Recent orders
Assignment and Course Expectations
Assignment and Course Expectations
Response Papers
Response papers focus on the analysis of one of the assigned primary source documents for a given week. Here are several things to keep in mind when writing one:
1. Analyze only the assigned document.
2. Turn it in to Canvas by the end of the day (11:59 PM) on the due day.
3. Each response paper must have an opening paragraph that discusses the historical context of the document. You must cite specific details (names, dates, events, etc.) from the textbook. You will lose points if I do not see specific details and if I do not see citations from the textbook.
4. The rest of the paper should focus on the document itself. Do not simply summarize what the document says. Choose some aspect of it to analyze, such as the ideas it communicates, the perspective of the author on a person or event, the values/opinions of the author, etc. Consult the syllabus section on analyzing primary sources to get ideas on how to do this.
5. You must cite evidence from the document to support this analysis. You will lose points if I do not see any citations.
6. Make sure that the evidence you cite actually supports what you say. Think about what citations best illustrate your points. Review your whole paper (or have someone else review it) to make sure that it makes sense, that your reader can understand what you are trying to say.
7. I always grade grammar in papers. I will mark poor word choice, typos, misspellings, subject-object disagreement, inconsistent verb tenses, overly long sentences or paragraphs, and all other grammatical mistakes. If I cannot understand what a sentence or a longer passage means, I may just ask “what do you mean?” in the comments.
8. If you have problems with grammar, seek assistance from an English or History tutor here on campus (the tutors can consult online) or at least have someone review your papers before you turn them in. Grammar is the set of rules that make it possible for us to communicate with each other in writing. If I cannot understand what you say due to poor grammar, then I cannot give you due credit for your ideas.
9. Follow the directions in regards to length, formatting, due dates, etc. You will lose points if you do not do this.
10. If unsure about anything, consult the assignment instructions in the syllabus. If still unsure, then ask me! Email me and I will respond within 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours on the weekend.
Analytical Paper
This is your longest paper. Although you will be analyzing a primary source and using secondary sources to provide context, just like in your response papers, you will need to find the source yourself, using linked databases and archives here on our Canvas site, along with the resources of our library. Here are some tips for succeeding:
1. Once you choose a primary source, remember that this paper is only five to six pages, not a book itself. You will need to make some choices about what you want to focus on.
2. Once you have an idea for a source, start looking for your secondary (scholarly) sources. Do not use any source with the word encyclopedia in its title, do not use websites (if the website includes .com, .org, .net, etc., avoid it), do not use popular magazines, do not use Wikipedia, and avoid published sources without footnotes or endnotes.
3. DO NOT start off intending to prove something. Start with a question or questions that you want to answer. The goal of a history research paper is to analyze the evidence in its context, drawing conclusions about it. Let the primary source guide your conclusions. Be fair to historical people. Judge them by their context. That does not mean you have to agree with their actions or views, but you do need to extend to them the same courtesy that you would want someone to extend to you.
4. Read up on your chosen citation format (MLA or Chicago Style). You will need to follow it when citing evidence in the body of your paper and when putting together your bibliography.
5. Take notes from your sources, whether on notecards or on your computer. Make sure to include complete information on where you got each piece of information or quote. Once you are done taking notes from all of your sources, reread your notes to start forming your conclusions. Organize them into categories. That will help you organize the paper once you start writing.
6. All analytical papers must have an argument or thesis statement. This is the overarching description of your conclusions from your research, usually one or two sentences long. When you give evidence, it should support and explain that argument. If I cannot tell why a piece of evidence is relevant to your argument, it does not do you any good to mention it.
7. Follow all of the assignment instructions in regards to formatting, length, deadlines, etc. Ask me if you do not understand any of them.
