Monday, January 27, 2020

Effects of Free Trade Agreements on Trade and Growth in US

Effects of Free Trade Agreements on Trade and Growth in US The Effects of Free Trade Agreements on Trade and Growth in American Countries: Evidence from the Gravity Model Approach Trade as a driver of growth and development is a concept that has been addressed from different perspectives or approaches for scholars and policy-makers. However, an integrative path was sealed with the creation of the World Trade Organization as the main tool to promote a more accessible and clear way to commerce between nations and was further strengthened by bilateral and multilateral FTAs, which continue developing and growing. In the current political scenario, the discussion between supporters of globalisation and detractors provides a compelling framework to study the real effects that Free Trade Agreements cause on the economic performance. While the first group affirms that FTAs enhances the markets and therefore, the economic growth and employment, the second group argues that the global market is damaging the small domestic economies. The present paper covers the increasing effects on trade that are expected by countries that engage in Free Trade Agreements, including bilateral or multilateral ones within American countries, in the context of the three central multilateral trade agreements in the continent (NAFTA, MERCOSUR, and The Pacific Alliance) and other relevant bilateral agreements. The main question to be addressed is whether the positive effects predicted by economic theory on trade when countries eliminate fares and other barriers to trade as part of an agreement effectively happen in the current context of the Americas. The hypothesis is that the implementation of Free Trade Agreements has a positive and significant impact on the trade flows between the American countries. Section 2 includes the theoretical framework behind the relation between trade and FTAs, Section 3 presents the model specification, Section 4 shows the estimation of the model and the econometric tests, the limitations of the theoret ical framework and the model specification are discussed in Section 5, and Section 6 concludes. The Gravity Model has its origins on Location Theory, as it was the main model to include the effects of distance on traded quantities. Isard and Peck (1954) acknowledged the importance of considering distance as a variable in trade analysis establishing the ground from which others such as Tinbergen (1962) and Pà ¶yhà ¶nen (1963) would build the Gravity theory to explain trade flows between countries, conducting the first econometric studies based on the gravity equation. The Gravity Model has proven to be extremely successful in ordering the observed variations in economic transactions and movement of factors. It is also distinguished for its representation of economic interaction in a multi-country world, where the distribution of goods and factors is driven by gravity forces that are conditional to the size of economic activities at each location (Anderson, 2010). In this way, trade between countries is positively related to countries sizes and negatively related to distance. Moreover, as a widely used analytical framework, the model can incorporate adjusting variables such as FTA to indicate the existence of Free Trade Agreements between the objective countries (Yang and Martinez-Zarzozo, 2014). Tinbergen (1962) suggests an economically insignificant average treatment effects of FTAs. However, numerous studies, such as Frankel (1997) on MERCOSUR, find a significant positive effect in line with the expected results. These contradictory outcomes emphasise the fragility of the estimation of FTAs treatment effects and are a clear signal that robustness should be tested. One of the central issues to be explored is the exogeneity of FTAs, since the presence of them, if endogenous, can provide seriously biased results. Baier and Bergstrand (2007) provide several important conclusions to be taken into consideration. They observe that using the standard cross-section gravity equation provides a downwards-biased result. Secondly, attributed to this bias, traditional FTAs effects are underestimated by around 75%-85%. Lastly, the authors demonstrate that the best estimates of the effect of FTAs on bilateral trade are achieved from a theoretically framed gravity equation using panel data with bilateral, country and time fixed effects or differenced panel data with country and time effects. As it is suggested by extensive literature, trade flows are better explained by the Gravity Model, which propose the Newtons Gravity concept to explain bilateral trade as an attraction force, influenced positively by the size of the economies involved in trading and negatively with the costs of transaction (Tinbergen, 1962 and PoÃÅ'ˆyhoÃÅ'ˆnen, 1963). As proxy variables of the size of the economy, the model uses GDP and population of both countries; and Distance between the countries as a proxy for transaction costs. Following the Newtons Gravity Equation, the model estimates: Where is the trade flows between a specific country pair, in other words, is the sum of exports from country to country plus exports from country to country . is the gross domestic product in country , is the population of country , is the GDP in country , is the population of country , and is the distance between the capital cities (as major economic centres) of countries and . To avoid spurious effects due to inflation and currency exchange rates, the variables , and are measured in 2010 constant US dollars. Moreover, recent literature has implemented an augmented version of the gravity model to evaluate other variables of interest related to trade flows. In this way, besides to include more time-sections to the analysis, a dummy for implemented FTAs is added to the explanatory variables, taking a value of 1 if there exist a fully in force agreement and 0 otherwise. For the purpose of this paper, an FTA is considered if it establishes 100% free trade, because many cooperation agreements in the Americas consider only certain sectors for free trade, and these are not the focus of this research. Including the dummy variable, transforming the gravity model using Logarithmic function, to accomplish the linearity-in-parameters assumption, and including the time sections, the model to estimate is: However, it is strongly likely that this model has problems of endogeneity and thus, the estimators are biased due to sampling selection and omitted variable bias, how it is suggested by the literature. However, the logic behind this biasedness is different to the literature review. For Baier and Bergstrand (2007), the parameter of interest would have a negative bias because countries will be more interested in implementing an FTA when the benefits of it are greater. Therefore, the authors conclude that a possible omitted variable would be Tariff Barriers. In this scenario, Tariff Barriers are negatively correlated with trade and positively with FTA, generating a negative bias. This is not the case for America. On the contrary, progressive lower barriers and an improving in the diplomatic relationships have finally pushed the creation of Free Trade areas and agreements. That is why, in this case, we suggest that the bias for the sample would be positive, since the possible omitted variables would be lower barriers and good diplomatic relationships, affecting the FTAs and the trade itself positively. To solve this problem, the literature suggests the use of Fixed Effects Panel Data strategy because this model can control for country-specific and invariant-in-time unobservable variables. Therefore, the model to estimate is: Where will be the identifier for the 29 different country-pair units. Since the Fixed Effects model reacts only to variant-in-time variables, the variable Distance is dropped from the model. This estimation allows controlling by characteristics related to the specific country-pair like diplomatic relationships, trade openness, institutions, and so on. However, there could be variables related to unobserved characteristics in time like trade trends and generalised willingness to trade and sign FTAs. For this reason, it is recommended to use time fixed effects to avoid endogeneity, through the next model: Where will be the identifier for the 13 different time sections. Since the scope of this paper is to evaluate the effect of the FTAs on American countries, the three biggest trade agreements in the continent (NAFTA, MERCOSUR, The Pacific Alliance) were taken as a research target, and their members were chosen as the population. The countries included by Trade Agreement are presented in Table 1: Table 1. Multilateral Trade Agreements in America Agreement Country Start Date North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Canada 01/01/94 Mexico 01/01/94 United States 01/01/94 Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) Argentina 15/08/91 Bolivia 28/02/97 Brazil 15/08/91 Paraguay 15/08/91 Uruguay 15/08/91 MERCOSUR Chile Chile 01/10/96 The Pacific Alliance Chile 01/02/12 Colombia 01/02/12 Mexico 01/02/12 Peru 01/02/12 Source: Organization of American States (2016) However, if those countries were incorporated