John Stuart Mill On Liberty Essays - Classical Liberalism

John Stuart Mill: On Liberty 1. What On Liberty is about On Liberty is "a kind of philosophical textbook of a single truth": "the importance, to man and society, of a large variety in types of character, and of giving full freedom to human nature to expand itself in innumerable and conflicting directions." (Autobiography) "The subject of this Essay is...the nature and limits of the power which can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual." (On Liberty) Themes of On Liberty: . Toleration . Diversity . Individuality . Democracy . Equality . Tyranny of the majority, especially social tyranny 2. The Harm Principle "The object of this essay is to assert one very simple principle, as entitled to govern absolutely the dealings of society with the individual in the way of compulsion and control, whether the means used be physical force in the form of legal penalties, or the moral coercion of public opinion. That principle is, that...the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others." "The only part of the conduct of any one, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign." . Self-regarding actions - harm no-one (private sphere; the appropriate region of human liberty) . Other-regarding actions - harm others (public sphere; where society may intervene) The liberty maxim and the social authority maxim "The maxims are, first, that the individual is not accountable to society for his actions, in so far as these concern the interests of no person but himself. Advice, instruction, persuasion, and avoidance by other people if thought necessary by them for their own good, are the only measures by which society can justifiably express its dislike or disapprobation of his conduct. Secondly, that for such actions as are prejudicial to the interests of others, the individual is accountable, and may be subjected either to social or to legal punishment, if society is of opinion that the one or the other is requisite for its protection."

Mao Tse Dong essays

Mao Tse Dong essays MAO TSE DONGS INIQUITY IN CHINA Maos era had a devastating impact in China. These impacts are still visible today. Mao has deceived a whole generation, forcing people to work to their deaths using his propagandas. Maos a very bad economist who wouldnt listen to other peoples opinions. He follows the steps of Adolf Hitler by encouraging hate crimes and classifying people into categories. In the view of political philosophy, he claims to liberalize the people of China, but he only worsened the lives of the people of China. Mao was the leader of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party). He fought the nationalists Led by Zhou Yin Lai. Zhou had more military power, but Mao uses the peasants to help him win the war. He realizes that the majority of Chinas population is peasants. He won the peasants support by using land reforms. He took land away from the rich. With the support of the peasants, he won the war against the Nationalists and forced them into Taiwan. Mao came into power in the late 1940s. Realizing how successful the land reforms were, he continued the land reform movement, especially in the rural area. This movement helped him gain a lot of power. Since majority of the populations benefited from this movement, they supplied him with endless support. He became their red sun. My mom was from a peasant family in China. She uses to tell me stories of how she was when she was young. Teachers in school use to teach students to sing nothing but the best things about Chairman Mao. She really believed in every word in those songs and thought that Maos life was more important than her own. Mao wanted to follow in the steps of Russia. Mao thought that China should be industrialized in order to keep up with other developing countries. Again, Mao called upon the peasants to take the burden. Families were pulled together to form cooperatives. These cooper...

