Social, Political and Economic Impacts of Thatcher

Social, Political and Economic Impacts of Thatcher There is little doubt that the Thatcher administration had a social, political and economic impact on Britain during its years of reign. The push for privatisation of the public sector, the subsequent unemployment, and the drive to divert housing away from the control of the state and into the control of private parties are, among others, the key events that shaped the influence that Thatcherism had on the British public. It has often been argued that the concept of Thatcherism goes against the grain of traditional Conservative political thought since the end of the Second World War in 1945, and that Thatcher’s â€Å"New Right† set out challenge the elements of classic liberalism that were traditionally embraced by the Tory’s up to her victory in 1979.[1] However, others have also argued that Thatcher’s New Right still embraced one key factor of traditional Tory political thought: the concept of tradition.[2] The most accurate definition of the New Right s chool of thought is the fact is combines elements of both liberalism (the need for freedom) and traditionalism (the preservation of concepts of heritage) into a new form of ultra-conservative thinking, which is said to have first come to prominence during Ronald Reagan’s election to the White House in 1980.[3] Thatcher’s foreign policy embraced the US as a close ally during Reagan’s presidency, and as such they shared political thoughts and ideas on certain issues.[4] The Thatcher government is attributed as being responsible for the reformation of the labour market during the 1980’s. One main method of achieving this was through the reformation of the income tax system, which dropped the top marginal tax rate for the extremely wealthy.[5] The basic tax rate was cut from 33% to 25%, and the top tax rate was reduced from 83% to 40%.[6] This reduction in taxes is said to have lead to an increase in big business and skilled workforce interest in Britain, rather than having to shift their operations offshore to avoid the high taxes. Having large business back in Britain, set up through the encouragement of a foreign skilled workforce to set up in Britain through lower income tax, meant that the economy would subsequently strengthen due to an increased import/export market and foreign trade deals, regardless of the fact that the government would initially lose up to half its revenue from the top marginal tax bracket. The labour market also faced a shake-up in terms of union involvement, with Thatcher legislating extensively to restrict their involvement in industrial relations, and effectively disabling their ability to call strikes.[7] This meant that the common man’s rights at work were severely challenged by the Thatcher legislative agenda, thereby effectively distancing government from the middle to working classes of British society. This is somewhat contradictory to her proclamation that, upon arriving to Downing Street, her vision was of an â€Å"open, classless Britain†.[8] Rather it could be argued that, in some areas at least, her agenda has somewhat reinforced the class system in Britain, and created a breed of ‘working poor’ class, where encouragement to own property and shares has lead to the inability to create free capital, on which a family can survive. Thatcher also believed that state ownership of many companies was hampering growth in other sectors. Famous firms such as Cable Wireless, British Aerospace, British Petroleum, Rover, British Airways, and British Telecom are now quite largely owned by the public, as well as basic suppliers of gas, electricity, water, telecommunications, road and rail.[9] With the transfer from public to private enterprise meant subsequent deregulation of those companies, allowing them to make changes to the company as their respective boards of directors saw fit. This also could be argued to mean that many employees would no longer be government employees that were provided with government benefits, such as generous superannuation contributions. Rather, superannuation would be at the discretion of the employer, and those that did not receive such benefits would be reliant upon the welfare of the state come unemployment or retirement. This is especially relevant where a mandatory retirement age is enf orced. Again, this further demonstrates the position of the Thatcher administration in terms of providing for middle to lower classes of British society, and only looking out for those that are wealthy enough to own stock in such privatised companies (20% of Britons in 1990, compared with 7% in 1979).[10] Interestingly, under Thatcher in 1980, the Royal Family was given an increase in its allowance from the British government by several million pounds, while cuts in expenditure were being made in most other areas![11] Britain began to pay a price for Thatcher’s cost cutting and privatisation during the 1980s. While the Thatcher administration had inherited high inflation from the preceding Heath Labour government,[12] methods still had to be put in place to control this. Within a few years, inflation was down to 5%, however as a result of strict money control as a method of control, unemployment had risen to around 3 million (or 6%) in the mid 1980s.