Why Were Bulgaria and Romania Accepted in the EU?

Why Were Bulgaria and Romania Accepted in the EU? Why were Bulgaria and Romania accepted in the EU in 2007 despite of their incomplete democratisation, which was acknowledged by the European Commission? Introduction On December 2007 Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union. They had not been able to join in the 2004 EU expansion as they had failed to meet the EU’s criteria for membership at the time. In 2007 however there still existed serious doubts as to whether Romania or Bulgaria would be able to join. Although both were democracies both nations still had major political issues relating to corruption, government accountability and their incomplete democratisation process. Why then, if the EU acknowledged that both Countries still had serious problems, were these nations accepted into the EU? This Essay will look at the circumstances leading up to Bulgaria and Romania’s entry into the EU, examine why many believed they were not ready for membership and the reasons behind their acceptance by Brussels. Background to Membership In 2004 eight Eastern European Countries were admitted into the EU. Both Bulgaria and Romania were turned down for full membership of the EU at this point, due to their being significantly behind the other eight nations in terms of GDP, democratisation and other factors.[1] However both nations soon went from being candidates to being accession Countries in April 2005, as long as both nations continued to enact the necessary reforms, and in September 2006 it was confirmed that both would become full members on January 2007.[2] In many ways then the final decision regarding Romanian and Bulgarian membership was not made in January 2007, but arguably as early as 2005, which then made it inevitable. Throughout this period, there were serious doubts about the Eastern European Nations ability and willingness to enact the necessary reforms, and even upon entry the EU acknowledged that there was still much work to be done. Democratic Deficiencies The 2004 Romanian election was said by many commentators to be proof that the Country had not yet made the transition to fully fledged democracy. There were allegations of voter irregularities, missing votes and candidates with links to the previous security apparatus of the Country. [3] Both nations’ political systems still had aspects of authoritarian regimes, and a year after membership both were still unable to fully guarantee their citizens constitutional rights. Romania and Bulgaria’s legal systems were considered by many as incompatible with a free and democratic society.[4] In economic terms the two ex communist nations were extremely poor, with a GDP around just 30% of the EU average. At the time of the accession process both markets had not yet made the transition into being free market economies, infrastructure was ageing and the State still had a large role in both Nations economies. The most significant problem however was the widespread corruption in the S tates, especially with regards to Bulgaria. The EU consistently complained about Bulgarian organised crime’s links with high level Bulgarian Government officials, who have often been found siphoning EU grants meant for infrastructure to family businesses or to criminal gangs. Such is the level of corruption that the EU saw fit to withhold 486 million Euros worth of aid in 2008.[5] Reasons for Membership Taking into account the serious problems, poverty, corruption and lack of accountability of Romania and Bulgaria, why did the EU allow them membership in January 2007? As we have already mentioned, the decision to accept Romania and Bulgaria as members was taken long before 2007. Although they were rejected as full members in 2004, from their acceptance as accession Countries in 2005 it was clear that they were on the path to full membership. The EU did place stringent conditions on full membership, to which it is debatable the pair have achieved. The EU did judge in 2006 that both Countries, although having a lot of work to do, had satisfied the criteria. Both Romania and Bulgaria had, since 2004 reformed their legislative systems, economies and political processes.[6] From this point on, although the EU could delay membership, it could not feasibly deny membership to the two unless there was some major breach of democratic and human rights norms. Membership as a means to Reform Along with the legal arguments, Brussels clearly believed that to deny membership when the nations had clearly made profound transitional steps to reform would not only be unfair but damaging to the EU, Romania and Bulgaria. The EU believed that membership would act as a motivating factor for both nations to continue reforms, whereas rejection might well have convinced the elites of both nations to continue their corrupt and undemocratic practices. The obvious financial and political benefits that come with membership, have, as predicted by the EU, helped both nations start the economic reforms needed.[7] This essay believes that the reason Romania and Bulgaria were accepted was because the EU believed that only membership would help the Countries to successfully integrate into Europe, and that despite several problems regarding corruption and accountability, the EU was satisfied with both the existing reforms and pledges that the two nations would in future continue to meet EU expec tations and demands if they were allowed membership in 2007. Bibliography Bagehot, â€Å"Europe: Balkan Blushes; Bulgaria, Romania and the EU† (The Economist, London July 26, 2008, Vol 388, Issue 8590 Ciobanu, Monica â€Å"Romania’s travails with democracy and accession to the European Union† Europe-Asia Studies, 59.8, pp1429-1450 Pridham, Geoffrey â€Å"The Scope and Limitations of Political Conditionality: Romania’s Accession to the European Union† (Comparative European Politics, Houndsmills, Dec 2007, Vol 5, Issue 4, pp347-367) Sangiovanni, Mette Eilstrup â€Å"Debates on European Integration† (Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2006) Website BBC News – â€Å"EU approves Bulgaria and Romania† – 26/09/2006 – accessed 10/12/2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5380024.stm 1 Footnotes [1] Sangiovanni, Mette Eilstrup â€Å"Debates on European Integration† (Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2006, p.125) [2] Pridham, Geoffrey â€Å"The Scope and Limitations of Political Conditionality: Romania’s Accession to the European Union† (Comparative European Politics, Houndsmills, Dec 2007, Vol 5, Issue 4, pp347-367) [3] Ciobanu, Monica â€Å"Romania’s travails with democracy and accession to the European Union† Europe-Asia Studies, 59.8, p1444 [4] Pridham, Geoffrey â€Å"The Scope and Limitations of Political Conditionality: Romania’s Accession to the European Union† (Comparative European Politics, Houndsmills, Dec 2007, Vol 5, Issue 4, pp347-367) [5] Bagehot, â€Å"Europe: Balkan Blushes; Bulgaria, Romania and the EU† (The Economist, London July 26, 2008, Vol 388, Issue 8590 [6] Ciobanu, Monica â€Å"Romania’s travails with democracy and accession to the European Union† Europe-Asia Studies, 59.8, pp1429-1450 [7] Bagehot, â€Å"Europe: Balkan Blushes; Bulgaria, Romania and the EU† (The Economist, London July 26, 2008, Vol 388, Issue 8590

