Category: EaglesSB Portfolio

Self Reflection – eaglessb52

Core Value 1. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

As someone who hate’s writing essays I’m definitely one to see improvement in this area. First off I believe that throughout this semester I really learned to spend time developing my final research paper. I realized also I needed to spend more time than just one night busting out some unfinished piece of work and that I really needed to put effort into this essay.

Core Value 2. My work demonstrates that I read critically, and that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

After this semester I feel that I can much more effectively use sources to help strengthen my essays from now until the future. I feel that I also can connect my sources much better to my essay and other supporting sources.

 Core Value 3. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

Doing the visual rhetoric assignment allowed me to realize that every little detail is important. I was blown away on the level of detail that goes into some of those ad council commercials. I knew that writing my assignment meant I had to match that level of detail when it came to writing it.

Core Value 4: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

I was able to more effectively use the school’s resources provided to me to access the information I needed to write my essays. I learned to more carefully analyze any source that I was presented with even if it might not agree with me because I can still use the information provided in it.

Core Value 5. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

I never used APA format before when writing an essay so it was something all new to me this year. I believe that after learning so I was able to grasp it fairly well and I saw an overall improvement in my writing quality. I was able to convey my ideas much clearer once I was able to back up my claims with real evidence behind it. It’s much better overall to be able to use evidence than to spout unsourced claims.

Annotated Bibliography – eaglessb52

1.

Bove, R. X. (2018, October 29). Dick Bove: The Federal Reserve could be dragging us into a recession. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/29/dick-bove-the-federal-reserve-could-be-dragging-us-into-a-recession.html

Background: This article explains how the Federal reserve has been shrinking it’s balance sheet recently. It weighs in on the cost to our economy something like this could bring.

How I used it: I used this article in combination with article #2 to go into detail how the quick actions of the Federal Reserve could result in massive economic downsides depending on how things play out in the immediate future.

2.

Costa, P. N. (2017, May 25). There’s one big problem with the Fed’s plan to unwind its gigantic balance sheet. Retrieved November 28, 2018,, from https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-balance-sheet-unwind-problem-2017-5

Background: This article adds a bit more detail in to the Federal Reserve’s plan to lessen its balance sheet. It adds a few more numbers to the points made in #1.

How I used it: I used this article for its more in depth analysis of the numbers of the situation. It helped my readers visualize the situation a bit more.

3.

Equity, L. I. (2018, September 12). The Market Catalyst Nobody Is Talking About. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://seekingalpha.com/article/4205749-market-catalyst-nobody-talking

 

Background: This article talks about some of the global effects of policy changes in American economic changes.

How I used it: I used it to broaden the scale of how America’s economic system effects the rest of the world.

4.

Financial Conditions: Pinning Down Market Catalysts For The Rest Of 2018. (2018, August 29). Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.valuewalk.com/2018/08/financial-conditions-market-catalysts-2018/

Background: This article talks about some of the market catalysts we can expect to see for the later part of 2018. It also talks about the financial situations that we can expect to see in the later part of 2018 as well.

How I used it: I used it to back some of my claims in my essay. I also used it to lay down some real world evidence for my essay.

5.

Higgins, T., Vardy, N., Skousen, M., & Versace, C. (2018, September 05). 5 Market Catalysts to Determine the Rest of 2018, Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.stockinvestor.com/36817/5-market-catalysts/

Background: This article provides evidence about how markets are affected by market catalysts. It also talks about how investors can adjust to changes in the markets as well.

How I used it: I used this article to provide evidence how the stock market is affected by market catalysts. It also provides a different perspective on market catalysts that I haven’t used before in my essay.

6.

How the Fed’s Unwinding Will Work. (2017, September 19). Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/how-the-feds-unwinding-will-work

Background: This provides some counter arguments as to how changes in the American economic system could end up being beneficial as a whole.

How I used it: I used this to provide some evidence that I attacked in some of my counter arguments.

7.

Lorenz, A. (2017, May 17). Immigration boosts Germany’s economy. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/immigration-boosts-germanys-economy/

Background: This article provides information about immigration in Germany for the past couple years. It provides statistics and information to show the impact immigration had on Germany

How I used it: I used this article to set up a basis for how swift immigration action could prove beneficial for countries. I used it to set up a basis so people could better understand the downsides of immigration like this.

8.

Ting, J. C. (2011, October 11). Fewer Babies, for Better or Worse. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/10/16/fewer-babies-for-better-or-worse/downsides-of-high-immigration

Background: This article mentions points that aren’t brought up when talking about immigration. It also brings up the question of cost to the country when it comes to immigration.

How I used it: I used this article in conjunction with source #7 in order to provide statistics on why rapid immigration might not always prove beneficial in the long run.

9.

Williams, F. (2018, June 26). The Effects of Government Policies on Businesses. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-government-policies-businesses-65214.html

Background: This article goes in depth about how small businesses are affected by government policy. It talks about some things the government does to help and sometimes hurt businesses.

How I used it: I used this to talk about how the government effects businesses when they put policies in place. It also helps me lead into some of my later paragraphs.

10.

Bort, R. (2018, June 25). The 4 Biggest Consequences of Trump’s Disastrous Tariff Plan. Retrieved November 28, 2018,from https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/the-4-biggest-consequences-of-trumps-disastrous-tariff-plan-628305/

Background: The article goes in depth about the cause and effects of Trump’s tariff plans on steel in order to bring back the need for domestic steel.

How I used it: I used it in my essay in order to provide some evidence about how foreign countries are affected by things in America in order to broaden and expand on my claims in my essay.

