A Concept of Citizenship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Concept of Citizenship - Essay Example What is citizenship? A citizen is an integral participant of the social life. A political community consists of citizens, whose participation is directed on the state’s welfare. Citizens gain benefits from their nation and thus they have to follow laws and regulations of their country. There are many aspects in the concept of citizenship. On the one hand, citizenship is a benefit, which enables citizens to vote or to receive insurance etc. On the other hand, citizenship is a hard work, which introduces obligatory involuntarily actions, obtruded by the government on its citizens.  Ã‚  For example, citizens have to pay taxes, work in favor of the country, to get secondary education and many other obligations are invented by the state and must be followed by the citizens. Citizenship is a great responsibility. It is a hard work and every citizen should remember of his daily obligations, dictated to him by the state. There is no welfare of the country without daily obligations c ompleted by the citizens. Thus, it is evident that citizenship is an integral part of the country. It is a trigger of the state’s functioning. We can summarize that there is no way out from this scope of duties. Nevertheless, it should be noted that not all people living in the state are citizens.

Plato’s The Republic Essay Example for Free

Plato’s The Republic Essay All philosophers write about something to address a particular issue which they feel need to be addressed.   The same is true in Plato’s The Republic.   Considering the political and social situation during 360 B.C.E, Plato was concerned about the deteriorating condition of Greece.   To be more particular, he was extremely concerned about the fate of his teacher, Socrates. Socrates was tried, and subsequently sentenced to death, for a crime that he did not commit.   Plato was also apprehensive about the individualist philosophy advocated by a famous group of philosophers called Sophists.    For the Sophists, the standard of what is good or evil depended on man alone without regard for the universal concepts of morality and justice. The individualist philosophy of the Sophists has affected the morals of the Greeks, to wit: â€Å"Sophistic teaching of the ethics of self-satisfaction resulted in the excessive individualism also induced the citizens to capture the office of the State for their own selfish purpose and eventually divided Athens in to two hostile camps of rich and poor, oppressor and oppressed. Evidently, these two factors amateur needlesomeness and excessive individualism became main targets of Platos attack.†   (Bhandari 2) Plato found a solution to free the society from the individualist philosophy of the Sophists.   This can be found in his book The Republic where Plato, speaking through his teacher Socrates, discussed the concepts of a just state and a just individual. According to Plato, Justice is â€Å"the minding of one’s own business and not meddling with other men’s concerns† (Book 4, The Republic).   He also said that Justice is Harmony.   (Book 4, The Republic)   In the same manner, there is injustice when a person does not mind his own business or minds other person’s business.   There is also injustice when there is discord and disharmony. In explaining the concept of Justice, Plato made two (2) analogies: his analogy on the parts of the state and the structure of the soul.   He argued that justice may exist not just in the state but also in the individual and that there is a relationship between a just state and a just individual. Plato argues that the state is formed because no individual is self sufficient.   He needs the help of other members of the society to perform some function of which he has no knowledge or expertise.   The continued existence of the society is dependent upon the individuals who specialize in the performance of certain affairs of the state.   Plato thus divided the state into three types of people: the workers, soldiers and the rulers each of which performs a particular function for the good of the whole society.   According to Kemerling, the orderly functioning of the state will depend on the separation of functions and the specialization of their individual tasks.   (Kemerling, p. 1). For example, the workers are those best suited to perform a particular labor for example the farmers, builders, weavers and laborers.   The soldiers are those people who are best suited to fight and defend the state against its aggressors.   The rulers on the other hand are those who possess wisdom and have the capacity to rule.   Plato considered that in an Ideal State each of these three kinds of people limit themselves to the performance of their functions.   A person who has the skill of a farmer should not be allowed to lead the state otherwise anarchy will result within the state.   An intellectual who is born to lead does not have the skill to build houses for the state. A person who has the skill in combat cannot be allowed to make laws for the state.   In addition, a just state is when each of the class possesses certain virtue: the working class possesses the virtue of temperance, the soldiers possess courage and the rulers possess wisdom.   Thus, according to Plato, â€Å"And a State was thought by us to be just when the three classes in the State severally did their own business; and also thought to be temperate and valiant and wise by reason of certain other affections and qualities of these same classes?† One may ask, who is a just man for Plato?   Plato’s concept of a just man is similar to his concept of a just state because essentially the same three divisions which exist in the state also exist in the individual.   If the society is divided into three (3) classes of persons, a person’s soul is likewise divided into three categories.   