Abstract
This paper details the roots and causes of the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 90's. The author discusses some of the economic conditions responsible for the crisis and the various countries involved.

From the Paper
"Some economic analysts have described the Asian financial crisis as one of the worst financial disasters to occur in history. These same economists argue that the Asian financial crisis was far worse than the Latin American debt crisis and could be likened to the great depression of the 1930's. While not any one specific cause can attempt to explain the reason for the crisis, a number of factors during this time frame existed that helped to facilitate the collapse of the Asian economy. Each country affected by the crisis had different impending circumstances for being vulnerable to this predicament during that time period. The crisis began in a few concentrated countries in southeastern Asia and by the end had propagated throughout many of the countries located in Asia bringing devastating affects."

Tags:asia, asian, china, collapse, crisis, depression, economic, financial, fiscal, recession, thailand, vietnam

Abstract
This paper analyzes a survey that appeared in "The Economist," which examined the economic and social impact of the legalization of drugs around the world. It focuses on the microeconomic effects legalization would have and analyzes data presented in the survey using tools and methods that are taught at intermediate level economics classes. This paper examines the effects of legalization on price, demand, consumption and distribution.

From the Paper
"Regardless of the moral or political positions one takes on the use or trade of illicit substances, one has to appreciate the complexity and the organization of the world drug trade. The drug trade is a truly global industry, as the production and distribution of illegal substances requires participation from, and relatively unmatched cooperation between, different groups from nearly every corner of the world. As impressive as the geographic scope of the drug trade is the economic prowess of the industry, which generates annual sales of somewhere between $150 and $400 billion, based on different estimates. The industry's illegitimate status also makes it one of the most dangerous in the world for those who participate at all levels, from producers to distributors, and even to consumers. The drug trade also causes enormous problems, both financially and socially, to nearly every nation involved - and not just from the questionable nature of the drugs themselves, but also because of the tactics employed by the world's most powerful governments, especially by the United States, to eliminate, curb, or otherwise control the flow of illegal substances. In the survey in The Economist, powerful arguments are presented that try to establish that the policies and enforcement strategies of the world's powers against the drug trade cause far greater harm than the industry does itself. Further, the survey argues a great deal of the problems caused by the drug industry to nations and peoples around the world are more a result of these policies and tactics than anything inherent in the industry or the substances themselves. The survey presents a number of arguments from both a social standpoint and an economic perspective as to how the United States and the rest of the world might benefit from the legalization of illicit substances. In this paper the focus will be on the economic evidence presented in the survey and its correlation with the theory of the firm and the consumer in microeconomics."

Tags:consumption, demand, drugs, economics, economist, legalization, microeconomics, price, supply

Abstract
This paper looks at whether the Average Daily Attendance (ADA) or Average Daily Membership (ADM) provides a better way of allocating funding for schools. The paper also looks at provisions for funding of the No Child Left Behind Act, and how best to equalize funding resources.

From the Paper
"The Ohio House budget called for a shift in the way students are counted because it believed that Average Daily Membership (ADM) counts phantom students and it preferred to count Average Daily Attendance( ADA). President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers testified before the Ohio Senate Education Committee that because a student is absent on a given day, the cost of the educating that student is not reduced at all. Students who have erratic attendance records actually cost more to educate he said..."

Tags:ADM, ADA, Title i

From the Paper
"The somewhat progressive nature of tax rates as income increases is one of the central features of the United States? personal income tax system. That effective rates, the established percentage of one's income that one must pay as income tax (Rosen 537), increase as income increases, has been true of the United States? tax system since its inception. Criticism of the United States? tax system abounds, and some recent reform proposals have centered around a "flat tax," a taxation scheme where all personal income is taxed at the same marginal rate, the percentage of each additional dollar of income that is collected by the government in taxes (Rosen 534), rather than at differential rates that rise with income. For instance, under the current system, an additional $100 of income is taxed at a higher rate if one's total tax bill is $100,000 than if one's total tax bill is $20,000. If marginal tax rates were the same, this additional $100 of income would be taxed at the same rate regardless of one's income. The two proposals to which serious attention has been given are the Armey plan and the Hall-Rabushka flat tax plans."

Tags:economics, efficiency, equity

Abstract
This paper deals with the background and decision making process for the development of the Boeing 777. The demand and innovations of the 777 are further discussed. The majority of the paper uses net present value (NPV) and the weighted average cost of capital to determine if the 777 project added value to Boeing.

Outline
Background
Program Snapshot
Innovations
The 777 Decision
Demand for the 777
Development, Life Cycle and Costs
Financial Analysis: Net Present Value of the 777
Conclusion
Works Cited

From the Paper
"The Boeing 777 program was launched in October 1990 with Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Frank Shrontz, at the helm. It all started with an order from United Airlines, and in June of 1995, United flew its first 777 in revenue service. The market's demand for size, shaped and launched the newest member of the Boeing twin-aisle family -- the 777. The airplane design offered features, innovations, and approaches to airplane development that set the standard for delivering value to the airlines."

