How People Make Economic Decisions Essay - 672 Words

In today’s economy, decision-making skills vary for each household; however, the bottom-line goal for every individual is to get the most for their money. In order to do this, there are 4 principles of individual decision-making: facing trade-offs, evaluating what one is giving up to obtain their goal, thinking at the margin, and responding to incentives. The first principle in individual decision-making is facing a trade-off. In order for individuals to accomplish their goals or to obtain something they desire, there is usually something that must be given up or traded to accomplish that. In Chapter 1 Principles of Economics, efficiency vs. equity is discussed which helps further explain this principle. Society is always desiring to†¦show more content†¦To make the decision of what goals we are going to strive for, it is imperative to consider if the goal is worth the item(s) being given up. Is it worth not being able to do something else? How much money is it going to cost to obtain this goal or item? How much of my personal time is needed to accomplish this goal? These are all questions that must be asked and evaluated prior to making economic decisions. The third principle of individual economic decision-making relates to marginal decision-making. Rational people will think at the marginal level, making small changes or tweaks in their plans to achieve the desired objective. Rational people normally have a certain system or method he/she uses to achieve their objective and they understand that sometimes small changes must be made to accomplish this. The fourth and final principle talks about incentives, how people respond to incentives in decision making. When deciding what an individual wants or what goals to set for him or her, oftentimes having certain incentives will highly influence the decision-making process. When there is a valued opportunity or reward for achieving such a goal, an individual will look at that incentive and decide to what methods he or she will use to reach the ultimate goal. There are several occasions where I need to evaluate the marginal benefits and the marginal costs before I make a decision. For example, deciding what school to send my granddaughter to for high school. IShow MoreRelatedHow People Make Economic Decisions774 Words   |  4 PagesHow People Make Economic Decisions Brittany Hansen June 2011 Mr. Krupka How People Make Economic Decisions From the time a person starts working to pay bills or buy products they are forced into making decisions that will affect their bank account. There are four different principles that play into the decision-making process. While these decisions will affect marginal benefits and costs, there are incentives for the choice as well. The principles of economics relate to the working of theRead MoreHow People Make Economic Decisions677 Words   |  3 PagesHow People Make Economic Decisions Paper ECO/212 How People Make Economic Decisions The economic decision an individual, household, or even a firm makes has a major impact on the economy as a whole. These decisions affect the supply of a good or service, the demand of that good or service and ultimately the price of that good or service. This paper will focus on how individual decision making affects an economy, how understanding the marginal benefits from the marginal cost affects economicRead MoreHow Economic Decisions Are Made716 Words   |  3 PagesHow Economic Decisions Are Made Penelope Carter ECO 212 April 2, 2012 David Smith How Economic Decisions Are Made If 10 people with 10 different occupations are asked to define economics, one would receive 10 different answers because the concept of economics confuses people. â€Å"Economics is the study of the choices consumers, business managers, and government officials make to attain their goals, given their scarce resources,† (Hubbard O’Brien, 2010, p. 4). Oftentimes, people do notRead MoreKey Principles of Economics1453 Words   |  6 Pagesstudy of economics is vital as it provides an understanding of how the world works. It is the study of how people choose to use resources to improve their well-being. According to Samuelson (1948) â€Å"Economics is the study of how societies use scarce resources to produce valuable commodities and distribute them among different people.† This paper will outline the 10 key principles of economics. These principles are grouped into the three 3 categories of â€Å"How people make decision†, â€Å"How people interact†Re ad MoreClassical Financial Theory : Cognitive Psychology And Economics952 Words   |  4 Pageswhat influences people’s decision making can help solve some of the world’s most complex problems. Research in the financial sector has been dumbfounded by this very question since the advent of the stock market. Classical financial theory assumes investors behave with rational expectations in order to maintain an efficient market. Yet as we know, the idiosyncrasies in human behavior vary and financial markets tend to fluctuate up and down as a result. Recently, economics has begun to adopt the insightsRead MorePersonal Economic Decisions1455 Words   |  6 PagesHead: Personal Economic Decisions Personal Economic Decisions How People Make Economic Decisions People make economic decisions on a daily basis, from choosing to go to the grocery store and cook dinner or going out to eat. While in the general scheme of things this is a relatively small decision to make it still can have impact on the economy. Yet a decision for a family to have a child is more of a major decision and has far more of an impact on the economy then a dinner decision. There are fourRead MoreCognitive Economics : Behavioral Economics1115 Words   |  5 PagesBehavioral economics has also consulted inter-temporal choice. Inter-temporal choice describes to how humans decide about what and how much to do at different times when decide at a time effect the facilities available at another time. Choice under risk or ambiguity relates the dual-system theory. Research suggests that people’s decisions can be affected by the â€Å"type and amount of information† they find. A behavioral equilibrium depends on people take from frequently acts their equilibrium s trategiesRead MoreEcons1089 Words   |  5 PagesMANAGERIAL ECONOMICS Dr. Gong Jie National University of Singapore Why Do We Study Economics ï  ¶ People have to â€Å"Choose† â™ ¦ Resources are scarce. â™ ¦ There is No Such Thing as Free Lunch! ï  ¶ Economics: the science of Rational Choice â™ ¦ Rationality: the basic assumption â™ ¦ Rational Choice: Economic agents use all the information available to make decisions that most efficiently satisfy their needs and achieve stated objectives. â™ ¦ How do people make rational choice? This is the subject of Economics! PaulRead MoreEconomic Decisions Paper685 Words   |  3 PagesHow People Make Economic Decisions Paper Eco/212 September 28, 2010 Making Economic Decisions Economic decisions made by individuals can affect the economy. The principles of individual decision-making include people being rational, economic incentives, and optimal decisions made at the margin. Trading the three economic systems are market economy, centrally planned economy, and mixed economy. Each contains their own attributes on how they contribute to an economy. The current economicRead MoreEconomic Guide to Everyday Life Decisions Essay522 Words   |  3 PagesEconomics guide everyday life decisions As my major is economics, I have leant how economics guide everyday life decision. Economics is the study of how people seek to satisfy their needs and wants by making choice. Because we all have limited resources, we have to make decisions daily. For example, gasoline. Are we going to stop at the first stop on the way home or are we going to check the price first and get gas in the morning. When decisions are made, they are usually based on supply and demand

Emma by Jane Austen She is Loveliness Itself - 833 Words

We all at one point had a crush on someone and realize it too late. We seem to realize it the moment that person is no longer available. On the other hand, you and your friend has a crush on the same person and neither of you known that the other likes him until one of you reveals it by going out with the person. Maybe you were never in one of these situations but I am sure you have seen it or heard about it at some point. It is a very common occurrence therefore it is a story line that catches attention. In the novel, Emma by Jane Austen this storyline is hinted at throughout the story. As the reader, you almost see it coming but are still surprised by it. Jane Austen Jane Austen was born in 1775 in England. She was the second to last of eight kids and the youngest daughter of two. Her family was not poor nor were they very well off. They were more middle class. Growing up Jane went to a boarding school for two years then finished her education at home from her Oxford-educated father and her aristocratic mother. Jane’s love for reading and writing came from being able to read from her father’s collection of five hundred books. There she found out that books could take her anywhere and she wanted to write her own stories. She began writing in her early teens and finished three novels by age twenty-three. Having support from her family, Jane decided to try to publish her novels. She published them anonymous and got good and bad responses. She later rewrote some of herShow MoreRelatedJane Austen’s Novels and the Contemporary Social and Literary Conventions.12979 Words   |  52 Pages2.3 The Gothic Romance. 13 3. Jane Austen and Her Novels in relation to the Contemporary Literature. 15 3.1. Austen’s Criticism about the Contemporary Fiction. 15 3.2. Jane Austen as a Conservative Writer and as a Social Critic. 16 3.3. Austen’s writing in her own perception. 17 4. Pride and Prejudice. 20 4.1. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy – the Reversed Ideals. 20 22 5. Emma 23 5.1. Emma the heroine. 23 5.2. Men of sense and silly wives 26 5.3. Emma as the unusual learning. 28 Conclusions

Science and Technology in Novels Free Essays

Attitudes on Science and Technology in Novels Three novels that were written in three completely different times all were able to contribute to different views and attitudes towards science and technology. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. We will write a custom essay sample on Science and Technology in Novels or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hyde, The Time Machine, and Fahrenheit 451 are all accurate portrayals of the effect that science and technology have had on this world even as far back as 1886 when The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was first published. Although each book was written for different purposes and in different times, they all had mainly positive attitudes that were able to portray what the author thought science and technology would be like as the future progressed. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, it seemed that Robert Louis Stevenson had a positive attitude with a negative twist towards science and technological advances throughout the book. This book is ultimately about a scientific potion that affects a man, Dr. Jekyll. By having a positive attitude with a negative twist, it is meant that it showing advances in science, but it has negative consequences. Although this book was written so long before our time, the emotions towards scientific advances were there. On page 62 of this book in Dr. Jekyll’s statement of the case, he states that â€Å"From an early date, even before the course of my scientific discoveries had begun to suggest the most naked possibility of such a miracle, I had learned to dwell with pleasure, as a beloved daydream, on the thought of the separation of these elements. If each, I told myself, could be house in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable. † Dr. Jekyll shows that he â€Å"dwelled† with pleasure, which signifies a neutral type of attitude that the author portrays. The positivity of the science of his potion was that he was able to do something that no one else had. The negativity was the consequences of the evil in Mr. Hyde and the suicide that ended it all. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells had both the aspect of science and technology. H. G. Wells had a very positive attitude, seeing as this book was solely about time traveling and being able to find the scientific needs to build a time machine. A quote on page 43 of this book stated† To sit among all those unknown things before a puzzle like that is hopeless. That way lies monomania. Face this world. Learn its ways, watch it, be careful of too hasty guesses at its meaning. In the end you will find clues to it all. † This quote clearly shows a positive attitude towards science and technology. The time traveler is in an unknown place and therefore, feels hopeless, but he knows that there will be identifiers on how to proceed. The time traveler uses his needs of technology and science, but knows that there is more to the future world of Eloi than just those aspects because they get along very well without everything being scientific and technological. Fahrenheit 451 is set in the twenty-fourth century, which would be in the year 2300. Throughout Fahrenheit 451 there are references to technology and science that seem rather odd to us living in the twenty-first century. If this twenty-fourth century world was compared to the twenty-first century of today, they would be considered antonymous to each other. Firefighters in our time do just as their name says, they fight fires. Watching television does not replace our families and learning about history is crucial to our lives. In Guy Montag’s world, this is all considered defiant. The one similarity between our two worlds is that of technology. The technology is very different than that of ours, but there is technology, and that is one thing that cannot be compared to the past. Ray Bradbury seems to use technology as a scape goat for his characters so that they are not drawn to books and to create an image of what life would be like without books or history. This gears his attitude in a more positive perspective towards technology. His use of â€Å"parlor walls† was a way for his characters to disengage from reality and to do and be whoever they wanted to be. Parlor walls were used as a whole room and basically an interactive television set where you could put yourself in the scene. While reading this book, one might say that Bradbury was trying to show the role that books play in reality thus far and that without them, our lives would only involve technology and less knowledge and social instances. In Fahrenheit 451 on page 63, there is a conversation about the statement that books aren’t real and the role of the parlor walls. This conversation occurs between the main character, Guy Montag, and Professor Faber, who believes in the necessities that books give. â€Å"It becomes and is the truth. Books can be beaten down with reason. But with all my knowledge and skepticism, I have never been able to argue with a one-hundred-piece symphony orchestra, full color, three dimensions, and being in and part of those incredible parlors. As you can see, my parlor is nothing but four plaster walls. † Professor Faber is one of the few that does not engage in using the parlor walls. With most people gaining their knowledge from these parlor wall interactive shows, there is no room to see real truth in what a book is. Faber is also one of the few that has knowledge and admits to this knowledge, noting that he is skeptic of this technological universe that he is living in. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Time Machine, and Fahrenheit 451 all were positive portrayals of author attitudes on science and technology. Although there were some neutral or negative aspects in each novel, the main attitude was positive. The future always seems to have a higher capacity for science and technology and seems to have been viewed as a positive attribute to all three authors. Science and technology continue to have positive impacts on the attitudes of authors when it comes to novels in this time. How to cite Science and Technology in Novels, Essays