The McCarthy Era and the Salem Witch Trials :: Psychology, Social Issues, Persuasive

The McCarthy Era and the Salem Witch Trials The McCarthy era is very similar to the Salem Witch trials. They are both similar, because they both dealt with hysteria. Hysteria is an uncontrollable fear or outburst of emotion. Both things had to do with people accusing each other of people being communist, and people being witches. The McCarthy era, took place in the twentieth century. It had to do with people thinking that other people were communist. Since people thought that others were communist, they accused them of committing communism. Communism is, when people don't follow what the government says. The people that were accused of being communist, were persecuted by other people in the community. Then they were put to death. The U.S. senator Joseph Raymond McCarthy was the man who was against the rising of communism. His revolts against communism gave birth to the term McCarthyism. The Salem Witch trials took place in the seventeenth century in Salem, Massachusetts. They were considered to be America's most notorious episode of witchcraft hysteria. As in the McCarthy era, people who were even accused of being witches were persecuted. Many innocent people were killed because of the result of false accusations and many other women were put through many trials to determine if they were witches. Witches were considered outcasts of society. It was also considered a hysteria because it was blown out of proprtion. Much of this hysteria soon ended due to the sermon delivered by Cotton Mather. In his statement he argued against the mass convictions of innocent people. Some clergy finally decided to listen to his ideas and many of the accused were released from jail by the decision of the governor and because jails were overflowing. Hysteria has no place in a society because it is wrong. It causes chaos and confusion and in these cases death.

The Evolution of Ethics Essay -- essays papers

The Evolution of Ethics A goal implicit in human evolution is survival; thus, humanity directs some of its energy toward creating a state of peace to achieve the necessary efficiency and conservation of energy to survive in a hostile and sometimes unpredictable world. The foundation of the emergence of rule systems in the world is built upon centuries of reasoned insight and personal experiences that reveal which actions are better than others, which are productive, and which are disruptive and should be avoided. As efficient actions reveal themselves to an evolving society, its people develop the means to make productive choices between one type of action and another. Some choices are decidedly better than others. This prioritizing of human actions into efficient hierarchies establishes the foundations of rule systems which later refine themselves into more sophisticated systems of morals, manners and statutory laws. All these systems have a tendency to address the fundamental need of the human species to survive and avoid the common fate of extinction by conserving energy and directing social attention towards more productive kinds of behavior. It could be said that as civilization approaches the ideal of efficiency, the harmony that follows from efficient and thoughtful actions inspires a state of peace that exponentially increases the chances of human civilization surviving over long periods of time. Social change has more or less followed the more reasoned logic and experiences of people. Change is not always perfect. However, as people experience more and learn more about their world through formal education, they have more resources by which they can make judgments about the behavior of their fellow humans. Knowledge of the past lends to enlightened minds a knowledge of the future. Common education and experiences inspire the emergence of informal belief systems, clarifying what appears to be acceptable behavior and what is not. Observations that endure centuries of reasoned scrutiny integrate ultimately into the cultural ethic. As a rule of thumb, an action that contributes to the disorganization of society is often considered "wrong" and that which contributes to the organization of society "right." Behaviors that corrupt the peace, prosperity, and productivity of a society are generally discouraged as "wrong," in favor of behaviors which contri... ...es. Rule systems help keep people in their "right mind" instead of going "out of their minds" through excess. People who are repeatedly "out of their minds" have less chance of surviving and surviving well than people who remain true to their original personality. Some behaviors corrupt the efficiency and social compatibility of people more than other behaviors. Some part of the evolution of ethical systems monitors the growth of potentially harmful behaviors and looks for methods to suppress them. Rules help to reign in human passion as progress demands finer and finer delineations of labor, resources, and authority. The visceral compulsions of humans to survive rather than perish commands intelligent people to try to hold their society together and to keep people and their passions from tearing it apart. Survival places an imperative to be sensible enough to stay above the threshold of extinction as a species. This evolutionary process inspires finer and finer details of order, and is first evident in the moral senses of reasonable people who push for better rules to keep society orderly. To do this they must look from past experience into the future. Bibliography:

