Income tax, horizontal equity, assignment help

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Question 1

(a)  List AND explain at least four (4) reasons for provisions of the federal income tax law other than raising revenue for the federal government.  

1.

2.

3.

4.

(b)  Some of these provisions result in taxpayers with the same income paying different rates and amounts of federal income tax.  For example, taxpayers whose income consists of qualified dividends and net capital gains pay less tax than someone who earns the same income as salary.  What is the reason for the lower tax rate on qualified dividends and net capital gains?  

(c)  Define horizontal equity.  Remember to use your own words. Is the reason for the lower tax rate on qualified dividends and net capital gains more important than the violation of the principle of horizontal equity that results?  Explain in detail. 

Question 2

Define each of the following AND explain the relative weight of authority of each one: 

(a) section of the Internal Revenue Code

(b) Final Treasury Regulation

(c) Revenue Ruling

(d) Private Letter Ruling (also known as Letter Ruling or IRS Letter Ruling)

Question 3

What is the present value of $10,000 to be received one time in two years if the annual discount rate is 8 percent?  Show all calculations. 

Question 4

Brian Barton is in the 35-percent marginal tax bracket.  He can invest in a project that will generate ordinary income.  The project’s before-tax return is 20 percent.  What is the project’s after-tax percentage return?  Show all calculations. 

Question 5

Bill is one of three shareholders in a C corporation called Super Duper, Inc.  He is also an employee of Super Duper, Inc.  Describe the tax effects to Bill AND to Super Duper for each of the following: 

(a) Super Duper paying him a reasonable bonus for work done exceptionally well 

(b) Super Duper paying him a dividend as a shareholder

Question 6

Connie F. Drysdale is 39 years old and divorced and files as a head of household. She has one dependent son named John G. Drysdale who is 11 years old.  For tax year 2015, her income consisted of the following: 

Salary  $64,000

Interest from bank accounts $2,000

Child support received from her ex-husband Tim Drysdale $6,000

She has the following possible deductions:

Medical expenses (not covered by insurance or otherwise) $3,600

Penalty on early withdrawal of a certificate of deposit $400

Home mortgage interest $10,600

Real estate taxes $1,500

State income taxes $2,900

Charitable contributions (cash) $1,400  

Required:

(a) calculate her adjusted gross income as defined in Section 62. Show and label all calculations.

(b) calculate her taxable income as defined in Section 63.  Show and label all calculations.

Question 7

Bob Adams is 42 years old. He deducted medical expenses on his U. S. individual income tax return for 2014.  For tax year 2014, his total medical expenses exceeded the 10-percent floor based on adjusted gross income by $4,750.  His total itemized deductions for tax year 2014 exceeded the standard deduction he otherwise could have claimed by $8,624.  

In 2015, he received an unexpected reimbursement from his health insurance company of $8,890 for medical expenses he paid in 2014 and deducted on his U. S. individual income tax return for 2014.  How much of this $8,890 reimbursement must he include in his gross income for 2015? Explain. Show all calculations. 

Question 8

Sam sold land to Brenda.  The sales price was $200,000.  Sam paid a commission to a real estate broker of $12,000 and paid other selling expenses of $2,425.  Sam’s basis in the land was $116,750.  What was Sam’s gain realized on the sale of the land? Show all calculations. 

Question 9

Carl suffered two different casualty losses during 2015.  

His storage building, which he used for personal, nonbusiness purposes, was destroyed by a tornado on March 18, 2015.    It was not insured.  His adjusted basis in the storage building was $4,268, but it had a fair market value of $5,200 at the time of the tornado.

His car was destroyed by a flood on November 8, 2015.  His adjusted basis in the car, which he used solely for personal purposes, was $18,295, but it had a fair market value of $12,300 at the time of the flood.  It was not insured.  His adjusted gross income for 2015 was $40,450.  

What is his total itemized deduction for the casualty losses he incurred in 2015? Show all calculations.

Question 10

Mary Washington is self-employed.  She did not work as an employee at any time during 2015.  Therefore, she did not have any wages in 2015.  She did not have any other income in 2015. Her net business income as shown on Schedule C of her Form 1040 was $74,286.  

(a)  What is her self-employment tax liability for 2015? Show all calculations. 