8. Remember that producing a research paper is a process. It involves choosing a topic, finding your primary and scholarly sources, taking notes, drawing conclusions, outlining your paper so that it is organized, writing the paper, having someone review it for grammar, formatting, logical progression, to check that you present a clear argument and defend it, etc., and then revising the paper. THIS WILL TAKE TIME, SO PLAN AHEAD!! This is especially true for our compressed time schedule this summer. Do not try to write the paper in the last few days before the due date(s). Pace yourself and schedule regular time to work on each step. Not only will you minimize your stress levels, but that will give you time to deal with any problems that arise.
9. As with the response papers, I will grade for grammar, following the instructions, logical progression, whether or not you support what you say with specific evidence, etc.
For All Papers: The Problem of Opinion & History Writing
First, some explanation: I make a point of discouraging opinionated history writing because it can create bad history. Historians need to understand the context of any historical event or person in order to analyze what happened. Judging people and their actions according to present-day standards does not work very well because the historical people viewed the world through very different lenses than us. Often, what we would consider as “obviously” good or bad would have looked very different to a person raised in a different time, place, and culture. Therefore, we get better mileage by interpreting what happened by examining what they believed or knew, not what we believe or know. This does not mean that you have to like what someone in the past did or thought. You may even find them despicable. However, you will have trouble understanding them unless you keep in mind what they knew and what they believed.
Second, how does someone avoid making the mistake of opinionated writing? Here are a few ground rules:
1. Avoid using the first person (I, we, our, us, etc.). Make it about the historical events and people, not about you or us. Let your conclusions stand on their own.
2. Remember that your job is not to condemn a historical person or to praise them. Your job is to analyze what they did, trying to understand WHY they did or believed certain things.
3. Avoid emotional or loaded language. Try not to describe things as “horrible”, “wonderful”, “selfish”, “greedy”, “bigoted”, etc. Words like these are based on opinions and personal values. You cannot prove or disprove them by means of historical evidence.
4. Try not to use absolute words and phrases like “always”, “never”, “everyone”, “all”, since they can be easily disproven. Be more cautious with your language, since you really cannot prove that things always or never happened.
5. Think about your own beliefs and values and whether they might affect your conclusions when studying the past. Is there something that you believe that might make you a harsher judge or a more lenient judge of certain historical people? I am not judging anyone’s beliefs, just encouraging you to learn more about them and gain understanding as to how they influence your actions.
6. When in doubt, give the benefit of the doubt to historical people. It may sound strange, but apply the golden rule to your study of them. How would you appreciate a person from another time and/or culture judging you? Consider that while writing.
General Advice for the Course
1. Read the syllabus! Not only will I quiz you on the information found there, but that is where you look first to learn about our semester schedule, assignment instructions, tips for analyzing sources, and the ground rules for the course.
2. If you are confused or unsure about anything, read the syllabus and our Canvas page first. If you are still confused, ask me a question via email. DO NOT WAIT!! Ask the question as soon as it comes up. I promise that I do not bite and I care about your success in the course.
3. You are responsible for knowing the instructions for assignments, due dates, rules for the class, etc. I will try to remind you of relevant information, but that does not change your responsibility.
4. Read all of the assignments, both the textbook selections and the assigned primary source documents. All of them are fair game for the tests and the documents are the basis for your response papers. You will understand lecture videos, exams, and papers much better if you have done the reading ahead of time.
5. This sounds simple, but DO ALL THE WORK!! Almost everyone who has ever failed one of my courses did so because they did not complete one or more assignments. Even if you do not fully understand an assignment, still complete it. Getting even half credit is far better than no credit. As always, if you do not understand something, ask me. Not understanding an assignment is not an excuse for never completing it.
6. Take notes on your reading, to help you review and remember important information.
7. History is a reading and writing discipline. Therefore, if you do not read and do not write, you will miss out on the full benefits of the course. Nothing helps improve your writing like writing, revising your papers, getting help from someone else, and trying again. Pay attention to my comments on your papers and always ask me if you do not understand any comments.