without taking into account other Free Trade Agreements between them or third countries, problems of sample selection bias would be created. For this reason, in addition to the mentioned free trade areas, bilateral FTA are considered, according to Table 2: Table 2. Bilateral Trade Agreements in the sample FTA Start Date Bolivia Mexico 07/06/10 Canada Chile 05/12/96 Canada Colombia 21/11/08 Canada Peru 29/05/08 Chile Mexico 01/08/99 Chile Panama 07/03/08 Chile Peru 01/03/09 Mexico Chile 01/08/99 Mexico Uruguay 15/07/04 Panama Canada 01/04/13 Panama Peru 01/05/12 United States Chile 01/01/04 United States Colombia 15/05/12 United States Panama 31/10/12 United States Peru 01/02/09 Source: Organization of American States (2016) As the model considers only one dummy variable, if a country-pair has two agreements in force (bilateral and trade area), it is considered the oldest one. Besides, it is important to point out that Venezuela (suspended member of MERCOSUR) was dropped from the list due to the lack of reliable information about trade flows. The information about bilateral trade flows was obtained from The World Banks World Integrated Trade Solution, and the other variables were constructed using information from the World Development Indicators. The database used to estimate the model has 29 country-pairs (cross-sectional units) and 13 time-sections since 1990 to 2014. The used database of bilateral trade drops 1996, leaving the database with one time-section less. Since it is one time-section of fourteen and according to our investigation, the missing information is not related to an event influencing trade flows and the time section is dropped for the entire observations, we have a low risk of biased estimators. Table 3 contains the descriptive statistics showed by the Statistical Software STATA ® for the variables in levels: Table 3. Descriptive statistics of relevant variables (in levels) Variable | Mean Std. Dev. Min Max | Observations ID overall | 25.45435 19.18174 1 74 | N = 460 between | 19.36072 1 74 | n = 29 within | 0 25.45435 25.45435 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | Exports overall | 4.55E+10 1.22E+11 1.45E+08 6.13E+11 | N = 460 between | 1.01E+11 4.22E+08 4.75E+11 | n = 29 within | 3.63E+10 -1.67E+11 2.48E+11 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | GDP_Exp overall | 1.02E+12 2.25E+12 9.96E+09 1.62E+13 | N = 460 between | 2.40E+12 1.37E+10 1.30E+13 | n = 29 within | 3.60E+11 -1.94E+12 4.21E+12 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | Pop~Exp overall | 6.71E+07 7.28E+07 2738125 3.19E+08 | N = 460 between | 7.16E+07 3324953 2.86E+08 | n = 29 within | 8255115 3.64E+07 9.97E+07 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | GDP_Imp overall | 6.78E+12 6.55E+12 9.96E+09 1.62E+13 | N = 460 between | 6.28E+12 1.61E+10 1.38E+13 | n = 29 within | 1.50E+12 2.71E+12 1.00E+13 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | Pop~Imp overall | 1.68E+08 1.31E+08 3201604 3.19E+08 | N = 460 between | 1.31E+08 3310046 2.95E+08 | n = 29 within | 1.42E+07 1.31E+08 2.00E+08 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | FTA overall | 0.5043478 0.5005254 0 1 | N = 460 between | 0.4360526 0 1 | n = 29 within | 0.2546286 -0.453985 1.393237 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | Distance overall | 3690.712 2529.406 213.02 8483.39 | N = 460 between | 2533.405 213.02 8483.39 | n = 29 within | 1.55E-12 3690.712 3690.712 | T-bar = 15.8621 However, since the estimations are calculated using a logarithmic transformation of the continuous variables, the descriptive statistics of the variables in natural logarithm are presented in Table 4: Table 4. Descriptive statistics of relevant variables (in logarithm) Variable | Mean Std. Dev. Min Max | Observations FTA overall | 0.5043478 0.5005254 0 1 | N = 460 between | 0.4360526 0 1 | n = 29 within | 0.2546286 -0.4539855 1.393237 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | lexports overall | 2.25E+01 1.84E+00 1.88E+01 27.14178 | N = 460 between | 1.64E+00 1.98E+01 26.85607 | n = 29 within | 5.17E-01 2.10E+01 23.84729 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | lGDP_ex overall | 2.65E+01 1.66E+00 2.30E+01 30.41464 | N = 460 between | 1.69E+00 2.33E+01 30.18564 | n = 29 within | 2.28E-01 2.58E+01 27.04886 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | lGDP_im overall | 2.77E+01 2.795514 2.30E+01 30.41464 | N = 460 between | 2.719438 2.35E+01 30.25019 | n = 29 within | 1.94E-01 2.70E+01 28.17505 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | lPop_ex overall | 1.75E+01 1.11E+00 1.48E+01 19.58041 | N = 460 between | 1.12E+00 1.50E+01 19.47142 | n = 29 within | 8.70E-02 1.72E+01 17.64414 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | lPop_im overall | 1.80E+01 1.821994 1.50E+01 19.58041 | N = 460 between | 1.826536 1.50E+01 19.50204 | n = 29 within | 8.05E-02 1.78E+01 18.19405 | T-bar = 15.8621 | | ldista~e overall | 7.89E+00 9.17E-01 5.36E+00 9.045865 | N = 460 between | 9.10E-01 5.36E+00 9.045865 | n = 29 within | 0.00E+00 7.89E+00 7.891049 | T-bar = 15.8621 Although using pooled OLS with the database will generate problems of endogeneity discussed further below, OLS estimation is made to have the first approach to the gravity model. Table 5 shows the obtained results: Table 5. Gravity Model estimated by OLS lexports | Coef. Std. Err. t P>|t| [95% Conf. Interval] lGDP_exp | 0.6340649 0.0394767 16.06 0 0.5564848 0.7116451 lGDP_imp | 0.4512511 0.0464715 9.71 0 0.3599247 0.5425775 lPop_exp | 0.2196251 0.0606458 3.62 0 0.1004432 0.3388071 lPop_imp | 0.5049373 0.0726212 6.95 0 0.362221 0.6476536 FTA | 0.5136195 0.0689928 7.44 0 0.3780338 0.6492052 ldistance | -0.9256142 0.0407673 -22.7 0 -1.005731 -0.8454978 _cons | -12.68833 0.7146799 -17.75 0 -14.09283 -11.28383 With a , the model behaves according to the literature and all variables are statistically significant using any level of significance. The variables measuring the mass of the economies are positive and distance is negative. Additionally, the variable of interest FTA is positive and statistically relevant, showing tha

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Comparing Rebels in Pleasantville, Fahrenheit 451, and Lord of the Flies :: comparison compare contrast essays

Rebels in Pleasantville, Fahrenheit 451, and Lord of the Flies Despite the fact that rebels are viewed as troublemakers, in the long run, they help a society grow for the better. In Pleasantville, Fahrenheit 451, and Lord of the Flies, there have been so called "rebels" and these rebels were looked down upon for their different points of view. These rebels were what made these books and movie interesting because in a society, change is sometimes good. In all of these cases, change was feared and thought impossible, but eventually these changes happened, and there was a better civilization because of it. In Pleasantville, one world came clashing with another. These two different worlds had different values and perceptions of a perfect and pleasant life. When David and Jennifer entered the town of Pleasantville and became Bud and Mary Sue, they were looked at differently because they knew something that the others in Pleasantville didn't know. They knew of change, color, and true beauty and because they were spreading this knowledge, they were considered rebels. After color started to spread, the town of Pleasantville was never the same and they now knew what they were missing. A rebel is defined as a minority, going against the majority. As time passed, and more color appeared, the more "rebels" there were. When these "rebels" become the majority, they are not considered different or threatening anymore. Once everybody changed from black and white to color, Pleasantville was now happy again. But this happiness was not because of a boring routine, but because of beautiful change and multicolored experiences. Times change and these rebels that see differently than everyone else influence these changes. Change is what makes the world go round. In Fahrenheit 451, there were also rebels that existed and viewed what everyone was used to, as a living hell. The rebels that I speak of are people like Clarisse McClellan, Guy Montag, Professor Faber, and Granger. These rebels are people that are sick of the way things are and want change to occur. These characters are all bright, intelligent, and bring forth fresh and sensible ideas that nobody even thought of or considered because it was out of the norm and it was risky.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

The American Dream

