Research a topic about an artist, an art style, a period in art Essay

Research a topic about an artist, an art style, a period in art history, a particular type of visual art - Essay Example The first artistic period that should be carefully examined as called the Blue Period. It lasted several years from 1901 to 1904 and features depressive pictured that were painted primarily using blue color. It is argued that â€Å"the Blue Period was a direct result of his friend’s death† (Walther 15). Indeed, a close friend of Picasso died and the famous painter found a way to express his grief with the help of art. The next period that one may want to explore carefully is often called the Rose Period. It lasted for two years, but it was incredibly fruitful. Just like with the previous period, the major color that dominated the majority of the paintings, but rose, but the tone of the works of art was absolutely different. It often included harlequins which is largely seen as the symbol of Picasso that he put in his paintings. The third period in his artistic development is a transitional one. Nevertheless, it was able to provide the world with fabulous masterpieces. The name for it is the Black or the African period and it lasted for three years: from 1906 to 1909. Indeed, at this time the technique of Picasso has been largely influenced by the African art, especially the masks that the African tribes created. In addition to that, it is largely regarded as the period of time when the artist developed his first understanding of cubism. The period that preceded is largely one of the most important and one of the longest ones. It lasted from 1909 to 1917 and the general term that is given to it is cubism. However, it is important note that within cubism, there have been several periods as well. At first Picasso changed the shapes of some objects while depicting the reality. Afterwards, during analytic cubism, the reality was carefully examined and presented as a mechanical aggregation of geometric shapes. Finally, the synthetic cubism often presents the object as easily recognized symbols, but in distorted order. Starting from 1917

From Corded to Cordless Essay Example for Free

From Corded to Cordless Essay From the construction site to the home, the electric drill is a commonly used tool in todays society. The electric drill has been refined throughout the last century to form a tool that is both versatile and aesthetically pleasing. The 20th Century drill has come a long way from it 19th Century predecessors. Australian, Arthur James Arnot, patented the worlds first electric drill in 1889. Arnots electric drill could perform all the tasks of an ordinary drill but with much greater efficiency. Then in 1895, German, Wilhelm Fein invented the first cordless (DC) electric drill. A cordless electric drill is a type of electric drill which uses rechargeable batteries, i.e. direct current (DC). Feins drill could spin a 1200 rpm (revolutions per minute) and relied on the user to press against the back of the drill in order to achieve good leverage. These early designed were not ergonomically tested and an issue arouse because the drills were somewhat heavy due to the metal (mainly steel) components. It was not till the early 1900s that the heavy steel exterior was replaced with the much lighter aluminum. Early cordless (DC) drills used Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) batteries. NiCd batteries have a limited lifespan, self discharge and ultimately will internally short circuit due to dendrite growth. This poses a hazard when disposing of such NiCd batteries. It was for this reason and others that there was a move from NiCd batteries to Lithium ion batteries at the beginning of the 21st Century. The main advantage of using Lithium ion batteries is the dramatically shorter charging time and the longer lifespan. Lithium ion batteries also make the drill much more versatile because; unlike NiCd batteries, Lithium ion batteries have a constant discharge rate. The year 1917 marked the beginning of the designs we see today. Black and Decker patented a trigger like switch mounted on a piston-grip, the first hand held drill of its kind. This innovative design helped to increase productivity as the user had a free hand to perform tasks that, previously, may have required another person. The 1930s/40s saw a boom in the mass production of electric drills. The electric drill was made available to a greater number of people around the world. Societys homeowners wanted to take a more active role in the maintenance and repair of their homes. Mass production of the electric drill lead to the development of more powerful, more efficient, more versatile electric drills. Society at the time had a great impact on the design and aesthetics of the electric drill. Manufacturers realized that they could not sell industrial looking tools to common homeowners, so product materials began to change during this time. Manufacturers started to use plastic, which considerably reduced the weight and very much added to the appeal of the electric drill. The use of plastic also had an even greater positive effect, which was to prevent the user from suffering an electric shock if the electric drill was the short circuit. The exterior of the electric drill was also extensively changed, as societys homeowners wanted products that were aesthetically pleasing. Hence the lustrous yellow base color and contrasting black grip of most modern electric drills. The willingness of manufactures to change their design to accommodate the consumer desires is a reflection of societys impact on the design of the electric drill. Bibliography: Wikipedia[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill][Internet](Accessed 290208)www.bharatbhasha.com[http://www.bharatbhasha.com/education.php/48809][Internet](Accessed 290208)By Andrew Cutler[http://shl.stanford.edu:3455/TenThings/820][Internet](Accessed 020308)[http://shl.stanford.edu:3455/TenThings/914][Internet](Accessed 020308)

How Does Golding Make This Passage Tense And Powerful? :: English Literature:

