Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Vietnam War Escalation and Americanization

The Vietnam war escalation began with the Gulf of Tonkin incident. On August 2, 1964, USS Maddox, an American destroyer, was attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin by three North Vietnamese torpedo boats while conducting an intelligence mission. A second attack seemed have occurred two days later, though the reports were sketchy (It now appears that there was no second attack). This second â€Å"attack† led to US air strikes against North Vietnam and the passage of the Southeast Asia (Gulf of Tonkin) Resolution by Congress. This resolution permitted the president to conduct military operations in the region without a formal declaration of war and became the legal justification for escalating the conflict. Bombing Begins In retribution for the incident in the Gulf of Tonkin, President Lyndon Johnson issued orders for the systematic bombing of North Vietnam, targeting its air defenses, industrial sites, and transportation infrastructure. Beginning on March 2, 1965, and known as Operation Rolling Thunder, the bombing campaign would last over three years and would drop an average of 800 tons of bombs a day on the north. To protect US air bases in South Vietnam, 3,500 Marines were deployed that same month, becoming the first ground forces committed to the conflict. Early Combat By April 1965, Johnson had sent the first 60,000 American troops to Vietnam. The number would escalate to 536,100 by the end of 1968. In the summer of 1965, under the command of General William Westmoreland, US forces executed their first major offensive operations against the Viet Cong and scored victories around Chu Lai (Operation Starlite) and in the Ia Drang Valley. This latter campaign was largely fought by the 1st Air Cavalry Division which pioneered the use of helicopters for high speed mobility on the battlefield. Learning from these defeats, the Viet Cong seldom again engaged American forces in conventional, pitched battles preferring instead to resort to hit and run attacks and ambushes. Over the next three years, American forces focused on searching and destroying Viet Cong and North Vietnamese units operating in the south. Frequently mounting large-scale sweeps such as Operations Attleboro, Cedar Falls, and Junction City, American and ARVN forces captured large amounts of weapons and supplies but rarely engaged large formations of the enemy. Political Situation in South Vietnam In Saigon, the political situation began to calm in 1967, with the rise of Nguyen Van Theiu to the head of the South Vietnamese government. Theiu’s ascent to the presidency stabilized the government and ended a long series of military juntas that had administered the country since Diem’s removal. Despite this, the Americanization of the war clearly showed that the South Vietnamese were incapable of defending the country on their own.

Monday, December 23, 2019

Domestic Violence Is Now Broadly Defined As All Acts Of

Domestic violence is now broadly defined as all acts of physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence committed by a family member or intimate partner. It has to do with a pattern of power and control exerted by partner or family member upon another. The constancy and severity of the abuse can vary however, it always has a negative impact on the relationship. The devastating impact can last for a long time crossing generations or a lifetime. The battered women movement goal was to see domestic violence as a social problem as opposed to an individual woman problem. The issue of domestic violence can have a severe impact on the family, especially the children who are innocent. This issue is a social problem because it affects the†¦show more content†¦Out of the issue of domestic violence evolved a social movement called the Battered Women Movement. During this movement, women began to create shelters, home and other safety nets to meet the needs of abused women as well as their dependents. A major response to combat the issue of domestic violence came about in the mid to late 20th century when more shelters protecting battered women were created. This led to an increase in women coming forward to report the abuse because of the protection they were guaranteed. The first women advocate shelter opened in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1973. While most states did not have strong legal punishments for abusers, Laws were being developed to protect the victims of this abuse. In 1984, The Family Violence Protection Service Act was passed, which authorizes the secretary of Health and Human Services to give grants to states to assist in supporting the establishment, maintenance, and expansion of programs to prevent incidents of family violence and provide shelter and related assistance for victims and their dependents. One method that social workers used to combat this issue was through the development of different organizations such as the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (1978), Stop the Violence Against Women (2004) and The National Center for Victims of Crime (1985). An important figure in the fight against domestic violence was Evelyn Ortner, a woman who dedicated her life to helping abuseShow MoreRelatedThe Extent of Protection for Women Against Male Violence by the State3028 Words   |  13 Pages DISCUSS THE EXTENT OF PROTECTION FOR WOMEN AGAINST MALE VIOLENCE BY THE STATE. For this essay I am going to look at Domestic Violence against women and what the State is doing to protect them. Domestic Violence is now a well-known global occurrence affecting not only women but also their children too. Violence against woman has been around since the dawn of time. We have all seen cartoon pictures of the caveman dragging his mate behind him by her hair. It was just something that men did. WomanRead MoreDomestic violence Essay examples7765 Words   |  32 Pagesï » ¿Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior which involves violence or other abuse by one person against another in a domestic context, such as in marriage or cohabitation. Intimate partner violence is domestic violence against a spouse or other intimate partner. Domestic violence can take place in heterosexual or same-sex relationships. Domestic violence can take a number of forms including physical, emotional, verbal, e conomic and sexual abuse, which can range from subtle, coercive forms to maritalRead MoreThe United States Of The Usa Patriot Act2252 Words   |  10 PagesPATRIOT Act, security became the government’s top priority. (The USA PATRIOT Act is an acronym which stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.) Congress, eager to put a law on the books to prevent another attack, fast tracked the bill through both houses in six weeks. It passed by a near unanimous vote, with the majority of dissent coming from Democrats. A highly contentious and debated law, the USA PATRIOT Act infringesRead MoreHow Valuable Is Sociological Knowledge in Contributing to Our Understanding of Contemporary Health Issues?2391 Words   |  10 Pagesbecause she is also unskilled. Moreover, Ernie cannot cope with unemployment and poverty. As a consequence, he has indulged in some negative behaviour such as smoking and consuming alcoh ol. Finally, all these factors have led to domestic violence. Firstly, sociological imagination is a sociological term defined as the ability to see private experiences and personal difficulties as entwined with the structural arrangements of a society and the times in which humans live (Andersen Taylor 2005, p.5). TheRead MoreWar-related Sexual Violence in Sierra Leone2724 Words   |  11 Pagesdiscontent among many people (â€Å"War-Related Sexual Violence† 15-9). As a result, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) invaded after training in Liberia, in an attempt to overthrow the incumbent government (Park 317). Because of their extensive combatant training and determination, the RUF took Sierra Leone by force and was very successful in the initial stages of the war. This was especially in their dislocation of people (â€Å"War-Related Sexual Violence 17-8). Central to their strategy, though, was somethingRead MoreProblems of Society (Law, Crime, Punishment)7483 Words   |  30 PagesLondon is applicable. Different types of Punishment Imprisonment Imprisonment or incarceration, wherein the person is put in jail as a lawful punishment, is perhaps one of the most common forms of punishment is the world. Retribution, i.e. the act of correcting a person for his misconduct, is the main purpose of imprisonment. But this also serves other purposes like deterrence, incapacitation and rehabilitation. The term, or the period, that the convict has to spend in the prison depends on severalRead MoreHow They Got Here: The History of Saudi Women1551 Words   |  7 Pagesmarriage existed in Arabia during this period. Marriage would commonly be agreed upon between two tribes or the husband would pay a dowry for his bride. In other cases, women could be sold, inherited, or exchanged into a marriage. Women had little to now say in a case of divorce, which was usually an issue between the husband and his father-in-law. In addition, the husband continued to have rights over his wife until his dowry was refunded, â€Å"similar to the right of pr operty† (Essay). (Cultural, Essay)Read MoreGreenfield (India V. Germany)3345 Words   |  14 Pagesalternative must be a member of the European Union EU while the other cannot be a member of the EU or the country of China. In this paper, we will provide the reason behind selecting Greenfield as the form of foreign investment, the Difference between Domestic and International Market. After that, we will provide a comparative analysis between India and Germany. The analysis will focus on each countries trade polices, workforce, tax rate, right to private ownership and establishment, countries currenciesRead MoreFamily7546 Words   |  31 Pagesfamily are a close group of people, usually related not always. Who support each other and at some point in their lives tend to live in the same household.† There is no correct definition on the family, Sociologists do not agree on a definition, broadly there are two types of definition; †¢ Exclusive definitions – These focus on the specific relationships within the family unit i.e. marriage †¢ Inclusive definitions – These focus on the functions of the unit e.g. support. The Cereal PacketRead MoreSectarianism: Islam and Pakistan4378 Words   |  18 PagesSectarianism can broadly be defined as divisions within a group, such as different denominations within a religion, based on perceived differences. It does not necessarily result in conflict, but historically, sectarian divisions along religious and political lines have contributed to conflict. Sectarian religious conflict has contributed to some of the most intractable, bitter and painful episodes of aggression and persecution throughout history. For instance, conflict between Irish Catholics

