Social Issues understanding

Making a Will in the UK

Making a Will is one of the most important things you will ever do. It is important to make a will whether or not you you have many assets or money.

The main reasons why it is so important to Make a Will are:-

1. If you die without making a will (intestate), there are rules which dictate how your assets,  money, property and possessions will be allocated. These rules would often distribute your estate in a way that is not how you would have wished your money and possessions to be distributed. For example many people believe that if you are married your estate will automatically pass to your Spouse this is NOT the case. If you die without making a Will your Spouse will ONLY receive the first ?125,000 automatically. Given the value of property these days, and any life insurance you may have, that could leave a large part of your estate that will NOT pass automatically to your spouse.

2. If you have children, you need to make a will so that arrangements for the children can be made if either one or both parents die.

3. Unmarried partners and partners who have not registered a civil partnership cannot inherit from each other unless there is a will.

4. It is not possible to disinherit dependent children. If you are divorced you must make provision for children from a previous marriage is you are paying maintenance.

5. It is often possible to reduce the amount of inheritance tax payable my Making a Will. This is even more important these days due to the increase in house prices over recent years. If your house and life insurance etc exceed ?285,000 your estate will be liable to inheritance tax. This can often be mitigated by the use of a will.

6. If your situation changes, it is important that you make a will to ensure that your money and possessions are distributed according to your wishes. For example, if you have separated and your ex-partner now lives with someone else, you may want to change your will. If you get married, re-marry or enter into a legal civil partnership, any previous wills you have made will be invalid.

The easiest, and often cheapest, way to Make a Will these days is ONLINE.

You can Make a fully solicitor checked Will online from as little ?29.95 at www.online-will.co.uk. Will made here can be written and printed off immediately.

If you wish to reduce Inheritance Tax, this can easily be done by making a Discretionary Trust Will this can also be done quickly and easily online at www.online-will.co.uk

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U.S. Congress Ignores Bill To Boost Minimum Wage

     In June of 2006 the U.S. Congress decided to ignore a bill which would raise Minimum wage from the current, 5.15 (10,712. annually) to 6.75 (14,040. annually)  This new amount would still be below poverty level for a family of four. The poverty level a family of four,  living in the U.S.A. is 18,660.00. Currently 1 out of every 7 Americans are trying to survive at, or below poverty level, That amounts to a staggering 42,800,000 Americans who are at, or below poverty level.  (http://www.thebesthowtosite.com/Congressional_wages_vs_American_workers.htm)

     The average wages for medium, and low income American workers has fallen since 1973. Wages have decreased by 18%  for medium income wage earners from 1973 to 2003. While at the same time, the wages have decreased by 22% for the low income wage earners. In the same time period the high end wage earners have seen a 33% increase.  Currently 1 in 7 American Citizens live at, or below poverty level.   ( http://npc.umich.edu/publications/newsletter/fall05/ ).   

      Beginning in 1955 thru 1975, minimum wage stayed even with the poverty level. In 1976 things began to change. Gerald R Ford was the President, and we were in the middle of the Watergate Scandal. Between 1975 to present times, Minimum Wage has not keep up with inflation, and in 1980 Minimum wage was 30% below poverty level. This trend has continued to grow. In 1985 there was a 58% gap. In 1995 American workers earning minimum wage, were bringing home 76% less then those earning  poverty level wages. To bring American workers wages back to the proper level, minimum wage would have to be raised to 16,411 annually/7.89 hourly.

Department Of Labor Figures Prove Congress Wrong

     The main argument that Congress has against raising the minimum wage is that they believe that higher wages will increase unemployment. However, all one has to do is look at the current figures posted by the Department of Labor (taken from May, 2006.), and you will find that just the opposite is true.