Business Problem of Barco-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthlep.com

Questions: 1.Define the Business Problem.2.Formulate a Linear Program for 20 and 40% curtailment of Natural gas usage.3.Discuss the Sensitivity Analysis.4.Provide a discussion of BarCos Options and your recommendations for action. Answers: Introduction In the dynamic business environment of today, allocation of resources must regularly be adjusted, particularly when important events take place. Certain companies have an organised stage-gating procedure for resource allocation. Linear Programming is a technique used to determine the ideal allocation of resources like manpower, machines, materials, etc. by a company. It is applied for determining the perfect product mix of the company to maximise its gains (Paris, 2016). The present study is based on the evaluation of business problem of BarCo Corporation by making use of linear programming model in order to assist them in managing business operations in an effective manner. The study will include descriptive analysis of their business problem and formulation of linear programming of the same. On the basis of the equation, sensitivity analysis for the case will be discussed in order to provide options and recommendations for action for BarCo. Main Body Description of business problem Managerial authority of Texas division of the Bar Co Corporation had acknowledged a notification from Max Energy regarding rapid depletion of supply of natural gas. Further, due to the shortage of Max Energy is supposed to make allocation of gas to its as per the provisions of priority prescribed by the Federal Commission: First priority Residential and commercial heating and cooling. Second priority Commercial and industrial firms which make use of natural gas as a raw material. Third priority Industrial firm which make use of natural gas as a boiler fuel The BarCo is covered under classifications of second and third priority. Therefore, there is a high likelihood that the organisation would be subjected to temporary brownouts and frequent reductions of natural gas supplies. Max Energy is planning to evaluate their pipeline pressures in order to make reductions for maintaining minimum level. Max Energy wants that its clients initiate the curtailment process to mitigate the impact of their industrial activities. However, Max Energy was also authorised for curtailment of supply in an unilateral manner if pipeline pressure fell below minimum levels. The shortage of natural gas was because of the record heat wave of 2010. Electrical generating plants had been functioning at their full capacity for supplying electricity to operate refrigeration and AC units. So BarCos problem is primarily to decide which of its complexes would be least affected by the fact of gas curtailment because its both of the working areas would be inclusive in process of the curtailment region in the event of a brownout. Its main objective is to minimise the impact on the profit/overhead contribution. Besides the ammonia operations, all natural gas acquired was used as fuel. In the ammonia operations, natural gas was employed as a raw material. The CEO of Max Energy is not opening up about the products that should be curtailed. Instead the process of curtailment would be primarily based on the usage pattern of the consumer. Henceforth, the company is required to analyse the impact of 20 and 40% curtailment of the natural gas usage on the profits / overheads. Consequently, by using the comparative approach company should select that alternative which has least effects on the workings of the company and through which they can earn higher profits. Formulation of linear programming problem In this case study, demonstration of an interesting utilisation of linear programming is shown: Let: X1 ammonia X2 ammonium phosphate X3 ammonium nitrate X4 urea X5 hydro?uoric acid X6 chlorine X7 caustic soda X8 vinyl chloride monomer Objective function regarding this case study: Profit maximization: 80X1 + 120X2 + 140X3 + 140X4 + 90X5 + 70X6 + 60X7 + 90X8 Subject to the constraints Subject to the subsequent check: X1 1,200 X5 560 X2 540 X6 1,200 X3 490 X7 1,280 X4 160 X8 840 Curtailment of 20% Present utilisation of natural gas: 85,680 cu. ft. *103/day 20 percent curtailment: 68,554 cu. ft. * 103 /day Hence, the ninth constraint is: 8X1+ 10X2 +12X3 +12X4+ 7X5 +18X6 v20X7+ 14X8 68,544 Curtailment of 40% For a 40 percent natural gas curtailment, the ninth constraint is: 8X1 + 10X2+ 12X3 +12X4 +7X5+ 18X6 + 20X7+ 14X8 51,408 Sensitivity analysis Obtaining the optimal solution to an LP model is crucial. However, it is not the only information required. There is a huge amount of sensitivity information or in simple terms information regarding what happens on changing the data values (Borgonovo and Plischke, 2016). A sensitivity analysis is a method applied to identify how varied values of an independent variable affect a specific variable under a proposed set of assumptions. In simple terms, it is the study of how the vagueness in the output of a system could be allocated to distinct sources of uncertainty in its input (Nasseri and Ebrahimnejad, 2013). By considering the present case scenario, BarCo has two options at its discretion. As required by Max Energy, the company would have to curtail its natural gas usage in the range of 20 to 40 percent. Sensitivity analysis of above two options is as follows: Curtailment of 20% Curtailment of 20% shows that availability is 0.8 85,680 = 68,554,000 cu. ft. per day. By considering this factor, the constraint of gas will be 8X1+ 10X2+ 12X3+ 12X4+ 7X5+ 18X6+ 20X7+ 14X7 68,544 And consequently profit for business will be: Ammonia Amm. Phosphate Amm. Nitrate Urea Hydro Acid Chlorine Caustic Soda Vinyl Chloride Tons/Day 1,200.0 540.0 490.0 160.0 560.0 1,200.0 423.2 840.0 Profit $80 $120 $140 $140 $90 $70 $60 $90 $487,192.00 Due to the curtailment of natural gas, production of the caustic soda will be reduced from 1,280 tonnes/day to only 423.2 tonnes/day. Curtailment of 40% Curtailment of 20% shows that availability is 0.6 85,680 = 51,408,000 cu. ft. per day. By considering this factor, the constraint of gas will be 8X1+ 10X2+ 12X3+ 12X4+ 7X5+ 18X6+ 20X7+ 14X7 51,408 Ammonia Amm Phosphate Amm Nitrate Urea Hydro Acid Chlorine Caustic Soda Vinyl Chloride Tons/Day 1,200.00 540.00 490.00 160.00 560.00 718.22 0.00 840.00 Profit $80 $120 $140 $140 $90 $70 $60 $90 $428,075.56 Due to the curtailment of nature gas, production of the caustic soda is eliminated completely and the production of the chlorine will be reduced from 1,200 to 718.2 tonnes/day. By considering sensitivity analysis, it can be said curtailment of 20% is comparatively better as it will assist business in earning higher profits with the available resources (Vanderbei, 2015). Discussion regarding options of BarCo and recommendations for action BarCo has two options at its discretion. As required by Max Energy, the company would have to curtail its natural gas usage in the range of 20 to 40 percent. As identified from the sensitivity analysis above, by 20% reduction in natural gas usage the company is able to reduce the production of the caustic soda will be reduced from 1,280 tonnes/day to only 423.2 tonnes/day. The profit, in this case, will be $487,192. On the other hand, if the natural gas usage is curtailed by 40% then BarCo will be eliminating the production of caustic soda entirely and will reduce production of chlorine from 1,200 to 718.2 tonnes/day. However, the profits would come down to $428,075. It is recommended that Barco opts for the 20% curtailment as opting for the other alternative would reduce profit considerably which the company does not intend to do. Hence, a 20% cut in natural gas consumption is feasible. Apart from this, several other recommendations are proposed to the company so that it can earn be tter value from resource allocation in the present scenario (Bellman and Dreyfus, 2015). Firstly, the executives should be mindful of the domination of averages. A singular unit might have lines of geographic or business pockets with starkly varied returns. It is unusual to experience a 15% fall in one area while other is seeing double-digit growth. Indeed, the difference is usually more substantial across granular market sections within the one SBU than across larger SBUs (Dantzig, 2016). Barco has already segmented its business, but now it needs to define the extent of granularity which could be something of an art because the executives cannot argue over trade-offs across innumerable micro-markets. The senior management needs to drill down to the tiniest meaningful segment, where a movement of resources is likely to have a considerable impact on the overall Group. In addition to this, every segment must have a different external market even if natural gas is not fully divisible (Schoenwitz et al., 2017). Secondly, the growing demand for natural gas and the shortage in its supplies highlights the significance of adopting renewable sources of energy. As BarCo uses natural gas as a raw material in some of its processes mainly ammonia operations hence, the gas could not be completely eliminated from here. Though there is always an option of looking for alternatives, still the need for natural gas, in this case, cannot be entirely overruled (Fahimnia, Sarkis, and Davarzani, 2015). However, rest of the uses of the company also fall into the category of using natural gas as a boiler fuel. In this case, the organisation can contemplate using renewable sources of energy for better long-term outcomes and impact. This way BarCo will not have to depend on natural gas for all its operations as it will be compensating it will be renewable energy sources. Besides this, the firm will be in a position to better prioritise and allocate natural gas among its other important operations (Schoenwitz et al ., 2013). Thirdly, BarCo must concentrate on value creation. At times, investments exercise a direct impact on the business and the NPV of all future cash flows related to them could be quantified (Kolman and Beck, 2014). Evaluating which segment requires and deserves more natural gas and attention demands the correct metrics. Hence, the organisation should develop and use the right metrics for evaluating this. An example of the most common metrics is ROI or return on investment i.e. to say which activity would pay off the investment made in it by allocating the portion of natural gas (Wisner et al., 2014). Fourthly, any exercise of natural gas allocation should be based on hard data so that decisions are underpinned by logic and facts. Biases should not crop up while taking the decision of resource allocation (Du and Pardalos, 2013). This can be done by persuading the prioritisation of opportunities on the basis of their ROI or value creation; commitment toward a minimum yearly reallocation; and re-anchoring which eliminates the optimistic projections of management about quick improvements. This could be carried out by developing a framework underpinned by external forecasts and presuming that there would be no increase in natural gas supplies; executives can then discuss if it is still worth allocating natural gas to (Acar et al., 2017). Conclusion It can be concluded that optimal resource allocation is a mouthful, however with a simple meaning i.e. shifting resources, talent, money and attention of the management to areas which will deliver the maximum value to the company. The speed of global change is rising, rendering it more challenging to tell how Max Energy will address its natural gas crunch. Hence, BarCo should try becoming more self-reliant in terms of using renewable sources of energy wherever possible thereby leaving natural gas for the most important operations. In addition to this, it has been identified through linear programming and sensitivity analysis that BarCo must opt for a 20% curtailment in its usage of natural gas because this will reduce the production of caustic soda and will not reduce the profits by a huge margin. Eventually, even with the sincerest intentions, allocation of resources (natural gas in this case) can fall prey to internal power dynamics and organisational inertia. It is recommended tha t the senior executives exercise proper discretion and rule out biases while taking decision pertaining to allocation of resources. References Acar, M.F., Zaim, S., Isik, M. and Calisir, F., 2017. Relationships among ERP, supply chain orientation and operational performance: An analysis of structural equation modelling.Benchmarking: An International Journal,24(5). Bellman, R.E. and Dreyfus, S.E., 2015.Applied dynamic programming. Princeton University press. Borgonovo, E. and Plischke, E., 2016. Sensitivity analysis: a review of recent advances.European Journal of Operational Research,248(3), pp.869-887. Dantzig, G., 2016.Linear programming and extensions. Princeton University press. Du, D.Z. and Pardalos, P.M. eds., 2013.Handbook of combinatorial optimisation: supplement(Vol. 1). Springer Science Business Media. Fahimnia, B., Sarkis, J. and Davarzani, H., 2015. Green supply chain management: A review and bibliometric analysis.International Journal of Production Economics,162, pp.101-114. Kolman, B. and Beck, R.E., 2014.Elementary linear programming with applications. Elsevier. Nasseri, S.H. and Ebrahimnejad, A., 2013. Sensitivity analysis on linear programming problems with trapezoidal fuzzy variables. InOptimizing, Innovating, and Capitalising on Information Systems for Operations(pp. 64-82). IGI Global. Paris, Q., 2016.An economic interpretation of linear programming. Springer. Schwitz, M., Gosling, J., Naim, M. and Potter, A., 2013. HOW TO BUILD WHAT BUYERS WANTUNVEILING CUSTOMER PREFERENCES FOR PREFABRICATED HOMES. Schoenwitz, M., Potter, A., Gosling, J. and Naim, M., 2017. Product, process and customer preference alignment in prefabricated house building. International Journal of Production Economics,183, pp.79-90. Solow, D., 2014.Linear Programming: An introduction to finite improvement algorithms. Courier Corporation. Vanderbei, R.J., 2015.Linear programming. Springer. Wisner, J.D., Tan, K.C. and Leong, G.K., 2014.Principles of supply chain management: A balanced approach. Cengage Learning.