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Moab Free Essays

In 1868, a stone was uncovered in the biblical city of Dibon, on which were recorded victories over the Israelites by Mesha, king of Moab. The Mesha stele or the Moabite stone described how Moab was conquered by Omri, King of Israel, as the result of the anger of the god Kemosh. Mesha’s victories over Omri’s son, over the men of Gad at Ataroth and at Nebo and Jehaz. We will write a custom essay sample on Moab or any similar topic only for you Order Now Also it described Mesha’s public buildings, restoring the fortifications of his strong places and building a palace and reservoirs for water The first few lines are dedicated to Mesha’s father, Kemosh. His influences to Mesha and how he helped him develop into the great warrior and conqueror that he was. It can be deduced from the text that Moab like most of early states was governed by king whose throne was passed to blood heirs. He particularly described Israel and its king and how he defeated them in a series of his exploits. For a long time, Israel through his king Omri and his successors oppressed Moab to which Moab through Mesha intercession of Kemosh, revolted successfully. Their successful revolt was followed by Mesha’s strong conviction to bring down Israel and conquer all the states under its control. It can be seen in the lines describing Mesha’s victory over Omri’s son and over the men of Gad at Ataroth, and at Nebo and Jehaz that Mesha was dedicated in conquering the states that fell under the control of Israel and adding those teritorries to Moab. As can be seen in the beginning of the text, lines in the inscription indicate that Mesha attributed his feats and victories to Kemosh.   In line three, it was said that Mesha made a high place for Kemosh, since Kemosh gave Mesha victory over his enemies. It can be seen in line nine that Mesha also believed that Kemosh gave Moab back her territory.   In several lines it can be seen that his actions were indeed greatly influenced by Kemosh as when Mesha slew the people of Ataroth to satisfy Kemosh and when Mesha dragged the altar-hearth of Ataroth before Kemosh. And when he answered to Kemosh’s direction to attack the town of Nebo and after his victory he devoted the inhabitants of Nebo to Kemosh. Also, the altar-hearths of Yahweh from Nebo were dragged before Kemosh. In line eighteen and nineteen, Mesha believed that it was Kemosh who drove the king of Israel out of Jahaz. Mesha also believed that it was Kemosh who directed him to fight against Horanaim in which battle Kemosh gave him victory over Horanaim. His strong belief on the great powers of Kemosh which helped him in his feats, it can be seen that they are no different to other early civilizations which are also centered to their deities and gods. Mesha through his success in conquering hundreds of territories which he appended to Moab was able to create a state so vast and rich under his control. Not only did he conquer territories he was passionate dedicated in the development and progress of his state. As can be seen in the inscriptions n the rest of the inscription , Mesha tells of restoring and fortifying cities that rightfully belonged to Moab, he built gates and towers in Qarcho ; of building a palace for himself; of constructing reservoirs for water; of building cisterns ; and of constructing a military road. His dedication in building for the progress of the state which he created is indication of his visionary plans for the state. To take a territory and not develop it would have meant dissatisfaction from the conquered, but Mesha made it a point that all that was appended to Moab were rightfully developed and maintained. As can be deduced from the inscriptions, Moab has been in constant feud with Israel. In the account of the stone, Mesha has unceasingly pursued Israel in vengeance for the oppression they have suffered under Israel. According contemporary accounts(MidEast Web, 2007), Palestine has been in conflict with Israel since the return of the Hebrews from Egypt during the time of Moses, in modern times this was repeated when British issued the Balfour Declaration, viewed by Jews and Arabs as promising a â€Å"National Home† for the Jews in Palestine. Reference: Mideast Web. 2007 Canaan/Palestine/Israel: A Brief Early History in Maps. 3 May 2007 http://www.mideastweb.org/palmaps.htm How to cite Moab, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Impact of FIRST Robotics Program Argumentative Essay Example For Students

Impact of FIRST Robotics Program Argumentative Essay It was just the second week of school, and I had mustered up all my courage to venture to the nether regions of our school known as the basement to attend the first meeting of the newly forming FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics team. When I walked into room one, the newly proclaimed FIRST headquarters, I looked around with apprehension, and I noticed that I did not recognize a single face in the room. Nervously, I took a seat, and Mr. Mothersele, the advisor for the program began describing the program. FIRST is a national engineering competition in which partnerships are formed between local businesses and high schools to design and build a robot-like machine from identical kits of parts supplied by FIRST. The team has about six weeks to build the machine which must be able to compete in a timed sporting event. As soon as I saw the video of the students working and competing with the robots, I was hooked. The program seemed tailored to my int erest in math in science and to my competitive spirit. I couldnt resist the opportunity. As a shy and relatively inexperienced freshman, I signed up for the program as the only underclassmen on the team of ten students. I bumbled along, learning about design and how to use the machines. I made my full share of mistakes and then some, but by the end of the program, I was gaining some real experience. Although our robot did not fare very well in the competition our first year, my learning process was underway, and I knew that I had found my place. The second year of the competition, I was only one of two returning students. I took an active role in recruiting new students, and our membership doubled. It was a complete role reversal for me because all of a sudden I was the experienced team member. We finished fifth out of forty teams at the regional competition, and at the national tournament, we placed in the top third. This past year, was the golden year of my FIRST career. In September, I was voted team captain. It was my job to ensure that our team was well organized and that we stayed on task. Our team advanced to the semifinals, where we lost to the eventual National Champion. We finished fourth overall, and it was an incredible success story. Over the summer, I continued to work at school with our instructor to plan for the upcoming year. Next year, I will be team captain again, and we are prepared to continue our success. I have come a long way from the timid freshman who nervously stepped into the FIRST room. As a result of my FIRST experience, I feel comfortable presenting my ideas clearly and convincingly to a large diverse audience. I have grown confidence in my own resourcefulness and problem solving ability. FIRST has taught me to trust my judgment in critical situations. Working with a diverse group of people having a variety of skills strengthened my team working abilities. To be succ essful, our team had to consider everyones ideas to produce a winning strategy. During the first two years, I gained the experience and skills necessary to assume the leadership position of team captain. As team captain, I set group goals and formulated strategies to achieve these goals. As a result of this experience I can work effectively on significant long range projects with highly focused goals. I can both work constructively as a team member and provide leadership among my peers. I developed my ability to communicate and coordinate my ideas in the corporate environment. The skills that I have gained are those needed to work in an entrepreneurial business environment which I have selected as my career objective.

Friday, November 29, 2019

In The Past, People Have Invariably Felt That If They Had Essays

In the past, people have invariably felt that if they had been wronged in some way, it was his or her right to take vengeance on the person that had wronged them. This mentality still exists, even today, but in a lesser form because the law has now outlined a person's rights and developed punishments that conform to those rights, yet allow for the retribution for their crime. However, some feel that those laws and punishments are too lax and criminals of today take advantage of them, ie. organized crime, knowing very well that the punishments for their crime, whether it be murder, theft, or any other number of criminal activities, will be so negligible that it may be well worth their risk. Although in the past, the number of crimes that were subjected to capital punishment, defined simply as the death penalty for a crime, were outrageous. Amendments were made to reflect the changes in the society's views on the morality of capital punishment. That resulted in the narrowing down of the list of one hundred crimes to twelve, punishable by the death penalty in 1833, and in 1869 it was cut down yet again to just three: treason, rape, and murder because of violent nature of these crimes. These crimes, even today, are still viewed as violent and should be punished with the highest degree of discipline available to achieve justice. After much public pressure, capital punishment was suspended on a trial run in 1967. This proved to be ineffective, because even though the law stipulated that crimes such as treason or the murder of law enforcement agents, were still to be subjected to the death penalty, the federal cabinet continued to commute those criminals from death to life sentences, hence the law was not being followed and justice was not being served. This soon was followed with capital punishment's abolishment in 1976, as a formal declaration of what was already happening or rather what was not happening. It is felt that because of this and the fact that there has not been an execution since 1967, that today's current form of punishments are no longer a sufficient deterrent for such serious crimes and have contributed to a ever rising crime rate. So, this is where the real issue of whether or not capital punishment should exist begins and such a controversial issue could be best understood if we looked at capital punishment in a perspective of how it fulfils or does not fulfil society's ideas of punishment: Is not one of the four fundamental objectives behind punishment retribution? The sentencing objective based on the principle of "an-eye-for-an-eye", which means that what one person has done to another should also be done to that person in return. Is that not justified, especially in cases of premeditated murder of another human begin, another life? Does capital punishment not act as a deterrent? Does it not threaten with an imposition of a penalty for the commission of an act considered wrong by society? What about segregation? Does capital punishment remove criminals from society so that they cannot repeat their offence or commit other offences against society? Doesn't capital punishment follow the above three objectives well Most people would say it does. But then, of course, people who support the abolishment of capital punishment would ask about rehabilitation, the re-training of prisoners with an employable skill for use when they are released. Not only is it expensive to re-train and house criminals, but with some, it is just not possible, because they are hardened criminals and will not change. For those people, it is just not worth the effort and the taxpayers' money to even attempt to reform them. Also, another point to consider is that today prison terms are not enough. Many people are allowed out early on parole and/or remission resulting in criminals just serving one third of their prison terms and being released back into society. This type of quick release cannot adequately retribute someone's death nor deter others strongly enough from repeating the same offence that the criminals already have. As you can see, capital punishment fulfils our society's"checklist" of what a punishment should do, especially the objective of retribution. Many people who want capital punishment restored, have also clearly stated that without a suitable punishments for crimes, justice will never truly be served to those that have suffered damages or losses. People will think less and less of the law and start resorting to "private law and order". This would