8. Manage your time. Make up a schedule for the semester that includes important due dates and marks out time to work on papers, particularly the various stages of your analytical paper. This will reduce your stress level and give you time to address any problems that arise.
9. If you have a problem completing an assignment, if you cannot make a deadline, if you have a major crisis that will make it difficult to fulfill the course requirements, or any other difficulty, please contact me as soon as possible! I understand that life sometimes gets in the way, emergencies happen, and schedules can conflict, but I cannot help you if I do not know about the problem. Do not wait until the last minute or until weeks after the due date.
10. I record all grades on Canvas, so you can always check there to see what you have so far. Keep on top of your grades. After you complete an assignment, remember that it will take me at least a few days (sometimes a week) to grade it and return it to you. However, if you have not heard from me and/or seen a grade on Canvas after a week (for response papers or exams) or a couple of weeks (for the analytical paper first draft), or if you never see a score for your topic selection or draft bibliography, LET ME KNOW! Perhaps there was a software problem, a computer crash, or maybe I forgot something. Regardless, do not wait. Address the problem right away.
US Economy Grew at 2.1% Rate in Fourth Quarter
US Economy Grew at 2.1% Rate in Fourth Quarter
US economy grew at 2.1% rate in Q4 but economists are forecasting sharp drop ahead.
By Associated Press, Wire Service Content March 26, 2020, at 10:08 a.m.
SHINGTON (AP) — The economy grew by a moderate 2.1% in the fourth quarter of last year, but many economists believe that will be the last positive growth seen for some time as the country endures a sharp contraction due to the coronavirus.
Recommended Videos
Powered by AnyClipIn Unprecedented Move, Treasury Dept Makes It Look Like Your Coronavirus Relief Check Is From Trump
Play
Unmute
Duration 1:08
Toggle Close Captions
/
Current Time 0:04
Loaded: 10.71%
FullscreenUp Next
HYPERLINK “https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2020-03-26/us-eonomy-grew-at-21-rate-in-fourth-quarter”
Overwhelming Majority of Americans Want Coronavirus Spread Halted Over Reopening Economy
HYPERLINK “https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2020-03-26/us-eonomy-grew-at-21-rate-in-fourth-quarter”
NOW PLAYING
In Unprecedented Move, Treasury Dept Makes It Look Like Your Coronavirus Relief Check Is From Trump
HYPERLINK “https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2020-03-26/us-eonomy-grew-at-21-rate-in-fourth-quarter”
World stocks rise on hopes U.S. economy will reopen
HYPERLINK “https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2020-03-26/us-eonomy-grew-at-21-rate-in-fourth-quarter”
Trump to announce guidelines for reopening economy
HYPERLINK “https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2020-03-26/us-eonomy-grew-at-21-rate-in-fourth-quarter”
Trump releases a three-step reopening of the U.S. economy
The Commerce Department said Thursday in its third and final look at the fourth quarter that growth was unchanged from its previous estimate but that the components were slightly altered with consumer spending slightly stronger but government spending and business investment a bit lower.Many economists believe GDP will turn negative in the current January-March quarter, based on the sudden stop to economic activity that is now occurring. Some see a drop of around 6% with much bigger declines in the second quarter.
“The final Q4 GDP report is nothing more than a nostalgic look in the rear-view mirror that confirmed the economy headed into a deep coronavirus-induced recession with softer momentum,” said Gregory Daco, chief economist at Oxford Economics.
A recession is typically defined as two consecutive quarters of negative GDP and many believe the country has already entered a downturn.
Asked about that Thursday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the country “may well be in a recession.” But in an interview on NBC’s “Today” program, he said the Fed was prepared to do more and the support efforts from the Fed should help the economy emerge in good shape after what should be a brief downturn.
The Fed has already taken aggressive actions to cut its key interest rate to a record low near zero and provide billions of dollars to backstop critical lending markets.