(b)  How much, if any, of her self-employment tax liability for 2015 may she deduct in calculating her adjusted gross income for 2015? Show all calculations.

check the information down

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Assignment Instructions:

Read the following four scenarios and produce the requested documents for one scenario only. Each scenario asks you to prepare a range of documents. You are responsible for determining the appropriate genre (email, memo, or business letter) and content for each document based on the scenario description you choose. Please see below for the four scenarios, and then choose one to respond to.

SCENARIO 1

You are the technical manager of a large Internet design firm (100+ employees) named Graphx. One of your primary responsibilities is to manage a team of developers. Your unit’s primary goal is to build and deliver custom web applications and to update client websites. Due to the increase of information delivery via company intranets, Graphx has grown considerably. About 8 months ago you hired a small start-up company, MaintainU, to perform routine maintenance for clients’ websites, because you needed to focus more attention on the custom applications. MaintainU does not interact with your clients directly, but they instead work as sub-contractors through your company. Your direct clients are not aware of this move and, for now, you and your company president, Nathan Elder, want to keep it this way.

Over the last several months, you have had problems with MaintainU not paying attention to version dates. They have, on several occasions, made changes requested by clients, but they also erroneously uploaded old pages to the site. Having dealt with a number of complaints, the most recent being two weeks ago, you had a long conversation with Jason Hughes, the president of MaintainU, to communicate that these types of mistakes are not acceptable.

Now, this morning, you have received an angry call from Sheila Links, a client at Gateway Industries, because an executive who was fired two months ago has been added back to the “Executives” webpage. Gateway Industries was one of the first clients your firm ever signed. While the client is on the phone, you correct the mistake, and you set up a meeting over lunch next week.

For the first 6 months or so, the relationship with MaintainU was great. At this point, however, you’re uncertain if you want to continue the relationship. At the same time, you cannot afford to bring MaintainU’s maintenance work back in-house. Apparently, the phone call to Jason wasn’t enough.

Deliverables:

Based on the scenario above, your deliverables will be the following documents:

  • document to the client, Gateway Industries
  • document to MaintainU
  • document to the president, who is a micro-manager and likes to know everything that is going on

Please put all documents in ONE file (PDF or MS Word) and upload to USF Writes by the draft and final draft due dates.

SCENARIO 2

You are the project manager of a civil engineering company. Your current project is a large-scale (100 miles) construction project that is restoring a portion of the wetlands in coastal Louisiana and SE Texas.

Currently, you are building a series of temporary access roads so that you can get equipment to one of the low-lying areas. This project involves a literal convoy of heavy trucks. Your firm has received numerous complaints from local residents about the noise and dust. In particular, you’ve received three letters from the same woman, Winnifred Doucette Lejeune. The last letter contained 10 additional signatures. If residents’ complaints continue to escalate, they could slow down the project and put you behind schedule.

You make a trip from the office headquarters in Lafayette, LA to the Calcasieu/Sabine Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Area to see what’s going on. On site, you see everything seems to progressing fine. Workers are on the job by 7:00am and running until almost sundown, but in the local bar and grill, all the talk is about “the darn government project to nowhere.”

When you get back to the office you decide you need to take action.

Deliverables

Based on the scenario above, your deliverables will be the following:

  • document to Winnifred Doucette Lejeune, who after further investigation, is a local resident that seems to spearhead any effort the town needs
  • document to the company vice-president, Richard Smith, who asked to be told of any problem, or in his words, “anything that even remotely smells like a problem” with the project.
  • document to sub-contractor supervisor at the construction site. Your firm has used this sub-contractor for almost five years, but this is the first project you’ve worked on with this particular supervisor.

Please put all documents in ONE file (PDF or MS Word) and upload to USF Writes by the draft and final draft due dates.

SCENARIO 3

You’re the compliance coordinator for a biomedical company, Hadley Services, which provides field service technicians to local hospitals and medical offices. Hadley’s specialty is radiological equipment, particularly open MRIs. Your primary job is to coordinate the schedules for repair, calibration and preventive maintenance for all of your clients. You are also responsible for writing the reports that keep the company in compliance with local and federal guidelines.