11.

Lee, S. (2018, May 31). Trump’s Steel Tariffs Could Hurt U.S. Coal Companies. Retrieved November 28, 2018,from https://www.bna.com/trumps-steel-tariffs-n57982093100/

Background: This article goes in depth on how the tariffs Trump put on foreign steel could hurt our coal companies. It talks about how things trickle down into other fields of industry.

How I used it: I used it in my essay how government policy changes in the steel industry effect other industries in the United States. It also is good to provide evidence to my claims about how everything is affected when the government puts policies in place.

12.

Tao, N. (2018, October 25). Trade war offers China a ‘strategic opportunity’ to seize global leadership. Retrieved November 28, 2018,from https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2169955/how-china-can-turn-trade-war-strategic

Background: This article goes in depth of how China is dealing with the trade war with America. It talks about how foreign countries respond to things like tariffs. It also provides hypotheticals as to what may happen in our future.

How I used it: I used it to provide current events to back my claims in my essay.

13.

Can Government Policies Make Us Happier? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_government_policies_make_us_happier

Background: This article is an interviewer with a researcher that dives into the concept of how government policy should prioritize peoples’ happiness first. It provides evidence that backs up the claim that policies that make people happy are universally better as a whole.

How I may use it: I can use this article to provide some insight on other types of government policies. I can also use it to provide evidence for them as well.

14.

Government policy. (2016, September 19). Retrieved from https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/government-policy

Background: This article provides information on exactly what is government policy. It provides a very specific definition on what it is and how it’s used

How I may use it: I can use this to define government policy. It could help me provide a basis to start up my essay

15.

Investopedia. (2018, August 03). What impact does economics have on government policy? Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/031615/what-impact-does-economics-have-government-policy.asp

Background: This article provides information on how the economy effects the government. It helps provide examples how the economy is impactful.

How I may use it: I can provide exact examples how the government’s decision making is effected by the economy instead of how the government effects the economy.

Definition Rewrite – eaglessb52

Definition: Governmental Policies/ Government’s impact on society

Government policy makes up a significant chunk in our lives, whether we notice it or not. Some of us also think that they tend to just argue all the time without any real change in our everyday lives. In most cases that isn’t true. To understand why, we need to understand what exactly goes into making a governmental policy and what it does to impact us.

In the article, “What is government policy?” on the site nidirect. They state that it is any course of action which intends to change a certain situation. When defining government policy, it is actually pretty simple. Some basic examples are things that could change how much tax we pay, parking fines, immigration laws and pensions. Laws that are already in place can also be changed by government policies. An example of a law that is in place but has slowly been changing is the laws behind marijuana reform. Marijuana for recreational use is illegal federally but a small number of states have overturned this individually. This is an example of laws being changed through government policy, though just at the state level.

One thing the government can do is provide things like subsidies to consumers and taxpayers. Some government programs offer grants and subsidies to first time home buyers. Things like the FHA, USDA, and even Veterans Affairs offers varying assistance to people buying homes for the first time. Imagine, if you would, that you are a veteran or even an active duty service member returning to the country after a long tour of duty and you’re looking to buy your first home. The ease of mind that comes when they guarantee part of the loan goes miles for people so they don’t have to struggle to pay back on the loan as much. VA loans also offer things such as competitive interest rates and generally require no down payment.

Another type of policy in the U.S. is our policies on drugs. The Office of National Drug Control Policy is usually the head of all decisions regarding our nation’s standings on drugs. The main purpose of The Office of National Drug Control Policy is to combat illegal drug use, manufacturing, and stop drug related crime in the country. Some ways that they fight these issues are, to strengthen efforts to prevent drug use in communities, seek early intervention opportunities in health care, and integrate treatment for substance use disorders into health care, and expand support for recovery.

In recent years the threat of global warming is an ever pressing issue. The pollution of our waterways, overproduction of greenhouse gasses, and reliance on nonrenewable fossil fuels has caused serious problems to our country’s ecosystems. In order to slow this degradation of our natural resources and habitats the government has made it illegal for factories to dump waste anywhere they want. The government also may put taxes and fees on businesses that tend to rely on unclean energy. This is done in order to incentivise businesses to develop cleaner means of production. The government may also provide businesses with tax cuts or subsidies if they promote clean energy use and promote an ecofriendly work environment.

These policies also effect the economy and visa versa. Government regulation on businesses  are frequently used to engineer economic growth or prevent negative economic consequences. The article, “What impact does economics have on government policy?”  by investopedia, explains that in periods of weak economic growth, economists recommend lowering interest rates to encourage borrowing and restore economic growth. When interest rates are lowered businesses can borrow more money to invest in their businesses. The article also goes into detail about how banks are offered a discount rate on funds borrowed so that they can re-lend to consumers. We borrow money in order to put a down payment on a car, buy a house, and start up a business, just to name a few. Banks are crucial in the direction the consumer economy goes given that they are the “gatekeepers,” as the article put it.

On another hand, researchers such as, Richard Layard, state that the government should make policies that effect our happiness their top priority and not just economic prosperity. He promotes the idea of using data-driven methods in order to determine what policies make the American people the most happy. In an interview with him where he describes his book, “The Origins of Happiness,” he told the interviewer that his main goal of the book was to describe certain policy changes and their effects on the overall happiness of the people. His goal was to give policymakers exact numbers that they can use to make their decisions. He took data on levels of happiness in a normal population, from rich to poor, single to married, young and old, etc. He found that though income was a factor in every category he studied it wasn’t a significant enough impact on overall happiness of the people. Income in the end only accounted for a fraction of variation between overall happiness levels and in the end when the government passes laws that promote the happiness of the citizens first more people prosper. He also points to the happiness levels of Scandinavian countries in comparison given that since their people are happier their society tends to be much better in the long run.

