Pretrial Release and Diversion Programs - 918 Words

trial Release and Diversion Pretrial release and diversion programs are meant to handle defendants prior to them standing trial. Pretrial release and diversion programs developed to deal with jail overcrowding because jails simply could not handle the number of defendants that were incarcerated prior to trial. There are four types of diversion programs: diversion from arrest, diversion from prosecution, diversion from jail, and diversion from imprisonment. The goal of pretrial release and diversion is to identify those defendants who do not pose a substantial danger to society and are good candidates for being released on their own recognizance. In addition to releasing the defendants from jails and freeing up critical space, pretrial diversion programs have to consider things like community safety. Therefore, not all defendants awaiting trial are eligible for pretrial diversion. Those in charge of pretrial diversion programs are have to consider the defendants prior history, life experience, and the nature of the accusations against the defendant. Pretrial diversion programs are voluntary programs. If a defendant is considered an appropriate candidate for a pretrial diversion program, he or she can opt for the pretrial diversion program. In that case, rather than facing trial for the crime, the defendant is placed in a probation-type scenario. The court oversees the defendant for a set period of time and if the defendant complies with the terms of theShow MoreRelatedPretrial Diversion Programs919 Words   |  4 PagesPretrial Diversion Programs In the United States, over 90,000 juveniles are incarcerated in juvenile justice facilities. To house 90,000 juveniles, majority non-violent offenders, it costs the states roughly 5.7 billion dollars annually. â€Å"With states facing serious budgetary constraints, it is an opportune time or policymakers to consider ways to reduce juvenile justice spending that won’t compromise public safety.† In the effort to reduce juvenile justice costs, community-based programs knownRead MoreThe Benefits Of Pretrial Diversion By Jerome D. Taylor IIi1031 Words   |  5 PagesBenefits of Pretrial Diversion Jerome D. Taylor III Western Kentucky University Abstract There are many benefits for jail diversionary programs in the state of Kentucky. Nonviolent offenders, family members, judicial systems, and the jails can benefit from keeping these people out of jail and in society. I was surprised to find, during my research very few negatives to these programs around the country. Key Words Incarceration: Confinement in a jail or prison. (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionaryRead MoreToday s Criminal Justice Over The Past Few Decades1307 Words   |  6 Pagespenalties amid the extremes of imprisonment and regular probation. Usually, increases in crime have been retorted with increases in imprisonment. This has developed a counterproductive model that often lead to overcrowded prisons and jails, early release of potentially dangerous criminals, and corrections budgets that eat away state funds. In an effort to be hard on crime, many jurisdictions are making their incarceration standards harsher. Regular probation isn’t the answer either. The security ofRead MorePrison Overcrowding And The Criminal Justice System Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pagesinterview Warden Stevenson proposes the idea of rehabilitation programs. Governor Warner backs up the warden’s statements by adding that changes and a development plan should be implemented quickly. When felons are given minimum sentences more room becomes available in the system for felons who have committed more serious crimes. Under these circumstances a judge needs to consider public safety for criminals who qualify for early release. Communities want to be reassured that their safety is notRead MoreRape And Burglary As A Post Incarceration Supervision1730 Words   |  7 Pagesbased on good behavior or earned time. There is usually underlying expectations on the amount of punishment and a set release date with no review by parole boards or officials. Parole is considered a post-incarceration supervision and can be a part of the sentence. These reforms are from those of the late 1970’s. California, Illinois, Maine and Indiana abolished the parole release decision and replaced this with the determinate sentencing notion. There has been only one state that has truly changedRead MoreAn Overview of Alternative Methods of Incarceration700 Words   |  3 Pages60; Probat ion .33)† (Piquero, 2010). There are a number of alternatives to prison and the following five will be addressed; (1) Faith-Based Rehabilitation Programs, (2) Residential Community Corrections, (3) Diversionary Treatment Programs, (4) House Arrest and Electronic Monitoring, and (5) Ignition Interlocks. Faith-Based Rehabilitation Programs: A study by Grant Duwe, Ph.D. and Byron Johnson Ph.D. of Baylor Universities Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR) affirm that the cost-benefit analysisRead MoreThe Limits Of The Criminal Sanction Written By The Criminologist Scholar Herbert Packer Essay1619 Words   |  7 Pagesemphasizes crime prevention and includes conservative values. An example of this is the broken windows theory where is a good-fighting crime strategy and creates a better environment for the community and promoted the community to stay in active programs that focused on prevention and criminal activity. In the high-crime neighborhood areas, the