Here are the current results from May, 2006:

1)  6 States have no Min Wage Laws, their current average unemployment is 5.36%

2)  23 States use the Federal Min Wage Law, their current average unemployment is 5.5%

3)  18 States have Min Wage set above the Federal min Wage, their current average Unemployment is 3.9%

4)  2 States have Min Wage set below Federal Min Wage, their current average Unemployment rate is 4.3%

( Unemployment Statistics do not cover those who do not qualify for unemployment. If a person has 2 jobs, and they lose 1  job, they may not qualify for unemployment. )

(You can find the chart at; http://www.thebesthowtosite.com/Min_wage_laws.htm )

U.S. Congressmen now earning  81.00 per hour

     The U.S, Congress had no problem boosting their own wages in 2006. Despite the fact that we are spending billions fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Congress recently agreed to take another 3% increase from taxpayer dollars. To help fund this payraise Congress is looking into cutting out one third of the programs the U.S.A. currently funds.  Currently the average Congressman makes a whopping 168,500.00 a year. That works out to just over 81.00 per hour. On top of the 81.00 hourly pay they also receive full coverage Health Care, and many other extra perks they have voted for themselves. The approximate total cost to American Taxpayers to pay for our Congress is well over 100 million dollars per year, just to cover their wages.

     From 1975 to present time, The Salaries of the U.S. Congress has climbed 378%. While the cost of living has increased 351%. But the wages, for working Americans, has only increased a trivial 225%. Not even enough to keep up with inflation.  At the current rate with jobs being outsourced out of this Country, and the lack of the American workers pay keeping up with inflation, it's estimated that by the year 2020, 40% of Americans will be living in poverty, and Congressmen will be earning well over 260,000.00 per year.

U.S. Congress Salary History

     From 1789 to 1815 Congressmen received 6.00 daily, but only on the days they showed up.  From 1815 to 1873 Congressmen received a modest salary, compared to the massive salaries of the Congressmen today.  In 1873 they even took a 33% paycut, which lasted 34 years until 1907, at which time they received a 50% increase to 7,500 annually. They took  two other paycuts during the Great Depression, for a total of 15%.  These are the only 3 times in American History that any Congressmen have ever taken salary cuts.

     In 1935, Congress voted themselves a 19% increase, then they didn't receive another pay raise until 12 years later, when they gave themselves a 25% increase in 1947.  In 1955 Congress gave themselves a whopping 80% increase.  In the years 1987, and 1991 Congress received 2 raises per year.  3% 20% in 1987, and  4% and 25% in 1991. Within the last 10 years Congress has raised their salaries 8 times for a total of 26%. While the lowest paid American Workers have only received 1 raise within the last 10 years.

     Between 1975 to present times, congressional pay has increased 378%, while the lowest paid American Workers pay has only increased 225%. During this time frame inflation has risen 351%

To learn more about the history of Congressional Salaries go to http://www.thebesthowtosite.com/congressional_pay_scales.dwt

About the Author;  D. Pille is not a Scholar, or Economics Professor. He is just an average American, working for wages below the poverty level, who can't afford health insurance, but who is just trying to survive. If your interested in making changes in the way this Country is being run down, please check out these groups, and become members. These groups will help keep you informed about what is going on in Washington, and what YOU can do to make a difference. There are many petitiions you can sign, and you can donate money if possible. They can also inform you of protests you can join, as well as what candidates are best for the American Workers. It's not too late to make changes. Don't you owe it to your Children, and Grand Children? Shouldn't we make this Country better then it is? We can no longer afford to sit around and hope someone else takes care of things for us, and we cannot continue to beleive "it will never happen to me". We have to stand up to our leaders and hold them accountable for what they are doing, and together, with one Loud American Voice we can do it. United We Stand!

http://www.changetowin.org/MWP/index.htm

http://www.commoncause.org/

http://reclaimdemocracy.org/

http://www.oriononline.org/

for more information goto 

http://www.thebesthowtosite.com/index_america.htm

D. Pille is not a Scholar, or Economics Professor. He is just an average American, working for wages close to poverty level, who can't afford health insurance, but who is just trying to survive. If your interested in making changes in the way this Country is being run down, please check out these groups, and become members. These groups will help keep you informed about what is going on in Washington, and what YOU can do to make a difference. There are many petitiions you can sign. 

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The sudden increase in the population is steamingly high and continues to elevate. For every second, three or more babies are born in every country and that is a big effect in our community and the whole world. Population rate has been growing effectively but death rates are reduced resulting to an imbalance in the population status. However, if the number of death rates will decrease, still we will find it very hard to manipulate the population fraction.

