Thursday, April 16, 2020

New Product Launch Marketing Plan free essay sample

New Product Launch Marketing Plan, Part I New Product Launch Marketing Plan, Part I International: Fiat Market Needs and Market Growth â€Å"Vehicle shipments in NAFTA totaled 2,238,000 units for FY 2013, representing a 6% increase over FY 2012. In the U. S. , vehicle shipments were 1,876,000 (up 7% from FY 2012), in Canada 269,000 (up 5%) and 93,000 for Mexico and other. † (Fiat 2013 Full Year Q4 Results, 2014) â€Å"Fiat forecast that group trading profit this year will rise to between 3. 6 billion euros and 4 billion euros from 3. 39 billion euros in 2013. The forecast is lower than a range of 4. 7 billion to 5. 2 billion euros given in October 2012 and below analysts’ forecast of 4. 15 billion euros† (Automotive News Europe Home, 2014). Fiat vehicles mainly sold to Europe and Latin America. For Italians, the Brazilian market is almost as important as the European market. These two regions market is not very good due to economic crisis. But Chrysler mainly occupies stronger advantage in North America. In third quarter of 2013, its earnings in the North American market increased by more than 20%. We will write a custom essay sample on New Product Launch Marketing Plan or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In addition, both the Chrysler and Fiat so far have occupied important shares in Chinese market. Therefore, the Chinese market will be the key to Fiat profitable. According to the Wall Street Journal, the amount of global automotive will have a 4% growth in 2014, while the American and European markets also have 3% growth in 2014 (2014). This means that the slow recovery of the global economy will drive the automotive consumer over global. With oil prices rising, more people are favoring economical vehicles, such as electric hybrid. Ford expects electric hybrid cars will occupy 20-30% of the car market next decade, therefore, Ford, Toyota, Nissan and other major car companies have launched their own electric hybrid car. SWOT Analysis Strengths. Fiat has a long international history and presence. Fiat boasts an environmental consciousness that is ahead of its competitors such as CO2 emissions and the use of renewable energy in the manufacturing process (Fiat. com, 2014). Weaknesses. A weakness may be the number of recalls on Fiat 500 in previous years resulting in a lack of trust in the brand. The global recession and decreased buying power of consumers may create a resistance to purchasing new automobiles. Opportunities. The Fiat name has been associated with Chrysler Group and it’s over-taking of the remaining equity in the US-based company (Fiat. com, 2014). Sochi 2014 has also been seen as a global marketing venue. Threats. Threats include the recovering auto industry in the United States with other international options for small, subcompact cars (that also focus on fuel efficiency). Potential Competition Luxury brands have entered the subcompact car market in Europe. Fiat’s price isn’t a match for the people who are willing to pay a little more for the name of a BMW or Audi (Automotive News Europe, 2013). Product Offering and Product Definition Fiat’s Panda Classic is available in 36 countries on four continents (Fiat. com). The Panda is a five door vehicle with climate control, extra storage and fuel economy. Multiple safety features are also included such as airbags, controlled crumple zones, and anti-whiplash head rests (Fiat. com). Product Identification Fiat Panda. Justification Fiat’s Panda is one of the few models available in numerous countries, making a broader presence in the global market. The Panda is a smaller automobile, small enough to navigate tight cities streets yet roomy enough to transport families, friends and luggage. Domestic Market Needs and Market Growth Fait 500 is a small European designed 2-door car. Though the manufacturer has seen an increase in sales and overall profit, the brand has struggled in US markets. This is due to a disconnect between the brand and the American car market. The organization attempted