I believe Franklin D. Roosevelt puts it best when he said, “Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.” We are the ones that allow these policies to be put in place. As these policies are put in place it ultimately effects us as citizens and consumers of goods, whether we realize it or not. It is important for us to understand what policies are put into place and how it does effect us in the end. When we are knowledgeable about our government we can vote for people who will put in laws that will make us all happier in the end.

References:
Can Government Policies Make Us Happier? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_government_policies_make_us_happier

Government policy. (2016, September 19). Retrieved from https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/government-policy

Investopedia. (2018, August 03). What impact does economics have on government policy? Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/031615/what-impact-does-economics-have-government-policy.asp
 

Causual Rewrite – eaglessb52

The effects of tariffs on the United States

A main concern in economics today is the effect of tariffs on the United States. If you pay attention to politics at all you’d already know that one of Trump’s big campaign promises was to put tariffs and restrictions on foreign goods in order to boost the American economy. Whether you support these policies he has put in place they all have an effect on our everyday lives, both good and bad. When we look into these policies we can begin to understand how they change the lives of us American citizens

The economy is a big factor in deciding which laws get passed and not. When a bill is being sent up through or federal government each side looks at the socioeconomic impact it has for the country. Socioeconomics is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. The economy of the country is much like a business. Just like a business, if the country doesn’t make money in the situation the law tends not to be passed.

As I stated before, a big campaign promise of Trump’s was to bring back companies who have gone international due to costs overseas being much cheaper than being domestic. One method he implemented was to impose tariffs on these goods. In economics classes I’m sure we all heard about supply and demand. When the government implements tariffs they are actively trying to adjust supply and demand. When a tariff is imposed on a good like steel the price of imported steel goes up which is intended to have companies look to domestic steel for their need. This causes a boost in the domestic steel industry because there is more need for cheaper steel.  This also opens some jobs in the steel industry which allows people out of a job to get back in to the workforce. When these people are introduced into the workforce the overall economy sees a boost.

Just as the government can adjust supply and demand so can the steel manufacturers. Since more people are coming to them they can create scarcity to drive up the prices of steel in the domestic US. Scarcity is the sole foundation in economics and it refers to the state of being scarce or in short supply.  Another downside of this is that companies who mainly import steel and are affiliated with the import of goods sees a massive hit when their customers leave for cheaper domestic steel. When these companies take a hit, people are laid off or out of work to match the demand for foreign steel.

The effects of tariffs not only lead to changes in the industry they’re placed in, but they also trickle over into other industries as well. There are many middle men that go into running a huge industry like steel. Steel is made from taking iron ore and putting it into a furnace and smelting the impurities out of it and adding carbon to it which turns the iron into stronger and more durable steel. Equipment manufacturers also see a boost in sales for new mining equipment. Companies that make vehicles for job sites like iron mining and truckers whose job is it to transport both the unfinished iron and the finished steel see new jobs and more demand for truck drivers. also see a boost in their sales.  The factories that smelt the iron see a boost in employment to meet the demand of these new customers. Some negative effects of tariffs on steel are best represented in the article, “Trump’s Steel Tariffs Could Hurt U.S. Coal Companies.” In the article it states that Trump’s 25 percent tariff on steel from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union would hurt demand for steel in the U.S. These countries also buy 40 percent of the U.S.’s metallurgical coal, which is the substance (the carbon I mentioned earlier) used in making steel. Since there’s a dip in the demand for foreign steel it would lead to a dip in the demand for metallurgical coal. The article makes the claim that tariffs could also be put on U.S. exported to other countries. This means that many metallurgical coal producers would have to cut their prices to retain customers.

 

This leads into another effect of tariffs on things like steel. Our relationships with foreign countries could be at stake if we were to raise prices on things that we trade freely with each other. In the article it mentions that Mexico fired back with tariffs of their own. The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, exclaimed that the tariffs were, “totally unacceptable,” and then went on to say that Canada buys more steel from our country than any other. Canada and Mexico are some of the biggest U.S. steel importers ranking first and fourth respectively.

This could cause a trade war with multiple countries and there’s a potential that things might not be on America’s side if this were to ever escalate this far. As of right now we are in the midst of a trade war with China. The American government has imposed strict tariffs on Chinese goods and has threatened to take these tariffs even higher. China can use this opportunity to oust us from the center of world affairs and economic globalization as we are slowly but surely pulling out of such practices. China is starting to build a reputation of free trade and build a moral high ground as our government is subverting the world order. As things unfold it may lead to a darker future for the U.S. as we destroy our reputations with the world through tariffs on imports.

Policies that imply quick fixes to strengthen our economy may not always as beneficial. In Trump’s case, his strong nationalist mindset leads to him alienating our country to the rest of the world which could cause major shifts in the overall economy of the U.S. and the world. There are good intentions behind them in hopes to build some domestic economic growth. Though this doesn’t seem to be the case with this. Countries and their leaders tend to be upset with these practices. These then lead countries to not buy other goods from the U.S., so those industries are hurt due to lack of demand from foreign exports. This also could spawn a trade war much like the one between the U.S. and China currently going on. Finally, it could cause the U.S. to be shoved out as the economic center of the globalist economy.

