Is the death penalty effective (argument) Essay

Is the death penalty effective (argument) - Essay Example Different studies conducted in different states have concluded differently about the deterrent effects of death penalty, which makes it difficult to deduce the effectiveness of capital punishment (Durlauf, Fu, and Navarro 1). Despite the subjectivity of its effectiveness from statistical observation, and the fact that death penalty is the harshest of all punishments that can be possibly given to the criminals, its usefulness and effectiveness in establishing peace in the society cannot be denied. Spending millions of dollars on death penalty is worth it because it is really effective in reducing crime rate, establishing the right justice system, and inculcating fear of law in the criminals. Capital punishment eradicates the possibility for the same criminal to reengage in crime ever. It is as simple as this; no more criminal means no more crime. Every criminal that is released from prison after completing the assigned duration of imprisonment carries the possibility of reengaging in crime. In fact, many criminals do reengage in crime. After their release, they are exposed to the same environmental, social, and cultural factors that convinced them to commit the crime before. This is the reason why many criminals are returning prisoners. Death penalty provides the most effective solution against crime recurrence. There is no recompense as fair as death penalty for certain crimes. The relatives of a person who has been murdered mostly want nothing less than murder of the murderer. The criminal deserves to be given death penalty because he/she has caused the same to someone else; â€Å"if those murdered are the sort inclined to forgive those who injure them, their murderers can take comfort that on dying they might be forgiven and at one, in the sense of having a morally balanced relationship restored, with their victims† (Aspenson 104). Fair judicial system demands that a criminal is granted punishment commensurate with the weight of the

Sexual Predator Prosecution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Sexual Predator Prosecution - Research Paper Example In order to further prevent their predatory activity, the registered sex offenders are prohibited to own or have in their possession a certain type of motor vehicle such as the ones used for the retail sale of frozen desserts which can hide children in it (New York State, 2006). These laws are constantly reviewed. A sexual offender that is registered and under surveillance who refuses to provide the necessary information demanded of him such as any change of address or address of the work location may be charged with class E felony once convicted. This means that he is bound to stay in prison for a period over a year. This also applies to the sexual offender that fails to comply with the laws on telephone use with special numbers or the internet restrictions on certain websites. If the offender commits the same crime twice or is convicted for the second time, then he will be charged with class D felony making him go back to prison for another term of not less than a year. If the sexual offender violates the section of the act on the issue of motor vehicle used, he is charged with class A misdemeanor which means he will go to prison for a term of not more than a year (New York State, 2006). The mandatory conditions given to sexual offenders and which is specified under several of Congress laws such as 18 U.S.C. 3583(d) and U.S.S.G 5D1.3 (a) specify that the defendant should not commit another offense while he is under supervision by the parole officer. He is also to avoid from use of control substances unlawfully and this may necessitate drug testing on an impromptu basis. The defendant is to also try and make restitution with the victim of the offense he committed which will under the supervision of the parole officer or even a police officer depending on the victim’s request but never alone (Brown & Campbell, 2010). The discretionary conditions imposed by the court only take place when there is

ROLE OF ABU DHABI POLICE IN REDUCING SERIOUS OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS Dissertation

ROLE OF ABU DHABI POLICE IN REDUCING SERIOUS OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS TO IMPROVE THE TRAFFIC SAFETY IN EMIRATE OF ABU DHABI - Dissertation Example The impact of these injuries to those who suffer from major incapacitation represent significant disability which may cause them to quit their work and to rely on full-time assistance to carry out their daily activities. For the breadwinners in the family, it represents a loss of income and reliance on additional healthcare services which implies even more financial burdens on the family. These issues only represent a small aspect of the bigger problem of road traffic accidents. The following discussions shall cover in detail the global statistics and elements relating to road traffic accidents. 2.2 Current state and general statistics About 1.24 million have been estimated to perish from road accidents worldwide yearly, with 20 to 50 million suffering from nonfatal injuries due to these road accidents (WHO, 2013). Such fatalities and injuries have been known to impact significantly on families, families who often suffer major life-altering changes because of these injuries or fatali ties. The WHO (2013) also reports that road injuries have been counted as the 8th leading cause of death worldwide; these estimates are similar to death rates caused by communicable diseases (WHO, 2009). Such road accidents are also considered the primary cause of death for teens and young adults aged 15 to 29 years. Injuries incurred at a very young age have a major impact on these individuals at being or entering the most productive period of their life. Figure 2.1: Estimated increase in road traffic accidents deaths (WHO 2013) Families who are already financially challenged are often the families affected the most due to the medical costs and the lost wages resulting from the injuries. Road traffic injuries also represent significant financial costs to developing countries with injuries costing about 1-2% of the gross national product (WHO, 2013). Even with the significant impact seen from road traffic accidents, the general health agendas for concerned countries have not conside red road traffic safety a priority (Puvanachandra, et.al., 2012). As a result, funding relating to any necessary interventions has not sufficiently matched the demands of the issue. This is even more unfortunate in the face of the fact that road accidents are very preventable and evidence indicating the efficacy of preventive measures has been extensive (Kurppa, 2012). Road traffic injuries are even increasing, especially for the low income nations where their figures are about double the rates for developed countries. This can be credited to the fast pace of motorization in developing countries, without the commensurate adjustments and changes in road safety measures, (Kurppa 2012). Although road traffic incidents have been decreasing in developed states, the high rates of road traffic crashes in developing states has still pushed the global rates of road traffic accidents higher. In fact, the current trends in road traffic injuries indicate that where no safety measures would be i mplemented, by 2030, road traffic injuries would be a fifth leading cause of death in both developed and developing countries (WHO, 2013). Nonetheless, reports from various countries indicate success stories in the prevention of road accidents, mostly assisted by coordinated national efforts. Various countries like Australia, Canada, France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have been able to secure reduced rates in