to win over the American consumer with targeted commercial campaigns featuring Charlie Sheen, which were successful. The Fiat brand does have a market for â€Å"inexpensive, fun to drive small cars, with room for four adults† however, the core issue of the brand lies with space; â€Å"there isnt enough passenger or cargo volume in the standard 500 for it to have mass appeal here† (2013). In order to appease this market the organization is launching the Fait 500L in the summer of 2014. The newer model has 40% more space than the previous model. SWOT Analysis Strengths. This Italian company was founded in 1899 (Fiat Nation, 2014). Fiat brand cars, specifically the Fiat 500, have been sold in over 100 countries (Fiat Nation, 2014). The conservative design equates to modest fuel economy (KBB. com Editors, 2012). Weaknesses. This small car has limited seating and cargo capacity. Persons who live outside of the city or have larger families may not find this car useful. If the body design doesn’t satisfy the customer, other competitors such as Honda Fit or Ford Fiesta offer more room and styles (KBB. com Editors, 2012). Opportunities. With the growing trend of fuel-efficient sub-compact vehicles, Fiat may have arrived to the domestic market just in time. Threats. Numerous other sub-compact cars are also on the market and may provide significant savings or advantages based on what the consumer favors. In addition, a recent crash test study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety listed Fiat as one of the makes that did not fare well in crash tests (Hirsch, 2014). Potential Competition The domestic market is ripe with potential competitors. According to Fiat’s website, the primary competitors include the Kia Soul, Nissan Cube, Scion xB, Honda Fit, Mini Cooper, and Ford Fiesta. Product Offering and Product Definition The 2014 Fiat 500L has a starting price of $19,100; with four well-equipped models adding two more doors plus best-in-class interior volume. With 120. 1 cubic feet it provides for comfortable accommodations for five passengers. It is designed on the new, small but wide, vehicle architecture adding 27 inches more in length, plus six inches more in height and width, all to deliver an EPA Large Car size interior with comfort, added versatility and 42 percent more space. (2) Product Identification Fiat 500 and 500L Justification Fiat’s main competitors are the Mini Cooper and Smart ForTwo. With the sales of the Smart car brand declining, the Mini Cooper sets the standard in the US. Mini’s U. S. sales fell 1. 6 percent in the first 10 months of this year to 38,538, said Autodata Corp. In the same period, sales of Smart’s U. S. model, the ForTwo, declined 61 percent to 5,146, the Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey-based researcher said (Higgins, 2012). The new expanded size models allows for more driving experiences for a smart size international vehicle. The premier package includes a no charge technology features. This adds to the overall value for the brand. Survey questions to collect additional consumer data 1. Do you purchase mainly in the physical retail store or online? 2. What range includes your age? a. Younger than 18 b. 18-24 c. 25-34 d. 35-44 e. 45-54 f. 55-64 g. 65 or older 3. Are you: a. Male b. Female c. Transgender 4. How many children 17 years or younger live in your household? 5. What is your annual household income? a. Below $20,000 b. $20,000-$29,999 c. $30,000-$39,999 d. $40,000-$49,999 e. $50,000-$74,999 f. $75,000-$99,999 g. $100,000+ 6. Are you the person in your household responsible for purchases? 7. Please indicate when you last made a major purchase? a. 0-3 months ago b. 3-6 months ago c. 6-12 months ago d. 12-24 months ago e. 24+ months ago 8. What statement best describes you: a. You take pride in having the latest products. b. You could care less about the new products being offered. 9. What feature would make X brand more desirable to you? 10. How important is cost in your purchasing decision? a. Very important b. Somewhat important c. Somewhat unimportant d. Not important