Dickinson, Emily Elizabeth (1830-1886), Americas Best-known Female Po

Dickinson, Emily Elizabeth (1830-1886), America's best-known female poet and one of the foremost authors in American literature. Dickinson's simply constructed yet intensely felt, acutely intellectual writings take as their subject issues vital to humanity: the agonies and ecstasies of love, sexuality, the unfathomable nature of death, the horrors of war, God and religious belief, the importance of humor, and musings on the significance of literature, music, and art. Life Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, Dickinson was the middle child of a prominent lawyer and one-term United States congressional representative, Edward Dickinson, and his wife, Emily Norcross Dickinson. From 1840 to 1847 she attended the Amherst Academy, and from 1847 to 1848 she studied at the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (now Mount Holyoke College) in South Hadley, a few miles from Amherst. With the exception of a trip to Washington, D.C., in the late 1850s and a few trips to Boston for eye treatments in the early 1860s, Dickinson remained in Amherst, living in the same house on Main Street from 1855 until her death. During her lifetime, she published only about 10 of her nearly 2000 poems, in newspapers, Civil War journals, and a poetry anthology. The first volume of Poems of Emily Dickinson, edited by Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd, was published in 1890, after Dickinson's death. The notion that Dickinson was extremely reclusive is a popular one, but it is at best a partial truth. Dickinson's first editors molded their descriptions of her and her work to conform to 19th-century stereotypes of women writers and to downplay qualities that did not match the conventional conception. Popular depictions of Dickinson, as in the play The Belle of Amherst (1976), have perpetuated a belief that she always dressed in white, was sensitive and reclusive in nature, and had an unrequited or secret love. Although she never married and certainly became more selective over the years about the company she kept, Dickinson was far more sociable than most descriptions would have us believe. She frequently entertained guests at her home and at the home of her brother and sister-in-law during her 20s and 30s; one friend commented that Dickinson was so surrounded by friends at a party that she had no chance to talk with her. In addition, Dickinson kept up a voluminous correspondence with friends, family, and one of her spiritual mentors, minister Charles Wadsworth. Although it has long been believed that various correspondents, including Higginson and editor Samuel Bowles, served as literary guides, there is no evidence that they influenced her writing. Biographers are increasingly recognizing the vital role of Dickinson's sister-in-law Susan Dickinson in her writing. For more than 35 years the two women lived next door to each other, sharing mutual passions for literature, music, cooking, and gardening. Emily sent Susan more than 400 poems and letter-poems, twice as many as she sent to any other correspondent. Susan also is the only person at whose behest Dickinson actually changed a poem; in response to Susan's criticism, Dickinson wrote four different second stanzas to ?Safe in their Alabaster Chambers.? Evidence has also surfaced that Susan participated in the writing of many poems with Emily, and Susan was probably responsible for the few printings Emily Dickinson saw of her poems during her lifetime. Poetry Dickinson enjoyed the King James Version of the Bible, as well as authors such as English writers William Shakespeare, John Milton, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, George Eliot, and Thomas Carlyle. Dickinson's early style shows the strong influence of Barrett Browning, Scottish poet Robert Browning, and English poets John Keats and George Herbert. Dickinson often used variations of meters common in hymn writing, especially iambic tetrameter (eight syllables per line, with every second syllable being stressed). She frequently employed off-rhymes. Examples of off-rhymes include ocean with noon and seam with swim in the lines ?Than Oars divide the Ocean, / Too silver for a seam ? / Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon / Leap, plashless as they swim? from the poem ?A Bird came down the Walk.? Dickinson used common language in startling ways, a strategy called defamiliarization. This technique would, as she put it, ?distill amazing sense / From ordinary Meanings? and from ?familiar species.? Her poem ?A

Free Essays on War

Peace: it’s wonderful. Everyone likes it as much as the next man, and have none wish to be willfully gloomy at a moment when optimism about the future shape of the world abounds. My thesis in this essay is that we will soon regret the passing of the Cold War. I intend to show that it will not be the by-products of the Cold War - such as the Korean and Vietnam - that we will miss, but the order that it brought to the area of international relations. To be sure, no one will want to replay the U-2 affair, the Cuban missile crisis, or the building of the Berlin Wall. And no one will want to revisit the domestic Cold War, with its purges and loyalty oaths, its xenophobia and stifling of dissent. We will not wake up one day to discover fresh wisdom in the collected fulminations of John Foster Dulles. We may, however, wake up one day lamenting the loss of the order that the Cold War gave to the anarchy of international relations. For untamed anarchy is what Europe knew in the forty -five years of this century before the Cold War, and untamed anarchy- Hobbes’ war of all against all - is a prime cause of armed conflict. Those who think that armed conflicts among the European states are now out of the question, that the two world wars burned all the war out of Europe, are projecting unwarranted optimism onto the future. The theories of peace that implicitly undergird this optimism are notably shallow constructs. They stand up to neither logical nor historical analysis. One would not want to bet the farm on their prophetic accuracy. The world is about to conduct a vast test of the theories of war and peace put forward by social scientists, who never dreamed that their ideas would be tested by the world-historic events announced almost daily in newspaper headlines. This social scientist is willing to put his theoretical cards on the table as he ventures predictions about the future of Europe. In the process, alternative theories of war an... Free Essays on War Free Essays on War After reading the article â€Å"Lessons From Yesterday’s Frontier Wars for Tomorrows Asymmetric Conflicts,† one thing was left unclear to me. Are we finding ways to practice asymmetric combat or are we training for ways to counter the opposing force? As I began reading, it seemed like we were learning ways from the Indians on the most effective ways to attack or defend. However, as I continued reading it appeared as if the writer is concerned that we one day be the culprit of asymmetric warfare. We are studying ways to respond to asymmetric tactics under the impression that our enemies will use this type of warfare in their defense because they will most likely be on familiar land and not have the technology that could match up to a dominating military such as our own. While talking to my best friend Pat who is in the Marines told me a story to give me a little better understanding of the concept of asymmetric warfare: Two countries are at war. One decides to attack the other. Its tanks, in regular columns, cross the border between the two combatants. However, its approach to war and its approach to the border have been constantly and comprehensively monitored by the defending side. Suddenly, without warning, small missiles silently attack the invading tanks. Each missile hovers momentarily above the tanks, selects one and attacks it by firing a high-speed projectile at the weakest part-the turret and engine cover. The deadly accurate missiles are very selective: they don't attack any tank that has been selected for attack by another missile. These missiles are fired from 30 to 40 kilometers away, far beyond the range of the tank's guns. Few survivors crawl out of the burning wrecks, since red-hot pieces of metal ricochet around inside and hot, suffocating gases spread rapidly throughout. Only three of the tanks survive. Their morale shattered, the crews decide to retreat. â€Å"Asymmetric warfare,'' referrers to an enemy who ... Free Essays on War What exactly is history? The dictionary defines it as â€Å"A chronological record of events, as of the life or development of a people or institution, often including an explanation of or commentary on those events†. If this is all that history is, why does it always seem to arouse so much controversy? Also, who decides on the point of view that goes into these historical documents that are written everyday? Unless you’ve witnessed the event first hand, you’re relying on someone else to get the story to you. These views can sometimes be partially biased or distorted. History is told through the mouths of many, but a person only knows the one hundred percent truth if they’ve witnessed the event themselves. This is where the problems occur, especially when people evaluate wartime history and events. One of the most controversial issues involving wartime history and events would have to be the Smithsonian Institutions push to display the Enola Gay to mark the 50th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The exhibit stirred great controversy because many felt that it was biased and benefitted the Japanese. People believed that it would distort history by making the U.S. look like the aggressor, or the bad guy, during the war while Japan would be depicted as the victims who unknowingly had two bombs dropped upon them. As of now, history states that on December 7, 1941 the U.S. without warning was attacked by the Japanese in Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. To retaliate, the U.S. dropped a bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and then on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 without warning as well. These views on history could have very easily been altered if they had gone on and displayed the exhibit the way it was supposed to be displayed, which they did not . As history will tell you, the Smithsonian revamped the whole exhibit and left nothing more but just the Enola Gay cockpit and brief videotape for al... Free Essays on War Peace: it’s wonderful. Everyone likes it as much as the next man, and have none wish to be willfully gloomy at a moment when optimism about the future shape of the world abounds. My thesis in this essay is that we will soon regret the passing of the Cold War. I intend to show that it will not be the by-products of the Cold War - such as the Korean and Vietnam - that we will miss, but the order that it brought to the area of international relations. To be sure, no one will want to replay the U-2 affair, the Cuban missile crisis, or the building of the Berlin Wall. And no one will want to revisit the domestic Cold War, with its purges and loyalty oaths, its xenophobia and stifling of dissent. We will not wake up one day to discover fresh wisdom in the collected fulminations of John Foster Dulles. We may, however, wake up one day lamenting the loss of the order that the Cold War gave to the anarchy of international relations. For untamed anarchy is what Europe knew in the forty -five years of this century before the Cold War, and untamed anarchy- Hobbes’ war of all against all - is a prime cause of armed conflict. Those who think that armed conflicts among the European states are now out of the question, that the two world wars burned all the war out of Europe, are projecting unwarranted optimism onto the future. The theories of peace that implicitly undergird this optimism are notably shallow constructs. They stand up to neither logical nor historical analysis. One would not want to bet the farm on their prophetic accuracy. The world is about to conduct a vast test of the theories of war and peace put forward by social scientists, who never dreamed that their ideas would be tested by the world-historic events announced almost daily in newspaper headlines. This social scientist is willing to put his theoretical cards on the table as he ventures predictions about the future of Europe. In the process, alternative theories of war an... Free Essays on War Keeley’s is attempting to prove that primitive warfare throughout history has been effective and occasionally more successful than civilized methods. Throughout Chapter five of â€Å"War Before Civilization†, evidence is displayed showing the different success rates of primitive warfare compared to its civilized counterpart. Two examples that offer proof to Keeley’s theory are: 1. Julius Caesar’s Roman legion was incapable of conquering England, which was defended by the undisciplined, barbarian hosts of Celts and Germans. Raids and ambush tactics demonstrated by the barbarians deferred a Roman triumph for a century. (A.D.9.) (Pg.72) 2. During the Battle of Little Big Horn, two hundred U.S. soldiers led by Colonel Custer were ambushed and defeated by one thousand and eight hundred Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. (1866) (Pg.73) Certainly, aspects of primitive warfare have had high success rates throughout war and history, yet the majority of Keely’s examples are only of individual battles. The majority of Primitive societies lack the required population, food, and artillery to win the war. Attempting to differentiate the success rate of primitive and civilized warfare is an unattainable task. While particular historical battles have proved the effectiveness of uncivilized warfare, economic and social resources should be considered in every individual case. Keely’s illustrations and examples of past war patterns disprove the myth that primitive societies will always be defeated by civilized armies in time of war. Proving primitive effectiveness is clearly Keely’s aspiration in Chapter Five. (Pg.71) Keely’s various examples from different centuries demonstrate that primitive warfare has occasionally been victorious in opposition to civilized societies....

