Presidential approval ratings essays

Presidential approval ratings essays Presidential approval ratings can either increase or decrease. It fluctuates by how well the people perceive the president is doing his job. If they like what they see, they are for the president. But, if times are tough, they use the president as the scapegoat for their problems. A) Presidential approval ratings decrease when negative events or moral decreasing events occur. The nation doesnt like to have a president who partakes in actions that hurt the character of the nation or the character of themselves. When incidence like that happen, the people start to evaluate the capabilities of the president. The president is seen as a figure head of our country and if they mess up, they are likely to have a decrease in approval. Nixon is a good example of a decrease in approval ratings. When the nation found out about his involvement in the Watergate scandal and his lying to the court, they quickly lost respect for him as a person and as a president. This helped force his resignation from the White House. Clinton was also involved in a scandal but his sexual relations didnt have anything in his running of the country, which was very good at the time. Even though he was going through legal battle, the country was still flourishing. Presidential approval ratings also decrease during times of economic hardship. When the country is doing bad, and people are losing money, prices are being inflated, or there is a rise of unemployment, the president is the person that everyone points their finger to. He is supposed to prevent economic hardship and when he cant, people quickly lose hope in his capabilities. An example of this is Hoover and the Great Depression. Hoover was president during the time of the Depression and even though he was the cause of the depression, people still blamed him for the loss of money and jobs. He implemented many policies like Public Works (appropriated $750 million for public works sti...

Free Essays on The Rally Round the Flag Phenomenon

The â€Å"Rally ‘Round the Flag† Phenomenon â€Å"No one should be surprised if President Bush sought to divert attention from the budget deficit and savings and loan scandal by taking military action against Iraq†¦he would not be the first president to act forcefully abroad for partisan advantage†¦Ã¢â‚¬  -As heard on National Public Radio, McNeil-Lehrer News Hour, 1990 (Lian, Oneal, 1993) â€Å"Popular response to a president during an international crisis is favorable, regardless of the wisdom of the policies he pursues.† (Polsby, 1964) â€Å"Either you’re with us, or you’re with the terrorists.† George W. Bush (Washington Post, 20 Sept. 2001) It has become an accepted fact in American politics that when crisis occurs, the president’s public popularity rises dramatically. Much has been written about this phenomenon, often referred to as the â€Å"rally round the flag† phenomenon, yet there seems to be a lack of material regarding how presidents have used this effect to their advantage. What has been written to support this â€Å"rally effect† theory? Could it be possible for an administration to do anything from avoiding scandal to pushing through legislation, in order to enhance the current administration, by capitalizing on the â€Å"rally round the flag† mentality? One of the first and most prominent study of the â€Å"rally round the flag† phenomenon comes from John Mueller’s: War, Presidents and Public Opinion. Certain intense international events will tend to generate an effect that will give a brief boost to the popularity of the president. (Mueller, 1973) It has even been noted that the first effect of an international crisis is the President’s popular standing. (Waltz, 1967). A rally event has been defined by Mueller as having three characteristics. First, an event must confront the nation as a whole, on an international scale. Second, this event must envelope the United States and ... Free Essays on The Rally Round the Flag Phenomenon Free Essays on The Rally Round the Flag Phenomenon The â€Å"Rally ‘Round the Flag† Phenomenon â€Å"No one should be surprised if President Bush sought to divert attention from the budget deficit and savings and loan scandal by taking military action against Iraq†¦he would not be the first president to act forcefully abroad for partisan advantage†¦Ã¢â‚¬  -As heard on National Public Radio, McNeil-Lehrer News Hour, 1990 (Lian, Oneal, 1993) â€Å"Popular response to a president during an international crisis is favorable, regardless of the wisdom of the policies he pursues.† (Polsby, 1964) â€Å"Either you’re with us, or you’re with the terrorists.† George W. Bush (Washington Post, 20 Sept. 2001) It has become an accepted fact in American politics that when crisis occurs, the president’s public popularity rises dramatically. Much has been written about this phenomenon, often referred to as the â€Å"rally round the flag† phenomenon, yet there seems to be a lack of material regarding how presidents have used this effect to their advantage. What has been written to support this â€Å"rally effect† theory? Could it be possible for an administration to do anything from avoiding scandal to pushing through legislation, in order to enhance the current administration, by capitalizing on the â€Å"rally round the flag† mentality? One of the first and most prominent study of the â€Å"rally round the flag† phenomenon comes from John Mueller’s: War, Presidents and Public Opinion. Certain intense international events will tend to generate an effect that will give a brief boost to the popularity of the president. (Mueller, 1973) It has even been noted that the first effect of an international crisis is the President’s popular standing. (Waltz, 1967). A rally event has been defined by Mueller as having three characteristics. First, an event must confront the nation as a whole, on an international scale. Second, this event must envelope the United States and ...