Plato made this analogy because he also believed that that the three parts of the human soul corresponds to the three classes of persons in the state. If it is better for a state that those who possess skill in manual labor to work and for those who possess skill in fighting to defend the state and for the intellectuals to lead the state, it is also better for the individual to control the desires of the other parts of the soul. If the society is divided into three groups of people, the soul is likewise divided into three parts, the appetitive, the spirited and the rational.   The appetitive is the part that hungers for worldly pleasures and wants and feels many things.   It is the part of the soul that yearns for wealth, power and material pleasures. Thus, the craving to eat burgers despite its hazards to health is a sign that a person gives in to the desires of the appetitive soul.   A person who decides to cut class to watch a movie or to play games also gives in to the appetitive soul.  Ã‚   For Plato, the goal of an individual is to develop the virtue of temperance and self-control. The spirited soul is the part of the soul that aims to carry out the dictates of reason.   It is the execution of whatever the intellect has determined to be the best for the person.   When a manager despite knowing that an employee is causing problems to the company because of his lack of professionalism fails to make the decision of terminating him, his spirited soul is considered weak.   For Plato, it is important for an individual to develop courage so that this part of the soul is controlled. The rational part is the thinking part which has the capacity to determine what is real and what are illusions or what is true and what is false or what should be done and what should not be done.   The rational part is also the part of the soul which makes the balanced decisions the purpose of which is the protection of its own interest and welfare.   When a person until now could not decide whom to vote for president of the United States, he is deemed to lack the rational soul.   When a person until could not decide whether to continue going to college, then his rational soul is weak. If justice in the state is to be attained by the three classes of individuals each performing their own function, justice in the individual person is to be attained by having temperance, courage, and wisdom. (Jostein Gaarder, Sophie’s World, p.72)   A person must have temperance and he is expected to be able to control his desire for worldly pleasures.   A person must also be able to distinguish between pleasures of the flesh and pleasures of the spirit.   The former is short-lived while the latter is eternal.   A person is also expected to have courage.   He must be able to take action and stand by his actions no matter how difficult it may be.   He must be able to take the risk.   A person must also develop wisdom so that he may know what is best for himself. According to Plato, justice can only be attained if every part of the soul is working in harmony with each other.   A person’s desire for wealth should not cloud his judgment.   A manager’s friendly relationship with a colleague should not hinder him from making the right decision.  Ã‚  Ã‚   A just man is therefore someone who can control the worldly pleasures and is able to discipline himself such that he does not submit himself to the wishes of his appetitive soul. Plato thus advocated self-mastery and discipline.   Ã‚  In controlling the appetitive soul, the rational soul is expected to ally with the spirited soul.  Ã‚   A person is also expected to be able to execute his decision.   He may have all the knowledge and wisdom in the world but if he cannot apply his knowledge to the practical world, then the person is also committing an injustice. In the end, the â€Å"justness† or the â€Å"injustness† of an individual will be determined based on how each of the different parts of the soul is able to relate with each other.   Thus Plato states that: â€Å"It will be the business of reason to rule with wisdom and forethought on behalf of the entire soul; while the spirited element ought to act as its subordinate ally.   The two will be brought into accord, as we said earlier, by that combination of mental and bodily training which will tune up one string of the instrument and relax the other, nourishing the reasoning part on the study of noble literature and allaying the other’s wildness by harmony and rhythm.† (Book 4, The Republic)

Causes And Effects Of Market Failure Economics Essay

Causes And Effects Of Market Failure Economics Essay In relation of the market performance, many things are well done, but not everything is done well. First of all, we assumed that markets are competitive. In some markets, a buyer or sellers might be having a right to control market prices. This ability to influence prices is called market power. Market power can cause markets to be inefficient because it keeps the price and quantity away from the stability of supply and demand. Market failure happen when resources are inefficiently allocated due to imperfections in the market structure , in the world the decisions of buyers and sellers sometimes affect people who are not participants in the markets at all. Pollution is the classic example of a market outcome that affects peoples not in the market such side effects called externalities. Market power and externalities are examples of a general phenomenon called market failure. When market fail public policy can potentially remedy the problem and increase economic efficiency. In this ca se; governments will interference where some form of market failure is taking part. Allocate efficiency means good resource allocation, when we cannot make any consumer better off without making some other consumer worse off. Moreover, an