The American Dream is the idea that hard work and commitment will result in prosperity and completion of personal goals. It is perceived by many to be an easy way of pursuing and following through on their goals in life. Beginning in the late 1800s immigrants came into the United States looking for employment and the opportunity to succeed. These new opportunities would help lead them towards fulfilling their American Dream. The social class system in America determines the lifestyle and outcome of one’s life.The majority of people who are born into a low social class will continue to be poor throughout the rest of their lives. These people may have a goal to become wealthier, but these goals will never be fulfilled because of their negative ascribed and achieved characteristics. Positive ascribed and achieved characteristics help push people ahead in society and the social class structure. Negative ascribed and achieved characteristics hold people back and force them to overc ome these obstacles in order to succeed. Ascribed and achieved characteristics greatly affect the pursuit the Dream for people. The Great Gatsby, by F.Scott Fitzgerald, and Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck perfectly portray the effect of the social class system and these personal characteristics on the American Dream. Determining one’s success or failure is based upon these characteristics and ultimately determines the social class in America. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, contains many different circumstances in which these characteristics affect their pursuit of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby, the main character of the book, pursues his dream by becoming wealthy. Born into a poor family, Gatsby tries to earn his dream girls’ love by making money.For five years he makes a great amount of money only to try and impress this woman’s expectations. He faces the problem of not realizing that the past is gone and he cannot get things that are impossible to reach. The book, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, shows the effect of social class and personal drive to reach the American Dream. Lennie, who is mentally retarded, faces an obstacle he will never be able to overcome. Although his dream is simple, it will never be reached because of this ascribed characteristic. Another character in the book is Curley’s wife. An ascribed characteristic that she strives from is her beauty.A negative characteristic that holds her back from achieving her dream is her low social class and the fact that she’s a woman. All of these characters have different limitations, but they will all affect their pursuit of the American Dream and result in the same outcome. The Great Gatsby shows the effect of ascribed and achieved characteristics upon the upper class. Jay Gatsby was born into a low social class. He falls in love with Daisy Buchanan who is very wealthy. His desire for love is an impossible feat that he cannot obtain because of his low social class. â€Å"Rich girls do not marry poor boys, Jay Gatsby† (Movie: The Great Gatsby).He pursues his dream by becoming wealthy and hoping that she will accept him as the same social class. A positive ascribed characteristic that will help him is the fact that he is a white male. This helps him because white men have a better chance of getting what they desire over any other gender or race. A negative ascribed characteristic is the fact that he was born into a lower class family. This will hold him back and greatly affect his pursuit of the American Dream. A positive achieved characteristic that Jay Gatsby, is the fact that he is rich after overcoming an extraordinary obstacle of beginning in a lower class position in society.His rise in the social structure from lower to upper-lower only took him five years to obtain. This is an astonishing feat in which he has succeeded and pushed himself ahead in pursuing his dream. â€Å"Almost five years! [†¦] It had gone by her, beyond everything† (Fitzgerald 101). Although he had become extremely wealthy, there is a negative side to his climb in the social structure. His negative achieved characteristic is the way in which he got all his money. The way that he made his fortune was through drugs and illegal actions. He lied to many people he was close to about his past because he knew that the truth would intrude upon his goal. I am the son of some wealthy people in the mid-west [†¦] San Francisco† (Fitzgerald 69). Gatsby figures that the only way to pursue his dream is to lie about his past. Jay Gatsby could never overcome his obstacles so he was unsuccessful in pursuing his American Dream. He focused on obtaining Daisy’s love and undoing the past. â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light [†¦] tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms out further† (Fitzgerald 189). The biggest problem that Gatsby faces is the fact that he cannon overcome his unrealistic purs uit of Daisy.Jay Gatsby’s failure is a full result of pursuing something that he will never get; therefore, his dream cannot be fulfilled. The book, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck portrays the effect of ascribed and achieved characteristics on people in the lower class. Lennie and George travel together in order to find employment and make a living. This story takes the reader through the pursuit of a dream by two men and what they go through along the way. Their mutual dream is to â€Å"get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres and a cow and some pigs and—† (Steinbeck 14).Lennie is a very strong, hardworking man who has a simple dream. The biggest problem he faces is that he is retarded. This negative ascribed characteristic is an impossible obstacle to overcome. A positive ascribed characteristic that somewhat helps him is the fact that he is a white male. A positive achieved characteristic is that he is extreme ly hardworking. â€Å"He’s awright. Just aint bright [†¦] But he can do anything you tell him† (Steinbeck 22). His problem is keeping a job in order to make money and earn a living plays a big role in his pursuit of the American Dream.His friend, George, says â€Å"If I was alone I could live so easy [†¦] I could get a job an’ not have no mess† (Steinbeck 103). His retardation leads to his problem with keeping a job and not being able to function in normal society. Not only did his negative ascribed characteristic of being retarded affect the pursuit of his dream, it ultimately led to his death. These obstacles are impossible to overcome. In result, he cannot follow through with his American Dream. Curley’s wife has extremely high expectations for her American Dream. One positive ascribed characteristic that helped her was her beauty. Her looks helped her throughout life.She was born into a low social class and later on in life she marrie d into the lower class. These are both negative ascribed and achieved characteristics of Curley’s wife. Another negative achieved characteristic of Curley’s wife is that she is a whore. She has the â€Å"eye† for other men. â€Å"She gonna make a mess [†¦] She’s a jail bait all set on the trigger† (Steinbeck 51). Before she got married to Curley she had a chance of obtaining her dream as an actress. She missed out on the opportunity and married Curly, a ranch hand. â€Å"I tell ya I could’a went with shows [†¦] she was breathless with indignation† (Steinbeck 78).When she looks back on it she finds herself to be very disappointed in her decision. She does not approve of Curley because he does not make enough money and is not up to her standards. â€Å"Spends all his time sayin’ what he’s gonna do [†¦] Think I’m gonna stay in that two-by-four house? † (Steinbeck 78) Even though she is in the lo wer social class, she visualizes herself in a higher position above others with whom she associates herself with. If it was not for her low social status I believe that she would have been successful in her dream as an actress.Her beauty took her a long way in life and it helped her become close to her desired goal. Even though her dream was not very realistic, she had many qualities that helped her. The biggest setback that she had was the fact that she was a woman in the lower section of the social structure in America. Her ascribed characteristic of being poor determined the difference between her death and fulfilling her American Dream. Throughout the novels Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, and The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many characters portray the effect of personal characteristics upon their pursuit of the American Dream.Jay Gatsby’s personal achievement could not overcome all of the obstacles he had to work around in order to obtain his dream. Even th ough he became rich, the past was over and he could not retrieve Daisy’s love. Lennie had some extremely helpful qualities, but he could not overcome his ascribed characteristic of being retarded. For Lennie, it wasn’t his personal achievement, but instead it was his ascribed characteristics which held him back from his American Dream. Curley’s wife had the desire to become an actress, but instead she married a ranch hand who was in the lower class like herself.Her negative ascribed characteristic of being born into the lower social class held her back from reaching her goal. These characters all contained their own distinguishable problems, but they all had the same outcome. Ascribed and personal characteristics determine the future and outcome of one’s desired goal and for these three characters, this was true. Personal achievement and effort cannot always overcome all obstacles and for many the American Dream is just an impossible destination to reach. â€Å"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past† (Fitzgerald 189). The American Dream The American Dream: Money, Success, and A Home The American Dream changes over time, always based on society. In the 40's and 50's the