Antitrust: Cartel and Federal Trade Commission

The purpose of this paper is to discuss antitrust law with regard to federal regulations. In the form of a case study, this paper will examine the legal obstacles faced by the merger proposal between US Airways Group Inc. and American Airlines' parent corporation AMR. The focus of the paper is to examine the legal hurdles posed by antitrust laws used to block the merger and then briefly explore possible ethical issues associated with allowing US Airways Group Inc. and AMR to merge. Antitrust Laws There are three core federal antitrust laws in effect today in our US legal system.They are the Sherman Act, The Federal Trade Commission Act, and the Clayton Act (â€Å"Antitrust†, n. d. ). The Sherman Antitrust Act (Sherman Act, July 2, 1890, ch. 647, 26 Stat. 209, 15 U. S. C.  § 1–7) is an antitrust law primarily aimed at prohibiting the formulation of monopolies by making them a felony offense. As the Sherman Act evolved the US Supreme Court decided that monopolies in and of themselves are not bad and do not automatically violate the Sherman Act. Instead, it is the particular actions taken to obtain or maintain monopolistic positioning that is illegal (â€Å"Sherman†, 2008).The Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U. S. C.  § 45: US Code – Section 45: Unfair methods of competition unlawful; prevention by Commission) has a primary duty of prohibiting actions within commerce that are deemed unfair to competition (â€Å"15 U. S. C.  § 45†, n. d. ). The Clayton Act (15 U. S. C. A.  § 12 et seq. [1914]) is an addition to the antitrust laws primarily used today to prohibit certain types of business practices making them illegal when their usage severely restricts competition and/or creates a monopoly.The practices specifically addressed in the Act are price discrimination, making it illegal to sale the same product to different people in the same market at different prices; tying and exclusive dealing contracts, making it illegal to forbid a shopper from shopping with competitors; corporate mergers, the acquisition of competing head to head companies by one company; and interlocking directorates, the members of which are common members on the boards of directors of competing companies (â€Å"Clayton act†, 2008).The Enforcers The federal antitrust laws are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. They both open up and conduct antitrust investigations. In situations involving the airline industry the Department of Justice has jurisdiction in matters pertaining to antitrust laws. There are other regulatory agencies that also must give approval before certain mergers can take place. In these instances The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice provide support to the agencies. Individual states may also work in conjunction with the two federal agencies to enforce its state's antitrust laws.Additionally, the states can file antitrust lawsuits on behalf of it s citizens or the state. This is usually done through the state's attorney general office. Individuals and businesses can also initiate antitrust complaints and file suits to have the antitrust laws enforced (â€Å"The federal government†, n. d. ). Mergers Section 7 of the Clayton Act addresses the antitrust laws concerning mergers. Mergers are not inherently bad or illegal. So long as the merger doesn't cause a significant increase in prices, a serious reduction in quality of goods and services, and doesn't deter innovation.Mergers become a problem when they significantly lessen competition or lead to a monopoly. When head to head competitors propose a merger it will usually sets off antitrust alarm bells that most likely will lead to an investigation by one of the federal agencies (â€Å"Mergers†, n. d. ). External Obstacles In 2005, US Airways and AMR publically proposed a merger that was met with a great deal of resistance. The government has the responsibility to regulate mergers to ensure the merger doesn't violate antitrust laws.This merger had to be reviewed by several agencies such as the U.S. Justice Department, the U. S. Department of Transportation, the Air Transportation Stabilization Board, the Security and exchange commission, and U. S. Bankruptcy Courts. This was a very high profile merger proposal and it was met with a great deal of opposition (Cobb, et al. , 2006). The airline eventually won Department of Justice approval but had to agree to give up some airport slots to clear antitrust concerns. Both airlines agreed to the terms in order to keep the merger proposal alive (Majcher & Russell, 2013).Because of a Philadelphia to London route the proposed merger also had to gain some clearance by the European Commission. The airlines once again agreed to give up the route to alleviate any international anti-competitive effects (Knibb, 2013). Ethical Concerns The Department of Justice and six state attorneys-general together filed a suit against the merger arguing that the merger would lead to an increase in airfare, in fees, and also limit choices also the merger agreement will cost workers jobs as American Airline was forced to relinquish hub status at several airports.This merger really benefits the two airlines but leave hundreds of workers out of jobs and taxpayer subsidized airport infrastructure customizations will lose return on investments (â€Å"The airline mergers†, 2013). Higher airfares as a result of the merger would put the merger in violation of antitrust not only would it be illegal but it can also be considered unethical. Conclusion There are laws in place to protect consumers and businesses from anticompetitive behavior. They are called antitrust laws (â€Å"antitrust laws†, n. d. ).When US Airways and AMR announced their intention to merge into one company the merger deal was scrutinized by the Department of Justice and regulatory agencies to see if the merger violated any anti trust laws (Cobb, et al. , 2006). The two airlines were forced to agree to certain concessions in order to gain the approval of the federal government, regulatory agencies and courts (Majcher & Russell, 2013). This paper doesn't show any evidence that the merger was unethical however, many interested parties attempted to block the merger on the grounds that the merger would give the company an unfair advantage over rivals and passengers.