police worked with the community. If a window was broken, then the owner of the window had to immediately replace it. If there was graffiti on the walls,Read MoreReducing Recidivism Within The Correctional System1783 Words   |  8 PagesDiversion programs have evolved over time. There are countless programs available with which they all aim to reduce recidivism within the correctional system. We’re going to discuss fome of the programs and their effectiveness. One program that has become widely used is Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.). In 1991 the Phoenix PD along with local educators and community leaders, implemented a school-based, gang prevention pilot program. With the hope to reduce gang activity and teachRead MoreThe Purpose of Prison2742 Words   |  11 Pagesmoney, murder, rob, and rape others within society. When people commit crime against others and not stay within the law they must be punished. This research paper will discuss the purposes for prisons, and analyze conditions of prison. There are programs in prison and out of prison to try to reduce an individual from returning to prison. The ultimate goal is to teach an individual right from wrong and rehabilitate an offender back into society, another goal of prison is to incapacitate the individualRead MoreCorrections and the Criminal Justice System1166 Words   |  5 Pagesincludes probation, prison, parole, residential community placement, and revocati on of probation and parole. However, there are a couple of things that do not fall under the correctional system, they are supervision during bail, detention in jail, diversion programs, and intermediate sanctions. Corrections is believed to be responsible for administering punishment to criminals. They prevent future crime through deterrence and incapacitation, limiting offenders the opportunity to commit further crimes,

Essay about American History - 1625 Words

With rapid changes occurring during our present-day, many have always pondered the thought, â€Å"How did America become this way?† Taking a step back, we are able to analyze our past, understand the present, and connect the dots leading into our future. Many of our ancestors left behind stories and clues that have given us knowledge on how America became, â€Å"Land of the Free† directing us into a better understanding of American history. Taking a look back at Unit 1, we were able to learn reasons that lead up to the American Revolution and how life became different throughout the country. When we first discuss American history, we must always recognize the contributions Native Americans made before this country was re-discovered. Afore America†¦show more content†¦In our first discussion board, we learned about the Spanish empire and their effect on America. During the time of the Spanish reign â€Å"New World Orders† were set in place changing the ol d customs that were once traditional to the native’s land. Religion such as the Catholic Church, â€Å"Played a significant role in the administration of Spanish colonies† (Foner pg. 21) which was to initiate change and bring forth a new tradition amongst Native Americans as well as African Slaves. In the lecture (Pre-Colombian America), it said that, â€Å"Women who accepted Christianity and other European ways were depicted as proof and promise of success of the transplant of English culture in the New World.† During our second discussion board, we learned about the â€Å"Casta† paintings and why the Spanish artists depicted Native Americans and Africans as poor compared to the Spanish who were depicted as wealthy. It is said that the reason Spanish artists created these paintings was to ensure their wealth by sending off paintings to Spain in order to boast about their status of being noble class as well as their success in The New World. Although Spai n’s authority in Europe began to weaken, an increase of immigration from Europe to America would later give rise to an everlasting effect when the English would soon colonize America. Over the course of time, slavery had taken an increase throughout NorthShow MoreRelatedEssay Interpretations of American History600 Words   |  3 PagesInterpretations of American History The world is full of rich culture, diversity and experiences unique to each individual. When determining the validity of historic accounts we must factor in that particular historian’s point of view, which should be characterized by ethnicity, idealogy, theoretical or methodological preference. With these factors views of the past often vary from person to person. In this essay I will be discussing the four different stages that shaped the writing of American history over theRead MoreA Study Of Latin American History1308 Words   |  6 PagesIV. Methodologies and trends Caribbean Many often consider the study of Latin American history or subjects like race to show that Much of Latin American historical studies are comparative. Many of the Latin American countries have their own history but share similar cultural conductions concerning race. The history of race relations in Latin America has become a central theme in a fair amount of scholarly activities. This in turn has made the historiography of Latin America to become much more relevantRead MoreChinese History And American History1071 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen studying Chinese history for a long time, but the interesting phenomenon is in 5000-year history of China, there is only one formal empress called Wu Zetian, and the amounts of emperors are