[13] However, 70% of the British public now owned their own homes, which promoted Thatcher’s importance of personal wealth as a fundamental policy.[14] The economy was favoured over infrastructure and social welfare, with roads and railways showing â€Å"signs of neglect† and homelessness having â€Å"visibly increased†.[15] An example of Thatcher’s favouritism towards the economy is demonstrated by the Local Government Bill 1988, which would have made it illegal to promote homosexuality, or to promote the teaching of homosexuality in any school.[16] It could be argued that this Bill was introduced in the wake of a perceived AIDS epidemic that was striking Britain at the time[17] and, rather than spending money to combat this problem through social welfare programs, it seemed much more economically sound to eradicate the problem at a political level. This again demonstrates the distance between the Thatcher government and the social sphere of Britain, also considering proposals in terms of their ‘pounds-and-pence’ value, and not at a grassroots social level. Upon considering various commentaries and statistical data on the issue, it become clear that the success of the Thatcher administration from 1979-1990 can only best be judged in a two-pronged sense: economically and socially. From an economist’s (and upper class) perspective, it is clear that the Thatcher government achieved success in stabilising the British economy and made life in Britain generally more appealing for those of a higher socio-economic status. This was highlighted by the push for people to own their own homes, own stock portfolios and the ability for people in the highest tax bracket to retain 43% more of their earnings. This is in stark contrast to those of middle to working class populations, where the basic tax rate was cut by a mere 8%, union representation was cut and state-owned enterprise was sold to the public, creating a deregulated corporate anarchic sphere. This meant unemployment rates rose, due to the government having less ability to undertake r emedial programs in the formerly state-owned companies, such as job placement. Rather these people became reliant upon the welfare of the state, which was lacking due to the â€Å"classless† approach of the Thatcher government. In short, Thatcherism is critical of any form of post-war political thought in Britain up until the victory in the 1979 election, due to the ‘one nation’ approach of the New Right. From an economic perspective, it was a godsend. From a socialist’s perspective, it has its flaws. But there is no disputing the fact that Thatcher has left a lasting legacy in British political thought, one which continues in part today through Tony Blair’s New Labour. So what of the future? With the rise of big business, one would assume that corporate deregulation and denationalisation will continue in the future, putting more peoples’ jobs at risk. However, the Labour government have traditionally taken a kind view towards the working man and their union representations. So will this mean more rights for the common man? Only time will tell Bibliography Books Barker, R, Political Ideas in Modern Britain: In and After the 20th Century (1997, 2nd ed), Routledge, London. Hickson, K (ed), The Political Thought of the Conservative Party Since 1945 (2005), Palgrave MacMillan, Hampshire. Marquand, D and Seldon, A, The Ideas that Shaped Modern Britain (1996), Fontana Press, London. Robertson, D, The Penguin Dictionary of Politics (1993, 2nd ed), Penguin, London. Journal Articles Hitchens, C, ‘This Thatchered Land, This England’ (1980) 231 Nation 3. Nelan, B, ‘A Legacy of Revolution’ (1990) 136 Time 24. Stelzer, I, ‘What Thatcher Wrought’ (1992) Public Interest 107. Legislation Local Government Bill 1998 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/Ukpga_19880009_en_5.htm Footnotes [1] Kevin Hickson (ed), The Political Thought of the Conservative Party Since 1945 (2005), 28. [2] Rodney Barker, Political Ideas in Modern Britain: In and After the 20th Century (1997, 2nd ed), 224. [3] David Robertson, The Penguin Dictionary of Politics (1993, 2nd ed), 348-9. [4] Ibid, 460. [5] David Marquand and Anthony Seldon, The Ideas that Shaped Modern Britain (1996), 154. [6] Bruce Nelan, ‘A Legacy of Revolution’ (1990) 136 Time 24, 66. [7] Nelan, as above n 6. [8] Ibid. [9] Irwin Stelzer, ‘What Thatcher Wrought’ (1992) Public Interest 107, 33-6. [10] Nelan, as above n 6. [11] Christopher Hitchens, ‘This Thatchered Land, This England’ (1980) 231 Nation 3, 72-3. [12] Hickson, as above n 1, 42. [13] Ibid. [14] Nelan, as above n 6. [15] Ibid. [16] Local Government Bill 1988 (UK), s 2A. [17] Stelzer, as above n 9, 49.

