The Fall of the Aztec Empire Essay Example

The Fall of the Aztec Empire Essay Example The Fall of the Aztec Empire Essay The Fall of the Aztec Empire Essay In this essay I will tell how the Aztec and Inca empires ended, and also I will compare the fall of both empires, using for a point of departure the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the land of Mexico. Wherever the Spanish went always the same thing happened, from my point of view. Innocent people were killed for no good reason, cities were massacred, civilizations were destroyed or forced to convert to Christianity. And so, I think now is the time to reevaluate the actions of the European explorers who subjugated the native American peoples and their civilizations. Undoubtedly the most glorified and heroically portrayed of these figures of the European conquest of the New World were the conquistadors, the Spanish conquerors of Mexico and Peru in the 16-th century. These men, under leaders such as Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizzaro nearly eliminated the Aztec and Inca peoples. Surely many of these soldiers were extremely cruel and intolerant of the native populations. But it is important to consider, with the push of both sides toward territorial expansion, how these groups (European and American) could remain isolated from each other. Furthermore, with meeting of these two imperialist cultures, it must be considered whether it would be possible for the two to peacefully coexist. From the point of view of what we know today it seems impossible that Europe could have remained completely ignorant until the XVI century with respect a civilization that by then had existed in Mexico for more than one thousand five hundred years. Equally astonishing is the indifference that the conquerors showed towards the universe that by pure luck crossed their path. Nothing shows the attitude Cortes had attitude that he kept util the end of the conquest better than the gift he made to the Aztec chiefs: even though his wonder upon discovering signs of a great cultural refinement, he did not doubt for even one moment that he was in the presence