Waste Land Essay: Truth through Complexity :: T.S. Eliot Waste Land Essays

The Waste Land: Truth through Complexity The basic method used in The Waste Land may be described as the application of the principle of complexity. T S Eliot uses a parallel structure on the surface to develop an ironic contrast, and then uses surface contrasts in a parallel form. To the reader, this gives the effect of chaotic experience ordered into a new whole, though the realistic surface of experience is faithfully retained. The fortune-telling of "The Burial of the Dead" will illustrate the general method very satisfactorily. On the surface of the poem the poet reproduces the patter of the charlatan, Madame Sosostris, and there is the surface irony: the contrast between the original use of the Tarot cards and the use made by Madame Sosostris. But each of the details (justified realistically in the palaver of the fortune-teller) assumes a new meaning in the general context of the poem. There is then, in addition to the surface irony, something of a Sophoclean irony too, and the "fortune-telling," which is taken ironically by a twentieth-century audience, becomes true as the poem develops--true in a sense in which Madame Sosostris herself does not think it true. The surface irony is thus reversed and becomes an irony on a deeper level. The items of her speech have only one reference in terms of the context of her speech: the "man with three staves," the "one-eyed merchant," the "crowds of people, walking round in a ring," etc. But transferred to other contexts they become loaded with special meanings. To sum up, all the central symbols of the poem head up here; but here, in the only section in which they are explicitly bound together, the binding is slight and accidental. The deeper lines of association only emerge in terms of the total context as the poem develops--and this is, of course, exactly the effect which the poet intends. The poem would undoubtedly be "clearer" if every symbol had a single, unequivocal meaning; but the poem would be thinner, and less honest. For the poet has not been content to develop a didactic allegory in which the symbols are two-dimensional items adding up directly to the sum of the general scheme. They represent dramatized instances of the theme, embodying in their own nature the fundamental paradox of the theme. We shall better understand why the form of the poem is right and inevitable if we compare Eliot's theme to Dante's and to Spenser's.

Prayer in School

Monique Holmes Argumentative Writing Final Paper Dr. George Pullman Introduction School prayer is a major controversy of this society. Public schools are supported with taxpayer money and you have a lot of believers who want his or her taxes to support an institution that prohibits children from praying in school, but at the same time, you have a loot of believers that don’t want to support an institution that prohibits their children from prayer in schools. The First Amendment of the United States protects both believers’ ands non believers from this situation by mandating government neutrality between belief and non belief.All children have the right to pray voluntary just not through the public school system. Prayer Should be Allowed in the Public School System School prayer is a very controversial issue in our society today. The question that people are having issues with is whether or not school prayer should be allowed in the public school system. The main issue i s if students should be allowed to pray as a class at the start of the day. Prayer in school has been a major conflict between people therefore there have been a lot of court cases.There were a number of cases that has changed the policy of prayer in the public school system. Thomas Jefferson had spoken of public education ands said, â€Å"One goal of democracy is the recognition, solution, and tolerance of controversy; public education should prepare citizens for this reality†. People do need to be prepared because religion is a very Holmes common controversy. If religion is removed from the public education system then one must know that the system is then defective to the school because how are children to know how to deal with the controversy that comes with religion?Prayer should be slowed in school. One must remember the Equal Access Act of 1984, which says that prayer is an important part of America’s spiritual heritage and the First Amendment (Freedom of Speech ). If prayer in schools is so bad like people like to say or think than how come there are so many people who are for prayer in school? School prayer shouldn’t be removed from the public school system because of the Equal Access Act of 1984. This Act states that a federally funded public high is required to permit religious meetings if clubs that are not related to the curriculum is allowed.There are a number of religious groups in some schools, but of course they don’t get the same privileges as the clubs that are non-religious related. The Equal Access Act of 1984 was formed to change this fact. At some schools, students are allowed to organize a bible study group as well as other religious clubs (www. religioustolerance. org). These particular clubs are allowed to meet on school grounds and they are able to advertise on school property just like the other non-religious clubs (www. religioustolerance. org).Students who want to have a religious club should not be infl uenced by the board, teachers, principals, or any staff of the school. They should not be ridiculed because of this. The Equal Access Act of 1984 is good because these students will now be able to form a religious group if they want. If athletes, musicians and artists can show and do what they believe than religious groups should be able to do the same. Prayer should be a part of our school systems because it is an important part of America’s spiritual heritage.All throughout America’s history there have been many important documents written with references to â€Å"Almighty God,† â€Å"Thy Blessings,† â€Å"Our dependence upon Thee,† and â€Å"In God We Trust. † These documents are Holmes the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, the National Anthem, the Presidential Oath and even U. S. Currency. In school children starts the day with