Monday, March 23, 2020

Country Analysis China

Table of Contents Introduction Political system Legal system Economic analysis Conclusion References Introduction China has a vibrant economy that forms potential for many investors. The government of China has improved the infrastructure of the country to ensure that investors have a good business environment. The legal systems of the country are favorable for conducting business.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Country Analysis: China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The economy of the country has been good and this forms a good foundation for performing business activities. In addition, the political and legal systems support business activities in the country. China has a viable business environment and investors should consider establishing investments in the country (Harper Huhti, 2009). Political system After the second word war China experienced political stability due to the good systems th at were established to protect the economy of the country from future events similar to those experienced during the war. China is politically neutral and this favors business and economic activities in the country. The government participates actively in international activities such as peace talks, environmental protection forums and other global political events. China is located in a business friendly location. The country borders Asia, China Sea, Yellow sea and this facilitates water transport. In china there are civil society groups which monitor the activities of the government leaders. There are lobby groups which ensure that the rights of the people are preserved. China has diplomatic representation in several countries and this makes the country to have peace with other countries in the world (World Factbook, 2010). Legal system The current constitution of China was promulgated in 1982 but has been amended severally to suit the changing legal needs. The legal systems of Ch ina are established on civil system. The laws were developed from the Soviet as well as the legal guidelines of the continental civil code. This implies that the legislature has the mandate to interpret statutes. The constitution of China has no clear guidelines about the review of the legislation by the judiciary. Compulsory ICJ authority is not acceptable by the Chinese government. The constitution of China provides the minimum suffrage is 18 years. This is the age that persons become legally liable (Harper Huhti, 2009). The government of china is headed by a president who is assisted by a vice president. Government events are headed by the premier while the cabinet is headed by state council. The president and his vice are elected after every five years. China has efficient court systems which implement the rule of law. This provides good judicial protection to all business people in the country as well as guiding the people on how to maintain law and order (Harper Huhti, 2009) .Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Economic analysis For the last three decades the economy of China has experienced a lot of changes. The economy has been transformed from a closed to open economy where international trade has been accepted. The participation of the private sector has also emerged during this period while globalization has been a common happening. Major economic reforms started in the 1970’s when prices were liberalized, the economy shifted from agriculture to industrialization, industries were decentralized, diversity in the banking sector was experienced and other major economic changes. In the modern days the Chinese government has introduced strategies such as supporting state corporations, improving foreign direct investment among other policies as a means of creating economic security. In 2005 the government devalued the currency of the country against the dollar to provide allowance for other currencies. The economy of China has been performing well and was rated the second largest economy in the world after the US economy in 2009 (World Factbook, 2010). There are various challenges that government encounters in an effort to develop the economy. The first challenge involves the effort to increasing domestic savings, raising domestic demand and strengthening the social safety net. This has caused the country to depend more on the export of its commodities to generate income. The second challenge involves provision of enough jobs for the large number of unemployed people in the country (Kalman, 2008). Many people especially those living in the rural areas are unemployed and this increases the level of poverty in the country. Thirdly, the government struggles to reduce corruption as well as other economic crimes. Government leaders and other senior people are involved in economic crimes and this has remained a major challenge to the government. Corruption is being experienced in almost all offices and this vice has become impossible to eradicate. Lastly, there is a great challenge that the government is facing to reduce environmental damage as well as other social damages caused by the rapid changes being experienced in the country. The environment has continuously been damaged by human activities and this has caused the country to experience many negative impacts that result from environmental degradation (Kalman, 2008). The economy experiences more developments at the coast than at the interior. Rural-urban migration is very high because many people move from the rural areas in search of jobs in the urban centers. The country experiences an ageing population due to the introduction of the one-child policy.