Poverty and Homelessness In United States - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2618 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/03/26 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Homelessness Essay Did you like this example? Poverty and Homelessness in America is a daunting subject which everyone recognizes but do not pay attention to. A homeless person is stereotypically thought to be a person who sleeps at the roadside, begging for money and influenced by drug with dirty ragged clothes and a person who is deprived of basic facilities in his or her life such as; education, electricity, proper clothes, shelter, water with a scarcity of balanced diet is termed as person living under the line of poverty. We are facing an epidemic as the number of people who are homeless and living in poverty is increasing.. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Poverty and Homelessness In United States" essay for you Create order Poverty and homelessness can be different when compared to other countries and a continent like Asia or Africa or compared to countries like India, China, Syria etc. However, the problems are a major issue in many countries but compared to developing countries and developed countries where there are advanced technologies and advanced education system where the government is focused on people and made by people they are also facing the same problem. The United States of America which is called the Land of Opportunity, the opportunity for normal people or people who are born into poverty has very less chance of changing their lives and their living standards over their lifetime. There are many factors which are backbone for this problem such as Proper education system, Lack of employment facilities, Decline in availability of child assistance, Lack of Affordable health care, Domestic violence, Mental illness, Addiction which are the major factors that are resulting in increasing number of homeless and making the society and people more poor. The research done by End homeless organization shows At the time of the 2017 Point-in-Time count, the vast majority of the homeless population lived in some form of shelter or in transitional housing (360,867 people). However, approximately 34 percent (192,875 people) lived in a place not meant for human habitation, such as the street or an abandoned building. Single individuals comprised 66.7 percent of all people experiencing homelessness (369,081 people), and about 33.3 percent were people in families (184,661 adults and children). Approximately 7.2 percent of people counted were veterans (40,056), and 7.4 percent wer e unaccompanied children and young adults (40,799) (State of Homelessness12). The above data shows the situation of families and children is really horrible which is affecting the present day society and also putting risk to the future of society as the children who are under poverty and homeless are proven to be more prone towards as doing crimes and creating different problems in society as they lack proper education and awareness in their life which follows unemployment and leading a life of crime and violence. We are facing an epidemic as the number of people who are homeless and living in poverty is increasing although the transformation and evolution of technologies breakthrough are changing lives all around the globe but cant catch up with the people at the bottom of the society. Where are we missing out and What is our responsibility for helping another human facing such kind of problems? Poverty is not a new topic for America but the modern day homelessness is a new topic. The government has implemented many ways to reduce homelessness and largely failed. New jobs and affordable housing programs were introduced to tackle such problems along with social security and GI bills have helped a bit. This all was taken into the act after World War II which helped many families to get a chance to provide a roof over their head. However, after 1970s people started noticing people sleeping under the bridge, elders standing at the doorway at the building, people putting a tent in public place. From 1978 to 1983 the federal housing budget fell from 83 billion to 18 billion, 64 billion a year which would provide an opportunity for people who were poor and homeless and those federal cuts has never been restored. When I imagine becoming homeless not knowing where I would sleep in cold, people staring at me thinking I am a junkie judging me from my dirty smelly clothes, my entire bod y is tired and painting as I am not able to get proper food and sleep deprivation, Many people who complain homeless or poor people being lazy which results in much worse conditions but the society and government are the root cause for this problem. Breaking the numbers in terms of race. the number is even more striking disproportionality as the African American make up 40 percent of the homeless and poverty chart while being the 13 percent of the total population. The situation from slavery and segregation, people of color have been facing discrimination and has always been denied equal right and opportunities. These factors linger the situation of a person with color to overcome the situation of homelessness and poverty. Educational sectors in America which are mainly divided into private and public sectors is one the system which affects the persons future in long terms aspect. Schools in low- income neighborhood across America, specifically where people of color and