The impact of Pay for Performance program Assignment

The impact of Pay for Performance program - Assignment Example This essay discusses that there have been many different approaches applied before to ensure quality health care service in nursing homes. Two of the most used tools were the reimbursement system and the surveillance and enforcement system. The reimbursement system covered residential care and quality of life via payments to the providers in accordance with the standards set by the federal Nursing Home Reform Law, 1987. And surveillance and enforcement system made sure that these standards were met by the providers and if they are not, then to penalize them through penalties and fines until the deficiencies are corrected. However, for numerous reasons these systems did not prove to be effective enough in improving health care standards and simply too many residents suffered every day. Providers often complained that they were more or less underpaid to do a better job. Under these circumstances, agencies came up with ‘Pay for Performance’ program to ensure better health c are facilities by rewarding nurses and physicians according to their performances and improving the overall standard of care they’ve been providing. Pay for Performance (P4P), is a growing program that encourages health care providers to provide better health care facilities by rewarding them on the basis of their performances. The program focuses on three key features namely: participation, achievement and rewards. Participation implies that all the employees of an organization participate and contribute beyond the standard levels. Achievement stresses on reducing costs and at the same time increasing profits. It also focuses on productivity by emphasizing on group rather than individual performances. Whereas rewards are usually in the shape of cash prizes given at regular intervals based on outstanding performances (American Nurse Association, 2006). Compensation is a system of exchange. Participants are given certain targets to achieve and in return are rewarded with eithe r money or valuable assets. Compensation can be either direct or indirect. Direct compensation involves actual money given to workers and consists of base pay, incentive pay, merit pay and deferred pay whereas indirect compensation does not involve any money. Instead it includes protection programs such as health, pension, social security and other insurance services. Benefits on the other hand are the non-financial form of reimbursement offered in addition to cash salary to enrich workers’ living standards. Some of these benefits include health/medical benefits, educational assistance providing tuition reimbursements and cost of books, work/life benefits including life insurance programs, long or short term disability, cancer/critical illness plans, vision and dental coverage and most importantly retirement and pension plan for retirees since a large number of workers approach retirement every year (Report by Center of Health Program Development and Management, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2003). Challenges associated with Pay of Performance strategy There are a number of challenges or concerns faced by the Pay for Performance strategy. The first being its potential negative impacts on nursing through its worsening documentation load. Since the program requires a lot of documentation for keeping the record, through which nursing providers are monitored and are awarded based on their performance, more than 30 percent of the allocated time is spent on documentation of their work (American Hospitals Association, 2003; Pg 2004). One also questions the validity of these documentations since according to the analysis of the Centre for Medicare Advocacy, it is typical that providers self report their data in pay for performance programs. This leads to false documentation. Another challenge that comes to mind is that institutions tend to focus entirely on specific points targeted by the schemes rather than broader aspects

Comparing Two Arguments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparing Two Arguments - Essay Example He defends the use of animals in scientific experiments. Roger Caras is a well-known photographer and writer. He is known best for being a wildlife preservationist and as a president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Obviously, Caras is on the other side of the fence, defending animals as subjects in scientific experiments. Karpati believes that the use of animals in scientific experiments is a necessary means to discover and understand the different principles, such as biological processes. He agrees that computer simulation may help but it will not be enough to imitate the different processes happening within one’s live body. Thus, it is important to have live subjects to replicate the same processes. He argues that if the use of animals in experimentation is restricted, the scientific research will be greatly impacted. Medicines, surgical techniques and other great innovations may not be discovered for years, even decades. Karpati says he doe s not advocate a cruel treatment to animals, rather he wants the public, and the animal rights movement, to ponder on whether to choose using animals to discover treatments for the illness of a child or to let a sick child die without attempting to treat him. Caras, on the other hand, argues that animals have rights and we don’t have the right to inflict pain and suffering on them. We should not be treating animals as properties that we can do anything we want to. Caras believes that there is a pressing need to find alternatives to animals when doing scientific research. His argument focuses on the quest to discover other means on how scientific research can effectively simulate the needed information gathered from live bodies. Different with other animal rights advocate, he attempts to direct the public in resolving the conflict by looking for alternatives rather than by just arguing not to use animals or to continue using them as live subjects. While Karpati defends his poi nt of view, Caras points the reader to a different direction. Caras wants the reader to look for solutions rather than just argue about the issue. Karpati wants the reader to understand that the restriction of animal use might as well be a call to limit scientific research. He does this by enumerating the many effects of limiting the use of animals in research. He says that â€Å"the terrifying effects of the effort to restrict the use of animals in medical research is that the impact will not be felt for years and decades† (Karpati). He continues that drugs, surgical techniques, and fundamental biological processes may not be discovered and understood until years later, and even more that these delays may mean the cost of many lives. Karpati defends himself by saying he does not advocate animal cruelty. In fact, he believes that the animal rights movement has made a significant contribution in making the scientific community search harder for suitable alternatives for animal experiments. But Caras believes that there is little effort in doing so as it has only recently become an imperative for the scientific community (Caras). Caras points out that even if the scientific community is looking for alternatives, they are not looking hard enough or their efforts are delayed. Caras and Karpati both declares that the scientific co