Tags:777, airbus, aircraft, average, beta, boeing, capital, cost, lifecycle, lockheed, net, npv, present, risk, value, wacc, weighted

From the Paper
"A central bank serves as the banker to both the banking community and the government; it also issues the national currency, conducts monetary policy, and plays a major role in the supervision and regulation of banks and bank holding companies. In the U.S. these functions are the responsibilities of key officials of the Federal Reserve System: the Board of Governors, located in Washington, D.C., and the top officers of the 12 district Federal Reserve banks, located throughout the nation."

Tags:banking, Federal, Reserve, money, monetary, policy

Abstract
The paper points out that the Nurse Training Act was among the many reform "Great Society" programs passed during Lyndon B. Johnson's first presidency in the 1960s. This paper states that the Nurse Training Act of 1964 was important to the nursing profession because, not only did it provide federal funding for nursing education thus acting as an incentive to go into the nursing profession, but it also dramatically changed the quality of care hospitals were able to offer. The author also discusses the Nurse Reinvestment Act (H.R. 3487, S. 1864.) of 2001, which also addresses the continued nursing shortage.

From the Paper
"Ultimately, the Nurse Training Act is significant to nursing as a profession, not because of substantive changes to the way the profession it practices, but primarily because it heralded a new age of federal funding that goes toward nursing education. Unfortunately no amount of federal funding in the last forty years seems to be enough to overcome the constant shortage of nurses. Also in 1964, Congress created a Nursing Student Loan program to address the nursing shortage. Last year only $2 million was made available for new awards of long term, lower interest rate loan to students pursing various levels of nursing degrees. Back in 1983, Congress appropriated funding to address nursing shortages through that program, but this was insufficient as the shortage continues. In 2001, 10,298 students received an average loan of $2,116 clearly an inadequate amount to act as any sort of incentive to a financially needy student."

Tags:education, hospital, loan, funding, shortage

Abstract
This paper is an examination of the US health care system and how the current system costs too much, covers too little, and excludes too many.

From the Paper
"According to the group Physicians for a National Health Program, the battle to universalize health care has been going on since the turn of the twentieth century. During the early 1900's, the Progressive Era involved active reformers working to improve the social conditions for the working class. Since support for health insurance benefit programs were much more active in Europe, these countries have had much more rapid developments in health care over the past century (<www.pnhp.org>1). Thus, European health care systems have progressed to be more effective as well as more stable than those of the United States. In fact, currently, the United States of America is the only industrialized nation in the world, which does not provide all of its citizens with some form of health care (Wang 12). "

Tags:healthcare, hmo, states, united, universal, medicine, preventive, insurance, physician, health, medical, doctor

Abstract
Discusses pros and cons of privitization of prison facilities. Evaluates issues and trends such as cost efficiency, rights of the individual, government monitoring but not operating prisons. Cites supporters of privitization arguments including reduction of cost of incarceration to governments, improved quality of services, better accountability, less bureaucracy. Arguments cited against privitization include potential for abuse of prisoner's rights by private sector, for-profit businesses and that privately run prisons are not as cost effective as claimed. Discusses privitization in several states.

From the Paper
"Evaluation of Prison Privatization


Privatization is increasingly at the forefront of every discussion in American life that deals with the cost efficiency of government. At the state, county, and even local levels, the privatization of prison facilities has become a major area for outsourcing opportunity. The privatization of prisons is touted by its supporters as reducing the cost of incarceration to governments. It is also criticized by its opponents as potentially reducing government control over prison system inmates and processes while potentially ushering in an opportunity for the abuse of prisoners? rights at the hands of private sector, for-profit business entities (Metzgar, 1999). It is the purpose of this report to evaluate issues relevant to and trends in prison privatization, highlighting the pros and..."

Abstract
An analysis of the current budget deficit and its causes--a slow economy, tremendous spending on the Iraq war and tax cuts. The paper also addresses the economic effect of a deficit on the economy and the desirable and adverse effects caused by a deficit. This essay concludes that spending would be more productive if directed to structural elements of the economy.

From the Paper
"Budget deficits occur when government expenditure is greater than revenue, forcing the government to borrow to meet its requirements. There are many potential economic effects of a deficit; the most apparent is an expansionary effect on the economy caused by injections of money being greater than withdrawals. Fiscal policy, among many other mechanisms is used to manipulate the economy. However, budget deficits should be used as to not adversely affect the economy. The federal budget deficit set the new record of $374 billion in 2003, doubling last year's efforts (Fram). The record deficit has been caused by the slow economy, tremendous spending on the Iraq war and tax cuts for the rich. This indicates that the great America does not know how to balance the checkbook, and certainly does not know how to spend wisely."

Tags:bush, debt, fiscal, iraq, monetary, spending, surplus, tax, tax, trade, war