allocation of resources that maximizes the sum of consumer and producer surplus is said to be efficient. The balance of supply and demand maximizes the sum of consumer and producer surplus. That is, the invisible hand of the marketplace leads buyers and sellers to allocate resources. Markets do not allocate resources efficiently in the presence of market failures such as market power or externalities. Policymakers are often concerned with the efficiency as well as the equity of economic outcomes. This approach looks at the given resources and tries to get the most output from them and it also means that firms sell at a fair price to consumers that reflect the real resource use. Market failure is a situation in which a market left on its own fails to allocate resources efficientlywhen freely-functioning markets, operating without government intervention . Therefore, economic effiency welfare may not be maximized. This will leads to a loss of economic efficiency. When market fail, government policy intervention can potentially remedy the problem and increase economic efficiency, may also lead to an inefficient allocation of resources. Causes of Market Failure Public Goods Public goods are properties or facilities that can be used up by many consumers instantaneously without reducing the worth of consumption to any consumers. Therefore, public good is non-rival and non-excludable. That is a consumer cannot be stopped from consuming the good whether or not the individual pays for it. Realistically, non-rival means that the individual demand curves are summed perpendicularly to get the aggregate demand curve for the public good if each of those consumers has a demand curve for a public good (shown as the Figure 7.1). Consider Good with Identical Aggregate Demand is a public good. (i.e., Moon Lakes Water Quality) Figure 7.1 Mounting Aggregate Demand for Public Good Aggregate demand is summed vertically of individual demand curves in the market for a public good. The summed vertically of individual demand curves because all individuals can enjoy a similar public good. Hence, for every marginal unit of Moon Lakes water quality: aggregate demand = the total of consumer value for the unit Non-Rival and Market Failure Figure 7.3 Public Good: showed that the market price is not always in an efficiency condition because the a public good is never used up. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ P=MC cannot be the equilibrium price of water quality because the individuals would not spend for any improvement in water quality. Individual would only spend for Q2, and because of Q2 level of water quality would not be met. Thus, the social optimum solution would be to offer Q* and charge each individual a unit price same to the individuals marginal value at Q* or P1* and P2*. The higher demand of consumer will spend a larger amount than the consumer with a lower willingness to spend for the goods or services (refers to the shaded areas). The reasons of inefficiency occurs in supplying public goods is that, unlike price, quantity is not an effective market mechanism: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ For a given quantity, individuals will not automatically self-select their optimal price, but will instead wish to pay the lowest price possible when they cannot be excluded from consuming the good. Non-Excludability and Market Failure The primary cause of market failure involving public goods is non-excludable. Non-excludability means that the producer of a public good cannot prevent individuals from consuming it. Non-excludability is a relative, not an absolute, characteristic of most public goods. A good is usually termed non-excludable if the costs of excluding individuals from consuming the good are very high. Private markets always under produce non-excludable public goods because individuals have the incentive to free ride, or to not pay for the advantages they get from consuming the public good. With a free-rider problem, private firms cannot earn sufficient revenues from selling the public good to induce them to produce the socially optimal level of the public good. Figure 7.4 Optimal Provision of a Non-excludable Public Good, The Free-Rider Problem, and Market Failure PubD1 = Demand of one individual for public good X. D2 = Total Demand of two individuals for public good X. D3 = Total Demand of three individuals for public good X. D4 = Total Demand of four individuals for public good X. MC = Marginal cost of providing the public good X. The socially optimal level of public good X with four consumers is X4. (Note that the optimal level of the public good with a very large number of individuals is X max.) Because of non-excludability, markets may fail to provide X4.Under private markets, each individual may wait for the others to purchase the public good so that he/she can free-ride. In this case, the private market may provide no public good, because no one is willing to purchase it. For example, if individual decides to purchase (and the others free-ride), the private market will provide a level of the public good equal to X1, where the marginal benefit of the purchasing individual equals to the marginal cost of producing the public good. Notice that this is much less than the optimal level of provision of the public good, X4. Cause of market failure Market Failure is when a good is either over or under produced in a free market due to its externalities or other properties. This means that its ability to be used by more than one person at the same time, without any extra costs, makes it an unsuitable good to be produced by commercial suppliers. When demand is lowered, less will be produced, making the market fail. For an example, when a government subsidies for everyone to have enough of certain good or service, this is a market failure because demand still exists but supply