Is this an issue we should ponder on? It certainly is because it do not only affect the enormous population size but conveys to the general problems occurring in our society. It is very important that we become aware of the population dimension for the reason that it entails us to be living in jam-packed places if lucky. But for some, streets are will become a vacancy.

Rapid population growth will contribute to poor employment, agriculture, economy, and poverty. It is true that if population will not decline, food shortage will rise. Food shortage then arrives to malnutrition which a part of the world is experiencing now.

Increase in population will increase poverty and it is another imperative problem the world will face. Unemployment leads to poverty and poverty leads to economic crisis. It is said that there has to be only two to three children in a family in order for them to suffice the basic needs to maintain the standard way of living. If more than five children are raised and the father is unemployed and they keep raising another batch of children, how will they provide the needs of their children basically for food and education? Schools are rampantly overcrowded with students. Children begging in the streets for money to buy food are not surprising. Some are lucky enough to reach college while some risk in hard work with less pay.

Issues? regarding the population growth has been a dispute between the Church and the State resulting to misunderstanding. The government is continuously observing the cause of the unwanted population explosion at the same time finding means on how to stop it. While the Church supports family life production. In any way, the church?s credence is ratifying but are they opt to accommodating the issues that goes along with it?

In recent studies, population growth has an immense result and consequence in affecting our economy. In the years to come if we do not come up to certain possibilities of decreasing birth rates, food shortage comes at hand. In the years to come, if we reach the hit the highest number of population and cities are fully occupied, we will be forced to sacrifice fields we use for vegetation and agriculture. Therefore, this would lead to food shortage and malnutrition.

Population is a major problem especially in rural places where agriculture resources are being cultivated. It hastily affects our environment and natural resources. The flora and fauna we have been preserving are being abused by wicked intentions and misuse. If we do not preserve our resources, food production is affected and sustainable development will not be maintained for that reason.

As our population increase our needs, our demands become high so we definitely need good governance. If the population density will lessen, we can accumulate bigger opportunities and avoid chances of being overcrowded.

--------------
Karen Nodalo
For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.personalinjurydefenders.com

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Copyright ? 2005 Daily News Central

The type of stroke that results when a blood clot travels to the brain -- called an ischemic stroke -- is more likely to occur on days when the air contains a larger concentration of particulate matter, according to a study published online in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) examined air quality on a total of 37,000 days in nine cities. Risk of hospitalization for ischemic stroke was 1 percent higher on days with relatively high levels of air pollution, compared with low-air pollution days, reports lead author Gregory Wellenius, ScD, postdoctoral fellow in cardiology at BIDMC.

Third Cause of Death in US

"Although these effects sound relatively small," says Wellenius, "given the large number of people exposed to air pollution and the large number of people at risk for stroke ... the actual number of strokes could be significant."

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US, affecting more than 700,000 individuals each year.

A "consistent increased risk" for cardiac health problems associated with exposure to ambient air particles was established in earlier research by Wellenius and coauthors Murray Mittleman, MD, DrPH, of BIDMC's Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit and Joel Schwartz, PhD, of HSPH.

"Air pollution has been shown to trigger heart attacks and to aggravate the conditions of patients with congestive heart failure," says Mittleman, who is also an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

"These new findings, demonstrating that incidence of clot-based strokes also increase, [are] in keeping with our earlier data showing a relationship between air pollution and heart and lung disorders," he notes.

The researchers also looked at the incidence of hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by bleeding in the brain, during the same "high pollution" days, notes Wellenius, but found no association between the two.

Reducing Exposure May Lower Risk

The air pollution in question -- particulate matter smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter -- includes particles from car and truck exhaust, power plants and refineries. The measurements were provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency from nine US cities: Birmingham, Ala., Chicago, New Haven, Conn., Cleveland, Detroit, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City and Seattle.

The authors analyzed hospital admissions among a group of Medicare patients with an average age of 79. Seventy-five percent of the patients were white, and 61 percent were female. Their findings showed that during the course of their study, there were 155,503 hospital admissions for ischemic stroke.