In a separate report, the government said Thursday that the number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits soared to 3.28 million last week, the highest one-week jump on record.
Asked about the huge increase, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC that the $2 trillion stimulus bill which passed the Senate Thursday along with efforts by the Trump administration should ensure laid-off workers get help quickly.
In the April-June quarter, many economists are forecasting the biggest GDP decline with some expecting GDP will be plunge by as much as 35%.
Economists at Wells Fargo forecast that GDP will drop at a rate of 14.7% in the second quarter which would still be the biggest one-quarter decline in the 73 years that the government has been making quarterly GDP estimates.
The reason for expectations of a severe fall in the second quarter are the unprecedented moves the government has made to basically shut down large parts of the U.S. economy in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Many of the restrictions are aimed at keeping people in their homes and away from restaurants, bars and movie theaters. Airlines and cruise ships have also seen a plunge in customers as people have cancelled planned trips.
Since the consumer accounts for 70% of economic activity, a big dent in that activity is enough to push the economy off the rails.
If a recession has begun, it would mean the end to the longest U.S. expansion in history, one that was in its 11th year, having started in June 2009 after the country struggled through an 18-month downturn that had begun in December 2007, which had been the deepest recession since the 1930s.
Many analysts believe while this downturn will be sharper, it will be shorter than the country’s last recession.
“This recession has hit so fast, it is making our heads spin,” said Sung Won Sohn, economics professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He said that the speed with which the Federal Reserve has responded to supply liquidity to the financial markets and the size of the stimulus package being debated by Congress should help shorten the length of this downturn.
Sohn said he expected negative GDP in the first, second and third quarters this year but then a return to growth in the October-December period. He is forecasting GDP will rise 8% in the fourth quarter.
Economists at the Conference Board, a business research group, say that the length of the downturn will depend to a great extent on the success officials have in getting the virus under control in the United States.
They have produced three scenarios, a “quick recovery” that assumes the virus peaks in mid-April with economic activity gradually resuming in May. They also have a forecast based on a summertime peak in cases and third scenario based on the peak in cases not occurring until the fall
Under the first and second scenarios, growth returns in the third quarter, but in the third scenario with virus cases not peaking until the fall, growth does not return until the fourth quarter. All three of the scenarios see steep drops of as much as 35.6% in the second quarter.
President Donald Trump is projecting a shorter timeframe for the economic dislocation, saying he believes big parts of the country can be released quickly from the stay-at-home restrictions. He told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that when shops re-open and people go back to work, the economy should rebound “like a rocket ship.”
Name
Professor
Course
Date
Economic Growth in the Last Quarter of 2019
The United States grew by 2.1 percent in the last quarter of 2019, with this growth likely being the last for several coming quarters due to the effects of the Coronavirus. This growth was in line with estimates from the Commerce Department and was aided by slightly stronger consumer spending. The period between January and March 2020 will see a sudden drop in GDP due to the halting of economic activities. The growth in GDP in the last quarter indicates that the United States has been putting to work the abundant factors of production available to it. However, the closing of the economy is likely to cause a recession.
A recession in microeconomics is when the economy records a negative GDP in two consecutive quarters. Economists predict that the GDP is likely to fall by 6 percent by the second quarter. The Federal government is working to ensure that this recession is contained. It is working to keep the economy stable by applying certain fiscal policies. There are ways a government can help spur economic growth even when the economy appears stagnated. Those ways include fiscal policies such as cutting taxes, increased expenditure, or reducing the interest. The government of the United States has increased its spending by providing billions of dollars to critical lending markets to ensure the economy is able to keep business afloat.
The government has also reported that over 3 million people have applied for unemployment benefits after being laid off. In economics, a recession decreases output increasing unemployment, which explains this case. Some economists predict that the economy will plunge by a significant 35 percent. This may be attributed to the governments to move to shut down huge and significant parts of the economy to curb the spread of the Corona Virus.