pledge which states â€Å"one Nation under God. † A prayer says that students just wa nt to ask for a good day and guidance throughout the day. Prayer and religion is an important part of the American tradition. It has been said that the children benefit from people turning to God on their behalf and they benefit even more when they turn to God for help† (Christian Science Monitor 2). If prayer is kept out of the school system, they are teaching students that traditions are not important and that what this country was founded upon doesn’t matter. Our forefathers wanted us to have religious freedom, so what would you want children to disrespect that. People don’t want to see out nation fall but it will if we don’t show children the value of prayer.School prayer is important because it shows and teaches what this nation stands for and it helps create better morals. By allowing children to pray at the beginning of school it gives them a chance to learn better and focus on school because their mind will be cleared. It is known that students who pray before school do better in school than those who don’t. So if we want our children to do better we must let them pray in school. We have lost if we eliminate prayer from school. Our nation will definitely fall. Nothing in the First Amendment converts our public schools into religionfree zones or requires all religious expression to be left at the schoolhouse door† (Bill Clinton on prayer in school). If what Clinton say is true then why do people want to eliminate prayer in school? The issue is that they don’t want to deal with controversy but by doing this they are not teaching children how to handle controversy they are teaching them to ignore it. They should let the children decide if they want to pray or not. If the students don’t want to pray than they don’t have to pray then they shouldn’t.They have the right to pray in school and should not be looked Holmes down at if they choose to do so. No one is being hurt by prayer being in t he public school system. The First Amendment gives people the right to express their religion openly and not be questioned about their beliefs. The former president, Harry Truman once stated that prayer â€Å"never hurt anybody and made good citizens out of them. † The First Amendment states that people can express their beliefs freely and openly anywhere that they want and that should include school as well.School prayer should be in the public school systems because of the Equal Access Act of 1984, prayer is an important part of America’s spiritual heritage and the First Amendment (Freedom of Speech). Even with all of the court cases in which judges have ruled that prayer in school is unconstitutional, students still form prayer groups. One of the reasons why prayer is removed from school is because people think that they will have to partake in that religion and it will dominate over all. But this is simply not true.No one is asking for people to change their belief s. Why is it a big issue for prayer to be in class when it is said in a number of school functions? Prayers are said at athletic games, to ensure safety and protection and at graduation ceremonies. How come this isn’t an issue? There a re a number of arguments that are for prayer in school: The Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals stated, â€Å"The belief and trust in a creator has always been regarded as an integral and inseparable part of the fabric of our fundamental institutions. Harry Truman said that prayer â€Å"never hurt anybody and made good citizens out of them. † Rep. James Traficant said, â€Å"A Congress that allows God to be banned from our schools while our schools can teach about cults, Hitler and even devil worship is wrong, out of touch and need some commonsense. † Prayer in school will increase tolerance in schools because children will be able to learn of different religions and how they are practiced. It will also bring to surface questio ns that Holmes children have about God and religion and allow them to search for their own belief system.Bringing prayer into schools will allow them to search for their own belief system. Bringing prayer into schools will also help reverse the moral degradation of this country. Prayer should be allowed in the public school system so that our children can start their day off in the right direction. Prayer Should Not be Allowed in the Public School System The public school system should not allow prayer into the public school system because it is against the idea of separation of church and state.The public schools are for education it is not a place where religion should be taught, that is what church is for. â€Å"Public schools can neither foster religion nor preclude it. Our public schools must treat religion with fairness and respect and vigorously protect religious expression as well as the freedom of conscience of all other students. In so doing our public schools reaffirm th e First Amendment and enrich the lives of their students† ( Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley June 1998 ).One must remember that in a public school system, these children are from all religion backgrounds, such as Baptist, Catholic, Quaker, Jewish, Muslim and atheist. â€Å"School sponsorship of a religious message is impermissible because it sends the ancillary message to members of the audience who are nonadherents that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community, and an accompanying message to adherents that they are insiders, favored members of the political community † (U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Santa Fe v. Doe, (2000). Public schools are supported by taxpayers and even they are of different beliefs, so therefore, the schools should be free from religious coercion. In the bible, it says that Jesus didn’t approve of outward prayer, â€Å"Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites ate: for they love to Holmes pray standing in synagogues an d in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men.But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret† (Matthew 6:5-6). By allowing prayer into public schools violates the First Amendment which states that â€Å"congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances† (First Amendment of the Constitution).The Establishment Clause renders the government from endorsing or favoring religion