Effectiveness of Policies on Effects of Death in England

Effectiveness of Policies on Effects of Death in England How effective were government policies in mitigating the effects of dearth in England during the period 1500 – 1850? INTRODUCTION Look up ‘dearth’ in a modern dictionary and you will see it defined as ‘scarcity’, but in 16th and 17th century England ‘dearth’ could for many mean death. Although the spelling is near enough, a ‘dearth’ or scarcity (mainly applied to grain, which made up the staple diet of beer and bread) originated from the now quaint word ‘dear’ meaning expensive. And when food was too expensive the bulk of the population would starve; despite the philanthropy of the wealthy and the inadequate poor laws, which changed little for centuries after its first incarnation under Queen Elizabeth I. This was seen, particularly before the enlightenment, but surviving into in the 18th century, as the fault of the poor themselves who perhaps inadvertently had overloaded their sin quota and brought forth the ‘wrath of God’ who then visited upon the unfortunate sinners bad harvests and the consequential famines that followed. â€Å"For the removal of those heavenly judgements which our manifold sins and provocations have most justly deserved, and with which Almighty God is pleased to visit the iniquities of the land by a grievous scarcity and dearth of diverse articles of sustenance and necessaries of life†[1] Although this might sound like a Cromwellian outburst it was actually written in the mid-18th century, providing proof positive for the masses that any misfortune which might arise (death, famine, etc.) was not by any fault of the ruling elite, but by powers beyond even kings, despite their ‘divine rights’. But just in case the religious concept was not enough to quell any disturbances arising out of a starving population, laws had to be passed which, for example, forbade meetings of more than three men, and of not more than a dozen to be assembled at anytime or anywhere. As with everything, words have a history. They are moulded by historical events and people. But they do not usually expire completely, instead they change. ‘Dearth’ was a far more ominous and morbid word to the people of the 16th, 17th, and 18th century than it is to the modern ear. During the 17th century, starting in the late 16th, Governments were resistant to intervene in periods of dearth, though a form of protectionism was practised, to offset extremes of supply and demand, abundance and dearth, which was altered and revised when needs be. With a minimum and maximum price allowable for the exporting and importing of grain. A totally free market did not arrive until 1570. But as the price restrictions were instituted at a local and not governmental level the laws were not difficult to circumvent. Smuggling, for example, was practised, and easy to get away with, and it is true that smuggling was probably widely engaged upon. Add to this such things as bribery and corrupt local officials and it is easy to imagine a thriving black market sector within the price constraints. This state of affairs begs the question of why did centralised government distance itself from intervention in the corn trade, and leave it to localised administration to implement any government protectionist policies? Opinions vary amongst historians but just two possibilities posited cite the City of London’s preoccupation with largely its own affairs, with its own idiosyncratic system, and the fact that abundance and dearth were largely regional and varied at different times and in different parts of the country. When central government did intervene, due to a particularly bad dearth, it is questionable whether intervention was instigated with an altruistic motive through amelioration of some of the more dreadful sufferings of the populace, or with a view to quell any disorder that might arise. Another interesting government policy that was sometimes practiced was the demonisation of alcohol, hoping that the populace would more easily subsist on more bread and less beer. W hen deaths from epidemic diseases, which were ubiquitous in this era, are taken into consideration, mortality rates still show a definite rise in years of serious dearth. Modern era economic problems are usually controlled by such methods as manipulation of the cash flow and trade agreements between different nations or economic blocs. But there was a tradition, which tailed off during the course of the 18th century, of sustaining a viable price/market equilibrium by means of monitoring disturbance and discontent amongst the populace. This method, a fairly simple equation, disturbance = government intervention, form low-level intervention to more extreme protectionist legislation. Even in pre-industrial agrarian societies autarky was a constant goal for government but seldom reached simply because what commodity might be abundant in one country might be scarce in another. Also it must be borne in mind that often disturbances, some violent, were the only means at a disenfranchised populace’ disposal to express grievances. Often, particularly in depressed periods, disturbance and rioting were so endemic as to present these events or â€Å"rebell ions of the belly’’[2] as hardly worth commenting upon; by contemporary commentators and modern historians alike. A comment by Professor Barnes is fairly typical, â€Å"In general these disturbances were more or less alike, and hence nothing is gained by giving a detailed account of each one† [3] Dearth was, in these times, not only a fairly frequent occurrence but was part of the popular consciousness. It was ever present in the minds of government and governed alike. In the case of government, future dearths could cause a considerable threat to public order and social stability, thus causing some deal of worry. In these times of no effective policing agency, social stability was maintained by the prevailing ruling elite’s ideology, which involved a complex inter-relationship between government and governed, crown and nobility, landowners and workers; and the monitoring by government of dearth can, with historical evidence, be seen as a major factor in the maintenance of social stability in the post-feudal/nascent industrial-capitalist society. An additional problem for government was the fact that dearth was difficult to foresee and could arise within a short period of time. In a society going through fundamental structural changes, the rise of a merchant class, for example, dearth was a perennial problem, and a major one. The ruling elites had a real fear of unrest amongst the labouring poor, who themselves had very justifiable grievances. Indeed, it must have been patently obvious amongst many of the poor, despite lack of education, that it was their toil that kept the nobility in such splendour. This is not to say that much of the populace, perhaps the majority, accepted their lot in life. Many â€Å"never took noe lewd course for to rong any man. Nor yet rune about the country as others have done †¦ for corne †¦ took it by violen[ce]†.