different minorities lack resources that are standard at wealthy private schools. An education system which has never been designed to offer justice or quality opportunities to the people of color. The educational system should always provide attention to resourc es and think about the finance, work on the students background on being poor and their family situation, provide them with access to the same high-level curricular and pedagogical opportunities. The educational curriculum should consist of multicultural topics, should teach them about personal biases and cycle of poverty and classism in and outside of school. The gap between the rich and the poor In America is increasing more and more every year, a country where there is a number of rich people than poor people. The poor family average 2.03 children per household which also worsens the childs condition as the family has more problem to share the same resources with more family members. Research done by Frank and Jennifer Muller from Chicago University shows; According to U.S. Census Bureau data, in 2015, 14.5 million children lived in poverty. Of these, more than 6.5 million children lived in deep poverty that is, lived in households with incomes less than half the poverty line. The poverty rate was higher still (21 percent) for children under the age of 5.(Frank, Jennifer M. 393). Child poverty is especially high in rural areas and it happens where there is a single parent. Thirty percent of children living with a single parent earning lower than minimum wage working full time was also found to have experienced poverty. Health insurance is also a major problem for people who are homeless as they cannot afford to get an insurance and if they are sick they undergo any kind of treatment the medical bill is really expensive in America which results in them to be not able to pay on top of their own poverty and homeless issue. The government should be able to provide free health insurance to poor or affordable insurance to the people who are living a impoverish life. The single parents who are working to make up their children live better should get raise from the minimum wage along with supporting pay equity. The parent should be provided with paid leave and paid sick days to care of themselves or their children in need. The government should invest in affordable high-quality childcare system which works accordingly to urban and rural areas. We just need to enact the policies that will increase the economic growth for homeless and people living in poverty by expanding these opportunities and help them gr ow into the middle class. The other reason which is common among youth, single adults and families being the immediate cause of homelessness is Domestic violence. Survivors of domestic violence seek to the different homeless program seeking a safe environment to start a new living after feeling the abusive relationship or family. Recent statistics suggest that on a single night in January 2017, 16 percent of the overall homeless population, 87,329 people, reported having experienced domestic violence at some point. Research from a study in New York City indicates that one in five families experienced domestic violence in the five years before entering the shelter. Among families that reported domestic violence in the prior five years, 88 percent reported that it contributed to their homelessness a lot (Domestic Violence, Jan 2017). The need for people feeling from such abusive domestic situation is safety, some people may be able to stay safe in their own housing but many require to stay in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program before getting their own independent housing program A new model for housing model is suggested by Susan Finlay from the University of Washington which explains The new model for social transformation offered by Dignity Village suggests a radical shift in social attitudes toward poverty and homelessness. Their creation of a new type of democratic coalition of poor people builds upon goals stated in their operating charter, where the Villagers commit themselves to provide a community in which all constitutional and human rights of all people are respected and protected.(Finaly ,2003). These kinds of housing village model could help this kind of people with affordable rent to start a new life staying away from being homeless or being under poverty as they work between themse lves for making each other lives better. As we know without health there is no wealth, America has one of the most expensive health services. Even the middle class has a problem finding a cheap affordable insurance for themselves and their loved one, imagine the condition of people in poverty and the homeless people. One of the major issue for these people is mental health, through an vision of social and biological mechanisms which are acting in multiple situation where the person is unable to afford properly balanced food to carry on the normal metabolism in the body and the homeless who are unable to stay safe from cold or rain and have to go through sexual assaults, emotional problems too. Various mental factors like poor parental health and birth outcomes, toxic exposure, financial stress, chronic acute stress life, violent event exposure are the reasons affecting the mental wellbeing of such people. There are so many shreds of evidence that prove the mental situation of a person-affecting when they live in poverty and homelessness. Personally, economic inequality or income inequality lead a person to think so much about their life and question, compare different scenarios they live in which leads to depression, drug use, schizophrenia, homicides and different adverse outcomes. People with mental and/or substance use disorders can be particularly vulnerable to becoming homeless or being precariously housed. According to HUDs 2016 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, of those who experience homelessness, approximately 202,297 people have a severe mental illness or a chronic substance use disorder. In January 2016, one in five people experiencing homelessness had a serious mental illness, and a similar percentage had a chronic substance use disorder(Homeless Housing. 