The final analysis demonstrated a 1.03 percent rise in ischemic stroke on the days with the highest pollution measures.

"We don't know exactly what mechanisms are involved that trigger these cardiac events," says Wellenius. "However, we do know that particulates in the air promote inflammation, which is a significant risk factor for cardiac events; that exposure to particulates can lead to changes in heart rate and blood pressure; and that pollution can cause changes in coaguable states (related to blood clotting abilities)."

The authors say that future research will focus on finding out which pollutants are most toxic, as well as which patients are at greatest risk for health problems stemming from air pollution.

"Taken together with previous work, these latest results support the idea that reducing exposure to particulate matter may reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks," they conclude.

Rita Jenkins is a health journalist for Daily News Central, an online publication that delivers breaking news and reliable health information to consumers, healthcare providers and industry professionals: http://www.dailynewscentral.com
Rita Jenkins is a health journalist for Daily News Central an online publication that delivers breaking news and reliable health information to consumers healthcare providers and industry professionals. 

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An Overview of Racism

It is na?ve of us to think that racism has only to do with an individual's present color, culture and religion.  In truth, the issue goes a long way back in historical,  unnecessary springs of violence some millennia ago (or, in the case of racism induced by negative personal experiences, some time in the past).

Against the inevitable

 First, as living creatures, we must look at the origin of racial classification at a biological angle.

 A species without variety is vapid, uninteresting, and weak.  Variety is a biological adaptation - a concept racists tend to overlook.  Each race was brought about by the physical needs and the geographic conditions of their place of origin.  There is no individual or collective that can be blamed for this diversity.  If we are to point fingers, we would be accusing the unbreakable laws of physics and chemistry - the very foundation of the universe itself.  By doing this, you are fighting a battle where it is inevitable that you lose.  Also, the rest of the non-racist world will take pity on your ignorance.  The laws of genetics are not something which will be easily eliminated by an ideology - something that is physically intangible.  It is one of those pills that are hard for some to swallow, and your ability to do that defines your humanity.

The path history took

 Second, as thinking, rational beings, let us put history into perspective.

 In the centuries of European colonial expansion, when the conquistadors first stepped foot on foreign continents (the Americas, Asia and Africa), they treated the foreign lands as if they belonged to nobody because they dismissed the natives as 'nothing'.  In those days, the Europeans divided the world amongst themselves, showing the first signs of europocentricity - which eventually led to racism.

 For them, it was an issue of conquest and the natives' lack of 'civilization'.  This 'civilization' was limited and equated to technology and dogma  ("For God, gold and glory").  To them, the lack of technology meant a lack of science, and the absence of Christianity meant ignorance and savageness.  This was obviously ludicrous, for both the east and the west were equipped with the same amount of science and the same amount of intellect - their materials were similar, but their methods were different.  What the colonialists failed to realize was that their western mentality was powered by industrialization, and the eastern mentality was powered by agriculture - this being directly seen in the philosophies of that age.  For the west believed in "nature for man", and for the east it was "man for nature".  One school of thought was not better than the other.  What was considered 'savage' in the west was the norm for the east and vice-versa.
Hence, the presence of races present a form of natural and universal equilibrium.  One race cannot possibly survive without the existence of the other.  Without this balance, man would be either fully abusive of nature or fully depriving himself of its potential.

 The Europeans thought that they were more learned than their 'savage' eastern counterparts, but this was only because they could not understand the ways of the east, and in the same way, the east could not understand them.

The cure

 In the modern world, where it is inevitable that people of different ethnicity will meet, it is perfectly normal to feel initial apprehensions and hesitations.  That is something that will never be removed.  As humans, it is normal to be nervous of (and even fearful of or intimidated by) something that is culturally unfamiliar or new to us.  However, the danger lies in the instances where we allow sociological and racial differences affect our decisions and philosophy.

 Like any social plague, the solution to racism is education.  A truly educated individual would understand why races exist and why they should.  Awareness and prevention are the keys to the cure for racism, and it is important to start young - for children are very clever in learning devilry from adults.