[4] What was the poors understanding of the courses of dearth? These were varied, obviously bad harvests and religious superstition played a part, but also the system of enclosure was thought to be a cause. In effect, enclosure acted as a means to raise the price of corn, and often accentuated the problem of dearth. Others believed that dearth was caused deliberately by speculators to whom dearth would have been financially advantageous. Thus, dearth was caused by, â€Å"many loaders that buy †¦ upp †¦ whoole loades and carry it away and so make corne at such an excessive rate; although there is corne enough†[5] This demonisation of middlemen was expediently taken up by government, who pronounced against â€Å"evill disposed persons unthankfull to God and without pitty towards poore men, [who] by their engrossing of grayne and other abuses will make want amidst plentifulness and continew still the affliction of the poore by their malice†[6] This was not merely propaganda. Some measures to control middlemen were indeed placed on statute. Why events such as the Peterloo massacre had not happened earlier was in no small measure due to the fact that before the influx of agricultural workers into the newly industrialised towns and cities, practically everyone was illiterate apart from the ruling elites, and the organisation of any demonstration was hampered by the fact that dialects varied so much, thus even nearby villagers had some difficulty comprehending each other. Also, as England changed from a subsistence economy to a money economy and agriculture became more commercialised, dearths decreased in frequency. In a subsistence economy, such as in the feudal period, there was little incentive for peasants to produce more than they could subsist on as this would be surplus that could not be capitalised on, as in a money economy. Subsequently dearth usually meant that although grain was scarce, there would be just enough to subsist on. Very bad harvests though, frequently led to mass starvation and deaths. Dearths and f amines were interpreted as nature’s way of balance. If the population grew too large, then this would result in too many mouths to feed, leading to famine and deaths which would bring the population down to manageable proportions. In Malthus’ book ‘An essay on the principle of population’ he argued just that.[7] Malthus the clergyman even argued against any poor relief, as this would upset what he saw as nature’s, checks and balances. Poor relief, instituted by government, was as a result of a great famine of the 1590s, (at this time in England’s history there were indeed too many mouths to feed, which went someway towards a vindication of Malthus’ theory). CONCLUSION Between 1500 and 1850 England was in a transitional period from a post-feudal, largely mercantile society into an industrial/capitalist society. As peasant workers migrated into the new industrial cities and towns society underwent a fundamental change. Workers began to congregate in much larger numbers than the agricultural society of scattered villages. After the enlightenment people were no longer so willing to accept dearths and famines as being an inevitable occurrence in a strictly hierarchical world with God at the apex, and began to question government excuses and reasons for dearths and famines. But government was spared increased disturbance and social unrest simply because dearths became less commonplace. The Peterloo massacre of 1819, which was a peaceful demonstration against the corn laws as they stood at that time, was due more to the ineptitude of local magistrates and somewhat drunken soldiers, than to the demonstration itself, which might easily have passed off peac efully. Therefore this event really lends itself to being somewhat out of context within the period discussed in this essay. Paradoxically, once the socio-economic conditions made it more favourable for peasants to look elsewhere to hire their labour in a money-economy, this could often make their plight worse. Landlords, at a time when peasants were virtually their property, at least had to ensure that their workers were sufficiently fed and nourished to work. When workers started working for money, there was no such check or balance, if the worker could not afford food he would starve. From this period, particularly the early period of the 15th and 16th centuries, a paucity of written records of dearth is an obvious impediment to historians. These were not written about in the main because many, if not most, contemporary writers simply did think that there was any real need for these events to be written down and recorded. And as written records did increase, the occurrence of dearth became less for the reasons discussed above. To people living at the time, dearths and famines were events which they probably thought would last in perpetuum, and as they varied in occurrence and in different regions at different times, a truly comprehensive systematic record is problematic for the modern historian. The corollary to this situation is that the effectiveness of government to mitigate the effects of dearth in this period is difficult to gauge. The fact that wars and epidemics were also prevalent during this period adds a further difficulty to an assessment when attemptin g to link dearth, and particularly famine, to morbidity rates as a determinant towards the assessment of government success in the mitigation of dearths and famines. It would be fair to say though, that government was successful merely because of the fact that society held together, unlike revolutionary France. But not so much as in the amelioration of the conditions under which the poor laboured, but successful in that no major riots are recorded. Therefore it could be argued that government was successful in mitigating, if to mitigate is taken in the meaning of as to lessen, social unrest and disorder and maintaining the status quo. Altruism towards its subjects was not high on the agenda of government and crown, and where it was practiced towards the poor it was the mainly the result of a perceived Christian duty towards relieving the lot of the poor, rather than any philanthropic motive, and an aid, through the poor law, in maintaining social order. To summarise; with the aid of religion, protection of subsistence living standards by the means of poor relief, price control and demonisation of ‘middlemen’, along with the fact that any disturbances or riots that did occur were regional, thus preventing a general nationwide uprising; successive governments through 1500 1850 could be deemed to have been effective towards the mitigation of the effects of dearth and famine. References Rose, R.B. ‘Eighteenth Century Price Riots and Public Policy in Early Modern England’. International Review of Social History, 6. Royal VanGorcum, The Netherlands, 1961. R.B. Outhwaite, Dearth, Public Policy and Social Disturbance in England 1550 – 1800, Macmillan, London, 1991. John Walter and Keith Wrightson, Dearth and the Social Order in Modern England, Rebellion, Proper Protest and the Social Order, ed. Slack, Cambridge University Press, 1984. Andrew Cunningham and Ole Peter Grell, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000 1 Footnotes [1] Page 15, R.B. Outhwaite, Dearth, Public Policy and Social Disturbance in England, 1550 – 1800, Macmillan, London, 1991. [2] Page 278, Rose, R.B. ‘Eighteenth Century Price Riots and Public Policy in Early Modern England’. International Review of Social History, 6. Royal VanGorcum, The Netherlands, 1961. [3] Ibid. [4] Page 114, John Walter and Keith Wrightson, Dearth and the Social Order in Early Modern England, Rebellion, Proper Protest and the Social Order, ed. Slack, Cambridge University Press, 1984. [5] Page 116, Ibid. [6] Page 117, Ibid. [7] Andrew Cunningham and Ole Peter Grell, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000.