American Dream was to have a white picket fence, a dog, a two parent home, and a couple of children. Today, it's a little bit different, the American Dream is to have money, cars, fame and success. The things I would have to say would never change about the American Dream and what It consists of would be money, success, and a home.The American Dream consists of money. I would have to say the American Dream consists of money because in todays society of money because in oday's society money talks. The more money you have, the more power you have. Money and power are what bring some advantages in America. It allows you to get your house, your cars, and your connections (the people you know). The American Dream today Is to have all these things, when you have money and power you tend to think you're invincible and at times in society you are.With all of this money and power you're not going to keep it a secret. Which brings me to my next topic, in which the American Dream consists of. Success and fame more importantly Success. The American Dream consists of success because in society seems to be one f the main goals. In everything we do we are told to succeed. Whether be sports, education, and our Jobs. So It wouldnt be a wonder that begng successful and known would be a part of the American Dream.Although gaining success would be reaching a personal goal and gaining money and power, success will not get you the last thing the American Dream consists of†¦ A home. Through all the years and times one thing has continued to be wanted and dreamed up, and that is a home. Not a house, not a mansion, but a home. A home is made up of love, care, and kindness. Everybody reams of having a home with a moderate sized family filled with love and compassion. A secure, serene, and yet free environment.That is a home, one of the things that t he American Dream is made of. In conclusion, The American Dream has changed over the times, but some things are clear. the dream is to have money, success, and a home. Money to gain power, ands with that money and power comes success and fame. All those things can never get you a home though. What does society say about what the American Dream Consists of: Society says the American Dream should say that you should have almost nothing but money. Money, ig mansions, a whole bunch of cars.To hang out with the celebs and Just be famous and known The American Dream By aminahpeacel 998 change about the American Dream and what it consists of would be money, success, todays society money talks. The more money you have, the more power you have. Dream today is to have all these things, when you have money and power you tend to of the main goals. In everything we do we are told to succeed. Whether it be sports, education, and our Jobs. So it wouldn't be a wonder that begng successful and known Dream has changed over the times, but some things are clear, the dream is to have The American Dream 1. In text two â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back† by Arnold Schwarzenegger we are presented to the writer himself as an immigrant. He informs us about the responsibilities as an immigrant. As an immigrant you can’t come to America and take the best the nation have to offer without giving something back. You will succeed at the American Dream with hard work and determination and because of the generosity of the American people. We are introduced to the way to become a great American citizen.You have to learn the language and blend in with the culture but in the meantime you can still be proud of your own heritage. You also have to participate in the political process. To maintain a strong democracy with real change you have to be involved. It is a way to freedom and many Americans have sacrificed their lives in war to preserve their freedom. Last but not least you hav e to give something back. As well as former great immigrants who performed a great service for the nation, new immigrants ought to do the same. There is no limit on what you can achieve.In text three â€Å"Whose American Dream Is It, Anyway? † by Anya Kamenetz we become aware of the fact that Americans are more pessimistic about their lives now than at any time in the past half-century. One of the most fundamental assumptions of the American Dream is the belief that money and ownership of material things will increase. But this is no longer how the situation is. We reached a point where this will not make us any happier. In addition to this fact it seems that the planet can’t take the increasing pollution which follows.We are presented to a prediction that young people will choose a scaled down lifestyle and trade money for time. We need a new American Dream that will restore the social safety net and we need optimism for that. Text four â€Å"Is the American Dream St ill Possible? † by David Wallechinsky comes across the question written in the title. The question is based on the fact that many Americans are struggling financially. Nevertheless they still take responsibility for their own financial destiny. This is showed by an example with a single mother providing for 4 children. 2. Compare language, tone and style in texts 1 and 2.The two texts â€Å"What is the American Dream† and â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back† are very different in their way of influencing the readers. In text one is used a very eloquent language which indicates that we are dealing with a well-educated writer. Another sign of the fact that he is well-educated is the use of difficult words which mean that you have to know synonyms of the words to fully understand the text. The text contains alliterations, a definition and a lot of quotes from well- known authorities.The style of the text is to question some relevant elements but on the other hand it expresses a really certain way of using the words. It makes you give everything an extra thought. The form of the text gives you the impression that the American Dream is attainable for everyone because of the fact that we all have unalienable rights. Contrary to text one text two is more personal. This is indicated by the use of many personal pronouns like â€Å"I† and â€Å"you† in the language. The language is very common which means that everyone can understand. Therefore the text approaches a wider target group.A lot of alliterations are used: â€Å"Honor, heritage†, â€Å"learn language†, and â€Å"died defending†. The text also contains a lot of positive words as freedom and the American Dream. The style of this text is more convincing, personal, and average so everyone can participate and understand, than text two. It is a very obliging an d explanatory tone. It expresses that everyone is worth something great. 3. As it is questioned in text four â€Å"Is the American Dream Still Possible? †: â€Å"Does the dream survive? I believe that everyone has a dream. It might not be the same dream but it is there.We all believe in our dream and hope for it to come true. We do our very best to achieve our dream. We do this with optimism even though times can be tough and the means can be poor. Our dream will show us the way back from tragedy and depression, our dream is where we are headed. The American Dream is a common dream. Many people unite around the fact that they have the same dream. It is a good dream because dreams keep our hopes up and lead us in the right direction. So I find the American dream a positive and good focal point in our lives. If we lose sight of our own dreams we still have the American Dream.It is of great value for those who lost track and need something good to believe in. We can affect the American Dream by making it our own dream. Therefore I believe that the American Dream will survive, it will survive in many of us. When going through rough times is when we realize that the dream is most needed. The dream of something better than you are going through at the time, is what you need. Which dream you have chosen to follow is not the important part. You will be recognized for your effort whether you have chosen the American Dream or another dream, as long as you have a dream. The American Dream 1. In text two â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back† by Arnold Schwarzenegger we are presented to the writer himself as an immigrant. He informs us about the responsibilities as an immigrant. As an immigrant you can’t come to America and take the best the nation have to offer without giving something back. You will succeed at the American Dream with hard work and determination and because of the generosity of the American people. We are introduced to the way to become a great American citizen.You have to learn the language and blend in with the culture but in the meantime you can still be proud of your own heritage. You also have to participate in the political process. To maintain a strong democracy with real change you have to be involved. It is a way to freedom and many Americans have sacrificed their lives in war to preserve their freedom. Last but not least you hav e to give something back. As well as former great immigrants who performed a great service for the nation, new immigrants ought to do the same. There is no limit on what you can achieve.In text three â€Å"Whose American Dream Is It, Anyway? † by Anya Kamenetz we become aware of the fact that Americans are more pessimistic about their lives now than at any time in the past half-century. One of the most fundamental assumptions of the American Dream is the belief that money and ownership of material things will increase. But this is no longer how the situation is. We reached a point where this will not make us any happier. In addition to this fact it seems that the planet can’t take the increasing pollution which follows.We are presented to a prediction that young people will choose a scaled down lifestyle and trade money for time. We need a new American Dream that will restore the social safety net and we need optimism for that. Text four â€Å"Is the American Dream St ill Possible? † by David Wallechinsky comes across the question written in the title. The question is based on the fact that many Americans are struggling financially. Nevertheless they still take responsibility for their own financial destiny. This is showed by an example with a single mother providing for 4 children. 