Friday, March 13, 2020

Effect of Mno2 on the Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide Essay Example

Effect of Mno2 on the Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide Essay Example Effect of Mno2 on the Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide Paper Effect of Mno2 on the Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide Paper Chemistry Catalyst Report Aim I am trying to investigate the effect of the mass of magnesium dioxide used on the speed of the reaction of 2H2O2(aq) ? 2H2O(l) + O2(g). I hypothesize that the speed of the reaction is proportional to the rate of decomposition. Independent Variable The mass of MnO2 used Dependent Variable The rate of decomposition through the amount of mass lost Controlled Variables Environment of the experiment Stay in the same place to carry out the experiment and finish the experiment as fast as possible in case of a sudden change in some areas of the environment Volume of H2O2 usedMeasure the volume using a measuring cylinder Uncontrollable Variable The temperature of the H2O2 cannot be controlled because the process, which I am trying to speed up through adding catalysts, is an exothermic reaction, meaning that heat is given off in the process. Because it gives off heat, the temperature cannot be controlled and this would affect my results, as there would be more than one dependent variable. I was only allowed H2O2 from the same source, which means no fresh source of H2O2 at a controlled temperature. I could not wait for the H2O2 to decompose to a certain temperature because that would take too long. I could not use the catalysts to help the H2O2 to decompose to that temperature for the experiment to start because it would be difficult to gage when to take out the catalyst and catalysts are unable to be used up. Equipment ?Top pan balance ?H2O2 – 300ml ?MnO2 –5g ?50ml Beakers 10 ?Conical flasks 5 ?Spatula ?Cotton Wool ?Measuring cylinder Diagram Method 1. Gather the equipment and set it up like in the diagram above. 2. Using a top pan balance, a beaker and a spatula, measure 0. 1g, 0. 2g, 0. 3g, 0. 4g and 0. 5g of MnO2 and place them in different beakers. 3. Measure 50ml of H2O2 using a measuring cylinder and fill 5 beakers with 50ml of H2O2 each. 4. Place a new conical flask and enough cotton wool to cover the hole of the conical flask on the top pan balance. Hit the â€Å"TARE† button. 5. Pour in 50ml of H2O2 6. Record the mass shown 7. Pour in 0. 1g of MnO2 and cover the hole of the conical flask with the cotton wool 8. The total weight of the solution would then be the mass recorded in step 5 plus the mass of the MnO2 in step 7 9. Start timing when the MnO2 is added. 10. Record the mass shown on the top pan balance every 5 seconds. Catalysts are substances, which help speed up chemical reactions. Reactions happen when the two reacting particles collide, but if the force of their collision is not above a certain level, the reaction would not happen. This minimum amount of energy required for the reaction to take place between the particles is called activation energy. Catalysts are useful because they provide an alternative surface for the particles to react, with a lower activation energy. The disadvantage of using a catalyst is that the reactions are not as energetic and thus the product is less. For this reaction, less oxygen would be produced. Catalysts are never used up. And because they are never used up, we are able to collect them back after the reaction, still as good as before without changing chemically. Before adding the catalysts, only some particles have enough energy to react. It is represented by the green section. The rest of the particles that cannot pass the activation energy barrier is represented by the blue. After adding the catalysts, the catalysts provide an alternative path for the particles to react. The average activation energy is lowered and now, more particles are able to react. This graph shows the before and after effect of adding a catalyst on the activation energy required for the reaction to start. Through the results obtained, it is clear that the mass of catalyst used is proportional to the speed of the reaction. The higher the mass of catalyst used, the more particles of catalyst is in the solution, the more alternative paths of reacting is given to the particles, therefore the faster the reaction. It can thus be concluded theoretically and practically that the more mass of catalyst used, the faster the reaction rate. I have graphed the results from the experiment. The above table shows the gradients I had derived from the graphs. All the results fit my hypothesis except for 0. 3g and 0. 