is no longer limited for everyone who gets that product. Externalities are usually in all field of economic activity. Externalities are defined as third party or spill-over, the effects of production and consumption activities not directly reflected in the market. Negative externalities causes market failure because the graphs have failed to measure true products within the society. Failed to allocate resources efficiently and has overproduced goods with negative spillover effects. Negative externalities For example, the consumption of gasoline produces a negative externality in that people who do not use it (own a car) share the costs of the air pollution for which it is responsible. Negative externalities are also property rights problems. Social cost is equal to private cost to the firm of producing the gasoline plus the external cost to those bystanders affected by the pollution. Therefore, social cost exceeds the private cost paid by producers. . Price Social Cost Supply (private cost) Demand (private value) Q optimum Qmarket Quantity Figure 1 Figure 1 shows, the supply curve does not reflect the true cost of producing gasoline, the market will produce more gasoline than is optimal. Solving the negative externalities problem Top of Form Bottom of Form Government develop a product price via using taxes onto the consumption of that particular good. Due to the increase of taxation, consumption will decrease because fewer people will be willing to buy at a higher price, since the tax on the product may be more expensive than before. Furthermore, when the tax is increasing, this will cause the businesses to compete with each other on their prices. On the other hand, there might be some underground business causes products are expensive. The government can particularly tax certain private parties to reduce the amount of marginal private cost in order for it to equal to the marginal social cost for a negative production externality. By taxing a party, they will have a higher cost when producing their goods. Taxation can also provide a source of payment for public goods. e.g. we wouldnt have roads without taxes to pay for them. When a good has a positive externality, the government will often create a subsidy to reduce the effects of a ma rket failure. This means that the government will give money to the party that produces this positive externality, in order to encourage production. When subsidies are given, the producers have more money to produce their goods. This will increase production, bringing the marginal private benefits closer to marginal social benefits, decreasing the positive externality, and thus stopping market failure. One of the reasons contributing to a market failure is the unequal separation of market power. Market power means how strong is the firms influence on the market outcome, for example, the price of a good. Among all possible market condition, the one with most unequal market power would the monopoly market. A monopoly market means that the market has only one producer producing the goods, there is no other source of same or similar goods in the market. In this case, the particular producer would have absolute power to manipulate the price of the good in the market because consumers have no other choice but to buy the goods from that monopoly firm. The worst situation occurs when the goods sold in this particular market is basic necessary goods for the public, this is because the Price Elasticity of Demand (PED) for the good is so low, that the market would not be able to respond to the drastic change of price, if there is any. Price Quantity Q 0 S1 S2 DD S1 shift to S2 6 8 9 5 Figure 1 Figure 1 show that, the effects on the market outcomes when the demand curve is inelastic and supply curve is shifting to the left (from S1 to S2). The total expense increases from $40 to $45 after the firm raises the price from $5 to $9, even though the quantity traded decreases from 8 units to 6 units. If the market were a competitive market, such situation will not happen because as soon as the producer increases the price of good, consumers would switch their consumption onto similar goods produced by other producers in the market. When there is a market failure, government is then needed to interfere and hence improve the market outcome. A good way to prevent monopolization of an industry is via taking legal actions, for example, in South Korea, a Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act is introduced on 31/12/1980. The act was introduced to promote competition among firms and to protect the consumers in the country, hence providing the country a stable and balanced development o economics. Under this act, any company that attempts to combine with another company, regardless the process is done through merging, acquisition of stocks, business take-over, or any other method would be considered as breaking the law and legal actions would be taken by the government. This particular government policy would have a great effect on stopping markets to develop into oligopoly market or a monopoly market, however, in some cases the government actually gave a company the power to monopolize the business. In Malaysia, an el ectricity supplying company called Tenaga National Berhad (TNB) was appointed by the government to be the only official electricity supplier in the country, this was due to the high entry bounty and maintenance fees to run an electricity supplying company, companies other than TNB were unable to bear the high cost and hence the government appointed TNB as the only electricity supplier in the country and subsidy was provided to the company to reduce the cost. Of course in this case another law called price ceiling was applied to control the price of electricity bills in the country, and to prevent exploitation of the company on the residents in the