Leper Lepelliers Functions As A Minor Character :: essays research papers

Upon returning to his school fifteen years after graduating, Gene Forrester, recalled his days at the Devon School in a surreal sense. In his own words, â€Å"In the deep, tacit way in which feeling becomes stronger than thought, I had always felt that the Devon School came into existence the day I entered it, was vibrantly real while I was a student there, and then blinked out like a candle the day I left.† Helping embellish this reality were his friends, including Leper Lepellier, who appeared in only five scenes in A Separate Peace. Elwin â€Å"Leper† Lepellier’s role as a minor character was vital to the story, although not nearly as visible as Gene’s or Finny’s. His appearances stole the attention of the reader, altered each character’s own perceptions of the war, and forced the main character to act and think in ways he would not have otherwise. Chapter Ten’s journey to Leper’s Christmas location is a trip away from Devon both physically and emotionally. Leper steals the scene by inviting Gene to his home, proceeding to unsettle the reader to the extent that he cannot concentrate on the other characters. Quiet and subdued, Leper spent much of his time outdoors, sketching snails and trees, photographing beaver dams. He was what Brinker so scornfully called a naturalist. This gentle hobby extracted virtually no interest from the reader, besides a knowledge of Leper’s eccentric and lonely personality. Because he predictably behaved this way, reading the few tortured pages of his hallucinations in the army elicits strong emotion and reader interest; Finny and the Devon group of friends were insignificant compared to the horrific images Leper conjured in the reader’s mind. Gene felt the same emotions as the reader: â€Å"Don’t tell me who’s got me and who hasn’t got me. Who do you think you’re talking to? Stick to your snails, Lepellier.† Shocked at what his friend has become, Gene mentions his naturalistic manner, hoping to straighten him out. At this point, the reader is as helpless as Gene, wondering why Leper has changed, what the hallucinations mean, and most importantly, what will happen to between them in the pages to come. Leper also directs the reader back to Finny’s accident, pointing a guilty finger at Gene when he says he and everyone he knew were all â€Å"savages underneath.† When Gene finally runs out of Vermont and away from Leper’s insanity, the reader now has another view on Finny’s accident.

Drug Addiction as Depicted in the Movie “Ray”

I have watched two movies: â€Å"Ray† and â€Å"Traffic.†Ã‚   I choose to focus on the movie â€Å"Ray† for a more realistic portrayal of drug abuse.   In this movie, drugs were used as a chief escape of the blind protagonist, Ray Charles Robinson, from the loneliness of being apart from the normal crowd of people who can see.     Ã‚  He resorted to drugs to forget his condition and to have a sense of belongingness.The movie begins in the year 1948 up to 1979 when the state of Georgia made a public apology to Ray Charles for banning him for life from his refusal to perform in a segregated concert.   It was a time when racial discrimination was institutionalized, where Negroes (as they were politically called back then) were made to sit at the back of a bus with a â€Å"colored† demarcation line, where certain places where â€Å"for whites only.†Such attitudes are not prevalent anymore today. Much has happened since the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and America and the world has now learned to accept diversity of people’s colors and culture as part of life.   Black people who were called Negroes are now politically termed African-Americans.Much has also changed in musical tastes since Ray Charles’ time.   He introduced what is now known as soul music which was a blend of gospel and R&B in â€Å"I’ve Got a Woman,† a song dedicated to his wife Della Bea.   It was considered sacrilegious at that time.   Nowadays, although soul is still alive, the music scene is full of hip-hop songs with sexually charged lyrics coupled with videos of the same taste. Gospel music is also slowly carving out a significant market niche and not anymore confined to places of worship.The central character of Ray Charles is the compelling drug addict in the movie.   His downward spiral towards drug abuse started in 1948 in a small gig in a seedy Seattle club called The Rocking Chair.   The announcer, a midget man called Oberon, offered him marijuana or â€Å"weed† to calm Ray’s nerves before an impromptu performance.   This is a very believable scene since it was Ray’s first club performance and venture outside of Florida.   He was a nervous journeyman and considered a greenhorn.   It was within his character to be accepting of anything new and seemingly helpful to the current situation.Later in the movie he was introduced to heroin by a member of his band, Fathead Newman.   Ray tried the drug out of curiosity despite his bandmates’ caution.   He found out that it could take him to places he had never been before, a description and justification of most drug addicts.   This was a believable portrayal because the movie shows his pitiful isolation from his mates while on the road. They would all go out after a performance while Ray was left to tend to himself alone.   His mates would oftentimes shoot themselves up with drugs in a room and pr event Ray from coming in.   There was an undertone of a need to belong and be part of a group coupled with the usual sense of adventure to try something new.Throughout the whole movie, I see Della Bea, Ray Charles’ persevering wife, as an enabler.   She exhibits avoidance when she found out about Ray’s addiction to heroin.   She could not put up a strong argument with Ray so she compromised when their first child was born by telling Ray not to bring the road to the home she was trying to build for him and their kids.   This somehow meant that he must not openly do his drug routine at home so as not to badly influence the kids. This was also Della Bea’s way to keep the peace since Ray is a very strong-willed person to deal with.   She also repressed and restrained her own feelings of hurt at first to try to understand Ray’s addiction thus in a way became an enduring spectator of her husband’s addiction hoping that he would come to his sens es for the bad habit to pass.I have seen the movie previously and I see that Ray’s drug abuse could have been unnecessary.   He had a loving wife and they were blessed with three kids and affluence that was beyond his dreams.   Any ordinary person would have been thankful for the things he had.   However, he had his own demons to deal with and probably they were driving him to the edge of sanity and his only escape, a fast one, was the high that heroin brought to his senses.   One answer is clear though, drugs never contributed something good to his life.Works CitedRay. Dir. Taylor Hackford. 2004. Videocassette. Universal Pictures, 2006.