References

Bort, R. (2018, June 25). The 4 Biggest Consequences of Trump’s Disastrous Tariff Plan. Retrieved October 24, 2018, from https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/the-4-biggest-consequences-of-trumps-disastrous-tariff-plan-628305/

 

Lee, S. (2018, May 31). Trump’s Steel Tariffs Could Hurt U.S. Coal Companies. Retrieved from https://www.bna.com/trumps-steel-tariffs-n57982093100/

 

Tao, N. (2018, October 25). Trade war offers China a ‘strategic opportunity’ to seize global leadership. Retrieved October 24, 2018, from https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2169955/how-china-can-turn-trade-war-strategic

Research – eaglessb52

Get Out and Vote

We live in a society where everything is moving faster and faster. We are accomplishing feats in technology never thought possible 20 or 30 years ago. For some people, that can’t be said about our political system. Some people believe that it takes too long for politicians to make decisions that could ultimately benefit society. Politics are changing every day the only issue is that these policies for changes might also bring negatives that can last for a long time.

When you think about politics and politicians these days you look for rapid changes in socioeconomic factors that are in effort to change our country, hopefully for the better. What we don’t realize is that when a change like this occurs, many immediate side effects aren’t the most beneficial. We all want our politicians to change the country as soon as they get in office. Whether they are Republican or Democrat. In order for them to do these things they need to weigh on how it’ll not just their supporters, not just the whole country, but the entire world. Politics work both ways as a trickle-down system to you and me but also a trickle-up system to global politics and relations with other nations.

A big part of the 2016 election was promises of change. Both parties banked on the opportunity to give rapid change to the country. Both parties were some of the greatest two extremes we’ve seen in our lifetimes. Whether you swing left or right, Hillary or Bernie, Trump or Cruz each person promised vastly different things.

The economy is a huge factor in making political decisions these days. When bills and laws are being passed the effect on the economy is one of the key factors politicians look at. Sometimes the economy is the reason things don’t get passed. The economy of the country is much like a business. If the country isn’t going to make money in a decision it won’t happen.

Since Trumps election and later inauguration, he promised to bring back American jobs and re-inspired the idea of Made in America for many people. His plan since entering office was to bring back companies that have gone offshore. Companies in the modern era are always trying to produce the same quality goods for a lower cost. One method our government does when trying to bring back jobs to America is to impose tariffs on imported goods. When tariffs are tacked onto imported goods like steel, for example, the price goes up. Since companies look for cheaper means of production they turn to domestic companies. This causes a boost in the domestic steel industry because there is more need for cheaper steel. The greater demand also increases a need for more workers in specific industries.

This then effects the domestic markets for steel since American steel producers and manufacturers can control the supply of steel. Since more people are coming to these companies for the goods they produce, they can create scarcity and drive prices up to meet the growing demand.

Not only is the steel industry effected by the sudden tariffs but also other industries such as the production of metallurgical coal. In the article “Trump’s Steel Tariffs Could Hurt U.S. Coal Companies.” In the article it states that Trump’s 25 percent tariff on steel from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union would hurt demand for steel in the U.S. These countries also buy 40 percent of the U.S.’s metallurgical coal, which is the substance used in making steel. Since there’s a dip in the demand for foreign steel it would lead to a dip in the demand for metallurgical coal.

Another aspect these things carry with them are the effects on the global economy and the relations with other countries. In the same article it states that Mexico fired back with tariffs of their own as well as Justin Trudeau’s opinion of the tariffs being, “totally unacceptable.” He also went on to say that Canada buys more U.S. steel than any other country in the world. Statistics show that he isn’t wrong either. Canada is first on the list with Mexico being fourth.

One major side effect of all this is the idea of a trade war. As of right now we are in the midst of a trade war with China. In efforts to curb the massive amounts of Chinese goods imported into our country, the American government imposed strict tariffs on Chinese goods and has even threatened that they’d take them even higher. China can use this opportunity to oust America from the center of the global economy and slowly but surely replace us. China currently is starting to build a reputation of free trade in efforts to build a moral high ground as America continues to shoot itself in the foot. As these events unfold we can start to expect vast changes in the world economy as we continue to destroy our reputation with tough tariffs.

Another issue that was key in the 2016 election was the topic of immigration.  Since as far back as we can remember immigration has been a huge forefront of the American political system.  Both parties also had radical policies based on immigration. Hillary wanted a more open policy when it came to immigration whereas Trump wanted a more closed off border system, especially with his wall that he went on about consistently throughout his political campaign.

Another thing that the government can do in the business industry is to implement policies that change the social behavior of the business environment. The government could impose taxes on businesses that use harmful fossil fuels and other nonrenewable resources while also giving tax benefits to businesses who use renewable energy. This is called a market catalyst. The intention of a market catalyst is to allow tax exemptions for particular sectors for investors to take interest. When entrepreneurs start up a business or take risks in investing, they put in a huge amount of their time and money in order to see their investments pay off in the end. When the government increases taxes on startups and increases the amount of certifications needed to invest into a business, entrepreneurs lose interest. A reduction in private investing shrinks the available funds needed to run a business and in turn may lead to people being laid off. The major downside to this is that imposing taxes or more duties on a sector that are more than necessary will make investors not eager to buy.