or any form of religions expression and The Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses requires that the government doesn’t trample on one’s opportunities to engage in expressive conduct. No one should be required to participate in prayer. The government does not have the right to make peo ple pray in school. Annie Laurie Gaylor quoted Thomas Jefferson in her article, The Case against School Prayer â€Å"No citizen shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever. People should not be subject to do anything they don’t believe in. Prayer should not be allowed in school because of church and state and the First Amendment. â€Å"To secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience: Neither the United States nor any State shall establish any official religion, but the people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, and traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed.The United States and the States shall not compose school prayers, not require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity† (Congressperson Ernest Istook Proposed amendment to the U. S. Constitution). To have prayer in school is against the idea of sep aration of church and state. Holmes Public schools are for education not religion. â€Å"I'm a Catholic and I hope a devout one, but I think that the public school classroom is no place for me to try and impose my world formula for prayer on children who on't share it, and for that very reason, I don't want my children in a public school classroom to be exposed to someone else's religion or formula† (Senator Phillip A. Hart :Michigan). Every child should not have to say prayer in the classroom because not everyone believes in the same thing. Students that choose to pray are already given the ability to do so because they are given a moment of silence where the student can do anything he or she wants as long as the entire class is not involved.Students have a voluntary right to pray but people want it to be where a group can pray and that should not be allowed. By establishing prayer in the public school system, it will only cause more turmoil for our society. Ulysses Grant st arted in the President’s Speech at Des Moines â€Å"to leave the matter of religion to the family altar, the church, and the private schools, supported entirely by private contributions. Keep the church and state forever separate. School prayer should not be allowed in the schools because of the idea of separation of church and state and the First Amendment. Religion is private and these schools are neither private, which shows that they do nor mix. To bring the public schools builds walls between children who may have not been aware of some religious beliefs. The practice of prayer in school will create unnecessary divisions among children by making them aware of religious differences. Public schools are for everyone, no matter their religion.The practice if organized prayer in schools will invade the children’s right to an education that is free of the discrimination that organized prayer would encourage. When schools have prayer in class, it singles out the theolog y being taught. Forbidding prayer in schools does not discourage religion but instead it prevents offensive alienation of students who have viewpoints which conflict with the established religion. By allowing prayer in school, Holmes it will threaten what parents have already taught their children.It will be undermining what we teach our children about religion. We must protect ourselves against organized prayer by keeping coercive prayer out of our children’s schools. Work Cited Bill Jager, â€Å"Public School Prayer Creates Violence,† at: Holmes http://www. mindspring. com/~wjager/ Gaylor, Annie Laurie. The Case Aainst School Prayer. â€Å"Keep the Church and State Forever Separate. † Madison, Wisconsin: Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. 1995 Matt Pyeatt. â€Å"Congressman Urges School Prayer Constitutional Amendment,† CNSNews. om, at: http://www. botcw. com/talk/ Religion and Prayer in U. S. Public Schools : www. religioustolerance. org The Holy B ible â€Å"New Tesatment† St. Matthew 6:5-6 The resolution was passed on 2001-NOV-7. The vote was 5 to 4. See: Gene Garman, â€Å"Lafayette School Board resolution on public prayer,† at: http:// www. sunnetworks. net/~ggarman/ The web site contains a point-by-point rebuttal. â€Å"Topic: Prayer in School,† AmarilloNet. com bulletin board at: http://www. amarillonet. com/ubb/Forum34/ Holmes

Taking Sides

Tiffany Kwong : Taking Sides, Unit 4 Response I’m answering question number2, as to why government agencies are getting more conservative regarding drinking during pregnancy. I personally believe the government wants to be stricter on the drinking-during-pregnancy matter because of the outcomes and effects towards the community. Pregnant mothers that drink during pregnancy are already at a small percentage of risk for a child with developmental-defects.The more at-risk children, the more attention these children need in school, in the home environment, and in public. Specifically, the funding of schools is decreasing every year, and the more developmentally-impaired students are enrolled, the greater the need for teachers and supplies to help these children with defects caused by their mothers. If the government agency strengthens the alcohol ban for pregnant women, the lesser the risk for families and the community to fund these problems later on.Mothers can decide to do what ever they want when they’re pregnant; it’s the matter of whether or not they want their child to be healthy, which I’m sure, every expecting mother wants. But, I believe pregnant women should not have the right to make informed decisions on their own. Doctors have medical degrees; they understand the causes and effects of alcohol, specific foods and certain activities pregnant women should stay away from.Pregnant mothers should not make informed decisions on their own; rather, they should consult an expert and stay firm to the government and the doctor’s orders & recommendations. Even if â€Å"casual drinking† may seem to cause no harm, it’s better to not take the risk. This is an issue with the public, the government, the science, and the medical field. Expected mothers should take the time to consult a doctor, and make the best decisions for the health of their child.

