Susies Afterlife Essay Example

Susies Afterlife Essay Example Susies Afterlife Essay Susies Afterlife Essay How does Sebold use representations of speech and other literary techniques to portray Susies feelings about her afterlife in the following extract (Chapter 2, Pages 19-20) and in one other extract in the novel? For most of the novel, Susies heaven is, for her, simply a place from which she can observe her family on Earth. The casual tone Sebold uses as Susie describes the contents of her heaven and the simple dreams she has (an ice cream shopa newspaper where our pictures appeared a lot) show the reader that however miraculous this image of heaven is, Susie still has a strong link binding her to her split-level on Earth an echo of sameness riding up over the hill. Her strongest desire is one of the only things her heaven cannot provide, as shown by the simple declarative I wanted to be allowed to grow up, although the use of the past tense foreshadows a change in Susies attitude towards her afterlife later in the novel. While in the first extract Susies heaven appears mundane, even boring, in my chosen extract (Susies meeting with her grandfather) Sebold shows a more spiritual, paranormal element of heaven the typical idea of heaven that most readers imagine. In Chapter 2 there is a clear sense of Susies immaturity and innocence, highlighting the tragedy of her death and suggesting that Susie does not belong in heaven and should be on Earth with her family this reflects Susies desire to cling onto her life on Earth. The verb pretend in the simple declarative Then we can pretend better is associated with childhood games and imaginary worlds, showing us that Susie is still a child and the idea of heaven is a game to her. This is also reflected in the abstract noun secrets in the simple declarative To know the secrets this lexical choice suggests that, for Susie, the idea of adulthood is as much an extraordinary other world as heaven is, but one she can never experience. The irony here is that for many people on Earth who have reached adulthood, the idea of heaven or an afterlife is ridiculous, whereas for Susie the opposite is true. Sebold widens the gap between Susie and the people on Earth and thereby encourages the reader to open their minds to other possibilities. The use of the verb allowed in the simple declarative I wanted to be allowed to grow up also highlights Susies innocence as it encourages the reader to think that she needs permission, a childlike idea. That someone could give their permission to allow such a simple desire is a childish idea, and therefore also highlights the tragedy of the circumstances. Sebold capitalises the concrete noun Earth while heaven is always in lowercase; this indicates where Susies heart lies and how she sees the Earth almost as a living being, like her family. The pairing of the simple interrogatives Was it my father? Was it what I had wanted all this time so desperately? reflects the fast pace of Susies thoughts and her desperation to be with her family. This is highlighted strongly by the adverb desperately. Susies use of the proper noun Grandaddy in Chapter 18 again represents her innocence and youth, despite being in heaven, but the simplicity of this single unit of speech also reflects the simplicity of this episode and Susies simple desire to be with her family again. The simple lexical choices and sentence structure in this episode, such as in the simple declarative Youre so close and interrogative Do you remember? reflect the familiarity and ease between Susie and her grandfather; there is no need for complex language to show off or pretend to be someone theyre not. This also reflects the simplicity of Sebolds image of heaven; characters such as Holly and Franny usually use simple lexical choices and sentence structures, as in the dialogue between Holly and Susie Do you like it here?, No., Me either. This is in contrast with the way in which characters are portrayed on Earth, where emotions are hidden behind masks and answers are never straightforward, as in the case of Abigail. Susies heaven is a way for her to experience the dreams she had on Earth it had a newspaper where our pictures appeared a lot and made us look important This complex declarative encapsulates the common dreams of most young people; Sebold portrays Susie as a generic 14 year old girl in order for the reader to connect with her character emotionally. The simple declaratives Thats how Holly and I got our duplex and I hated our split-level on Earth could suggest that Susie wants to distance herself from anything to do with Mr. Harvey, and the echo of sameness riding up over the hill reminds her too much of him. The reader associates the abstract noun echo with memories and loss, suggesting that this particular memory offers no comfort to Susie. This lexical choice is almost ethereal; Susie is haunted by the thoughts of her old neighbourhood and Mr. Harvey. Mr. Harvey dead and me living is separated from the rest of the complex declarative by a colon, which sets this idea apart and shows the significance it holds for Susie. It is clear from Chapter 18 that a change has come over Susies feelings towards her heaven. There are fewer interrogatives in this episode than there are in Chapter 2 Susie has come to terms with what has happened and understands the concept of heaven now. The interrogative that she does ask, the adverb Where? is clearly not reflecting any desperation of Susies for answers; she is content to be in the moment. The reader is alerted to a shifting a change happening on Earth and in heaven. The use of asyndetic listing (Seismic, impossible, a rending and tearing of time and space) shows that Susie does not understand what is happening, but the adjectives seismic and impossible again sound other-worldly, and the reader is reminded of the strangeness of this episode, as well as being examples of Sebolds use of magical realism. Both Chapter 2 and Chapter 18 show that Susie shows no fear of death or the afterlife, which is again simple and childlike. She accepts the situation easily, her connection to Earth and her family being too strong. The main feelings which Sebold makes the reader aware of are Susies desperation to be with her family and regret at Mr. Harveys continued existence on Earth, which dont allow her to fully realise the depth and mysticism of her heaven until later in the novel.