Farming in the bahamas Essays

Farming in the bahamas Essays Farming in the bahamas Paper Farming in the bahamas Paper There are two (2) main types of farming they are: Subsistence Farming the practice of self-sufficiency, In the way of the farmer, farming on a small scale, so that It Is enough for their own personal usage. The process of subsistence farming takes place when a piece of land Is cleared using the slash and burn method which Is to cut all greenery on the land down, dry It for a few days or so ,then burn it to ashes. SE the hoe to mix the solo with the ashes, you then supply water to the land and then start planting. Attend to the crops from time to time to maintain Its readiness. When the crop Is ready to be harvest, you pick It and tame It to Its specific needs. In order to do this you will need the following farming tools: A Hoe, A Cutlass, A Bucket or Buckets, A shovel. (II)Commercial Farming- The Practice of farming on a large scale of crops, fruits (banana vegetables (carrots, lettuce) and livestock (taming cows, pigs, chicken etc. ) and selling to make a profit. The process is carried out first by clearing a large piece of land with either a tractor r a bulldozer then the slash and burn method is used when the process of slash and burn is finished the land is cultivated into rows. The farmersFarmer attends to the crops to ensure that they are all healthy and supplies the crops with fertilizers. When the crops are ready to be harvested they are picked and carried usually by tractors or wheel barrows to a particular place normally in sheds or farm houses to be washed, cleaned, and waxed. They are then packed into boxes to be sent to packing houses. :

Benefits of Having a Car in College

Benefits of Having a Car in College There are seemingly a lot of benefits to having a car in college. After all, who wouldn’t want to have access to wheels whenever they choose? And while there are some important cons to consider, there are certainly several key pros as well. You Can Leave Campus If and When You Need a Break Whether it’s heading to a concert somewhere in town, going out to dinner with some friends, or even just being able to take someone on a date, having the ability to get away from campus whenever you wish is certainly a luxury. You Can Help Friends Out If your friends are moving, needing to transport something too big to fit on the bus, or just need a ride to the airport, having access to your own car allows you to help them if and when they ask. It can feel good to know you’re helping someone out in a pinch or even helping support a fun event for someone special, like a celebratory birthday night downtown. You Dont Have to Worry About Transportation Around the Holidays Getting home – even if it’s a day or two drive – can be done on your own terms. You won’t have to worry about expensive flights, delayed trains, long bus rides, or other transportation woes. You can more or less leave when you wish. Additionally, as the owner of the car, you can also coordinate something fun, like a road trip toward your hometown that lets you drop off friends in their hometowns along the way. You Can Plan Road Trips Speaking of road trips, you can provide transportation for some seriously memorable road trips over things like Presidents’ Weekend or Spring Break. Having access to and use of a car both ensures you’ll get to go and that you’ll have some say about the itinerary. You Can Get an Internship or Job Off Campus Without a car, of course, you can also work or have an internship off campus, but having your own transportation definitely makes the logistics easier. Having a car can therefore open some additional professional doors, whether it’s a part-time gig at a company you’d like to work for after you graduate or an internship at an interesting museum in town. You Can Save Money by Shopping Around True, having a car on campus might cost a bit extra, but you can also save money in other aspects of your college life. When you’re stuck on campus, you’re quite limited in terms of where you can buy items, like groceries or school-related supplies. With a car, however, you can make the long trip for items at discount clothing stores, cheaper food options (think: Costco or Walmart), and other less-expensive retailers. Sure, buying in the campus bookstore can be smart for several types of purchases, but overall you’re likely to find better deals elsewhere. You Can Be More Flexible With Your Family Needs ​If you often need to help out with a family business, help take care of an ill family member or provide childcare for your family, having a car can cut down on the time it takes for you to get back and forth. This simple time saver can therefore provide you with more time to focus on your studies instead of commuting back and forth. Overall, the choice of having a car with your during your time in school depends heavily on the specific factors relevant to your situation. As with most things during college, however, it’s best to make an informed, educated decision about which choice seems the smart way to go.