Poverty, Education and Health Care Essay

Abstract Poverty and education play an important role in access to health care. A low socioeconomic status influences the health of people. This paper provides a general overview of how poverty and education determines access to health care. It provides a description of the consequences of poverty and education on health care accessibility. Finally it provides solutions as how to address the issue. The link between poverty, education and access to medical care has received considerable attention. Health influences all the activities of an individual. All societies are concerned with varying levels of health among their members. They are also concerned about marginalized sections of society have access to health care. Poverty and its effects on society People belonging to poor communities have poorer health outcomes. They have less access to primary care as compared with more affluent residents. They are also less likely to have health insurance and regular doctor. They are more likely to have chronic health problems. They are more likely to get hospitalized for conditions which can be detected and treated at an early stage. Despite an expansive public insurance program these health problems remain. At least 18 percent of Americans are without medical insurance. This means a total of 44 million are without health insurance out of a population of 300 million. An estimated 87 percent of people are covered by government or employee based health care insurance (Cutler, 2004). People with low socioeconomic status face many challenges in maintaining their health. They have a high mortality rate. They are more likely to be suffering from some disease. They have limited health care resources. They live in poor environmental situations. The United States has one of the world’s most impressive standards of living. At least 32 million Americans live below the poverty line. In addition to poor people an estimated 50 million people live in poverty like conditions. Health risk factors like smoking, obesity and sedentary lifestyle are found in poor Americans (Cutler, 2004). They have a higher prevalence of disability and chronic illness. They have a shorter life expectancy. Children belonging to poor families are more likely to be malnourished. Many poor Americans live in houses which have lead paint. This can cause growth problems in children. Poor people eat inexpensive food which is fatty and lacks important nutrients. Poor people cannot afford health insurance coverage. Patients postpone their medical care and they are more likely to go without prescription medicines. Low income workers are at the highest risk of being uninsured because they are ineligible for Medicaid coverage. They work in low wage jobs that do not offer insurance. They cannot afford the high premiums associated with health care insurance. The lack of a usual source of care is another barrier to seek adequate health care. The challenges associated with poverty create conditions that can diminish lifesavings, lower learning ability and reduce physical, mental and emotional well being. All of these factors are a threat to people’s health. Urban areas in the United States have many health care facilities. However poor people cannot make use of these services. The major challenge is the high cost of visiting doctors, medicine and hospital care. Social factors like language barriers and prejudice by providers also hinder the accessibility of health care by poor people. The government also faces challenges in trying spreading health education in poor communities. Health care services are vital for the survival and livelihood of poor people. Illness persists in poor people. It stops people from working and forces them to sell assets. They fall into debt and are lead into a vicious cycle of dependency and poverty. Failure to treat themselves leads to illness and disability. This further reduces the ability to work in poorer households. People living in rural areas are forced to bear high transport costs. This is difficult and expensive for them. The lack of local health centers in rural areas further hinders the ability of poor people to access adequate health care (Crichton, 1997). The huge time that takes for poor people to obtain treatment is one of the greatest barriers which they face. Time away from jobs results in lost income. Health services run by governments are usually inefficient and are characterized by neglect. The quality of service is low. There is shortage of staff. There is no proper medicine and equipment. In many countries there is no safe water to drink. In developing countries there are high costs to health care. Besides the official fees there are corrupt staff members who demand bribes and fees in return for ordinary services. These services can include registration, tests and being given medicine. They can also pressurize a sick person to make unnecessary visits to the hospital. Payment methods are not flexible in many developing countries. Payment usually has to be made in advance and in cash. This causes considerable hardship for poor people (Crichton, 1997). Â  Education and its effects on society Education also plays an important role in health care. Many people with low literacy cannot read and understand directions written on medications. They cannot complete medical consent forms. They have problems in accessing health care and dealing with health related issues. Health literacy is the ability to read and understand words and procedures related to health care. It consists of comprehension, communication and appropriate action. The direct effects of low health literacy are medication errors. The indirect issues can include insurance issues, accessibility to health care and poor health behavior (Shi, 2003). Low health literacy affects people of all ages, races, educational levels and social classes. It is driven by a variety of factors. It is a multidimensional issue. Understanding written