Monday, November 25, 2019

Life and Work of Maud Lewis, Canadian Folk Artist

Life and Work of Maud Lewis, Canadian Folk Artist Maud Lewis (March 7, 1903 – July 30,  1970) was a 20th-century Canadian folk artist. With a focus on subjects in nature and ordinary life and a folk style of painting, she became one of the best-known artists in Canadian history. Fast Facts: Maud Lewis Occupation: Painter and folk artistBorn: March 7, 1903 in South Ohio, Nova Scotia, CanadaDied: July 30, 1970 in Digby, Nova Scotia, CanadaParents: John and Agnes DowleySpouse: Everett LewisKey Accomplishments: Despite physical limitations and poverty, Lewis became a beloved folk artist, known for her brightly colored paintings of animals, flowers, and outdoor scenes.Quote:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I paint all from memory, I don’t copy much. Because I don’t go nowhere, I just make my own designs up.† Early Life Born Maud Kathleen Dowley in South Ohio,  Nova Scotia, Lewis was the only daughter of John and Agnes Dowley. She had one brother, Charles, who was older than her. Even as a child, she suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, which limited her movements, even down to her hands. Despite this, she began making art at an early age under the tutelage of her mother, who taught her to paint watercolor Christmas cards, which she then sold. Maud dealt with multiple physical disabilities that left her hunched over. At the age of fourteen, she dropped out of school for unknown reasons, although it is possible that the bullying of her classmates (due to her visible birth defects) was at least partially at fault. Family and Marriage As a young woman, Maud became romantically involved with a man named Emery Allen, but they never married. In 1928, however, she gave birth to their daughter, Catherine. Allen abandoned Maud and their daughter, and they instead continued to live with her parents. Because Maud had no income and no means to support her child, a court required Catherine to be placed up for adoption. Later in life, an adult Catherine (now married with a family of her own and still living in Nova Scotia) attempted to get in touch with her mother; she was never successful in her attempts. Maud’s parents died within two years of each other: her father in 1935 and her mother in 1937. Her brother Charles inherited everything, and while he allowed his sister to live with him for a short while, she soon moved to Digby, Nova Scotia, to live with her aunt. In late 1937, Maud answered an advertisement placed by Everett Lewis, a fish peddler from Marshalltown, who was seeking a live-in housekeeper. While she was unable to perform her job well, due to the advancement of her arthritis, Maud and Everett married in January 1938. Painting Every Surface The painted interior of Maud Lewis home, as it is preserved in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.   Courtesy of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. The Lewises lived mostly in poverty, but Everett did encourage his wife’s painting – especially once he realized they could make a small profit. He procured  painting supplies  for her, and she then accompanied him on selling trips, starting with small cards like those she had painted as a child and eventually expanding to other, larger media. She even painted nearly every suitable surface in their small home, from typical sites such as walls to more unconventional ones (including their stove). Because canvas was difficult to come by (and expensive), Maud worked on beaver boards (made of compressed wood fibers) and Masonite, among other things. These smaller items, early in her career or for personal use, were full of bright colors and designs of flowers, birds, and leaves. This aesthetic would carry over into her later work as well. Early Sales Maud Lewis,  White Cat (2), 1960s, oil on pulpboard, 31.1 x 33.8 cm. Collection of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, gift of Johanna Hickey, Vancouver, BC, 2006.   Maud’s paintings, throughout her career, focused on scenes and items out of her own life, experiences, and surroundings. Animals appeared frequently, mostly domestic or farm animals such as cows, oxen, cats, and birds. She also portrayed outdoor scenes: boats on the water, winter sleigh or skating scenes, and similar moments of ordinary life, often with a playful and cheerful tone. The greeting cards of her youth came back again, this time as inspiration for her later paintings. Bright, pure colors are a hallmark of her paintings; in fact, she was known to never blend colors, but only use the oils as they came originally in their tubes. Most of her paintings are quite small, not exceeding eight by ten inches. This is mostly due to the constraints of her arthritis: she could only paint as far as she could move her arms, which was increasingly limited. However, there are a few of her paintings that are larger than that, and she was commissioned to paint a large set of shutters by American cottage owners in the early 1940s. Gaining Wider Attention Maud Lewis,  Fall Scene with Deer,  c. 1950, oil on pulpboard, 29.5 x 34.9 cm. Collection of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, purchase 1974. During her lifetime, Maud’s paintings did not sell for large amounts. By the late 1940s, tourists had begun to stop at the Lewises’ home to purchase her paintings, but they rarely sold for more than a few dollars. In fact, they wouldn’t sell for even close to ten dollars until the final years of her life. The Lewises continued to live a meager existence, with Everett taking on the lion’s share of work around the house as Maud’s arthritis continued to degenerate her mobility. Despite the attention of the occasional tourist, Lewis’s work remained fairly obscure for the majority of her life. All that changed in 1964, when the Toronto-based national newspaper  Star Weekly  wrote an article about her as a folk artist and brought her to the attention of audience across Canada, who quickly embraced her and her work. The attention only increased the following year, when the broadcasting network CBC featured her on its program  Telescope, which featured Canadians of varying degrees of notoriety who had made a difference in some way. In the final years of her life and following these major public mentions, Lewis was on the receiving end of commissions from a wide array of important figures – most notably, American president  Richard Nixon  commissioned a pair of paintings from her. She never left her home in Nova Scotia and was unable to keep up with the demand for artwork. Death and Legacy Maud Lewis,  Maud Lewis House, mixed media, 4.1 x 3.8 m. Collection of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, purchased by the Province of Nova Scotia, 1984.   Maud’s health continued to deteriorate, and in the late 1960s, she spent most of her shuttling between painting in her home and visiting the hospital for treatment. Her declining health was exacerbated by the wood smoke of their home and the constant exposure to paint fumes without proper ventilation, and the lung issues this caused left her susceptible to pneumonia. She died on July 30, 1970, after battling pneumonia. After her death, demand for her paintings skyrocketed, as did the appearance of forgeries. Several paintings purported to be Maud’s were eventually proven to be fakes; many are suspected to be the handiwork of her husband Everett in an attempt to continue cashing in on her prominence. In recent years, Maud’s paintings have only grown more valuable. She has become something of a folk hero in her home province of Nova Scotia, which has long embraced artists with authenticity and unusual styles, and in Canada as a whole. In the 21st  century, her paintings have sold at prices well into five figures. After Everett’s death in 1979, the Lewises’ house began to fall into disrepair. In 1984, it was purchased by the Province of Nova Scotia, and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia took over the care and preservation of the house. It now dwells in the gallery as part of a permanent exhibit of Maud’s works. Her paintings have made her a folk hero among the Canadian art community, and the bright joyfulness of her style, combined with the humble, often harsh realities of her life, have resonated with patrons and fans worldwide. Sources Bergman, Brian. â€Å"Paying Tribute To Painter Maud Lewis.†Ã‚  The Canadian Encyclopedia, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/paying-tribute-to-painter-maud-lewis/Stamberg, Susan. â€Å"Home Is Where The Art Is: The Unlikely Story of Folk Artist Maud Lewis.†Ã‚  NPR, https://www.npr.org/2017/06/19/532816482/home-is-where-the-art-is-the-unlikely-story-of-folk-artist-maud-lewisWoolaver, Lance.  The Illuminated Life of Maud Lewis. Halifax: Nimbus Publishing, 1995.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Field Work and Data Collection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Field Work and Data Collection - Essay Example 2.1 Methodology The methodology used in this study is a survey and relevant research. 2.2 Tool Used A questionnaire has been prepared and other relevant information will be obtained from different sources like journals, newspapers, magazines and articles. 2.3 Rationale of Questionnaire and Other Sources Used The research method that has been used in this study in order to achieve the above mentioned objective is a questionnaire (Appendix – 1). The questionnaire consists of 16 questions that are predominantly closed-ended in nature and it has been prepared for the participants who have the willingness to participate in the same. The main focus of preparing the questions mentioned in the questionnaire was to address the issue of prevailing economic scenario and how it has affected the people. In other words, the questions have been constructed to measure the effect of and related adjustments to the GFC. Closed-ended questions were preferred over open-ended questions because the questions could be easily categorised and is quantifiable (Bechman, 2005). Moreover, closed-ended questions can be analysed easily. ... The responses of closed-ended questions are more reliable and the turnaround time is less. It implies participants have to devote less time while answering the questionnaire and there is less chance of false replies being recorded (Seibert, 2002). The main objective of this questionnaire is to identify the responses of the questions based on this study. This would help in achieving the objectives of this study too. Hence, the main focus of the questionnaire is to find the impact of the present economic scenario on how people are spending their money, particularly in groceries. Whether people have changed from where they used to shop before and have shifted to discounted stores because of the recession or have they remained loyal to large supermarkets and the reasons behind such changes, are all addressed in the questionnaire. Hence, the questionnaire used as a tool in this study was quite effective in collecting data in quick time. It was also cost effective and large volume of data was gathered quite efficiently. A random sample selection procedure was used to design the sample and in total 150 responses was collected from people in the nearby local supermarket. 50 questionnaires each were distributed to Sainsbury, Tesco and Morrison shopkeepers respectively. Since the questions were closed-ended, people were comfortable answering the questionnaire. Moreover data collection was over in quick time because customers did not have to ponder over or think much before giving their reply to the questionnaire. The questionnaire that has been prepared is mentioned below. Proper justifications and the reasons behind asking such questions have also been explained. 1. Which grocery shop is preferred by you mostly? Sainsbury†¦..

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Effective Information Dissemination Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Effective Information Dissemination - Assignment Example A simple intranet access management infrastructure that assimilates applications and platforms can generate vital and significant benefits for organisations trying to improve or enhance the use and management of their communication channels and digital identities. As a classic example, the use of a standard set of security protocols and the elimination of redundant identity stores can simplify infrastructure, reduce management efforts, enable single sign on (SSO), and make security auditing easier. Introduction Effective communication and efficient information dissemination are the approaches through which business firms and organisations synchronise their pursuits and accomplish their short- and long-term objectives. Perceptibly, technologies for managing and distributing information have changed over time, but its purpose and meaning required for human organisation have remained considerably coherent and dependable. The initiative to seek for ways to authenticate electronic requests and submissions is merely an attempt to meet the same needs that seals, signature comparison, and notary publics met in the paper world. As it is, the need to secure information on networks is exactly the same need that led to sealing wax and armed guards in previous eras using paper media. However, security requirements are not the only reasons that motivate and drive organisations to manage their information. If the information does not facilitate some further use that provides value, then ther e is no need to secure it. Basically, organisational information carries with it content that leads to action which either means a gain or a loss of resources. Customarily, an organisation strengthens its capacity to organise and direct these resources by dividing among numerous individuals the work necessary to achieve its objective. For the organisation to be effective, activities and its progress must synchronised and highly coordinated. As it is, a vital justification for the distribution and allotment of information within organisations is the conformity and management of these objectives and divergent tasks. Consistency of information is a crucial necessity for successful coordination. It is not a positive development if the existence and location of vital information stays unknown to those who need it, likewise, it is not very helpful and efficient if a team tries to reach and consensus when every member is operating from a different information base that may be conflicting or irreconcilable with the others on the team. It is a fact that data more often than not gets stale that keeping it current is an imperative necessity. At present, most organisational structures and processes have been made sophisticated to solve the problems intrinsic with paper-based information. Information currency and integrity are much simpler problems when the content does not change often, activities being coordinated are not that big or complicated and the information is centrally collected and distributed. However, these are not common characteristics of most businesses today. The distributed environments more commonly found at present need to be able to synchronise information in a distinct and novel way which requires a different set of management structures and processes than most organisations have inherited. Intranet Among the most recent catchphrases