Historical Perspective Essay Essay Example for Free

Historical Perspective Essay Essay The method that nurses implement nursing care is influenced by research. Nursing theorist has influence to the practice of professional nursing and research. Many of the primitive theorists has help to develop the research from the previous to the current and will continue to the future to integrate research. Research has influence the action nurses consolidate and implement nursing care and process. One of the early primary nursing was Florence Nightingale. Florence Nightingale opened the doors for future researchers and theorist to model professional nursing. Florence Nightingale is the mother of contemporary nursing after coming back from the frontlines of Crimean War in 1856, and she renovated the fatality rate by attending the environment ( George, 2011, chapter 3). During the Crimean War Florence Nightingale offered to help with the nursing task, where she attended and took care of an ailing and injured soldiers. Florence Nightingale would tend to the sick soldiers at all times making sure that they were taken care of getting a clean environment, ventilation, hand washing, lighting and free of noise. Her concept to nursing is the environment. Environment could be modified to progress conditions so that natural ruling could allow healing. An environment model was established to glimpse the control of the physical environment as a major constituent of care ( George, 2011). Nightingale model progress to paradigm in nursing practice and contributes on nursing care and planned rendered to patients. Nurses maintain to practice their profession without attaining that their process and objective are based on Nightingales concept. The concept of environmental control serves as a foundation for many research analysis. Nursing theories related to Nightingales Environmental Model will continue to guide research and nursing profession. With her theory and concepts the nursing profession has implemented her methods for environmental cleanliness as a guide model in nursing practice to meet the needs of the patients.

Torture Essay -- essays research papers

Ronald D. Cretlinsten contends that torturers acquire the ability to cope with the moral dilemmas of inflicting pain upon and murdering their fellow humans primarily through the processes of â€Å"routinization† and â€Å"dehumanization†, and also through the notion of â€Å"authorization† (191). With such as the case, an individual adept in the art of torture would necessarily have learned to be cruel, however, that argument neglects the very reality that many engaged in such activities are intrinsically perverse, and in fact willingly and happily do harm to others. The prevalence of torture throughout the world can be accounted for in part by the process of â€Å"routinization† in which a regime, in essence, desensitizes a given torturer to the atrocities that he is committing in its name. In such a process â€Å"what is being done to someone transforms into what is being done: information gathering† (191). The task of amassing information and confessions eclipses the reality in which the torturer lives; this is achieved through peer pressure from fellow torturers â€Å"to be a man†, by intense physical and emotional training, and through the employment of propaganda claiming that the torturer is fulfilling his duty and doing the right thing as his victims are immoral enemies of the state (192). In short, the torturer becomes disoriented and unable to decipher the actuality of his existence. This disorientation is caused by repetition, or â€Å"habituation†, in addition to the development of the â€Å"task-orie...

