent this by ensuring my interview techniques are consistent, with regard to my tone and duration of interview, to all research subjects. Bias may also occur from the interviewees as the less technically savvy may feel obligated to advocate its use for fear of being seen to be not keeping up with technological advances. A broad range of questions highlighting the positive and negative consequences of using social media recruitment will help to reduce this. The questionnaire may yield a low response rate. However, the estimated population of 225 staff recruited in the past year may be high enough to ensure a low response rate still generates enough responses to make analysis of the answers worthwhile. If not, a re-distribution of the survey with an added monetary incentive may increase the response rate. Another possible issue with the survey is that people may act differently in reality to the responses given in the questionnaire. A call for honesty and highlighting the fact that the questionnaire is anonymous may alleviate this. As with the survey for recently employed staff, the survey for HR Operations Managers at other organisations may also yield a low response rate. There are currently 131 HEIs in the UK and a low response rate may not yield enough responses with which to anaylse. In addition, motivation to respond may be low due to their current work obligations and responsibilities taking a higher priority and their reluctance to divulge any information which may provide reduce their own, or provide the RVC with, competitive advantage. To help improve the response rate, I will offer to provide all respondents with a free summary of my own findings of the survey which they may deem valuable for their own recruitment strategy planning. Main Tasks and Timescales I will use a Gantt Chart here with the following timescales: January starting report, start ethics form. February to March literature review. April to May Data collection. June Initial Analysis. July -Draft to Alan. Conclusion While social media recruitment is only starting to be researched in-depth and the real value, or not, and all possible pitfalls may not be immediately apparent, such benefits as highlighted in the literature review can not be ignored and the RVC can not afford to fall behind its competitors who use social media recruitment to help attract the best talent. However, this case study will ascertain the real value and viability of social media recruitment at the RVC, now and in the future, and provide recommendations, or not, of its use. References Morgan and Kryeger 1993 Crow et al., 2006 HEFCE http://www.hefce.ac.uk/workprovide/unicoll/heis/ Holton, J. A. (2009). Qualitative Tussles in Undertaking a Grounded Theory Study The Grounded Theory Review, 8(3), 37-49. Dick, B. (2005). Grounded theory: a thumbnail sketch. [On line] Available at http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arp/grounded.html Glaser, B. (1992). Basics of grounded theory analysis. Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press. Allan, G. (2003). A critique of using grounded theory as a research method. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods. 2(1). Lewis (2013) Strauss and Corbin 1998 (Hansen et al, 2005)

The American Flag Essay -- Informative Essay

First I would like to include some information about our american flag and how it came about. In the British colonies of North America before the Revolution, each of the 13 colonies had its flag. On Jan. 2, 1776, the first flag of the United States was raised at Cambridge, Mass., by George Washington. Known as the Grand Union flag, it consisted of 13 stripes, alternate red and white, with a blue canton bearing the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew. Congress, on June 14, 1777, enacted a resolution â€Å"that the Flag of the United States be 13 stripes alternate red and white, that the Union be 13 stars white in a blue field representing a new constellation.† On Jan. 13, 1794, Vermont and Kentucky having been admitted to the Union, Congress added a stripe and a star for each state. Congress in 1818 enacted that the 13 stripes, denoting the 13 original colonies, be restored and a star added to the blue canton for each state after its admission to the Union. All of the state s and territories of the United States also have their own flags. Betsy Ross created the first flag. Betsy would often tell her children, grandchildren, relatives, and friends of the fateful day when three members of a secret committee from the Continental Congress came to call upon her. Those representatives, George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross, asked her to sew the first flag. This meeting occurred in her home some time late in May 1776. George Washington was then the head of the Continen...

Extinct Animals Research: Woolly Mammoth :: essays research papers fc

Extinct Animals Research: Woolly Mammoth   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We have learned much about the Woolly Mammoth almost more than any other dinosaur that has been identified. Due to the fact that the Woolly Mammoth so closely resembles today's elephants, care for them would most probably require most of the same factors to keep it alive. Since the Woolly Mammoth has been extinct for 4000 years, it is difficult to tell exactly what they lived on, but we can hypothesize.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Woolly Mammoth lived during the Ice Age, so if alive today, it must be kept in a tundra environment. For food, only basic tundra vegetation is necessary. Due to the thick pelt that the Woolly Mammoth has, any known Ice Age temperatures would suffice since the thick fur protects the animal in any extreme temperatures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Large enclosures would not be needed as they would be for a normal elephant since the Woolly Mammoth is only three meters high. The huge tusks would allow it to scavenge for its own food, so no special feedings would be necessary. Feedings would also be needed on a less frequent basis since the Woolly Mammoth, much like today's camels, keeps under its sloping back a thick layer of blubber as nutrition when food was not needed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem in keeping a creature such as the Woolly Mammoth in a zoo- like surrounding would be poachers. Due to the endangerment of such a magnificent species, poachers of pelts and ivory would most certainly be after it's huge tusks and thick furs, so it would be necessary to post guards around it's cage at all times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A large-scale habitat would be constructed for this creature since, during the period it lived, the Pleistocene, there were no restrictions on the places it could roam to. There was nothing stopping this beast from stomping along to wherever it wanted to go. A Woolly Mammoth might find it peculiar to be stuck in a twenty foot ice field with no predators or other animals whatsoever.