 There is no philosophy, situation or collective thought to be blamed for the existence of racism in our supposedly free and modern world.  I blame no one but every individual whose judgement of man is primitive and materialistic, for these individuals do not believe in the existence of a mind and soul - if they did, they would accept the inevitable truth that all men are, in a level deeper than skin, created equal.

Celine Roque is the owner and headwriter of Web Content Wow (http://www.webcontentwow.com/). She has been a freelance writer for the past 7 years. She specializes in website content keyword optimization and article research and writing. Knowledgeable in many fields she is used to doing extensive research. Her style is flexible and she can write about almost any subject.  

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?Tech? isn?t a four-letter word, but when it comes to ?women?s issues? it might as well be. Technology has become a male-dominated big business; profits have become the priority over ethics and/or social implications. Women are missing from the technology design room to the boardroom and this diminishes the value and unique talents women bring to the table. We can no longer accept this as a normal expectation. Marketing tactics by technology manufacturers have only just begun to include women in their advertising.

Today, it is commonly acceptable to send a resume through email, to fill out a graduate school or job application online or to find ?Mr. or Mrs. Right? through Match.com. However, when it comes to women?s issues technology is traditionally not included as a venue to advocate or mobilize around.

Violence against women has appeared as cyber stalking and/or bullying. The video game ?Grand Theft Auto? which gives points for beating a certain class of women to get the user?s money back has been a recent ?hot? topic. There are many government agencies working to get the ?Grand Theft Auto? game off shelves or properly labeled as adult content but there are not that many encouraging educational reform for girls in science, math, technology or gaming. If there were more girls involved in designing games this product may not have gone to the shelf with violence against women packaged in the scoring system of the game. Women are one of the highest purchasers of video games for their sons but they never check to see if there are games for their daughters. Most are completely unaware that game consoles like the Xbox where designed with no intentions on having options for women or girls.

The gaming industry is not the enemy; games can be excellent tools for learning if used properly. There are increasingly more software games being designed for schools and educational purposes. Socialimpactgames.com focuses on games for public policy, health, wellness, business and social issues. Whether there is a game that promotes anti Bush agendas or ethnic cleansing, women must be involved.

Government officials have introduced a bill to address electronic stalking in Washington DC, although it has included stalking by computers, email, telephones and cell phones it does not include video and audio recordings or the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) that have been used by stalkers to track their victims. There have been recent attempts with the Video Voyeurism Act, but there are important women?s issues missing from these valuable attempts at addressing the issue.

Public health and safety has major societal implications. There are E-Government initiatives under the 2002 Act that will impact many women?s? lives, however the congressional subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census is no longer in existence. ?Egov? is the new lingo for initiatives that include the Department of Justice?s plans for information sharing technology that include development and deployment. This is also where jurors are now analyzing and reviewing investigative data through laptops and other technologies. Funding for video devices are used to catch criminals such as speeding and red light violators, or security cameras in stop lights but funding is not available for initiatives that use interactive videoconferencing technology to build and maintain family bonds between incarcerated mothers and their children or to provide other needed family services.

There are several Bills/Acts in congress that are on the books about health care and information technology. Many are designed to improve efficiency and the quality of health care delivery by streamlining medical records, preventing medication errors, giving online access to information about outbreaks of infectious diseases or simply to help single mothers get their children immunized for school like DC?s government did by implementing the internet based immunization registry. Telemedicine has been used to help women by providing prenatal care in rural areas. A recent bill to address digital divide issues in rural areas will affect the continuation of the telemedicine program for those mothers.

The societal impacts of technology are both positive and negative and are traditionally noticeable in areas of non-traditional work, job readiness, and education. Rarely are areas of health, environment, public safety or cyber security considered major concerns for women as it relates to science and technology. Already, the lack of technological skills is one reason why so many low-income women aren?t able to find jobs above entry-level salaries. If this is not addressed, the lack of technological skills will leave a larger underemployed working class since studies have shown that in 2008 there will be over 1.3 million new technology workers and by 2010, 65% of the economy will be based on technology.