Effects of 2008 Beijing Olympic Tourism Assignment

Effects of 2008 Beijing Olympic Tourism - Assignment Example The methodology to be applied for the present research is mainly based on the analysis of the literary sources related to the topic; another method used in the research is the analysis of the possible effects according to the separate aspects: political, economical, social and business. A strategy of place marketing and urban image construction examined in this paper is the staging of mega events and grand urban spectacles to attract world attention to cities. In the hope of hosting world class media events, public funds are squandered to turn cities into 'stage sets', using spectacular urbanism, monumental architecture, and modern infrastructure to erect images of progress, order and prosperity. Throughout the 1990s, a series of international events and grand political spectacles were held in Beijing to improve global perception of the city. These were accompanied by international marketing campaigns to advertise the city on the world scene and by major social, cultural, and physical beautification programmes intended to reform the city's human and material resources. As the example of Beijing will show, spectacles, festivals, and rituals are not solely directed to an international audience in the hope of attracting visitors and capital, but they also act as important tools of national representation by reviving national pride and unity and convincing local citizens of the beneficence of the system. Urban spectacles are also used to aestheticize local politics. As Wahab & Cooper rightly noted, aesthetics can easily turn an unsavoury political agenda into an intoxicating spectacle (2001). Urban spectacles and mega events can therefore have an important depoliticizing effect by draining politics out of the urban arena, thereby averting political controversy and dwarfing political defiance from the local population (Sinclair & Stabler, 1997, p. 90). Much like the 'bread and circuses' of ancient Rome, the spectacular displays that accompany the staging of important world events often act as instruments of popular pacification and social control. By distracting people from their everyday struggles, the spectacle lowers their social and political awareness and weakens their sense of criticism, thereby promoting complacency and alienation. In Beijing as elsewhere, the preparation for hosting mega events also calls for social beautification programmes, which include complex tactics of social disciplining, 'civilizing' reforms and a tightening of the social control

Women Among the Celts Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Women Among the Celts - Research Paper Example The Celtic life remains today a historical masterpiece of ancient communities and how such an ancient community differentiated itself from the rest through its beliefs, practices and cultures. Similarly, unlike in other ancient communities, the Celtic woman was much different, and played much more roles in the community than women in other communities at this time. Though the current history might have been badly tainted by the Christian monks through Christian moralizing, conquering of such communities, and interpreting their practices in determining what was acceptable and what was not, the Celtic practices and culture regarding women stands as a unique culture, where women played a central role and earned great respect. The Celts were an ancient community occupying the major parts of the British Isles and Europe for more than 800 years, between 700 BC and their last mentions before they were completely assimilated into the Roman Empire around 100AD.1 According to Fox, the Celtics had no established empire, hand no known cities, did not develop any written language, but their culture had a great impact in Europe, spreading all over from Ireland to the Black Sea. In fact as fox explains, their name is derived from the Greek word ‘Keltoi,’ meaning a hidden people; a reference given due to the lack of an elaborate written language. All tales were memorized and carried from generation to generation by the wise men, or the Druids, who were committed to a rigorous study to commit everything in their memory. The druids as explained above included both men and women. The history of the Celtic people was transcribed between 6th and 7th AD by Irish Monks forming the famous collection known as the Ulster Cycle, which is thousands of years old and from which much of the Celtic people history is learned and well conceptualized. Spence argues that in the ancient Celtic society, the Druids and Druidess were members of an intellectual elite group with knowledge and advanced training, which qualified them to practice as priests in the Celtic pagan religion.2 Interestingly, the above elite group underwent a rigorous training of more than 20 years studying astronomy, law, poetry, literature, and history of the community. Female druids had a role of mediating for their community, performing sacrifices, presiding over religious functions, and interpreting omen in the community; they were therefore important religious mediators held in high esteem among the Celtics. Mainly, the Druids and their male counterparts the Brads and Vates monopolized community rituals (Jones, 84).3 Moreover, as Jones noted, no ancient sources explains women as having played any important part as priestesses. This has been problematic in that as Jones argues the Roman observers, mainly males and having come from a male dominated culture could have ignored the recognition of Celtic women in power. This was because; in the Roman Empire, a woman was observed as a possessio n of a man; the idea of having a female in such a leadership position was not worth any thought to them. The history of having Celtic women as both rulers and chieftains was therefore a greater probability, noting that they were prominently involved in religious practices and rituals; the lack of any evidence to show their roles in power could have been affected by the Roman men’s ego, through which the myths of the Celtics were passed down through generations. This is more probable noting that Tacitus in the first century CE claimed that â€Å"the Celtics made no distinction between female and male rulers,†

Progressive Era during the Great Depression Essay

Progressive Era during the Great Depression - Essay Example These four events marked and established a concrete history that shaped as well as helping in describing the current setup of the world. Progressive era that transpired through 1800s to 1920s established a critical moment of change for the American society and world in general. The period characterized with massive urbanization coupled with high rate of industrialization. In nutshell, the Progressive era became synonymous with high levels of poverty that touched lower class that constituted the biggest percentage of the American population. No sooner had the impacts the Progressive era fade than America and world in general bumped into yet another tempting moment of Great Depression. This period begun in 1929 and ended in the early 1940, before giving way for World War II. According to Sage (2010, p. 1), the spirit of progressive started to signalize in the early 1890s when small businesspersons, farmers and other reform oriented leaders merged to form the Populist Party. The purpose s of the party were to confront and address the problems faced by the American societies such unemployment, injustice, poor leadership among other. It is from Populist Party that Progressives would later develop after the former gained national trust. As mentioned earlier, Progressive era entailed numerous events ranging from urbanization and industrialization that necessitated the need for change in the American societies. The rate at which urbanization took place alongside industrialization could only translate to the effects of poverty. Increased poverty among majority of citizens translated to poor health services, high crime rates, racism, violence, class warfare, and greed, together with corruption. In the description of Burt (2004, p. 3), poor working conditions and environments were also justifiable causes of concern by the Progressives. By 1890, 18% of the total labor in the country constituted of the women and children. Prior to the Progressive era, American experienced hi gh influx of immigrants who in turn compromised the wage rates for the native employees bearing the stiff competition for employment opportunities. To extinguish such misfortunes from the society and ensure growth of the American societies, a group of individuals from higher social class mutinied to form a social movement called â€Å"Progressives†. Members of the Progressive group were mainly city dwellers who had significant college education (Burt 2004, p. 4). According to the Progressives, honest government, safe environment, and education for the country were the only options that would help save and develop the country. Progressive was the only sure way of responding to, and appreciating the industrial revolution that had hit the country. Among the Progressives were Jane Addams, Susan Antony, Margaret Sanger, Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, and Carrie Nation among others. The leading journalist of the era who helped spread the message of progress was Ida Tarbell, Thomas, Nast, Upton Sinclair, and Jacob Riis. The political reformers and activists of the time included Theodore Roosevelt, William Dubois, Booker Washington, and Eugene Debs. The great missions of the Progressives included fighting fear among the immigrants, teaching democracy and exposing evil and corrupt acts committed by those holding power. Rauchway (2007, p. 8) remarks that election of Robert La Follette as the governor of Wisconsin