Outline the objectives of economic management and analyse the role of fiscal policy Essay

The Australian Government targets economic objectives that may provide equality and higher living standards throughout the country. For these benefits to reach Australian households, the Australia government has to overcome objectives such as economic growth, distribution of income, and external stability. To do so, the government uses the fiscal policy in order to influence the amount of government expenditure and revenue which can alter economic activity. The government’s fiscal strategy aims to ensure fiscal sustainability over the medium term; therefore the government is responsible for meeting its current and future spending commitments with revenue raised. Australia has had a low historical use of fiscal policy during the 1990s, however since the Global Financial Crisis; fiscal policy has been a powerful tool in maintaining Australia’s economy. Fiscal policy has a large influence over economic activity, through using the expansionary fiscal stance which involves a net increase in government spending, or a fall in taxation revenue. However, this was not the case during the period 1996-2007 as fiscal policy had a smaller role to play in the economy. As the Howard Government came into office, the stance of fiscal policy was largely contractionary. A contractionary stance occurs when government spending is reduced. An example of this stance is when the Howard Government was committed to achieving a balanced budget over the course of the economic cycle, as fiscal policy was tightened in 1996-97, 1998-99, resulting in a surplus of $1171 million. This meant that fiscal policy was generally not a major role in influencing the business cycle, instead monetary policy had the central role in maintaining economic activity. Although fiscal policy was not greatly used from the mid-1990s to 2007, it has had a large impact on recessions. As the Global Financial Crisis hit Australia, the fiscal policy was introduced in order to increase the level of economic activity, instead of letting Australia plunge into a recession. The impact of the GFC dramatically changed the budget balance, through a decline in government taxation revenue and an increase in discretionary government spending. This led to the movement from a cash surplus of $19. 7 billion in 2007-08 to a cash deficit of -$27 billion in 2009-10. Economic growth decreased to 1. 4% of GDP, which gave the government the incentive to introduce the fiscal stimulus, while the Rudd Government used an expansionary fiscal stance to support aggregate demand. The stimulus package involved a $77 billion package, with a $42 billion Nation building plan and Jobs Plan in the 2009 budget to support infrastructure and investment and the Economic Security Strategy package of $10 billion in spending on cash transfers to low and middle income households. The result of expansionary fiscal policy helped Australia avoid a recession, as these stimulus measures were estimated to boost Australia’s economic growth by 2. 75% of GDP in 2009-10. In addition, fiscal policy can influence the objective of inequality in income distribution. The government is committed into try to use a progressive taxation system which will provide a fairer distribution of income. The progressive taxation system is when higher income earners pay a larger proportion of tax compared to low income earner, leading to a redistribution of income to low income earners. An example of the progressive tax system can be seen in the ‘personal income tax thresholds’, where the highest income bracket of $180,001 and over has an effective tax rate of 30. 3-44. 9%. However, the structure of the progressive system of personal income tax changed when the Gillard Government announced it would increase the tax-free threshold to $18,200 on 1st July 2012 as part of the Clean Energy Future Package from the carbon tax and will rise again to $19,400 the following year. This threshold bracket changed from the previous 2009 and 2010 Personal Income tax threshold as all taxpayers where given a tax free threshold of $6000. Between 1996 and 2008, the Federal Government used fiscal policy in order to maintain external stability. External stability is an aim of government policy that seeks to promote sustainability on external accounts so that Australia can service its foreign liabilities in the medium to long run. External stability can be managed by the government achieving fiscal consolidation, which is running a budget surplus over the course of the business cycle. One of the main ways to run a budget surplus is to eliminate public debt, which in turn can help reduce the part of net foreign debt owned by the Australian Government. For instance, when the Howard Government was in power, there was a series of consecutive surplus budgets to retire a significant amount of public debt. From 1996-2007 the stance of fiscal policy was largely contractionary, since the Howard Government was committed to achieving a balanced budget over the course of the business cycle. It was tightened throughout the years of 1996-1999, and thereby, eliminated Commonwealth general government debt from the peak of $96 million (17. 6% of GDP) in 1996-97 to -0. 5% of GDP by 2005-06. This in turn increased Australia’s national savings and resulted in low net foreign debts. Subsequently, the fiscal policy has an effective role in achieving the economic objectives of economic growth during downturn economic activity, equal distribution of income and maintaining external stability. Australia was successful in using fiscal policy to avoid recession in 2009, when it implemented one of the largest fiscal stimulus packages in its history, as well as changes to the personal income threshold that gave a more equal distribution of income to lower income earners. By aiming to achieve fiscal surplus the Australian economy can achieve its economy objectives rapidly.