How to Build Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills in College

How to Build Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills in College College is an excellent setting for students to hone their communication skills. Becoming a responsible communicator is a coveted skill with high value to prospective employers. It’s also a sign of maturity, humanity and leadership. Whether practice a sport or belong to any groups or clubs, your ability to communicate effectively is key to your success and depending on the role you hold, the success of the group. It can also help you make and keep friends and ensure a , not to mention help you develop positive relationships with your professors. Here are some ways to practice effective communication while in college: Learn to Listen One of the most underrated and yet most important communication skills is listening. Instructions The ability to listen to and recall information comes in very handy when someone is giving you instructions. Always keep in mind: what is the goal of this exercise? If the goal is to demonstrate teamwork in a sporting exercise, then the focus will be different than if the goal were to merely demonstrate physical ability. Make sure you pay attention to both the small details and the big picture. Empathizing If someone comes to you to vent their frustration about something, try to remain empathetic but neutral. Don’t stoke the flames of their frustration nor ask them to calm down. Rather just try to listen to their perspective and put yourself in their shoes. The ability to be a good listener is also usually a sign of good leadership. Feedback When a teacher, coach or other student is giving you corrective feedback, try to understand their point of view and don’t ever take anything personally. Be flexible in your thinking so you can be open to new ideas and perspectives. Accepting the fact that you’re not always right about everything will make it easier for you to work with people and will also enhance your learning skills. Standing Your Ground However, sometimes there are situations where you’ll have to stick up for yourself. If you were given an unfair grade or were unduly punished or were accused of something you didn’t do by a friend or classmate, then it’s important you voice your opinion. In these cases, you want to avoid either of these conflict types: The fighter Having an emotional reaction, demonstrating anger or offense will only aggravate the situation. The avoider However, running away from conflict and letting the injustice slide will not serve you in this situation or in the future. Try this: Diplomacy Instead, try to arrange a meeting in a neutral setting and come prepared with valid points on why the person was mistaken. Use neutral language and be diplomatic. Don’t raise your voice or display anger, but do sit up tall, look the person in the eye and speak with confidence. Learning How to Give Feedback If you’re in a leadership role such as the captain of a team or the editor of the school newspaper, you’ll have to learn how to give feedback: Don’t give immediate feedback if it’s negative If an incident just happened, it’s best to wait a while before approaching the person about it. If you give immediate feedback, it can come across as irritation or anger. When the situation cools down, then you can approach them. Be specific Don’t say things like â€Å"You didn’t do a good job.† That’s too general and not helpful. Instead, let them know specifically where they failed: â€Å"The formatting for this month’s newspaper was off and had to be corrected at the last minute at the printer’s.† Give helpful suggestions and guidance Using the example above, you could suggest the following: â€Å"Let’s go over the formatting together this month in order to make sure everything’s okay before going to print.† Learning how to express thoughts and opinions, how to de-escalate conflict, how to empathize and offer feedback and guidance to others are all skills that can be practiced in college and which will serve you in professional and personal relationships afterwards.