four hundred and eight. The percentage of women to be a leader of China is 0.25%. Nowadays, Hilary Clinton has been reported by all the newspaper and TV shows, because she is the only woman who has possibility to be the first female president. Comparing Chinese h istory and American history, it is rare to seeRead MoreEssay on Racism in American History X936 Words   |  4 Pages American History X is clearly a film dealing with racism. The interesting thing about this film is the way in which the subject is treated. First of all, it is obvious that, though racism is always a difficult subject to deal with, American History X presents it without any reservations or dumming down. Second, the films figurehead for racism, Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), is not an unintelligent redneck racist as films often portray them, but is in fact well-spoken, charismatic and intelligentRead MoreAmerican History X: Analysis of Lighting and Color2182 Words   |  9 PagesAmerican History X American History X is divided into two color schemes, black and white, and color, these schemes symbolize the before and after of Derek Vinyards life. The film is about the life of an idol skinhead and D.O.C. member Derek Vinyard, and how his life of hate and racism has affected his family and himself. Throughout the movie the importance of color and lighting is obvious, because it divides the movie into two fused worlds of Derek. Some of the movie is shot in black and whiteRead MoreAfrican Americans And African American History959 Words   |  4 PagesAs African Americans we need to know the history of our ancestors in order to make the next generation better. African Americans need to know the struggles and hardships that our ancestors had to go through that pave the way for my generation and the generations after me. It is important to know how our ancestors had to endure slavery. If the older generation does not continue to pay homage to the history of our ancestors, the younger generation will lose sight of what our ancestors have been throughRead MoreThe American Of American History1199 Words   |  5 PagesSpain; and before there was Boston, Mass., there was Santa Fe, N.M. The teaching of American history generally highlights the establishment and development of the British colonies in North America, their appearance as an independent nation in 1776, and the change of the United States from east to west. This action easily overlooks the fact that there was important colonization by Spain of what is now the American Southwest from the 16th century on. It also tends to disregard, until the Mexican WarRead MoreMonism, Dualism, and Pluralism in American History Essay885 Words   |  4 Pagesseems readily apparent that monism is without a doubt the very worst way to approach history, Societies and cultures are not one dimensional, but rather are made up of a tapestry of factors. Thus looking at just one aspect gives the historian only a myopic sense of wha t was going on or what people were thinking at a particular time or place in history. While this is typically thought of as being the consensus history of the great white men, however other schools of historical thought can also be viewedRead MoreAmerican History4495 Words   |  18 Pagesname 1 First name Last name Instructors Name Course Number 15 February 2016 SECTION 1 Describe the economic, social and political importance of water in the historical narrative from 1500 through the 1790s. Introduction The use of water in the history of the United States impacted the everyday life of the various inhabitants presents during the vast period from early 16 century to the 1790s. Before the colonist and settlers ever migrated to this region, the natives who were the Indians were ableRead MoreThe American Revolution And American History953 Words   |  4 PagesIn the year 1765 the American colonists in the thirteen colonists had an upheaval with Great Britain. The colonists were tired of British Parliament’s rules and taxes that Parliament was placing on imported goods; such as tea. Historians believe that the beginning point in American History really started with the American Revolution. Britain was trying to force their culture onto the colonists. However, the colonist wanted no part in changing their whole cultural background that they created to the

The Relations Between Native Americans and Colonists free essay sample

This feeling of superiority led to an outbreak of violence and many different civil Wars. Due to the Native American and the Colonists irreconcilable differences many casualties were suffered by both sides leading to more wars and the displacement of many Indian tribes. One of the Native Americans biggest killers was illness, specifically Small Pox. The immune system of the Native Americans did not have the same tolerances as that of the European Settlers. Their immune systems could not handle exposure to the diseases that they have never been exposed to before.It has been rumored the while trading with the Native Americans, the Illinois purposely gave them blankets infected with the Small pox disease. Small Pox was not the only illness that was prevalent during the settling of the colonies. Dobson (1983) and Merely (1984) report several European-induced epidemics in Florida, the Carolinas, and Virginia between 1519 and 1 750, including smallpox, bubonic plague, typhus, mumps, influenza, yellow fever, and measles, although Dobson research has been argued methodically unsound by others. Bubonic plague and scarlet fever depopulated