country. Government Policies Price Control Price control is government interference in markets in which lawful restrictions are located on the prices charged. The two primary forms of price control are price floor and price ceiling. Price ceiling is a legal maximum on the price at which a good be sold. Price floor is a legal minimum on the price at which a good can be sold. Price controls enforced on an otherwise proficient and competitive market create imbalances (shortage or surplus) which leadineffectiveness. However, enforcing price controls on a market that fails to reachproficient (due to public goods, externalities, or incomplete information) can actual riseefficiency. Price controls have widely used to decrease inflation in economy. -Price Ceiling Figure 8.1 Pricing and quantity effects of a binding price ceiling on Rental From the figure 8.1, an equilibrium, Eo is occurs when supply curve intersects with demand curve in the free market. The initial price on rental is Po and quantity is Qo when the equilibrium is occurs. Rental control is a price ceiling on rent. According to rental control in New York, when the government enforced maximum price is lower than markets equilibrium price, as shown by the binding price ceiling in figure 8.1. Graphically, the price of rental decrease from Po to P1. Sellers can no longer charge the price the market demands but are forced to meet the ceiling price set by the government. A ceiling price can make sellers away from the market (decreases the supplied resources), while the lower price increases the consumers demand. Hence, the quantity of supply reduces from Qo to Q1 while the quantity of demand increases from Qo to Q2. When DD>SS, the ceiling is a binding constraint on the price and causes a shortages. A number of consumers willing to experience a long line for the product when they need to purchase. Sometimes governments merge price ceilings with government rationing programs to ensure the market will allocate the supply of goods efficiently. -Price Floors Figure 8.2 Pricing and quantity effects of a price floor on Wage Minimum Wage is approaching record lows in the United States. If no one earns any money except for one person, who earns all of the money, then the income distribution would be perfectly unequal. Governments make an effort to stop the poor from getting poorer, and the rich from getting richer in order to achieve an equilibrium in income distribution. Minimum wage laws have its greatest impact on the market for unskilled workers. Minimum Wage is one of the price floors in market. Minimum wage laws establish the lowest price of wages that all employers must pay for labor. The quantity of supplied labor is higher than the quantity demanded in the traditional minimum wage model. According to the figure 8.2, Minimum wage, P2 is above equilibrium price, Po and quantity, Qo when supply curve intersect with demand curve. Labor supplied and labor demanded can be prevented from shifting toward equilibrium price and quantity. Hence, surplus is occurs between quantity of demand, Q1 and quantity of supply, Q2. Minimum wage levels become the price floor and wages cannot fall below the floor price. Conclusion

The Power of a Symbol in The Yellow Wallpaper, The Glass Menagerie and

Years ago, Sister Mary Corita Kent, a celebrated artist and educator of the 1960’s and 1970’s stated, â€Å"A painting is a symbol for the universe. Inside it, each piece relates to the other. Each piece is only answerable to the rest of that little world. So, probably in the total universe, there is that kind of total harmony, but we get only little tastes of it† (Lewis "Quotes from Women Artists"). Nowadays, a painting is not the main form of art humans appreciate. In fact, literature of all sorts can be considered a different form of art and often found in literature are symbols. A "symbol" is an object, person or action which represents an abstract idea (Warren â€Å"English 102†). In literature, a symbol or set of symbols can have a wide range of meanings. For example, color is a universal symbol; some may say it is a general symbol for life. However, each color separately can symbolize something different depending on the context. Analyzing five pie ce of literature for symbolism, one will be able to gain a deeper understating of symbols. To begin, the short story by Charlotte Gilman, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† uses the deteriorating wallpaper to represent the narrator’s failing mind. The narrator is suffering and is confined in an uncomfortable house in a room she did not choose; she becomes obsessed with the wallpaper of the room. As the yellow wallpaper represents the narrator’s mind, the statement made by the narrator, â€Å"The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight. It is a dull yet lurid orange in some places, a sickly sulphur tint in others† refers to the condition of her mind by suggesting her condition is revolting and unclean. She is fading away in the su... ...at could these five pieces of literature possibly have in common?’ The answer to this question is very simple, these pieces of literature each possess symbolic colors that represent something different. Yellow wallpaper represents a deteriorating mind, a shabby, black box represents a gruesome, sacrificial death, green is the physical representation of power and wealth in society, a mixture of blue and yellow represents the confusion of a clear sky with dead grass and ‘Blue Roses’ and Blue Mountain represent the longing someone feels for something they can never have. Perhaps a paining is not the only symbol for the universe. Perhaps every piece of literature is related to each other in such a way that by reading each piece of literature, one can connect the different symbols an author chooses to use and recognize the complex harmony that binds the literature world.