2017). Being a Woman or LGTQA, its even harder for them as they have to through physical assaults, sexual exploitation, and substance use disorder. The situation of minorities is really horrible as they have to go through the same problems mentioned above along with police violence and different drug-related problems which affects their mental health. I think the solution for mental issues in homeless and people in poverty could be done by integrating mental health services into existing programs, raising awareness through advertisement on streets, generating modules and tactics for drug addicts to fight against their addiction as well as if we put subjects related to mental health issues in our school curriculum everyone would be aware of the problems and could try to fight against it. The government along with different INGO and NGO have tried to tackle the problem of homelessness on never every level starting from the 1980s, but some solution worked out many failed, despite spending billions over the time new problems came along the time. The federal government has set an aim of ending homelessness for families with children and youth until 2020. But looking at the data and statistics reaching these goals appears to be much further off. However, every new parliament has new work ideas to tackle against these problems, but practically what really work that stay and work on the street and is there any way to work it out that wouldnt be wildly expensive? First, we need to consider the number of housing shelter available for poor and homeless people, but getting to know that your number for housing list in around 5 hundred and have to wait for a year to get into the housing seems a big problem to me. Can we really count the present number and condition of the homeles s shelter and transitional housing as a long-term solution? It would be better if the government start to build a number of such housing facilities only then we can maintain the balance between the number of people and number of housing option available. Although, if a homeless person gets into a transitional housing the cost to operate such housing options are really expensive. The research conducted by The Atlantic shows that Nationally, the average monthly cost of serving a homeless person in an emergency shelter is $4,819. Providing him/her with a voucher for housing, on the other hand, is just $1,162. (Semuels,2016). Looking at the data I think providing an emergency shelter is much worthy than providing to a person as a family could bring up their lifestyle save some money and it would help more number of people while a homeless person could be given a voucher which would save more money for the government. People with addiction and mental health issues should be provided with better rehabilitation option and much affordable health so they can start a normal life. The big companies could provide the employment opportunity for the people living in poverty paying them more than minimum wage. The 2015 federal minimum wage of $7.25 / hour comes to $15,080 annually for full-time work, 52 weeks a year. The federal poverty threshold for a family of three is $ 20,090 (RaisingofAmerica,2016). Imagine living with 15 thousand a year working full time but not meeting the basic requirement of life, waiting every month to month paycheck to pay your bills and fill up your basic need and familys desire. The government should provide more importance to existing programs like Unemployment insurance, Food Stamps, Cash assistance and the earned income tax credit. The American justice holds almost one-quarter of the worlds prisoner which were a victim of using violence on poverty getting into drugs or gang-related activity. The use of violence for homeless and people living under poverty has been shown in an article by Javier Auyero Violence is also used to advance or defend territory, to discipline children, to defend self and property, to acquire economic resources, and to establish dominance within the household in other words, violence is deployed to solve pressing problems.(Auyero Javier, p4) The war on drugs and police racism on black people has been going on for decades tearing father from their families or mother or any workforce from their families preventing them to fulfill the necessities for their family. Even after they change their mind and turn their life away from violenc e and other drug-related activity it is really hard for them to find a normal job as no one would hire a person with criminal records. Along with this, the immigration laws should be worked on helping undocumented aliens to get employment option and help their family. Only then we could help a family or a person get out of poverty and provide them with a roof over their head to lead a normal life as a human.