Reducing and preventing obesity (through proper exercise, nutrition, Research Paper

Reducing and preventing obesity (through proper exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle changes) - Research Paper Example Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States that affects two-thirds of the adult population (American Obesity, n.d.). Not only is it physically unappealing, but the health risks involved with obesity should be everyone’s concern. Obesity has been linked to cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes, and increased morbidity (Flegal, Carroll, Ogden and Curtin, 2010). The statistics on obesity over the past few decades have been staggering. Obesity is preventable through proper nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Obesity is classified as a chronic illness of extreme relevance that appropriate government agencies have included it as one of its priorities under the national agenda of Health People 2020. Categorized under ‘Nutrition and Weight Status’, the program’s goal was to â€Å"promote health and reduce chronic disease risk through the consumption of healthful diets and achievement and maintenance of healthy body weights† (Healthy People 2020, n.d., par. 1). Defining obesity necessitates understanding the important element of using the body mass index as the framework for computation. The body mass index â€Å"determines whether a person’s weight is appropriate for height by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared† (Delaune and Ladner, 2006, 345). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially provided separate definitions of obesity for adults and for children and teens, to wit: â€Å"An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese† (CDC: Definition for Adults, 2010, par. 2).... ory to obesity, presenting the consequences, prior to delving into the suggested interventions to address the dilemma through proper nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes. Scope and Nature of the Problem The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged obesity as a global problem. According to its official website, â€Å"once considered a problem only in high income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings† (WHO, 2011, par. 1). Data and statistics provided by CDC indicate that despite the goals identified under the Healthy People 2010 program to reduce the proportion of adults and children who are obese (CDC: Healthy People 2010, n.d.), the recent report revealed that â€Å"in 2009, no state met the Healthy People 2010 obesity target of 10%, and the self-reported overall prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults had increased 1.1 percentage points from 2007† (CDC: Vital S igns, 2010, 1). The alarming outcome and the continuing increasing trend have proven the need for intensive efforts to focus on interventions that would create a positive impact on preventing and reducing obesity. The WHO (2011) published relevant facts pertinent to global statistics on obesity and overweight, as cited below: â€Å"1.5 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these 1.5 billion overweight adults, over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese. Overall, more than one in ten of the world’s adult population was obese† (par. 7) Despite the disturbing figures and statistics, WHO indicated that obesity can be prevented. Aside from identifying changes in factors contributory to obesity, lead agencies, social work and health care practitioners have specifically detailed

Applied statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Applied statistics - Essay Example We apply econometric techniques over the period 1970 to 2002, involving 33 observations. In our notation, LGDP is natural logarithm (ln) of real Gross Domestic Product, LC is the log of consumption, LDI is the log of domestic investment, LX is the log of exports, LM is the log of imports, LG is the log of government expenditure and LFDI is the log of FDI. According to Gujarati (2004: 176-177), this model is called as the constant elasticity model that assumes a constant elasticity relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable, logarithm of gross domestic product. The coefficients associated with the independent variables measure the elasticity of the dependent variable with respect to independent variables, or the percentage increase in the dependent variable (Gujarati 2004: 176). The methodology of this work is informed by the works of Woolridge 2004:2-6 as well as Gujarati 2004:10-12. We begin with economic growth model 1 in which the national income function Y=C+I+G+(X-M). In model 1, however, I = DI + FDI where DI = domestic investment and FDI = foreign direct investment. For model 1 and for the rest of model as well, we assume the existence of constant C in the regression. Otherwise, interpretation of the regression will be different without a slope (Gujarati 2004: 167-169). We need not worry on the interpretation of the constant in a regression because it need not always have an interpretation (Gujarati 2004: 167-169). Table 1 suggests that all regressor variables of the regression, except for LFDI and LG are significant at the 0.01 level. This means that for all coefficients, except LFDI and LG, we can reject the applicable null hypothesis that ï  ¢i =0 to accept alternative hypotheses that are consistent with economic theory. Based on the theory of the national income function in economics, we expect the signs to be as follows: ï  ¢2>0, ï  ¢3>0, ï  ¢4>0, ï  ¢5>0, ï  ¢6>0, and ï  ¢7