Accounting Standards in China and Australia

Until recently, China has used a set of accounting standards that were quite unique in their records.   These standards were the legacy of a socialist period in Chinese history and rather than keeping records of loss and profit for a corporation operating in China, they mainly concerned themselves with keeping track of all of the assets available to the corporation.By not keeping close tabs on the debts that a corporation owes, the accounting standards in China have long been considered lax by the outside world and have hindered international companies who wish to have headquarters in China.For instance, a corporation in China with holdings internationally, such as in the United States, must create end of the year accounting reports using the Chinese Accounting Standards, another set using the International Accounting Standards, and a third using the North American Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, creating an overload of work and an extreme cost to the corporation.Recently the Finance Department of Chinese Government has begun a process which will translate the current Chinese accounting methods from their archaic status to where they will more closely mirror the International Accounting Standards which incorporate the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.Previous to this decision to reform the way that Chinese corporations report their accounts, the Chinese system involved simply classification of ownership, industry, and government, giving companies an extreme amount of leeway in the ways in which they conducted business.   Now the Chinese government has instituted that each corporation must keep track of all debits and credits, report manufacturing costs as well as capital maintenance, and provide yearly financial statements.The first true accounting standards in China were implemented in 1997 and changes continue to be made to bring the country’s financial practices up to date.   Currently this transformation is still in progress, so any foreign company with a subsidiary in China must still comply with not only their country’s accounting practices but also with the Chinese straight line accounting practices which allow for a much slower depreciation of capitalized assets.For those wishing to not use the straight line method, the only way to use an accelerated accounting method with regards to Chinese holdings is to receive explicit permission from the Ministry of Finance.   Another difference in Chinese accounting methods is the difference in tax deductibility.For instance, China charges significant tax charges on intercompany transactions and treats transfer pricing of the upmost importance in order to receive a large cut of international taxes.   Incorrect interpretation of Chinese tax laws can lead to severe fines for corporations.In Australia, the corporate accounting practices previously used have also come under fire in previous years for being widely different from internationally accepted a ccounting standards.   In response, Australia began to work the internationally accepted accounting principles into their current system, effective January 1, 2000, and have also developed the Financial Reporting Council which is responsible for overseeing the accounting practices of both   public and private corporations operating in Australia.The previously lax Australian reporting standards which did not require corporations to conform to one specific type of accounting practices nor give stringent guidelines in so far as what reports were required by the government are being phased out by the International accounting standards which allow Australia to develop along with the global economy.Australia has also instituted an Australian Accounting Standards Boards to periodically re-evaluate corporate accounting practices in Australia as well as enforce the new standards being phased in.   Australia is working to harmonize their standards with those of the International Account ing Standards Committee and is also a part of the G4+1 global group which monitors the setting of international accounting standards.Works CitedAustralian Government. (2009, May 5). Australian Accounting Standards Board. Retrieved May 5, 2009, from Australian Accounting Standards Board: http://www.aasb.com.au/Home.aspxChina Accounting Standards. (2007, February 15). Retrieved May 5, 2009, from China Orbit: http://www.chinaorbit.com/china-economy/chinese-accounting-standards.htmlLehman Brown. (2009, February 12). Chinese Accounting FAQ. Retrieved 5 May, 2009, from Lehman Brown: http://www.lehmanbrown.com/FAQ-Acc.htmQueensland University of Technology. (2008, June 15). Accounting Standards. Retrieved May 5, 2009, from Queensland University of Technology Library: http://www.library.qut.edu.au/learn/type/accountingstandards.jsp   

Rules and Regulations of Youth Basketball

Rules and Regulations of Youth Basketball Team sports fill an important role in childrens lives. It teaches kids the importance of teamwork and provides an entertaining outlet for physical activity. Recreation is an important element in life and can help an individuals development both mentally and physically. Playing sports can also improve a childs self-esteem, help him develop strong interpersonal and leadership skills, and teach him the value of listening to his coach. Basketball is a fantastic sport for kids to play. Its relatively inexpensive and doesnt require much equipment. Most playgrounds, recreation centers, and gyms have basketball goals. At  least two kids and a basketball are all that are necessary to play. If youd like to get the kids in your neighborhood or homeschool group active, you may be interested in forming a basketball league. Before you get started, its important to understand the rules and regulations of youth basketball. Philosophy of Youth Basketball The philosophy of youth basketball is to offer the participants a high-quality program that will teach the basic fundamentals and the  offensive and defensive philosophy of the game. Learning good sportsmanship and teaching all participants to respect their coaches, officials, fellow players, and the rules is also an important part of youth basketball. Length of Playing Periods There will be four eight-minute periods for all divisions (except varsity and senior division). Varsity and Senior division will play four ten-minute periods. Every period will be on a running clock that is only stopped for timeouts and technical fouls. The Clock The clock will be stopped during the last two minutes of the game on all dead ball situations for all divisions (except Pee Wee division). If the point difference is ten points or more, the clock will remain running until the score arrives at less than ten points. Basketball Half Time The 1st and 2nd periods will constitute the 1st half; 3rd and 4th periods will constitute the 2nd half. Half time will be three minutes in duration. Timeouts in Basketball Each team will be allowed