Evaluate the Current State of the Economy Essay

Labor market conditions are important especially for the following categories, businesses, individuals, and governments. The nation’s labor market conditions are constantly monitored by statistical analysis, unemployment rate being the primary metric. In April of 2014, the unemployment rate fell from 6.7% percent to 6.3% percent (Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2014), which was the lowest rate since September of 2008. Since January the unemployment rate had been somewhat flat, but in April 2014 it dropped. However in April, the labor force additionally dropped by 806,000 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2014) meaning the current ratio drop from 6.7% to 6.3% comparatively remains approximately the same as the constant trend. In other words, because of the decrease in workforce, the drop in unemployment may be partially a result of the decrease in workforce. The consistent level of unemployment makes shifts on AD and AS curve minor. When unemployment decreases, as it did in April, a correlation linking the drop in unemployment to an increased demand of goods and services can be made. This increased demand requires the productivity of companies to increase to meet the supply deficit, creating more jobs for individuals. With a greater demand for goods and services, there is a greater need for people to produce them, therefore a decrease in unemployment. Additionally, the decrease in unemployment means household income will improve, providing them with more disposable income. As noted above, because of the increase in demand (seen in the decline in the unemployment rate), a direct correlation can be made to an increase in supply, though delayed. The increase in supply increases the number of new employees as employers look to meet the demand for goods and services, shifting the AS  curve to the right as well. In most cases unemployment remains constant, but in US, the high unemployment rate (compared to the past) can have a negative effect on the economy. The steady unemployment rate can reduce the supply of labor in the economy, as unemployed people become discouraged and stop looking for jobs. This would shift the aggregate supply curve to the left. Also employers may use the threat of unemployment to cut wages, exploiting their workers. Expectations The great intangible factor directly affecting the economy currently is people’s expectations for future economic growth. These economic expectations influence the economy greatly. If businesses and households are more optimistic about the future of the economy, they are more likely to buy large items and make new investments, increasing the aggregate demand. The AD can change in a variety of ways. Peoples expectations causes them to spend less or be forced to cut spending, it causes the government to cut its spending, and it causes businesses to be more money conscious when choosing what their investment in goods will be from other companies. As a gauge, many people look at the gross domestic product (GDP), the broadest measure of economic activity, which grew at a 0.1% annual pace in the first quarter of 2014 (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, April 2014). This is slow growth compared to recent annual rates of 2% to 3% (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, April 2014). Many think the slowdown was caused by the long winter felt throughout the country. These slow growth rates shift both the AD and AS curves to the left, as consumers and business feel the affect or people’s â€Å"wait and see† attitude in economy. Assuming this is all weather based, the economy should bounce as household moral improves with the warmer spring and summer weather. Consumer expectations are also reflected in their spending. Consumer spending rose 0.3 percent last month after a downwardly revised gain of 0.2 percent in January (Mutikani, Lucia, March 2014), positive for now, but on a larger scale reports show the slowdown in real GDP growth is reflected in the downturn in exports. The exports of industrial supplies and materials as well as foods, feeds, and beverages  declined after increasing in the fourth quarter of 2013. (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, April 2014). Additionally, imports have also declined by 0.4 percent in April, after increasing 1.8 percent in the first quarter of 2014 (Bureau of Labor Statistics. April 2014). The April drop was the first monthly decrease since the index fell 0.9 percent in November 2013 (Bureau of Labor Statistics. April 2014). Import prices also fell 0.3 percent over the past 12 months and have not recorded a year-over-year advance since the index increased 0.9 percent from July 2012 to July 2013 (Bureau of Labor Statistics. April 2014). There drops in the US economy are felt in the household sector through the implementation of monetary and physical policy which are used to combat economic declines which directly affect consumer’s expectation and spending habits. Consumer Income As mentioned above, consumers are still buying things. Consumer spending continues to be a bright spot, growing at a 3% annual pace. (Mutikani, Lucia, March 2014). This occurred even though prices of goods and services bought by U.S. residents rose 1.4 percent in the first quarter, after rising 1.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013. Both energy prices and food prices turned up. Excluding food and energy, prices increased 1.4 percent in the first quarter after rising 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, April 2014). This illustrates the shift in AD tow the right. Meaning consumers are willing to pay higher prices at current production rates. The increase in consumables indicates consumers have more disposable income to spend on goods and services, and they are not choosing to save. Personal income and personal saving statistic showing that personal income adjusted for inflation and taxes increased 1.9 percent in the first quarter, compared with 0.