BUS499-MoD 4 (SLP) The Learning and Growth Perspective Essay

BUS499-MoD 4 (SLP) The Learning and Growth Perspective - Essay Example ll the social responsibility of the organization and will help the organization to build up a strong image among competitors (Lawrie and Cobbold, 2004). Improving the current work processes will positively affect the performance of employees and managers and improves the overall productivity of the organization. It will also reduce the possibility of mishap and confusion regarding the work assigned. . Standardization of processes will minimize the possibility of mistake and will ultimately result in cost and time effectiveness (Lipe and Salterio, 2000). This will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of whole staff as it will provide new ways towards the problem solving of employees. It will also increase customer loyalty and satisfaction. It will help the organization to stay update and competitive in the market (Northcott and Smith, 2011). The culture defines the organization; building of strong organizational culture will create a satisfactory working environment for employees and will work as motivational factor for employees to meet organization’s goals (Palladium, 2011). It will increase the overall performance of employees as motivation works as a driver to effectiveness of employee performance. It may include fringe benefits, appraisal, allowances etc (Tapinos, Dyson, and Meadows, 2011). This objective will increase the performance of employees and will make them efficient enough to better understand customer’s need and problem and will also allow them to cater the need in an effective manner (Tohidi, Jafari, and Afshar, 2010). Develop techniques to measure employee performance and activities such as undertaking monthly performance assessment activity which will provide the organization an insight to the performance of employees (Tseng, 2010). Learning and growth prospective of balanced score card has given the organization a platform to enhance its performance, with focus on employees and organizational culture it has provided the

Mental Health assignment SELF Collage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mental Health assignment SELF Collage - Essay Example This premise stems from what people say about me but also something is sure of about myself. Responsibility is precisely noted in the standard that I bring my children up, to become good and reliable children both at home and school. According to Balchin (2003) a young person’s dream becomes a vision in the future. For me, I wanted and desired to be a doctor, but my husband could not allow me to become one, instead I became an engineer. I have worked in the military company for 15 years and become loved and respected by all of the co-workers. When I went to U.S.A, I got a college where I pursued RN program but this did not work for me. I have also pursued a course in business and administration. I attained AA AS degree with honors. After some couple of years, I went back to school where am currently pursuing a nursing course. I am proud of my age of 50 years, having attained high education and that I can communicate with my third language. After my divorce, I decided to continue with studies due to end in 26th June. Although I did not pursue medicine I always do charity in areas that please me. My greatest weakness is that I cannot say no to anyone. To my children the lesson is the same. Among the most important things to me family is one. I have two wonderful children, one daughter named Meline and a son named Vahe. Coincidentally, they are pursuing the same course (law). They are very sharp in school, kind, obedient, reliable, and helpful. I always provide everything my children need without expecting anything in return to ensure that they become successful in life and happy of it. I always thank God for the two angels he gave to me. According to Wong, Hockenberry, & Wilson (2011) family should be the core origin of a man’s strength and motivation. My children are my motivation, they are my life and I accord them much love. Consistent love