Mega Events And The Legacy It Leaves Behind Tourism Essay

Mega Events And The Legacy It Leaves Behind Tourism Essay City planners around the world get an opportunity for rapid urban development and regeneration at a large scale through mega-event planning. The Barcelona Olympics of 1991 saw a paramount shift in mega-event planning, where city planners focused on the legacy that the event leaves behind and its impact on the city. The sustainable urban development of the city of Barcelona catapulted it to one of the top cities of Europe in a matter of year. Following the success of the Barcelona Games, mega-event organizations such as the IOC, Commonwealth Federation, FIFA etc. began focusing on the legacy plan of bidding cities for determining winning bids for such mega-events. An understanding of the effects of various legacy plans and its implementation in bid-winning cities is essential in formulating guild lines for evaluating the success of the legacy plans. The City of Delhi derived much of its legacy plan from previous bid winners and developed its urban regeneration plan for the city. The intention of this dissertation is to investigate the legacy plan for urban regeneration intended for the city of Delhi through the Commonwealth Games as well as the legacy that the event left behind. A comparison can therefore, be made to determine the extent to which the urban regeneration plan was implemented and how successful it was. The Macmillan Dictionary defines: Legacy: something  such  as  a  tradition  or  problem  that  exists  as  a  result  of  something  that  happened  in  the  past. something  that  someone  has  achieved  that  continues  to  exists  after  they  stop   working  or  die. The mega-event is by its nature large scale, organized by the social elite in the host nation or city and projects secular values and principles through the creation of an official version of the city or nations history and contemporary identity. Performance mega-events are typified in the 20th century by the Olympics and represent a populist cultural expression of the achievements of the host city or nation (Roche, 2000). Reinvention of a Mega-event as catalyst of urban development became prominent towards the late 1970s. Reasons for this were the growing awareness of the pervasiveness of deindustrialization led city planners to take action to stimulate new sources of employment and also that urban regeneration by traditional production based approaches became implausible. This lead to alternate strategies that relied on service industries and consumption to supply growth.(R.Gold, M. Gold, 2007) Mega-events are used by city planners to fast forward the planning and execution process by overcoming problems of urbanism. The recent host cities of mega-events have used it to contain the social disruption arising from rapid urbanization and economic expansion. Host cities use these events to achieve specific local and national goals. The 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games represented an opportunity to redevelop the city using a mix of public and private sector funding that balanced the commercial and social aims. The Fantasy City model (aggressive commercialism and tourist orientation) of the Los Angeles Games were modified and the Barcelona approach emerged as an alternative to obtaining a post-Games regeneration legacy. Since 1992, Legacy has assumed a considerable significance to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as its evaluation process has incorporated environmental and other social dimensions and is now firmly focused upon non-sport related outcomes as a source of legi timation for hosting the Games. The Barcelona inspired modification of the commercial approach to hosting the Games was replicated by London with the 2012 bid creating a combination of public and private funding and partnerships to deliver the event and an ambitious social, cultural and economic legacy. (Poynter, 2009). The Government of India also gave a comprehensive legacy plan to the Commonwealth Federation in order to win the bid of the 2010 Commonwealth Games to Delhi, India over Hamilton, Canada. The study of previous Mega-events particularly the Olympics of Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, their legacy plan and implementation, are key to understanding and analyzing the legacy plan for Delhi post the Commonwealth Games of 2010. The key findings of the Greater London Authority on previous editions of the Olympic Games of Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 for assessing the Legacy of the London Olympics of 2012, are as follows: Economic Legacy Momentum In the economic sphere Legacy Momentum refers to the capacity of the city and regional economy to continue an upward growth path following the immediate post-Games downturn in economic activity. The capacity to achieve momentum relates to several factors. The Games must complement an already existing regeneration plan that involves new phases beyond the Olympic event. The knowledge-base derived from the preparation and staging of the event is not dispersed when the Games end but is utilized to promote further innovation with the city and region. 3. The negative consequences and omissions from the Olympic-related regeneration phase are addressed in subsequent urban development projects. Barcelona (1992) is the best example of a host city achieving Legacy Momentum. The Mega Event and the City Economy The impact of the Games on a city economy is both tangible and intangible. The intangible re-branding of a city may have subsequent tangible effects, especially through inward investment and the enhancement of entrepreneurial confidence and expertise (Barcelona 1992). The Games provides a significant catalyst for renewal; accelerating the completion of infrastructure projects (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004 and more modestly Sydney 2000) but the host city population emerges with a balance sheet of positives and negatives from a process of regeneration that happens to it rather than is shaped by it. Social, Cultural and Lifestyle Olympic Philosophy: Regeneration The IOC commits to ensure that the host cities and their residents are left with the most positive legacy of venues, infrastructure, expertise and experience Urban Renewal All Cities pursue hard legacy gains: infrastructure, the reorientation of city spaces, improved amenity, new types of land use and economic activity. Barcelona is the acknowledged success story here. Planned-in legacy offsets white elephant syndrome in some cases The post-Games use of infrastructure is an important guide to the success of the Games, and in all cases legacy needs to be built into initial conception, design and delivery of Olympic facilities (buildings, but also IT, governance, city brand management, and post Games maintenance contracts). Barcelona Olympic village, Atlanta business tourism, Sydney and Australian tourism and Athens transport systems provide indicative evidence. The Green Legacy The first Green Games, and its Environmental Audit Legacy- Sydney was the first Games to be audited throughout by Greenpeace, who issued a detailed and fairly positive report. Any future Games environmental impact will be judged according to the Sydney benchmark, and therefore cooperation with NGOs (in information sharing, planning and execution as well as in establishing the principles for construction, raw materials procurement, etc) is vital. Sustainability and poverty reduction Environmental sensitivity and sustainable development together form the third pillar of Olympism, as is fully explained in the Olympic Agenda 21 document of 1999. Sustainable development means engaging with the whole worlds needs for clean air and water, and creating opportunities for personal and social development worldwide. Hard infrastructure and urban renewal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Housing, Olympic Village development (Cashman 2006) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Transport connectivity and enhancement greener, cleaner and more efficient (Cashman 2006; Essex and Chalkey 1998) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Economic success (Preuss 2004; Cashman 2006) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Telecommunications infrastructure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sporting facilities permitting increased sports and other community activities/participation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The outward fabric of the city cleaning and greening à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Hotel and other tourist and leisure venues including night time Economy Definition of a Good Legacy While each of the past cities can be seen to have pursued many of these aims, typically each city can be shown to have emphasized in particular instances a narrower range of ambitions. It is the case that typically cities aim to integrate Olympic-based renewal alongside wider urban development agendas.( Preuss 2004). Notable differences in cities starting points Adapted from McKay and Plumb (2001) The Barcelona Games (1992) are often cited as a model for London. These Games represented the regeneration of an entire city of three million people, rather than a narrower geographical area within a larger city. It is also worth noting that the Barcelona Games were the most expensive of the recent Olympiads, as a consequence of the large-scale regeneration program. The Atlanta Games (1996) were not particularly focused on regeneration. Spending was confined largely to sporting facilities (no Olympic Village was built, for instance), and the private funding of the Games left a very limited legacy. The Sydney Games (2000) were less focused on regeneration than the London Olympics are: the Homebush area was regenerated by the Games, but the residential areas were in fact already wealthier than Sydney overall. Athens Some major regeneration projects (2004) included the Athens metro and road systems. Revivification of Athens as a world class tourist city and assertion of relationships with Europe were key aims. Other Legacies Typically, apart from sporting venues, there are four areas of development à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Transportation: road, rail, tram, air and various interconnections, as well as policy and planning on parking, pedestrianisation and modal shift. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Telecommunications infrastructure primarily to service the worlds media, but in the future perhaps also developing Olympic area for WiFi and/or other connectivity for visitors à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Housing, especially the Olympic village urban realm and cultural infrastructure night time economy, Cultural activities as well as ecological and parkland projects. There is typically some initial disruption locally, and related concerns about the long and short term impact of such development on various costs, especially on the inflationary impact on rents and prices, not only in the short term period of the Games, when congested transport systems and the prospect of inflated restaurant prices can jar with local communities, but in the medium and longer term, where infrastructure investment, especially improved transport links (as well as reputational benefits for the city) can drive up property and rental prices either city wide or, as is more significant, in certain privileged areas. The Games are welcomed as a stimulus to and accelerator of such investment and developmental change in the city, however; transformations leading to gentrification and house price/rental inflation can rapidly produce divisions. As with any kind of regeneration project, the Games can contribute to an amplification of socioeconomic differences, producing new spatial distributions of wealth and well-being and gentrification effects which sometimes polarise local populations in regenerating areas. For instance, Barcelona is understood to be amongst the most successful cities in terms of legacy. As part of its successful development of its image and infrastructure towards becoming a key European hub and a renewed centre for global tourism and culture, the city has also seen (as a consequence) massive house price and rental inflation (131% between 1987-1992), and the emergence of a large population of wealthy international resident/visitors and property investors benefiting from long term infrastructure investments more directly than some local populations, whose access to housing and jobs may not have significantly improved. Legacy of Sports Infrastructure It is possible to identify a range of subsequent legacy uses for sports infrastructure. The afterlife of the venue is an inaccurate designation, since the short, 16 day Olympic phase (not including the test and training events that may proceed the Games proper) while determining many of the features and fabric of the structure, ideally ought not, exclusively and definitively pre- or pro- scribe subsequent usage. Preuss (2004) suggests four main follow up uses of Olympic facilities, to which we might add a further use, drawing on Cashmans (2006) account of the importance of memory and retrospection in informing the subsequent symbolic and soft legacies of the Games: Follow up usage of Olympic Infrastructure (Table below) Source : adapted from Preuss, 2004 and Cashman 2005 The Requirements There is no direct correlation between such increases and the wide variations in the cost of putting Games on, however; such variance is a function of decisions about how and which sporting and other infrastructure will and must be developed, revitalized or replaced in the particular host city. What the Cities Built: Outlining New and Existing Facilities Clearly hard legacy, as well as costs, are linked to the proportion of new construction undertaken for the Games. This work, extensive as it is, represents less investment than the large capital projects such as roads, rail links and land reclamation leading to fundamental legacy gains (as well as massive cost including cost