Since many medical facilities are starting to replace their outdated MRI machines with the new open MRIs, Hadley has grown considerably in the last 2 years. Hadley has a long standing relationship with the folks at Hitachi Medical, who manufacture the AIRIS Elite, the most commonly used machine in your market.

In the early afternoon, you get an email from one of Hadley’s newest clients, St. Francis Clinic, which is a brand new clinic of the Alliance Medical Group. When St. Francis opened two months ago, they signed on with Hadley. The St. Francis account meant a lot to Hadley since they had been wooing the Alliance Medical Group for years.

The email is from St. Francis’s clinic administrator, Pat Williams. The technician, Allen Franks, just left after completing a safety check, and now the machine is no longer recording data. You immediately dispatch another, more experienced technician (Marcus Ramirez) to address the problem, and call Ms. Williams. While you’re on the phone with her, Marcus texts you to tell you that problem is solved. You relay the information to Ms. Williams and hang up.

After chatting with both technicians, the problem was a simple. Allen Franks had failed to connect the data port snuggly, which is a rookie technician mistake. Now that everything has settled down, you know you have some additional work to do.

Deliverables

Based on the scenario above, your deliverables will be the following:

  • document to Pat Williams, the client
  • document to Hadley’s client rep, Ronni Simms, who is responsible for the St. Francis account letting her know of the developments with her clinic
  • document to Allen Franks

Please put all documents in ONE file (PDF or MS Word) and upload to USF Writes by the draft and final draft due dates.

SCENARIO 4

As the quality control supervisor at Aero Coast, you make sure that the structural repairs on wide body passenger and freight aircraft are completed in compliance with all federal regulations. Aero Coast specializes in re-fitting aircraft and they have developed quite a reputation for innovative structural designs. In addition, Aero Coast is known for their attention to detail and finishing projects on time.

You and the team have just completed a structural re-design to the interior of a plane that will be used to ship mini-widgets overseas. The re-design focused on customized racking systems to hold the sensitive mini-widgets in place on the long flight. About four hours after the plane has left, you get a text from the pilot. The plane has been grounded in the northeast because of “improper aircraft configuration.” The lens covers on the emergency lighting system are not FAA specified.

After a few calls, you find a line mechanic that can make the necessary repairs, but he can’t get there for about 24 hours. You call the client and deliver the bad news–the flight will be delayed by a day. The client, Global Widget Freight, has been with Aero Coast for about three years, and you have a solid business relationship. They account for about 17% of your annual revenue, but they’ve just been bought out.

You have some work to do to keep people happy and to make sure this type of problem does not happen again.

Deliverables

Based on the scenario above, your deliverables will be the following documents:

  • document to Carter Buchanan, VP at Global Widget Freight
  • document to Bob Gunney, Aero Coast’s inspector who signed off on the completed job
  • document to Ned Masters VP of Aero Coast

Please put all documents in ONE file (PDF or MS Word) and upload to USF Writes by the draft and final draft due dates.

Assignment Week 4: Literature Review on a Theory Instructions Writing a Literature Review Most research projects include a literature review to determine what knowledge exists on the subject under study and to develop the theoretical framework that will

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Assignment Week 4: Literature Review on a Theory

Instructions

Writing a Literature Review

Most research projects include a literature review to determine what knowledge exists on the subject under study and to develop the theoretical framework that will be used in the study. The literature review sets the context for the entire research project by explaining what others have found in researching the same or similar specific research questions. Literature reviews are also done to help summarize the current state of knowledge on a topic and the current knowledge gaps up to this point. In this format, they are often published as a pure literature review within peer-reviewed journals. One example can be found here specific to the literature on psychobiography as a method, here is another example article. Students often have a hard time writing literature reviews because it seems like a foreign way to organize information, however in a way you can equate the way that an essay is written to that of a literature review. In an essay one will bring in numerous references within each paragraph, the same would be the case for a literature review in that literature reviews are organized thematically. NCSU has a fantastic video (https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/tutorials/litreview/) that helps explain what a literature review is an how they are written at the graduate and professional levels, I recommend taking a look as it will help give you some additional perspective on how these are written. For some additional information on how to organize your theoretical framework into your paper, check out this USC Library guide on Theoretical Frameworks.