the Seneca in the asses to such an extent that four village settlements were arced to amalgamate into two. Archaeologists found Seneca ceramics dating to the post-epidemic period that were characterized by rough, uneven craftsmanship, suggesting the epidemics killed a substantial percentage of skilled artisans and thus eliminated some cultural Illness was only one of the issues between Colonists and Indians. Another cause for poor relations between Native Americans and European Settlers was the constant push for acquiring new land by the Colonists. The Native Americans did not just want to give up their land and this resulted in war between the Indians and the Colonists. During this time Native Americans were sold into slavery belittled and removed from their land, due to the fact that the Colonists had more advanced technology and weapons. One of the major wars was the French and Indian War which resulted in the removal Of Native Americans from their land and many casualties on both sides. Over time many battles were fought over land, even after America was an established country with presidents, laws, and court systems.Native Americans were continually pushed out of their land for hundreds of years while they were forced to move west. The constant push of Native Americans UT of their land would cause an event known as the Trail of Tears where thousands of Indians were removed from their land by the Indian Removal Act. In 1830 the Congress of the United States passed the Indian Removal Act. Although many Americans were against the act, most notably Tennessee Congressman Dad Crockett, it passed any. Way. President Jackson quickly signed the bill into law.The Cherokees attempted to fight removal legally by challenging the removal laws in the Supreme Court and by establishing an independent Cherokee Nation. At first the court seemed to rule against the Indians. In Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, the Court refused to hear a case extending Georgians laws on the Cherokee because they did not represent a sovereign nation. In 1832, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Cherokee on the same issue in Worcester v. Georgia. In this case Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the Cherokee Nation was sovereign, making the removal laws invalid.The Cherokee would have to agree to removal in a treaty. The treaty then would have to be ratified by the Senate (Trail Of Tears). Because of the many wars between Native Americans and the Colonists, Indians went from owning most of the land in America to being limited to a few reserves in their own country. Because of the colonists and the many years of war bewilder them and the Natives the Native American went from dominating America to now having pitiful reserves allotted to them.Their population dramatically decreased from the start, and kept declining after new diseases plagued them, bitter weather lashed at them during their treks across America from being pushed off their land, and because of the wars endless amounts of Natives were slaughtered. With the arrival of colonists came the demise of the Native Americans (Nubbin). The European Settlers would take advantage of tribes and use them for their own benefit. The Pawned became scouts.They were very successful in helping protect the railroad as it was being built across Nebraska, and they accompanied several U. S. Amy expeditions against the warring Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. But, by the late 1 8705, the Pawned Scouts were disbanded, and the U. S. Government had removed most members of the Pawned tribe from Nebraska to Indian Territory south of Nebraska (Conflict and Negotiation). Even after the Pawned Indians were instrumental in the retention of the railroad tracks, there land was still taken from them.During the colonial times many peace treaties were sign by both sides for ensure tranquility in the region. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 was made in a effort to promote peace among settlers and rival tribes. The tribes and government negotiated a treaty with some key points: peace among tribes, $50,000 per tribe for 10 years, where the Indians were allowed to hunt and fish, and for the United States to establish roads and forts. If the treaty was violated then the Government could withhold the money from the tribes. Unfortunately the peace did not last.In 1 854 -? eight years before the Homestead Act -? some Alaska near Fort Laramie butchered an emigrants cow they thought was abandoned. Lat. John Grants and 29 soldiers were sent to investigate the incident. Grants opened fire on the Indian camp. The Indians retaliated, killing all of the soldiers. The next year Gene. William Harley was ordered to restore peace on the trail. He found a Alaska camp at Blue Water Creek in Garden County and attacked it, although the camp residents had nothing to do with the Grants slaughter. Harnesss troops killed 136 men, women, and children.Although peace was restored, pressure continued to build, and war broke out again in 1863 with attacks on Overland Trail travelers. In 1867 the Alaska pushed eastward and attacked a Join Pacific railroad train in Dawson County, Nebraska. Attempts at peaceful settlements resulted in payments of food, guns, and other goods to the Alaska (Conflict and Negotiation). So even after America gave its word in the form of a contract they would opt out of the deal as they pleased. With the United States being overbearing and power hungry, the allegations was doomed for failure.