The attitude of Saudi students in Brighton towards teaching English Essay

The attitude of Saudi students in Brighton towards teaching English - Essay Example This section presents the results and analysis of the data gathered as well as their interpretations. A questionnaire made up of eight close-ended items was built and administered to Saudi students in Brighton, United Kingdom. The results were statistically treated to ascertain percentages, means and standard deviations and interpreted.Numerous studies showed that FLES does not have a negative effect on students’ academic achievements and their first language. Attitudinal studies that dealt with Arab students’ attitude towards learning EFL showed that Arab students are instrumentally motivated to learn English. An attitudinal study was conducted to measure Saudi secondary public schools students’ attitude towards EFL. The study revealed that the students desired to speak English for instrumental reasons and also wanted it to be included in the curriculum.With respect to whether English should be introduced in the elementary state schools’ curriculum or not , the results indicate that an extremely high percentage of respondents support the statement. 52.6% strongly agree and 63.8% agree while one participant is neutral (5.3%) and one disagrees (5.3%). The mean score is 4.37 and the standard deviation is 0.831. Therefore, it can be said that the majority of the participants encourage introducing English as a foreign language in the elementary state schools. Participants also support the statement that learning English will not have a negative outcome on students’ identity.

How Should We Help Our Organizations to Use Internet-Based Essay

How Should We Help Our Organizations to Use Internet-Based Conferencing Safely and Effectively - Essay Example Additionally, internet supported communication offers a lot of advantages such as members can get together when and where they want. Also, the use of computers as a collaboration tool can also augment the amount of information obtainable to a team and increase the pace and authority with which team members get, process, and distribute their individual and combined efforts (Thompson & Coovert, 2003) Computer conferencing can be used when two or more users are able to meet using two or more computers. In computer conference, one member is responsible for controlling what is on the computer screen on the other hand for all others to see. In this scenario, that member is acknowledged as a host or moderator. Though, all the participants can fully take part in a conference call at the same time as looking at one presentation on the computer but they can also exchange a few words by instant messaging. In addition, some computer conferences can take place at the same time with a telephone co nference. In this scenario, members can chat by means of the telephone at the same time as they look at what is taking place on the screen (Ayers, 2012). One of the biggest benefits of computer conferencing which attracts the business organizations to use computer conferences is that people all over the world can take an equal part in the conference. In fact, they only need a computer with an Internet connection. In this scenario, a host distributes an email to team members and provides them a link to the conference room or web room and the meeting and time of the conference. Hence, if someone is unable to attend the conference, he can reject the request right from the email and let them know the reason. Along with numerous advantages especially the team members’ location, there are other pros to making use of computer conferencing. For instance, if someone wants to take part in a web based training session; they can get in touch with a number of people from a variety of doma ins straight away. In this scenario, moderator or host can launch the computer conference with the intention that other people can each independently do a workout or otherwise actively take part in the conference appearing on their screen. In addition, the host can also provide authority of what is on the screen to other participants in order that he can weigh up their ideas and thoughts (Ayers, 2012; ReferencesForBusiness, 2012).

Ethical Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethical - Case Study Example Ethical dilemmas often result from matters of law, health science field and stands of different individuals and organizations on issues related to human morals. The church, especially the Catholic has created a great deal of controversies on condom use as one way of limiting down the spread of HIV/Aids pandemic. This has not been taken well by the greater world community. A dilemma faced by the elderly and the sick individuals in the society is a choice to lead a fruitful life free from negligence. This does not spare the healthy individuals who find themselves at cross-roads when one of their loved ones falls sick or ages. There is a conflict between the code of ethics depicted by workers concerning a patient’s privacy and the issue of solving the problem they are facing (Kathleen & James, 2007). The reporting of the case concerning Mr Bert to the administration violated the code of confidentiality. She ended up breaking Steven’s confidence in her as well as giving out information on the patient. The workers in health facilities have codes to observe in the line of their

Impact of Foreign Aid on Economic Growth