Business Plan for Sushi Restaurant

Business Plan for Oyi-Shi Sushi Restaurant By: Hongying Cai Cover Letter: Dear Investor: You’re looking at a business plan for one of the finest and best Sushi restaurant what will take place in down town Manhattan. The restaurant is specifically located at the Ground Zero, where back in the old days, the finest place. Right now the government is rebuilding the World Trade Center, which means wealthy people are coming back to down town Manhattan. This is a great opportunity to start a restaurant around the area, since the population will significantly increase due to the rising of a 105 stories skyscraper.Oyi-Shi sushi restaurant is design for consumer to have a relaxed and pleasant environment for brunch, lunch, happy hour, and dinner. We serve variety style of Japanese sushi, Such as Aburi Sushi, Gunkan-Maki, Maki Sushi and Nigiri Sushi, Plus different selections of beverages. Oyi-shi restaurant will be able to occupy over 40 guess, and a Bar, which will accommodate 15 peopl e. Executive Summary: Sushi restaurant industry had grown enormously in United State during last decade. As of now days, there are approximately 30,000 throughout 50 states, There are over 200 sushi restaurant located in New York.The purpose of this business plan is to find investor or a partner to start off the business. Oyi-Shi Sushi Bar and Grill is a high-end sushi restaurant and bar located at Ground Zero, Seeking to provide customer with a pleasant environment for dinning or happy hours. Plus we would like to satisfy customer with our descent sushi catering and variety selection of sushi styles. Company Back Ground Oyi-Shi sushi restaurant Inc. is a New York base corporation, Will be register under the State of New York. Restaurant is initially found by HongYing Cai, and seeking to have a partner. Mr. Cai will obtain 55% of the business.There are overwhelming competitions in restaurant business. In New York City, there are over thousands of restaurant serving different food or caterings. Another obstacle for sushi restaurant is raising price in seafood. According to IBIS World, sushi restaurant industry is facing a decline in revenue of 3. 4% each year. However there are still opportunities for sushi restaurant business. The project for rebuilding World Trade Center will have a significant increase of population in down town Manhattan. With increase in population there is a need for food. Management Team: Overall restaurant will be managed by HongYing Cai.I have over 7 years of working experience in restaurant industry. Plus majority of my relatives are restaurant owner, they can give me advises on managing the restaurant. For chief, I will hire 2 Japanese sushi chief, who had at least 5 years of experience on making sushi catering, plus 2 sushi helpers, with at least two year in experience. We’ll hire 7 waiters or waitress. 3 of them will doing daily shift, 4 of them will have the night shift, each of the waiter or waitress need to be very polite to the customer and fluent in English, bonus if speaking other language, Japanese or Chinese is preferred.Financial Plan There are no loans make in the starting of the business, all capitals had came from founders and the partner. General assumptions of Federal tax rate are around 33%, and sales tax rate is around 5%. These tax rates are fixed for all 5 years projection. We also assume that the average sales of the restaurant increase about 15% each year. We also Assumes that the operating cost is around 45% of the good sold. |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 |Year 4 |Year 5 | |Sales |$1,440,000 | $1,656,000 |$1,904,400 |$2,190,060 |$2,518,569 | |Operating Cost |$648,000 |$745,200 |$856,980 |$985,527 |$1133356 | |EBITA |$792,000 |$910,800 |$1,047,420 |$1,204,533 |$1,385,213 | |Tax, Interest rate and |$300,960 |$346,104 |$398,020 |$457,723 |$526,381 | |depreciations | | | | | | |Net Profits |$491,040 |$564,696 |$649,400 |$746,810 |$858,832 | Capital Required Oyi-Shi sushi restaurant will star t off with $400,000 capitals.Following table will show how this capital will be used: |Project Start off Cost | | |Initial Lease Payment and Deposits |$50,000 | |Working Capital |$150,000 | |FF&E |$50,000 | |Leasehold Improvement |$15,000 | |Security deposit |$10,000 | |Opening supplies |$15,000 | |Company vehicle and lease deposit |$40,000 | |Marketing budget |$50,000 | |Miscellaneous and Unforeseen Cost |$20,000 | |Total |$400,000 | Marketing Plan The Objective of this marketing plan is to maximize the visibility of the business in the surrounding area. By doing so, I will use a number of marketing strategies that will allow the Sushi Restaurant to easily target men and women within targeted market. These strategies include traditional print advertisements and discounts offered as a part of a grand opening campaign. Below is a description of how the business intends to market its services to the general public.The Company also intends on hiring a local public relations firm that will promote reviews and articles about the restaurant, its cuisine, and relevant hours of operation and pricing. I will invite local food critics to the Company’s Sushi Restaurant location in order to generate positive publicity about the restaurant. The Company will maintain a sizable amount of print and traditional advertising methods within local the local market to promote the sushi and Japanese cuisine products that the Company is selling. At the onset of operations, the Company will distribute an expansive number of coupons for lower priced fare within local circulars Location Analysis I had picked area around Ground Zero, as the location of the Oyi-Shi Sushi restaurant.Primary reasons are rebuilds of World Trade Center. According to the Port Authority of NY and NJ, this newly raising skyscraper is five major skyscrapers at downtown Atlanta, providing Class A Office space. Plus there will be world’s most significant memorials and museums, which means there are good amount of tourist. Reports from Port Authority of NY and NJ also indicated there will be 250,000 people and over 200,000 commuters using the World Trade Center’s transportation hub. Manufacturing plan In order to provide customer with the best food, I decided to import the seafood and other goods needed to serve the customer every 3 days. I will have 3 big refrigerators to store these goods.Each of the refrigerators will be store with different goods, for example, all seafood will be store within one particular refrigerator with temperatures under the control to make sure the condition of the seafood is in good standing. Appendix â€Å"Sushi Restaurants in the US Industry Market Research Report Now Available from IBISWorld. † PR Web. April 12, 2012. December 10, 2012. http://www. prweb. com/releases/2012/4/prweb9393316. htm â€Å"Sushi. † Wikipedia. December 15, 2012. December 15, 2012 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sushi â€Å"World Trade Center: A Roadma p Forward† The Port Authority of NY and NJ. October 2, 2008. December 15, 2012. http://www. panynj. gov/wtcprogress/pdf/wtc_report_oct_08. pd

President George Washington - Fast Facts

George Washington was the only president to be unanimously elected to the presidency. He had been a hero during the American Revolution and was made the president of the Constitutional Convention. He set many precedents during his time in office that still stand to this day. He provided a blueprint of how the president should act and what role he should take. Here is a quick list of fast facts for George Washington. You can also learn more about this great man with: George Washington biographyTop 10 Things to Know About George Washington Fast Facts: George Washington Birth: February 22, 1732Death: December 14, 1799Known for: Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, Founding Father, First President of the U.S.Number of Terms Elected: 2 TermsTerm of Office: April 30, 1789-March 3, 1797Spouse: Martha Dandridge CustisNickname: Father of Our CountryFamous Quote: I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent. Additional George Washington Quotes. Did George Washington chop down a cherry tree and tell his father the truth? Answer:Â  As far as we know, no cherry trees fell victim to Washingtons rapacious ax. In fact, Washingtons biographer, Mason Weems, wrote a book called The Life of Washington shortly after his death where he created this myth as a way to show Washingtons honesty. Major Events While in Office: Elected to first term with a unanimous electoral vote (1789)First United States census (1790)District of Columbia established (1791)Bill of Rights ratified (1791)Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)Whiskey Rebellion (1794)Jays Treaty (1795)Pinckneys Treaty (1796)Farewell Address (1796) States Entering Union While in Office: Vermont (1791)Kentucky (1792)Tennessee (1796) Related George Washington Resources: These additional resources on George Washington can provide you with further information about the president and his times. George Washington Biography: Take a more in depth look at the first president of the United States through this biography. Youll learn about his childhood, family, early and military career, and events of his administration. Revolutionary War: The debate over the Revolutionary War as a true revolution will not be resolved. However, without this struggle America might still be part of the British Empire. Find out about the people, places and events that shaped the revolution. Chart of Presidents and Vice Presidents: This informative chart gives quick reference information on the Presidents, Vice-Presidents, their terms of office and their political parties. More on the Presidents of the United States: This informative chart gives quick reference information on the Presidents, Vice-Presidents, their terms of office and their political parties.

Sex Education in High School - 3397 Words

Introduction My paper examines the issues relating to sex education programs in high school which has been a controversial subject since its inception. It evaluates how the recent increase in sexual activity among teenagers indicates that the subject should be revisited for further inspection and scrutiny. It shows how opponents of sexual education in schools argue that the subject promotes promiscuity and liberal sexual attitudes in teenage students whereas supporters of sexual education programs believe that they often reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases as well as unwanted pregnancies. It also looks at how these courses often usurp the role of parents in the education of their teenage sons and daughters as well as†¦show more content†¦Opponents argue that issues surrounding sexuality are often closely linked to the values and morals that parents desire to pass onto their children. As such, they contend that the current issues discussed in sexual education courses of ten violate parental values and infringe on their rights to raise their children (Fleming). Adversaries of sexual education also argue that the only sexual message that should be conveyed in school is abstinence for all teenagers. They argue that abstinence education in public schools will assist in discouraging sexual activity, thus decreasing the numbers of teenage pregnancies and the diagnosis of Sexually Transmitted Diseases among teenagers (Fleming). Rob stein argues that abstinence only programs do work he also believes that sexual education classes promote sexual behavior amongst teens. He said only about a third of sixth- and seventh-graders who completed an abstinence-focused program started having sex within the next two years, researchers found. Nearly half of the students who attended other classes, including ones that combined information about abstinence and contraception, became sexually active (Stein). Supporters of sexual education in schools also possess intelligent and compelling arguments that defend their beliefs. Primarily, they note that sexual education plays an important role among teenagers whoShow MoreRelatedShould Sex Education Be Allowed? High Schools?878 Words   |  4 PagesShould sex education be allowed in high schools? This has been a controversial issue nationwide for over a decade. The American culture is immensely sexually oriented. Sex can be seen through the media and with the younger generati on being heavily influenced by technology; they cannot avoid it. In light of this, many of the youth today lack information on sex which highlights the problem. 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Sex education, or sex ed, is an instructional course built to instruct issuesRead MoreSex Education And The Early 19th Century1204 Words   |  5 PagesSex education is instruction on issues relating to human sexuality, including emotional relations and responsibilities, human sexual anatomy, sexual activity, sexual reproduction, age of consent, reproductive health, reproductive rights, safe sex, birth control, and abstinence. Sex education that covers all of these aspects is known as comprehensive sex education as opposed to the abstinence only education that only promotes abstinence. Common avenues for sex education are parents or caregivers,Read MoreSex Education Is Not Just About Sex1620 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Sex education in not just about sex. It includes other se nsitive issues like sexual health, sexual reproduction, sexuality and others that parents often feel uncomfortable talking with their children†(Sex Education in Schools Pros and Cons). 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These are important questions that all of us should know about, but when is teaching sex education the right time? Do you wait until later on in high school when so many students could already be sexually active or do you start in middle school before sex is something that is considered the â€Å"normal† and â€Å"cool† thing to do? First of all, what is sex education? Sex education is the term used when teaching about human sexualRead MoreTeen Pregnancy Should Be Pregnant Before The Age Of Twenty1504 Words   |  7 Pagespercent of males have had sex. About 3.2 million adolescent females are infected with the most common STI’s, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea (Bleakly 2006). The likelihood of teens having sex increases with each school grade level, from 32 percent in ninth grade to 62 percent in 12th grade (Ito 2006). In 2012, a total of 305,388 babies were born to a group (Oglesby 2012). 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Arguments are abundant when dealing with such fragile situations and there are many advantages and disadvantages of sexual education being taught in the public schools. It seems that most parents are either strongly for or against sex education classes, but there are a few parents that are on both sides. In fact, there are more parents that support sex education classes. However, there are pros and cons that