Monday, November 18, 2019

Marketing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Marketing - Term Paper Example Branding strategies enables companies to charge a premium price (Kotler, 2003). Michael Kors built his retail empire by joining forces with some smart investors that had lot of experience and success in the retail industry. In 2003 Lawrence Stroll and Silas Chou bought a controlling interest of 85% in Kors brand for $100 million. These two entrepreneurs invested in Tommy Hilfiger in 1989 and three years later they turn his company into a publicly traded corporation. The process to turn a company from a private business into a public firm that can sell its stock in the open market is known as an initial public offering (IPO) (Investopedia, 2011). Kors has implemented a lot of smart marketing strategies that have allowed his brand to differentiate from other designers. The firm recently introduced a new collection of clothes that has the same prestige of the Kors line, but at a lower price point. Another strategy that Kors utilized to increase the profitability of the company was produ ct diversity. The utilization of a product diversification strategy enables companies to expand their market (Theproduct, 2011). Kors began selling perfumes, handbags, and watches. These products have a higher profit margin than clothes. These new products are considered cash cow products. A cash cow is a product that produces a constant dependable source of income (Answers, 2011).

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Assignment On Managing Financial Resources And Decision Finance Essay

Assignment On Managing Financial Resources And Decision Finance Essay Executive summary: In this assignment different types business forms like sole trader, partnership, and limited companies are briefly discussed. Also discussed how they perform and what are the requirements to start a business? How we finance business. The needs of financing like short, mid and long term resources include briefly in this assignment. There are share capitals, bond debenture, called up share capital, share premium, EPS dilution and diluted EPS. These terms are discussed from many books and websites. Introduction: John Caird had been working in an engineering consultancy firm. Recently he laid off with redundancy payment. He is planning to start his own business. In this assignment I discussed various forms of financing of business, how he can start his business, what are the problems of his business and many business and finance terms. Chapter-1- Identifying the sources of finance available to business. Task answer: There are several possible business options for John Caird. These options are sole trader or proprietorship, partnership and corporation. Sole trader or proprietorship 2. Partnership 3. Limited company Sole trader: a sole trader is an individual in business. Generally sole traders businesses are small with their own name. It is the most common organization. There are some advantages of being a sole trader: independence, personal service, simplicity. Since they have few legal requirements, sole proprietorships are easy to form and operate. They can also be more affordable since no legal documents need to be filed in most cases. Basically, all one has to do to form a sole proprietorship is get a business license and begin operations. Although the sole proprietorship does have the advantage of simplicity, the negatives can turn entrepreneurs away from this form of business association. The disadvantages of a sole proprietorship stem from its very nature the business and the business owner are undividable. This leads to three potential problems. First, owners can lose some beneficial tax-free perimeter benefits because they cannot participate in company-funded employee benefit plans like medical insurance and retirement plans. Second, since the owner and the business are inseparable, whoever sues the business actually sues the owner. The owners personal exposure is unlimited. Finally, the business owner is personally liable for the debts of the company, and unfortunately, personal assets can be taken to pay company obligations. Partnership: A partnership is a group of individuals working together in business with a view to making a profit. It is similar to a sole trader but has two or more owners. Like the sole trader, the partnership is not a separate legal entity from its owners. Unlike the sole trader, however, the partnership can hold property and incur debt in its name. A partnership is easy to establish and involves two or more people running a business together. The partners are the business. Examples of partnerships include group of doctors, dentists, accountants and solicitors. A partnership does not have to be registered any where but it is often advisable for partners to have a partnership agreement drawn up by a solicitor. This will state what capital. Limited Company: A limited company is a separate legal entity, owned by shareholders and run by directors. A limited company is quite different from a sole trader in that it has a legal identity separate from its owner. The owners the shareholders- are not personally liable for the companys debts, but can be made so if they are asked by a lender to provide security. A limited company must be registered at Companies house. An annual return and financial statements must be sent each year to Companys House by company. The rules for running the company must be set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association, a copy of which must also be sent to Companies House. There is must paper work involved in establishing and running a limited company. Task B Requirements Term Explanation Building and fixtures Long term It can be purchased by mortgage loan. Office Vehicle Mid tern It could be financed by commercial bank or bond. Security System Mid term Leasing and hire purchase should be suitable for it. Payroll Expense (year 1) Mid term Bank loan is a option. Marketing expense Short tern/ midterm Office Stationary Short term From personal savings. Printing and Publications Short term It can be financed by trade credit. Sources of Finance Depending on the date of maturity, sources of finance can be clubbed into the following: Long-term sources of finance: Long-term financing could be raised from the following sources: Share capital or else equity share Preference shares Retained earnings Debentures/Bonds of different types Loans from financial institutions Loan from financial firm Loans from commercial  banks Venture capital funding Asset securitization Medium-term sources of finance: Medium-term financing can be raised from the following sources: Preference shares Debentures/bonds Public deposits/fixed deposits Commercial banks Financial institutions Financial corporations Lease financing / hire purchase  financing External commercial borrowings Foreign currency bonds   Short term sources of finance: Short-term financing can be raised from the following sources: Trade credit Commercial banks Fixed deposits for a period of 1 year or less Advances received from customers Various short-term provisions Task C DEBT EQUITY None Hire-Purchase Mortgage Loan Leasing Bonds and debenture Invoice factoring Share capital Retained earnings Personal savings Cash management Invoice discounting Debt- These are cost where interest forms of payment is paid. Equity- These cost are paid from the part of profit or income. Chapter-2- Assess the implications of different sources of finance. Task D There are a number of ways of buying these things. The business might go to the bank for a loan, arrange some sort of finance deal with the supplier, use cash they have in the business or arrange a lease option. A lease effectively means that the business is paying for the use of a product but do not own it. Also it is called hiring. A lease contract on a van, for example, might mean that the firm pays out  £350 per month for a three year lease. At the end of the three years the vehicle returns to the owner. Lease agreements can be of benefit to the firm for the following reasons: It can be cheaper to organize a lease rather than having to buy apparatus outright Leases can be very flexible equipment might only be needed for a short time or for a particular development and so does not warrant being bought outright. The company that owns the equipment, machines or vehicles is liable for the maintenance and this can help decrease costs for the business. The payments made are usually fixed and will not therefore change as interest rates change. This helps business plan more effectively. (Reference from www.bized.co.uk ) Before taking any lease we should conform how long do we plan to stay? And we must know the rules and regulation of leasing party. And do there demands match with my requirements and ability. Task E Factoring  is a  financial transaction  whereby a business sells its  accounts receivable  to a third party at a  discount  in exchange for immediate money with which to finance continued business. Also it is taken when there is a massive amount of sales is done on credit. It is generally used by businesses to progress cash flow but  can  also be used to shrink administration overheads.  Business that provides this service is called factors or debt factoring companies. Invoice discounting is another way of drawing money against your invoices. However, your business retains control over the administration of your sales ledger. As well as providing finance,  it offers important support services and credit insurance. Factoring provides a fast  forestallment  against your sales ledger. It allows you, at a cost, to flexibly increase your working capital and improve cash flow. Factoring  is offered to businesses trading with other businesses on credit terms.  It is not usually available to retailers or to cash traders. Factors requirements differ, so what follow is an indication and not a firm list. We may find a matter even if the following features not met. Johns business may be suitable for factoring if it has: An annual turnover of at least  £50,000 although some factors will consider start-ups and smaller businesses Business should have more than just a few customers. No single customer accounts for more than about a third of turnover. Customers that allow the standard payment terms for the industry. Customers that agree to a reasonable period of credit. (Reference from www.businesslink.gov.uk ) Task F Trade credit is an arrangement to buy goods or services on account that is without making immediate cash payment. In other words, trade credit is Buy now, pay later. For many businesses, trade credit is a crucial tool for financing growth. Trade credit is the credit extended to you by suppliers who let you buy at this instant and pay later. Any time you take delivery of materials, equipment or other valuables without paying cash on the spot, youre using trade credit. We can acquire materials very fast by trade credit. Most of the time paying duration is very shorter than bank loans. When we are first starting our business, however, suppliers most likely arent going to offer trade credit. They are going to desire to make every order c.o.d. (cash or check on delivery) or paid by credit card in advance until we have established that we can pay our bills on time. While this is a fairly regular practice, we can still try and negotiate trade credit with suppliers. One of the things that will help us in these negotiations is a properly prepared financial plan. So Mr. John Caird could buy security system, stationeries and printings by trade credit. Task G If Mr. John Caird wants to issue share capital or bond/ debenture to increase more fund for his organization he should start limited company. Limited companies are the largest form of business enterprise. Finance is provided by individuals and financial institution- such as pension funds and unit trust managers- buying shares in the company. The way the investment is made will depend on the size of the company. Limited companies, like sole trader and partnerships need finance for long-term purposes. They may also need finance for the acquisition of other companies and business. Also limited company must follow the rules of the Memorandum and Articles of Association. There are the differences of issuing share capital and bond debenture. Issuing Shares Bonds/Debentures Type of Finance Equity Debt Cost High Relatively much lower Risk Low or no risks High Bonds and Debentures are debt instruments. The Company issues the Bond or Debenture as the case may give details of the interest to be paid and the period of the loan, and how the loan will be repaid. When we buy any bond or debenture we become a creditor to the company. Share is equity participation in the Company. When we buy a share, we become a shareholder of the company. The company will pay us dividend on the shares. To issue a share / bond / debenture, the company must be registered and must have the necessary minimum capital. Chapter-3- Select appropriate sources of finance for a business project Task H If John Caird is interested to start sole-proprietorship form of business then he should finance the following requirements:| Building and fixtures: This need long term finance. In my opinion Mr. John can go for leasing buildings and fixtures. Although there are no ownership but he can reduce finance cost. He has limited capital thats why it can be risky to buy buildings and fixtures. And when Johns business will run well he could purchase buildings and fixtures. Office Vehicle: It will better to buy on mid term loan, as means of paying it by instalments. Security system: Mid term finance is suitable for security system, because every year new and better security systems are updating. So John could go for mid term financing like- leasing. Payroll Expense (year 1): it can be financed by short term finance like-loans from commercial bank or personal savings. Marketing expense: It must be go to the short term loan. Because marketing expense vary on situation and factors. Also marketing policy changes dramatically. Office Stationary: John Caird can buy office stationary by hire purchasing. This will be best for him. Printing and Publications: Printing and publication should be financed by short term form. John can use trade credit or advances received from customer. Task I Cairn Energy illustrated that their Property, Plant Equipment- Development/Producing assets has increased from $1,119.6m in 2008 to $1,828.6m in 2009. And theres something in balance sheet called share premium which is 30 times larger than Called up share capital. Called up share capital- Called up share capital is the money required to be paid by the share holders immediately. Share premium- Share premium is the value which is set above the face value (the increased amount). Excess amount received by a firm over the par value of its shares. This amount forms a part of the non-distributable reserves of the firm which usually can be used only for purposes specified under corporate legislation. Task J EPS stands for earnings per share. The portion of a companys profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock.  Earnings per share  serve as an indicator of  a companysprofitability. Calculated as: When calculating, it is more accurate to use a  weighted average number of shares outstanding over the reporting term, because the  number of shares outstanding can change over time. However, data sources  sometimes simplify the calculation  by using the number of shares outstanding at the end of the period.( http://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/eps.asp) Diluted EPS  expands on basic EPS by including the shares of  convertibles or warrants outstanding in the outstanding shares number.   Dilution: A reduction in earnings per share of common stock that  occurs through the issuance of additional shares or the conversion of convertible securities. Diluted EPS: A  performance metric used to gauge the quality of a companys earnings per share (EPS) if all convertible securities were exercised. Convertible securities refer to all outstanding convertible preferred shares, convertible debentures, stock options (primarily employee based) and warrants. Unless the company has no additional potential shares outstanding (a  relatively rare circumstance) the diluted EPS will always be lower than the simple EPS. ( Reference by Principles of managerial finance, Tenth edition, Lawrence J Gitman.) Conclusion: From three chapters we could know the way how to finance of a company. In my opinion, to established Mr. John Caird Company he should follow this steps. Otherwise the unnecessary steps can increase and he may fall in nuisance.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Essay --