Which Schools Offer AP Capstone Complete List

Which Schools Offer AP Capstone Complete List SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Curious about which schools are offering the new AP Capstone program? Get a complete list here, and also find out how likely it is a school near you will add AP Capstone in the next few years. What Is AP Capstone? AP Capstone is an advanced diploma program – if you can complete the requirements you’ll earn the AP Capstone diploma (in addition to your regular high school diploma), which shows you completed an advanced curriculum in high school. AP Capstone is quite new. The program only debuted in 2014, so the first AP Capstone diplomas will be given out at the end of this school year. To earn the diploma you take two required AP classes – Seminar and Research – along with four more AP classes of your choosing. You need to earn a 3 or higher on each exam to get the diploma. Capstone differs from the â€Å"regular† AP program since that program does not require you to take specific classes or get a minimum score, you just take classes you’re interested in. We have a complete guide to AP Capstone you can read if you want to learn more! The Complete List This list is broken down by state for US schools, and lists participating international schools at the end. If a state isn’t listed, that means it doesn’t have a Capstone program yet. 115 American schools have AP Capstone so far, along with 22 international schools (including 10 in Canada). Check out the complete list below to see if a school near you has AP Capstone. Alabama Schools Hoover High School – Hoover, AL Virgil I. Grissom High School – Huntsville, AL Arizona Schools BASIS Scottsdale – Scottsdale, AZ BASIS Tucson North – Tucson, AZ California Schools Arroyo Grande High School – Arroyo Grande, CA Chadwick School – Palos Verdes, CA John H. Francis Polytechnic High School – Sun Valley, CA Lincoln High School– San Jose, CA Long Beach Polytechnic High School – Long Beach, CA Los Osos High School – Rancho Cucamonga, CA Lowell High School – San Francisco, CA Mira Mesa High School– San Diego, CA Pioneer High School– San Jose, CA Rio Linda Senior High School – Rio Linda, CA Thousand Oaks High School– Thousand Oaks, CA Colorado Schools Erie High School - Erie, Colorado Connecticut Schools Choate Rosemary Hall – Wallingford, CT Conard High School – West Hartford, CT Hall High School – West Hartford, CT Taft School – Watertown, CT Florida Schools Armwood High School – Seffner, FL Astronaut High School – Titusville, FL Barbara Goleman High School – Miami, FL Bayside High School – Palm Bay, FL Boca Ciega High School – Gulfport, FL Boca Raton Community High School – Boca Raton, FL Countryside High School – Clearwater, FL Michael M. Krop Senior High School – Miami, FL Felix Varela Senior High School – Miami, FL Hialeah High School – Hialeah, FL Hillsborough High School – Tampa, FL Lake Howell High School – Winter Park, FL Lake Nona High School – Orlando, FL Lyman High School – Longwood, FL Merritt Island High School – Merrit Island, FL Miami Carol City Senior High School – Miami, FL Miami Central Senior High School – Miami, FL Miami Coral Park Senior High School – Miami, FL Miami Jackson Senior High School – Miami, FL Miami Senior High School – Miami, FL Miami Southridge Senior High School – Miami, FL Miami Sunset Senior High School – Miami, FL North Miami Beach Senior High School – North Miami Bch, FL Northeast High School – St Petersburg, FL Palm Bay Magnet High School – Melbourne, FL Santaluces Community High School – Lantana, FL Satellite High School – Satellite Beach, FL South Plantation High School – Plantation, FL Southwest Miami High School – Miami, FL Spanish River Community High School – Boca Raton, FL Spoto High School – Riverview, FL Suncoast Community High School – Riviera Beach, FL Titusville High School – Titusville, FL West Boca Raton Community High School – Boca Raton, FL West Shore Junior-Senior High School – Melbourne, FL Western High School – Davie, FL Georgia Schools Chestatee High School – Gainesville, GA Robert S. Alexander Comprehensive High School – Douglasville, GA Wesleyan School – Norcross, GA Illinois Schools Glenbard East High School – Lombard, IL Glenbard West High School – Glen Ellyn, IL Lane Technical College Prep High School – Chicago, IL Indiana Schools Carmel High School – Carmel, IN Fishers High School – Fishers, IN Hamilton Southeastern High School – Fishers, IN Madison Consolidated High School – Madison, IN Westfield High School – Westfield, IN Kentucky Schools Glasgow High School – Glassgow KY Highlands High School – Fort Thomas, KY McCracken County High School – Paducah, KY North Oldham High School – Goshen, KY Maryland Schools Bowie High School – Bowie, MD Eleanor Roosevelt High School – Greenbelt, MD Massachusetts Schools Concord-Carlisle Regional High School – Concord, MA Dartmouth High School – Dartmouth, MA Deerfield Academy – Deerfeild, MA John D. O'Bryant School of Math and Science – Roxbury, MA Michigan Schools Lapeer High School – Lapeer, MI Missouri Schools Park Hill High School – Kansas City, MO New Mexico Schools Cibola High School – Albuquerque, NM New York Schools Brooklyn Technical High School – Brooklyn, NY George W. Hewlett High School – Hewlett, NY Queens High School for the Sciences at York College – Jamaica, NY Williamsville East High School – East Amherst, NY North Carolina Schools Western Guilford High School – Greensboro, NC Ohio Schools Indian Hill High School – Cincinnati, OH Oklahoma Schools Jenks High School – Jenks, OK Norman High School – Norman, OK Norman North High School – Norman, OK Thomas A Edison High School – Tulsa, OK South Carolina Schools Oakbrook Preparatory School – Spartanburg, SC Tennessee Schools Hillwood Comprehensive High School– Nashville, TN Hume-Fogg Academic High School– Nashville, TN White Station High School – Memphis, TN Texas Schools Alvin High School – Alvin, TX Carnegie Vanguard High School – Houston, TX Glenda Dawson High School – Pearland, TX Irving High School – Irving, TX Jack E. Singley Academy – Irving, TX MacArthur High School – Irving, TX Manvel High School – Manvel, TX Michael E. Debakey High School for Health Professions – Houston, TX Nimitz High School – Irving, TX Pearland High School – Pearland, TX Westside High School – Houston, TX Utah Schools Taylorsville High School – Taylorsville, UT Vermont Schools Johnsbury Academy – St. Johnsbury, VT Virginia Schools Osbourn Park High School – Manassas, VA Washington Schools Joel E. Ferris High School – Spokane, WA John R. Rogers High School – Spokane, WA Lewis and Clark High School – Spokane, WA Mary Walker High School – Springdale, WA North Central High School – Spokane, WA Shadle Park High School – Spokane, WA West Virginia Schools George Washington High School–Charleston, WV Canadian Schools Burnaby North Secondary School – Burnaby, British Columbia Burnaby South Secondary School – Burnaby, British Columbia Queen Elizabeth Composite High School – Edmonton, Alberta Saint Michaels University School – Victoria, Britsh Columbia Sentinel Secondary School – West Vancouver, Britsh Columbia Clement's School – Toronto, Ontario Malachy's Memorial High School – Saint John, New Brunswick Strathcona Composite High School – Edmonton, Alberta Trinity College School – Port Hope, Ontario York Memorial Collegiate Institute – Toronto, Ontario International Schools ACS Cobham International School – Cobham, United Kingdom American Community School of Amman – Amman, Jordan American School in Japan – Tokyo, Japan American School of Dubai – Dubai, United Arab Emirates American School of Kuwait – Kuwait City, Kuwait Hisar School – Istanbul, Turkey Hong Kong International School – Tai Tam, Hong Kong Kings Academy – Madaba, Jordan Shanghai American School - Pudong Campus – Shanghai, China Shanghai American School - Puxi Campus – Huacao Town, Shanghai, China Singapore American School – Singapore Taipei American School – Taipei, Taiwan AP Capstone school list via College Board. Will My School Get AP Capstone? As we mentioned earlier, AP Capstone is quite new. It was only started in 2014. Odds are that more schools will start implementing Capstone in the next few years. One way to find out if your school is considering AP Capstone is to ask your guidance counselor. If your high school already offers a wide selection of AP classes, it wouldn’t be too hard to implement AP Capstone. It would just need to add two more classes, Research and Seminar. If your school doesn’t have AP classes or only has a few, it’s less likely to implement Capstone. Also consider the state you’re living in. If you’re in a state like Florida, Washington, or Texas that already has a lot of Capstone schools, it’s more likely your school will catch on and add it. If you’re in a state without any Capstone schools or just one, it’s less likely your high school will get it since it would be one of the first in your area. Should I Take AP Capstone? It there is an AP Capstone program nearby, you may be wondering if you should take it, or even if you should travel to another school to take it. Consider the following points if you think you might want to take AP Capstone. Also keep in mind that you should only transfer schools if you're really excited specifically about the AP Seminar and AP Research classes. Otherwise you can take the advanced classes your local high school offers and still have a rigorous schedule. First, can you commit to 6 AP classes? If you’re just taking AP classes without the Capstone diploma, you can drop out of a hard class without penalty, whereas with Capstone you have to complete six classes. Can you commit to paying for 6 AP exams? Again, when just taking AP classes you can decide your exam budget each year. With Capstone you’ll be paying for at least 6 exams during high school. At $91 each, that isn’t cheap. (Of course that can pay off down the line if you pass the courses and earn college credit, but you should be aware of the costs upfront.) Do AP Seminar and AP Research look interesting to you, or would you prefer the flexibility of choosing all of your AP classes? If you're not really interested in taking on your own research project, you may just want to stick to regular AP classes. (You can read more about Seminar and Research over at our AP Capstone guide.) Also, on a related note, who is teaching Seminar and/or Research at your school? Are they good teachers? The Seminar and Research teachers could either make or break AP Capstone program. If you have great teachers who help you get a lot out of the topics discussed in AP Seminar and your own research project in AP Research, you'll have a great experience. If the teachers aren't very good, you probably won't get much out of the classes. To sum up, AP Capstone could be a great opportunity, especially since you pick up academic research and writing skills before college, plus it could push you to take more AP classes. However, if Capstone is more than you could take on, you could burn out and not even earn the diploma. Think carefully before deciding to commit to it! What’s Next? If you do take AP Capstone, you’re going to have to take at least four AP classes in addition to AP Seminar and AP Research. Read about the hardest and easiest AP classes to help you decide on your schedule. While colleges don’t require AP or IB classes, many require SAT subject tests. Get a complete list of schools that require subject tests and try to match up your SAT Subject Tests with your AP classes. Also studying for the SAT/ACT? Find out how long you should study for (ACT version here) and come up with a target SAT/ ACT score based on your top schools. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