overruns). However, it is the specifically Olympic buildings and in particular large stadiums that invite most speculation about future usage. The degree of new infrastructure development undertaken by different cites varies (Preuss 2004; Baim 2007; Essex and Chalkey 2003). In part this is a matter of culture, where specific sports and facilities (such as baseball in the UK) are not routinely apart of the host nations sporting habits. Existing development and intended investment planning largely shape this aspect of hard legacy. General Facilities Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens (Table below) Source : Adapted from Preuss (2004) As Carbonnell (2005) suggests, drawing primarily on the Barcelona experience, For any city, hosting the Olympic Games is both an honour and a challenge. Much of the infrastructure required is temporary in nature; it only serves a purpose for the duration of the Games themselves. Barcelona took a very clear-cut approach on this issue: the aim was to undertake ambitious projects which would benefit the city as a whole, convinced that what was good for the citys residents would also be good for the Olympic family (Carbonell 2005). Accommodating the required numbers of visitors to the host city, and ensuring a high quality and secure experience for all, over 16 days, is no small task. However, the scale of host cities Olympic projects, especially when thinking in terms of legacy, must also, and primarily, include consideration of the scale, extent and quality (in terms of delivery and planning for subsequent use) of the whole refurbished fabric of the host city, in and around the main Olympic sites, but also beyond, up and down transport routes and down and through hi-tech telecom and IT infrastructure. Indicative changes in Land Use Associated with Olympic Construction (Table below) Source: Adapted from Preuss 2004 Barcelona The Olympics were an accelerant to and focus for a number of projects, some long planned, others specific to circumstances pre-1992. The Games emerged within transformations involving extensive urban development; of old fish markets, army barracks, a womens prison and polluted waterfront areas3. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 1936-built stadium in Montjuà ®c Park was refurbished and many new venues were built. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Olympic Village necessitated a new placement of two rail lines that separated downtown Barcelona from the coastline formerly an industrial area. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The industrial section was replaced with beaches, which after the redirection of the metro line re-connected the city to the sea. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The sewage system was also modernised à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Four museums and a botanical garden were renovated in preparation of the Games. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In 2004 Barcelona was the number one tourist destination in Europe. Observers of host cities in the aftermath of the Olympiad are well used to noting the white elephants, the most common characterisation of infrastructure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ One kilometre of beaches in front of the Olympic Village, with a series of piers protecting the sand from the dominant stream that flows in East-West direction. The Olympic harbour with a capacity for 700 boats in the water and 300 ashore, with 75% of public space (bars, restaurants, commercial space etc). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Seaport promenade. 30 meters wide pedestrian seafront promenade with cafes, restaurant and other facilities. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Two towers 100 metres high for hotels and offices and other minor buildings. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Highway. Part of the city system of ring roads, with high traffic intensity (120,000 vehicles a day). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Urban nucleus. The basic idea was to link the new residential area with the traditional morphology of the city. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Some 2,000 housing units were built to host 15,000 athletes and 17,000 inhabitants. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ There was finally an integrated system of parks both for the use of the communities living around and in the nearby neighbourhood. developments which fail, in the medium or long term to find suitable subsequent usage. The study of Olympic Villages throughout this century is the study of the history of ideas about how to develop the city, how to plan it and how to manage it (Munoz 1998). It is probably unwise to generalise from either extreme; however, Barcelona is an instructive instance of a largely progressive and positively received redevelopment and of imaginative and sustained legacy momentum in the post Games periods. As noted above in term of infrastructure, the Games certainly offer some improvements. Truno (1995) tracked both access and facilities in Barcelona preand post- Games. If the number of installations available in Barcelona in 1982 is compared with those available after 1992, it can be seen that the Olympic and non- Olympic investment effort resulted in an increase of 75.8% as far as installations were concerned, and of 126.4% in the case of sports venues. Altogether, a total surface area of nearly 300,000 square metres was involved (Truno 1995) The figures for use of new sports centres created after the Games: in all the installations which accept subscribers or members, there has been an increase of 46,000 new users. (Truno, 1995) P.T.O Indicative positive legacy developments from Olympic village development Barcelona(Table below) Atlanta Essex and Chalkey (1998) provide a useful summary of the Atlanta infrastructure. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The centrepiece of the Games was the Olympic Stadium (capacity of 85,000) constructed especially for the event with private finance. After the Games, it was converted to a 48,000 seat baseball park for use by the Atlanta Braves baseball team. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Other new facilities, such as the Aquatic Center, basketball gym, hockey stadium and equestrian venue, were given to educational establishments or local authorities. The main Olympic Village (133 ha) was located on the campus of Georgia Technical College. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The other main infrastructural legacy to the city was the Centennial Olympic Park in central Atlanta, which was intended to be a gathering place for visitors during the Games and later to enhance the quality of life for local residents. The Atlanta legacy is largely understood to have been committed to business and commercial aims building the reputation of the city. Nevertheless as McKay and Plumb (2001) observe, Atlanta largely used existing facilities to house athletes and as such did not experience the mass residential construction around its Olympic precinct. The Olympics did, however, have a considerable influence on the location of demand by helping to create a more attractive inner city residential environment through improvements to transport facilities, retail amenities and public areas, such as parks and pedestrian walkways. The Atlanta office market has continued to grow strongly since 1996, with more than 520,000 m.2 of office space absorbed across the metro area in 1998. INDICATIVE CASE STUDY: Negative Impacts Atlanta adapted from Newman (1999) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Economically deprived African-American areas of Atlanta were affected most by the preparations for the Games. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Residents were relocated from at least six public housing projects à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ For these individuals the preparations for the Olympics were disruptive costing many the use value of their homes and neighbourhoods. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ CODAs neighbourhood revitalisation plans failed, and only those areas closest to Olympic venues received substantial support for revitalisation. Newman makes a useful point about tendencies relevant in particular to mega event driven regeneration. He suggests that events such as the Olympics are part of a process of reshaping land use in the city to make room for urban spectacle and display at the expense of the routine aspects of daily life for urban residents. In public housing projects and in low-income neighbourhoods, many families were moved to make way for the spectacle. Newman concludes that: The legacy of newly constructed sports venues and the enhanced image of Atlanta as a world city must be tempered by the continuation of a pattern of moving low-income residents to make way for growth. The study suggests that: Only the most dedicated efforts by business leaders and city government to work with low-income citizens after the Games will change the legacy of distrust the Olympics have helped to perpetuate. Athens The main features of the Athens projects included an attempt at revitalising major tracts of the city precinct. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Remediation of almost 300 ha. of disused wasteland/quarries, and 250 ha. of polluted rubbish dumps, as well as 600 ha. of former army camps deindustrialization and de-militarisation of land use à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Developing park, recreation and environmental education areas covering 250 ha. of urban space (landscaping of 60 dry and seasonal river beds into landscaped parks) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The unification and enhancement of major tourist/archaeological sites à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Enhancement of residential districts in the centre and outskirts of the city à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Transport à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Athens International Airport Regeneration à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Athens ring road and designed to take traffic from notoriously congested city à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Athens Metro, with an intention towards encouraging legacy modal shift necessary in a city well known for congestion problems Sydney The main features of the Sydney Olympic regeneration were: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ New sports facilities (inc. Olympic Stadium), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Telecommunications enhancements, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Land remediation in Homebush Bay, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Olympic Village built as new suburb (Newington) with housing the worlds largest solar powered settlement, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Green redevelopment: international benchmarking on waste reduction, water re-use, use of recyclable materials, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Further sports, retail, commercial and transport facilities; widening of footpaths and new street furniture, aimed at smartening up central Sydney à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Transport the major policy and planning aims of the Sydney Games were to ensure public access. This would have also contributed to the green credentials of the Games. This was achieved practically by: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Public transport being the only means by which spectators [could] directly access events at major Olympic sites; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Satellite car parking venues established in park and ride type schemes. (see Cashman 2005: 200-1) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In addition the Games served as catalysts for catalyst for expansion of Sydney airport including new rail link and Eastern Distributor road linking the airport to the CBD; Cashman, noting in particular that there was a post-Games slump in enthusiasm for all things Olympic. He identifies a range of factors that should continue to be tracked, suggesting that (as with Athens) the legacy needs to mature before some key assessments can be made. These include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Media tracking and analysis of cultural issues city branding, national reputation, attitudes to multicultural issues within Australia, attitudes to disability and sport à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Business and economic outcomes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Impacts on Sport elite performance and everyday participation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ecological issues The Olympic Village, Sydney The aim in building the Village was: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ to provide the best possible housing and residential facilities for all athletes and team officials à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ to apply the highest possible environmental standards à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ to provide a new suburb for post-Games use The site had previously been an abattoir. After the Games à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Village was made into a residential area, a suburb of Newington à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Medium density housing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 850 three- and four-bedroom architect designed houses and 350 two- to three-bedroom apartments in 94 hectares. Cashman offers some examination of participation. These figures are in some sense more clear, however they do not reveal too much detail about sports participation, rather giving emphasis to generalised Post Games legacy uses civic amenity as much as sporting venue nonetheless valuable social assets. Attendances at the Aquatic Centre in recent years in Sydney (Table below) Source: Cashman (2006) Overall Assessment Source: Greater London Authority ( 2007)