Juliette Gordon Low is the founder of girl scouts and she led a long and prosperous journey for strengthening and empowering young women; Even though she became deaf she was not deterred and she continued on with her job as the founder of girl scouts. Juliette Low was a leader all throughout her life as a child and an adult. Along her journey of girl scouting she achieved many of her goals and had many different hobbies and interests. After she passed away she was remembered for all the impacts she made on the world. The cause for Juliette’s deafness isn’t the most obvious to be sure, But it is pretty ironic how it happened. When she was young she had many ear infections which made her lose most of her hearing in one ear. But in the other ear was a more Bizarre happening. On her Wedding day, Many people showed up for the event. After the wedding was done and Juliette and her fiance’ were walking down the church steps to start their life together. All of this happened while being showered upon by rice being thrown by well-wishers. But what they didn’t know is that one piece of rice became lodged in her ear causing an ear infection in that ear. Later on, it caused deafness in both ears. Juliette Gordon Low was born in Savannah Georgia in October 31, 1860 to William Washington Gordon and Eleanor Lytle. Her maiden name is Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon. Shortly after she was born; she was given the nickname â€Å"daisy†. This later changes to â€Å"Crazy Daisy† due to personality change, positive energy, and openness. She was born into a split opinion Family with her Dad’s side of the family for succession and her Mother’s side of the family for abolition. Many neighbors were irritated that the Low family had differi... ...eginning stage of development, Low wanted them to be inclusive and independent. They started out by working on merit badges like: first aid, cooking, map reading, and knot tying. They were also known to spend a majority of their time in the outdoors participating in activities such as: swimming, camping, basketball, ect. They Introduced the idea of selling cookies as a fundraiser in 1917; This idea flew high and is still a major source of revenue for today’s girl scouts. Low decided it was enough and resigned presidency in 1920. and by 1925, the number of girl scouts grew to 90,000 girls in girl scouts. Low lead a legacy that will be remembered for a long time to come. With her outgoing personality she changed many girls lives as she met her goals and achieved many things. Becoming deaf had little effect on her, for she remained in girl scouting until the very end.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Bad corporate governance Essay

Approach Governance Governing is a process of implementing decisions, rules and regulations in a group of people. Its concept has been widely used by companies to make their workers comply a set of agreed actions that were done and ordered by the management. The management’s ways of doing rules and policies has a big effect in a company’s performance as a whole. As decision making is vital to a company, the management should be equipped with the knowledge of how they are going to make their decisions every day. Study of Good and Bad Governance Good Governance Good governance will surely give benefits to the company, employees, customers and suppliers. Its implemented decisions had considered the characteristics of Participation, Rule of Law, Transparency, Responsiveness, Consensus Orientation, Equity and Inclusiveness, Effectiveness and Efficiency and Accountability that if complied well, it will bring good feedbacks and result to the company. Bad Governance Mismanagement has always been a problem in all companies which is a start of bad governance. Bad governance emerges when conflict rises among people who are involved in the company. It includes conflict of interest, political issues among members of the company, social problems, discrimination, lack of participation and more. When employees or the people concerned to the company starts to ask questions about the decision of the company’s management, then there is an unclear part in that certain decisions being implemented that employees do not understand or agreed. Analysis All companies have their different mission and vision as their instrument and inspiration to be the best that they can to survive in a very competitive market. In this paper, we will examine the different possible causes why the UK Industrial Company and MISnet Inc. failed. Sample Study: The UK Industrial Company Failure The UK Industrials is composed of 539 firms and observed from 1988-1993. From table 1, we can see that from the original 539 companies, 56 companies from the group exit the firm because of its financial stabilities. This resulted to shake to the whole company making it like a domino effect to fail the company. The case study made by John Hunter and Natalia Isachenkova for the UK industries explained that the result of the UK Industrial failure is its lack of knowledge in determining the financial stability of the industry which is very important for investment decisions at the micro level. Individuality also played a big part in their failure because the study showed a big evidence of division from different panels as such, decision making regarding the industries financial problem, profits, liquidity, turnovers and changes were greatly affected. Aside from the causes of failure mentioned, the industry is also said to have focused on their current cash flow rather than also thinking about the future economic value of the firm according in their future cash flows.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Difference Between Revising and Editing

The Difference Between Revising and Editing Just when you thought you were done writing your paper, you realize you still need to revise and edit. But what does that mean? The two are easy to confuse, but it is important for students to understand the difference.   Revision starts once you have a finished first draft of your paper. As you reread what you have written, you might notice a few places where the wording does not seem to flow quite as well as the rest of your work. You may decide to change a few words or add a sentence or two. Work through your arguments and make sure you have evidence to back them up. This is also the time to make sure you have established a thesis and have kept your focus on that throughout your paper.   Helpful Tips for Revision Give yourself time between writing the first draft and looking at it again for revision. A few hours can give you enough time to see it with fresh eyes that are more likely to spot trouble areas.Read your paper out loud. Sometimes speaking the words helps you get a better feel for the flow of a paper.Do not worry about the editing yet. Get the big ideas down and leave the detailing for later.Make sure your paper is organized in a logical way. Make your thesis statement and follow it up with arguments, quotes, and evidence in a way that makes your purpose clear. Editing your paper happens once you have a draft you are confident in as a whole. In this process, you are going to look for the details that may have slipped by you during the writing process. Spelling errors are often caught by spellcheck, but do not trust this tool  to catch everything. Word usage is also a common problem to catch in editing. Is there a word you use repetitively? Or did you write there when you meant their? Details like this seem small on an individual basis, but as they pile up they can distract your reader.   Things to Look for When Editing Look for spelling and capitalization errors that your editing software may have missed.Punctuation can make a big impact on how your paper flows. It creates a rhythm that can completely make or break a paper.Fact-check yourself. Did you cite your quotes and sources properly?Don’t be afraid to let a friend or colleague look at it with unfamiliar eyes. Sometimes you know your material so well that your brain automatically fills in blanks or sees what you meant, rather than what you said. Someone seeing the work for the first time might catch things you didn’t. Once you get into the habit of revising and editing, it becomes a little easier. You begin to recognize your own style and voice, and even learn the mistakes  you are most susceptible to. You may know the difference between there, their, and they’re but sometimes your fingers type faster than you can think and mistakes happen. After a few papers, the process will happen more naturally.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Russian Pogroms on a more Personal level essays