BRIC Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BRIC Analysis - Case Study Example However, because the outlook for this industry is bright, multinationals are now eyeing the manufacture of the product. But none has targeted China yet, and the market concentration is US, Canada, and Japan (Annex C). There is a high growth potential in the market. Rivalry concentration is low since most of the electric car models of U.S. manufacturers are yet to be introduced in the years to come. The threat of substitutes to the electric car industry is fairly mild because people are now conscious of green environment, and the spiraling cost of gasoline. There are other types of automotive vehicles but none offers clean air and a reduction of energy consumption although models and design are comparable with regular cars. The electric car models offer the comfort of charging it at home and do not need to line up in gasoline stations. Popular electric car models are shown in Annex B. The inherent culture and attitudes kept people out from owning cars, and ownership is not yet spread out as discussed in density of ownership. But because of increasing rate of population and rise of income, the culture of car ownership in China is slowly changing; added to the fact that it is encouraged by the government, The barrier to entry in the automotive industry is significant. The start up capital needed for a new company to set up an efficient manufacturing capacity is prohibitive. The manufacture of electric cars needs expertise and specialization, and in case of failure is difficult to retool. Entry to market may not be so difficult because of the joint venture with a local Chinese automotive manufacturer. A joint venture is considered a better alternative in entering the Chinese market because Chinese partners have an insight into the local customs and traditions. A joint venture offers the opportunity of access to restricted market, and the advantage of the low