4g. From the graph, it can be derived that even though the rate of reaction is proportional to the catalyst, it is not directly proportional. Sources of Error ?Results from obtained from this lab experiment can never be accurate because of a few reasons. Firstly, catalysts and reaction are sped up by heat. The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen is an exothermic reaction. This means that the decomposition reaction gives off heat. Because there is no way I could do all the experiment at the same time, the temperature of the hydrogen peroxide changes every time I start the experiment. I have explained this more clearly in the section of uncontrollable variables. ?Next, the beakers that the hydrogen peroxide was stored in were not washed clean and not washed by the lab technicians. This meant that the beakers were washed by the previous batch of students who used them and they might not have washed them properly. Because the students are also not provided with chemicals to wash the beaker such that it is clean of impurities, some of the beakers used may have been contaminated. ?When I was pouring the hydrogen peroxide into the conical flask using a funnel, because of liquid having a tension property, some of the hydrogen peroxide â€Å"stuck† on to the funnel. This meant that not all of the 50ml of hydrogen peroxide was poured in. ?Because it would be hard to measure 0. g of MnO2 in a conical flask, I measured it in a beaker. By putting it in a beaker, when I tried to pour it into the conical flask, some of the powder got stuck onto the beaker, due to static electricity. Ways to improve Have the lab technician clean the equipment with proper cleaning methods first, preventing contamination. Use freshly made hydrogen peroxide and use it for the experiment straight away or use the hydrogen peroxide for the experiment after a timed period of maybe 5 minutes, this way all the hydrogen peroxide used from the fresh source is always decomposed to that same level. Use a conical flask with a larger neck or use a big beaker, this way I would not have had to use a beaker because the reaction is not very violent, the liquid from the spewing bubbles would not burst out of the beaker if it was big enough. Because the masses of MnO2 was small, I could have measured the mass of the MnO2 on another spatula. If the MnO2 still stuck to the spatula due to static electricity, even less MnO2 would be stuck to the spatula because the surface area of which the MnO2 is exposed to is smaller.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Electric Vehicles and Zero-Emission Cars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Electric Vehicles and Zero-Emission Cars - Essay Example Introduction The 21st century has ushered in a new host of problems. To a large extent one recognizes that the increasing move towards globalization has created many of these challenges. One of the most predominant difficulties is energy consumption. Energy consumption is a notable concern both for the difficulties associated with attaining overseas petroleum, as well as environmental concerns over gas emissions. While petroleum use, most scientists agree, threatens the environment, society still has maintained a strong reliance on this energy source. In recent years, however, electric vehicles and zero-emission cars have emerged that have posed a slight challenge to the petroleum hegemony. This essay considers various elements related to these vehicles and cars. Electric Vehicles and Zero-Emission Cars While most people are aware of electric and hybrid vehicles, few understand their history or cursory issues. The electric vehicle is a vehicle that implements an electric motor for it s primary power source. Within this context of recognition there are a number of different types of vehicles that implement electric power. One sort of electric vehicle uses energy that is located at an outside power source. Another form of electric vehicle operates from electric energy that was originally produced by an outside power source; one recognizes that hybrid vehicles would fall within this category as they gain their energy from an external electrical supply. The final type of electric vehicle is one that produces electric energy from an internal source (Mitchell 2010, p. 7). While most people associate electric vehicles with cars, in actuality electricity has been used to power a wide range of transportation devices. In these regards, everything from boats to planes to trains has been powered using electric energy. Electric vehicles have a long history. Indeed, one considers that by the early 18th century engineers and scientists had been experimenting with electric prop ulsion. Still, it wasn’t until the 20th century that electric vehicles were popularized within the United States. While electric vehicles were among the first types of cars produced, to a large extent electric propulsion remained marginalized to petroleum devices throughout the 20th century. Towards the end of the 20th century electric cars gained a slight resurgence. In 1990 the California Air Resources Board mandated that major automobile manufacturers produce electric vehicles for sale. Through the decade then automobile manufacturers increased production of these vehicles. Towards the end of the 1990s, however, consumers increasingly began to move towards sports utility vehicles. One of the main recognitions in these regards is that the lower-gas prices that were experienced during this period and the robust economy created a situation where electric vehicles were increasingly untenable. Still, with the on-set of the 21st century the hybrid car emerged as a trend. The 200 1 the Toyota Prius became the first mass-produced hybrid electric car. A number of other hybrid vehicles would follow. Hybrid vehicles held a number of benefits over vehicles that entirely relied on electric power.