The Civil Rights Movement Essay examples - 1639 Words

For many years after the Civil War many African-Americans did not truly enjoy the freedoms that were granted to them by the US constitution. This was especially true in the southern states, because segregation flourished in the south wwhere African-Americans were treated as second class citizens. This racial segregation was characterized by separation of different races in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home. In addition, Blacks were not afforded justice and fair trials, such as the case of the murder of Emmet Till. This unjust treatment would not be tolerated in America any more, which spurred the†¦show more content†¦The rage of the whites placed their anger on innocent blacks in the form of vicious beating and murderous lynching. Most notably the August 27th 1955, murder of the harmless 14 year old boy named Emmet Till in Money, Missi ssippi. Emmett from Chicago, was visiting relatives in Mississippi, when he was accused of embarrassing a white store clerk. In result, he was kidnapped from his great-uncles house in the middle of the night. According to witnesses, they drove him to a weathered shed on a plantation in neighboring Sunflower County, where they brutally beat and then shot him. A fan was placed around his neck was to weigh down his body, which they dropped into the Tallahatchie River. This brutal murder did not do unnoticed, his mother insisted on leaving the casket open for the funeral and allowing people to take photos because she wanted people to see how badly Tills body had been disfigured. In consequence, little Emmett Till’s vicious murder sparked the Second Reconstruction, a period when African-Americans once again began holding various political offices, and reasserting and reclaiming their civil and political rights as American citizens. A few months after the Till incident, in Montgomery Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat at the front of the colored section of a bus to a white passenger, defying a southern custom of blacks riding in the back of the bus. In response to her arrest the Montgomery blackShow MoreRelatedThe Rise Of The Civil Rights Movement1179 Words   |  5 Pagessegregations. Out of the numerous elements that arose in the 1960s, there are three movements that truly affected the American society. Firstly, the rise of the civil rights movement was greatly influenced by racial discrimination of colored people in the South. Secondly, the women’s movement aimed to convince the society that women are capable of achieving and maintaining higher waged job like males. Lastly, the gay rights movement aimed to gain acceptance and stop discrimination of homosexuality. The mostRead MoreThe Folk Music Of The Civil Rights Movement1208 Words   |  5 PagesResponse Paper #4 The folk music of the Civil Rights Movement â€Å"came out of tradition, common experience, and generations of resistance† (Dunaway 2010: 140). The songs used throughout the movement derived from the shared experiences and struggles of African Americans while connecting â€Å"the gentle, idealistic world of folk music and the integrationist world of civil rights† (Dunaway 2010: 145). Songs, such as â€Å"We Shall Overcome†, were put through the folk process, where a song is passed on and alterationsRead MoreThe Great Leaders Of The Civil Rights Movement1563 Words   |  7 Pages They seem to be forgotten until they are highlighted once again. Another example of a person that was not really highlighted for their actions is Nina Simone. She made an impact on the Civil Right Movement that not many other artist or celebrity would have done. 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Even though at the time they were considered free, they were often criticized and discriminated against. Finally, shootings, brutality, and unfair treatment were enough. In an effort to end racial segregation and discrimination against African-Americans all over the country, they took a stand. This was known as the Civil Rights Movement. There were many interesting events that cause d this movement. The three main causes thatRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement Essay1601 Words   |  7 PagesThe Civil Rights Movement â€Å"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.† This was a speech by Martin Luther King Jr. Even one hundred years after slavery was banned, African Americans were still being treated unfairly. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most famous leaders of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s. 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Habits and Traits of Rove Beetles, Family Staphylinidae

Tiny rove beetles are everywhere, yet most people rarely notice these beneficial insects. Rove beetles, which belong to the family Staphylinidae, inhabit a variety of interesting ecological niches, including ant nests, fungi, decaying plant matter, dung, and carrion. What Do Rove Beetles Look Like? Most rove beetles make their living after sunset when they emerge from hiding to pursue insect prey. You’ll find rove beetles by looking in moist environments crawling with maggots, mites, or other even springtails. Some rove beetles react to perceived threats by tipping their abdomens up, as scorpions do, but this gesture is all bark and no bite. Rove beetles can’t sting, but the larger ones can inflict a nasty bite if mishandled. Adult rove beetles rarely top 25 mm in length, and most measure considerably less (under 7 mm or so long). Their elytra are noticeably shortened, though they can fly quite well thanks to functional hindwings tucked carefully underneath. In most rove beetles, you can see several exposed abdominal segments because of this diminished wing structure. Rove beetles have mouthparts modified for chewing, often with long, sharp mandibles that close sideways across the front of the head. Because many species sport a pair of short projections at the end of the abdomen, people often mistake them for earwigs. Rove beetle larvae have elongated bodies and appear slightly flattened when viewed from the side. They’re usually off-white or beige, with a darker head. Like the adults, the larvae often have a pair of projections alongside the tip of the abdomen. How Are Rove Beetles Classified? Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass - InsectaOrder - ColeopteraFamily - Staphylinidae What Do Rove Beetles Eat? The large family Staphylinidae includes many rove beetle genera with eating habits as diverse as the group. Most rove beetles are predatory as adults and larvae, feeding on other, smaller arthropods. Within the family, however, you’ll find rove beetles that specialize on a diet of fungal spores, others that eat pollen, and still others that feed on the regurgitated food from ants. The Rove Beetle Life Cycle As all beetles do, rove beetles undergo complete metamorphosis. The mated female deposits a cluster of eggs near a source of food for her offspring. Rove beetle larvae typically inhabit moist environments, such as in soil covered by decaying leaf litter. The larvae feed and molt until they are ready to pupate. Pupation occurs in moist leaf litter or the soil. When the adults emerge, they are very active, especially at night. How Do Rove Beetles Behave? Some rove beetles use chemicals in clever ways to their advantage. Those in the genus Stenus, for example, live around ponds and streams, where they can find their favorite prey, springtails. Should a Stenus rove beetle suffer the unfortunate mishap of slipping into the water, it will release a chemical from its hind end which magically lowers the surface tension behind it, effectively thrusting it forward. Paederus beetles defend themselves by emitting the toxic pederin chemical when threatened. More than one entomology student has borne the blisters and burns from handling Paederus rove beetles. And at least one male rove beetle, Aleochara curtula, applies an anti-aphrodisiac pheromone to his female partner, rendering her undesirable to any future suitors. Where Do Rove Beetles Live? Rove beetles inhabit moist environments throughout the world. Though the family Staphylinidae numbers well over 40,000 species worldwide, we still know relatively little about rove beetles. The classification of rove beetles and related groups is ever-changing, and some entomologists estimate that Staphylinids may eventually number well over 100,000. Sources: Borror and DeLong’s Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th Edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. JohnsonInsects: Their Natural History and Diversity, by Stephen A. MarshallKaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, by Eric R. Eaton and Kenn KaufmanRove Beetles, by Carol A. Sutherland, Extension and State Entomologist, New Mexico State University, accessed November 28, 2011

Procter Gamble Vs. Gillette Essay - 1672 Words

Proctor Gamble 1. What is Proctor Gamble’s corporate strategy? Do the company’s businesses seem to be related or unrelated? Are Gillette’s businesses closely related to PG’s businesses? How will a merger with Gillette provide a 1 + 1 = 3 effect for PG? Proctor and Gamble recently completed large restructuring, put new management in place, and cut capital spending needs. Since then they are now focused on increasing top and bottom line results after shifting business mix toward higher margin, less capital-intensive health and beauty care sectors and also gearing towards developing markets and lower-income consumers. Most of the company’s products are closely related in the sense that they are household products such as Always,†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Crest is a brand of toothpaste. †¢ Dawn is a brand of dishwashing detergent. †¢ Downy/Lenor is a brand of fabric softener. †¢ Duracell is a brand of batteries and flashlights. †¢ Folgers is a brand of coffee. †¢ Gain is a brand of laundry detergent and fabric softeners. †¢ Gillette is a safety razor manufacturer. †¢ Head Shoulders is a brand of shampoo. †¢ Iams is a brand of dog and cat foods. †¢ Olay is a brand of skin lotion. †¢ Oral-B is a brand of toothbrush. †¢ Pampers is a brand of disposable diapers. †¢ Pantene is a brand of hair care. †¢ Pringles is a brand of potato crisps in many flavors. †¢ Tide is a brand of laundry detergent. Gillett’s product line was closely related to PG in a sense that their businesses tend to cater to household personal products with the exception of a few. Because of their similarities, Proctor Gamble and Gillette are a good strategic fit. Between the two entities they have the ability to combine operations, technology, resources, distribution channels and research costs in efforts to drastically cut spending. With lower costs, and the merger complete, the collaboration of Proctor Gamble and Gillette should achieve a 1+1=3 effect. 2. What is your evaluation of Proctor Gamble’s business lineup? How attractive are the industries it competes in? What is the competitive strength of each of its business segments? Does Gillette seem to compete in attractive consumer segments?Show MoreRelatedProcter Gamble vs. Gillette1857 Words   |  8 PagesProctor Gamble 1. What is Proctor Gamble’s corporate strategy? Do the company’s businesses seem to be related or unrelated? Are Gillette’s businesses closely related to PG’s businesses? How will a merger with Gillette provide a 1 + 1 = 3 effect for PG? 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Procter Gamble was quick to follow suit and introduced the Crest SpinBrush in mid 2001 and priced it at $5.99 (Young, 2002). With 50% of the market share, the Crest SpinBrush dominatesRead MoreProcter Gamble : Business1681 Words   |  7 PagesCompany Selected : Procter Gamble Business Unit : Manufacturing Introduction: Procter Gamble , Also known as PG is an American multinational consumer goods company. The headquarters of PG is in Ohio, USA. It was founded by William Procter James Gamble, both of them are from United Kingdom. PG has 23 brands with annual revenue of $1 to $10 billion sales, 14 brands with sales of $500 million. Almost all brands hold number one or two positions in their category. All the brands have significantRead MorePG Swot Analysis10435 Words   |  42 Pagesbody washes; health and beauty aids, including cosmetics, fragrances and over the counter medications; and diapers and feminine hygiene products. Other items range from cat litter to automotive additives. 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Their father-in-law suggested they build their own company since both men had useful trades- Procter was a candle maker, Gamble a soap maker. The two officially