The World Trade Organization Role in the World of Trade

Introduction Trade and all the operations that surround trade are governed by set regulations both locally and internationally. Trade is a key area in the economy of nations and makes immense contributions to the growth of nations. There are several organizations that govern the dimensions and the nature of trade worldwide and regionally. These organizations are healthy for the sustainability of trade in the world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The World Trade Organization Role in the World of Trade specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some of these organizations are the world trade organization and the regional trade agreements. They work to push for considerable reductions in the trade tariffs and subsidies. They are also good tools of securing improved export opportunities for the producers. The world trade organization is a market mover in the world of trade. It is the major firm that supervises and liberalizes trade worldwide. Through the world trade organization, many agreements have been formed and made to stabilize the field of trade. The trade organization has been highly involved in conflict resolutions processes and helping the member countries to adhere to the agreement rules. In this highly competitive trade era, there has been a rapid growth of regionally oriented trade agreements which has contributed to the weakening of the multilateral trading systems. The trade agreements are a pertinent part of the world trade organization but they can strengthen trade or at times break the already built up pillars of trade. Globalization, neoliberalism, free trade and open markets are criticized at a very high rate. In the global market big economies are shaping trade and their interests rule the market. The politically and the economically stable nations are dominating the market trends which simply dictates their interest. How WTO relate with the regional trade organizations Regional tra de agreements are a segment of the international trade and a key feature of multilateral trading systems that presents the members of the world trade organization with opportunities and challenges. They promote free trade at the regional level helping implement reforms domestically. This helps lesser economies to wheedle aggressive environments, by addressing factors affecting production, which helps them to embrace competition at a suitable pace thus incorporating the amalgamation to the world economy.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The growth of the regional trade agreements heaves a concern about the declining power of the multilateral trading system. In the European countries, they are mainly pivoted on the European Union. These agreements are deeply rooted in the domestic regions and their coverage is immense. They have extended to the service industry. Regional trade agreements open up a freedom in competition in the international market. They help build up complex set of connections and regulatory regimes which focus on the trade policies. There have been some points in the RTAs some disagreement has been depicted in elucidation of some elements pertaining to their procedures with the WTO. But over time they have made up agreements on the procedures to apply to their members. For example, streamlining the examination processes by the WTO which was solved through the creation of the committee of regional trade agreements The RTA operates under the guidance of regulations and tariffs which are upheld regionally. They are maintained for substantial commerce in the regions. RTAs are the mediums for promoting deeper incorporation in their economies than is presently through the WTO. It has become hard to scrutinize the consistency of RTA with WTO due to the divergence of the trade agreements. Though this is not the only problem, there has been a pre ssure for them to clarify the rules for multilateral negotiations to put a clear line of rules. The RTA builds the base for the WTO agreements with more comprehensive discipline. They assist strongly in the reinstatement of trade roles and solving the global economic predicaments which enhance economic growth and development. The agreements are generally introduced so as to deal with the issues that revolve around trade and investment. They therefore resolve the crisis in these areas where they also closely identify areas for on capacity building.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The World Trade Organization Role in the World of Trade specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nature and characteristics of RTAs Traders in economies where they operate without government interventions, they are often forced to form policies that govern their businesses. These policies are commonly referred to as free trade agreements. The po licy authorizes mutual gains from the trade. These policies make easier communication of the true supply and demand leading to effective resource allocation. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representatives (2010, 1), the trade agreements have continually become complex in that they are not only opening up free trade within the signatory countries but they have shaped both international trade and investments flows within their localities or regions. They are affecting the large regions they are located in for example Asian Pacific regions. The trade agreements have had major implications to the political, social and economic status in the local and domestic levels. Comparing with the coverage of the earlier agreements the RTAs have expansive coverage. The coverage is approximately 100 percent, even though it has been challenged in the field of agriculture. Under the examination of world trade organization the RTAs, in the industrial sector there is full coverage wh ile in agriculture it is selective coverage. Another characteristic of the trade agreements is that they eliminate or reduce exercise duties charged to the member countries while trading with each other. They have offered coverage of investments, intellectual property, and deal with technical barriers to trade. The agreements deal with quantitative restrictions (Dent, 2010). RTAs use the synchronization and elimination of trade procedural barriers to help its members accomplish economies of scales and help them gain a competitive edge internationally. The most imperative one is the ability of establishing a common single market in the region of existence. The RTA help simplifies the rules set for the third world countries which are a great advantage to them. Though the harmonization of standards has not ventured well in the international level, it has been effective to the regional agreements. These harmonization yields sunshine internally in that they lead to gains internally but y ield undesirable effects on the third parties.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In comparison to the unsuccessful trade agreements of the 19th century the modern RTA‘s operations are more widespread and established better. They have been designed specifically to achieve trade diversions. In consequence trade within the RTA has extensively been enhanced and developed in a rapid rate than trade from the non-members. There has been more than 2 percent a growth difference between the member nations and the non-members. Though trade agreements have to some extent promoted growth of trade within the members’ states; we cannot be ignorant that some regional trade agreements have led to the breakdown of the trade in these regions. Some states have taken an advantage of dominating the market using regional trade agreements to limit markets for their commodities. The whole quintessence of regional growth by the RTAs deflects the attention from multilateral trading systems. According to the views of Lawrence (1999) liberalizations brought forth by the regiona l free trade agreements, enhance and strengthen the hand of export and pro-trade forces. They are an open opportunity for the countries joining the multilateral trading systems have to compete among themselves. According to Allan Winters, RTAs are likened to street gangs which most of us don’t like but they are allover in our neighborhood. He also says that the models been applied in the regional free trade agreements have not been clearly determined where they encourage or discourage the evolution towards free trade. In his view the regionalism increases the risks of upheaval of trading systems. The free trade agreements have enable the nations enjoy good environment, social and economic health. This is mainly as a result of effort to make trade good for the advantage of the countries economy. To make business run well among the signatory countries the governments of those countries make sure the infrastructure with the nations are good. This improves the living standards of the people and opens up opportunities for them hence they are able to improve their living standards. The trade agreements have changed from regional to preferential agreements within the years. This is because countries have signed them with the nations they would like to interact with in business. This makes other nation end up been locked out of the deals and the have to labor hard in order to trade with some of these nations (Khor, 2005). The bilateral agreements are said and thought to lead to trade diversions. This is where by the partner divert away products that may be more cheaply priced in favor of products from their partner. They therefore sell their goods at a lower price than expected to gain favor with the partners or they end up been inefficient. The trade agreements between the developing nations lead to low bargaining capacity of the economies which ends up to weaker political situations and negotiation of resources. The developing are able to work well on the bas is of non-reciprocity and thrive well in non- reciprocal outcomes n which they are obliged to open air markets (Dent, 2010). The RTAs have tried to lift up some of the policies and allow flexibilities. The inclusion of many policies puts a lot of pressure on financial resources in developing countries and requires a lot of technical expertise. Impact of Regional free trade agreements on WTO Regional trade agreements (RTAs) have grown at a high rate in the recent years. These trade agreements are aimed at reducing trade barriers within the member states in a given region. They are enacted in the belief that they will enhance economic growth and development among the member states. The increasing growth of regional trade and trade agreements has created interdependence between the trade partners (Khor, 2005, 1). The terms of trade within a given regional trade only favors the members of the agreements and discriminates the non members. This has great impact on the World Trade Organiza tion (WHO) whose aim is to enhance multilateral trade between nations. The Regional trade agreements attempts to increase trade efficiency through eliminating tariff barriers. WHO tries to liberalize international trade and its mandate is to ensure that there is fair trade between nations in the world. World Trade Organization is superior to the RTA but gives the member of the RTA a certain degree of autonomy. The members of the regional trade agreements are considered exceptional by the WHO. They are allowed to operate within the framework of the RTAs and may not be members of the WTO. The regional free trade agreements have also improved interdependence and trade between member countries. Countries come together and agree to eliminate trade tariffs between themselves in order to make trade efficient and more beneficial to them. This is meant to promote economic growth between the countries. There have been debates on whether Regional Free Trade Agreements (RFTA) promotes or underm ines the WTO processes in eliminating trade and investment barriers. The economies that come together to form RFTA argue that they are heading towards realizing global trade liberalization that is a major goal of WHO. It has not been made clear on how the RFTA complements WTO process and therefore the contribution of RFTA in WHO remains not fully unraveled. One of the principles of the WTO is to ensure there is non-discrimination in trade between the members. The members of WTO should be given equal treatment while trading with the other members because they operate under the same conditions. The same terms applied by one member to another member should be the same to all members. RFTA discriminates non members because they do not apply the same conditions to members and non members. This contradicts the stipulations of the WTO and therefore there is no complementation. Arguing in this direction, the RFTA are not headed towards assuring future multi-lateralization because they discr iminate against non members. Despite this argument, it seem that GATT/WTO rules allows the RFTA to be discriminatory in nature because they categorize them as exceptional because they have potential to discriminate against non members. Most economies are therefore claiming that RFTA are in keeping with the WTO. Non-discriminatory global free trade in this case is of great benefit to the trading partners as they enjoy the same tariffs for similar commodities. This shows that the superiority of WHO over RFTA is still in place (Viner, 1950, 12). There is a big challenge in using RFTA in the evaluation of the multilateral rules because the RFTA have varied rules and may not be unified with ease. If RFTA could be allowed to run without any external interference, they can boost investment, labor and environment but may not be the best ground to measure the effectiveness of WTO. The RFTA are mostly formed by likeminded economies and they are therefore effective regionally and domestically. Though RFTA may not directly meet the goals of WTO, they greatly develop the economies of the member counties. However, the same could be achieved through multilateral approach. The RFTA may make investments by the member countries inefficient especially where there is proliferation of FTAs in various regions (Krueger, 1997, 8). This creates many rules and regulations that are hard to unify and therefore the partners belonging to more than one RFTA are unable to make investment decisions. It may pose a challenge in identifying the rules, regulations and incentives that apply to a certain partner belonging to more than one trade pact. Proliferation of FTAs also causes a product to have different tariffs because the tariffs that apply in one region are different from the others (Schiff, 2000, 19). This causes confusion to the member states as they are not able to make decisions with ease especially if they belong to more than one trade treaty. The presence of differing rates for the same product is against the principle of WTO that there should not be any form of discrimination among trading partners. The prices of the same commodity will also bring conflict in the market because it will have different rates depending on the treaty that govern the country from which they are imported. This will greatly hinder the realization of the goals of the WTO in those regions. Proliferation of FTAs with different terms and rules of trade if not well regulated, it may cause a stagnation of multilateral liberalization which is the main goal of GATT/WTO. According to Rajan and colleagues (2001, 18), RFTAs emphasizes on integrating market operations for its member states in order to improve trade diversions and trade creation within the region covered. This creates new and competitive business environment that will increase productivity and also depreciates prices as appropriate in order to facilitate trade. RFTAs also try to include in their framework the agreements on tax a nd investments that help boost the realization of WTO goals. Financial markets are also integrated and product standards between member state s are harmonized in order to ensure effective trade. There also important issues like labor and environment that may not win immediate support from the WTO though they are important in multilateral trade liberalization (Findlay Pangestu, 2001, 17). Today’s RFTAs are very supportive to WTO and can be used as grounds for testing complex trade issues and trade negotiations at multilateral level. This is due to their diverse coverage that not only includes trade issues but also other issues affecting a large number of counties like the environmental issues. Since RFTAs are very effective at the regional levels, their operations can be made multilateral so that they can help in making international levels effective world wide. For the RFTAs to become fully consistent with the global Most Favored Nation trade that the WTO seeks to achieve. R FTAs can be made multilateral and discriminatory if the issues are discussed outside their framework. That is, WTO should continue pursuing liberalization and not concentrate much on RFTAs. In so doing, RFTAs will gradually be made multilateral and non discriminatory. Alternatively, measures can be put in place within RFTAs that will enable them to become multilateral. Some of these measures should include allowing automatic membership (Sager, 1997, 341). Any country that wishes to join RFTAs should be allowed to join on the same terms as the members that joined during the formation of those RFTAs. There have been restrictions on who should join RFTAs and this has created discrimination that is against the stipulations of WTO. If such restrictions could be eliminated, most of the countries that could not join at the current terms will be able to join and benefit as the other countries (Bhagwati, 1995, 23). Pursuing global multilateral trade should also be one of their core goals. Th is will make them consistent with the WTO both in the long run and short run. This will also help eliminate the barriers to trade and investments that are pursued by the world trade organization. Conclusion Trade in any country is important because it allows people to acquire goods that they do not produce and sell what they produce. This enhances interdependence between countries and regions. In the increasing need for countries to trade with one another has lead to the establishments of trade agreements in order to ensure there is fair trade between nations. World Trade Organization was formed in order to ensure that there is fair trade between nations and that nations acquire economic growth and development through trade with each other. Nations have also come together to form regional trade blocs which are regulated through regional trade agreements. Mostly the members of regional trade agreements have common economic interests and establish laws and regulations that govern trad e between their member states. One of the major characteristics of regional trade agreements that have raised issues in the international trade is their discriminative nature (Steinberg, 2002, 341). They charge different trade tariffs to non members which to some extent are against world trade organization stipulations. The members of regional trade organizations have eliminated trade barriers among themselves in order to come up with what they call Regional Free Trade Agreements (RFTAs). These agreements due to their discriminative nature may not necessarily be in keeping with the WTO. WTO categorizes RFTAs as exceptional to avoid the contradiction brought about by their discriminative nature. Reference List Bhagwati, J., 1995. U.S. Trade Policy: The Infatuation with Free Trade Areas in the Dangerous Drift to Preferential Trade Agreements. Washington, D.C.: AEI Press. Dent, C., 2010. Free Trade Agreements in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific. East Asia: wreak.org. Web. Findlay, C. Pa ngestu, M., 2001. Regional Trade Arrangements in East Asia: Where are they taking us? Bangkok: Trade Policy Forum, PECC/APEC. Khor, M., 2005. Bilateral/Regional Free Trade Agreements: An Outline of Elements, Nature and Development Implications. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Office of the United States Trade Representatives. 2010. Trade Agreements. USA: USTR. Available at:Â  https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements . Rajan, R., Sen, R. . Siregar, R., 2001. Singapore and Free Trade Agreements: Economic Relations with Japan and the United States. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Sager, M., 1997. Regional Trade Agreements: Their Role and the Economic Impact on Trade Flows, World Economy, 20, 239-52. Schiff, M., 2000. Trade Blocs. Washington, D.C.: World Bank. Steinberg, R.H., 2002. In the Shadow of Law or Power? Consensus-based Bargaining and Outcomes in the GATT/WTO., International Organization. Spring 2002. pp. 339-374. This essay on The World Trade Organization Role in the World of Trade was written and submitted by user Eliseo Mcgowan to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.