John Grays Men from Mars and Women from Venus Essay -- John Gray Men

John Gray's "Men from Mars and Women from Venus" In his work "Men from Mars and Women from Venus", John Gray explored the intrinsic differences between men and women in a way that has helped millions of people to understand why relationships between the two sexes could be so frustrating. Gray was correct when he talked about women cherishing love, communication, beauty, and relationships. However, he oversimplified the gender differences between the two sexes. Though women appreciate the beauty in life and want to live with tranquility, they also corrupt by their desire for power, love for competition, and want for achievements. The premises of John Gray’s essay were set many years ago when all men lived on Mars and all women lived on Venus. Once they got together, they respected and enjoyed their differences--until one day when everybody woke up, completely forgetting that they had once came from different planets. Ever since, men mistakenly expected women to think, communicate, and react the way men do. Gray also believes that Venusians are more concerned with living together harmonically, communicably, and loving cooperation. Instead of building highways and tall buildings, they prefer building a Utopia. â€Å"Relationships are more important than work and technology† says Gray (523). Rather than developing new technology, they build up their relationships with others. On the other hand, Martians get their sense of self from achievement, usually focus on a goal, ...

American Politics

Liberty is a concept that is commonly used by the average American in his daily affairs. A lexical definition of liberty states that it refers to the freedom to believe or act without the restriction of an unnecessary force. As far as the individual is concerned, liberty is the capacity of a person to act according to his will. But do we really know the history of America’s liberty? Do we really understand the historical events that have shaped the liberty that we know of and enjoy in these contemporary times?In this paper, I will be examining the roots of American liberty from the founding era to the modern debates surrounding the concept of liberty. I will also be looking into the proponents of liberty and those who have shared a significant role in defining and upholding liberty as we know it today. The Founding Era Hundreds of years before today, America was an entirely different place. Long before the creation of the Constitution, different European countries have already established their own settlements across America. The Spaniards and the French were among the early colonizers until the time of the British.During the rule of the British Empire, severe shortage in human labor resulted to enslavement and indentured servitude of the natives. In the years that followed, conflicts broke-out between the Native Americans and the English settlers. It should be noted, however, that Virginia already had black indentured servants in 1619 after being settled by Englishmen in 1607 (â€Å"Virginia Records Timeline: 1553-1743,† http://memory. loc. gov/ammem/collections/jefferson_papers/mtjvatm3. html), thereby suggesting that the attainment of genuine liberty from the colonizers is yet to be realized.It is perhaps during the time when the English pilgrims came to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 and established their colonies that the concept of liberty came about, not the least in the context of the pre-Constitution history of America. As Mark Sargent w rites in his article â€Å"The Conservative Covenant: The Rise of the Mayflower Compact in American Myth,† some of the passengers in the Mayflower ship â€Å"who were not travelling to the New World for religious reasons would insist upon complete freedom when they stepped ashore† since the New World is already â€Å"outside the territory covered in their patent from the [British] crown† (Sargent, p.236). After the Seven Years War between the British forces and the alliance of French and American Indian forces in 1763, the British Empire enforced a series of taxes on the Americans so as to cover a portion of the cost for defending the colony. Since the Americans considered themselves as subjects of the King, they understood that they had the same rights to that of the King’s subjects living in Great Britain.However, the Sugar Act, Currency Act—both passed in 1764—the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townshend Act of 1767, to name a few, compelled the Americans to take drastic measures to send the message to the British Empire that they were being treated as though they were less than the King’s subjects in Great Britain (Jensen, p. 186). Moreover, the taxes were enforced despite the lack of representation of the American colonists in the Westminster Parliament.One of the famous protests taken by the Americans is the Boston Tea Party in 1773 where numerous crates containing tea that belonged to the British East India Company were destroyed aboard ships in Boston Harbor. As a result, the British government passed a series of acts popularly known as the Intolerable Acts in 1774, further fanning the growing oppression felt by the American colonists. Eventually, the American Revolution ensued beginning in as early as 1775 when British forces confiscated arms and arrested revolutionaries in Concord, thereby sparking the first hostilities after the Intolerable Acts were passed (Jensen, p.434). From 1775 to 1783, the colonies tha t formed their own independent states fought as one as the Thirteen Colonies of North America. Lasting for roughly eight years, the American Revolutionary War ended in the ratification of the Treaty of Paris which formally recognized the Independence of America from the British Empire. Between these years, the colonies underwent several changes which constitute part of the developments toward the framing of the Constitution (Bobrick, p. 88).One of these changes is the shift towards the acceptance of notable republican ideals, such as liberty and inalienable rights as core values, among several members of the colonies. Moreover, the republican ideals of the time saw corruption as the greatest of all threats to liberty. In essence, the concept of liberty during the founding era revolves around the liberation of the American colonies from the British Empire and the growing oppression it gave to the colonists through taxation burdens and a series of repressive acts.For the American colo nists, liberty meant the severing of its ties from the British government and the creation of its own independent nation recognized by other countries. The writing and ratification of the Constitution On the fourth of July in 1776, the second Continental Congress signed and officially adopted the United States Declaration of Independence which established the separation of the thirteen American colonies—the colonies which were at war with Great Britain from 1775—from the British Empire.Although others say that the founding moment of America is not on July 4 but two days earlier (Groom, http://independent. co. uk/arts-entertainment/books/review/the-fourth-of-july-and-the-founding-of-america-by-peter-de-bolla-455878. html), it remains a fact that there came a point in time when America finally declared its independence. The evolution of American political theory—especially that which is concerned with liberty—can be better understood during the confrontatio n over the writing and the ratification of the Constitution.In fact, the Declaration asserts that people have unalienable rights which include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Articles of Confederation served as the constitution which governed the thirteen states as part of its alliance called the â€Å"United States of America†. After being ratified in 1781, the â€Å"United States of America† was brought as a political union under a confederate government in order to defend better the liberties of the people and of each state. Meaning, each state retained its independence and sovereignty despite being politically held together as part of the union.However, the Articles were not without opposition and criticisms from several notable political thinkers of the time. For example, James Madison saw several main flaws in the Articles of Confederation that were alarming, or threatened the very existence and purpose of the Articles first and foremost. For one, Madison was concerned about the dangers posed by the divided republics or â€Å"factions† given that their interest may stand in conflict to the interests of others. Madison argues in The Federalist, specifically in â€Å"Federalist No.10,† that in order to guard the citizens from the dangers posed by these individuals who have contradicting interests, a large republic should be created, a republic that will safeguard the citizens from the possible harms brought by other states. It is likewise important to note that the union is not a homogenous group of citizens with the same political inclinations. Madison also argues that for the government to become effective it needs to be a hybrid of a national and a federal constitution.The government should be balanced in the sense that it should be federal in some aspects and republican in others instead of giving more weight to each separate state over the larger republic. In his â€Å"Federalist No. 39,† Madison prop oses and describes a republic government guided by three fundamental principles: the derivation of the government’s legitimate power through the consent of the people, representatives elected as administrators in the government, and a limitation on the length of the terms of service rendered by the representatives (Kobylka and Carter, p.191). Madison also pointed out in â€Å"Federalist No. 51† that there should be checks and balances in the government, specifically among the judicial, legislative and the executive branches. The judiciary, therefore, is at par with the other two inasmuch as each of the other two are at par with one another. Giving one of the three more powers disables the other two to check if that branch is still functioning within its perimeters.As a result, the more powerful branch becomes a partisan branch which consequently creates dangers to the liberties of the people. Another important part of the evolution of American political theory is the c ontention raised by Patrick Henry. In a letter sent to Robert Pleasants in January 18, 1773, Patrick Henry sees the relationship between the new government and the institution of slavery as a contradiction precisely because while the new government is said to be founded on liberty, there the evil that is slavery persisted under the new government.During those times, slavery was not yet abolished and that the new government was unable to meet the challenge of living up to its roles and foundations by failing to address the institution of slavery and demolishing it altogether. Moreover, Henry understood the efforts of secession from the hands of England were a matter of freedom or slavery, which can also be looked upon as a question of either a freedom from or a continuation of tax slavery from the British.While Madison was part of the â€Å"Federalists† who were supporting the ratification of the Constitution, the â€Å"Anti-Federalists† apparently argued against its ra tification. It was Patrick Henry who led the group in criticizing the contents of the proposed Constitution. For instance, Henry argued that the phrase â€Å"We the People† in the Preamble of the Constitution was misleading primarily because it was not necessarily the people who agreed and created the proposed Constitution but the representatives of each participating state.Thus, Henry argues that the Preamble should instead read as â€Å"We the States† which in turn delegated power to the union. Another argument of the Anti-Federalists is the claim that the central government and, therefore, the central power might result to a revival of the monarchic type of rule reminiscent of the British Empire which the Patriots fought. The fear is that, by delegating a considerable amount of power to the central government, the liberties of the individual states and the people are weakened as a result.Nevertheless, the Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787 and later rati fied in each of the state conventions held. The anti-federalists share a significant role in strengthening some of the points of the Constitution through the succeeding amendments. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are popularly known as the Bill of Rights; it is largely influenced by the arguments of the anti-federalists. For the most part, the Bill of Rights aimed to guarantee that Congress shall not create laws which stand against the rights and liberties of the citizens of the nation.In effect, the Bill of Rights limits the power of the federal government in order to secure the liberties of the people in the United States. In â€Å"Federalist No. 84,† Alexander Hamilton argues against the Bill of Rights for the reason that the American citizens will not have to necessarily surrender their rights as a result of the ratification of the Constitution and, thus, the protection of the rights through the Bill is unnecessary. Moreover, Hamilton also argues that creatin g a Bill of Rights would effectively limit the rights of the people since those that are not listed in the Bill will not be considered as rights.In response to the argument, the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution was introduced and ratified later on. The amendment specifically states that the rights of the people are not to be limited to those which are listed in the Constitution. As it can be observed, the time before and during the ratification of the Constitution and the succeeding amendments made reflect how the people at the time sought to protect the liberties that they have realized and gained after the American Revolution and the defeat of the British Empire.Moreover, the debates at that time revolved around the issue of what to do with the liberties gained and how to secure them for the coming generations. One side—the Anti-Federalists—argues that the central government weakens the independence and sovereignty of the states as well as the rights and liberties of the people. The other side—the Federalists—argues that the Constitution will help preserve and strengthen the Union. Modern debates In the years that followed, debates over the interpretation of the Constitution, the role of the government and the place of the individual in American society have escalated.In his essay â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government† (popularly known as â€Å"Civil Disobedience†) first published in 1849, Henry David Thoreau asserts that the people should not simply remain passive and allow the government to be an agent of injustice. Much of Thoreau’s political beliefs eventually follow that same philosophy. In his work Walden published in 1854, Thoreau attempts to live a life of solitude in a cabin, away from the reaches of the society. In one of his days in Walden, Thoreau was arrested for the charge of not paying his taxes. His defense was that he refuses to pay federal taxes to a government that tolerates slavery.In ess ence, the fact that Thoreau decided to stay in solitude for approximately two years (although the contents of Walden was made to appear as though all the events happened within just a year) signifies his decision not to conform to the dictates of the society. On the contrary, Thoreau lived a life of liberty, free to do anything that he chooses without the institutions of society restraining him. The same sentiment—non-conformity or disobedience to the dictates of the society, especially the government—echoes through in Thoreau’s other work, which is â€Å"Civil Disobedience†.Thoreau asserts that â€Å"the only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think [is] right† (Thoreau, http://sniggle. net/Experiment/index. php? entry=rtcg#p04). That passage, along with the rest of â€Å"Civil Disobedience† and its theme in general, implies that people have an inherent liberty, which is the liberty to do any time what the y think is right. Taken altogether in the context of the concept of liberty, Thoreau seems to suggest that people ought to disobey a government that oppresses other people since each individual has inalienable rights that nobody can take away, not even the government.In the face of oppression such as slavery (which was still very much a part of America within twenty years after the ratification of the original Constitution since the issue of slavery was a very delicate and contentious matter during the Philadelphia Convention), Thoreau even suggested that Abolitionists should not only confine themselves with the mere thought of abolishing slavery but resisting the instructions of the government such as paying taxes.Thus, as a reading of Thoreau’s works would suggest, to have liberty is to act upon crucial issues instead of passively allowing contentious actions of the government to thrive and continue. I cannot help but think that Thoreau’s concept of liberty is someth ing that is absolute, which I also take to mean as confined only within one’s disposition instead of being limited by the government. Moreover, since Thoreau suggests that liberty is doing any time what one thinks is right an individual should first know if what he or she thinks is indeed right instead of being wrong.Charles Madison notes that Thoreau was heavily concerned with the â€Å"ever pressing problem of how one might earn a living and remain free† (Madison, p. 110). I cannot help but begin to think that Thoreau attempts at