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013 (Mutikani, Lucia, March 2014). Incomes also rose 0.3 percent last month after rising by the same margin in January. Additionally, inflation has remained low. Combining  these factors, consumer spending, price increases, low inflation, increased personal income, will inevitably be forecasted by business as indicators to increase production. Increased production also increase supply, shifting AS to the right as business attempt to meet consumer demand. Interest Rates Interest rates in the United States are the lowest they have been in years. This indicates the policy and stance taken by the government for lending money. The government is trying to entice consumers to file for loans as well as encourage banks to lend and approve loans. With interest rates this low and consumer income increasing, one would expect consumers to increase their buying of more significant items. The aggregate demand curve shows, at various price levels, the quantity of goods and services produced domestically that consumers, businesses, and governments are willing to purchase. The increase in demand for low interest loans would shift the AD curve as a shift to the right. Domestically, the Federal Reserve expected to remain in a â€Å"wait-and-see† mode, hoping to get a clearer picture of U.S.’s future economic strength (Kurtz, Annalyn, April 2014). Moreover, the Federal Reserve has been buying bonds to stimulate the U.S. economy on and off since 2008, but the central bank is now gradually bringing that program to an end. The withdrawal process is expected to reduce bond purchases to around $45 billion a month (Kurtz, Annalyn, April 2014), and this process potentially will shift the nations monetary policy to focus more on interest rates rather than adjustments to the monetary base. These changes to the interest rates will impact capital goods decisions made by consumers and by businesses. Lower interest rates will lower the costs of major products, such as houses, and will increase business capital project spending because of the reduction in long-term investment costs. Such changes will move the aggregate demand curve will down and to the right. But, in the event of an interest rate hike, the higher real interest rates  will make capital goods relatively more expensive and cause the aggregate demand curve to shift up and to the left. Recommendations America’s recent financial crisis and the anticipated future economic outlook can be traced back to 2007 when the U.S. housing bubble burst. The bank failures created a dominos affect, creating an economic meltdown in all sectors of the US economy. Despite government attempts to help the situation, the economy has slowed and has slipped in and out of recession. As a result, the current government policies have not been effective, creating hesitations in consumer spending. Since 2008, the actions taken by the Federal Reserve have put the U.S.’s economy in jeopardy. To stem the economic slide of the U.S. housing collapse, the Federal Reserve has printed off trillions of dollars and has increased government spending in the economy hoping the influx of cash will jump start economic activity. But is has had an inverse affect. This dilution of the monetary base has diluted the value of the U.S. dollar (USD) domestically and internationally and has caused concern of consumer spending in the loanable funds market. Consumer spending is a 69% of the US GDP (The World Bank, 2013). An increase in spending would stimulate additional demand for products. With an increase in demand, business would increase productivity resulting in an improved GDP and lower unemployment. Additionally, in 2014 one of the greatest uses of a consumer’s income is to pay health care costs. The Bureau of Economic Analysis noted that the increase in health care costs was driven primarily by the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Removing the Affordable Health Care Act will improve consumer spending, as their disposable income percentage will increase. When the financial crisis began in 2008, the U.S. national debt stood approximately at $10 trillion. Based on the US Treasuries own figures, the national debt will reach be close to $20.0 trillion by the end of this decade (US Treasury Department – Treasury Direct, 2014), greater than our nation’s GDP. Reducing government  debt takes a long time, especially with the current international influences (China, Japan, EU). A fiscal policy to increased taxes and reduced government spending would be a place to start. Additionally, a reduction in monetary base will again, strengthen the USD internationally, helping facilitate and increase import/exports. Part 2: Evaluation of Recommendations Keynesian Perspective: Based upon the thorough analysis completed above, the Keynesian model is an appropriate mechanism for stimulating an economy that is growing but at a much slower rate than what is typical during a period of economic expansion. After a couple of years of substantive growth, the numbers for the first quarter of 2014 showed a GDP increase of just 0.1%. While the unemployment numbers continue to show a decline. While stubbornly remaining at 6.7% nationally through April, the most recent numbers show significant decline to 6.3%. The mortgage interest rates fell recently to 4.29% as the housing market has slowed down recently. While the Fed is beginning to slow down buying treasury bonds, it will continue to keep interest rates low until all signs point to GDP growth returning to a normal rate of 3.28% annually. Those numbers are indicative of annual GDP growth rates from 1948 to 2009. The first quarter of 2009 saw the economy shrink by nearly 5% following the market collapse and the bank bailouts just before President Obama took office. Subsequently, the bailout of GM and Chrysler in 2009 also impacted the economy as well, but was necessary to save the industry and jobs in Detroit and elsewhere for parts manufacturers and suppliers. The risk of course was the