2. Compare language, tone and style in texts 1 and 2.The two texts â€Å"What is the American Dream† and â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back† are very different in their way of influencing the readers. In text one is used a very eloquent language which indicates that we are dealing with a well-educated writer. Another sign of the fact that he is well-educated is the use of difficult words which mean that you have to know synonyms of the words to fully understand the text. The text contains alliterations, a definition and a lot of quotes from well- known authorities.The style of the text is to question some relevant elements but on the other hand it expresses a really certain way of using the words. It makes you give everything an extra thought. The form of the text gives you the impression that the American Dream is attainable for everyone because of the fact that we all have unalienable rights. Contrary to text one text two is more personal. This is indicated by the use of many personal pronouns like â€Å"I† and â€Å"you† in the language. The language is very common which means that everyone can understand. Therefore the text approaches a wider target group.A lot of alliterations are used: â€Å"Honor, heritage†, â€Å"learn language†, and â€Å"died defending†. The text also contains a lot of positive words as freedom and the American Dream. The style of this text is more convincing, personal, and average so everyone can participate and understand, than text two. It is a very obliging an d explanatory tone. It expresses that everyone is worth something great. 3. As it is questioned in text four â€Å"Is the American Dream Still Possible? †: â€Å"Does the dream survive? I believe that everyone has a dream. It might not be the same dream but it is there.We all believe in our dream and hope for it to come true. We do our very best to achieve our dream. We do this with optimism even though times can be tough and the means can be poor. Our dream will show us the way back from tragedy and depression, our dream is where we are headed. The American Dream is a common dream. Many people unite around the fact that they have the same dream. It is a good dream because dreams keep our hopes up and lead us in the right direction. So I find the American dream a positive and good focal point in our lives. If we lose sight of our own dreams we still have the American Dream.It is of great value for those who lost track and need something good to believe in. We can affect the American Dream by making it our own dream. Therefore I believe that the American Dream will survive, it will survive in many of us. When going through rough times is when we realize that the dream is most needed. The dream of something better than you are going through at the time, is what you need. Which dream you have chosen to follow is not the important part. You will be recognized for your effort whether you have chosen the American Dream or another dream, as long as you have a dream. The American Dream The American Dream is the idea that hard work and commitment will result in prosperity and completion of personal goals. It is perceived by many to be an easy way of pursuing and following through on their goals in life. Beginning in the late 1800s immigrants came into the United States looking for employment and the opportunity to succeed. These new opportunities would help lead them towards fulfilling their American Dream. The social class system in America determines the lifestyle and outcome of one’s life.The majority of people who are born into a low social class will continue to be poor throughout the rest of their lives. These people may have a goal to become wealthier, but these goals will never be fulfilled because of their negative ascribed and achieved characteristics. Positive ascribed and achieved characteristics help push people ahead in society and the social class structure. Negative ascribed and achieved characteristics hold people back and force them to overc ome these obstacles in order to succeed. Ascribed and achieved characteristics greatly affect the pursuit the Dream for people. The Great Gatsby, by F.Scott Fitzgerald, and Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck perfectly portray the effect of the social class system and these personal characteristics on the American Dream. Determining one’s success or failure is based upon these characteristics and ultimately determines the social class in America. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, contains many different circumstances in which these characteristics affect their pursuit of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby, the main character of the book, pursues his dream by becoming wealthy. Born into a poor family, Gatsby tries to earn his dream girls’ love by making money.For five years he makes a great amount of money only to try and impress this woman’s expectations. He faces the problem of not realizing that the past is gone and he cannot get things that are impossible to reach. The book, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, shows the effect of social class and personal drive to reach the American Dream. Lennie, who is mentally retarded, faces an obstacle he will never be able to overcome. Although his dream is simple, it will never be reached because of this ascribed characteristic. Another character in the book is Curley’s wife. An ascribed characteristic that she strives from is her beauty.A negative characteristic that holds her back from achieving her dream is her low social class and the fact that she’s a woman. All of these characters have different limitations, but they will all affect their pursuit of the American Dream and result in the same outcome. The Great Gatsby shows the effect of ascribed and achieved characteristics upon the upper class. Jay Gatsby was born into a low social class. He falls in love with Daisy Buchanan who is very wealthy. His desire for love is an impossible feat that he cannot obtain because of his low social class. â€Å"Rich girls do not marry poor boys, Jay Gatsby† (Movie: The Great Gatsby).He pursues his dream by becoming wealthy and hoping that she will accept him as the same social class. A positive ascribed characteristic that will help him is the fact that he is a white male. This helps him because white men have a better chance of getting what they desire over any other gender or race. A negative ascribed characteristic is the fact that he was born into a lower class family. This will hold him back and greatly affect his pursuit of the American Dream. A positive achieved characteristic that Jay Gatsby, is the fact that he is rich after overcoming an extraordinary obstacle of beginning in a lower class position in society.His rise in the social structure from lower to upper-lower only took him five years to obtain. This is an astonishing feat in which he has succeeded and pushed himself ahead in pursuing his dream. â€Å"Almost five years! [†¦] It had gone by her, beyond everything† (Fitzgerald 101). Although he had become extremely wealthy, there is a negative side to his climb in the social structure. His negative achieved characteristic is the way in which he got all his money. The way that he made his fortune was through drugs and illegal actions. He lied to many people he was close to about his past because he knew that the truth would intrude upon his goal. I am the son of some wealthy people in the mid-west [†¦] San Francisco† (Fitzgerald 69). Gatsby figures that the only way to pursue his dream is to lie about his past. Jay Gatsby could never overcome his obstacles so he was unsuccessful in pursuing his American Dream. He focused on obtaining Daisy’s love and undoing the past. â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light [†¦] tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms out further† (Fitzgerald 189). The biggest problem that Gatsby faces is the fact that he cannon overcome his unrealistic purs uit of Daisy.Jay Gatsby’s failure is a full result of pursuing something that he will never get; therefore, his dream cannot be fulfilled. The book, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck portrays the effect of ascribed and achieved