Intelligence Agencies and Just War on Terrorism Essay Example for Free

Intelligence Agencies and Just War on Terrorism Essay America and its allies face Ð ° world that has become more and more dangerous with its weapons of mass destruction and Ð ° shadowy world of terrorists more than willing to use them. The wisdom of the past does not have the prescience or universal insight to deal with this new threat. America and its allies must change direction if they wish to respond to the challenge in an effective manner, even if it means employing policies that seemed dubious in the past. The state is called to protect its citizens in Ð ° Machiavellian world, filled with depravity and compromise. The church is called to submit to the superior wisdom of those who have the special intelligence, experience and expertise to handle the current crisis. Our forefathers came from Europe to settle in Ð ° wilderness that was not always hospitable. Death was imminent, and survival was uppermost on all their minds. The settlement in Jamestown, after the death of Powhatan, suffered an unprovoked attack at the hands of the Native Americans in 1622, in which some 375 settlers were massacred. The immediate response was to make Ð ° perfidious treaty with the natives and then starve them by burning their crops late that summer. It was Ð ° matter of survival. It was either ‘us or them’. (Amit 2003 127) â€Å"The same policy was followed by the Puritans of Massachusetts when the Pequot Indians, Ð ° most war-like people, presented an imminent threat in the mind of these settlers. Rather than wait around to die, they proceeded to attack them first, killing in one horrific conflagration of Ð ° Pequot fort some 4oo men, women and children. The exact motives behind the massacre remain unclear, but no doubt survival was uppermost in their minds. Today the situation that confronts the American people is not so different. It is similar to that of their ancestors in many ways and direr in regard to the number of lives at stake. one can debate whether the times have ‘waxed worse and worse’, but it is beyond question that the times have proved ‘more and more critical’ with their weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the ever-increasing number of potential users. The nation of Israel felt this threat in 1981 when it conducted Ð ° pre-emptive strike against an Iraqi nuclear reactor. The United States roundly condemned the action at the time, but with the threat now facing them from this and other rogue nations Ð ° new policy has emerged. The nefarious intentions of the Iraqi regime are apparent to most observers. It appears as if this regime plans to continue the production of WMD and deliver these weapons themselves or distribute them through the shadowy world of terrorist networks to designated targets in this clandestine manner. The signs of the times are all around us. Iraq already has violated over fifty UN resolutions to date. The UN inspectors revealed that Saddam was vigorously working on Ð ° stockpile of WMD—chemical, biological and nuclear, and by the mid-9os he began to deny them access to his supply. He already has used these weapons against his own people and waves of foot soldiers in his war with Iran. He has pledged on Ð ° number of occasions to bring destruction upon the United States, and even planned the assassination of its former president, George Bush. He has subsidized and continues to support terrorist groups throughout the region, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad according to seized Palestinian documents. His relation to terrorism is Ð ° matter of grave concern. â€Å"(Rahul 2002 37-44) It provides Ð ° special channel to deliver and promote his wicked designs, Bin Laden has called it Ð ° ‘religious duty’ for his minions to obtain and use WMD against the infidels, but he knows that his terrorist network needs help. It is only in the movies that Dr No is able to create the facilities to manufacture and deliver WMD. In the real world of terrorism, the capacity to make and utilize these weapons requires the help of Ð ° government. Aum Shinrikyo, Ð ° Japanese cult, tried to kill thousands of commuters with Ð ° potent nerve agent but managed to kill only Ð ° dozen after spending somewhere around thirty million dollars. The loss of these lives was tragic but much less than expected and displayed the complexity of operations using these agents. The cult was not able to produce the chemical (sarin) in sufficient purity and resorted to using Ð ° most primitive delivery system—carrying it on Ð ° train and piercing bags of it with tips of umbrellas. Ð  government working with Ð ° terrorist organization would produce Ð ° more lethal combination. 3 In light of this threat, it appears as if the only long-term solution is to eliminate the regime in Baghdad. Some would argue that there is no need to rush into war. But one wonders how realistic this option is in view of the track record of the regime. Is it realistic to believe that Iraq would comply with inspectors? It did not the first time around, not in toto, would the UN impose the necessary sanctions and penalties if it did not? Or would it ignore certain closed doors and cave in as it did before to Iraqi demands? And even if unmolested, would the inspectors catch the regime in its lies, knowing that it is likely to play Ð ° shell game and was given four years to hide its weapons? (Bruce 2003 44) Donnes fatalistic maxim succinctly defines the essential context that modern intelligence services function within, and the variables determining their relative fortunes. Their experiences suggest that they are very human institutions largely shaped by the vagaries of circumstances beyond their control, not to mention misfortune and luck. As refined information used by the state to further national goals and policies, intelligence is directed, collected, analyzed and disseminated (the intelligence cycle) within the milieu of international politics. Intelligence work must therefore function within the anarchical society of Great Powers. 1 Equally significant is the extent to which intelligence functionaries serve at the mercy of their policy masters. The intelligence officers themselves, in their various professional incarnations, are the desperate men in this formulation, striving as they do to carry out their risky and/or problematic duties in the face of inertia and outright opposition on the part of rivals, enemies, and occasionally their own countrymen. It is unlikely that any intelligence service in history has ever completely escaped subjugation to such restrictive bondage. â€Å"As mentioned in the previous chapter, the war on al Qaeda should be Ð ° deliberate broad-front attack. It is already that in practice, but the rationale for sustaining this approach is less established and troubles are certain because such Ð ° strategy requires relating the efforts of multiple agencies, subagencies, and even nations, and it sometimes necessitates rapid action. This would seem to require two enhancements of capability which may at first seem contradictory, but they are complementary and equally important. â€Å"(Paul 2002 31) These facts hold particularly true for the office of Strategic Services mission in London, Americas critical liaison and operational intelligence outpost during the Second World War. Expanding to Ð ° peak of 2,800 personnel in 1944, OSS/London was originally established in October 1941 with the arrival of Ð ° single representative, followed by Ð ° staff nucleus the day after Americas entry into the war. Eventually consisting of contingents from the four major OSS branches-Research and Analysis, Secret Intelligence, Special operations, and X-2 (counter-intelligence)-the mission served as Ð ° focal point for Anglo-American intelligence relations in the decisive theatre in the war against Germany. The London mission was at the heart of OSS relations with British intelligence, and as such it personified the essence of that connection in the Allied war effort. The Allied invasion of Europe ensured that OSS/London, more than any other OSS outpost, would have the greatest opportunity to perform Ð ° decisive role in the intelligence war. Other OSS missions would also make important contributions, notably in Cairo, Algiers and Italy; but these were ultimately secondary theatres, while in the Pacific and Asia, OSS never acquired the sound relationship with the military necessary for intelligence operations. London was at the heart of the Allied war effort, and at the heart of the Anglo-American alliance itself. While intelligence exchanges with the Soviet Union have been documented by Bradley F. Smith, London was the big league in Allied intelligence during the war. Many significant matters were accordingly played-out there, offering detailed examples of intelligence services in action. The experiences of OSS in London therefore illuminate the process by which America was introduced to the various components of intelligence and clandestine work, and how well American intelligence performed in its own right. As the presumed precursor to the post-war US Central Intelligence Agency, OSS further invites study in order to understand the antecedents of Americas Cold War intelligence service. The significant Anglo-American context of the evolution of modern American intelligence moreover suggests that the Anglo-American Special Relationship had an intelligence component that was manifested most strongly and clearly in OSS/London. (Bruce 2oo3 75) The mission thus provides Ð ° case study of how US intelligence matured and became institutionalized within the context of the larger Anglo-American political-military alliance. This analysis accordingly examines an aspect of that alliance and of intelligence history in particular, that has not yet been explored in any comprehensive detail. It is part of Ð ° current historiographical review of the significance of intelligence services in military and international affairs. It specifically examines OSS/London within the context of Anglo-American relations, as well as the evolution of both modern American, and Allied, intelligence during the Second World War. The general research approach blends what has been termed the American and British schools of intelligence scholarship. The more historical nature of British intelligence studies has been noted by Kenneth G. Robertson, while Roy Godsons Intelligence: an American View, in Robertsons British and American Approaches to Intelligence, distinguishes between this historical methodology and the more conceptual or theoretical nature of American studies (for example, Sherman Kents Strategic Intelligence for American World Policy). British diplomatic historian D. C. Watt has therefore identified these approaches as two distinct schools of intelligence study, though Ð ° recent noteworthy British contribution to the theoretical school is Michael Hermans Intelligence Power in Peace and War, which surveys the interrelationship between post-war structures, tasks, and effectiveness. This study for its part demonstrates the influences of both schools by linking theoretical concepts to the role of intelligence ties within the larger wartime Anglo-American alliance. (Neville 2004 45)