Criminal Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Criminal Law - Case Study Example Alan has a paranoid personality and is prone to depression. Betty is Alan's girlfriend. She is having an affair with Clive and does not conceal this fact form Alan who feels demeaned and angry. Betty comes home form the pub one day and announces to Alan that she is going to leave him for Clive. She packs her bags and goes. Not knowing what to do, Alan picks up a hunting rifle and goes in search of Clive. He looks through the pub window and sees both Betty and Clive together. Whilst taking aim at Clive with the rifle, Dennis, an old friend from the pub, staggers over Alan and gives him a hard slap on the back. Alan stumbles whilst pulling the trigger and shoots a paraffin lamp on the bar. It ignites and the pub catches fire. The landlord of the pub, Ed, has piled crates in front of the fire exits so the only escape is through the narrow door. Clive dies in the fire and Betty collapses in an attempted escape. She is taken to the hospital but is diagnosed as being in a 'persistent veget ative state." She receives life support treatment. After one month, however, Doctor Fiona decides that Betty is unlikely to ever again consciousness and so authorizes the termination of life support. Benny dies two weeks after.In order to arrive answer to each of the questions, let us take first an overview on how criminal liability may be incurred in the commission of an offense in the United Kingdom and the available defences he can utilize to lessen or even negate his criminal liability. The Concept of Crime and Criminal Liability In almost all criminal laws, crime is defined as an act or omission in violation of an established law of the place where the crime was committed. Act refers to an overt movement of any part of the body, while omission refers to one's failure to act or to perform a lawful duty which he is obliged to do. In order for an act or omission to be considered as a crime, there must be a law punishing that act or requiring a person to perform such lawful duty. Such laws may be the common law that are utilized in the United Kingdom, or a statute, like the Modern Penal Code, which is passed by the legislature of countries like the United States. Crime is a generic term. It is used interchangeably with the term felony, violation or infraction by the criminal law of other countries. In the United Kingdom, an act or omission punishable by law is called as "offence." The violator may be termed as offender or defendant. A crime may be committed against a person like murder, against a property like theft, and against honor like defamation or intriguing against honor. When a person commits an offence, he is usually subjected to two liabilities. First is the civil liability which is the payment of the damages capable of pecuniary estimation in monetary form; and the second is the criminal liability which will subject the offender to life imprisonment, imprisonment for several years, or even death sentence, if found guilty. This research will only discuss that offences that can be committed against persons in the United Kingdom, the criminal liability the offender may incur, and the available defences he can utilize to lessen or even negate his criminal liability. Actus Reus and Mens Rea Under the English common law, criminal liability could only be incurred if two of its essential elements are present which are the actus reus and the mens rea. These essential requisites of criminal liability were based on the common law jurisdiction of the United Kingdom and are expressed in the Latin principle "actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea," which means "an act does not make a person guilty unless (his) mind is