characteristics on people in the lower class. Lennie and George travel together in order to find employment and make a living. This story takes the reader through the pursuit of a dream by two men and what they go through along the way. Their mutual dream is to â€Å"get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres and a cow and some pigs and—† (Steinbeck 14).Lennie is a very strong, hardworking man who has a simple dream. The biggest problem he faces is that he is retarded. This negative ascribed characteristic is an impossible obstacle to overcome. A positive ascribed characteristic that somewhat helps him is the fact that he is a white male. A positive achieved characteristic is that he is extreme ly hardworking. â€Å"He’s awright. Just aint bright [†¦] But he can do anything you tell him† (Steinbeck 22). His problem is keeping a job in order to make money and earn a living plays a big role in his pursuit of the American Dream.His friend, George, says â€Å"If I was alone I could live so easy [†¦] I could get a job an’ not have no mess† (Steinbeck 103). His retardation leads to his problem with keeping a job and not being able to function in normal society. Not only did his negative ascribed characteristic of being retarded affect the pursuit of his dream, it ultimately led to his death. These obstacles are impossible to overcome. In result, he cannot follow through with his American Dream. Curley’s wife has extremely high expectations for her American Dream. One positive ascribed characteristic that helped her was her beauty. Her looks helped her throughout life.She was born into a low social class and later on in life she marrie d into the lower class. These are both negative ascribed and achieved characteristics of Curley’s wife. Another negative achieved characteristic of Curley’s wife is that she is a whore. She has the â€Å"eye† for other men. â€Å"She gonna make a mess [†¦] She’s a jail bait all set on the trigger† (Steinbeck 51). Before she got married to Curley she had a chance of obtaining her dream as an actress. She missed out on the opportunity and married Curly, a ranch hand. â€Å"I tell ya I could’a went with shows [†¦] she was breathless with indignation† (Steinbeck 78).When she looks back on it she finds herself to be very disappointed in her decision. She does not approve of Curley because he does not make enough money and is not up to her standards. â€Å"Spends all his time sayin’ what he’s gonna do [†¦] Think I’m gonna stay in that two-by-four house? † (Steinbeck 78) Even though she is in the lo wer social class, she visualizes herself in a higher position above others with whom she associates herself with. If it was not for her low social status I believe that she would have been successful in her dream as an actress.Her beauty took her a long way in life and it helped her become close to her desired goal. Even though her dream was not very realistic, she had many qualities that helped her. The biggest setback that she had was the fact that she was a woman in the lower section of the social structure in America. Her ascribed characteristic of being poor determined the difference between her death and fulfilling her American Dream. Throughout the novels Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, and The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many characters portray the effect of personal characteristics upon their pursuit of the American Dream.Jay Gatsby’s personal achievement could not overcome all of the obstacles he had to work around in order to obtain his dream. Even th ough he became rich, the past was over and he could not retrieve Daisy’s love. Lennie had some extremely helpful qualities, but he could not overcome his ascribed characteristic of being retarded. For Lennie, it wasn’t his personal achievement, but instead it was his ascribed characteristics which held him back from his American Dream. Curley’s wife had the desire to become an actress, but instead she married a ranch hand who was in the lower class like herself.Her negative ascribed characteristic of being born into the lower social class held her back from reaching her goal. These characters all contained their own distinguishable problems, but they all had the same outcome. Ascribed and personal characteristics determine the future and outcome of one’s desired goal and for these three characters, this was true. Personal achievement and effort cannot always overcome all obstacles and for many the American Dream is just an impossible destination to reach. â€Å"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past† (Fitzgerald 189). The American Dream The American Dream is the idea that hard work and commitment will result in prosperity and completion of personal goals. It is perceived by many to be an easy way of pursuing and following through on their goals in life. Beginning in the late 1800s immigrants came into the United States looking for employment and the opportunity to succeed. These new opportunities would help lead them towards fulfilling their American Dream. The social class system in America determines the lifestyle and outcome of one’s life.The majority of people who are born into a low social class will continue to be poor throughout the rest of their lives. These people may have a goal to become wealthier, but these goals will never be fulfilled because of their negative ascribed and achieved characteristics. Positive ascribed and achieved characteristics help push people ahead in society and the social class structure. Negative ascribed and achieved characteristics hold people back and force them to overc ome these obstacles in order to succeed. Ascribed and achieved characteristics greatly affect the pursuit the Dream for people. The Great Gatsby, by F.Scott Fitzgerald, and Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck perfectly portray the effect of the social class system and these personal characteristics on the American Dream. Determining one’s success or failure is based upon these characteristics and ultimately determines the social class in America. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, contains many different circumstances in which these characteristics affect their pursuit of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby, the main character of the book, pursues his dream by becoming wealthy. Born into a poor family, Gatsby tries to earn his dream girls’ love by making money.For five years he makes a great amount of money only to try and impress this woman’s expectations. He faces the problem of not realizing that the past is gone and he cannot get things that are impossible to reach. The book, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, shows the effect of social class and personal drive to reach the American Dream. Lennie, who is mentally retarded, faces an obstacle he will never be able to overcome. Although his dream is simple, it will never be reached because of this ascribed characteristic. Another character in the book is Curley’s wife. An ascribed characteristic that she strives from is her beauty.A negative characteristic that holds her back from achieving her dream is her low social class and the fact that she’s a woman. All of these characters have different limitations, but they will all affect their pursuit of the American Dream and result in the same outcome. The Great Gatsby shows the effect of ascribed and achieved characteristics upon the upper class. Jay Gatsby was born into a low social class. He falls in love with Daisy Buchanan who is very wealthy. His desire for love is an impossible feat that he cannot obtain because of his low social class. â€Å"Rich girls do not marry poor boys, Jay Gatsby† (Movie: The Great Gatsby).He pursues his dream by becoming wealthy and hoping that she will accept him as the same social class. A positive ascribed characteristic that will help him is the fact that he is a white male. This helps him because white men have a better chance of getting what they desire over any other gender or race. A negative ascribed characteristic is the fact that he was born into a lower class family. This will hold him back and greatly affect his pursuit of the American Dream. A positive achieved characteristic that Jay Gatsby, is the fact that he is rich after overcoming an extraordinary obstacle of beginning in a lower class position in society.His rise in the social structure from lower to upper-lower only took him five years to obtain. This is an astonishing feat in which he has succeeded and pushed himself ahead in pursuing his dream. â€Å"Almost five years! [†¦] It had gone by her, beyond everything† (Fitzgerald 101). Although he had become extremely wealthy, there is a negative side to his climb in the social structure. His negative achieved characteristic is the way in which he got all his money. The way that he made his fortune was through drugs and illegal actions. He lied to many people he was close to about his past because he knew that the truth would intrude upon his goal. I am the son of some wealthy people in the mid-west [†¦] San Francisco† (Fitzgerald 69). Gatsby figures that the only way to pursue his dream is to lie about his past. Jay Gatsby could never overcome his obstacles so he was unsuccessful in pursuing his American