The Storm Essay -- Essays Papers

The Storm The purpose of this paper is to analyze The Storm by Kate Chopin. In this paper we will look at the setting, atmosphere, plot, character, foreshadowing, symbolism and theme of this story. Setting and Atmosphere This story is set on a sultry afternoon in south Louisiana near Biloxi. The body of the story takes place in Calixta's home during a fierce summer storm. The atmosphere is charged with electricity and sexual tension caused by the storm and the unexpected arrival of Alcà ©e Laballià ¨re who Calixta had not seen very often since her marriage, and never alone. Plot and Character The main character of the story is Calixta a passionate young wife and mother. Calixta is a flat character because she is shown as a normal wife who has a brief passionate episode and then returns to being a normal wife and mother. We see that Calixta is a normal wife because she is performing normal household chores, she is furiously sewing in the beginning of the story and she had hung her husband Bobinà ´t's, Sunday clothes out to air. Her passionate nature is shown in the lines "fear in her liquid blue eyes had given place to a drowsy gleam that unconsciously betrayed a sensuous desire." (29) Her nature is further illustrated in the sentence which began "The generous abundance of her passion,"(29) this shows us that Calixta was a passionate woman. We then see Calixta's return to her roll of wife and mother because after the storm she was preparing supper when Bobinà ´t ...

Opposition to the break with Rome

In my opinion I feel that the views of B and C regarding the enforcement of the reformation differentiate reasonably. Source B suggests that the enforcement was made majorly rapid and describes a lot of the events to take place on the same day, all described as extreme and significant. The execution of Elizabeth Barton, the Nun of Kent helped Henry show what the consequences may have been if more threatening action arose. Along with the execution of the Nun of Kent along with Friars Observants, monks and a secular priest was the highly significant treason act. This was a radical act which gave Henry exceeding power which only added to his enforcement over the reformation. As well as this came the propaganda campaign urging people to side with the Royal Supremacy. Over all B depicts the enforcement of the reformation to be obtrusive, vicious and swift. It is more or less illustrating Henry to have bombarded the public with executions, acts and oaths to make un till his support for the Royal Supremacy seemed strong enough, however from historical evidence this is far from the case. Source C on the other hand describes the enforcement of the reformation to be subtle and over a long period of time. It appears as though over the years it has slowly grown until it finally reached the status of a reformation. It explains that adjustments were made slowly and progressively as to not cause an up roar or major disturbance. This can be said true as the break with Rome lasted over such a long period and involved the activities of Henry gradually stretching the Pope's patience beginning with simple proposals yet building up to his separation with the English Church, his name being erased from the service books and all memory of him as head of the church being removed. The public â€Å"ate their reformation† as it was disguised in pleasant sweet wrappers. Through propaganda the piecemeal reformation was not seen as significant un till the enforcement was solid and there was no questions left to be made. This differs with the views o B in that B describes the reformation to be majorly rested upon â€Å"This day†. Hasty actions which led to the finalized reformation, the final break with Rome, unlike C where support was first gained and power was enforced, like a slow trickling tap it will eventually fill up the bath although it will go unheard and unnoticed. On a level the two sources are similar in that they still both reflect some resilience, and retaliation to the radical changes being enforced. Source B â€Å"God, if it be his pleasure, have mercy on their souls† suggests that there were people who were taking note of Henrys actions and acquiring an opposing view although their statuses did not allow them to disagree with the King publically. C, â€Å"the Conservative people of England would find a wholesale Reformation distasteful† also suggests that if the public would have been more conscious of Henrys full intentions, the laid back manner of the majority of the public would have been much less common. Both the sources seem to propose that the enforcement of the Reformation was purposeful, it was not only Henrys desire for a divorce, and the break with Rome was in Henrys full intentions. I think that although the two sources agree about the reaction to the reformation and the progressive build up of more radical, noticeable movements, they differ on how they deliver the enforcement of the reformation, B depicting it on quick ferocious accounts whereas C reflecting it more as a slow creeping hold over the public. B) I think that overall Henry and Cromwell were very successful in containing the opposition to the beak with Rome, there was very little opposition that actually raised itself and any major threats were dealt with effectively to conclude in Henry with the aid of Cromwell succeeding with the break with Rome. Source A agrees on the terms that Henry and Cromwell successfully obtained opposition. â€Å"I trust that the blessed King† shows the awareness of Henrys actions against the Catholic Pope however the source still supports Henrys â€Å"malice against the bishop of Rome† ad still describes the belief left in the King. This source implies opposition was successfully obtained as the source still shows full support towards Henry. The use of â€Å"bishop of Rome† instead of Pope also highlights the fact that this source sides with Henry and his path towards the break with Rome and the willingness of the source (and writer) to follow his lead. Source C also shows support towards the statement in question B. â€Å"The meal was more manageable† suggests that any opposition did not arise due to Henry and Cromwell's cleverly schemed tactics of feeding implications towards the break with Rome in â€Å"tiny morsels† so that no opposition took notice as there did not appear to be any radical or extreme movements being made which was also likely to of been disguised even more so by the aid of propaganda so highly favoured by Henry and Cromwell. This too diverted the public's attention away from the slowly growing reformation onto less offensive topics.