One such market catalyst that is talked about in the article, “The Market Catalyst Nobody Is Talking About,” talks about how in September, the Federal Reserve was scheduled to reduce the holdings on its balance sheet by $50 billion per month. Which is $20 billion more than from April to June of this year. Generally, when the Federal Reserve talks about its holdings it means the money it keeps aside so it can reinvest the principal from its maturing securities. The intention behind this reduction of holdings was because the economy has been relatively steady and growing The Fed took this opportunity so that it can lay off on some of its holdings in order to use that money to invest into the economy. When the Fed’s balance sheet is reduced and at the same time the central bank is raising interest rates adds an unnecessary element of complexity to the monetary tightening process, as stated in the “Business Insider” article, “There’s one big problem with the Fed’s plan to unwind its gigantic balance sheet.” It goes on to mention that officials themselves acknowledge that they are less sure about the impact of a reduction in asset holdings on financial conditions than they are with the more familiar tool of an interest rate increase.

To add to my previous point, government spending is necessary for the U.S. economy to run properly. How government spending works is that the government gets money from taxation to spend how it chooses on putting it back into the economy or reinvesting it in order to make profit. Without it the country couldn’t function. There is no disagreement there. Any increase in taxes will strongly discourage them from doing so.  When government spending increases, the limited pool of government savings is dipped into. This leads the government not to have less money to reinvest and to make a return on their investments.

One change a lot of voters, especially younger voters, look for when voting for politicians is an increase in the minimum wage. Along with the minimum wage the government is also responsible for permit regulations and trade regulations.  For example, periodic health inspections must be carried out in all restaurants. Businesses might spend a lot of money and time to comply with regulations that ultimately prove to be ineffective and unnecessary. The classic job application question is something that comes to my mind when thinking about this, it goes, “How would you respond to a policy at your place of employment if you thought it was ultimately unnecessary?” Sometimes things like this do happen. Businesses have to make decisions to follow these policies or try to get away with bending the rules and run the risk of getting caught and having to pay a boatload of fines or end up losing the business altogether.

Workers, especially younger ones that just entered the workforce such as myself, constantly ask for higher wages. When voting for local and federal politicians they look to see their stance on minimum wage. They hope that the politicians will increase the minimum wage to something that is more sustainable for the long run. Ultimately, businesses cannot afford to pay every worker a minimum wage of 15 dollars or so an hour. When talks about raising minimum wage arise, businesses tend to look to automation for to replace human labor. Machines are also far cheaper than human labor and managers and CEOs do not have to worry about the machines getting sick or underperforming.

Workers do deserve equal payment and treatment from their higherups. My dad is retired now but as a business agent he was responsible for putting people to work and making sure that the people that worked under him were fairly represented by their contractor. He was the voice for his guys and they looked to him so that any concerns they had could be brought to the higher ups. Strict regulations on their work sometimes made it hard for him to have to tell his guys. Sometimes he’d organize strikes out front of businesses that weren’t promoting fair labor practices. Fair and effective regulations, however, promote business growth.

In some cases, rapid immigration policies are needed in order to provide rapid economic growth. Back in 2015 the German government did something that was unprecedented and was unlike anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes. The German economy was one of the strongest in the world at that time and it was growing rapidly. Eventually it reached what economists call equilibrium. Equilibrium is a point in which the national economy cannot expand anymore unless one of two things happened: more people got pregnant, or people entered the country. In the article, “Immigration boosts Germany’s economy,” details that as of 2016 Germany’s revenues were higher than expenditures for the third straight year. Since the German birthrate was also slowing down there was no other way for the country to increase their already booming economy unless they brought in people through immigration. Back in 2015 many things were happening in the Middle East and people could not stay where they lived any longer and needed to migrate somewhere else. Germany decided to take advantage of the opportunity and bring in these refugees in order to provide the workforce with more people. Since more people entered the workforce, Germany would see a boost in their economy. A crucial chunk of Germany’s population comes from a migrant background today and the number of foreign specialists in Germany’s key industries really add to the point that immigration is benefit for society.

One major issue to all of this is explained in the article by Jan C. Ting in his article, “Downsides of High Immigration,” “How will we provide good jobs, good educational opportunities, good health care, and good housing for 129 million additional residents given our current track record? How many more vehicles will be added to our highways? How many more millions of barrels of oil will we have to import from the Middle East, or extract from deep-water wells drilled into the ocean floor? How many more millions of tons of coal will have to be burned, or nuclear power plants built, to generate electricity for another 129 million people?”.  What Jan C. Ting is trying to get at is the fact that many other factors are in play when we bring people into the country. We want to help people in their time of need, but we seem to forget the direct costs and downsides to these solutions. A house, a car, food to eat, clothes to wear, and proper education is crucial for everyday living in modern day America. In cities some of us can get away with using public transport but in places like the suburbs of Glassboro, having a car is crucial for survival. Also, these people need to have some sort of ESL (English as a Second Language) class in order to be able to communicate with people in their lives and careers. In some cases, they may need to go through extra schooling if the career they want is one in a specialized field. If these things aren’t met immediately then people who spent their lives trying to escape hardship and poverty might enter their new lives only to be in poverty again.

Generally, when politicians promote ideas of change and drastic overhaul in certain sectors of our lives all they really do are just promote hopeful thinking and end goals they’d like to achieve for the betterment of our people. The issue is that they generally want to provide these changes as quickly as possible in order to have us benefit much faster. But most politicians aren’t stupid. They realize that in most cases that if they were to do such changes as soon as they can without weighing all the options, both good and bad, that they can rush into things that are ultimately negative and often, provide immediate consequences to their actions.