materials has been part of extensive health literacy in the past few years. Sensitivity to culture has also become part of health literacy due to the diverse population of the world. Messages and images have to be tailored to meet the diverse beliefs and values of people. Health literacy is concerned with understanding the information necessary to manage health (Shi, 2003). It is estimated that at least 90 million people in the United States cannot read. The health of such people is at risk. Ethnic minority groups are also affected by low health literacy. Older patients, recent immigrants, people with chronic diseases and those with low income are also vulnerable to having low health literacy. Many people with average or strong literacy skills have found medical terminology and concepts confusing. There are many health consequences associated with a low literacy level. Research has found that at least one third of patients have health problems because of failure in taking prescription medication correctly. People with low health literacy cannot comply with prescribed treatments and self care routines. They also have a high rate of failure in seeking preventive care. They are more at risk for hospitalization. They lack the skills to successfully move in the complex healthcare system (Shi, 2003). Patients with low health literacy have glycemic control. They are also more likely to report eye problems caused by diabetes. The annual health care costs for individuals with low health literacy are five times higher than those with higher health literacy skills. People with low health literacy are more likely to use health care services. Additional health care expenditures result from low health literacy skills. People cannot feel part of the social structure. They are also vulnerable to anxiety and other mental disorders. They can also alienate other people. Research has also found that people with low literacy levels are more vulnerable to die. While federal and state lawmakers continue to debate about how to increase access to health care, some of them are thinking of reinsurance system which might be affordable for poor people. In order to understand the concept of insurance it is essential that policy makers understand the concepts, benefits and limits of reinsurance mechanism. Reforms in Health care Reinsurance in health care refers to risk transfer or risk pooling arrangements. These are designed to remove the barriers which low income workers and minorities face when accessing health care. Risk transfer arrangements can help in this matter but they cannot lower health care costs. Policy makers must design policies which encourage participation from insurers and remove incentives to transfer costs to taxpayers. Reinsurance is defined as an insurance company buying insurance itself. The primary insurer is protected against the rare set of circumstances which might produce losses that it cannot fund on its own. Property and casualty insurance are the areas where reinsurance has been successfully implemented. Companies working in these areas can take heavy losses due to natural disasters in a short time period. This induces insurers to buy reinsurance on the commercial market. Poor people cannot afford health insurance coverage. This directly affects their ability to access medical care. Patients postpone their medical care and they are more likely to go without prescription medicines. Low income workers are at the highest risk of being uninsured because they are ineligible for Medicaid coverage (Kling, 2004). Public health plays a vital role in countering the effects of poverty on health care. It also minimizes the disparities in health by income. Public health policies protect the health of the population. It also plays an important role in reducing contagious diseases and providing low cost health services to marginalized sections of society. There are many examples of public health functions. Immunizing babies, improving sanitation, combating sexually transmitted diseases, protecting the environment and containing tuberculosis are some of the public health functions. Public health focuses on reallocating resources to communities which have low incomes. The US government has a network of community health centers, public clinics, school based clinics and health clinics for low income workers, migrants, minorities and homeless people. The National Health Service Corps is an organization which provides services and places physicians in vulnerable communities. Public health services also focus on specific diseases like tuberculosis. They also increase immunization efforts against this disease. They provide services which improve the health of low income families. Neighborhoods are cleaned from lead paint, pollution control and nutrition programs are launched. Women and children are fed through special programs. Poor people with low income and education have poorer health outcomes. They have less access to primary care as compared with more affluent residents. They are also less likely to have health insurance and regular doctor. They are more likely to have chronic health problems (Kling, 2004). Medicaid is the largest public programs that have improved access to health care. It provides health services to low income population. It finances health and long term care insurance for over 40 million low income Americans. Before Medicaid the poor people were essentially without any medical care. They relied on charity of physicians and hospitals. Public hospitals and clinics were also visited by poor people. Medicaid has made health services available to poor people. It has improved their health status and access to quality care. It has also created satisfaction amongst the poor people. Uninsured poor people lag well behind those people who have coverage with Medicaid. People with Medicaid have even fared comparably with private insurance (Kling, 2004). Despite the fact that these programs offer valuable assistance to low income