Carthaginian Empire

Abstract The Cartage Empire was formed in 814 B. C. According to legend, this was when Princess Dido, of Tore fled from her home, current day Lebanon. This was to escape from the clutches of her brother Pygmalion who had killed her husband, heir to the throne of Tore after her father died. She fled across the Mediterranean with some citizens of Tore and landed at the tip of Northern Africa, Cartage or current day Tunisia. There, she saw that Cartage was almost like an island Jutting out into the Mediterranean, with 2 inlets on either side. It had natural defenses, Just like Tore,Dido's homeland. This was the reason why Princess Dido chose this as the place for her new city, Cartage. Thus, Cartage was founded. By 500 BC, It had become a major Mediterranean power establishing colonies in Corsica, Pizza, North Africa, The Ballerina Islands and Sardinia. It had a population of over 300 000. Its reign started to decline when Hannibal lost the 2nd Punic War. Therefore, we will be focusing on the time period starting from 500 BC till the end of the 2nd Punic War (202 SC). Under Commerce, we are focusing on international trade (trade between The CartageEmpire, North Africa and other cities of the Iberian Peninsula) and how it became an international metropolis due to its strategic location near the Mediterranean trade routes. Under Conflict, we are focusing on military (advanced navy) and territorial expansion (Punic Wars). We will be focusing on Cartage's advanced shipbuilding techniques and how they managed to hold their own against a bigger and stronger enemy (Rome) during the 2nd Punic War. Under Culture, we are focusing on religion and practices. The Carthaginian worshipped most of the gods that were worshipped y the Phoenicians.Also, they had practices like killing their own children. Under Community, we are focusing on government. The government of Cartage was an oligarchic republic, which relied on a system of checks and balances and ensured a form of public ac countability. Our hypothesis is that the extent of the Carthaginian Navy and weaponry managed to hold up a superior empire, namely the Romans, for such a long time. We intend to prove that our hypothesis is true. Community Introduction In this portion we will be talking about Carthaginian government and governing styles.Aristotle himself ranks this republic as one of the best and as an example for all to follow. He says this due to the fact that from Cartage's formation to his time, no considerable sedition had disturbed the peace, nor had any big tyrant arisen. Therefore, let us take a closer look at Cartage's government and governing style. Government The government of Cartage was made of 3 main authorities. They were the 2 supreme magistrates called suffers, 600 people in the senate and the common public. The suffers played the role of king, dictator and consul. They were elected annually from the most wealthy and influential families.These suffers were empowered to elect the sen ate and presided over them. One example of a successful this dynasty and brought much success to the Carthaginian through their countless victories against Rome which allowed Cartage to sustain itself as their offensive nature delayed Romeos invasion into Cartage. The senate formed the very soul of the government and were honored on basis of their age, experience, birth, riches, and most importantly their merit. Public Involvement in Politics When there was no clear majority in the number of votes, the matter was brought to the people of the public.This can be seen as an effective way to crush factions, produce harmony and to enforce and corroborate good counsel. As a result of this, the Carthaginian forces could be funneled into the war efforts instead of busying themselves with major internal conflicts. Their people had confidence in the government, therefore there were no major rebellions during the Cartage golden era. Disadvantages Although Cartage's government had many advantag es, no government is perfect. The Cartage government had two big flaws. Firstly, the government invested the same person with different employments.However, this is highly prejudicial to the community. Bestowing too many responsibilities on one person makes him proud and dazzles him, while making other people Jealous. This might have been so in the case of the Ammonias as Hannibal controlled the army and his family were part of the suffers and the senate. Secondly, the senate was chosen on base of birth while the suffers were chosen on base of wealth. Therefore, poverty may exclude people with enormous merit. This is considered as a great evil in a government as virtue is wholly disregarded while money is all prevalent. ConclusionThe well- organized oligarch republic of Cartage helped to maintain peace and stability within the empire so that more attention could be given to further ventures to expand the empire instead of focusing too much on internal problems. Culture The culture o f the Carthaginian was very much like their ancestors the Phoenicians. Like every ancient city, Cartage had a large number of gods and goddesses. Also, they were notoriously known for child- sacrifice. Gods and Goddesses The chief god of the Carthaginian was Baa' al Hammond while their deity of protection was Maltreat. Baa' al Hammond and Tania were considered as the supreme divine people.Most gods of Cartage came from their predecessors, the Phoenicians. Therefore, culture was not a defining feature of Cartage, though it helped to unify the people. Surviving Punic texts give a detailed description of the temples present in Cartage. They say that there was a well-organized caste of temple priests and acolytes performing various duties for a variety of prices. Child Sacrifice debate about whether child- sacrifice is mere propaganda or true. Urns taken from these sites have shown to contain ashes of footsies, newborn children and bones of young sheep and goats.These children were sacr ificed to their chief god Baa' al Hammond to help them win the various wars that they participated in. Conclusion In conclusion, the religion of Cartage was not an important factor to its success. The gods and goddesses of Cartage brought hope and security to the people. Each god had a specific role to play be it war, agriculture or rain. The people regarded their gods highly and this can be seen in their coins as they depict their most common god, Tania. The gods and goddesses of Cartage brought hope and security to the people. Each god had a specific role to play be it war, agriculture