Othello †How it Ranks Essay - 2151 Words

Othello – How it Ranks In the context of thousands of plays written by hundreds of dramatists since 500 years prior to the time of Christ, how does William Shakespeare’s play Othello rank? In this essay let us find the proper place for this play, and consider critical opinion in the process. Othello would appear to have a beauty about it which is hard to match – thus ranking high. Helen Gardner in â€Å"Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune† touches on this beauty which enables this play to stand above the other tragedies of the Bard: Among the tragedies of Shakespeare Othello is supreme in one quality: beauty. Much of its poetry, in imagery, perfection of phrase, and steadiness of rhythm, soaring yet firm,†¦show more content†¦Robert B. Heilman says in â€Å"The Role We Give Shakespeare†: If we use the word â€Å"support,† however, we do name a way in which Shakespeare serves. It is the way of venerable texts whose authenticity has impressed itself on the human imagination: he has said many things in what seems an ultimate form, and he is a fountainhead of quotation and universal center of allusion. â€Å"A rose by any other name† comes to the mouth as readily as â€Å"Pride goeth before a fall,† and seems no less wise. A quotable line is one that has shed its context and taken on independent life. Very significantly, Shakespeare scenes and character relationships have also taken on independent life and have provided basic formulations upon which other writers rely. (24-25). Francis Ferguson in â€Å"Two Worldviews Echo Each Other† ranks the play Othello quite high among the Bard’s tragedies: Othello, written in 1604, is one of the masterpieces of Shakespeare’s â€Å"tragic period.† In splendor of language, and in the sheer power of the story, it belongs with the greatest. But some of its admirers find it too savage. . . .(131) The Bard’s presentation of emotions, character, of good and evil actions that are down-to-earth – these are sometimes seen as the main reasons for the high ranking of Othello. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar in â€Å"The Engaging Qualities of Othello† maintain that the popularity of this play has been consistent for about 400 years and they tellShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Othello And George Orwell s Animal Farm1357 Words   |  6 Pageswhich leads them to commit drastic deeds. One can use this to persuade people to do things for their own benefit. In William Shakespeare s Othello and George Orwell s Animal Farm, the main characters, Iago and Napoleon, manipulate others to achieve their personal goals. Napoleon and Iago manipulate their peers’ trust, their friendships, and abuse their ranks to reach their goals. Both Iago and Napoleon use this to their advantage and attempt to get what they want, not caring about the risks andRead MoreA nalysis Of Othello By William Shakespeare1171 Words   |  5 Pagesdrives Iago to plot against Othello. Jealousy is largely present in the appropriation too, the breaking point for Hugo comes at the moment when his dad, who is the coach, presents Odin with the award for ‘Most Valuable Player’, and announces to the team that â€Å"I love him (Odin), like my own son†. It is at this point that Hugo starts conspiring against Odin. Odin receiving the M.V.P award, is a representation of when Othello is promoted to a higher rank in the text. In Othello, Iago’s jealousy is bornRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1353 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Othello† is a tragedy play written by William Shakespeare in 1603. The play explains the story of a solider, Iago, that destroys a powerful general named Othello’s marriage, reputation, and overall life. 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ThroughoutRead MoreShakespeare s Othello As A Tragic Hero1517 Words   |  7 Pages Some may wonder, who is Aristotle and why does he label Shakespeare’s play, Othello, as a tragedy? Aristotle is a famous Greek philosopher who defines Shakespeare’s character, Othello, as a tragic hero. Many parts in Othello tell the readers that the play is a tragedy, such as jealousy, arguing, and death, which makes the play famous and delightful to read. Aristotle has identified many common traits or characteristics that a tragic hero requires. In Shakespeare s play, Aristotle defines manyRead MoreEmpathy Is The Absence Of Empathy1207 Words   |  5 Pagesearly start in Othello. Act I Scene I opens with Roderigo and Iago having a slight argument. Rodergio lusts after Desdemona and he is paying Iago to assist him in consolidating his scheme to get her. He has just learned that she has married Othello, a general, and argues that their plan isn’t progressing forward. Iago, w hich is Othello’s ensign, shows deception and disrespect, averring that â€Å"I follow him to serve my turn upon him†, ensuring Roderigo that he has no loyalty to Othello and everythingRead MoreTheme Of Monstrous Jealousy In William Shakespeares Othello1271 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello†, illustrates four of themes in the play. One of the themes is extreme jealousy can make a person act like a monster. In the play, Shakespeare uses Othello, Roderigo, and Iago to prove the theme of Monstrous Jealousy by Othello slapping Desdemona in front of the Public of Venusians calling her cruel names and Developing evil schemes to kill Desdemona at night. Iago tells the lie to Othello about Cassio and Desdemona to and convincing Othello to believe in it. RoderigoRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello, The Moor Of Venice1216 Words   |  5 Pages William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy â€Å"Othello, the Moor of Venice† is one of the best tragedies in the literary history. 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Dsdds Free Essays