Capture Theory and Public Interest - Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Capture Theory and Public Interest. Answer: Introduction: Entry for a foreign investor in the Indian market has to be necessarily marked by a proper strategy. The strategy basically depends on the prevailing conditions like opportunities, type of business, investment sector and many more. The foreign investors can either setup their own entity or can establish a LLP (Limited Liability Partnership). The LLP is different from normal Indian entities and has to be considered under a different set of rules i.e. Limited Liability Partnership Act 2008 whereas the other national businesses are treated under the Companies Act 2013 (Basu Mishra, 2015). The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India guides the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion which is liable to issue the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy every year in respect to the foreign investments made in the country. The structure of the policy is made by the rules and regulation made by The Reserve Bank of India, Indias central bank. Only a handful of segments like insurance, real estate and non-banking financial corporation are the ones that are monitored and require apt permission while the other type of investments are free to be made in any conditions. FDI into LLPs is also permitted but only with respect to certain conditions. Also changes in the FDI may be expected by the Indian government as it has plans to attract greater foreign investments and capital (Iyengar, 2015). Income Tax is managed as per the Income Tax Act 1961, while the indirect tax which includes: Value added Tax Custom and Excise Duty can be altered as per the central and state laws. Corporate Tax which is currently 30% is about to get reduced to 25% as per the government. The government is also making plans and is set to introduce Goods and Sales Tax (GST) by 2016 which would remove the complexity of different taxes (Panchal, 2016). Exit strategy and dispute settlement in India It is well known that getting in the market is a very pressure related thing which should have alternatives and tight precautions which is referred to as the Exit strategy. An exit strategy is important because: If the partnership isnt on the same track. If a part of the authority gets into financial troubles. If the goals of the company with respect to the partner changes. Changes in market circumstances or environment. Cashing out on a project that is triumphant. Settlement of disputes in India Court system is prevalent in India to manage both central and state laws. This system is divided into three levels: The lower district courts. The high courts. The Supreme court- apex court of India. It takes time for cases to get solved in India due to the previously accumulated cases. So the commercial problems are managed in an alternate way which is named as Arbitration. A comparability test was run between the Ind AS and the IFRS which resulted in major deviation and many other differences in other areas. In respect to mandatory deviation, it was seen that IFRS offers multiple policy choices while Ind AS lays stress on one. These include: IFRS allows the income statement to be presented separately while Ind AS demands for a summoned one. IFRS categorizes profit and loss on the basis of function while Ind AS does it on nature. Categorization of interest and dividend as financing/investing cash flows. The above mentioned points can be a test for Indian companies if they reside under a global brand which follows other international rules. Another matter arises where a company has the right to follow the prescribed IFRS or to function as per another set of alternative rules. Singapore has a central location in the Asian Pacific which makes it the hub of many financial institutions which have chosen it as their headquarters or primary settled place. According to the recent records, Singapore is only behind London and New York in the Global Financial Index Centre. Singapore recently beat Japan to become the largest financial exchange hub in the whole of Asia (Li-ann, 2012). All the financial exchanges all over Singapore are maintained by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The MAS is also the central bank of Singapore. The MAS takes over on: Merchant banks. Financial advisers. Business trusts. Payments and settlement systems. Securities and future fund management. Money brokers. Finance companies. Trust companies, and Money-charging and remittance businesses. As per MAS. (2018), six key operations of MAS to manage the above segments are: Financial surveillance. Exercising resolution powers over financial institutions. Regulation, this includes setting risk-based capital and prudential requirements. Authorization, this includes monitoring the institutions which provide financial services in Singapore. Monitoring any rule breach by financial institutions, including prudential and anti-money laundering and eliminating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), and Enforcement, which includes strict action against those institutions and individuals who breach prudential, AML/CFT and market conduct requirements (Shenoy et. al, 2009). There are other authorities as well which monitor and manage the conducts of business in Singapore like: The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), which maintains the business entities. The Singapore Exchange (SGX), which is the lone stock exchange in Singapore. It also has a key role in dictatorial processes related to: Member supervision. Issuer regulation. Listings, and Market surveillance. Legislation and other non-statutory publications There are different legislative rules for managing the above sectors: The Financial