A literature review begins with an introductory paragraph in which the writer frames the research topic and its significance, or the puzzle or topic area that the researcher is addressing. To do that, the writer will summarize the major relevant arguments on the research subject, highlighting the main issues and how schools of thought might differ. If there are key terms to be defined, the writer would also do that here, if the literature review is part of a larger research paper.

The body of the literature review tells readers what others have found in their studies about your specific research question, or topic under investigation (the extent of existing knowledge on your specific research question/current state of the research on a particular topic), critiques what is right or wrong with these other studies, and discusses how the body of knowledge needs to be moved forward (and/or how the work is distinguishable from the research study you are proposing). Your review MUST organize material by variables, themes, methods or what makes sense for the project; you will NOT organize the lit review around articles, like an annotated bibliography.

The conclusion should summarize the primary “sense of the literature”, encapsulating for the reader where the existing literature ends and if carrying out a study, where your research will start.

Assignment Instructions:

This assignment serves as a building block for your final thesis proposal. For this literature review, you need to select a substantive theory, either something that we discussed in the lesson, or something outside of the course, and focus your literature review around that theory. Your theory selection should make sense with the research question you intend to assess within your final research proposal. Since this is a literature review focused on a particular topic (i.e. the substantive theory) you will need to discuss the current state of the literature specific to that theory (for example, deterrence theory, social identity theory, and etc). You’ll want to start with a discussion on the early conceptualizations of the theory and how it has developed overtime. your conclusion should include a discussion on where the research on that theory needs to go next. What are some questions that remain? What new ways should it be applied?

Format: Standard academic format will suffice: 1-inch borders on all four sides, double spaced, with times new roman 12-point font. As with all academic assignments (unless otherwise specified) you must include a references section and list your references.

This literature review should include a critical review of at least 9-10 scholarly/peer-reviewed articles.

Since multiple writing styles are in use within this course, on your title page, please note which style you are using within your assignment. This will help me cater my comments to the style you are using. The style you use needs to be the one that is used within your program of study.

Total pages: 6-8 complete pages in length not including title page, or references.

I have also attached a synthesis matrix that should help you organize your notes as you go, as well as the grading rubric for this assignment.

Use the filename (no spaces): yourlastnameW4.doc to upload this file to the HW4 assignment.

As you proofread your assignment I encourage you to work with Belcher, Wendy Laura. 2009. “Editing Your Sentences” In Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success. Sage. This resource has a nice step by step process for enhancing your writing.

Note: As mentioned above this assignment is a building-block for your final assignment. In your research proposal in addition to synthesizing the literature on a theory, you will also need to synthesize the literature surrounding your topic you are looking to explore as well. This will serve as a preliminary literature review that helps to demonstrate the importance of the topic and show that it has not yet been addressed within the literature.

Attachments

Wk 1 – Sociology Matters Soc/262

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Assignment Content

The purpose of this assignment is for you to apply what you learned through the activities and chapter readings. You can reflect on the reading and activities for this week to inform your answers.

Review the Sociology Matters prompt at the end of Ch. 2.

Sociology Matters

Sociology matters because it offers new insights into what is going on around you, in your own life as well as in the larger society. Consider the purpose of a college education:

• What are your own reasons for going to college? Are you interested only in academics, or did you enroll for the social life as well? Does your college encourage you to pursue both, and if so, why?

• How does your pursuit of a college education impact society as a whole? What are the social effects of your decision to become a student, both now and later in life, after you receive your degree?

Sociology also matters because sociologists follow a scientific research design to reach their conclusions. Consider the importance of careful research:

• Have you ever acted on incomplete information, or even misinformation? What were the results?

• What might be the result if legislators or government policy makers were to base their actions on faulty research?

Write a 700-word response to one or more of the bullets at the end of that chapter.

Resources

Center for Writing Excellence

Reference and Citation Generator

Grammar and Writing Guides

Copyright 2019 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Your Number, business and finance homework help

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Your Number

By the time you retire, will you have enough money to pay your bills and meet your needs?  What is your number?  Go to the AARP Retirement Calculator and follow the step-by-step instructions.  You’ll find the calculator at:

http://www.aarp.org/work/retirement-planning/retirement_calculator.html#/your-options

Just follow the instructions, step-by-step.  In Step 1 of the calculator you will enter information that is specific to your situation. In Step 2 your number will be calculated as the “Minimum needed to retire” based on the information that is entered in Step 1.  Step 3 will show you the effect of changing your retirement age (say, from 67 to 72) and changing your retirement spending.

Once you’ve made the calculations, answer the following questions:

  1. What is your number (minimum needed to retire)?
  2. Complete a second calculation by delaying your retirement age and/or changing the percentage that you are saving. 
  3. Write a 250 word summary of 1) what the numbers are and what variables that were used (income, retirement age, saving percentage) 2) how did changing the retirement age and/or savings amount cause the number to change 3) your overall thoughts regarding your retirement plan. 

The requirements below must be met for your paper to be accepted and graded:  

  • Write a minimum of 400 words (approximately 2 pages) using Microsoft Word.
  • Attempt APA style, see example below.
  • Use font size 12 and 1” margins.
  • Include cover page and reference page.
  • At least 60% of your paper must be original content/writing.
  • No more than 40% of your content/information may come from references.
  • Use at least two references from outside the course material, preferably from EBSCOhost.  Text book, lectures, and other materials in the course may be used, but are not counted toward the two reference requirement.

Reference material (data, dates, graphs, quotes, paraphrased words, values, etc.) must be identified in the paper and listed on a reference page.Reference material (data, dates, graphs, quotes, paraphrased words, values, etc.) must come from sources such as, scholarly journals found in EBSCOhost, online newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, government websites, etc.  Sources such as Wikis, Yahoo Answers, eHow, etc. are not acceptable. 

Developing a Change Plan – Step 8, Anchoring New Approaches

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To complete Step 8 in your Change Plan, compose a cohesive document that addresses the following:

  • Illustrate how you plan to make your changes permanent within the chosen organization or community.
    • Identify the greatest obstacle to making changes permanent within your culture. Demonstrate how you will address this.
    • Apply the methods you think will keep stakeholders informed of the progress and effectiveness of changes you implemented.
  • Apply the necessary changes to artifacts, espoused beliefs, and values and/or underlying assumptions in order to anchor the culture change.
    • Demonstrate how the changes to performance appraisal, compensation, promotion, and succession planning can be applied to the employee handbook to sustain change.

Assignment submission should be about 1–2 pages in length.

Modify the AD analysis assignment as suggested by the teacher, and complete a post write in 200-300 words

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1.I have finished the first draft of the advertising rhetoric analysis homework. The first attachment is the advertisement analysis homework with the teacher’s suggestions for modification. Please make modifications according to the suggestions. The correct format template given by the teacher will be uploaded as the second attachment.

2.Also be sure to include your post-write in the comments section, based off the prompt below. This is separate from your Reflection. It is worth 10 percent of your essay grade and the grade is deducted if it is not included.

Post-Write: For this project, please write a full paragraph (around 200-300 words) that specifically identifies three Learning Outcomes you were confident you achieved with this project (this can include development and the work during peer review). The Learning Outcomes are located under “Policies” and are split into four categories. Under the categories, you will find the multiple outcomes. Quote three of these and share a sentence or two for each one about how you are confident you met them. If you do not address three specific outcomes, you will not receive credit for this postwrite.

English 105 Learning Outcomes

Adapted from the WPA Outcomes Statement: http://wpacouncil.org/positions/outcomes.html

I. Rhetorical Knowledge

Rhetorical knowledge is the ability to analyze contexts and audiences and to act on that analysis to comprehend and create texts. Writers develop rhetorical knowledge by negotiating purpose, audience, context, and conventions as they compose different texts for different situations. Students will:

  1. Learn and use rhetorical concepts by analyzing and composing a variety of texts
  2. Read and write in several genres to understand how genre conventions function
  3. Respond to a variety of situations and contexts using purposeful shifts in tone, formality, design, medium, and/or structure
  4. Use a variety of modalities (including oral presentation) and technologies to address a range of audiences and rhetorical situations

II. Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, synthesize, interpret, and evaluate ideas, information, situations, and texts. When writers think critically about materials they use, they separate assertion from evidence, evaluate sources and evidence, recognize and evaluate underlying assumptions, read for connections and patterns, and compose appropriately qualified and developed claims and generalizations.