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Country Analysis: China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, the c ountry experiences the problem of environmental deterioration. This has been caused by the high rate of soil and air erosion, and the falling level of water table. To counter the effects of the environmental damage, the government has introduced the policy of getting other sources of energy other than coal and oil. The government is focused towards developing nuclear and other sources of energy. The global economy meltdown that was experienced in 2009 has reduced the amount of exports greatly. The government has introduced the policy of increasing domestic consumption as one of improving the GDP of the country and to avoid over-reliance on exports for earnings (Harper Huhti, 2009). The export commodities of China are electrical and electronics, iron, medical equipment and others. The exports partners of China are the US, Japan, Germany, South Korea and others. The imports are machinery, petroleum products, plastics, chemicals and others. The import partners are Japan, Taiwan, Germa ny, the US, Hong Kong and others. China has established a good business relationship with other countries. The country trades with many countries in the world and this has attracted many investors in the country. The country has a very high foreign direct investment in other countries and this has encouraged other countries to invest in China (Harper Huhti, 2009). The unemployment rate in China is 4.3 percent and this shows that the government has managed to reduce poverty levels by providing economic activities to many people. This is an indication that the supply of labor in the country is low and employers should be prepared to pay attractive remuneration to attract and retain professional and qualified people. Only 2.8 percent of the population lives below the poverty line in the country. However, a bigger number of the people in rural are poorer compared to the urban based (World Factbook, 2010). The rate of inflation as recorded in 2009 was -0.7 percent. This is a small rate and this is a clear indication that the country has a stable economy. However, the country experienced a very high rate of inflation in 2008 (6 percent). This was caused the global economic recession that was being experienced during that period.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Today, the economy of China has been able to overcome the shock of the economic recession and there is good progress towards rebuilding the industries that were adversely affected by the recession (World Factbook, 2010). China has a good stock market and this attracts many investors in the global stock market. On the other hand, the commercial banks in the country have attractive lending rates. Most commercial banks lend at 5-6 percent interest and this is a favorable rate that encourages investors to obtain loans from the banks. Investors are encouraged to do business in the country by the provision of a favorable rate of interest on business loans. The government has subsidized all business loans to encourage people invest in the country (World Factbook, 2010). Conclusion China has a viable business environment and investors should consider establishing investments in the country. The political, legal and economic environments of the country are favorable for business activities. China has a well established government system that provides good economic policies for the development of businesses in the country. China has an attractive business environment and foreign investors should consider establishing investments in the country. Due to the rapid growth of the Chinese economy, more business opportunities are being created and this allows investors to focus on expanding their businesses. References Harper, D. and Huhti, T. (2009). China. Lonely Planet. ISBN 1741048664, 9781741048667. Kalman, B. (2008). China: The Culture. Crabtree Publishing Company. ISBN 077879301X, 9780778793014. World Factbook (2010). China. Retrieved from; www.cia.gov. This research paper on Country Analysis: China was written and submitted by user Harold Sheppard to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Friday, March 6, 2020

John McClernand Civil War Union Major General

John McClernand Civil War Union Major General John Alexander McClernand was born May 30, 1812, near Hardinsburg, KY. Moving to Illinois at a young age, he was educated in local village schools and at home. First pursuing an agricultural career, McClernand later elected to become a lawyer. Largely self-educated, he passed the Illinois bar exam in 1832. Later that year McClernand received his first military training when he served as a private during the Black Hawk War. A devout Democrat, he founded a newspaper, the Shawneetown Democrat, in 1835 and the following year was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. His initial term lasted only a year, but he returned to Springfield in 1840. An effective politician, McClernand was elected to the US Congress three years later. The Civil War Nears During his time in Washington, McClernand violently opposed the passage of the Wilmot Proviso which would have banned slavery in the territory acquired during the Mexican-American War. An anti-abolitionist and staunch ally of Senator Stephen Douglas, he aided his mentor in passing the Compromise of 1850. Though McClernand left Congress in 1851, he returned in 1859 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative Thomas L. Harris. With sectional tensions rising, he became a firm Unionist and worked to advance Douglas cause during the election of 1860. After Abraham Lincoln was elected in November 1860, Southern states began leaving the Union. With the beginning of the Civil War the following April, McClernand commenced efforts to raise a brigade of volunteers for operations against the Confederacy. Eager to maintain a wide base of support for the war, Lincoln appointed the Democratic McClernand a brigadier general of volunteers on May 17, 1861. Early Operations Assigned to the District of Southeast Missouri, McClernand and his men first experienced combat as part of Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grants small army at the Battle of Belmont in November 1861. A bombastic commander and political general, he quickly irritated Grant. As Grants command was expanded, McClernand became a division commander. In this role, he took part in the capture of Fort Henry and Battle of Fort Donelson in February 1862. At the latter engagement, McClernands division held the Union right but failed to anchor its flank on