We can now assume that when promises aren’t met immediately, instead of thinking of them as false campaign promises that in the end, they saw the counterintuitiveness of a quick policy change that could lead to more harm than good for the American people. The irony is that we will still get mad no matter what choice our politicians make because we, as a society, can never truly be happy. Come election time we will still be complaining about the false promises that our politicians could not make, and we will still be asking for them to fix our broken system. This is why the 2016 election was one of the most important ones in recent years. Both sides were fed up with how things were being handled in some way or form. Both candidates gave us their goals and whether Trump has made on all of his promises he’s given us or Hillary would’ve made on hers we’d still be arguing about our representation and inequalities that our politicians failed to give to us. The 2016 election is also one of the most important ones since it got more people than ever interested in politics. More people than ever saw the importance of voting and what it means for the future of our national and global politics. It also means that in 2020 there will be more people than ever that will really investigate how politics work and who can achieve the most for them in the government. Whether or not that means Trump will get a second term is up to us a little less than 2 years from now to decide.

Perhaps the true nature of counterintuitiveness when it comes to policies that come into effect is not due to the politicians but ultimately due to how much we know, or in this case don’t know, about what truly goes on when making decisions on important topics for our country. It also raises the point that in order to counteract this: we need to be informed about what we stand for first of all, second, we need to also see the cons to the things and how a rapid change in policy might be good for some people but for more people it is not, and lastly we need to vote with an understanding that the “false promises” of politicians not ending up coming to fruition is not due to them necessarily being a bad politician (though exceptions do occur) but perhaps it may end up shooting the American people in the foot.

We all need to get informed about what goes on in today’s world. We have the privilege to access unlimited resources for knowledge in the palms of our hands. Take a minute or two a day to read the news on your phone. Follow some politicians and news outlets on social media. A good way to cater the news to a Millennial/Gen Z audience is make it so they can customize how they see it. Most older generations harp on the issue that we don’t know enough about the world today to make important decisions. If politicians and news outlets make their news able to be customized to how it is presented they can expect to see more interest from younger generations as that information becomes easier to access. We have the ability to erase the counterintuitiveness that is ever present in politics. It is not as hard as some people think to make a change in this world, whether you’re young or old.

References:
Bove, R. X. (2018, October 29). Dick Bove: The Federal Reserve could be dragging us into a recession. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/29/dick-bove-the-federal-reserve-could-be-dragging-us-into-a-recession.html

Costa, P. N. (2017, May 25). There’s one big problem with the Fed’s plan to unwind its gigantic balance sheet. Retrieved November 28, 2018,, from https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-balance-sheet-unwind-problem-2017-5

Equity, L. I. (2018, September 12). The Market Catalyst Nobody Is Talking About. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://seekingalpha.com/article/4205749-market-catalyst-nobody-talking

Financial Conditions: Pinning Down Market Catalysts For The Rest Of 2018. (2018, August 29). Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.valuewalk.com/2018/08/financial-conditions-market-catalysts-2018/

Higgins, T., Vardy, N., Skousen, M., & Versace, C. (2018, September 05). 5 Market Catalysts to Determine the Rest of 2018, Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.stockinvestor.com/36817/5-market-catalysts/

How the Fed’s Unwinding Will Work. (2017, September 19). Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/how-the-feds-unwinding-will-work

Lorenz, A. (2017, May 17). Immigration boosts Germany’s economy. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/immigration-boosts-germanys-economy/

Ting, J. C. (2011, October 11). Fewer Babies, for Better or Worse. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/10/16/fewer-babies-for-better-or-worse/downsides-of-high-immigration

Williams, F. (2018, June 26). The Effects of Government Policies on Businesses. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-government-policies-businesses-65214.html

Bort, R. (2018, June 25). The 4 Biggest Consequences of Trump’s Disastrous Tariff Plan. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/the-4-biggest-consequences-of-trumps-disastrous-tariff-plan-628305/

Lee, S. (2018, May 31). Trump’s Steel Tariffs Could Hurt U.S. Coal Companies. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.bna.com/trumps-steel-tariffs-n57982093100/

Tao, N. (2018, October 25). Trade war offers China a ‘strategic opportunity’ to seize global leadership. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2169955/how-china-can-turn-trade-war-strategic

 

Visual Rhetoric Rewrite – eaglessb52

At 0:01 we are presented with a young adult around the age of 20. He is texting  with both hands on his phone (presumably an iPhone). He is wearing a white watch of some sort. It is the middle of the day and the weather is completely clear. There isn’t a cloud in the sky. It appears to be around late spring given the male’s wardrobe and the green leaves on the flora surrounding him The neighborhood looks to be an upper middle class suburban area. Most cars lining up and down the street appear to be pickup trucks.

At 0:03 the camera pans out from the first male from the previous paragraph, we are introduced to some more character who is a director of some sorts, with one of those cones that are stereotypical for directors plus some camera equipment. A cameraman also slides into our view

At 0:05 as the production crew slides out of view, three girls who seem to be rehearsing for their performance appear as the boy and the camera slide along. The colors of the girls’ dresses match the ones on a traffic light (Red, yellow, green). Some more production equipment including props (a large traffic light), lights, a film reel. There also is a snack and refreshment table that comes into view. Given this information we can assume it is the back of a set. Since there is a man eating a sandwich of some sorts I believe. We are lead to believe that this is the back of the set for a large scale distracted driving commercial given the usage of the traffic light colors and props.

At 0:08 the boy from the beginning bumps into the trio of girls. The girls bump into a man by the snack table who flies back, albeit rather comedically. The table gives out from the man and he falls right through. The girls turn to face the man who is lying on the ground. The boy acts like nothing happened. and starts to walk into the short shrubbery and onto the lawn. There looks to be a back piece for some scenery on the right side of the screen which is on the right side of the screen for only a second.