Reflective Essay on Engineering Experience

Reflective Essay on Engineering Experience Introduction CE 3.1Â  It was during my second semester of Masters for Mechanical Engineering in UNSW, my father decided to lay the foundations of our new house back in Pakistan. I requested my father to refrain from hiring a contractor to install central air conditioner. The trigger being the fact that I had learnt fundamentals of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) during my Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering and I wanted to gain some more knowledge in my Masters degree, only to design my own HVAC system in my newly built house. I studied Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) in UNSW, Sydney in the same time and completed a project under Professor Dr. Chris Menictas. Background CE 3.2 The day is still vivid clear in my mind. I was in sixth grade when my father had to throw food in the bin as it went stale due to broken fridge. The technician came in to fix the black round box (later I learnt it was a compressor) I welcomed him with lots of annoying questions. He was patient enough to quench my thirst of questions and before leaving he handed me out a mini booklet which was nothing less than a wonderland. The book taught me about the essentials and importance of Refrigeration and how our life is predominantly dependent on it. The curiosity and drive to know more about it landed me in my Bachelors degree of Mechanical Engineering as the prospectus was full of the RAC (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning) course insights. Since then, I had never looked back and grew more confident to fit air conditioning system in my home. UNSW is rated amongst the top ranked universities around the globe. State of the art laboratories and updated softwares always give you an added advantage over your peers. Blessed enough to widen my engineering horizons in UNSW, I came across an RAC software named as CAMEL which trimmed my engineering skills in a positive way. I would sit in the laboratory and play with it for hours to pick up my game and I did very well as in the same course I was honored to head a project and perform heating and cooling load calculations of a newly constructed building composed of two floors divided into two zones upper zone , Z1 lower zone Z2. Nature of Project CE 3.3 This project included the calculation of heating and cooling load of two story building. The calculations were done manually and through famous load calculation software known as CAMEL. Furthermore, it also included different suggestions and techniques on how load reduction can be achieved in the apartment through variations in apartments structures. Objective of the Project CE 3.4 The overall objective of the project was to get real life experience related to load calculations of practical situations. Latent and sensible load had to be calculated including all the real-world possibilities and safety factors. In this project, the calculations of heating and cooling loads of a newly built building are performed. The building comprises of two floors. Ground floor has three sections and first floor has two sections. VRV (Variable Refrigerant Volume) units as air-conditioning were chosen for each level. Other than this, a couple of suggestions were made on reduction of load and increasing the air-conditioning capacity. Nature of My Particular Work Area CE 3.5 In this project, I was acting as the team lead role. I was responsible for several tasks of which some are listed below: I performed initial readings for the project I coordinated between my professor and team members. I was responsible for project planning and progress tracking. I calculated the loads of ground floor through manual calculation. I compared the manual results to the results of CAMEL software. I compiled the report and made technical presentation The way I implemented my project and people management strategies, led my team mates follow in the same footprints to lead their own projects. The chain reaction feed back of developing leaders came to me as a joy and I take pride in it. CE 3.6 Organizational Structure Personal Engineering Activity CE 3.7 First, I divided the project into four major parts and summoned a meeting of my other team members to designate their duties. I made a report on Primavera to set deadlines for the project. One partner was allocated the load calculation of first floor, one was assigned to do software simulations on CAMEL and last one had to make suggestions on how to decrease the load through changes in structures of home. I emailed all of this to my professor too. CE 3.8 To calculate the load manually, I had to use the manual DA-09 to get all the values related to the correction factors, transmission coefficients, absorptivity, reflectivity. My supervisor helped me in understanding how to use the manual. CAMEL was a new software for all of us. So, there were two lab sessions designed to familiarize ourselves with software. Supervisor helped us with all the basics of the software. To get good experience of using it I decided to arrange meetings of all group members so that we could sit together and learn as much as we could through the tutorials and knowledge of individuals. These meetings also helped to understand the manual DA-09, which was very important. As for the most of the calculations we had to get data from the manual. At weekends, every group member had to present the work done during the week. It helped in keeping the track of the progress. These informal meetings helped to keep the harmony and understanding among the group members. If someone was lagging, he was encouraged and helped if required. CE 3.9 I kicked off with the first tier which was research on internet and read books and discussed it with my professor. My major job was to calculate heating and cooling load of ground floor. I researched the major factors of heating a certain place. I made a complete list of them and started with calculations on each of these things. I also made a list of assumptions and the design parameters we already have from our professor. CE 3.10 The second most important task was to know the structure of ground floor. This was already provided to us by our professor. Below is the table which contains all the required data to calculate the loads of the ground floor. CE 3.11 Calculations followed