Sunday, February 9, 2020

Why the Pros out weigh the Cons of legalizing marijuana Essay

Why the Pros out weigh the Cons of legalizing marijuana - Essay Example Herein will contain the reasons why the legalization of marijuana should take place, taxes placed on it for the purpose of debt relief and the medicinal value of the plant. It is imperative that the United States pass legislation to legalize the use of marijuana, as there are many people that use the drug for recreational reasons, and those who use it for medicinal reasons as well. According to a survey conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2009, 16.7 million Americans over the age of 12 had used marijuana at least one time in the month before this survey was conducted. That is roughly 5% of the population in the U.S. that were honest enough to admit to marijuana use. Given that so many people use the drug, if legalization were to take place, the taxation of it alone would critically help the United States’ debt problems. Often marijuana is labeled as a ‘gateway’ drug, meaning that it is the beginning drug for people to pursue other more dange rous drugs, like cocaine or heroin. This is a false assumption, and this report will seek to prove that as well. Marijuana has been used for centuries by varying indigenous peoples throughout Europe and Asia. It is thought to be first used as an intoxicant around 1000 B.C. in India. In China, it was used to make cloth and medicine, and considered to be in use in other parts of the world prior to 500 A.D. (National Commission of Marijuana and Drug Abuse, 2010). Among the many religions that use marijuana for religious purposes, the most commonly known are the Rastafarians. They use the drug to â€Å"enhance their consciousness of the relationship between God, Creation and the individual soul.† (Marijuana Legalization Organization, [MLO] 2006). Among other religions, the Quakers, Judeo-Christian, and Shinto use marijuana for religious reasons (MLO, 2006). Marijuana should be legalized, taxed and restricted to certain age groups for use in the United States, as the reasons for l egalization far outweigh the reasons not to legalize. Methodology In order to find out the medicinal value and the reasons for taxation of marijuana, I employed a Google search, and found a multitude of articles, journals and other written outlets both for and against legalization. Marijuana has been found to relieve pain and is a safe and effective treatment of peripheral neuropathy, which is a common occurrence in HIV/AIDS patents. Caused by nerve damage, this type of pain often cannot be effectively treated with standard narcotic pain medicines, but marijuana was shown to give these sufferers relief. It has also been shown to help those suffering from hepatitis C virus to curb the nausea associated with the traditional treatments. It is also being used for sufferers of multiple sclerosis and diabetes (Kampia, 2007). Although there are many medicinal purposes for the plant, legalization and taxation of it would be of enormous benefit to the United States Economy. The costs to the United States and taxpayers are enormous to keep marijuana illegal. There are no certain numbers available due to the variability of costs of factors. Some of those factors are: Cost of law enforcement officers Cost of prosecution and defense of offenders Cost of incarceration of convicted offenders Cost of social services and foster care for children of offenders (MLO, 2006). Given these costs, which are few in the plethora of available issues concerning keeping marijuana illegal, the costs of growing the plant and taxing it are hugely different and beneficial. According to MLO (2006) estimates, the U.S. spends anywhere from $7 to $12 billion each year on drug control programs. These do no include misdemeanor cases, but it is important to note that these numbers to not allow for the expenditures on marijuana alone, as it is all

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Minimum Wage Essay Example for Free

Minimum Wage Essay The minimum wage is the lowest rate at which a worker can be played. There she minimum wage laws pegged to hourly, daily and even monthly rates, although U. S. law is pegged to an hourly wage. Also, a minimum wage law usually makes it illegal for a person to sell his labor for less than the minimum wage rate The general purpose of the minimum wage is to guarantee a living wage to all workers who work a standard period of time, whatever that might be. In theory, any labor who works 40 houses a week on minimum wage should be at or above the poverty level line. However, the minimum wage has not kept up pace with the inflation in the United States and the cost of living increases more than the wage increases that are given and that way behind the standards Minimum wage laws were first started in Australia and New Zealand in the 1890s. The first minimum wage to be law was in Massachusetts in the 1912 but it only applied to children and women. The federal minimum wage was established in 1938 by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Initially set at 25 cents an hour, the wage has been raised periodically to reflect changes in inflation and productivity. That the mimic wages often involve protracted political battles, Did you know that one in five Americans worked in the poverty levels by the guide lines of the federal government,† Paul Oysterman, an economist at the M. I. T. Sloan School of Management wrote in a recent New York Times editorial. He says the current minimum wage is lower, in inflation-adjusted terms, than it was in 1968. Currently, 6 percent of all hourly workers make no more than the federal minimum wage of $7. 25, TIME. com In theory it sounds like a good idea to give everybody a raise, but at what expense? By raising minimum wage it was supposed to make it where people would be able to support themselves and get off of government assistance. Well, they did get a raise and are still on government assist. So my question is: what do you think they should make to be able to totally take care of themselves and their family? Do you think raising minimum wage is the answer? Do you realize that the businesses must be able to meet a payroll? When you raise minimum wage it causes a business to have to raise their prices if all possible which in turns makes their customer base upset, which in turn could cause layoff and less businesses hiring, which in turn means the business will not be properly taken care of because you cannot afford to staff it properly because you cannot afford to pay the higher wages. I own a restaurant which hires people 16 years and older. Now when you hire a person in and they start off earning top wages and there is no bottom, then there is no reason from them to try and do better because you cannot afford to give them raises. I feel like the government is wanting business to be the new welfare system and we cannot afford to be. Please stop this and let the business decide how much an employee is worth. Minimum wage was created to be a starting point in people lives not a living. Our government doesnt want good paying jobs so they are trying to make minimum wage work for the people and it will not! Restaurants and other businesses that pay minimum wage are for a reason. We do not charge a lot for our products, therefore, we cannot afford to pay a lot for our help and you do not need a college education to work at a minimum wage job. Stop this before there are even fewer jobs. Right now I have to raise my prices due to Ohio raising their minimum wage again. Let me decide who gets the raise not the government! Twenty percent of those living on the minimum wage the last time it was raised in 1991 were in poverty, and an additional 13% were near poverty. In 1993, the President expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which raised income for 15 million families, helping many working families move above the poverty line. Yet to complete the goal of insuring that full-time working families are out of poverty, we need to raise the minimum wage. Recent analysis by the Economic Policy Institute and preliminary work by the Department of Health and Human Services suggests that 300,000 people would be lifted out of poverty if the minimum wage was raised to $5. 15 per hour. This figure includes 100,000 children who are currently living in poverty. But the debate has been muddied by several myths that anti-minimum wage forces repeat at every opportunity. Myth: The only Americans working for the minimum wage are teenagers. Reality: 63 percent of minimum-wage workers are adults age 20 or over. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics) Myth: Minimum wage workers dont support families. Reality: The last time the federal minimum wage was increased, the average minimum wage worker brought home 51 percent of his or her familys weekly earnings. (Source: Analysis of Census Bureaus Current Population Survey by Professors David Card and Alan Krueger) Myth: Raising the minimum wage hurts the poor by causing job loss. Reality: Nearly 10 million working Americans would get a pay raise if the minimum wage is increased to $5. l5 per hour. As Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Solow said, [T]his evidence of job loss is weak. And the fact that the evidence is weak suggests that the impact on jobs is small. (Source: New York Times, January 12, 1995) Myth: The only study showing that raising the minimum wage does not cost jobs was a study funded by the U. S. Labor Department. Reality: One major study conducted in 1992 and financed by Princeton University and the University of Wisconsin was published by two Princeton University economists. One of those economists later joined the Labor Department. (Source: Washington Post, January 11, 1995) Furthermore, a similar conclusion has been reached by at least ten other independent studies. Myth: Raising the minimum wage will have a negligible impact on peoples lives. Reality: A 90-cent per hour increase in the minimum wage means an additional $l,800 for a minimum wage earner who works full-time, year round as much as the average family spends on groceries in more than 7 months. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics) Myth: Increasing the minimum wage has always been a bitter, partisan issue that only Democrats have supported. Reality: In 1989, the last time the minimum wage was increased, the House of Representatives vote in favor of the the current poverty line for a family of 4 is $15,600. A family of 4 with one worker earning $4. 5 an hour and working full-time year round ($8,500) would receive a tax credit of $3,400 under the 1996 provisions of the EITC, will collect food stamps worth $3,5l6, and will pay $650 in payroll taxes. This family would end up $834 below the poverty line. On the other hand, for a family of 4 with one worker earning $l0,300 (a full-time year round worker at $5. l5 per hour), the EITC would provide the maximum tax credit ($3,560), food stamps would provide $2,876, and they would pay $788 in payroll taxes. The increase in the minimum wage along with EITC and food stamps would lift this family out of poverty. Overtime Federal law requires that employees who are not exempt receive overtime pay for any time worked beyond forty hours in any one workweek. The rate of overtime pay is one and one-half times the employees regular rate of pay, and must be paid in wages, not in goods or time off. A workweek is defined as one period of 168 hours, or seven consecutive twenty-four hour periods. The workweek may start at any time, or on any day, as long as the starting day and time are applied consistently. Employees who are eligible for overtime pay may not waive their right to receive overtime

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Just Taxation :: essays research papers

Index: I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introducing the problem  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Income vs. Consumption Tax  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3 IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A just tax base?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5 V.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Liberutopia  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6 VI.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8 VII.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  References  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  9 Table of Figures: Figure 1: Consumption vs. income tax  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3 Figure 2: Floating money and deposit money  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4 I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction In the debate of just taxation an argument came up, which insisted that any tax that distorts individual preferences should be considered as unjust. This argument is known as the â€Å"fairness-to- savers-argument†. The intention of this essay is to explain of what the fairness to savers argument consists, how to approach it and foremost why it is wrong. At first I will therefore explain the argument on the basis of it’s most common example. The following chapter will then provide a better insight into to exact circumstances, under which the fairness to savers argument might arise. Here the functionalities of the, in the example presented, tax bases will be addressed. To approach the rejection of the argument correctly, it will be necessary to determine what exactly â€Å"just† means and this will lead us to some assumption, which need to be made to prove the argument wrong. But before that, I will present the approach Murphy and Nagel make in their book â€Å"The myth of ownership† and why they are not able to reject the argument completely. Afterwards I will introduce my approach, which basically will show, that any kind of taxation will distort individual preferences and there from I derive, that the fairness to savers argu-ment must be invalid. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introducing the problem The basic problem of the fairness to savers argument, is the effect of different tax bases on individual preferences. The name of the argument follows from it’s most vivid example, which I want to address at first, for a better understanding of the issue. The example is often illustrated with the comparison between two individuals preference for saving, both taxed once under an income tax and once under a consumption tax. Let’s consider two people, Steve and John, both earn in t0 100$, the rate of return is in every period constantly at 10% and they are in every aspect totally similar, despite their individual time preference, which is for Steve at 3% and for John at 9%. That means exactly, that Steve is willing to save his money as long he gets at least a net return rate of 3% and John is willing to save his money as long he gets at least a net return rate of 9%. In case their time preference is higher than the net return rate, the utility they derive from immediate co nsumption will be greater than the utility they derive from saving, thus they won’t save their money.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Romeo and Juliet Film Review

Probably the worlds most famous love story has been retold in 1997 under the watchful hand of Baz Luhrman (Also directed Moulin Rouge and Strictly Ballroom) who is trying to give this old Shakespeare classic, a more modern touch. Baz Luhrman simply takes the tragedy from the past, and drops it into the 21st century. In this strange new setting, the swords are tossed aside for guns but the old language, remains. Also the film is refreshed by young popular actors such as Leonardo di Caprio. This creates a bizarre mix, where the audience is left to think whether this is still the same old tragedy or something completely different. The actors mostly play their parts very well, but I think that Pete Postlethwaite (Friar Lawrence) who was also seen in In the Name of the Father and Miriam Margolyes (Nurse) were outstanding at portraying their characters and the best actors on the set. On the other hand I found the performance by the main figures Leonardo Di Caprio(Romeo) and Claire Danes (Juliet) appauling and it kind of felt like they knew their lines, but had no idea what they were actually talking about. An example of this is how Romeo sometimes says his words without expression or with expression in the wrong place. I think that these roles should have been taken over by more experienced actors, who have played Shakespeare plays before but Leonardo Di Caprio will probably be a reason for many teenagers to see this film so the reason why he was cast is probably because he will attract a bigger young audience There are not many special effects in this film, but definitely many more than in other versions of the story. I think that the camera was one of the major participants in this film as Luhrman did so many different types of shots and scenes that it just makes this film much more viewable. Examples of this are at the very beginning of the film, there are about 30 different shots right after one another which creates a very fast pace. Other examples include long shots of Verona which are shown very often all through the film, where you can see two big buildings, one with a Montague sign and the other one with a Capulet and a twirl of the camera as transitions between scenes. As always in love stories or tragedies, music is also a major helper in this film. A slow, romantic song is played when Romeo and Juliet first meet and funky loud music when Romeo and his friends enter the ball. What Luhrman mainly tries to do with this film, is to make the story more interesting and more appealing to a younger audience, which has decided to try and achieve this with more action packed scenes and fighting. This does though sometimes make the film seem unrealistic, childish even, like a teenagers version of the tragedy. This is for sure the most modern and action filled version of the play and I think it can be described as something fresh and new and completely different. This film is a great way of getting a younger generation of people interested in Shakespeare, as it included lots of action and fighting but I am not sure if this film is really a better version of Romeo and Juliet. Although it may not be as interesting and action packed, I think I still prefer the old boring classic Shakespeare tragedy.