At 0:09 the man fell launches an apple he must’ve been holding at clocks in at 90 miles an hour right to the side of a mans head. The man dropped all of the things he was holding and bends over in pain. The camera follows the apple as it flies through the air,

At 0:11 as the items from the guy’s hands fall onto a plank that launches a bottle of soda into the air much like the apple from the previous few seconds. The camera follows the soda much like it did the apple.

At 0:14 the bottle lands perfectly on the ground by some miracle. But the rapid increase in pressure caused the contents to shoot up and damage a man in a beanie’s computer. The man also looks away to the distance as if something happened worse than what happened to his computer. The computer must’ve been controlling something, either lights, special effects, etc. but whatever it controlled isn’t in view.

0:15–0:16

These next few things happen rapidly within the span of around two seconds. First the computer man blames the cameraman for the coke shooting up and damaging his computer so he does the reasonable thing, throw the computer at him. Also we see the texting boy and two of the three girls from 0:05 who both seem to be suffering leg injuries. The yellow dress girl is in crutches. Also that panel of the background scene covers this up within 2 seconds. The panel is shown to be some sunset scene of a city.

At 0:18 computer guy and camera guy are in a full out brawl now, ruining the background. They also seem to knock down the person who’s perspective we’re seeing this from.

At 0:21 the boy is center frame, right in the middle of the ruined back piece. He finally lifts up his head from his phone. He finally realizes all of the destruction he caused. Also the phrase “Life is full of DISTRACTIONS.” appears on the screen as well.

At 0:22 the screen fades to black as we are left with the boy looking at us, the viewer. Also the sentence, “Don’t let them happen behind the wheel. ” is center screen in big impact font. As if it wasn’t clear enough, we get the clarification that this calamity was intended to be a video about distracted driving, more specifically texting while driving, and how fast things can happen when you take your eyes away from the road. It also subliminally shows how many people are affected by the actions of one person.

Causal Argument – eaglessb52

The effects of tariffs on the United States

We live in a society where everything is moving faster and faster. We are accomplishing feats in technology never thought possible 20 or 30 years ago. For some people, that can’t be said about our political system. Some people believe that it takes too long for politicians to make decisions that could ultimately benefit society. Politics are changing every day the only issue is that these policies for changes might also bring negatives that can last for a long time.

The economy is a huge factor in making political decisions these days. When bills and laws are being passed the effect on the economy is one of the key factors politicians look at. Sometimes the economy is the reason things don’t get passed. The economy of the country is much lie a business. If the country isn’t going to make money in a decision it won’t happen.

Trump’s big plan was to bring companies that have gone international with importing goods. One method that the government does is impose tariffs on these goods. When a tariff is imposed on a good like steel the price of imported steel goes up which is intended to have companies look to domestic steel for their need. This causes a boost in the domestic steel industry because there is more need for cheaper steel.  This also opens some jobs in the steel industry which allows people out of a job to get back in to the workforce. When these people are introduced into the workforce the overall economy sees a boost.

Something else that happens is that American steel industries can control the supply and demand of this steel. Since more people are coming to them they can create scarcity to drive up the prices of steel in the domestic US. This can lead to a monopoly in the steel industry.  Another downside of this is that companies who mainly import steel and are affiliated with the import of goods sees a massive hit when their customers leave for cheaper domestic steel. When these companies take a hit, people are laid off or out of work to match the demand for foreign steel.

As you can see there are benefits to the effect of tariffs in the steel industry.  The effects not only lead to changes in the industry they’re placed in, but they also trickle over into other industries as well. There are many middle men that go into running a huge industry like steel. Steel is made from taking iron ore and putting it into a furnace and smelting the impurities out of it and adding carbon to it which turns the iron into stronger and more durable steel. Equipment manufacturers also see a boost in sales for new mining equipment. Companies that make vehicles for job sites like iron mining and truckers whose job is it to transport both the unfinished iron and the finished steel see new jobs and more demand for truck drivers. also see a boost in their sales.  The factories that smelt the iron see a boost in employment to meet the demand of these new customers.

Some negative effects of tariffs on steel are best represented in the article, “Trump’s Steel Tariffs Could Hurt U.S. Coal Companies.” In the article it states that Trump’s 25 percent tariff on steel from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union would hurt demand for steel in the U.S. These countries also buy 40 percent of the U.S.’s metallurgical coal, which is the substance used in making steel. Since there’s a dip in the demand for foreign steel it would lead to a dip in the demand for metallurgical coal.

The article makes the claim that tariffs could also be put on U.S. exported to other countries. This means that many metallurgical coal producers would have to cut their prices to retain customers.

 

This leads into another effect of tariffs on things like steel. Our relationships with foreign countries could be at stake if we were to raise prices on things that we trade freely with each other. In the article it mentions that Mexico fired back with tariffs of their own. The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, exclaimed that the tariffs were, “totally unacceptable,” and then went on to say that Canada buys more steel from our country than any other. Canada and Mexico are some of the biggest U.S. steel importers ranking first and fourth respectively.

This could cause a trade war with multiple countries. The problem is things aren’t on America’s side if this were to ever escalate this far. As of right now we are in the midst of a trade war with China. The American government has imposed strict tariffs on Chinese goods and has threatened to take these tariffs even higher. China can use this opportunity to oust us from the center of world affairs and economic globalization as we are slowly but surely pulling out of such practices. China is starting to build a reputation of free trade and build a moral high ground as our government is subverting the world order. As things unfold it may lead to a darker future for the U.S. as we destroy our reputations with the world through tariffs on imports.