next. The first calculation was of heat gain through each component of the room i.e. floor, roof, walls, windows, electric appliances, doors, glass walls etc. The basic formula used to calculate heat gain through glass windows is given below. Area * Q (w/m2) * correction = Heat gain Solar heat gain is represented by Q. And every glass window has its own correction factor. These values were taken from the manual DA-09. This formula was used for every glass component which was facing sunlight directly. Sample calculations for the glass on west and north are given below: Table 1: Solar heat gain through reference glass (w/m^2) Table 2: Solar characteristics and glass factors West: 2 * 0.9 * 1.2 * 470* 0.94/0.85= 1122.7 W (2 windows .9 x 1.2 m each 0.85 cooling coil efficiency) North: 2* 0.9 * 1.2 * 85 * 0.94/0.85=203.04 W The values of solar heat gain and correction factors were taken from the table 1 2 respectively. CE 3.12 The next part was to calculate solar and transmission gain through walls and roof. Now the equation for heat transfer through the wall is: Q = (Area) * (Equivalent Temperature Differences) * U Here, U represents transmission co-efficient and the value for transmission co-efficient for the material was taken from the manual. Sample calculations for the transmission gain through West, North and South walls are given below. Values for U and Equivalent temperature difference are taken from Table 3 4. Table 3: Equivalent temperature difference (C0) Table 4: Transmission coefficient U-masonry walls (W/m2C) West: 18.84 * 12.8 * 2.01 = 484.71 w North: 12.84 * 16.1 * 2.01 = 415.51 w South: 12.71 * 6.7 * 2.01 = 171.165 w Total Solar and transmission through walls is 1071.385 w CE 3.13 Transmission gain through partitions between different rooms on ground level, doors, glass walls, floor, ceilings were also calculated for correct estimation of the total load. Transmission coefficient for each surface was different due to their material and was taken directly from the manual. Area and temperature difference of each surface was calculated before calculating heat gain. CE 3.14Temperature of the car park was more than the temperature on the ground level so heat was to be transmitted through the floor. To calculate this, I simply calculated the temperature difference, transmission coefficient of the floor and area. For ceiling, because the temperature is the same on the both sides, so, there was no heat transmission through ceiling. CE 3.15 The next part is to calculate the internal heat due to people present in the room. Number of people, diversity factor and heat gain from people was used to calculate the sensible heat gain through people. I used the following equation for this. Q = no of people * diversity factor * heat gain from people It was assumed that the number of males and females were equal. Metabolic factor for the female is 0.85male. Diversity factor and heat gain from people were taken from the manual. CE 3.16 The next step was to calculate the heat from the light sources on the ground floor. Different assumptions were made on the area of ground floor that how much light intensity would be needed. Then based on this light intensity the heat from the lightening sources were calculated. The equation used for this purpose was. Q = Area (m2) * 20 (watt/m2) * diversity factor * storage load CE 3.17Now the next step was to calculate heat generated from different appliances in the room. We had to assume all the devices that can be present in a generic apartment. These include coffee maker, dishwashers, refrigerators and stuff like this. Manual was to take the value of heat gain for different appliances. A range of different appliances was included in the manual. Based on these things the load calculation was done. Similarly, calculations were made about the food being cooked in the kitchen. Safety factor of 5% was used while calculating the total sensible heat from all the sources to tackle any mistake while calculating the load CE 3.18 Internal load had two components; sensible, latent. After calculating total sensible heat, I calculated the total latent heat as well. Safety factor of 5% was used for the total latent heat. After the heat gain was calculated from different resources I had to add these values and calculate the end results. Below tables show the end results of these values. Zone 1 represents the ground floor. CE 3.19 After calculating the total heat gain in summers, all the calculations were repeated using the conditions for the winters and heat loss was calculated for all individual components. Which was in the added up to get the total heat loss in winters. Qs represents the heat gain in summers and Qw represents the heat loss in the winters. Table 5: Results for zone1 (sensible and latent heat) CE 3.21 Now next step was to compare the results of these with simulation results. Me and my colleague compared the results. There was a little bit of difference in the results. This was since CAMEL is advanced software and it accounts for every little thing. Manual calculations are very long process and there is always a little chance of error in it. CE 3.22 To suggest any structural changes in the building for the reduction of overall load, I added different features in the structure i.e. added shades on the windows, reduced the windows area, used different partition materials and wall thickness. I used the CAMEL simulation to see the effect of these changes. By changing some of these parameters I could reduce the load to some extent. Summary: CE 3.23 The day I completed this project I called my dad and asked him to send me blue prints of the house. I started comparing my experimental calculations with my house loads to procure optimum ventilation system components. After three weeks of hard work, I installed the system in my house. I think for me it was nothing less than pulling off a miracle. Starting off with the HVAC basics book, given by the technician to the HVAC course in my Bachelors, then earning a Masters degree and finally ending up designing my own HVAC system based on those heating and cooling calculations reference was nothing less than a dream come true. I really do feel proud of my efforts. So, I would like to conclude by saying that this project helped me achieve my goals to speak of which, as of now, I am on a video call with my dad back in Pakistan who is sitting in that comfy room.