Health Care System Policy Issues
Issues in Health Care System Policy (HP3)
Table of Contents
TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc322608311” Introduction PAGEREF _Toc322608311 h 3
HYPERLINK l “_Toc322608312” Discussion PAGEREF _Toc322608312 h 3
HYPERLINK l “_Toc322608313” Politics, morality politics, and health policy PAGEREF _Toc322608313 h 3
HYPERLINK l “_Toc322608314” Variation in policies PAGEREF _Toc322608314 h 4
HYPERLINK l “_Toc322608315” Health insurance PAGEREF _Toc322608315 h 4
HYPERLINK l “_Toc322608316” Use of performance indicators in reproductive health PAGEREF _Toc322608316 h 4
HYPERLINK l “_Toc322608317” Medical ethics PAGEREF _Toc322608317 h 5
HYPERLINK l “_Toc322608318” Reluctance to efficiently pay for health care services PAGEREF _Toc322608318 h 6
HYPERLINK l “_Toc322608319” Summary PAGEREF _Toc322608319 h 6
HYPERLINK l “_Toc322608320” References PAGEREF _Toc322608320 h 7
IntroductionHealthcare policies involve the rules and regulations, or some form of governing system by which a healthcare institution is run or managed. It involves actual policies, which is the route followed to achieve a certain goal, and nominal policy, which is the goal itself (National Academy for State Health Policy, 2012). The main issues that are likely to face American healthcare system are mainly related to the problems experienced in achieving universal healthcare insurance coverage, providing quality care at minimized costs, effective performance in accordance to the available resources and encouraging health living by encouraging a healthy lifestyle (Weissert & Weissert, 2006).
Other issues that cause more problems are the already in place policies such as; bad debt collection policies that involve forcing wage deduction from those who cannot afford to pay voluntarily, the policies regarding the taking care of patients discharged into a nursing home and their paying plan, variation of policies in different states about issues like whether or not to carry out an autopsy in routine death cases.
DiscussionThese issues discussed below are just but some of the many issues that are likely to continue hampering the performance of the health care system if not dealt with.
Politics, morality politics, and health policyPeople vote on policies without considering the outcomes that are likely to arise from its implementation. Sometimes the policies suggested by the specialists may not work, or may work to benefit only a section of the community, especially from the low income patients. An example is a decision to improve the quality of nursing home care by increasing the cost, at the expense of the privately paying patients that may not be able to meet these new costs, thus not able to afford nursing home care (Weissert & Weissert, 2006). Adopting policies that are to the favour of politicians and not the commoners is a major concern and is still an issue being fought against.
Variation in policiesDifferent hospitals differ in the private healthcare policies they choose to use (Weissert & Weissert, 2006). This is an issue because some hospitals use this opportunity to adopt policies that favour the organization and the way it is run at the expense of the country’s citizens. This differences mainly arise between for profit and not-for profit healthcare institutions. The collection of debt that may be either graciously or aggressively, for example, will depend on this factor, thus a challenge in cases where the government would like to implement universal fair and equitable policies that would benefit all the patients regardless of their income levels.
Health insuranceOver 160 million Americans are provided health insurance by their employers, thus have a considerable stake in the health care costs. However, it is still noted that even after the efforts by the large employers to minimize the costs and improve value of care and quality, the costs of providing health benefits are still on the rise at rates that exceed the growth in wages. Many employers continue to provide health promotion programs, disease management programs and initiatives that support value based benefit design, but containing the costs incurred in providing health care becomes more and more difficult every day, even to large firms (National Health Policy Forum, 2012). It is therefore imperative that new designs or policies for controlling costs are adopted in the effort to tame the increase in the cost of providing health care.