Policies that imply quick fixes to strengthen our economy may not always as beneficial. In Trump’s case his strong nationalist mindset leads to him alienating our country to the rest of the world which could cause major shifts in the overall economy of the U.S. and the world. There are good intentions behind them in hopes to build some domestic economic growth. Though this doesn’t seem to be the case with this. Countries and their leaders tend to be upset with these practices. These then lead countries to not buy other goods from the U.S., so those industries are hurt due to lack of demand from foreign exports. This also could spawn a trade war much like the one between the U.S. and China currently going on. Finally, it could cause the U.S. to be shoved out as the economic center of the globalist economy.

References

Bort, R. (2018, June 25). The 4 Biggest Consequences of Trump’s Disastrous Tariff Plan. Retrieved October 24, 2018, from https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/the-4-biggest-consequences-of-trumps-disastrous-tariff-plan-628305/
Lee, S. (2018, May 31). Trump’s Steel Tariffs Could Hurt U.S. Coal Companies. Retrieved from https://www.bna.com/trumps-steel-tariffs-n57982093100/
Tao, N. (2018, October 25). Trade war offers China a ‘strategic opportunity’ to seize global leadership. Retrieved October 24, 2018, from https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2169955/how-china-can-turn-trade-war-strategic

Definition – eaglessb52

Definition: Governmental Policies/ Government’s impact on society

A great portion of us tend to think the government never gets anything worthwhile done. Some of us also think that they tend to just argue all the time without any real change in our everyday lives. In most cases that isn’t true. To understand why, we need to understand what exactly goes into making a governmental policy and what it does to impact us.

In the article, “What is government policy?” on the site nidirect. They state that it is any course of action which intends to change a certain situation. When defining government policy, it is actually pretty simple. Some basic examples are things that could change how much tax we pay, parking fines, immigration laws and pensions. Laws that are already in place can also be changed by government policies. Marijuana for recreational use is illegal federally but a small number of states have overturned this individually. This is an example of laws being changed through government policy, though just at the state level.

Different policies can have varying effects on everyday life. Some government programs offer grants and subsidies to first time home buyers. Things like the FHA, USDA, and even Veterans Affairs offers varying assistance to people buying homes for the first time. Imagine, if you would, that you are a veteran or even an active duty service member returning to the country after a long tour of duty and you’re looking to buy your first home. The ease of mind that comes when they guarantee part of the loan goes miles for people so they don’t have to struggle to pay back on the loan as much. VA loans also offer things such as competitive interest rates and generally require no down payment.

Another type of policy in the U.S. is our policies on drugs. The Office of National Drug Control Policy is usually the head of all decisions regarding our nation’s standings on drugs. The main purpose of The Office of National Drug Control Policy is to combat illegal drug use, manufacturing, and stop drug related crime in the country. Some ways that they fight these issues are, to strengthen efforts to prevent drug use in communities, seek early intervention opportunities in health care, and integrate treatment for substance use disorders into health care, and expand support for recovery.

The government also implements policies to promote clean energy use. In recent years the threat of global warming is an ever pressing issue. The pollution of our waterways, overproduction of greenhouse gasses, and reliance on nonrenewable fossil fuels has caused serious problems to our country’s ecosystems. They also link to the wild and crazy weather patterns that we have begun to see as well. In order to slow this degradation of our natural resources and habitats the government has made it illegal for factories to dump waste anywhere they want. The government also may put taxes and fees on businesses that tend to rely on unclean energy. This is done in order to incentivize businesses to develop cleaner means of production. The government may also provide businesses with tax cuts or subsidies if they promote clean energy use and promote an ecofriendly work environment.

These policies also effect the economy and visa versa. Government regulation on businesses  are frequently used to engineer economic growth or prevent negative economic consequences. The article, “What impact does economics have on government policy?”  by investopedia, explains that in periods of weak economic growth, economists recommend lowering interest rates to encourage borrowing and restore economic growth. When interest rates are lowered businesses can borrow more money to invest in their businesses. When they grow, so does the economy. The article also goes into detail about how banks are offered a discount rate on funds borrowed so that they can re-lend to consumers. Us consumers borrow money in order to put a down payment on a car, buy a house, and start up a business, just to name a few. Banks are crucial in the direction the consumer economy goes given that they are the “gatekeepers,” as the article put it.

On another hand, researchers such as, Richard Layard, state that the government should make policies that effect our happiness their top priority and not just economic prosperity. He promotes the idea of using data-driven methods in order to determine what policies make the American people the most happy. In an interview with him where he describes his book, “The Origins of Happiness,” he told the interviewer that his main goal of the book was to describe certain policy changes and their effects on the overall happiness of the people. His goal was to give policymakers exact numbers that they can use to make their decisions. He took data on levels of happiness in a normal population, from rich to poor, single to married, young and old, etc. He found that though income was a factor in every category he studied it wasn’t a significant enough impact on overall happiness of the people. He also points to the happiness levels of Scandinavian countries in comparison given that since their people are happier their society tends to be much better in the long run.

I believe Franklin D. Roosevelt puts it best when he said, “Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.” We are the ones that allow these policies to be put in place. As these policies are put in place it ultimately effects us as citizens and consumers of goods, whether we realize it or not. It is important for us to understand what policies are put into place and how it does effect us in the end. When we are knowledgeable about our government we can vote for people who will put in laws that will make us all happier in the end.

References:

Can Government Policies Make Us Happier? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_government_policies_make_us_happier
Government policy. (2016, September 19). Retrieved from https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/government-policy
Investopedia. (2018, August 03). What impact does economics have on government policy? Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/031615/what-impact-does-economics-have-government-policy.asp