or rain.The people regarded their gods highly and this can be seen in their coins as they depict their most common god, Tania. Commerce Commerce, for Cartage was its occupation and the very reason why its army and Ana were so powerful. It formed Cartage's greatest strength and was the chief support of the commonwealth. Cartage's commerce flourished as it was situated in the centre of the Mediterrane an, stretching out wide. Cartage trade took place all over the world, and they traded in a huge variety of goods. Strategic Location Cartage was located in the centre of the Mediterranean and its colonies spread both east and west.Therefore, it made trade with both Africa and Europe easier. Also, due to Cartage's formidable harbor containing more than 70 commercial ships, it was the best way for Cartage to sail to other parts of the Mediterranean and also Europe to trade. Goods Bought and Sold The Carthaginian sailed to all countries to buy the superfluities of every nation and sold these goods to fulfill the wants of other nation. From Egypt the Carthaginian bought fine flax, paper, corn, sails, and cables for ships. From the coast of the Red Sea they bought spices, frankincense, perfumes, gold, pearls and other precious stones.From Tore and Phoenicia, they bought purple and scarlet, rich stuffs, tapestry, costly furniture and exquisite works of art. They brought back from the west ern world in exchange for all these luxurious items, iron, tin lead and copper. In thus doing so, Cartage became the lord of the seas and sort of the agents of all nations and held east, west and south together. Limitations However, there was a problem with this arrangement. Once Cartage lost control of islands such as Sicily and Sardinia to Rome, they were not able to conduct maritime trade, which was their primary source of income.Thus they were not able to support the vast expenses incurred by the Carthaginian army. Conclusion In conclusion, we can see that Cartage's commercial activities were their primary source of income and enabled them to wage such prolonged wars against an equally if not stronger opponent, the Romans. However, due to their lack of diversity and flexibility and adapting to changing times, they were not able to conduct trade for an extended period of time. This eventually led to their downfall. The mighty forces of the Carthaginian army were constantly lockin g horns with other forces in and around the Mediterranean.The lure of the control of trade in the Mediterranean would ultimately lead to Cartage's untimely demise at the hands of the Romans in the third and final Punic War. Harbor The most magnificent aspect of Cartage was its harbor named Cotton. It was what Cartage was all about; its heart. The harbor had a common entrance from the sea which was 70 Ft wide and could be closed with iron chains. Inside these chains, there were 2 harbors, one commercial and the other military. Firstly, its large harbor was able to store the huge warships whose design the Carthaginian took from Greece during the 1st Punic War.These warships helped the Carthaginian to gain an upper hand over the Romans until the Romans stole the design of these warships and improved them to ultimately defeat the Carthaginian. Secondly, Cotton helped house warships and could dock a maximum of 220 warships. This ensured that Cartage will be ready for battle and its army was always prepared. Having a large naval base would cause other countries to be intimidated and prevent them from attacking Cartage. The Battle of Canaan In the spring of BBC, Hannibal moved from his camp at Geranium and occupied the detailed of a town called Canaan.He planned to attack Canaan so as to be one step closer to his dream of crushing the Roman Empire. Hannibal used a superior strategy against the Roman's strategy of weakening the centre and in a fast and furious bloodbath, The Carthaginian defeated the Romans in a few hours. He faced off against the Romans with an army of 50000 and he was met by a roman army on the fields of battle numbering roughly 76000. The death toll slowly rose as the day wore on . Thus, Hannibal won the Battle of Canaan. Significance of Canaan Canaan was storehouse for grains such as corn.These grains were then delivered to the frontline of the army as and when needed. Although the town itself had been destroyed in the past few years, its capture caused huge commotion in Rome. This was because they not only lost the stores but also the fact that Canaan commanded the surrounding districts. Thus by conquering Canaan, Hannibal disadvantaged Rome in two ways. Firstly, the army that Rome sent to face Hannibal was the biggest they ever did and when they lost 80% of their army, it made a huge dent in their forces. This bought time for Cartage to rethink their strategy and reorganize their roofs.Secondly, by cutting off food supply to the frontline, the Roman army would be short of food and thus not at full strength. This presented another window of opportunity for Hannibal to strike. Another important factor was that Hannibal was able to capture Roman troops and get intelligence about the Roman strategy. In conclusion, we feel that conflict was extremely important in sustaining as going offensive on Rome prevented Rome from invading and destroying Cartage much earlier. Conflict was also major as it brought wealth to Cartage and ena bled them to strengthen their military even more.Community, culture, commerce and conflict. All four define a nation in one way or another across the continents. Conflict, in this case, has been the defining factor in Cartage's history. It changed the way Cartage was looked upon by the world by proving itself to be a force to be reckoned with. Besides a certain amount of aesthetic value for Cartage, conflict also served to extend Cartage's reach down in to Africa as well as territories encompassing the Mediterranean Sea. This can be seen by their rate of territorial expansion.In a matter of a few hundred years, they had grown into n empire that could only be outmatched by Rome, and had a military harbor to be like no other. Their generals and weaponry was of high quality, seen by their bronze battering ram- like warship during the 1st Punic War. They also had clever and strategic generals like Hazardous, Whimsical, Hanna and of course Hannibal. Therefore, it can be seen that Cartage 's reason for success was its military strength and prowess. Although they were extinguished in the end, they will always be remembered as the Lord of the Seas and as the only empire to outmatch Rome.