populations, the deficits in access and coverage faced by low income population cannot be easily overcome. Increase in income does produce a substantial contribution to removing health differentials. However this is the need for insurance coverage and support for community based resources to eliminate health disparities by income. Poverty is hazardous for the physical and mental well being of an individual. Low income and homeless people are poor physical functions. They have a high prevalence of health risk factors and chronic health conditions. They also are more vulnerable to depression and other mental disorders. Research has shown that people living in vulnerable communities have a higher rate of being diagnosed with mental disorders as compared with more affluent communities (Kling, 2004). There is a need for prevention, intervention and treatment of diseases for poor people. Welfare reform cannot succeed without taking into account the special health problems of poor people and children. Poverty is associated with depression and other symptoms. It contributes to depression. People with insufficient personal support have no assistance in raising children. They live under the chronic stress of having children but little money to support them. They are at a higher risk for depression. There is a strong link between single-parent status, responsibility for young children, social isolation, and lack of social supports as well as to poverty. Welfare recipients have many barriers towards employment. They have low skills, substance abuse, health limitation or children with chronic medical conditions. They have serious forms of barriers. They have also high level of distress. They seek help from general medical, specialized and human service sources. Poor people with low income and education have poorer health outcomes. They have less access to primary care as compared with more affluent residents. They are also less likely to have health insurance and regular doctor. They are more likely to have chronic health problems. They are more likely to get hospitalized for conditions which can be detected and treated at an early stage. Despite an expansive public insurance program these health problems remain. At least 18 percent of Americans are without medical insurance. This means a total of 44 million are without health insurance out of a population of 300 million. An estimated 87 percent of people are covered by government or employee based health care insurance. Rising health care costs have become unbearable in the world. This is a problem for poor people in the Western countries and the situation is even worse in developing countries. There is a need for reform in the health care system. Many poor people are not covered by health insurance. Critical care medicine in high technology hospitals are only for a small group of patients (Ham, 2004). The first step should be rationing in containing health care costs. Public health care resources are limited. It is not possible to satisfy all medical needs for all people at all times. An appropriate goal for developing countries is to provide basic health care for the people. Some luxury medical procedures must be left for individuals to purchase with their own resources. Â  A basic level of health care must be provided for all people. Providing the best care is practically impossible. The government can however provide a basic level of care. Prevention oriented and ordinary treatment oriented goals must be set for developing countries and their health care systems. Inexpensive medical prevention is more effective and appropriate for poor people. Finally there should be a system of support which should help people with special expensive medicine care. Special foundations should come to the rescue of poor people for emergency and life saving procedures (Cundiff, 2005). Conclusion The health and well being of poor communities is an issue confronting both developed and developing countries. Research has found links between poverty and the health of people. Inside the United States many poor people do not have health insurance. Some of them can’t even think of affording health insurance. They are more concerned with the basic amenities of life. People in developing countries are even worse off. They have access to state hospitals and clinics which do not have trained staff, prescription medicine and advanced hospital care (Cundiff, 2005). A low health literacy rate is also dangerous for the well being of people. It can have adverse negative economic and social impacts. They can die at from treatable causes and get hospitalized because of their lack of health literacy skills. They are also prone to suffering from mental diseases like anxiety and depression. Â  There is the need for health reform in the entire world. Governments must provide a basic level of health care to all citizens. Advanced hospital care must be made available by foundations and donations. Governments working in coordination with community support groups can effectively counter the affects of poverty and low education on the health care of poor people. Some health responsibilities and policies should be transferred to community groups. The international community must help poor countries in developing basic and adequate health care system. References Cutler, David M. (2004). Your Money Or Your Life: Strong Medicine for America’s Health Care System. US: Oxford University Press. Crichton, Anne (1997). Health Care: A Community Concern?. US: University of Calgary. Shi, Leiyu (2003). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach. US: Jones and Bartlett. Kling, Arnold S. (2004). Crisis of Abundance: Rethinking How We Pay for Health Care. US: Cato Institute. Ham, Christopher (2004). Health Care Reform: Learning from International Experience. US: McGraw-Hill Education. Cundiff, David E. (2005). The Right Medicine: How to Make Health Care Reform Work Today. 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