Travis Hunter RL 201 Professor Lauer 11 October 2013 Page 137 Response Sikhnet. com is a website that deals with Just about everything that a Sikh needs to know. In addition, it’s a good website for those who are not Sikh’s to gain more knowledge about this particular religion. We will write a custom essay sample on Dsdds or any similar topic only for you Order Now The website contains a great amount of news, past and present about the Sikh religion. Furthermore, it includes blogs where people can talk to each other about the Sikh religion online as well as the Sikh calendar. There are many audio clips as well as quite a few video clips for the visual learner. They thoroughly explain what meditation is and they explain how one would go about meditating. The website includes lectures in case one is looking to practice their religion or if one is Just curious to learn about this unique religion. In addition, the website includes a radio as well as a link to where you can purchase CD’s and DVD’s. The site even includes mobile apps so that you can have easy access on a martphone. I was very surprised that the website even includes a link called â€Å"Sikh Matrimonials† where Sikh’s can enter their information and look for a significant other that is also a Sikh. An event calendar is also available so that they always know what is going on with the Sikh religion. They also make the site kid friendly by having a bunch of different mint-games. Overall, the site essentially has everything that one needs to know about the Sikh religion. How to cite Dsdds, Papers

Multinational Corporations free essay sample

Multinational corporations have existed since the beginning of overseas trade. They have remained a part of the business scene throughout history, entering their modern form in the 17th and 18th centuries with the creation of large, European-based monopolistic concerns such as the British East India Company during the age of colonization. Multinational concerns were viewed at that time as agents of civilization and played a pivotal role in the commercial and industrial development of Asia, South America, and Africa. By the end of the 19th century, advances in communications had more closely linked world markets, and multinational corporations retained their favorable image as instruments of improved global relations through commercial ties. The existence of close international trading relations did not prevent the outbreak of two world wars in the first half of the twentieth century, but an even more closely bound world economy emerged in the aftermath of the period of conflict. In more recent times, multinational corporations have grown in power and visibility, but have come to be viewed more ambivalently by both governments and consumers worldwide. Indeed, multinationals today are viewed with increased suspicion given their perceived lack of concern for the economic well-being of particular geographic regions and the public impression that multinationals are gaining power in relation to national government agencies, international trade federations and organizations, and local, national, and international labor organizations. Despite such concerns, multinational corporations appear poised to expand their power and influence as barriers to international trade continue to be removed. Furthermore, the actual nature and methods of multinationals are in large measure misunderstood by the public, and their long-term influence is likely to be less sinister than imagined. Multinational corporations share many common traits, including the methods they use to penetrate new markets, the manner in which their overseas subsidiaries are tied to their headquarters operations, and their interaction with national governmental agencies and national and international labor organizations. WHAT IS A MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION? As the name implies, a multinational corporation is a business concern with operations in more than one country. These operations outside the companys home country may be linked to the parent by merger, operated as subsidiaries, or have considerable autonomy. Multinational corporations are sometimes perceived as large, utilitarian enterprises with little or no regard for the social and economic well-being of the countries in which they operate, but the reality of their situation is more complicated. There are over 40,000 multinational corporations currently operating in the global economy, in addition to approximately 250,000 overseas affiliates running cross-continental businesses. In 1995, the top 200 multinational corporations had combined sales of $7. 1 trillion, which is equivalent to 28. 3 percent of the worlds gross domestic product. The top multinational corporations are headquartered in the United States, Western Europe, and Japan; they have the capacity to shape global trade, production, and financial transactions. Multinational corporations are viewed by many as favoring their home operations when making difficult economic decisions, but this tendency is declining as companies are forced to respond to increasing global competition. The World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank are the three institutions that underwrite the basic rules and regulations of economic, monetary, and trade relations between countries. Many developing nations have loosened trade rules under pressure from the IMF and the World Bank. The domestic financial markets in these countries have not been developed and do not have appropriate laws in place to enable domestic financial institutions to stand up to foreign competition. The administrative setup, judicial systems, and law-enforcing agencies generally cannot guarantee the social discipline and political stability that are necessary in order to support a growth-friendly atmosphere. As a result, most multinational corporations are investing in certain geographic locations only. In the 1990s, most foreign investment was in high-income countries and a few geographic locations in the South like East Asia and Latin America. According to the World Banks 2002 World Development Indicators, there are 63 countries considered to be low-income countries. The share of these low-income countries in which foreign countries are making direct investments is very small; it rose from 0. 