The American Economy at the End of the 20th Century

The American Economy at the End of the 20th Century After a tumultuous century embroiled in world wars and financial crises, the United States economy at the end of the 20th century was experiencing a period of economic calm wherein prices were stable, unemployment fell to its lowest level in 30 years, the stock market boomed and the government posted a budget surplus. Technological innovations and a rapidly globalizing market contributed to the economic boom near the end of the 90s, then again between 2009 and 2017, but many other factors - including presidential policy, foreign affairs, and domestic innovations and foreign supply and demand needs - affected the rise of the American economy as it entered the 21st century. Long-term challenges like poverty, especially for single mothers and their children, and environmental quality of life still faced the nation as it prepared to enter a new century of technological development and rapid globalization. A Calm Before the Turn of the Century With the presidency of Bill Clinton at the tail end of George Bush Sr.s one-term presidency, the economy of the United States stabilized in the mid-1990s, creating a status in the economy as it prepared to enter a new millennium, finally recovered from two world wars, a 40-year Cold War, a Great Depression and several large recessions, and enormous budget deficits in government in the last half of the century. By 1998, the  gross domestic product  (GDP) of the U.S. had exceeded $8.5 trillion, achieving the longest uninterrupted period of expansion in American history. With just five percent of the worlds population, the United States was accounting for 25% of the worlds economic output, outproducing its closest rival Japan by nearly double the amount. Innovations in computing, telecommunications, and life sciences opened up new opportunities for Americans to work as well as new goods to consume while the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and the strengthening of Western and Asian economies offered new business ventures for American capitalists. Uncertainty at the Edge of the Millennium While some may have rejoiced in the new expansion in technology and the economy of the United States, others were skeptical of the rapid changes and feared some of the long-term challenges American hadnt resolved yet would be forgotten in the blur of innovation.   Although many Americans had achieved economic security by this point, with some even accumulating large sums of earnings, poverty was still a large issue facing the federal government and a substantial number of Americans lacked access to basic health coverage. Industrial jobs in the manufacturing field also took a hit at the end of the millennium, suffering setbacks as automation began to take over jobs and certain markets saw a decrease in demand for their goods. This resulted in a seemingly irreversible deficit in foreign trade. Ever the Market Economy As the United States passed into the early 2000s, one principle remained strong and true in terms of its economy: it was and would always be a market economy wherein the economy works best when decisions about produce and what prices to charge for goods are made through the give-and-take of millions of independent buyers and sellers, not by government or by powerful private interests, according to the State Department website. In this  free market economy, Americans feel that the true value of a good or service is reflected in its price, guiding the production end of the economy to only produce what is needed according to the supply-and-demand model, which leads to peak  economic efficiency. As is the tradition in all things concerning American politics, it is essential to limit the governments involvement in determining the economic market of its country in order to prevent an undue concentration of power and promote the pluralist foundation of the United States.

Work Smarter 2.0

Work Smarter 2.0 If you are serious about taking your writing to the next level in 2014, no doubt youve taken steps to maximize your efficiency. After all, time is money, and as Zig Ziglar said, â€Å"Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have 24-hour days.† In the technological age, the writer is faced with a bewildering array of websites, applications, programs and tools, which all proclaim to make the process of writing or researching easier. But which ones really work? And how? 1: rescuetime.com This is most obvious place to start, an application which runs continuously in the background on your computer, tracking and logging the time you spend on different websites, or engaged in other online activities. It then gives you a report, allowing you to see where you really spend your time! 2: https://unroll.me/ A large portion of any writers day is spent wading through junk mail. This is a time-saving program that allows you to bundle up all your subscriptions into one email and unsubscribe at a click, leaving you with a daily dose of just the good stuff. 3: boomeranggmail.com/ We all forget to reply to the occasional email, sometimes losing out on a potential sale in the process. This little gem helps ensure that never happens again. It enables you organize your inbox, manage your correspondence, and set reminders. Great tool when dealing with people in different time zones. 4: alexa.com/ Many writers now write guest blogs to help build their platform. But with so many websites and blogs scrambling for content, how do you know which ones are worth investing your time in? This tool bar allows you to instantly see how many hits a site gets worldwide, and therefore gauge how popular it is in real terms. 5: http://evernote.com/ This productivity tool takes all your notes and ideas, in whatever form they may come, and collates them in one place at the touch of a button. It even records your meetings and interviews, and lets you share the files with friends or clients. 6: focusboosterapp.com/ Procrastination is the enemy of every writer. This simple desktop and web application built around a timer is specifically designed to block out any distractions and enhance your concentration levels when your back is against the wall. 7: http://mind42.com/ When used correctly, mindmapping can be a very effective technique for improving productivity. This is one of the best free apps available, helping you get more organized 8: http://getpocket.com/ Its all too easy to get distracted 9: launchy.net/ This wonderful little tool allows you to launch the files and documents you are currently working on and open selected folders and bookmarks with just a few keystrokes, saving you from having to wade through endless start menus. Its not easy being a freelance writer. Sometimes life gets in the way. But Zig Ziglar is right: We all have the same 24-hours in a day. Its how we use them that counts. Combine some of these tools with a healthy dose of dedication to make 2014 your most successful year yet.