The Russian Pogroms on a more Personal level essays Russian Pogroms on a more personal note At the beginning of Nicholas II's reign in 1894, Russia was faced with revolution. People were beginning to fight for political reformations, and their right to freedom of speech, but Nicholas II was attempting to make it clear that he was going to be just as strict in his guard of the autocracy as his father, Alexander III, was before him. The Russian government had just failed to gain warm water ports in the West, and was now turning toward the East, which meant inevitable war with the growing Far East empire, Japan. This far off war also served to distract the Russian people from pursuing revolution and deflect their attention to the nationalistic battle in the East. However, violence resided not only at the front against Japan, but at home within Russia's borders in the form of pogroms, where Jews were sought out and murdered by the hundreds and in some places, the thousands. In the Pogroms of 1903 to 1906, thousands of Jews were slaughtered across Russia in these waves of anti-Semitic hatred. After violent anti-Semitic campaigns had been breaking throughout Russia for months, the Russian city of Kishinev witnessed the first pogrom. Forty-five people were murdered, and 1,300 homes and shops were plundered. The violent participants in the Kishinev pogrom received very light criminal punishments, and Russians everywhere were shown that pogroms were to become perfectly acceptable and even encouraged. Russia fell to disastrous defeat in the hands of the Japanese. As the Russians were looking for someone to blame for their devastating loss, the government proposed the Jewish people as a scapegoat for the people's anger and frustration. This new program of the extermination of the enemy Jews was done quickly and without remorse, before the heat could be turned back onto the Czar and while there was still a chance that the fires of revolution could be rekindled. People were con...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Personal Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Personal Leadership - Essay Example It was not enough, so I took a Gallup strength test as well. According to the Gallup strength test (Garcia, 2012) my top five strengths were responsibility, connectedness, belief, restoration and adaptability. I also scored a 36 out of 50 on the emotional intelligence assessment, which showed that I was empathetic and self-aware of my surroundings. My social intelligence assessment also helped me understand that I have the ability to persuade and motivate people. My leadership course made me understand that all strengths have its respective shadows (Northouse, 2014). For example, if I find my strength in my belief, it can also make me narrow-minded and bad opinionated towards the beliefs of others. Moreover, it might also make me start believing in something that holds no true ground. Therefore, all of my strengths have their respective weaknesses that I need to take care of in order to become the best of the leader that I can. My strength of connectedness can also lead me to start thinking too deeply about different matters of life instead of leaving them as it is. I may be responsible but my weakness lets me take on more than necessary responsibilities on my head in order to please and try out others. Similarly, my ability to adapt to situation also causes one of the most difficult weaknesses, my failure to plan on time. The leaders that I have seen in my life have been those that have extraordinary confidence. By observing them I have understood that a leader that has the capacity to lead himself. They are typically capable with their time, their assets, and with their personnel. I accept that gratefulness presupposes obligation. A decent sample of this is the point at which some person drops some change on the ground, I accept that a grateful individual, and thus, a capable individual, will get the change. We have all seen somebody that simply carries on as though they had not in any case perceived

Saturday, November 2, 2019

A Fast Food and Bakery Take-Away counter in Downtown, Mumbai Essay

A Fast Food and Bakery Take-Away counter in Downtown, Mumbai - Essay Example The initial setup of the bakery and fast food counter would be a small one to involve as little investment and risk as possible. The preliminary research has revealed that there are very few bakeries and fast food counters in the populated areas of Mumbai and hence, the competitive edge of the project would be its location inviting a lot of pedestrian traffic on a daily basis. The main customers of the counter would be office going youngsters and students who like mobile food and snacks and have a preference for Western origin food more than their local origins. The initial setup cost of the counter including the construction, rentals, machinery, raw material, etc. is around $ 76,000, which is an estimate calculated from the data of take away counters of similar capacity. An analysis of the location tells us that Mumbai is thickly populated with people belonging to all the backgrounds: Upper class, upper middle class, middle class, lower middle class, and the lower class. The main ta rget audience of the counter would be people belonging to middle class and the higher classes. Since Mumbai is densely populated with average income people, investing in a bakery that has numerous future prospects seems like an investment that is worthwhile. Another interesting factor is the change in the eating habits of people especially among the younger lot. They prefer fast food and snacks that they can eat while on the go. Hence, a take away counter for bakery items and fast food would definitely be a profitable venture. The Gantt chart of the project shows that it would take the counter approximately more than two months starting from research up until its launch. Project Description The outcome that the project would achieve is the setup of a take-away counter selling bakery and fast food items such as hot breads, rolls, cakes, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, etc. The location of the counter would be in downtown Mumbai, India so that it gets a lot of foot traffic from the nearb y offices, schools, colleges, etc. The target market of the counter is young and middle-aged people working in offices or students who are constantly moving and need to eat outside their homes. As mentioned earlier, the eating habits of all younger generation are very different from the older lot, they prefer fast food and bakery items and thus, a counter catering to their needs would ensure lots of people coming during lunch and teatime hours. Another possible consumer base of the counter would be people with a sweet tooth and other who like to buy cakes and pastries for celebrations and religious festivals, which are abundant in India. The counter would host products such as pastries, custom made cakes, biscuits, mini muffins, etc. The counter would also place tables and chairs nearby so that consumers who want to sit can have their meals comfortably. The counter would have self-service. The packaging would be attractive and artistically done for takeaways and gifts. A study of th e market has provided that food business, specifically bakeries, fast food, and other similar outlets suffer less even in the time of recession. Another advantage with such counters is that they are easy to setup and not a lot of technical expertise is necessary. The overall business model of such ventures is pretty straight forward with a direct revenue model that does not have a lot of risk involved. The success of such a counter depends on the following factors: market need, taste and product quality. Mumbai is a metropolitan city with the people residing here belonging to all backgrounds and coming from all parts of India bringing in their own cultural heritage and taste. Here, the

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Managing Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Managing Diversity - Essay Example The history of transport in UK can be traced back to over 4000 years ago, when man was using stone tools and making the transition from a nomadic existence, living by hunting and gathering his food, to living in settlements and developing agricultural skills. Although, history of transport is very old, only during the 1930s, a few roads were upgraded to dual carriageways as a means of relieving unemployment but it was the motorway network that started to develop in the early 1960s that were the first major additions to the road network. (Reference: Shropshire Transport) Modern day today, this industry being the 5th largest employment sector in the country and over 2.3 million people being employed, the need to upgrade the employment process and policies and match the same with the other industries has risen. This is more so important to this industry as people of diverse background and cultures have taken this as a means of employment. This is where the organizational behavior comes into picture to manage diversity and aiming at "Equality" and "Equal Opportunities" for employees. As some of the greats put it, Diversity in an organization is defined as ""Diversity within organisations is about recognising the range of differences in people and valuing people as individuals, respecting their differences and their differing needs. It is also about accommodating differences wherever possible so that an individual can play a full part in the working environment" (Daniels and Macdonald, 2005, p.1). First and foremost, it has to be recognized that an individual alone is unable to fulfil all his needs and wishes and he lacks the ability, strength and time or endurance for achieving all these single handed. Therefore, he must rely on others for help to achieve these. As several people are involved, there is a need to co-ordinate and establish a chain of mutual help. It is a plain truth and fact that in order to achieve organizational goals, all involved in the system have to accommodated and looked after with the same level of interest. Respect for individuals, irres pective of caste, creed and culture is the key. This is the basic concept of managing diversity and bringing all involved, under the same umbrella with no discrimination and giving all an equal opportunity. There are many different ways of defining "equality". When looking at equality initiatives in employment, "Equal Opportunities" has become a common label. But there are many different definitions of "Equal Opportunities". The Collins Concise Dictionary defines "inequality" as "the state or quality of being unequal; disparity" (Collins Concise Dictionary, 1989, p.639). In determining inequality, a moral judgement has to be made about whether social difference is better or worse (Vincent, 1995, p.4). The focus (of EO) is on preventing unfair discrimination, so that when two people have the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Essay on Foundation of Technology Essay Example for Free

Essay on Foundation of Technology Essay In this essay, there are components that differentiate an A paper and a B paper. The A Essay evaluates criteria or ideas in the forefront and subordinates the details to the ideas. If you read with descriptive detail, insights tend to be lost or insufficiently developed. It also focuses on the value added technology tool and the value added of what the teacher does with the technology. The same technology can be used in different ways by teachers. However; the teacher remains the most important element in maximizing student’s learning. For example, if a teacher shows a video, a strong paper addresses the value of the video and the effectiveness of the integration of the video before and after the video is shown. Strengths and suggestions for improvements are also addressed. Generally the strongest essay takes a critical perspective and evaluates what works are done and how they can be improved. It also goes beyond motivation. These two are critical aspects of any learning and should not be undervalued. However, the strong essays should go beyond motivation, in order to answer why a technology was motivating to students. Much of the true insight comes from asking the why question and sometimes asking the questions more than once. For instance an essay that argues that the students were motivated by the technology and were engaged the whole period, and that the students were captivated by technology and they explored different sites. The questions asked should be why the technology was motivating to the students and what engaged them and what made the technology captivating and how different soft wares advance learning apart from motivating (Bayne, 1998, p. 38). The essay also explores readings in depth and also exploring conferences in depth too. I chose to discuss how I will use my new website to improve my teaching methods. A website is very rewarding. It is fun and a great way keep in touch with your family and students. The website has made impact on my image and also given me identity and global presence. I use my presentation skills, without the presence of the internet. I can also download content and have them in cd’s for classroom presentation. Students can get information of upcoming events and changes from the web site. Teachers can now visit my website and download information for our thematic units. I can also help them design theirs. It has also been useful in situations where I have to update it with my students work for parents to see and assist in their studies back home. It’s necessary for teachers to have their own websites in the modern age in order to create sites that can help their students. The fact that students need computer education to help them access the net should not be overlooked. This makes it easier for them to access information whenever they need it. The No Child Left Behind mandates that students should be competent enough when it comes to technology since almost everything is technology based nowadays. They will have to know how to think critically, to be creative, analyze information, understand new ideas, communicate effectively, collaborate, solve problems, and make decisions (Bayne, 1998, p. 66). In my analysis, of my second lesson, I will design a lesson plan to guide me through the teaching process. The topic is about the importance of integrating technology, applying the standards of education and the use of assessments. I’ve realized that integrating technology enhances learning through encouraging and simplifying the seeking and grasping of the meaning of the content being taught. Application of new technology in classroom environment by students has helped to improve learning outcomes which involved deeper understanding. From the peer review conducted, I realized that the students enjoyed the integration of technology in the classroom and retained content in their minds. Introducing standards of education in the classroom will enhance the learning experience by pointing students to available design and marketing tools, and best industry practices. Knowledge of these standards makes the students align the educational concept with real-world applications and market issues. If students don’t learn about educational standards, they may need elementary instruction in their first jobs, have a higher propensity for operating outside of best or accepted industry practices, waste resources and fail in duties to align their products or services with desired markets. Without a guide line component in their education, students may graduate without knowing the barriers presented by using incorrect standards, and without realizing the importance of standards in marketing and product acceptance. If the regulatory standards in reference are not met it results into product non-conformance, or higher development or other costs. Students have to understand the need to design, from inception, to the standards required to achieve marks. When creating a lesson plan, the teacher should tell the students the objective of the lesson, teach the objective, and evaluate the objective. This means that the lesson plan should contain the key concept of the topic, objectives, pre-planning, learning materials, Anticipatory Set (How I will simulate the children so that they will learn what I want to teach. It will also have the procedure I will take when teaching and duration of my teaching process. Closure is also needed. This is the summary of the topic and finally evaluation (Bayne, 1998, p. 113). Assessment can be formal or informal when integrating technology. Most software packages have assessments or built in criteria in it. I have learned that incorporating electronic portfolio is another way to enhance teaching with technology or a teacher can design their own rubrics. However, innovative activities require a reliable and valid mean of measuring students’ progress along with student journals and designing projects. In conclusion, the lesson planning was great and I thank God I had the opportunity to integrate technology in my class and enhance learning for my students. Reference Bayne, J. N. (1998). Strategic plans for technology. New York: Hill crest.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Voluntary Euthanasia Should Be Legalized Philosophy Essay