two timeouts in each half. The timeouts must be taken in their respective halves or they will be lost. There are no accumulations of timeouts. Player Participation Every player must play four minutes of each quarter, eight minutes per half for Pee Wee and Junior Varsity. Varsity and Seniors must play five minutes of each quarter, ten minutes per half. Every player must also sit out half of each period during the game, so as not to play the whole game, except in the case of injury or health problems. Sickness: Once the game has started and a player becomes sick or is unable to continue during a game, the coach of the player must enter, in the score book, the players name, time, and the period. The player will be ineligible to re-enter the game.Discipline: If a player misses consecutive practice without an excuse the coach will notify the site director. The site director will immediately notify the parents of the players. If these violations continue, the player will not be eligible to participate in the next game.Injury: If a player is injured and removed during a game, the player will be eligible to re-enter per the discretion of his/her coach. The partial period of play will constitute one full period for the injured player. Any player may be substituted for the injured player if the player participation rule is not affected. The player participation rules must be strictly enforced with  one full period of play for each player per half. Must Sit Rule: Every player must sit out at least half of the period. 20-Point Rule If a team has a 20-point lead at any time during the game, they will not be allowed to employ a full court press or a half-court press. No pressure is allowed. It is recommended that top players are removed and the substitutes play (only if player participation is not compromised). In the 4th period, and with a 20-point lead, the coach must take his top players out until the point difference is less than 10 points. Youth Basketball Pee Wee Division The Pee Wee Division consists of up to 10 players, ages 4 and 5,  with four players and coach on the court. Basket height:  6 feet, Basketball size: 3 (mini), Free throw line: 10 feet.​ Rules: The league will not adhere to a rule book. Since most of the participants do not understand fouls or violations, the officials will use their best judgment during the game. Penalties/violations will only be enforced if a player is gaining an advantage.Exception: Key violations - none and traveling - three steps.Defense: Teams may play zone or  man-to-man  at any time during the game. There are no limitations. Zone defense is highly recommended.Press: Teams may defend the ball only after the ball penetrates the half court line. The defensive players may not defend until the ball penetrates the half court line. No full court press.1st Pass/Back-court Rule: After the defensive player secures the  rebound, the 1st pass must be in the back-court, to the coach.Free Throws: Each player will shoot at least one free-throw prior to the start of play. Each successful free-throw will be recorded in the score book and count in the teams overall score. Officials will administer the fr ee throws. A player who missed will be allowed to shoot an extra shot to balance the team attempts, the free-throw line will be designated by the officials. A shooter may touch the line, but not cross completely over the line with his/her foot, on free-throw attempts. Players: Teams may have a maximum of four players on the court. The coach will be on the court on offense to help  dribble  and move the ball around. (The coach may not shoot the ball.) The coach may be on the court at the defensive end, may not play defense, and only coach defensively without physical contact. Youth Basketball Junior Varsity (J.V.) Division The J.V. Division consists of up to 10 players, ages 6 and 7, with five  players on the court. Basket height: 6 feet, Basketball size: 3 (mini), Free throw line: 10 feet Defense: Teams may play zone or man-to-man at any time during the game. There are no limitations. Zone defense is highly recommended.Press: Teams may defend the ball only after the ball penetrates the half court line. The defensive players must stay in the three-second area until the ball crosses the half court line.Foot in the Paint: Each defensive player must put at least one foot in the paint and stay in the 3-second area until the ball crosses the half court line.Three Second Violation: An offensive player may not be in the key (paint) for 5 seconds or more, This will be a violation against the offending team.Free Throws: Each player will shoot at least one free throw prior to the start of play. Each successful free-throw will be recorded in the scorebook and count in the teams overall score. Referees will administer the free throws. Both teams will shoot free throws at the same time but at different baskets. A player who has missed will be allowed to shoot an extra shot to balan ce the team attempts, the free-throw line will be at the dotted line inside the key. A shooter may touch the line, but not cross completely over the line with his/her foot on free-throw attempts. Youth Basketball Varsity Division The Varsity Division consists of up to 10 players, ages 8-10, with five  players on the court. Basket height:  10 feet, Basketball size: intermediate, Free throw line: 15 feet Defense: Any half-court defense may be played during the game.Press: Teams may full-court press only during last 5 minutes of the game. Any press is allowed.​Penalty: Only one warning per half for each half, a team  technical foul  will follow.Free Throws: The free-throw line will be at 15 feet. Shooters may touch the line but not completely cross over the line with his/her foot on free-throw attempts. Youth Basketball Senior Division The Senior Division consists of up to 10 players, ages 11-13, with five players on the court. Basket height: 10 feet, Basketball size: official; Free throw line: 15 feet. Defense: Teams must play man-to-man defense in the entire 1st half. Teams may play either man-to-man or zone defense in the second half.Penalty: One warning per team and then a team technical foul will be assessed.Man-to-man Defense: The defensive player must be within a six feet guardian position, A defensive team may double-team a player who has the basketball. Defensive team cannot double-team a player who does not have the ball. Officials will give one warning per half to each team. Further infractions will result in a technical foul.Press: Teams may employ a full-court press at any time during the game. During the first half, the teams must play only a man-to-man full court press, if they decide to press. Youth basketball is a low-cost team sport option that provides an opportunity for kids of all ages to reap the benefits of physical activity and sportsmanship. It also provides children the chance to learn the basics of the game so that those with the talent and inclination are ready to play at the high school level.