Advisers Act. The Business Trust Act. The Finance Companies Act. The Banking Act. The Insurance Act. The Money-Changing and Remittance Business Act. The Monetary Authority of Singapore Act. The Securities and Futures Act, and The Trust Companies Act. All the instructions, procedures, codes, circulars, FAQs and notifications are introduced by the MAS with respect to powers issued as per the Monetary Authority of Singapore Act, as it is the lone financial services monitoring system for the abovementioned legislation (Andrew Boon Leong, 2012). IFRS Singapore has a dense structured IFRS in comparison to Malaysia and Indonesia. But some problems still prevail in IFRS with relation to the financial services. It was considered positive but still, the question was raised to whether it is useful and meaningful or not which have proved to be nonsense as the IFRS has been a success for accumulating capital exchanges on a high in Singapore. Analysis of Environment of India and Singapore using Capture theory The theory of regulatory capture theory might be useful because the impact of government regulation is intended for addressing the requirements of industry regulation. This means that legislators are captured by the industry, the regulation organization will be controlled by the industry finally, and the lawmen as a whole also become captured by the industry. Hence, the government regulations legislatures or government regulatory organizations facilitate in representing only the groups having special interests instead of the common public. In other words, the regulation of government intends to attain social benefits while the outcome of the special interest group is rent-seeking in nature. However, in some of the cases, government regulations can also bring various advantages for benefiting the common public but it is not the original government intention of implementation and regulation of the government (Mankiw William, 2011). In contrast to this, it is the accidental outcome of the regulation at the most. The first and foremost characteristic that sheds light on the fact that a regulatory environment may be captured is the economic rationale of such environment. The reason behind such perspective can be attributed to the fact that vested interests in an industry can have the highest financial holding in regulatory activity and are more likely to be encouraged to affect the regulatory body than the dispersed individual consumers, each of whom has very minimal incentives to try to influence the regulators (Mankiw Taylor, 2011). Furthermore, capture can also be implemented in situations wherein taxpayers or consumers have very little or poor understanding of underlying issues and the businesses enjoy a knowledgeable advantage. It is also notable that a regulatory agency must be safeguarded from outside influence as much as possible. In relation to this, it must be noted that large industries that possess a huge amount of power and resources can easily capture the regulatory bodies and u se such power to block rules at the state, provincial, or federal level that the voters may desire even though domestic interests can thwart national priorities. Hence, this is another characteristic which states that large companies having a relationship with federalism might shed light upon the fact that the regulatory environment is captured as a whole. For instance, industries associated with mining, banking, energy, construction of weapon systems, etc can easily outperform the regulatory environment and make it perform according to its wishes. In addition to this, when it can be seen that there are transfers of job betwixt the regulated and the regulator, it highlights the presence of a captured regulatory environment (World Bank, 2014). Similarly, when there is an evidence of payment from the regulated to the regulator, it signifies that the regulatory environment is captured. For example, when it comes to India, it can be observed that people who retire from Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd are again employed in higher positions in AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board). Such AERB is the nuclear regulator in India whereas NPCIL is a PSU owned by the Indian government. Such change of jobs shed light on the interests of conflicts that prevail. Besides, it has also been witnessed that the advisory committee of AERB are accommodated with people retired from or serving in NPCIL, DAE (Department of Atomic Energy), etc. Furthermore, the funding for the AERB also comes from the DAE whose nuclear installations are needed to be regulated by the AERB. Hence, the characteristic of funding betwixt the regulator and regulator is also fulfilled in this scenario as the independence of AERB is compromised. These characteristics clearly shed light on the fact that AERB is captured (Potter, 2014). Nevertheless, this also portrays a question mark whether the AERB being the nuclear regulator of India is serving the interests of its people in an effective way. In Singapore, the entire financial segment is governed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and it is also one of the few banks that operates with the government by reporting directly to the P.M. This is the reason why the Singapore government decided to appoint a cabinet minister as the chairman of MAS. This sheds light on the fact that there is a norm of transfer of jobs between the regulated and the regulator. Besides, MAS being a single financial sector governing entity is prone to risks from becoming succumbed to group think or politicised as a whole. Such sectoral model is clearly prone to a regulatory capture because firstly, there is a single powerful entity who is governing the entire financial sector of Singapore and secondly, the authority has a relationship with federalism wherein it has to sit and operate with the government of Singapore. Therefore, if the government had d ecided to appoint its cabinet minister as the first chairman of MAS, there has to be some kind of relationship whether economic or not, betwixt the government and the bank. Nevertheless, it may be feasible that the bank must have had some materialistic capture motive that has resulted in the government taking such illogical step. In such regulatory capture, the captured regulators purpose is entirely based on self-interest (Regine, 