Voluntary Euthanasia Should Be Legalized Philosophy Essay Euthanasia comes from the Greek word Eu which means good and Thanatos meaning death Euthanasia. In modern usage, it has come to mean a gentle and painless death. Life is ended for a compassionate reason by an active or passive step taken by another person or the individual whom is suffering from a terminal illness or agonizing pain with no hope recovery. Voluntary euthanasia should be legalized in the United States, because a terminally ill, rational human being has the right to choose how they live and how they die. Individuals can choose to drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, eat an unhealthy diet and choose to not exercise, which will enviably lead to a shorter life expectancy as well as a terminal disease. However, none of these choices are illegal, uncommon or generally perceived as unethical. To force someone who is essentially going to die a very slow and agonizing death to live, changes their right to live to an obligation to live. Therefore, to deny euthanasia is to deny a persons right to autonomy and obligate them to suffer for the benefit of an outside agents belief. Euthanasia is broken down into voluntary, involuntary, non-voluntary categories and into sub categories of active and passive. Voluntary euthanasia refers to choosing to end life to escape prolonged suffering with either verbal consent or a written document such as a living will. Involuntary euthanasia refers to the mercy killing of an unconscious or comatose patient who is otherwise unable to explicitly make his intentions known. Non-voluntary euthanasia is taking a patients life without consent; murder. A well known philosopher Peter Singer believes, The consequences of an act or omission will often be, in all significant respects, indistinguishable. If a child needs antibiotics to survive an illness, not giving them is the moral equivalent of administering a lethal injection. Most of our moral guidelines are written to be in a negative format, do not kill as opposed to a positive format, you must preserve life. This is the only thing that bares weight to the argument that there is a difference between killing and letting die. Singer also believes, Just as preference utilitarianism must count a desire to go on living as a reason against killing, so it must count as a desire to die as a reason for killing. Singer has declared that the principle of respect for autonomy tells us to allow rational agents to live their own lives according to their own guidelines and decisions and to be free from coercion or interference. Should a rational agent choose to die, then respect for autonomy will lead us to assist them in their decision to die if they choose to do so. Singer refers to an earlier section of his book and restates these four reasons not to kill a self-conscious being; 1. The classical utilitarian claim that since self-conscious beings are capable of fearing their own death, killing them has worse effects on others. 2. The preference utilitarian calculation that counts the thwarting of the victims desire to go on living as an important reason against killing. 3. A theory of rights according to which to have a right one must have the ability to desire that to which one has a right, so that to have a right to life one must be able to desire ones own continued existence. 4. Respect for the autonomous decisions of rational agents. When considering voluntary euthanasia, active or passive, all four of these ideas favor euthanasia not the preservation of life. In 1 the fear of death does not exist and others will not fear being killed against their will if they must ask for euthanasia before it can be administered. In 2 the victim of euthanasia has no desire to go on living and can only be thwarted by prolonging their life. If a person must desire life to have a right to it no right is violated by voluntary euthanasia as in number 3. The fourth reason is one of the foremost arguments for euthanasia, autonomous decision. Mirko Bagaric, a professor at Deaken University, argues that legalizing voluntary euthanasia will cause health care professionals to carry out acts of non-voluntary euthanasia and cites 2 wide spread studies from the 1990s that revealed abuse of end of life decisions in the Netherlands where it is legal. Professor Bagaric asserts that in roughly 1000 cases in each study euthanasia was carried out without the patients legal consent. However, he fails to conclude whether or not these causes were due to the lack of ability to consent or articulation of wanting to continue life. Another argument brought forth by Professor Bagaric is the risk that some lives, namely the terminally ill, will be seen as less valuable than others. This would lead to a logical conclusion that an individuals capacity to flourish is diminished due to mental, social or physical problems and they would be candidates for euthanasia also. The Declaration on Euthanasia by The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued by The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and signed by Pope John Paul II argues that, Human life is the basis of all goods, and is the necessary source and condition of every human activity and of all society. The declaration goes on to state that, Nothing and no one can in any way permit the killing of an innocent human being, whether a fetus or an embryo, an infant or an adult, an old person, or one suffering from an incurable disease, or a person who is dying. The justification offered is the intrinsic value of human life and to their believers the divine gift life represents. According to Roman Catholic teaching suffering, particularly during the last moments of life has a special place in Gods plan and is a sharing of Christs pain and sacrifice. The declaration offers exclusion for double effect action. According to James Fieser, if a pain medication is given to alleviate pain, even if the medical practitioner administering it knows it will speed the death of the patient, and no other pain management is available the act is morally permissible. The declaration further elaborates that even if the patient is not lucid enough to indicate whether they want the medication or not, it should be given. The declaration also distinguishes the difference between medical and biological life support being removed. Feeding tubes serve a biological function by feeding a patient and cant be discontinued on a live person. However, dialysis or chemotherapy serves a medical function and the decision to discontinue treatments such as these is the discontinuation of a medical support and therefore permissible if the costs are disproportionate to the expectations. All four of these positions focus on a few key points. First, is the intrinsic worth of life subject to termination under the authority of personal autonomy? Taking a utilitarian perspective of maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain, ending all pain permanently is preferable to existing in pain with no hope of pleasure and therefore moral. Arguments made by the Roman Catholic Church declare that life is divinely inspired and taking life for any reason not moral. However, even under the guise of divine moral law, it is permissible to administer pain medication in lethal doses and refuse treatment which could sustain life. This conflicts with the statement, It is necessary to state firmly once more that nothing and no one can in any way permit the killing of an innocent human being, whether a fetus or an embryo, an infant or an adult, an old person, or one suffering from an incurable disease, or a person who is dying. Singer and Battin showed that there is no moral difference between an act and omission in terms of the consequence. Therefore, the churchs declaration truly describes two opposing views in an attempt to make a definitive statement that is consequentially as clear as mud. From a utilitarian perspective the authors advocating euthanasia make good logic points that euthanasia, at least in some cases, is moral and often active euthanasia is a moral requirement. The authors condemning euthanasia still put forth evidence and arguments that, from a utilitarian perspective euthanasia is at least sometimes moral. However, if I was sick and in pain with no hope of recovery I would feel much more comfortable in the Netherlands with Singer as the executor of my durable power of attorney for healthcare.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Amazon.com Essay -- Biography, Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos, founder, chief executive officer, president, and board chairman of the mega Internet store Amazon.com is considered one of the most innovative entrepreneurs of the e-commerce industry. At the age of 31, with just a computer science degree, little funding from his family, and a challenging idea, Bezos set out to pursuit his entrepreneurial vision of a internet bookstore which had turn into the biggest online retailer of our times (Jeff Bezos, 2007). Born in January 12, 1964, Bezos demonstrated intense scientific and mechanical interests since an early age. Parents, Miguel Bezos, a Cuban immigrant engineer, and Jackie Gise Jorgensen were impressed when their three-year-old Jeff dismantled his crib apart using a screwdriver (Business, 2006). Bezos’ early age was not different, attending River Oaks Elementary in a Houston Texas suburb while playing scientist from their parent’s garage. From the garage laboratory Bezos assembled an electric alarm to keep his younger cousins away from his workstation. Bezos spent most of the summers at his grandfather’s ranch at Cotulla, Texas were he would display his mechanical skills by repairing tractors, windmills, among other tasks (Jeff Bezos, 2007). In late 1970’s the family moved to Miami, Florida were Bezos attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School. The young man continued his early achievement when he was named valedictorian of his senior class in 1982, and was awarded with the Silver Knight Award from the Miami Herald (Business, 2006). Easily accepted, Bezos attended Princeton University and graduated in 1986 with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering, earning Phi Beta Kappa membership in the process (Business, 2006). Bezos’ entrepreneurial personality... ...e (Esten, 2007). Bezos entrepreneurial visions when further that Amazon when in 2004 he helped found Blue Origin, a human spaceflight tourism start-up company. Recently, the 43 years old capitalist had been using a lot of his time and business knowledge to philanthropic work, heading his own foundation and addressing important issue to the whole world (Jeff Bezos, 2007). Jeff Bezos have proved to be a very successful businessman with an incomparable entrepreneurial vision for opportunities. He led a small garage start-up e-bookstore to become the biggest online retailer in the world. During the process he reaffirmed his position as a great leader, manager, and human being. Recognized by multiple institutions in the business world and out of it, Bezos deserves the respect of the global society for having revolutionized the way the world shops online.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Persian Society: 1673-1677 Essay