embodying and enacting his individualistic beliefs. As Leigh Kathryn Jenco argues, â€Å"The theory and practice of democracy fundamentally conflict with Thoreau’s conviction in moral autonomy and conscientious action† (Jenco, p.355); democracy is essentially the rule of the majority which consequently ignores the decisions of the minority. However, I think that much of Thoreau’s thoughts were heavily influenced by the c ircumstances during his time. His aversion towards the imposed taxation policy of the government stems from the fact that the government at that time still tolerates slavery which is directly against an individual’s liberty.Thoreau’s insight on the perceived conflict between the liberties being upheld by the Constitution and the actual state of the government during his time points us to the ideal that the people are sovereign because the people is the ultimate source of power of the government. If it is indeed the case that the Constitution upholds the rights of individuals including the right to liberty, it seems appropriate to consider as well why slavery at that time was not immediately abolished entirely especially at the time when the Constitution was ratified.In fact, it was only in 1865 under the Thirteenth Amendment—about 80 years after the original Constitution was adopted—when slavery was legally abolished and when Congress was given the power to finally enforce abolition. During the time when slavery was not yet abolished and immediately after the original Constitution was ratified, it can be said that not all citizens living in America were given full liberties. Several people were still laboring as slaves to their American masters.That is perhaps an often neglected piece of history that undermines the spirit of creating a Constitution and a government that will uphold the rights of the people. The pre-American Revolutionary war, the founding era, the ratification of the original Constitution, the creation of the Bill of Rights and the other succeeding amendments to the Constitution—all these stand as testimonies to the evolution of American political thought. The concept of liberty has played an important role in the development of the federal government and the Constitution.Although the history of American political thought might reveal that the attainment of liberty through the years has never been a smooth jo urney, contemporary America has reaped a large amount of benefits from the sacrifices and ideas of the Founding Fathers and all the people who lived and died during those times. Some might even argue that liberty is yet to be truly attained in today’s American society. But if liberty is yet to be attained in practice, how is it possible that people are given the right to air their grievances before the government?How is it possible that people have the liberty to do as they please so long as what they do does not conflict with what is legal? In any case, the present American Constitution guarantees the liberty of the people and that there are institutions which seek to promote and guard that important right. Had it been the case that the early Americans swallowed everything that the British Empire throw in their way and that the Founding Fathers abandoned the creation and amendment of the Constitution, the United States of America would not have been the land of the free and the home of the brave.Works Cited Bobrick, Benson. Fight for Freedom: The American Revolutionary War. 1st ed. New York, NY: Atheneum, 2004. Groom, Nick. â€Å"The Fourth of July and the Founding of America, by Peter De Bolla†. 2007. Independent. Co. Uk. October 16 2008. . Hamilton, Alexander, James Madison, and John Jay. The Federalist, on the New Constitution. 1787. October 18, 2008 . Jenco, Leigh Kathryn. â€Å"Thoreau’s Critique of Democracy. † The Review of Politics 65. 3 (2003): 355-81. Jensen, Merrill. The Founding of a Nation: A History of the American Revolution 1763-1776. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, 2004. Kobylka, Joseph F. , and Bradley Kent Carter. â€Å"Madison, The Federalist, & the Constitutional Order: Human Nature & Institutional Structure. † Polity 20.2 (1987): 190-208. Madison, Charles. â€Å"Henry David Thoreau: Transcendental Individualist. † Ethics 54. 2 (1944): 110-23. Sargent, Mark L. â€Å"The Conservative Covenant: The Rise of the Mayflower Compact in American Myth. † The New England Quarterly 61. 2 (1988): 233-51. Thoreau, Henry David. â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government†. 1849. October 18 2008. . â€Å"Virginia Records Timeline: 1553-1743†. The Library of Congress. October 17 2008. . American politics One of the best characteristics of the US political system today is this particular feature: the presence of a socio-cultural and socio-political atmosphere that encourages and promotes the right of the individual to vote and the right to suffrage. This is considered as a positive aspect of the US political system. Not all of the countries and their respective political system make room for this rather delicate matter, to which the balance of power hangs and to which the fate of the country and its socio economic and socio political stability rests.The US political system should not change this particular aspect and on the contrary, manage to find ways on how to make this particularly enviable characteristic of the US political system develop more into something that lessens and lessens the chances and situations that limits or prohibits its citizens to vote and is not threatened by the possibilities of being corrupted by the politicians themselves.An important part of the praise-wor thy characteristic of the US political system to support the right for suffrage and encourage a population that is willing to go to voting precincts and vote and choose their own leader as part of the exercise of the democratic country they all live in is the fact that the right to vote is centered and is promoted not only among true blooded American citizens, but also to immigrants who are granted citizenship.This is important because this goes to show that the US' political system did not renege on its promise embedded on the towering facade of the Liberty Statue about bringing in and welcoming people from different cultures with open arms and giving them an equal treatment especially in the aspect which in other countries maybe a very delicate matter altogether – the right to vote.In the US, protection and promotion of the right to vote has been widely supported that politicians themselves are becoming â€Å"increasingly aware of the voting-bloc power of the immigrants (B ray 19)† that they â€Å"are offering meaningful choices and reforms to immigrant voters (Bray 19)† as well. One of the positive characteristics of the US political system is the consistent inclusion of the consideration for and fighting for the exercise and preservation of the human rights.Yes, it is true that the United States, as a country, has been the place where great battles on human rights were fought. The Klu Kux Klan reminds the world about the extent of racism in the United States. Isn’t it the same country that was divided and shed the blood of their countrymen because they do not see eye to eye with regards to the issue of liberating former African American slaves that the white people own? These are all important points that prove the problem of human rights in the US, especially during its earlier, younger years.But more important than these historical notes is the fact that it was through these experiences that heroes, like Abraham Lincoln and oth er fighters for human rights, were given the time to shine their brightest and influence not just the country, but the world about important socio-cultural values and the significance of human rights. Despite the times of troubles, the political system of the country has shown through the years that it is capable of learning and integrating inside the system the wisdom and knowledge lifted from previous experiences so that the system could be better in the end.Today, the protection of human rights in the United States is all the more highlighted and magnified, especially when news in Africa and from other countries tell the tales of individuals who died not being able to enjoy the most basic human rights, and leaving behind friends and family members who are still under the threat of having their human rights taken from them and violated in front of them.Their own political system is not powerful enough to protect them from this kind of atrocity that is still very much alive in many parts of the world even today. It is indeed very reassuring to know that the US political system features important aspects that can guarantee the exercise and protection of human rights, not just the rights of American citizens in the US but also the human rights of other people if the US political system can extend help for this cause as they did in the past like what they did in 1973 (Liang-Fenton 151).One of the problematic aspects of the US political system is the power of political appointments. It is considered as one of the â€Å"anxieties† haunting civil service as far back as the formative years of the National Commission on the Public Service (Bowles 239). This is something that is considered as problematic and is a characteristic that leans more on the negative side than on the positive side.This is because of the fact that political appointments are largely based on the whim of politicians who often use political appointments, either as leverage so that the poli tician can manipulate the exercise and flow of power and influence, or as a way/means for the politician to return the favor he or she owes to private individuals who, in one way or another extended help or assistance to the politician and in the process someone to whom the politician is owed to. In both cases, it is reflected how the power for political appointment is becoming more and more vulnerable to being utilized as a tool for used for the wrong reasons.An important change correcting this problematic situation is the limitation of political appointments to just a handful of aides that the politician will have to work with everyday. While it is true that the truly capable leader is capable of willing with different types of people and can function as a team player even if surrounded by team mates who the politician did not choose, there are significant benefits that comes out of letting the elected leader pick at least his core team. It follows that if the electorate trusts th e leader that they voted, they will trust the people whom the elected official trusts in return.In this line of thought, it now comes that political appointments should be limited to the immediate staff of the politician and no greater than that. Besides, the elected official was not elected to personally handpick every other civil servant. The current power for political appointments should be diminished and have the civil service system handle the filling of government positions so that the truly deserving individuals are placed in government positions without the bias from politicians who may exercise their powers incorrectly.It is quite unclear or uncertain yet in which particular part of the history the United States and its political system has actually began to become a hegemon, although John Agnew seemed to give the readers an idea akin to the amalgamation of several different factors leading to this reality of what is now known as the US hegemony on political, as well as ec onomic and even cultural spheres (Agnew 53).What is now clear today is that the United States has taken the role of the global hegemon, the US politics and the US system dictating and influencing heavily the course of action that many aspects of the present day globalized world has taken collectively. While it has its perks and positive features that the country and its people can and have enjoyed, this aspect of the US political system is something that causes problems and is more of a disadvantage than advantage.It is more of a negative characteristic than it is a positive characteristic because of what the hegemon role brings inside the country and towards it people – particularly, death by many US citizens which is often not morally or ethically justified. Take for example, the wars and armed conflict that the US has committed itself in fighting because of its self righteous role that comes out of being a hegemon.It wants to show the world that the country will be the lea der in fighting ideas like terrorism and how it physically manifests by bringing US soldiers to far off countries like Afghanistan and Iraq. These countries are turning out to be modern day version of Vietnam because of the continuous increase in casualties among US citizens who are fighting people from other culture and nation and carrying with them either very vague or very generalized ideas of the reason of war per se.The country should instead be content in the exercise of the limitation on trying to be the leader at everything with, at times, unreasonable sense of self-righteousness that it is doing more harm than good to the people of the country for which the US political system should serve in the first place, like making the US and its citizens prime targets of hate campaigns instigated by non Americans who detest the state of US hegemony.Works Cited Agnew, John A. Hegemony: The New Shape of Global Power. University of Chicago Press, 2005. Bowles, Nigel. The Government and Politics of the United States. Palgrave Macmillan, 1993. Bray, Ilona. Becoming a US Citizen: A Guide to Law, Exam and Interview. NOLO, 2008. Liang-Fenton, Debra. Implementing US Human Rights Policy: Agendas, Policies, and Practices. United States Institute of Peace Press (USIP), 2004. American Politics The United States Congress is composed of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and Committees. The Senate consists of 100 members, two from each state, regardless of population or area, elected by the people in accordance with the 17th Amendment to the Constitution (Johnson). The members include the Senate President, President pro tempore, Majority/Minority leaders, and whips. The House of Representatives consist of 435 members, which include the Speaker, Majority Leader, Minority Leader, and whips, elected every two years from among the 50 states, distributed to their total populations (Johnson).There are different kinds of Committees in the United States Congress: Standing Committees, ad hoc committees, conference committees, and House Rules committees. According to Johnson, the Article 1, Section 1 of the United States Constitution states that only the Congress has the power to make laws and to write all the laws that are required to make the Constitution into implementation. The Congress has also the constitutional power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce. It has the sole authority to raise, finance and regulate forces of the military units and to declare war.Moreover, Congress can alter the number of justices on the Supreme Court and can ascertain which cases the federal courts can hear by establishing limitations on their jurisdictions. It is Congress that played a role in the establishment of the departments, agencies, and bureaus that cover the majority of the executive branch. Most sources of legislation and proposed drafts of bills are conceived by a Member but may also come from various interest groups and private citizens and the President.These sources may come from the election campaign during which the Member had promised, if elected, to introduce legislation on a particular subject (Johnson). In addition, the executive communication has turned into a source of legislative proposals, usually in the form of a message or letter from a member of the President’s Cabinet, the head of an independent agency, or the President himself (Johnson). These legislative proposals are then forwarded to Congress with a request for their enactment (Johnson). In the Senate, a Senator usually introduces a bill or resolution (Johnson).If there is no objection, it is read by title and referred to the appropriate committee and is placed on the Calendar (Johnson). In the House of Representatives, the bill is assigned its legislative number and then referred to the appropriate committee. A committee will then ask the input of the relevant departments and agencies about a bill (Johnson). The committee may schedule a date for public hearings if the bill is of sufficient importance (Johnson). The subcommittee will consider the bill in a session, referred to as the markup session, after hearings are completed.Bills are read for amendment in committee by section and members may offer amendments (Johnson). Bills will be given consider ation by the entire Members of the House with adequate opportunity for debate and the proposing of amendments (Johnson). After passage or rejection of the bill by the House, the bill goes to the Senate for consideration. Votes on final passage may be taken by the electronic voting system. Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate shall be presented to the United States President before it becomes a Law (Johnson).If the President approves the bill, he/she signs it and usually writes the word approved and the date (Johnson). If the President does not approve the bill, he/she shall return it, with his/her objections to the House and proceed to reconsider it (Johnson). When a law has been enacted, it shall be made known to the people who are to be bound by it (Johnson). Reference Johnson, C. W. How Our Laws Are Made. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from http://www. senate. gov/reference/resources/pdf/howourlawsaremade. pdf.