The Death Penalty Debate

The Death Penalty Debate Introduction:Capital punishment, or the execution of a person by the state as punishment for a crime, has traditionally played a major role in society's criminal justice system. However since the later half of 20th century, most countries in the world have abolished the death penalty completely or in practice.Capital punishment is mainly a communal ethical issue, as there are at least two viewpoints and it is the concern of the wider community and organizations. Aspects of social justice, equality, individual rights and freedom and general welfare of various stakeholders, mainly the criminal, are also embedded in the debate, confirming the community principle it entails. This issue of moral concern also contains aspects of personal ethics, because of the cultural attitudes values and beliefs that influence our viewpoint on it.History:Although most societies have different beliefs about punishment depending on their beliefs, in the middle ages, a life could depend upon the whim of a k ing.An ad from the Ecologist Green Party in Mexico pro...In Australia, during the initial years of colonisation, our criminal justice system replicated that of the British. This meant that the death penalty was available for trivial crimes such as burglary, sheep stealing, forgery and sexual assaults. The death penalty was legal until 1985, with Queensland as the first state to abolish it, our last hanging in September 1913. According to the Death Penalty Abolition Act of 1973, no states or territories in Australia can prescribe the death penalty, which makes life imprisonment the most severe sanction available.As of 2008, 112 countries have abolished the death penalty with only 83 countries retaining it. There are only four countries which have reintroduced the death penalty - Nepal, Philippines, Gambia and PNG. However, since violent crimes are not fit to live in a civilized society, the debate of capital punishment is a controversial and ongoing...

Definition and Examples of Argumentum Ad Misericordiam

Definition and Examples of Argumentum Ad Misericordiam Ad misericordiam is an argument based on a strong appeal to the emotions. Also known as  argumentum ad misericordiam  or  appeal to pity or misery. When an appeal to sympathy or pity is highly exaggerated or irrelevant to the issue at hand, ​ad misericordiam is regarded as a logical fallacy.  The first mention of  ad misericordiam  as a fallacy was in an article in the  Edinburgh Review  in 1824. Ronald Munson points out that [n]ot all mention of factors which appeal to our sympathies is irrelevant [to an argument], and the trick is to distinguish legitimate appeals from spurious ones (The Way of Words). From the Latin, appeal to pity   Examples and Observations Your Honor, my incarceration is cruel and unusual punishment. First, my prison-issued shower sandals are grossly undersized. Secondly, the prison book club consists mainly of prisoners who club me with books.(Sideshow Bob in Day of the Jackanapes. The Simpsons, 2001)This appeal to our emotions need not be fallacious or faulty. A writer, having argued several points logically, may make an emotional appeal for extra support. . . .When an argument is based solely on the exploitation of the readers pity, however, the issue gets lost. Theres an old joke about a man who murdered his parents and appealed to the court for leniency because he was an orphan. Its funny because it ludicrously illustrates how pity has nothing to do with murder. Lets take a more realistic example. If you were a lawyer whose client was charged with bank embezzlement, you would not get very far basing your defense solely on the fact that the defendant was abused as a child. Yes, you may touch the hearts of the juror s, even move them to pity. Yet that would not exonerate your client. The abuse the defendant suffered as a child, as woeful as it is, has nothing to do with his or her crime as an adult. Any intelligent prosecutor would point out the attempt to manipulate the court with a sob story while distracting it from more important factors such as justice.(Gary Goshgarian, et al., An Argument Rhetoric and Reader. Addison-Wesley, 2003) Germaine Greer on Hillary Clintons Tears Watching Hillary Clinton pretending to get teary-eyed is enough to make me give up shedding tears altogether. The currency, you might say, has become devalued. . .   Hillarys feeble display of emotion, while answering questions from voters in a cafe in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Monday, is supposed to have done her campaign the world of good. If it has, its because people have wished a tear into her stony reptilian eye, not because there actually was one. What caused her to get all mooshy was her mention of her own love of her country. Patriotism has once more proved a valuable last refuge for a scoundrel. Hillarys clipped diction did not falter; all she had to do was take the steel edge off her voice and our imaginations did the rest. Hillary was human after all. Fear and loathing fled New Hampshire, Hillary scored against the run of play, and all it took was the suspicion of a tear. Or so they say. Can the moral of the story be: when youre up against it, dont fight back, just cry? As if too many women dont already use tears as a power-tool. Over the years Ive had to deal with more than one manipulative student who produced tears instead of w ork; my standard response was to say, Dont you dare cry. Im the one who should be crying. Its my time and effort thats being wasted. Lets hope Hillarys crocodile effort doesnt encourage more women to use tears to get their way.(Germaine Greer, For Crying Out Loud! The Guardian, January  10, 2008) An Argument That Raises a Warning Signal ​​Plenty of evidence has been presented that the ad misericordiam is both a powerful and deceptively misleading tactic of argumentation well worth careful study and evaluation. On the other hand, our treatment also suggests that it is misleading, in various ways, to think of the appeal to pity simply as a fallacious argument move. The problem is not that appeal to pity is inherently irrational or fallacious. The problem is that such an appeal can have such a powerful impact that it easily gets out of hand, carrying a weight of presumption far beyond what the context of dialogue merits and distracting a respondent from more relevant and important considerations.While ad misericordiam arguments are fallacious in some cases, it is better to think of the argumentum ad misericordiam not as a fallacy (at least per se, or even most importantly) but as a kind of argument that automatically raises a warning signal: Look out, you could get in trouble with this kind of argument if you are not very careful!(Douglas N. Walton, The Place of Emotion in Argument. Penn State Press, 1992) The Lighter Side of Ad Misericordiam: The Job Applicant Seated under the oak the next evening I said, Our first fallacy tonight is called Ad Misericordiam.[Polly] quivered with delight.Listen closely, I said. A man applies for a job. When the boss asks him what his qualifications are, he replies that he has a wife and six children at home, the wife is a helpless cripple, the children have nothing to eat, no clothes to wear, no shoes on their feet, there are no beds in the house, no coal in the cellar, and winter is coming.A tear rolled down each of Polly’s pink cheeks. Oh, this is awful, awful, she sobbed.Yes, it’s awful, I agreed, but it’s no argument. The man never answered the boss’s question about his qualifications. Instead he appealed to the boss’s sympathy. He committed the fallacy of Ad Misericordiam. Do you understand?Have you got a handkerchief? she blubbered.I handed her a handkerchief and tried to keep from screaming while she wiped her eyes.(Max Shulman, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Doubl eday, 1951)