2012). Therefore, it might have happened that the decision of appointment of a cabinet minister as the chairman of MAS has resulted from political donations, bribery, or regulators wishes to sustain the funding of the government (Christina, 2008). However, the successive governments have played a key role in the present scenario by making the arrangement work through fiscal responsibilities and avoidance from interfering in the day to day affairs of MAS. Conclusion Regulatory capture theory is a part of the economics of rules and regulations. It intends to describe the rationale and reality of the governments economic regulation. From the aforesaid analysis, capture theory clearly postulates that the present industry or activity players seek to impact and ultimately take over the functioning of a regulated bureau or agency so that its affairs are directed towards benefitting the participants of such industry instead of the general public. Taking into account the regulatory environment of India, it is observable that the country is prone to several problems like taxation, foreign investment policy, entry options, etc. Furthermore, for the adoption of IFRS methods, the existing accounting standards of India are insufficient considering the requirements of being a global brand in such competitive environment (Sharp, 2014). These character traits shed light that India as a regulatory environment is easily prone to be captured. Besides, the regulato rs of Indian economy who desire maximum number of votes in the elections are the ones who can become the regulated. This is the reason why the relationship betwixt AERB and NPCIL are been reflected. It clearly shows that there are transfer of jobs betwixt such regulated and the regulator. In addition, funding of the AERB also comes from the Department of Atomic Energy. Therefore, India as a regulatory environment is surely prone to capture theory because the Indian government prioritizes economic interests instead of the welfare of the Indian public. This is the reason why AERB has failed to discharge its duties towards the general public (Sharp, 2014). Moreover, the dispute settlement issues that prevail in the regulatory environment of India also gives confidence to the government so that they can compromise the requirements of the general public for the betterment of the regulatory industry. In contrast to this, when it comes to Singapore, although there is one financial regulator MAS that governs all banking and financial regulations across the country, yet it must be taken into account that the MAS itself sits with the Singapore government. Furthermore, Singapore has also failed to adopt the best methods for IFRS and instead, it faces issues in relation to financial services. Nevertheless, there is always a risk of MAS becoming succumbed to groupthink or becoming politicized as a whole. Besides, the Singapore government has a better opportunity when it comes to capturing theory as it does not have to make arrangements with different industries and instead, only one major industry can allow it to gain a competitive advantage in the market that is not intended for the well-being of the general public (Thomas et. al, 2010). Therefore, these points shed light on the fact that the captured regulators objective is primarily based on self-interest and without powerful policie s and procedures in the countrys regulatory environment; the captured theory cannot be avoided. Overall, such capturing remains ongoing in a way that the regulations remain unfavorable to the interests of the players in the regulated industry but they attain the position of turning the situation around in a way that works for the benefit of the entire industry instead of the public. References Andrew Boon Leong, P. (2012). The Law of Contract in Singapore. Singapore: Academy Publishing Basu, N., Mishra, D. (2015, January 13). India suffers from an unpredictable regulatory environment: John Castellani. Retrieved from https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/india-should-develop-a-robust-enforceable-legal-framework-through-the-proposed-national-ipr-policy-john-castellani-115011100257_1.html Christina D, R. (2008). Business Cycles. Oxford University Press Diane, C. (2014). GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History. Princeton University Press Gary Kok Yew, C., Pey Woan, L. (2011). The Law of Torts in Singapore. Singapore: Academy Publishing, Graham, D. (2006). Economics and Economic Change. Prentice Hall. Iyengar, R. (2015, September 13). India Has Overtaken the U.S. and China to Top Spot in a Key World Foreign Investment Table. Retrieved from https://time.com/4055183/india-fdi-greenfield-top-rank-u-s-china/ Li-ann, T. (2012). A Treatise on Singapore Constitutional Law. Singapore:Academic Publishing Mankiw, N. G., William M. S. (2011). Macroeconomics. Canadian ed, New York: Worth Mankiw, N.G., Taylor, M.P. (2011). Economics. Andover: Cengage Learning MAS. (2018). Monetary Authority of Singapore. Retrieved from https://www.mas.gov.sg/regulations-and-financial-stability/regulatory-and-supervisory-framework.aspx Panchal, S. (2016, August 7). India's tax, regulatory environment challenging: Foreign investors in PwC survey. Retrieved from https://www.forbesindia.com/article/special/indias-tax-regulatory-environment-challenging-foreign-investors-in-pwc-survey/44085/1 Potter, M.R. (2014). Capture Theory and the Public Interest: Balancing Competing Values to Ensure Regulatory Effectiveness. International Journal of Public Administration, 37, 638-645. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2014.903266 Regine, F. (2012). Protectionism and Free Trade: A Countrys Glory or Doom? International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, 5(3), 55-62 Sharp, D. (2014). Introduction to Regulatory Capture Theory. Retrieved from https://economics.org.au/2014/02/introduction-to-regulatory-capture-theory/ Shenoy, George T.L., Loo, Wee Ling. (2009). Principles of Singapore Business Law. Singapore: Cengage Learning Asia Thomas, C.G., Soule, A.B., Davis, T.B. (2010). Special Interest Capture of Regulatory Agencies, A Ten?Year Analysis of Voting Behavior on Regional Fishery Management Councils, 38(3), 447-464. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-0072.2010.00369.x World Bank. (2014). World Development Indicators (WDI). World Bank