Impact of Foreign Aid on Economic Growth Abstract The massive expenditures on foreign aid programs by developed nations and international institutions, in combination with the perceived lack of results from these disbursements, raise important questions as to the actual effectiveness of monetary assistance to less developed countries (LDCs). In this analysis, I focus on 119 low- and medium-development countries, and measure the impact that foreign aid has on their growth rates of gross domestic product, using dummy variables for geography and conflict in a geometric lag model. The results indicate that foreign aid donations do have a positive impact on the economic growth of the recipient nation. The effect is extremely modest, however, and other factors such as armed conflict and geography can easily mitigate this impact, in some cases to the extent that foreign aid becomes detrimental to economic growth. Further analysis of the results indicate that this impact is quickly felt, with half of the total impact of foreign aid felt in approximately six months. Key Words: Foreign aid, economic growth, economic development 1. Introduction Over the last half century, foreign aid has emerged as a dominant strategy for alleviating poverty in the third world. Not coincidentally, during this time period major international institutions, such as the United Nations, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund gained prominence in global economic affairs.  [1]  Yet it seems that sixty years later, the lesser developed countries (LDCs) of the world continue to suffer from economic hardship, raising questions of whether foreign aid is a worthwhile and effective approach to boosting growth and development in recipient economies. Research on the subject has attempted to draw an empirical connection between foreign aid and economic growth. Despite these efforts, however, there is no solid consensus among scholars on the actual effectiveness of foreign aid inflows.  [2]   The term foreign aid can imply a number of different activities, ranging from humanitarian support in the wake of natural disasters to military assistance and arms donations.  [3]  For the purposes of this analysis, however, I refer to the standard definition of official development assistance, or aid that is aimed at increasing economic development, and has a grant component of at least 25% of the total aid package.  [4]  Critics of development assistance cite a variety of reasons why it is a poor strategy for combating global poverty. Some argue that it can breed corruption, weaken accountability, and cause government to become excessively large.  [5]  Nonetheless, as researchers Hansen and Tarp (2000) write, it is neither analytically defensible or empirically credible to argue from the outset that aid never works.  [6]  Indeed, a number of studies have shown a positive relationship between foreign aid and economic growth, especially in countries which have respons ible economic policies regarding trade, inflation, and other macroeconomic concerns. The purpose of this analysis is to study the effects of foreign aid inflows on real gross domestic product growth rates. It differs from existing research in two key ways. First, I utilize a geometric lag model to capture the continued impact of foreign aid inflows for years after its initial introduction into the economy.  [7]  Second, I incorporate several dummy variables for geography, political stability, and development to determine their additional impact on foreign aids effectiveness in growing GDP. 2. Literature Review There are two contrasting sides to this debate: one which argues that aid has a positive effect on economic growth, with even more impact in countries with sound economic and trade policies; and another which contends that foreign aid causes corruption, encourages rent-seeking behavior, and erodes bureaucratic institutions. A renewed interest in explaining cross-country economic growth emerged in the early 1990s, with numerous studies attempting to answer the foreign aid question. To date, however, there is no consensus among scholars as to the actual effects of foreign aid on economic growth. There have been several prominent studies which find a causal link between foreign aid and economic growth. Perhaps the most well-known of these was performed by two researchers for the World Bank, Craig Burnside and David Dollar (1997). They found that foreign aid enhances economic growth, so long as good fiscal policies are in place. These policies can include maintaining small budget deficits, controlling inflation, and being open to global trade.  [8]  Durbarry, et. al. (1998) also found a positive association between foreign aid and economic growth, and confirmed Burnside and Dollars finding of conditionality on good economic policy. The study also concluded, however, that the degree to which aid impacts GDP depends largely on other factors as well, such as geography.  [9]  Ali and Isse (2005) further confirmed the findings of Burnside and Dollar. The study also demonstrated, though, that aid is subject to decreasing marginal returns, indicating a threshold beyond which development assistance can become detrimental to economic growth.  [10]   Not all research has shown a positive relationship to exist between aid and growth. Even before Burnside and Dollars monumental findings, a study by Peter Boone (1994) found that aid-intensive African countries experienced zero per capita economic growth in the 1970s and 80s, despite foreign aid actually increasing (as measured by share of GDP).  [11]  Additionally, Knack (2001) found that high levels of foreign aid can erode bureaucratic and institutional quality, triggering corruption, and encouraging rent-seeking behavior.  [12]   There is also evidence that the effects of foreign aid can be mitigated by other non-economic factors. Situations of state failure, such as ethnic conflict, genocide or politicide, and revolution can all potentially influence the extent to which aid impacts growth. George Mason Universitys Political Instability Task Force (PITF) created a binary dataset indicating in which countries and during what years these events take place. According to the PITF, an ethnic conflict requires the clash of two separate ethnic, religious, or nationalistic factions, and also must meet two threshold criteria: 1,000 people must be mobilized for armed conflict, and at least 1,000 people per year must have died as a direct result of this conflict. Similarly, revolutions are defined as episodes of violent conflict between political groups in hopes of overthrowing the current regime, and must meet the same threshold criteria as ethnic wars. Finally, genocide and politicides are defined in a slightly differ ent manner. These events occur when the group in power carries out sustained policies that target ethnic, religious, or political rivals, ultimately resulting in the deaths of a substantial portion of one of those groups.  [13]   Easterly and Levine (1997) studied the effects of high ethnic fractionalization on economic growth. By fractionalization, they mean the probability that two randomly chosen people from a population will be of different ethno-linguistic backgrounds. Easterly and Levine conclude that movement from heterogeneity to homogeneity (decreasing fractionalization) results in better schooling, more efficient infrastructures, and more developed financial systems and foreign exchange markets.  [14]  According to their findings, then, it is entirely possible that ethnic conflict, in its attempt to move away from ethnic diversity and towards ethnic homogeneity, will actually improve economic growth. Despite their findings, however, the instability of the regime could still negatively impact the degree of aids effectiveness. Not a lot of attention is paid to genocide, politicide, and revolution and their effects on growth in the literature. Moreover, there has been virtually no research performed on this question as it concerns the effectiveness of aid. It is reasonable to believe, though, that resources (including foreign aid) are siphoned off by the dominant party and used for individual benefit rather than for economically efficient activities, as intended. Furthermore, out of respect for state sovereignty, these events are not likely to prompt a major international response, which would perhaps eliminate local control over resources and allow them to be used productively. Ethnic conflict, on the other hand, typically ignores state boundaries. One study by Gurr (1993) estimated that over two-thirds of identified ethnic communal groups in the world have kindred in another country. The spread across state borders allows other states to intervene without violating state sovereignty, which could positively impact how resources are used, and ultimately, economic growth. Additionally, a countrys geographic location can influence economic performance; nations that are landlocked, for instance, are at a natural disadvantage in global trade. Sachs and Warner (1996) write, Landlocked countries, in particular, face very high costs of shipping, since they must pay road transport costs across at least on international boundary in addition to sea freight costs. Although air shipments can help overcome many of these problems, only certain goods can be economically shipped by air, and most countries still import and export the majority of goods by the sea.  [15]   A report by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (1999) specifically mentions the positive relationship between aid and growth in landlocked countries, noting that they are at a disadvantage for these reasons, as well.  [16]  Due to their geographical position, then, landlocked countries could potentially benefit from foreign assistance, as it may fill the gap in trade that they experience relative to countries with easy access to international trade. 3. Methodology 3.1 Data I direct the focus of this analysis to low- and medium-development countries as defined by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its Human Development Index (HDI).  [17]  These nations were selected since they are the most likely to be recipients of foreign aid, whereas high-development nations are the most likely to be donors. I select the HDI as a basis for classification because in addition to income, the index accounts for life expectancy as measured by infant mortality rates, and educational attainment as measured by adult literacy rates and gross enrollment ratios for primary, secondary, and tertiary schools. This provides for a more thorough understanding of a countrys stage of development and a comprehensive measure of quality of life.  [18]  In all, 119 countries of the 177 analyzed by the UNDP (67%) meet the development criteria and were included in this study.  [19]   Due to data availability issues, I restrict the range of this study to the period from 1980 to 2003. With 119 cross sections, there is a potential 2,856 observations over this time span. After taking into account missing data for the independent variables included in the model, 1,760 remain, or about 62%. A vast majority of the missing data is a result of the overall lack of information regarding Sub-Saharan Africa and Soviet bloc countries during the early 1980s. Furthermore, I aim to measure the impact of foreign aid on average, across both time and countries. Thus, I employ pooled data analysis. I collect the data in annual format from several sources. Most of the data come from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)  [20]  and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  [21]  Table 1 below lists the variables included in this study and the source from which they were gathered: Table 1: Data Sources Variable Unit Source Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate IMF Official Development Assistance Millions $US UNCTAD Household Consumption Growth Rate UNCTAD Government Expenditures Growth Rate UNCTAD Exports*Petroleum Exporter Growth Rate UNCTAD Imports Growth Rate UNCTAD Agricultural Production Growth Rate UNCTAD Gross Capital Formation Growth Rate UNCTAD Inflation Growth Rate IMF Openness to Trade  [22]   Share of GDP UNCTAD Energy Consumption Per Capita Millions of BTUs Energy Information Agency, U.S. Dept of Energy Major Petroleum Exporter Dummy 1=Yes, 0=Otherwise UNCTAD Non-Tropics Dummy  [23]   1=Yes, 0=Otherwise IUCN World Conservation Union Foreign Direct Investment Inflows Millions $US UNCTAD Ethnic Conflict Dummy 1=Yes, 0=Otherwise Political Instability Task Force, University of Maryland Genocide Dummy 1=Yes, 0=Otherwise Political Instability Task Force, University of Maryland Revolution Dummy 1=Yes, 0=Otherwise Political Instability Task Force, University of Maryland Landlocked Country Dummy 1=Yes, 0=Otherwise UNCTAD Low Development Dummy 1=Yes, 0=Otherwise United Nations Development Programme Data for household consumption, government expenditures, exports, imports, agricultural production, and gross capital formation were only available in share of GDP format. Since I aim to explain growth rates in GDP, however, percentage changes in the dollar amounts of each of these variables would be more appropriate. Thus, I transform these numbers into growth rates as well.  [24]   3.2 Model Specification I assume that inflows of foreign aid will continue to impact the economy for years after its initial introduction, but at a decreasing rate. It would therefore be unsuitable to use an ordinary least squares model, since it would only take into account aid inflows in the year they were received and disregard the continued impact that foreign aid has on the economy in the years after its introduction. To effectively capture this rationale, I use a geometric lag model which incorporates an infinite number of lags for each variable, but weights each lag in a geometrically declining fashion. The general form of this type of model is: (1) Note that in the model a weight is attached to each lag (ÃŽÂ »), a value between zero and one that diminishes geometrically as time passes. Mathematically, this model is the same as:  [25]   (2) This simpler form, however, shows the dependent variable Y on the right side of the equation. Since Y is already shown to have an error component in (1), this simplification introduces a stochastic regressor into the model, requiring two-stage least squares (TSLS) regression. In order to ensure the instruments required for TSLS are non-stochastic, I lag each one period. Thus, to the observer at time t, values for instruments at t-1 are fixed. In other words, these instruments are stochastic but predetermined. 3.3 Expected Results I expect to find a positive relationship between foreign aid and economic growth on average, as indicated by most prior research on this subject. I further anticipate, however, that aid will have a detrimental effect on low-development countries since they lack efficient infrastructures and institutions which might make foreign aid donations more effective. I expect ethnic conflict, genocide and revolution to negatively influence the effectiveness of foreign aid, but leave open the possibility that ethnic conflict could positively influence aids impact based on Easterlys study. Furthermore, I expect landlocked countries to experience additional positive gains from foreign aid, since they are at a trade disadvantage. 4. Results and Analysis The results of the TSLS regression are shown below in Table 2: Table 2: TSLS Regression Results Parameter Estimate Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. Constant Term 0.091 0.400 0.228 0.820 GDP(-1) [Lambda] 0.233 0.087 2.692 0.007 Household Consumption 6.307 2.241 2.814 0.005 Government Expenditures 4.505 1.305 3.452 0.001 Exports*Petroleum Exporter 9.825 1.866 5.266 0.000 Imports -3.746 0.963 -3.891 0.000 Agricultural Production 10.976 1.992 5.510 0.000 Gross Capital Formation 7.262 0.834 8.703 0.000 Inflation -0.001 0.000 -2.282 0.023 Openness to Trade 0.020 0.005 4.301 0.000 Energy Consumption -0.013 0.004 -3.212 0.001 Energy Cons.*Low Dev. -0.052 0.014 -3.822 0.000 Less than Half of Land in Tropics (1=Yes) 0.742 0.326 2.275 0.023 Foreign Direct Investment 0.000 0.000 2.124 0.034 Foreign Aid 0.001 0.000 3.233 0.001 Foreign Aid*Ethnic Conflict 0.001 0.000 2.202 0.028 Foreign Aid*Genocide*Low Dev. -0.017 0.009 -1.948 0.052 Foreign Aid*Revolution -0.001 0.000 -2.731 0.006 Foreign Aid*Landlocked 0.002 0.001 1.847 0.065 Foreign Aid*Landlocked*Low Dev. -0.003 0.001 -2.320 0.021 R-squared 0.415 S.E. of regression 4.535 Adjusted R-squared 0.408 Durbin-Watson stat 2.069 The model can be written as in general terms as follows: (3) Where: GDP = Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate (for country i at time t) ODA = Official Development Assistance (for country i at time t) DUMMY = Vector for Dummy Variables (for country i at time t) Z = Vector for All Other Variables (for country i at time t) The results of the regression indicate that approximately 42% of the variation in GDP growth rates is explained by the variables included in the model, as evidenced by the R-squared value. Further, each coefficient estimate is significant at the 0.05 level, with the exception of a few borderline cases and the constant term. These coefficients are also consistent with my expectations, however the coefficient for the ethnic conflict dummy did turn out to be in harmony with Easterlys study of ethnic fractionalization. The Durbin-Watson statistic fails to conclusively determine the presence of serial correlation. Further analysis of the residuals, however, indicates that it is not a statistically significant problem.  [26]  The model was also tested for the presence of heteroskedasticity, both across time and cross sections using the Breusch-Pagan Test. The results of this test fail to show statistically significant evidence of heteroskedasticity.  [27]  Multicollinearity was investigated using a correlation matrix of the regressors, but no major evidence of this anomaly was detected, either.  [28]   The results provide insight as to foreign aids effectiveness in a number of ways. Most obvious is that it is has a positive, though modest effect on economic growth, significant at the 0.01 level. Increasing foreign aid by $1 million US will result in an increase in GDP of approximately 0.001%, ceteris paribus. According to the data, the average annual amount of official development assistance received over all years and countries is approximately $570 million US. In this case, aid is estimated to increase growth in GDP by approximately 0.6%. As shown in Table 3, however, this impact can be greatly diminished by other factors, in some cases to the point where aid actually becomes detrimental to growth. Using the baseline case of a country with no ethnic conflict, revolution, or genocide, which is not landlocked, and does not suffer from low development, I estimate the additional impacts of any of those circumstances on economic growth. Those factors with N/A listed under Impact were not statistically significant at the 0.05 level.  [29]   Table 3: Factors Influencing Aid Effectiveness Factor Impact Overall Impact of Aid + Additional Factor(s) on GDP Ethnic Conflict 0.001 0.002 Ethnic Conflict in Low Development Countries N/A N/A Genocide/Politicide N/A N/A Genocide/Politicide in Low Development Countries -0.017 -0.016 Revolution -0.001 0.000 Revolution in Low Development Countries N/A N/A Landlocked Country 0.002 0.003 Landlocked Country with Low Development -0.003 -0.002 The model indicates that foreign assistance actually becomes detrimental to growth in situations where there is genocide or politicide in low development nations, as predicted. I attribute this to the fact that resources are typically controlled by the dominant party in genocidal conflicts, and it is likely that aid dollars are siphoned off and used for their own benefit instead of productive and efficient activities. Revolutionary conflict eliminates entirely the impact aid has on the economy, resulting a net effect of about zero. I argue that this is the case because the institutions required to effectively utilize foreign assistance are in jeopardy during a major transfer of power, reducing their ability to act efficiently and distribute aid dollars according to the countrys best interests. Interestingly, ethnic conflict actually increases the effectiveness of aid. This finding is consistent with Easterlys study of ethnic fractionalization and its impact on economic growth. In landlocked countries, aid is particularly effective, tripling the extent to which it impacts economic growth. As Sachs and Warner pointed out, landlocked countries are limited in their ability to engage in global trade. Thus, it seems reasonable that foreign aid positively impacts growth in these areas since their capacity to engage in trade is restricted. However, in low-development countries that are landlocked, this relationship no longer holds. This indicates that whatever benefits aid has in landlocked countries is reversed in low-development countries, possibly due to poor institutional quality, corruption, or other factors. As for other variables besides foreign aid, the model shows the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic growth is surprisingly small; an increase of only 0.00003% in GDP for every $1 million US invested. In contrast, foreign aid boosts GDP by 0.001% with the same amount of money. This indicates that foreign aid has a substantially greater impact on growth than foreign direct investment, all else equal. According to the model, being open to trade seems to be a much more effective strategy in growing the economy, even more so than foreign aid and FDI. It is important to note, however, that since openness to trade is measured as a share of GDP, the impact is not directly comparable that of foreign aid or FDI, since economies included in this study vary greatly in size. To quantify how quickly foreign aid impacts the economic growth of a country, I calculate the median lag as outlined by Davies and Quinlivian (2006).  [30]  This measure estimates how quickly half of the impact of foreign assistance is felt, and is calculated as follows: Median Lag = = 0.477 (4) A median lag of 0.477 indicates that in approximately 5.7 months, half of the entire impact of foreign aid on GDP growth will be realized. Half of the remaining impact is then felt in another 5.7 months, and so on, as the cumulative impact of the aid asymptotically approaches 100%. This phenomenon is illustrated in Chart 1 below. Graph 1: Cumulative Impact of Foreign Aid on Growth The median lag indicates that aid can quickly impact an economy, but for a relatively short amount of time. After only two years of circulation in the recipient economy, over 95% of the total impact of foreign aid is experienced. 