International competitiveness and competitive advantage Essay

International competitiveness and competitive advantage - Essay Example The current state of the global economy development and evolution along with the increasing tendency of its competitiveness is known to be related, primarily, with increasing of the competitiveness of its businesses, the loss of which in the course of economic reforms proved the most significant shortcomings. The success of the identifying and forming objectives the competitive advantage are called to improve the industrial competitiveness companies. This fact, however, makes them more dependent on the level of development of methodological approaches to the establishment and effective functioning of the competitive advantage in general.In accordance with the world practice, the market relations represent the interconnected solution to these problems. The use of these principles guarantees the increase of the competitiveness of the enterprises. The main areas of competitive advantage of the organization's security are concentration of resources for the company to predict the actions of competitors, holding the initiative in the competition, software resource potential to achieve the goals, development flexible planning firms in the market. The competitive advantage that in specific markets determines various competitors is a significant factor in climate, or the competitive situation on the commodity market. Competitive advantage is defined a set of characteristics, properties of the product or brand that creates for the company definite advantage over its direct competitors.

To what extent does inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) alleviate Essay

To what extent does inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) alleviate poverty in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) - Essay Example Although SSA has relatively poor economic conditions, FDI inflows has significantly risen from $5 billion to $18 billion in the year 1995 to 2005 respectively (World Bank, 2003, p.92). The FDI inflows have played significant roles in the SSA economy because it has contributed to increased world trade, which has also contributed major changes including increases in employment opportunities and economic growth. This is relevant as they are among the key determinants for poverty alleviation in the SSA economy. Many Sub-Saharan countries including Angola, Uganda, Niger and Botswana, among others, have significantly benefited from FDI inflows - many of these countries have increased their GDP per capita performance. Although poverty is still a major problem in most of the SSA countries, many of them have highly benefited from inward FDI flows; thus reducing poverty levels. Effects of Inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) In SSA Economy Positive Effects FDI flow has played significant rol es of contributing to increased technology advancement, access to new technologies, the creation of new knowledge and the transfer of existing foreign technology (Asiedu, 2006, p. 65). One of the positive effects is the increased use of technology; that has enabled the developing nations improve productivity and innovative commodities, which are of high demand in the global market. It is less costly to learn to utilise existing technology than generating a new one; thus developing nations have the potential of growing at a faster rate. However, the convergence prospective is restricted on the level of human capital in the state. This is especially labour force quality, accumulated experience, knowledge and economic ability to create new ideas. Besides, progress in education system and human capital are fundamental for adaptingoverseastechnological know-how; thus generating sustainable long-run fiscalexpansion.The significant vehicle for international technology transfer is FDI; thus multinational companies undertake significant part in controlling most of the global advanced technology. For instance, when a multinational company sets up a foreign affiliate, the associates receive some amount of proprietary technology. This may constitute the parent’s firm particular advantage, which enables the company to compete favourablywith other local industries, which have superior knowledge of consumer preferences, local markets and business practices. Therefore, this contributes to geographical diffusion of technology; thus contributing to increased technology advancement. Secondly, FDI has contributed to increased domestic employment opportunities as a result of the development of new industries, which require labour to reach its maximum potential and goal. The construction of new companies in a country is believed to improve economic welfare and the living standards of people, through the creation of domestic employment opportunities.Many scholars have attempt ed to address the way FDI plays significant and key elements in the global economy. Anyanwu (2012, p.425) argues that FDI is the