5 percent 1990 to only 1. 6 percent in 2000. Although foreign direct investment in developing countries rose considerably in the 1990s, not all developing countries benefited from these investments. Most of the foreign direct investment went to a very small number of lower and upper middle income developing countries in East Asia and Latin America. In these countries, the rate of economic growth is increasing and the number of people living at poverty level is falling. However, there are still nearly 140 developing countries that are showing very slow growth rates while the 24 richest, developed countries (plus another 10 to 12 newly industrialized countries) are benefiting from most of the economic growth and prosperity. Therefore, many people in the developing countries are still living in poverty. Similarly, multinational corporations are viewed as being exploitative of both their workers and the local environment, given their relative lack of association with any given locality. This criticism of multinationals is valid to a point, but it must be remembered that no corporation can successfully operate without regard to local social, labor, and environmental standards, and that multinationals in large measure do conform to local standards in these regards. Multinational corporations are also seen as acquiring too much political and economic power in the modern business environment. Indeed, corporations are able to influence public policy to some degree by threatening to move jobs overseas, but companies are often prevented from employing this tactic given the need for highly trained workers to produce many products. Such workers can seldom be found in low-wage countries. Furthermore, once they enter a market, multinationals are bound by the same constraints as domestically owned concerns, and find it difficult to abandon the infrastructure they produced to enter the market in the first place. The modern multinational corporation is not necessarily headquartered in a wealthy nation. Many countries that were recently classified as part of the developing world, including Brazil, Taiwan, Kuwait, and Venezuela, are now home to large multinational concerns. The days of corporate colonization seem to be nearing an end. Multinational corporations follow three general procedures when seeking to access new markets: merger with or direct acquisition of existing concerns; sequential market entry; and joint ventures. Merger or direct acquisition of existing companies in a new market is the most straightforward method of new market penetration employed by multinational corporations. Such an entry, known as foreign direct investment, allows multinationals, especially the larger ones, to take full advantage of their size and the economies of scale that this provides. The rash of mergers within the global automotive industries during the late 1990s are illustrative of this method of gaining access to new markets and, significantly, were made in response to increased global competition. Multinational corporations also make use of a procedure known as sequential market entry when seeking to penetrate a new market. Sequential market entry often also includes foreign direct investment, and involves the establishment or acquisition of concerns operating in niche markets related to the parent companys product lines in the new country of operation. Japans Sony Corporation made use of sequential market entry in the United States, beginning with the establishment of a small television assembly plant in San Diego, California, in 1972. For the next two years, Sonys U. S. operations remained confined to the manufacture of televisions, the parent companys leading product line. Sony branched out in 1974 with the creation of a magnetic tape plant in Dothan, Alabama, and expanded further by opening an audio equipment plant in Delano, Pennsylvania, in 1977. After a period of consolidation brought on by an unfavorable exchange rate between the yen and dollar, Sony continued to expand and diversify its U. S. operations, adding facilities for the production of computer displays and data storage systems during the 1980s. In the 1990s, Sony further diversified it U. S. facilities and now also produces semiconductors and personal telecommunications products in the United States. Sonys example is a classic case of a multinational using its core product line to defeat indigenous competition and lay the foundation for the sequential expansion of corporate activities into related areas. Finally, multinational corporations often access new markets by creating joint ventures with firms already operating in these markets. This has particularly been the case in countries formerly or presently under communist rule, including those of the former Soviet Union, eastern Europe, and the Peoples Republic of China. In such joint ventures, the venture partner in the market to be entered retains considerable or even complete autonomy, while realizing the advantages of technology transfer and management and production expertise from the parent concern. The establishment of joint ventures has often proved awkward in the long run for multinational corporations, which are likely to find their venture partners are formidable competitors when a more direct penetration of the new market is attempted. Multinational corporations are thus able to penetrate new markets in a variety of ways, which allow existing concerns in the market to be accessed a varying degree of autonomy and control over operations. While no one doubts the economic success and pervasiveness of multinational corporations, their motives and actions have been called into question by social welfare, environmental protection, and labor organizations and government agencies worldwide. National and international labor unions have expressed concern that multinational corporations in economically developed