Business economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business economics - Essay Example rgy resources, cause inundations, heat-related deaths and the fast spread of infectious diseases, as well as create serious damage to all industry sectors. Therefore, climate change is regarded nowadays as the negative outcome of the modern economic system, along with the process behind its making. It is a problem that addresses all the major players in both local and global economies: the operational factors, such as businesses, the regulatory factors, such as governments, the intellectual factors, such as foundations and universities (Echegaray, et al., 2008), as well as the citizens or the consumers, which, at their turn, establish the connections between the factors mentioned above. All of these entities have at least something to say about climate change, and while some of the discussions are focused on finding the guilty parties, on throwing the blame on someone for what has been already done, others are trying to find the appropriate solutions. I believe that businesses should understand that environmental awareness is crucial for their long-term sustainability. Companies should recognize climate change as a risk and establish special risk-assessment teams to indentify its impact on the company’s costs, supply chains, work practices and outputs. For example, if the winters will become warmer, energy costs will be lowered; however, at the same time, the summers will become hotter, which will increase the demand for air-conditioning. This way, a company’s costs distribution is changed based on environmental issues. Still, businesses should see climate change as an opportunity and a challenge to find new markets, develop new technologies as well as improve their image among average consumers. Studies have demonstrated that customers are most likely to absolve their guilt about their environmental footprint by buying products from a â€Å"greener† company. In other words, consuming trends will shift accord ing to which companies take the lead in using green

The Law of Comparative Advantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Law of Comparative Advantage - Essay Example Because the theory failed to understand the laws of absolute and comparative advantage, which advocates that trade, may not necessarily be a zero-sum game, mercantilists regulations were gradually removed in Britain in the course of eighteenth century after the government has fully embraced Adam Smith's concept of laissez faire (Wikimedia Foundations, Inc). The greatest challenge to mercantilism was Adam Smith's theory of absolute advantage. It is said that Smith's publication of the book The Wealth of Nation in 1776 has ended the rule of mercantilism as an economic philosophy. In contrast to the necessity of government control in the mercantilists' philosophy, Adam Smith advocated the laissez faire system, with limited government intervention in the economy. Particularly, Smith believe that trade would be beneficial to both countries through specialization. In practical terms, when one country is more efficient than another country in the production of one commodity but is less efficient in the production of another, then both can gain by specializing in the commodity in which it has the absolute advantage. ... As trade is deemed beneficial to all, restrictions are discouraged and limited government intervention is advised. An Unchallenged Theory An enhancement and definitely a higher notch than the theory of absolute advantage is the law that says that one country can benefit from trade even if it is less efficient in the production of both commodities. It is the law of comparative advantage: an impetus for small nations to actively participate in trade as it is believed to benefit both the big and the small countries. Introduced by David Ricardo in 1817 through his book On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, comparative advantage posits that trade can create value for both countries even if one has the fewer resources in the production of all goods. Using the production possibilities frontier, Ricardo was able to prove this, achieving a significant breakthrough in the field of international economics. Practically, Ricardo believes that given the situation, both countries can still gain by having the less efficient country specialize in the production and exportation of the commodity in which its absolute disadvantage is smallest and import the product in which it has its greatest absolute disadvantage. The commodity in which one country has the least absolute disadvantage can be thought of as one in which it has the comparative advantage. The gains are realized as both countries specialize in the production of commodity in which it has the least opportunity cost (Mankiw). The Gains from Trade: A Simple Numerical Example To facilitate understanding of the gains from trade, we cite the example from the Principles of Macroeconomics book of N. Gregory Mankiw. Given that it takes 20 hours for farmer to produce 1 lb of meat and 10 hours to produce 1

Do corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports provide shareholders Essay - 7

Do corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports provide shareholders and stakeholders with useful information on corporate soci - Essay Example The gaining momentum of CSR activities is evident from the fact that many mergers and acquisition dealings are also viewing investments in such activities as a factor for consideration prior to finalising the deal. Despite such growth in the value of CSR activities, the question as to why managers find it important to undertake these activities and whether there is any need for engaging in these activities apart from maintain good public image (Font et al., 2012). There are multitude of problems in the business world which include accounting frauds and corporate irregularities and graver concerns like environmental issues and social obligations. In this regard, the paper discusses the importance of engagement of companies in a socially responsible behaviour and also illustrates reasons behind non engagement of few organizations in the same. The paper discusses evidence of non compliance and lack of belief in CSR initiative in firms and concludes in discussion of relevance of such CSR initiatives in today’s world. Importance of Engaging in a Socially Responsible Behaviour CSR reporting that are now being mandated in firms by various controlling bodies are an attempt to legalise the concerns business activity while making it comply with various environmental, social and ethical issues. It is argued that voluntary as well as compulsory CSR reporting ensures competitive advantage of firms over those who do not engage in CSR reporting (Mahoney et al., 2013). The melamine contamination case of China was a shock for the entire world. It highlighted the need for investors to respond to a corporate social responsibility of companies towards its consumers. It is argued that a firm’s financial performance has direct bearing with consumer buying and selling activities and such immoral behaviours drop sales by drastic measures. In the similar way, the case of Coca Cola and Cadbury contamination brought forth an alarming situation of quality standards and norms that were practiced within the company. These events tarnished the brand name to such large extent that it required years to gain back reputation and hence sales. Hence it is critical to understand the direct linkage between CSR performance and financial results (Kong, 2012). The importance of engaging in CSR activities can also be studied in light of most important financial decisions like a merger and how it impacts the decision and impact on shareholders during such events (Deng, Kang & Low, 2013). In support of shareholder’s value maximisation in engaging in a merger, the role of CSR activity has been explained as a trust building action among the stakeholders (Jo & Harjoto, 2011). This argument thus establishes that high socially responsible firms have greater support of shareholders and stakeholders which in turn contribute towards firm profitability and long term efficiency in contrast to firms that maintain somewhat weak socially responsible image (Jensen, 2001). Evi dence of dismissal of view of CSR Corporate governance requires that companies make their activities more transparent, their activities more accountable and their business more socially responsibly. It is argued that companies engage in business ethics, corporate governance and social responsibility merely to gain legitimacy in business activities and they do not really care about what possible impacts these could have on their business activity (Brennan & Merkl-Davies, 2013). According to views of Milton Friedman, social

Use of financial ratios in evaluating companies Essay Example for Free

Use of financial ratios in evaluating companies Essay Use of financial ratios in evaluating companies Introduction                   Financial ratios are the indicators used by financial analyst to determine the general position of a certain organization. They are also known as economic ratios, are obtained in financial statements, and are relative to figures of two distinct periods. These ratios compare the direction organizations are taking within a specified period. They will therefore show the strengths and weaknesses in the firms in relation to others or a comparison between two timelines. These ratios are important to the shareholders as they are able to know the direction a company is going by the shift in its share. In addition, the managers depend on them to know where they are leading the organizations. Some of the main financial statements where these ratios are gotten fro include the balance sheet and the statement of cash flows. Easy Jet Company is one of the companies that maintains its financial ratios and has benefited a lot. Although these ratios have many useful benefits in evaluating the performance and management of companies, they also have many limitations.                   Aspects of financial ratios that can be used include the liquidity ratio, which is the ability of an organization to pay the expenditures that are for a short period. Profitability ratios show the amount of dollars earned per sale of one item. Others include activity ratio, which indicates whether the company is capable of managing its total assets. The financial leverage ratio on the other hand shows the ability of the company meeting long term goals while shareholder ratio relates to amount of shares as per the stock. Finally, the return on investment ratio relates the amount of profit as per the assets used. Easy Jet Company uses these ratios and has benefits and limitations as discussed below.                   Financial ratios have an advantage in comparing different companies in the market. They enable the companies to be kept together not keeping into consideration such factors as capital amount, amount of sales and the market control. This is because the ratios do not depend much on the amount of starting but the rate of change of that amount in relation to other companies or time (Troy, 2008). They will tell the ability of a certain business to be able to pay its expenditure and probability of making a profit. Companies may, for example, boast of a high level of capital compared with other small ones, but when analysis is done from a perspective of rate of stock turnover. This may prove the smaller company is efficiently run. They therefore help in the comparison and the managers will be able to collect any problem that may be there and compete favorably.                   They also help in analyzing a certain line of industries and upcoming young companies to gauge the industries they want to venture in. The ratios will help also to show fast growing industries and advise young entrepreneurs accordingly. Small companies will also be able to gauge themselves on their relevance in the market due to their contribution compared to the big ones. According to Weygandt (1996), financial ratios also enable the shareholders and analysts to analyze stock valuation. Investors in this area will be able to gauge on the company worth investing in and those to avoid completely. This knowledge helps investors in investing their money where there is a likelihood of making a profit. The ratios will help the companies in performance and planning. To attract lenders and investors, companies may prepare a detailed report and convince them with the capability of the company. Managers are also motivated to work hard since the ratios will be see n by many and would expose their weaknesses.                   On the other hand, the ratios have limitations. Many companies deal with different products in the market and comparing them directly may not be an effective way of showing the success or failure of a business. Some companies enjoy low number of days at the rate of stock turnover due to a certain season. Comparing its ratios with off-season will definitely show a negative trend, which should not show someone being responsible for it. Comparing it with others during the high season will convince shareholders that the company is making progress only to realize it was due to seasonal product. Using financial ratios to compare companies leads to misleading information to the managers and the investors. Due to the use of different environmental, cultural and structure of the market, financial ratios are not a good measure of success or failure of a company.                   The ratios are affected by the level of inflation. Comparing a company’s financial ratio of a year without inflation with another year with high levels of inflation will not give a good result. The sales will be high, but the level of profit decreases, showing a negative trend which otherwise is not the case. This may cause loss of jobs and investors. The company may at last collapse not because of poor management but the financial ratios. There may also be a situation where the ratios used are a mixture of bad and good ones making it difficult to know the position of the company. Some companies operate departments in different industries. It therefore becomes difficult to come up with average ratios to measure the performance of the company. If these ratios are used well the results are insightful, but dangerous where when used mechanically.                   According to Ablin, et al (2013), Easy Jets payments to the employees increased from 476 £m in 2012 to 517 £m in the year 2013. This indicates an increase of 8% an indication that the company’s return on investment ratio has improved. This is marked by an increase from 317 £m to 478 £m a 51% increase in the total profit before tax which indicates appropriate strategies have been used. This includes the increase in the rate of income per seat, offset by the use of forward bookings and the purchase of additional A320 aircraft. Earnings per share increased 2013 as compared to 2012 with earnings per share increasing from 62.5 to 101.3 for basic and 61.7 to 100.0 for diluted increasing the shareholder ratio. The executive directors are employed and paid directly by the Easy jet airline company’s revenue.                   Return on capital increased with the onset of 2013 from 2012. The rate changed from 11.3% to 17.4% indicating growth in the company. This is attributed to increase in the number of leased aircrafts from 26% in 2012 to 33% in 2013 (Easy Jet, 2013). On May 2013, Easy jet entered into an agreement with Flybe for the exchange of some flying right in the airport of Gatwick. The shareholders approved the deal and on August the same year, $7 million was paid. This made the operations of the company effective, resulting in the increase in the return on capital. This is further explained by the shareholders decision to enter into a contract with Airbus in July 2013. In Easy Jet Switzerland S.A, the company has 49% shares and plans to own the remaining 51% by 2022.                   Upgrading by the company’s management from a 156 seater A319 aircraft to A320 results to a saving in the cost of a seat by between 8% and 7%. There is also another cause of increased savings in the development and movement from 180 seat A320 to 180 new generation neo aircraft. This cause further 4% to 5% savings per seat. This has made the company to continue offering services to the ever-increasing number of customers as the company. There has also been the development where the company has changed in reducing its cash on deposit. This has increased the amount of cash that the company holds in liquid following the release of the  £130 million previously held. Conclusion                   Financial ratios play an important role in determining the direction a company is taking. Like a driver who drives a vehicle, managers depend mostly on these ratios to determine the direction as drivers are heading the company. The companies are able to compare their performance in the market with others courtesy of these ratios. The ratios also have a role in enabling the investors and shareholders determine on which company is fit for them to invest. Similarly, they have drawbacks in that they do not reflect the true picture of a company’s position when there is inflation in the country in addition to company that deals with many departments within different lines of production. Easy Jet Company has successfully used these ratios effectively and has developed to be an excellent company competing effectively with others. It is therefore a successful company. Reference Ablin et al (2013). Easy jet plc (1st ed.). Switzerland: Park Communications. Troy, L. (2008). Almanac of business and industrial financial ratios.Chicago, IL: CCH. Weygandt, J. J., Kieso, D. E., Kell, W. G. (1996). Accounting Principles (4th ed.). New York Easy Jet. (2013). easyJet plc Annual report and accounts. Easy Jet plc Source document