Students will:

  1. Write and read for inquiry, learning, critical thinking, and communicating in various rhetorical contexts
  2. Read a diverse range of texts and recognize how features like evidence, organizational patterns, and visual elements function for different audiences and rhetorical situations
  3. Locate and critically evaluate research materials and use them appropriately for background, as exhibits, as examples, for analysis, and/or for method support
  4. Use strategies—such as interpretation, synthesis, response, critique, and design—to compose texts that integrate the writer’s ideas with those from sources

III. Processes

Writers use multiple strategies, or composing processes, to imagine, develop, and finalize projects. Composing processes are seldom linear. Composing processes are flexible: successful writers can adapt their processes to different contexts and occasions. Students will:

  1. Develop projects through multiple drafts
  2. Develop flexible strategies for reading, drafting, reviewing, collaborating, and revising
  3. Use writing to discover and reconsider ideas
  4. Collaborate with other writers on a project through multiple drafts
  5. Learn to give constructive feedback to drafts and revise based on constructive feedback
  6. Reflect on how their composing practices develop and shape their work

IV. Knowledge of Conventions

Conventions are formal rules and informal guidelines that define genres and shape perceptions of correctness. Conventions govern mechanics, usage, spelling, and citation; they also influence content, style, organization, graphics, and document design. Conventions are not universal; they vary by genre, discipline, and occasion. Successful writers understand, analyze, and negotiate conventions for purpose, audience, and genre.

Students will:

  1. Develop knowledge of grammar, punctuation, and spelling conventions by writing, revising, and editing
  2. Understand and use different genre conventions—such as structure, paragraphing, tone, mechanics and citation styles—as appropriate for different genres
  3. Use common formats and/or design features for different kinds of texts and genres
  4. Explore the concepts of intellectual property (such as fair use and copyright) that affect documentation conventions
  5. Practice applying citation conventions systematically in their work

Let Not Life Shape You, writing homework help

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Write a short story about a main character who undergoes a change or learns something. If you feel your creativity is lacking, remember writing about what you know, your own personally experiences or those of your friends and family are easy to turn into an entertaining short story. Include the following elements in your short story:

  • A clear setting – the time and place of the story
  • A plot – series of events that builds to a dramatic climax
  • A narrator to tell the story
  • Effective descriptions using sensory details
  • Dialogue to develop the characters
  • Error-free grammar, including use of consistent verb tense

A firm currently uses 40,000 workers to produce 100,000 units of output per day., total variable assignment help

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Please use the following information and use it to complete a few calculations, and answer questions in your paper.  The paper ought to be written as a brief  (1-1.5 pages) report that includes your calculations and a short explanation of what the firm should do if it is making a loss.

A firm currently uses 40,000 workers to produce 100,000 units of output per day.

The daily wage per worker is $80, and the price of the firm’s output is $41. The cost of other variable inputs is $400,000 per day. Assume that total fixed cost equals $900,000. (Note: Assume that output is constant at the level of 100,000 units per day.)

Calculate the values for the following variables using the formulas that are given:

  • Total Variable Cost = (Number of Workers x Worker’s Daily Wage) + Other Variable Costs 
  • Total Costs = Total Variable Costs + Total Fixed Costs 
  • Total Revenue = Price * Quantity 
  • Average Variable Cost = Total Variable Cost / Units of Output per Day 
  • Average Total Cost = (Total Variable Cost + Total Fixed Cost) / Units of Output per Day
  • Profit/Loss = Total Revenue – Total Costs

Complete the following:

  • Is the firm making a profit or a loss? 
  • Explain the Short Run Shut Down Rule. Should this firm shut down? Please explain. 

Be sure to show your work. Include a reference list.

Role of Women During WWI

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Discuss the role of women during WWI. Using information from the documents, write an essay in which you discuss the following:

  • What new opportunities and challenges did women face during World War I?
  • Where did women work before, during, and after World War I?
  • In what three ways was society changed by women’s role in the First World War?

The paper should be three to five pages long (not including title or reference pages), double-spaced, written according to CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., and should include a minimum of three sources (at least two peer-reviewed references besides the textbook). The introductory paragraph should include a thesis statement.

Rubric