countries can avoid labor negotiations by simply moving their jobs to developing countries where labor costs are markedly less. Labor organizations in developing countries face the converse of the same problem, as they are usually obliged to negotiate with the national subsidiary of the multinational corporation in their country, which is usually willing to negotiate contract terms only on the basis of domestic wage standards, which may be well below those in the parent companys country. Offshore outsourcing, or offshoring, is a term used to describe the practice of using cheap foreign labor to manufacture goods or provide services only to sell them back into the domestic marketplace. Today, many Americans are concerned about the issue of whether American multinational companies will continue to export jobs to cheap overseas labor markets. In the fall of 2003, the University of California-Berkeley showed that as many as 14 million American jobs were potentially at risk over the next decade. In 2004, the United States faced a half-trillion-dollar trade deficit, with a surplus in services. Opponents of offshoring claim that it takes jobs away from Americans, while also increasing the imbalance of trade. When foreign companies set up operations in America, they usually sell the products manufactured in the U. S. to American consumers. However, when U. S. companies outsource jobs to cheap overseas labor markets, they usually sell the goods they produce to Americans, rather than to the consumers in the country in which they are made. In 2004, the states of Illinois and Tennessee passed legislation aimed at limiting offshoring; in 2005, another 16 states considered bills that would limit state aid and tax breaks to firms that outsource abroad. Insourcing, on the other hand, is a term used to describe the practice of foreign companies employing U. S. workers. Foreign automakers are among the largest insourcers. Many non-U. S. auto manufacturers have built plants in the United States, thus ensuring access to American consumers. Auto manufacturers such as Toyota now make approximately one third of its profits from U. S. car sales. Social welfare organizations are similarly concerned about the actions of multinationals, which are presumably less interested in social matters in countries in which they maintain subsidiary operations. Environmental protection agencies are equally concerned about the activities of multinationals, which often maintain environmentally hazardous operations in countries with minimal environmental protection statutes. Finally, government agencies fear the growing power of multinationals, which once again can use the threat of removing their operations from a country to secure favorable regulation and legislation. All of these concerns are valid, and abuses have undoubtedly occurred, but many forces are also at work to keep multinational corporations from wielding unlimited power over even their own operations. Increased consumer awareness of environmental and social issues and the impact of commercial activity on social welfare and environmental quality have greatly influenced the actions of all corporations in recent years, and this trend shows every sign of continuing. Multinational corporations are constrained from moving their operations into areas with excessively low labor costs given the relative lack of skilled laborers available for work in such areas. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the modern consumer to the plight of individuals in countries with repressive governments mitigates the removal of multinational business operations to areas where legal protection of workers is minimal. Examples of consumer reaction to unpopular action by multinationals are plentiful, and include the outcry against the use of sweatshop labor by Nike and activism against operations by the Shell Oil Company in Nigeria and PepsiCo in Myanmar (formerly Burma) due to the repressive nature of the governments in those countries. Multinational corporations are also constrained by consumer attitudes in environmental matters. Environmental disasters such as those which occurred in Bhopal, India (the explosion of an unsafe chemical plant operated by Union Carbide, resulting in great loss of life in surrounding areas) and Prince William Sound, Alaska (the rupture of a single-hulled tanker, the Exxon Valdez, causing an environmental catastrophe) led to ceaseless bad publicity for the corporations involved and continue to serve as a reminder of the long-term cost in consumer approval of ignoring environmental, labor, and safety concerns. Similarly, consumer awareness of global issues lessens the power of multinational corporations in their dealings with government agencies. International conventions of governments are also able to regulate the activities of multinational corporations without fear of economic reprisal, with examples including the 1987 Montreal Protocol limiting global production and use of chlorofluorocarbons and the 1989 Basel Convention regulating the treatment of and trade in chemical wastes. In fact, despite worries over the impact of multinational corporations in environmentally sensitive and economically developing areas, the corporate social performance of multinationals has been surprisingly favorable to date. The activities of multinational corporations encourage technology transfer from the developed to the developing world, and the wages paid to multinational employees in developing countries are generally above the national average. When the actions of multinationals do cause a loss of jobs in a given country, it is often the case that another multinational will move into the resulting vacuum, with little net loss of jobs in the long run. Subsidiaries of multinationals are also likely to adhere to the corporate standard of environmental protection even if this is more stringent than the regulations in place in their country of operation, and so in most cases create less pollution than similar indigenous industries.