Dream. He focused on obtaining Daisy’s love and undoing the past. â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light [†¦] tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms out further† (Fitzgerald 189). The biggest problem that Gatsby faces is the fact that he cannon overcome his unrealistic purs uit of Daisy.Jay Gatsby’s failure is a full result of pursuing something that he will never get; therefore, his dream cannot be fulfilled. The book, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck portrays the effect of ascribed and achieved characteristics on people in the lower class. Lennie and George travel together in order to find employment and make a living. This story takes the reader through the pursuit of a dream by two men and what they go through along the way. Their mutual dream is to â€Å"get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres and a cow and some pigs and—† (Steinbeck 14).Lennie is a very strong, hardworking man who has a simple dream. The biggest problem he faces is that he is retarded. This negative ascribed characteristic is an impossible obstacle to overcome. A positive ascribed characteristic that somewhat helps him is the fact that he is a white male. A positive achieved characteristic is that he is extreme ly hardworking. â€Å"He’s awright. Just aint bright [†¦] But he can do anything you tell him† (Steinbeck 22). His problem is keeping a job in order to make money and earn a living plays a big role in his pursuit of the American Dream.His friend, George, says â€Å"If I was alone I could live so easy [†¦] I could get a job an’ not have no mess† (Steinbeck 103). His retardation leads to his problem with keeping a job and not being able to function in normal society. Not only did his negative ascribed characteristic of being retarded affect the pursuit of his dream, it ultimately led to his death. These obstacles are impossible to overcome. In result, he cannot follow through with his American Dream. Curley’s wife has extremely high expectations for her American Dream. One positive ascribed characteristic that helped her was her beauty. Her looks helped her throughout life.She was born into a low social class and later on in life she marrie d into the lower class. These are both negative ascribed and achieved characteristics of Curley’s wife. Another negative achieved characteristic of Curley’s wife is that she is a whore. She has the â€Å"eye† for other men. â€Å"She gonna make a mess [†¦] She’s a jail bait all set on the trigger† (Steinbeck 51). Before she got married to Curley she had a chance of obtaining her dream as an actress. She missed out on the opportunity and married Curly, a ranch hand. â€Å"I tell ya I could’a went with shows [†¦] she was breathless with indignation† (Steinbeck 78).When she looks back on it she finds herself to be very disappointed in her decision. She does not approve of Curley because he does not make enough money and is not up to her standards. â€Å"Spends all his time sayin’ what he’s gonna do [†¦] Think I’m gonna stay in that two-by-four house? † (Steinbeck 78) Even though she is in the lo wer social class, she visualizes herself in a higher position above others with whom she associates herself with. If it was not for her low social status I believe that she would have been successful in her dream as an actress.Her beauty took her a long way in life and it helped her become close to her desired goal. Even though her dream was not very realistic, she had many qualities that helped her. The biggest setback that she had was the fact that she was a woman in the lower section of the social structure in America. Her ascribed characteristic of being poor determined the difference between her death and fulfilling her American Dream. Throughout the novels Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, and The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many characters portray the effect of personal characteristics upon their pursuit of the American Dream.Jay Gatsby’s personal achievement could not overcome all of the obstacles he had to work around in order to obtain his dream. Even th ough he became rich, the past was over and he could not retrieve Daisy’s love. Lennie had some extremely helpful qualities, but he could not overcome his ascribed characteristic of being retarded. For Lennie, it wasn’t his personal achievement, but instead it was his ascribed characteristics which held him back from his American Dream. Curley’s wife had the desire to become an actress, but instead she married a ranch hand who was in the lower class like herself.Her negative ascribed characteristic of being born into the lower social class held her back from reaching her goal. These characters all contained their own distinguishable problems, but they all had the same outcome. Ascribed and personal characteristics determine the future and outcome of one’s desired goal and for these three characters, this was true. Personal achievement and effort cannot always overcome all obstacles and for many the American Dream is just an impossible destination to reach. â€Å"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past† (Fitzgerald 189). The American Dream 1. In text two â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back† by Arnold Schwarzenegger we are presented to the writer himself as an immigrant. He informs us about the responsibilities as an immigrant. As an immigrant you can’t come to America and take the best the nation have to offer without giving something back. You will succeed at the American Dream with hard work and determination and because of the generosity of the American people. We are introduced to the way to become a great American citizen.You have to learn the language and blend in with the culture but in the meantime you can still be proud of your own heritage. You also have to participate in the political process. To maintain a strong democracy with real change you have to be involved. It is a way to freedom and many Americans have sacrificed their lives in war to preserve their freedom. Last but not least you hav e to give something back. As well as former great immigrants who performed a great service for the nation, new immigrants ought to do the same. There is no limit on what you can achieve.In text three â€Å"Whose American Dream Is It, Anyway? † by Anya Kamenetz we become aware of the fact that Americans are more pessimistic about their lives now than at any time in the past half-century. One of the most fundamental assumptions of the American Dream is the belief that money and ownership of material things will increase. But this is no longer how the situation is. We reached a point where this will not make us any happier. In addition to this fact it seems that the planet can’t take the increasing pollution which follows.We are presented to a prediction that young people will choose a scaled down lifestyle and trade money for time. We need a new American Dream that will restore the social safety net and we need optimism for that. Text four â€Å"Is the American Dream St ill Possible? † by David Wallechinsky comes across the question written in the title. The question is based on the fact that many Americans are struggling financially. Nevertheless they still take responsibility for their own financial destiny. This is showed by an example with a single mother providing for 4 children. 2. Compare language, tone and style in texts 1 and 2.The two texts â€Å"What is the American Dream† and â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back† are very different in their way of influencing the readers. In text one is used a very eloquent language which indicates that we are dealing with a well-educated writer. Another sign of the fact that he is well-educated is the use of difficult words which mean that you have to know synonyms of the words to fully understand the text. The text contains alliterations, a definition and a lot of quotes from well- known authorities.The style of the text is to question some relevant elements but on the other hand it expresses a really certain way of using the words. It makes you give everything an extra thought. The form of the text gives you the impression that the American Dream is attainable for everyone because of the fact that we all have unalienable rights. Contrary to text one text two is more personal. This is indicated by the use of many personal pronouns like â€Å"I† and â€Å"you† in the language. The language is very common which means that everyone can understand. Therefore the text approaches a wider target group.A lot of alliterations are used: â€Å"Honor, heritage†, â€Å"learn language†, and â€Å"died defending†. The text also contains a lot of positive words as freedom and the American Dream. The style of this text is more convincing, personal, and average so everyone can participate and understand, than text two. It is a very obliging an d explanatory tone. It expresses that everyone is worth something great. 3. As it is questioned in text four â€Å"Is the American Dream Still Possible? †: â€Å"Does the dream survive? I believe that everyone has a dream. It might not be the same dream but it is there.We all believe in our dream and hope for it to come true. We do our very best to achieve our dream. We do this with optimism even though times can be tough and the means can be poor. Our dream will show us the way back from tragedy and depression, our dream is where we are headed. The American Dream is a common dream. Many people unite around the fact that they have the same dream. It is a good dream because dreams keep our hopes up and lead us in the right direction. So I find the American dream a positive and good focal point in our lives. If we lose sight of our own dreams we still have the American Dream.It is of great value for those who lost track and need something good to believe in. We can affect the American Dream by making it our own dream. Therefore I believe that the American Dream will survive, it will survive in many of us. When going through rough times is when we realize that the dream is most needed. The dream of something better than you are going through at the time, is what you need. Which dream you have chosen to follow is not the important part. You will be recognized for your effort whether you have chosen the American Dream or another dream, as long as you have a dream.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Is Fossil Fuel Based Energy The Threat From Climate Change