Comparing two story( A small good thing & The girl with the pimply Essay

Comparing two story( A small good thing & The girl with the pimply face) - Essay Example The two doctors’ communication with their patients demonstrates how different the two doctors approach their jobs. The central tenet of Williams’ â€Å"The Girl with the Pimply Face† is that doctors are human and are subjected to human emotions. Carver approaches the topic from the other side by displaying the harmful effects of a doctor who is professional, but patronizing in â€Å"A Small, Good Thing†. The primary theme of Williams’ story is the sensitivity of the doctor toward a patient. Williams’ doctor is compassionate with his patients. He speaks with his patient’s family using informal everyday language. This shows the doctor’s humanity, his caring response to a family facing several problems. In this case, he has the desire to help, gives his work freely, and possesses a genuine interest in the family. The doctor does not criticise his patients when they are not able to pay. Even after promises of payment are not realized, the doctor continues to come back. The doctor returns after diagnosing the baby of the family with a bad heart. Even though he knows that the baby’s health will decline, with or without his help, the doctor tries to ease the family’s pain with his visits. The doctor also takes it upon himself to help his infant patient’s sister with her acne and the blemishes on her legs even though he was only responsible for the baby. Williams’ story emphasises the willingness of this doctor to step over professional boundaries and help the girl with advice and money even though she was not his patient. â€Å"The Girl with the Pimply Face† also shows that the doctor’s motives are not entirely unselfish. He is attracted to his patient’s sister. Although the doctor would never compromise his position by ever making inappropriate gestures towards the girl, but his attractions is a strong motive for his interest in the family. Even after finding out that the mother is a

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Psychology - Essay Example Behaviorism Strength- the learner targets a clear goal and is very familiar with the goals’ requirements. Weakness- the learners may occasionally not find the right stimulus for the right response. Answers for question # 2 Sapir-Whorf’s linguistic relativity hypothesis proposes that â€Å"the particular language we speak influences the way we think about reality† (Dennis & John, 2008). This hypothesis, however, has met a lot of critics from other psychologists. For example, Carol suggested that this hypothesis still needs much attention as there are controversies that still surround it. She stated, â€Å"Perhaps it is the suggestion that all one’s life one has been tricked, all unaware, by the structure of the language into a certain way of perceiving reality† (Dennis & John, 2008). The essence of her statement is that, when people grow up and begin realizing reality from their own experiences, they may start disputing what their languages initially taught them. Answers for question # 3 Crystallized intelligence this is the capacity to utilize knowledge, experience and skills. It should not be likened to knowledge or memory as it does not depend on finding information from long-term memory. Fluid intelligence also called fluid reasoning is the ability to solve problems and think logically in every situation irrespective of the acquired knowledge. It includes both the deductive and inductive reasoning. It involves application of the best logics in solving problems. Answers for question # 4 Both the aptitude and achievement tests determine a learner’s general performance over a wide range of mental capabilities. However, the amplitude test further measure specialized abilities including numerical and verbal skills to guess the student’s earlier academic performance in educational programs. Achievement tests are closely associated with the current achievements on specific school subjects. Answers for question # 5 Th e validity of a standardized test is its usefulness and accuracy. Reliability of a standardized test on the other side is the capacity of the standardized test to give consistence results. Both the parameters are used by psychologists to effectively measure what they are testing. It is important to note that validity depends on reliability i.e. validity is not applicable without reliability. Answers for question # 6 Mental retardation refers to an individual’s current level of functioning. The primary levels of mental retardation that psychologists use to classify people include limitation in adaptive behavior and limitation in intelligence. Accurate diagnosis involves three components; origins of disability before 18 years of age, determinations of adaptive behavior shortfalls, and IQ score of about � or below. Answers for question # 7 Intellectually gifted people are more efficient at leaning new ideas and performing activities more than normally intelligent individuals. The success of an individual in life based on the IQ score is relative in, that intellectually gifted people have to exercise their gifts effectively to achieve success in life. But generally, intellectually gifted people have been observed to come up with new ideas, discoveries and developments that have made them more successful in life than the normally intellectual individuals. Answers for que