Prior to the fourth grade, studies show that girls are as interested in technology more than boys. After that, girls are discouraged by the adults in their lives and are constantly challenged by the boys in their class, which leaves them questioning whether they should even bother with math, science or technology. Adolescent girls are intensely pressured to be ?cute? instead of ?smart,? which leads to the current conflict for young women interested in math, science or technology. Tech ?geeks? are rarely considered cute or attractive. It is also at this time that young girls choose not to go into sports, yet we have the WNBA, women?s football, tennis and golf.

Without better awareness and advocacy, women will also be susceptible to losing the gains that science and technology bring and vulnerable to the dangers of technological ignorance. We?ll continue to be unprepared to advocate for or against the decisions made in business and government laws or regulations. Women and girls must be equally educated, encouraged, and provided opportunities in science and technology. If they aren?t, the women of tomorrow won?t be able to adequately function in our technologically changing society.

We need to challenge all women, especially women lead organizations, women philanthropists and area women funding foundations. Let?s widen the gender lens to include non traditional women?s issues, our futures depend on it.

For more information contact Shireen Mitchell

Email director@digital-sistas.org ~ Website: www.digital-sistas.org

Shireen Mitchell is the Executive Officer of Digital Sisters/Sistas Inc. She is a technology equity specialist. Author of the essay Gaining Daily Access to Science and Technology in the book 50 Ways to Improve Womens Lives. 

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Research in social sciences largely depends on measurements and analysis and interpretation of numerical as well as non numerical data. Quantitative research methods focus on statistical approaches and qualitative methods are based on content analysis, comparative analysis, grounded theory, and interpretation (Strauss, 1990). Quantitative methods emphasise on objective measurements and numerical analysis of data collected through polls, questionnaires or surveys and qualitative research focuses on understanding social phenomena through interviews, personal comments etc. Quantitative and qualitative methods are studied within the context of positivistic and phenomenological paradigms (Papers4you.com, 2006).

The applications of research methods could be studied in the context of business and management or in social psychology to understand a social process. Some of the basic tools for qualitative or quantitative research are related to data collection methods which can be case studies, questionnaires or interviews (Simon et al, 1985). Research methods in management focus on leadership studies and leadership issues are examined in accordance with contingency theory and organisational theory. The effects of leadership are best studied with the help of qualitative or quantitative research methods and analyses of questionnaires sent to participants in management positions. Research methods are however focused not just on management issues but also on social process for example a study on the interaction between age, physical exercise and gender. Some disadvantages and possible flaws of such methods may be related to abuse or misuse of interview techniques, inadequacy of data collection methods and reliability of data. The methodological approach and data collection techniques are important in research and form an important aspect of study (Simon, 1985). The case study approach is especially useful in analysis of business environments and perceptual mapping techniques are used for marketing research. Focus groups and surveys are used as other preferred methods of data collection, especially within business environments (Papers4you.com, 2006).

Interpretive research can be considered as an important aspect of qualitative analysis, although as with all qualitative data, subjective bias can be a deterrent in the validity of such approaches. In studying research methods, it would be necessary to highlight the differences between qualitative and quantitative methods although it has also been argued that an integrated approach to social analysis could close in the gap between quantitative and qualitative methods and both these methods could be used for social research studies. In fact there may not be a specified correct method of research as each method seems to have its strengths and weaknesses and these factors should be examined carefully before a particular method is selected or used for studying a social process. 

Bibliography

Champion, Dean J. (1981) Basic statistics for social research / Dean J. Champion. 2nd ed. New York : Macmillan ; London : Collier Macmillan

Papers For You (2006) "P/B/685. Qualitative research methods", Available from http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprtdis18.htm  22/06/2006

Papers For You (2006) "C/B/397. Critically assess and compare the strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Use concrete examples to support your arguments", Available from Papers4you.com 21/06/2006

Strauss, Anselm L. (1990) Basics of qualitative research: grounded theory procedures and techniques / Anselm Strauss and Juliet Corbin. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage Publications,

Simon, Julian Lincoln.  (1985) Basic research methods in social science / Julian Simon, Paul Burstein 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill,

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