5. Conclusions and Suggestions for Future Research The purpose of this analysis was to determine the effects of development assistance on economic growth. The model developed in this paper provides evidence supporting the contention that foreign aid positively impacts economic growth in the developing world. Therefore, it is not in the interest of developed countries and international bodies to discontinue aid programs. Moreover, as Gunning (2004) points out, it would be extremely difficult for a donor country to stop aid since it would be seen by both the domestic and foreign populations as punishing an already poor country.  [31]   The model also shows, however, that the effects of aid on economic growth are modest, and buying economic growth through foreign aid would be incredibly inefficient and expensive. For instance, using foreign aid alone to increase GDP by 1% in a country would require a foreign aid package of approximately $1 billion US. With almost 120 countries identified as low- and medium-development, spurring economic growth in developing world to desirable levels would be an enormous expenditure. This also assumes that the negative effects of conflict and geography shown to be significant in the model do not apply, and ignores the potential problems of aid dependence, corruption, and bureaucratic erosion that research has associated with high levels of foreign aid. The aforementioned studies by Burnside and Dollar (1997) and others have shown aid to be more effective in sound economic policy environments. Thus, donor governments and multilateral institutions should continue to push economic reforms and trade liberalization on recipient governments. Not only will this improve the effectiveness of foreign aid according to these studies, but it will also result in less aid being required. The armed conflict dummies indicate, with the exception of ethnic conflict, that state failure and political instability reverse the positive effect of aid, even making it detrimental to economic growth in some cases. Therefore, donor governments should be aware of the political situations in recipient countries, and work with international bodies to ensure as much stability as possible. Further, since geography is essentially fixed, foreign aid donations to landlocked countries should be designed to facilitate improvements in transportation infrastructures, which increase their capacity to engage in trade. Future research should further explore the role of sound economic policies and good governance in aid effectiveness. Scholars should also explore other ways of quantifying climate, tropical geography, and governance to provide for additional testing of potential impacts on the effectiveness of foreign aid. Finally, future study of foreign aid should also investigate its effects on economic development, instead of growth. Doing so will shed light on the question of whether aid actually improves the quality of life in lesser developed countries.

Insanity in The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe Essay -- The Tell-T

Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart" is a short story about how a murderer's conscience overtakes him and whether the narrator is insane or if he suffers from over acuteness of the senses. Poe suggests the narrator is insane by the narrator's claims of sanity, the narrator's actions bring out the narrative irony of the story, and the narrator is insane according to the definition of insanity as it applies to "The Tell Tale Heart". First, Poe suggests the narrator is insane by his assertions of sanity. For example, the narrator declares because he planned the murder so expertly he could not be insane. He says, "Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen how wisely I proceeded-with what caution-with what foresight-with what dissimulation I went to work!" In addition, every night at midnight the narrator slowly went into the room of the old man. He claims this was done so wisely that he could not be insane. The narrator thinks that if a murder is carefully planned then the murderer is not insane. Also, the narrator claims he suffers from over acuteness of the senses. Regarding the sound of the old man's beating heart, the narrator says, "And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the senses? --now, I say, there came to my ears a low dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton". The narrator claims he is n ot imagining the sound but he is hearing it because his senses are so sharp. The narrator believes he is justified in killing the old man because the man has an Evil Eye. The narrator claims the old man's eye made his blood run cold and the eye looked as if it belonged to a vulture. Poe shows the narrator is insane... ...arly shows that the narrator is insane because he heard noises, which could not possibly have occurred. As the police officers were sitting and talking in the old man's chamber, the narrator becomes paranoid that the officers suspect him of murder. The narrator says, "I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die". The narrator is deluded in thinking the officers knew of his crime because his insanity makes him paranoid. In conclusion, Poe shows the insanity of the narrator through the claims of the narrator as to why he is not insane, the actions of the narrator bring out the narrative irony of the story, and the character of the narrator fits the definition of insanity as it applies to "The Tell Tale Heart". The "Tell Tale Heart" is a story about how insanity can overtake someone's mind and cause one to behave irrationally.