President Eisenhower and the NATO Essay Example for Free

President Eisenhower and the NATO Essay Stephen Ambrose, in his book Eisenhower: The President (pp. 215 – 216) gives a picture of the president as the driving force behind the NATO solution embodied in the Paris accords of late 1954. Is he right or wrong? The abrupt end of the World War II following the bombing of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki using atomic bombs heralded a period of heightened tension between the Western World represented by the US and the Eastern World represented by Soviet Union. Each of the two sides formed a myriad of alliances in bid to assert themselves across the face of the world. NATO was one such alliance that was purposely formed by the Capitalists (US and allies) to contain Communists (Soviet and allies). Though initially the alliance was more of a political organization than a military one, subsequent happenings in Europe, particularly the Korean War electrified the member states into forming a strong military alliance, with an integrated military structure built under the direction of two US military commanders, one of them Eisenhower. The militarization of the alliance was necessary especially having in mind that the opposing blocs (communists) were in the process of building their own strong military arsenals and therefore there was need for a balance of power between the two blocs. Again, this was a period marked by costly defense spending, immense conventional and nuclear arms race, and a number of proxy wars. [Rosenberg, 1979] In his book, Ambrose seeks to differ with Eisenhower’s friends as well as critics who regarded him as largely unprepared for the presidency. He depicts Eisenhower as one person who carried the best credentials among persons to ever been elected to the Presidency, particularly in matters concerning foreign affairs. Ambrose has got all the reasons to throw his weight behind Eisenhower’s foreign relations capabilities, given the success that he (Eisenhower) achieved when he served at various military ranks in international duty during the World Wars and the Cold War, the most notable one being his appointment as the first commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). [Ambrose, 1984] Until his election as the 34th US President, Eisenhower was serving as the supreme commander of the NATO forces in Europe. Moreover, in his inaugural speech he vowed to use his experience to end the Korean War. Being an experienced soldier and therefore understanding the painful impact of the modern weapons than any other person, he resolved to appeal for peace. To achieve this he advocated for high level of cooperation among the nations even among those who disagreed. He rejected the notion of an isolated America from the rest of the world, save behind its nuclear shield. He harbored the argument that active participation of the US in the world affairs was the most appropriate method of making sure that democracy was achieved in nations that were susceptible to the encroachment of Communism. He also harbored the belief that sustained dialogue between the US and the Soviet would be the best option for the provision of security to the entire world. To achieve this, he advocated for military and economic unification of the nations that formed the Western alliance, since according to him that was the only avenue for providing the much needed peace and freedom in the Western Europe. For example, he pursued the reinforcement of NATO’s southern flank by helping Italian-Yugoslavian struggle over Trieste and proposed at the Geneva summit meeting a shared aerial inspection, a move that was aimed at preventing a surprise nuclear attack. He also proposed for a project known as ‘atoms for peace’ program, that sought to provide loans to American uranium to ‘have not’ nations for peaceful purposes. [Boll, 1988] In what seems to a support for the argument that Eisenhower understood the painful repercussions of war, Campbell Craig claims that Eisenhower used the policy of nuclear weapons deterrence to scare his advisors to shy from pushing him to declare war against the communists, and also to deter the communists themselves into going into war with the West, represented by the US. In his book Destroying the Village: Eisenhower and Thermonuclear War; Campbell Craig argues that Eisenhower’s policy of defending the United States international interests was through general thermonuclear war. [Craig, 1998: p. xi] He reasons that between 1956 and 1957 Eisenhower rearranged the official American basic security policy in a way that, in the event of a war with the Soviet Union, the war would automatically escalate into general thermonuclear war. [p. 67]. The very threat of a thermonuclear war would serve as a deterrence of such a war on a national level since the US policy makers will definitely resist escalation in a crisis. Craig puts it this way, â€Å"Eisenhower’s strategy to evade nuclear war was to make American military policy so dangerous that his advisors would find it impossible to push Eisenhower towards war and away from compromise. † [p. 69]. This also served as deterrence to the Soviet Union as the prospect of going into a war that would escalate into thermonuclear war was so scarring. A fair analysis on Craig’s work is that, it is short of neither supporting the use of rigid defense of nuclear weapons nor rejecting their strategic use. Consequently, Craig does not seem to support or refute the claim that Eisenhower was directly behind the NATO solution to the encroachment of the Soviet Union and its allies. He lets his audience to make a conclusion; however, his arguments seem to lean more on the notion that Eisenhower used nuclear weapon diplomacy and the strengthening of the NATO and unification of the states that formed the treaty. He argues that â€Å"American avoidance of nuclear war †¦ did not just â€Å"happen. † Actual people, above all Eisenhower, sought to evade nuclear war; many powerful figures at the center of decision believed that such a war was justifiable and regularly called for steps that would have begun one. [P. xii] Soman argues that, during the period of crisis, between the years 954-1955, the Eisenhower’s administration was mainly concerned on the fate of the treaty for the Western European Union and the admission of Germany to NATO, which was to be ratified by the European nations. Particularly, the secretary of state, John Foster Dulles was filled with the fear that any event leading to a war with China that would involve nuclear weapons would move the European opinion away from the United States and therefore leading doubts on the ratification of the treaty. Soman argues that Eisenhower’s success just like many other US Presidents of post-World War II era in maintaining the United States national security and the strengthening of the NATO in the face of military threats from the Soviets was through the use of nuclear weapon diplomacy. For instance, he explains how American atomic capabilities contributed to the working out of a truce in the North Korean war. He reasons that, Eisenhower had no option in the use of nuclear diplomacy to counter the encroachment of the Soviet Union and its allies: he had inherited â€Å"†¦ a stalemated war in the Korea, a costly military build up, and armed forces that despite nearly three years of massive conventional rearmament still left the United States heavily dependent on atomic arsenal. † [Soman, 2000: p. 36] He therefore chose to reject any Soviet proposal to ban nuclear weapons knowing very well that this was his only trump card.