Use of performance indicators in reproductive healthPerformance indicators are very essential in improving the quality of the eservices provided and avert unnecessary costs. Such indicators are however not being used to assess services that concern reproductive health and family planning. Very few states, like California, have adopted this technique. An example is the California Family PACT (Planning, Access, Care and Treatment). Continued ignorance towards adoption of such policies that encourage utilizing management indicators and quality improvement will continue causing negative effect towards improving the provision of health care services. The methodology used in the PACT program experiences challenges, but it could very well serve as a starting point for developing a uniform set provider focused improvement in reproductive health quality, and the reports used to institute by state family planning programs and other systems used for health care delivery (Health Affairs, 2012)
Medical ethicsWhen describing medical ethics, four principles are concerned. They include beneficence, non maleficence, and justice. Beneficence describes the obligation that health care providers have in helping the people in need. Health care providers should treat people to the best of their ability; their duty is to anyone in poor health. The second principle, non maleficence, describes their duty as health care providers to do no harm. The third principle, autonomy, relates to the right that patients have in making choices that regard the type of health care they receive. The fourth and final principle, justice, describes the concept that should be used in treating people in a just or fair manner. It is important that the health care professionals implement these principles in health care systems to minimize the issues that arise as ethical dilemmas (Bodenheimer & Grumbach, 2009b). Few health care systems fully use this system and will continue to be an issue that emanates from the type of policies the health care system adopts
Reluctance to efficiently pay for health care servicesMany patients, if not all, desire to receive potentially beneficial care, yet some of them are not willing to play their role or part as purchasers who spend unlimited amounts of money to finance their health care. This phenomenon creates a strain for all health care professionals or care givers and on the health care systems. Many health care professionals are called on today to incorporate cost considerations when making clinical decisions. This accounting for costs in a manner that is socially responsible as well is very likely to intrude on the health care professional’s ability to serve a patient effectively (Bodenheimer & Grumbach, 2009a). People are still in the process of researching whether there are more global methods that are able to induce the performance of physicians and care givers to be in a more cost conscious manner, thus continues to be an issue in the policies used by the health care systems today.
SummaryPeople will have to look beyond their own immediate self interest in order to change the future to having health care systems that are accessible, of high quality, affordable, and for everyone. This therefore means that the health care professionals that provide health care services to the citizens of America and those receiving these health care services will have to work together in the efforts to achieve a brighter future in the nation’s health care system.
Policies that represent the daily realties experienced by care givers and patients will need to be discussed or debated and adopted to replace the policies in place today that are inefficient regarding delivering the required health care services of high quality and affordable to everyone. This will also ensure an easier task to the health care professionals and care givers in dealing with the major health care system’s concerns of allocating health care resources and addressing the social context of illness and health.
References
Bodenheimer, T., S. & Grumbach, K. (2009a). Understanding health policy. A clinical approach: Chapter 13. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Retrieved on 18th April 2012, from: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/47566859/Understanding%20Health%20Policy%2013.pdf
Bodenheimer, T., S. & Grumbach, K. (2009b). Understanding health policy. A clinical approach: Chapter 17.New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Retrieved on 18th April 2012, from: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/47566859/Understanding%20Health%20Policy%2017.pdf
Health Affairs, (2012). In a California Program. Retrieved on 18th April 2012, from: http://www.healthaffairs.org/
National Academy for State Health Policy, (2012). HYPERLINK “mhtml:file://G:\Manu\New%20Job\Job\Health%20Policy\5\NASHP%20Publications%20by%20Category%20%20National%20Academy%20for%20State%20Health%20Policy.mhtml!/nashp-pubs/39″Delivery System Reforms for Chronic and Long Term Care. Retrieved on 18th April 2012, from: http://www.nashp.org/
National Health Policy Forum, (2012). Employers and Today’s Health Care Marketplace: Between a Rock and a Hard Place? Retrieved on 18th April 2012, from: http://www.nhpf.org/
Weissert, C. & Weissert, W. G. (2006). Governing health (3rd ed., pp 300-342): Chapter 6. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press. Retrieved on 18th April from: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/47566859/Governing%20Health%202_6.pdf