loss of more than a million jobs, but in the end the loss was $10.5 billion in taxpayer money not repaid by GM. Classical Macroeconomic theory assumes that market conditions will sort themselves out, but the confluence of catastrophic economic issues such as: the real estate market collapse, bank insolvency, the stock market collapse and the auto industry bailouts meant looking at long-term solutions would  not provide the confidence in the markets and consumers alike. Short-term or stop gap measures needed to stem the downward spiral to depression and economic contraction were and are required to right the economic ship. Keynesian economic theory is more prone to acceptance of government stimulus as it relied on government spending during economic downturns. They Keynesians believe that the economy is made up of consumer spending, business investment and government spending and because of this, Fed monetary policy adjustments should be made to promote banks to make loans, businesses to invest in growth and expansion and consumers to have more buying power due to lower interest rates. When consumer spending is decreasing, the Keynesian theory believes that the government spending can help with economic growth. The current course of action taken by the Fed and the President should be continued for the foreseeable future until economic conditions stabilize back to the norms over the last 60-plus years. Once GDP growth returns to expansionist highs and inflation begins to rise, there may be a need to take corrective action again to slow the economy down, but for now that is not an issue. Since economic growth is lacking, government intervention is needed to help regulate and jumpstart the economy. This will allow banks to lend more, businesses to invest more and households to spend more. It is crucial for these three entities to do as such since it will help the economy grow and progress. Classical Perspective: A portion of the AS curve that is almost vertical is associated with a real GDP rate that fully employs a nation’s resources. At a rate of output, the nation has reached the limitation of its short run capacity, so an attempt to increase employment or output beyond this rat would result only in a higher aver price level. The theory is built on the fact that in the long run, a nations move gradually and automatically moves toward full employment. This inexorable like movement toward full employment is the  result of supply and demand forces that cause prices (wages, interest rates, and exchange rates) to adjust so that markets clear. And after enough time, the market will settle the supply and demand in all markets, and thereby eliminate any imbalances, such as employment. Since many classical economists do not believe that government spending gives power to the public sector and decreasing the private sector, they do not fully agree with too much government spending as it ex ploits a lot of economic resources. Example: â€Å"Suppose a nation had excessive unemployment. Classical economist would agree that a major cause of the unemployment was an average real wage rate that was above equilibrium. At this wage rate the amount of labor supplied exceeds the amount demanded, resulting in unemployment. The excessive supply of labor would put downward pressure on real wages. Falling real wages would then have two reinforcing affects that acted simultaneously to bring the labor market back into equilibrium. First, lower real wages would increase the incentive for businesses to hire workers; second, they would reduce the number of individuals in the workforce. For instance, instead of looking for work, some individuals might stay in school or remain homemakers. If real wages fell the amount of labor supplied would equal the amount demanded and unemployment would be solved.† (Marthinsen, John E. (2007)) The classical perspective emphasizes on the belief that government spending is detrimental to the economy and that the market itself is self-sufficient and can automatically adjust to increases and decrease of employment, consumer spending, business investment and so on. The current government policies have not been effective and when looking at it from this classical perspective, it might be necessary for the government to step back and let the mark equilibrate itself. References: Bureau of Labor Statistics. (April 2014), U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ximpim.nr0.htm Bureau of Labor Statistics. (May 2014), Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey Retrieved from http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000 Conerly, Bill (2014) Economic Forecast 2014-2015: Looking Better With Help From Oil And Gas Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/billconerly/2014/01/22/economic-forecast-2014-2015-looking-better-with-help-from-oil-and-gas/ Congressional Budget Office, (February 2014). The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2014 to 2024 Retrieved from http://www.cbo.gov/publication/45010 Kurtz, Annalyn, (April 2014). U.S. Economy Slows to Stall-Speed Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2014/04/30/investing/gdp-economy Marthinsen, John E. (2007) Managing in a Global Economy: Demystifying International Macroeconomics. Mason, OH: Thomas Southwestern Mutikani, Lucia (March 2014). U.S. consumers lift spending, but sentiment slips. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/28/us-usa-economy-idUSBREA2R0UB20140328 The World Bank. (2013). Household final consumption expenditure, etc. (% of GDP) Retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.PETC.ZS U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, (April 2014). National Income and Product Accounts Gross Domestic Product: First Quarter 2014 (advance estimate). Retrieved from https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/gdpnewsrelease.htm US Treasury Department – Treasury Direct, (2014). Historical Debt Outstanding – Annual 2000 – 2012 Retrieved from http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm