The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Essay -- International Economics

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) International Monetary Fund (IMF), international economic organization whose purpose is to promote international monetary cooperation to facilitate the expansion of international trade. The IMF operates as a United Nations specialized agency and is a permanent forum for consideration of issues of international payments, in which member nations are encouraged to maintain an orderly pattern of exchange rates and to avoid restrictive exchange practices. The IMF was established along with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development The IMF's Main Business: Macroeconomic and Financial Sector Policies In its oversight of member countries' economic policies, the IMF looks mainly at the performance of an economy as a whole—often referred to as its macroeconomic performance. This comprises total spending (and its major components like consumer spending and business investment), output, employment, and inflation, as well as the country's balance of payments—that is, the balance of a country's transactions with the rest of the world. The IMF focuses mainly on a country's macroeconomic policies—that is, policies relating to the government's budget, the management of money and credit, and the exchange rate—and financial sector policies, including the regulation and supervision of banks and other financial institutions. In addition, the IMF pays due attention to structural policies that affect macroeconomic performance—including labor market policies that affect employment and wage behavior. The IMF advises each member on how its policies in these areas may be improved to allow the more effective pursuit of goals such as high employment, low inflation, and sustainable economic growth—that is, growth that can be sustained without leading to such difficulties as inflation and balance of payments problems. The IMF's Purposes The purposes of the International Monetary Fund are: i. To promote international monetary cooperation through a permanent institution which provides the machinery for consultation and collaboration on international monetary problems. ii. To facilitate the expansion and balanced growth of international trade, and to contribute thereby to the promotion and maintenance of high levels of employment and real income and to the development of the productive resources of al... ...the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility pay a concessional fixed interest rate of  ½ percent a year. ï‚ · To strengthen safeguards on members' use of IMF resources, in March 2000 the IMF began requiring assessments of central banks' compliance with desirable practices for internal control procedures, financial reporting, and audit mechanisms. At the same time, the Executive Board decided to broaden the application, and make more systematic use, of the available tools to deal with countries that borrow from the IMF on the basis of erroneous information. ï‚ · In most cases, the IMF, when it lends, provides only a small portion of a country's external financing requirements. But because the approval of IMF lending signals that a country's economic policies are on the right track, it reassures investors and the official community and helps generate additional financing from these sources. Thus, IMF financing can act as an important lever, or catalyst, for attracting other funds. The IMF's ability to perform this catalytic role is based on the confidence that other lenders have in its operations and especially in the credibility of the policy conditionality attached to its lending.

The Effect of Cell Phones

The effects that cell phones have on our lives. Cell phones have become a normal part of our everyday living. I have seen people as young as five years old own a cell phone. Nearly everyone has cell phones in this day and age. They have become a necessity for communication. Cell phones offer the ability to communicate with other people with like devices every minute of every day. If you are not able to speak directly with the other person, you can leave them a voicemail, send them a text message, send voice and picture messages, and even videos. Most cell phones now have internet access which allows a person to send emails to other individuals. Cell phones have had a positive impact on our lives. Cell phones are great to have in case of an emergency. For example, if someone’s car breaks down, or they run out of gas, the have a way of calling for help. Cell phones are an excellent source for communication. No matter where you are, or what time of the day, you can call anyone else who has a phone. Using a cell phone is a lot more convenient than having to have fifty cents in your pocket at all times to stop and use a pay phone. Most cell phones have calendars, note pads, and even access to the World Wide Web. People are using them for appointment reminders, keeping notes, reminders for birthdays and anything else they need to remember. You can use the internet access feature of a cell phone to access your email, look up phone numbers in search directories, and doing research. Some cell phones now come with Global Positioning Systems (GPS), to help people find their way to where they are going. A lot of cell phones have games on them and people like to play them while waiting in waiting rooms, or simply whenever they are bored. Cell phones have also had a negative impact in our lives as well. They have been found to be annoying, distracting, and dangerous. Many car accidents have been connected to cell phone usage. People are talking, dialing, and text messaging while driving down the road which is very dangerous and sometimes life threatening. People have become annoyed with cell phones ringing in the movie theatres, doctor’s offices, libraries, and other quiet places. Cell phones are also being used now by students to cheat in schools, which is causing a negative impact on their learning. Some hospital patients are at risk by cell phone users using their phones in areas that they are not suppose to. The prices of cell phones and minute plans are rising which is having a negative impact on our economy. People are no longer being able to afford to talk as much as they used to simply because the cost of living is rising. Cell phones are affecting our lives. The technology of cell phones is getting more and more advanced all the time. It is almost imperative that everyone owns a cell phone in this day and age. Regardless of the positive and negative impact cell phones are having on our lives, people will continue to buy and use them and the technology will keep advancing.

An Analysis of Letter from a Birmingham Jail - 1204 Words

Letter from Birmingham Jail was written by Martin Luther King Jr. As he states in the title, in a Birmingham, Alabama jail. Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed because he participated on a nonviolent protest of segregation in public places such as lunch counters and public restrooms. During his jail time, Martin Luther King Jr. read a criticism about a protest made by a group of white ministers, accusing King of being an outsider, of using extreme measures that incite hatred and violence, that his demonstrations were â€Å"unwise and untimely† and also suggesting that the racial issues should be â€Å"properly pursued in the courts†. In other words, they were suggesting that black people should not protest, but wait for the court system to work†¦show more content†¦He says that because they are religious people, and as people who have religious beliefs, they should be positioning themselves by the side of justice, instead of doing what they were doing because it was orderly. Martin Luther King Jr. appeals to reason and logic thorough the letter. Shows rational thought while describing the â€Å"steps† involved in a pacific protest. â€Å"In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action.† He also describes real conditions and facts that happened in Birmingham like police brutality and bombings, as well as non-successful attempts to negotiate or to explain the reason why blacks could no longer be waiting as the white clergy had suggested. Although he is always respectful in his tone remains courteous, he also questions the fundamental reasons behind the statements made by them, including the comment that blames the violence demonstrations that followed them are like blaming a person that have money for being robbed. Using fundamental arguments, one after another, pulling examples from history, Martin Luther King Jr. explains the difference between â€Å"unjust and just† laws, and also the reason why disobedience of an unjust law is not the same as disobedience of a just law. He uses the â€Å"Boston Tea Party† as an example of â€Å"civil disobedience.† Some people find it kind of ironic when Martin LutherShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail1074 Words   |  5 PagesAn Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was serving a prison sentence in a jail in Birmingham, Alabama for nonviolently protesting through sit ins and marches.. It was during this time that King, outraged by the criticism of his methods of nonviolent direct action, wrote one of the most thoughtful arguments for civil disobedience and direct action against unjust and immoral laws. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail was a poignant rebuttalRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail1052 Words   |  5 Pagesdiscrimination is? A Rhetorical Analysis of Letter From Birmingham Jail It is known to all that Martin Luther King is a famous person in America, who strongly goes against the racial discrimination all the time. Here, in this letter, Letter from Birmingham Jail, it is easy for us to realize that racial discrimination appears and the non-violence action is still serious at that time. As a matter of fact, this letter is coming from the people in the Birmingham jail, stating their inner thoughts aboutRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Letter from Birmingham Jail1517 Words   |  7 PagesPonder Eng291-001 13 September 2013 Rhetorical Analysis Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† by Martin Luther King, Jr., is a letter in which King is writing to his â€Å"fellow clergymen† in a response to their recent criticism of the actions he was leading in Birmingham at the time. The letter was written in April of 1963, a time when segregation was essentially at a peak in the south. Birmingham, in particular, is described by King as â€Å"probablyRead MoreAnalysis of Letter From Birmingham Jail773 Words   |  4 Pagesfulfill our inherent duty to our nation by correcting the error that â€Å"we† have made. Through the pronoun â€Å"we†, king evokes a sense of urgency and duty-bound obligation as a concerned patriot to make a change. The question â€Å"What can be done?† arises from King’s freshly tilled ground of emotion, as he sows the seeds of solution in the now fertile soil of his audiences mind. To further nourish the new sprouts of persuasion, King makes a second and even more potent appeal by the mention ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail1542 Words   |  7 Pagesto defend yourself? In â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail,† Martin Luther King, Jr. addresses fellow ministers’ criticisms on his movement by eloquently expressing his views on the fight to end segregation in an incredibly organized manner. He calmly and directly shoots back a compelling argument to those who question his authority to lead protests on the subject. Overall, King uses examples and accurate representations of history to show the need for change. MLK Jr.’s letter embodies the rightful cryRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail Analysis1172 Words   |  5 Pageswrote too. This is displayed in professional fashion in the Letter From Birmingham Jail. Martin displayed a circus of statements in response to the Clergymen in the Letter From Birmingham Jail. H e did this by analyzing their statements and responding with his own in an argumentative manner. He demonstrated this through persuasive statements, answering quotes from the community, and used a past leader as an example. Through this letter, Martin proved he could hold his ground in the line of fireRead MoreCritical Analysis: Letter from Birmingham Jail1191 Words   |  5 PagesCritical Analysis Essay â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† In arguing, writers use different techniques to effectively convey their message to their intended audience. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail was a response to A Call for Unity by eight white clergymen in which King’s presence in Birmingham and his methods of public demonstration were questioned. King’s letter was not only a response to his presence in Birmingham, but he also used the opportunity to address theRead MoreLetter from a Birmingham Jail Analysis1025 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"A Letter from Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King Jr. was written in the margins of a letter posted by the clergymen of Alabama at this time that sparked his interest and while he inhabited the jail cell for parading around without a permit. This time allowed him the ability to respond wholeheartedly to this cynical oppressing. King’s letter addresses specific points presented in the Clergymen’s and this direct response distinguishes Kingà ¢â‚¬â„¢s strong points through his powerful writing.   UnethicalRead MoreAnalysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail1197 Words   |  5 PagesDr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"A Letter From Birmingham Jail,† depicts the fight for equality by African Americans during the civil rights movement. In this letter, King uses tone, rhetorical questions, and allusions to discuss the racial segregation sweeping the nation. King’s letter is a response to â€Å"A Call For Unity,† a condemning message written by eight white clergymen who frowned upon the peaceful protests conducted by many African Americans. Although Dr. King is presently seen as an AmericanRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail Analysis1617 Words   |  7 Pagespeaceful protests in Birmingham, Alabama, he was jailed on accounts of â€Å"parading without a permit† (King 3). While in jail, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote a response to â€Å"A Call For Unity,† written by eight white clergyme n of Birmingham, regarding King’s actions as â€Å"unwise and untimely† (King 1). This famous response soon came to be known as â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail,† and is currently regarded as one of the best pieces of rhetoric ever written. Dr. King’s â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail† is thoroughly