the Cumberland River or another strongpoint. Attacked on February 15, his men were driven back nearly two miles before Union forces stabilized the line. Rescuing the situation, Grant soon counterattacked and prevented the garrison from escaping. Despite his error at Fort Donelson, McClernand received a promotion to major general on March 21. Seeking Independent Command Remaining with Grant, McClernands division came under heavy attack on April 6 at the Battle of Shiloh. Helping to hold the Union line, he took part in the Union counterattack the next day which defeated General P.G.T. Beauregards Army of the Mississippi. A constant critic of Grants actions, McClernand spent much of the middle of 1862 conducting political maneuvering with the goal of either displacing Major General George B. McClellan in the east or obtaining his own command in the west. Obtaining a leave of absence from his division in October, he traveled to Washington to lobby Lincoln directly. Desiring to maintain a Democrat in a senior military position, Lincoln ultimately granted McClernands request and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton gave him permission to raise troops in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa for an expedition against Vicksburg, MS. A key location on the Mississippi River, Vicksburg was the last obstacle to Union control of the waterway. On the River Though McClernands force initially only reported to Union General-in-Chief Major General Henry W. Halleck, efforts soon commenced to limit the political generals power. This ultimately saw orders issued for him to take command of a new corps to be formed out his current force once he united with Grant who was already operating against Vicksburg. Until McClernand rendezvoused with Grant, he would remain an independent command. Moving down the Mississippi in December he met Major General William T. Shermans corps which was returning north after its defeat at Chickasaw Bayou. The senior general, McClernand added Shermans corps to his own and pressed south aided by Union gunboats led by Rear Admiral David D. Porter. En route, he learned that a Union steamer had been captured by Confederate forces and taken to Arkansas Post (Fort Hindeman) on the Arkansas River. Re-routing the entire expedition on Shermans advice, McClernand ascended the river and landed his troops on January 10. Attackin g the next day, his troops carried the fort in the Battle of Arkansas Post. Issues With Grant This diversion from the effort against Vicksburg greatly angered Grant who saw operations in Arkansas as a distraction. Unaware that Sherman had suggested the attack, he complained loudly to Halleck about McClernand. As a result, orders were issued allowing Grant to take complete control of the Union troops in the area. Uniting his forces, Grant shifted McClernand into command of the newly-formed XIII Corps. Openly resentful of Grant, McClernand spent much of the winter and spring spreading rumors regarding his superiors supposed drinking and behavior. In doing so, he earned the enmity of other senior leaders such as Sherman and Porter who saw him as unfit for corps command. In late April, Grant elected to cut loose from his supply lines and cross the Mississippi south of Vicksburg. Landing at Bruinsburg on April 29, Union forces pressed east towards Jackson, MS. Turning towards Vicksburg, XIII Corps was engaged at the Battle of Champion Hill on May 16. Though a victory, Grant believed that McClernands performance during the battle was lacking as he had failed to press the fight. The next day, XIII Corps attacked and defeated Confederate forces at the Battle of Big Black River Bridge. Beaten, Confederate forces withdrew into the Vicksburg defenses. Pursuing, Grant mounted unsuccessful assaults on the city on May 19. Pausing for three days, he renewed his efforts on May 22. Attacking all along the Vicksburg fortifications, Union troops made little headway. Only on McClernands front was a foothold gained in the 2nd Texas Lunette. When his initial request for reinforcements was declined, he sent Grant a misleading message implying that he had taken two Confederate forts and that another push might win the day. Sending McClernand additional men, Grant reluctantly renewed his efforts elsewhere. When all of the Union efforts failed, Grant blamed Mc Clernand and cited his earlier communications. With the failure of the May 22 assaults, Grant commenced a siege of the city. In the wake of the assaults, McClernand issued a congratulatory message to his men for their efforts. The language used in the message sufficiently angered Sherman and Major General James B. McPherson that they lodged complaints with Grant. The message was also printed in Northern newspapers which was in contravention of War Department policy and Grants own orders. Having been constantly annoyed with McClernands behavior and performance, this breach of protocol gave Grant the leverage to remove the political general. On June 19, McClernand was officially relieved and command of XIII Corps passed to Major General Edward O. C. Ord. Later Career Life Though Lincoln backed Grants decision, he remained cognizant of the importance of maintaining the support of Illinois War Democrats. As a result, McClernand was restored to command of the XIII Corps on February 20, 1864. Serving in the Department of the Gulf, he battled illness and did not take part in the Red River Campaign. Remaining in the Gulf for much of the year, he resigned from the army due to health issues on November 30, 1864. Following the assassination of Lincoln the following year, McClernand played a visible role in the late presidents funeral proceedings. In 1870, he was elected circuit judge of the Sangamon District of Illinois and remained in the post for three years before resuming his law practice. Still prominent in politics, McClernand presided over the 1876 Democratic National Convention. He later died on September 20, 1900, in Springfield, IL and was buried at citys Oak Ridge Cemetery. Selected Sources History of War: John A. McClernandUS Congress: John A. McClernandMr. Lincoln Friends: John A. McClernand