Jean Chardin was a well-educated son of a French jeweler. Chardin was a well-known European traveler of Persia in 17th century who produced substantial literature on Persian society. In his book Travel to Persia, Chardin describes the Persians as those who spend their money without care as soon they get it with no thought spared to their future needs. As soon as they lay their hands on some money, they either buy slaves, hire wives, set up a well-equipped carriage, furnish a house extravagantly and/or dress sumptuously (185). The Persians are characterized as kind, generous, and helpful to strangers, abhor fighting and worship Gods name. They are vigilant about the education of their children, they send their children twice a day to school and after school they keep them involved in their business and profession. They keep eunuchs to monitor their children strictly, not allowing them to go out on streets and to meet the relatives only with a eunuch serving as chaperone. At the age of sixteen, they marry their children off and do not allow them travel before they turn twenty (188-189). Chardin further elaborates that Persian men visit young women if their wives are over thirty and their wives, if they become pregnant early, get their fetus’ aborted because of fear of waning interest of their husbands. This situation did result in a decrease in their population. They are very civilized people but their behavior also encompasses negative characteristics too such as use of coarse and vulgar language, cheating, lying and frequently breaking promises (129-130). According to Chardin, â€Å"They are not to be trusted in service, nor in all other engagements† (187). Thus Chardin has depicted the conflicting character of Persian society in his book by stating that, â€Å"Whoever sees them only passing by, or in a visit, will always give them the best character in the world, but he that deals with them and pries into their affairs will find that there is little honesty in them† (188).

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The British Government Vs the US Government

The United States and Britain are two powerful democracies in the world that always tried to uphold the values of democratic system and propagate those values across the globe. In most cases, they share same views and opinions in restoration of peace and democracy in different parts of the world. There are several factors that bring the countries closer. The similarity in the political system of both the countries is one of those factors. Their political systems also differ in many aspects. However, still they share almost the same values and principles.The government system of these counties are so strong and convincing that many countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and others have adopted their constitution from these countries. The British Government, a Brief Overview Britain has a parliamentary democratic system with a constitutional monarch. Queen is regarded as head of the state. Unlike other constitutions in the world, the British constitution is made up of a combination of laws and practices that are not legally enforceable.However, they are considered as vital to the functioning of the government. â€Å"The British government system is divided into four parts: the Monarch, the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. Although Queen is not involved in the day-to-day operation of the government, she is an integral part of all branches of the British government system† (James, 1999: 41). Britain provides a unique example of balance between the monarchy and democracy. Both Queen and the democratic head of the country perform their responsibilities without any conflict. The US Government, an OverviewThe political system of the United States gives a strong framework for a federal presidential form of democratic government. There is no monarchy in the United States. Unlike some other democracies in the world, the President keeps most powers in his hands. The president is both head of state and head of government. He is also t he head of a two-party legislative and electoral system. â€Å"The US government system includes the Executive headed by the President, the legislature and the judiciary. Legislative power is vested in the Congress that has two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives.Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature and is comprised of the US Supreme Court and lower courts† (Vile, 1999: 31). The judiciary also has the power and authority to resolve the disputes between the executive and legislature. The British Parliament and the US Congress â€Å"The major difference between the government systems of Britain and the United States is the basis on which they are formed. While Britain has the parliamentary form of government, the United States has the presidential form of government† (Lijphart, 1992: 31).The legislature in Britain is known as the Parliament. It is made up of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Queen as constitutiona l monarch. â€Å"The House of Commons has 651 elected representatives who are called the Members of Parliament. They represent local constituencies. The House of Lords is comprised of 1,185 members who are selected on hereditary terms, two archbishops and the 24 most senior bishops† (James, 1999: 45). The center of parliamentary power in Britain is the House of Commons. â€Å"The House of Lords has limited powers in the functioning of the government.Traditionally, it complements the House of Commons and does not indulge in any type of conflict† (James, 1999: 46). The British Parliament uses several procedures to control the executive branch of the government system. When any report is prepared, the House of Commons gets the ultimate power to pass the resolution. If the House rejects any proposal, that becomes tantamount to be a no-confidence against the government. Like the British government system, the US Congress is also bicameral. It is comprised of the House of Re presentatives and the Senate.â€Å"The House has 435 members who represent the congressional districts. They serve a two-year term. House seats are determined on the basis of population in the respective states. The US Senate has 100 members. Each state sends two senators to the Senate who serve a six-year term. Both Senators and Representatives are elected through direct election† (Vile, 1999: 54). In the British government system, the House of Lords has very limited powers to decide the passage of any bill or proposal. However, this is not the case with the US Senate.â€Å"The Senate's advice and consent is required to confirm the President's nominations to high-level positions in the executive and the judiciary† (Vile, 1999: 52). Voting system in the British political system and the US political system is similar. In Britain, general elections are held every five years to choose MPs. Similarly, in the US, the President and the members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years. Voting is conducted through a secret ballot and the minimum age requirement to participate in voting is 18 in both countries.Political Parties Political parties in Britain and the United States play a major role in determining the course of the government. The political party system is essential to the smooth functioning of the constitution. Although there are several small parties in Britain, the contest is always between two major political parties, the Conservative Party and the Labor Party. All the general elections have been won by these parties. The smaller parties are mostly represented in local governments.After every general election, the government is formed by the party that gains majority in the House of Commons. The leader of the winning party is appointed as Prime Minister by the Queen. â€Å"The Prime Minister appoints about 100 ministers. Out of them, at least 20 ministers get the rank of cabinet ministers. They take all major policy de cisions. Ministers are responsible for government decisions, as they are party to it† (Lijphart, 1992: 46). The opposition party, which gets less number of votes, plays a constructive role to challenge government policies and present an alternative.The policies are always carried out by government departments that are accountable to the respective ministries. However, these departments are staffed by neutral civil servants who have no association with any political party. They perform the executive functions of the government. The political system of Britain and the US is quite similar. Although they function as multi-party system, only two major parties in both countries hold much importance. The United States has two major political parties, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party that dominate the political spectrum of the country.â€Å"It is true that the political parties have not been recognized or registered by the law either in Britain or in the United States. H owever, they are regulated by the constitutions of individual states or counties that organize elections both at local and national level. Despite having multi-party system, both countries have been limited to a bi-party system† (Lijphart, 1992: 48). Decision Making Group In Britain, the decision-making group is comprised of the Prime Minister and his group of ministers. â€Å"The government of the United Kingdom contains a number of ministries.Each of them is led by a senior minister who is supported by some junior ministers† (James, 1999: 61). Any major decision taken by the government first goes through the House of Representatives and then goes to the Queen for her approval. â€Å"In the United States, the decision-making group comprises of the President and the Cabinet appointed by him. The Cabinet includes the Secretary of State, Attorney General and secretaries of other federal executive departments† (Vile, 1999: 60). The US has separate state departments. Each department is headed by a Secretary who directly reports to the President. Once a bill is prepared, it goes through the House of Representatives and the Senate. It becomes law only after both the houses approve it. Judicial System The British judicial system is completely different from the American judicial system. Britain does not have a single judicial system. It has separate judicial systems for the member countries. â€Å"England and Wales have one judicial system while Scotland has its own judiciary. Northern Ireland has another judicial system.The Lord Chancellor, who is the head of the judiciary in England and Wales, appoints judges and magistrates for criminal courts. He plays an active role in the executive, legislature and judiciary† (James, 1999: 71). The US Constitution provides scope for a powerful judiciary. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial authority in the United States. It is regarded as the guardian of the constitution. The judiciary of the US is completely independent of the executive and the legislature. â€Å"The Justices of the Supreme Court are nominated by the President with the consent of the Senate.While the Supreme Court is established by the US Constitution, all other federal courts are created by the Congress† (Vile, 1999: 62). The Supreme Court has the authority to hold both original and appellate jurisdiction. Functions of the Government The British government makes strategies with the help of group of ministers, approval of the House of Commons and the final assent from the Queen. However, it is not possible for the government to implement the policies without the help of the government departments. Government departments and their agencies are instrumental in implementing government policy.They often work with the local authorities, statutory boards and other government-sponsored organizations. The major government departments in Britain include the Ministry of Defense, Departmen t of Social Security, Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Employment. These departments are headed by ministers. However, there are some departments that are headed by permanent officials from Civil Service. â€Å"Many government departments are assisted by advisory councils or committees. These bodies are generally appointed by the respective ministers† (James, 1999: 79).Members from the Civil Service are integral part of the government activities. Their responsibilities range from policy formulation to carrying out the day-to-day duties of public administration. The US government carries out its operations through various departments. â€Å"Although the President and the US congress formulate strategies, the federal executive departments implement these policies in the country. They work closely with the state governments and the local governments. The federal executive departments are headed by the members of the Cabinet† (Lijphart, 1992: 65).The main government departments in the United States are the Department of State, Department of Treasury, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education and Department of Homeland Security. Heads of these departments are called as Secretaries. Conclusion The United States and Britain always worked closely to restore peace and democracy in different parts of the world. Sometimes they used force to achieve their objective and received huge criticism for that.However, their dedication towards democracy, world peace and maintaining the constitutional values cannot be undermined. They always turned against the dictatorship and fascism and promoted democratic principles across the globe. The government systems of the United States and Britain are so popular that many governments have adopted them in their own countries. Bibliography James, Simon. British Cabinet Government. London: R outledge, 1999. Lijphart, Arend. Parliamentary versus Presidential Government. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. Vile, M. J. C. Politics in the USA. London: Routledge, 1999.