As our society continues to use primarily fossil fuel based energy the threat from climate change is ever-growing. Never the less, denial of human influences of climate change is slowing efforts to stop it. As a result, we currently face a crisis where far from enough is being done to improve our energy system and mitigate the damage caused by a warming global climate. The development of the climate change issue to where it is today has been made up of two parts: greenhouse gas outputs and the political alignment. Throughout the years of energy production, the output of a primary greenhouse gas, CO2, has continually increased making climate change an ever more pertinent issue. This is despite progression from wood to coal to oil to now†¦show more content†¦This meant that no longer would climate change be a nearly agreed upon issue with a consensus. Ultimately, climate change developed into the partisan issue it is today because of primarily special interest groups and all their funding. In the current day, we have already experienced some major climate change caused effects and have started to put into place plans to mitigate future issues, however if we continue to respond the way we have there is a risk for much greater threats. Some of the currently noticeable issues from climate change include an increase in overall global temperatures as well as an increase in major weather events. Since the pre-industrial world â€Å"we have already warmed around 1.5 °F (1 °C)† (Mann and Toles 30). Additionally, this past August (2016) marked the 16th and final month of consecutive record high warmth globally (â€Å"Global Climate Report† 2). This means that over the past nearly 140 years of record keeping the record high for every month is from either 2015 or 2016. As this changing climate impacts the weather â€Å"it may affect health through a range of pathways, for example as a result of increased frequency and intensity of heat waves, reduction in cold related deaths, increased floods and droughts, changes in the distribution of vector-borne diseases and effects on the risk of disasters and malnutrition. The overall balance of effects on health is likely to be negative† (Panwar et al 1514).Show MoreRelatedHuman Activities Have A Impact On Climate Change978 Words   |  4 PagesClimate Change Human activities have a notable impact on climate change. The consequences of changing the natural atmospheric greenhouse are difficult to predict. Scientists say that climate change is a strong threat to humanity and there are a number of reasons why this threat has arisen . For example, burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and risers sea levels. Very important for humanity, scientific organizations such as the National Academy of Science, the Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateRead MoreClimate Change : A Global Threat For The Population1377 Words   |  6 PagesClimate change is viewed as new global threat for the population all around the world. Climate change can be define as â€Å"Disturbance in environment and climate patterns with respect to increased level of atmospheric carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen ratio†. Climate change is now tagged as critical security problem for present and upcoming generations with the passage of time. It is now predicted that these cl imate changes will increase the risk of violent conflict. Climate change is not only affectingRead MoreEarth Science : Critical Thinking Exercise Questions1702 Words   |  7 Pageswhy it is a conflict. The climate is changing and this comes with the result of temperatures rising, polar ice caps melting, and water levels rising. Furthermore, if these types effects continue without being checked the end result for human and animal life on earth could be catastrophic. With this in mind, there are several people that have argued that this change has occurred as of natural causes. The people from school of thought believe that the current climate change is a result of the naturalRead MoreEssay On Climate Change Negotiation1195 Words   |  5 PagesThe climate change negotiation game, which took place at Michigan Tech University, had close to 30 participants with nine groups representing the USA, EU, other developed countries, India, China, other developing nations, fossil fuel industry, climate activists and journalists. After two rounds of negotiations, the temperature rise could be limited to 2.3 oC better than the Paris agreement by 0.3 oC. The Copenhagen accord temperature target of 2oC has not been achieved despite the earnest effortsRead MoreNew Energy for the Future1358 Words   |  6 PagesNew Energy for the Future For years man has relied on energy in order to be successful in life. The industrial revolution relied on coal for the new inventions brought into the world. Life as has never been the same since then. However since that time, there has been little done to improve on energy efficiency and humans still primarily rely on fossil fuels for energy. For over a hundred years the Earth has become more polluted and dirtier than ever before. Now, with new, innovative technology thereRead MoreRenewable Sources Of Energy Effectively Replace Fossil Fuels Essay1614 Words   |  7 PagesAlternative energy Can renewable sources of energy effectively replace fossil fuels? Can renewable sourves of energy effecticely replace fossil fuels? Is the question of the century.the answer to this question could profouldly change the world, it could put us In a new era a one for the better. But due to the largest oil and gas companies exxon mobil, royal dutch shell, bp, Sinopec and bureaucracy the steps are not being taken to insure our future. The government is corrupted, State officialsRead MoreClimate Change And Global Warming925 Words   |  4 PagesMarietta Johnson Environmental Science, 201 Spring Term 2 Professor Barry Vroeginday Climate Change / Global Warming, How Mankind Contributes There are so many issues going on in the world today that experts state it is due to climate change. Climate change is a global issue that effects the entire world and everyone should be interested in knowing more about it. Some common issues attributed to climate change are temperature records being broken, storms being stronger, more frequent or happeningRead MoreIs Human Activity Primarily Responsible For Global Climate Change And Global Warming?1371 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal Climate Change and Global Warming? What is global climate change? Is human activity primarily responsible? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, global warming â€Å"refers to the recent and ongoing rise in global average temperature near Earth s surface. It is caused mostly by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Global warming is causing climate patterns to change. However, global warming itself represents only one aspect of climate change†Read MoreUse Of Renewable Resources For Alternative Fuels1219 Words   |  5 PagesCurrent transportation is heavily dependent on fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. Petroleum based fuels such as gasoline and diesel fuel, the most commonly used fossil fuels, are causing increasing global concern because petroleum is a finite resource. This means that as the amount of available petroleum decreases over time, the need for alternative fuels will increase. This is an important matter because it affects global energy se curity, food security, the environment, and economies. WithRead MoreIntegrative Bargains On Climate Change1299 Words   |  6 PagesIntegrative Bargains on Climate Change Amr Morgan Integrative Bargains on Climate Change Undesired climatic change necessitates the need to look for solutions to curb the trend through planetary-scale interventions. However, the major challenge is the lack of integrated, top-down bargaining strategies. To deal with this challenge, the U.S. has resulted to the use of new bottom-up methods such as building blocks and climate clubs to coordinate national climate change policies (Victor Sabel