Asian-Pacific Markets Essay -- Economy, Emerging Market

Asian-Pacific markets have been enjoying an extremely favorable economic climate generated by high global liquidity over the past three years. In 2006, for example, the excess of liquidity and the overall positive economic performance of these countries led to the lowest sovereign spreads in history falling below 200 basis points, as shown in Exhibit 1. Among the mechanisms contributing to this process are: 1) the low interest rates in mature markets (the U.S., the U.K., Europe, and Japan), until recently declining due to the burst of the dotcom bubble in 2000; 2) the steep yield curve, providing incentives for carrying leveraged positions; and 3) the low long- term interest rates in the U.S. relative to the country’s economic growth rate. The overall liquidity, together with the reduction on risk perception that it creates, have encouraged global institutional investors to take strategic positions in Asian-Pacific markets, thus narrowing the spreads even more. Furthermore, the average credit classification provided by international rating agencies for the countries composing the EMBI+ has gone up to the highest level ever (Ba1/BB+ as of September 2006), expanding the base of investors even more. This scenario has allowed Asian-Pacific economies to finance their debt via local currency issues in the domestic and foreign markets, thus allowing them to improve the composition of their public debt by extending its maturity profile, reducing the proportion denominated in foreign currency and accumulating reserves. Nevertheless, the crucial issue for Asian-Pacific markets is whether the current level of sovereign spreads is sustainable in the face a potential reversal of cyclical factors, such as those involving liquidity, ch... ... the dependent variable (interest rate), a common approach for determining sovereign spreads that significantly raises the coefficient of fit (R2 ). Third, the model uses macroeconomic fundamentals and gover- nance indicators specific to each country as explanatory variables, instead of proxies for repayment capacity. These proxies, generally ratings or other holistic constructs, are usually subject to criticism regarding the methodology for scale conversion or their ability to predict currency crises in Asian-Pacific economies.5 Furthermore, the proposed model analyzes the country-specific vulnerability (sensitivity) to a global risk shock. Such elasticities are further decomposed into eco- nomic fundamentals and governance indicators, with the objective of assessing whether, and to what extent, country vulnerability can be mitigated by improving such variables.