Definition and Examples of Agreement in English Grammar

Definition and Examples of Agreement in English Grammar In grammar, agreement is the correspondence of a verb with its subject in person and number, and of a pronoun with its antecedent in person, number, and gender.  Another term for grammatical agreement is concord. Basic Principles In English, agreement is relatively limited. It occurs between the subject of a clause and a present tense verb, so that, for instance, with a third-person singular subject (e.g. John), the verb must have the -s suffix ending. That is, the verb agrees with its subject by having the appropriate ending. Thus, John drinks a lot is grammatical, but John drink a lot isnt grammatical as a sentence on its own, because the verb doesnt agree. Agreement also occurs in English between demonstratives and nouns. A demonstrative has to agree in number with its noun. So with a plural noun such as books, you have to use a plural these or those, giving these books or those books. With a singular noun, such as book, you use a singular this or that, giving this book or that book. This books or those book would be ungrammatical because the demonstrative doesnt agree with the noun.–Jame R. Hurford, Grammar: A Students Guide. Cambridge University Press, 1994 Keeping Track of Details Agreement is an important process in many languages, but in modern English it is superfluous, a remnant of a richer system that flourished in Old English. If it were to disappear entirely, we would not miss it, any more than we miss the similar -est suffix in Thou sayest. But psychologically speaking, this frill does not come cheap. Any speaker committed to using it has to keep track of four details in every sentence uttered: And all this work is needed just to use the suffix once one has learned it.–Steven Pinker, The Language Instinct. William Morrow, 1994 whether the subject is in the third person or not: He walks versus I walk.whether the subject is singular or plural: He walks versus They walk.whether the action is present tense or not: He walks versus He walked.whether the action is habitual or going on at the moment of speaking (its aspect): He walks to school versus He is walking to school. Tricky Nouns Some nouns are commonly used with singular verbs although plural in form: Some nouns are commonly plural in usage, even though naming something singular.–Patricia Osborn, How Grammar Works. John Wiley, 1989 news, politics, economics, athletics, molassesnouns that state a given time, weight, or amount of energytitles of books, newspapers, television shows, even of plural formHis trousers were old and torn.The suds are almost down the drain.Scissors are a great invention.The contents were ruined. Examples Many dogs are made anxious by loud noises.An anxious dog is not able to focus and maintain attention.Dogs and cats are the most common pets.A dog and a cat are in our house.Usually, either the dog or the cat is in my room.Abandoning a dog or a cat is grossly irresponsible. Examples and Observations Bill Bryson The manager was one of those people who are so permanently and comprehensively stressed that even their hair and clothes appear to be at their wits end.–The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Broadway Books, 2006 James Van Fleet I have read statistics that show only five out of every 100 people become financially successful. By the retirement age of 65, only one of these people is truly wealthy.–Hidden Power. Prentice-Hall, 1987 Maxine Hong Kingston She brought back another woman, who wore a similar uniform except that it was pink trimmed in white. This womans hair was gathered up into a bunch of curls at the back of her head; some of the curls were fake.–The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts. Alfred A. Knopf, 1976 Bell Hooks Feminist activists must emphasize the forms of power these women exercise and show ways they can be used for their benefit.–Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center, 2nd ed. Pluto Press, 2000 Agreement in Radio TR: I dont know. Understanding guys dont mean you should live with them. SS: Lester... TR: What? SS: Understanding guys doesnt mean you should live with them. TR: Thats what I said. SS: Lester, subjects, and verbs have to be in agreement. The subject of that sentence is not guys, its understanding, and understanding, which is a gerund, by the way, is singular and it takes a singular verb. TR: I got no idea what youre talking about.–Tom Keith and Sue Scott in English Majors. A Prairie Home Companion, May 18, 2002