How Does Golding Make This Passage Tense And Powerful? Golding uses many techniques to make this passage tense and powerful by using language and the content of the passage. He uses many types of imagery and dramatic language throughout the passage as well as changes in pace and many different sorts of sound effects. The most conspicuous means Golding has used to make this passage very powerful is the content. He implies that someone has died in this passage, which evokes many feelings among readers because death is such a disastrous occurrence: "That little 'un had a mark on his -face -where is -he now?" The way Golding has portrayed the death is particularly effective because it is not definite that the boy has died and not knowing something is more tense than knowing something. Also the boy didn't die in the book, meaning all we have is the reactions from the boys and what they say, instead of knowing exactly what happened we are left to think about it on our own, using our own imagination. The imagery that Golding uses in the passage is very descriptive and unsettling. He uses personification, similes and metaphors: "Tall swathes of creepers rose for a moment into view, agonized, and went down again." Here Golding has used personification to depict the plants. This shows how the boys are starting to see things and get very paranoid of their surroundings. The plants seem to be coming to life, which is very unnatural and disconcerting. "One patch touched a tree trunk and scrambled up like a bright squirrel." This is a simile, describing the fire to be like a squirrel, which seems really strange but also very subtle and powerful. Golding has portrayed to very different things: an innocent squirrel and a lethal fire. This makes the fire appear quite harmless; therefore highlighting its danger even more when we find out it has killed someone. "The drum-roll of the fire" --------------------------- The metaphor Golding has used here is repeated several times in the passage. Later he just says, "drum-roll" instead of fire. This is effective because a drum roll is a powerful and steady sound, very distinctive and of importance. Although it doesn't sound like a fire it is very significant like the fire is in this passage. Also the thought of a growing drum-roll going on during this passage builds up much tension. In this passage Golding doesn't just use the boy's speech to convey

Five Competing Brands of India

Acknowledgement We are thankful to Almighty Allah for His help in the completion of the project. We are thankful to our respected teacher Mr. KASHIF SAEED for his keen interest and support in providing us the needed information and we like to thanks for assigning us this project that has helped us in learning the basic concepts of marketing management. [pic] First of all we thank to Almighty ALLAH who has granted us such a great opportunity to prove ourselves. Then we are thankful to our beloved Parents, our honorable and cooperative Teacher Sir Kashif Saeed and all MEMBERS who have helped us a lot to prepare this Project. Detergent Brands in INDIAN Market We choose following 5 Brands from Indian market 1. WHEEL 2. SURF EXCEL 3. RIN 4. SUNLIGHT 5. TIDE Wheel Wheel is India's number one detergent brand. Launched in 1987, it cleans effectively with lesser effort, making a laborious chore like washing light and easy. Moreover, Wheel does not burn hands or harm clothes like some other de tergents, which contain a high percentage of soda. Ever since its relaunch in 2001, with the new positioning of ‘best clean with less effort', Wheel has been growing strongly. Research showed that consumers seek a solution to heavy duty laundry, like bed sheets and curtains. Developing on this insight, wheel sought to eliminate the trouble of tough dirt or heavy-duty laundry. Mass market consumers have welcomed the solution, making it the number one. This product is for low level of income. Target market of wheel is rural areas and the people think that wheel is a power full and cheaper detergent as compare to other detergent and soap available in market. Surf Excel A pioneer in the Indian detergent powder market, Surf Excel has constantly upgraded itself over the years, to answer the constantly changing washing needs of the Indian homemaker. Today Surf Excel offers outstanding stain removal ability on a wide range of stains. This means that mothers now have the freedom to let their kids experience life without worrying about stains. Surf Excel quick wash is powered with a path-breaking technology- it reduces water consumption and time taken for rinsing by 50%. It is a significant benefit, given the acute water scarcity in most of India. Surf Excel is available in 3 variants: Surf Excel Blue, Surf Excel Quick Wash and Surf Excel Automatic. So whatever be the need, Surf Excel hay Na. Surf Excel powder is for the people of middle and high level of income. Main focus on the children because they advertise as DAGH TO ACHY HOTY HAIN and also for those who want fragrance in there clothes. Rin Launched in 1969, Rin with the power of its thunderous lightning flash has become a household name synonymous with dazzling white clothes, for millions across the length and breadth of the country. Over the years, Rin has constantly evolved to cater to the growing aspirations of the Indian housewife. Be it with Rin Advanced or its perfumed variant Jasmine Fresh, the brand guarantee superior cleaning, incomparable white clothes and self-confidence which comes only from wearing spotless clean clothes. That too, at affordable prices. Recently Rin re-wrote the rules of branding and marketing by teaming up with the country’s leading entertainment channel, Star Plus to launch a unique reality show for kids titled – ‘Rin Mera Star Super Star’- a nationwide talent hunt providing a platform for talented children to showcase their potential to the entire country. The winning contestant won a scholarship of Rs. 500,000 to help him chase the dream of becoming an artist or to pursue future education. Over the years, Rin has won a number of accolades, the most recent being voted as the Most Preferred Detergent brand in India at the Awaaz Consumer Awards in 2006. The Awaaz Consumer Awards voice the opinion of 10,000 consumers of 39 product and service categories across 21 countrywide locations. This detergent is also for middle and low level of income. This detergent brought whitening in the cloths. Target market of Rin is both Urban and rural areas. Sunlight Spreading Brightness and Cheer Sunlight is Unilever’s oldest brand. Launched in 1888 it was the first soap to be branded, stamped & packed before selling to consumers. The factory where the soap was manufactured was soon renamed Port Sunlight & goes by that name till today. Sunlight in India is sold only in West Bengal and Kerala. It continues to be the favorite brand of consumers and is the market leader. Sunlight is positioned on providing brightness & colour protection delivering the promise of keeping clothes looking bright like new. Constant innovation now sees Sunlight with orange peel extracts that not only gives brightness to clothes but also improved cleanliness and fragrance. Sunlight also believes in spreading cheer and brightness in the lives of its consumers and those around them. The brand’s latest advertising seeks to communicate that people who wear bright clothes, cared for by Sunlight spread cheer and brightness all around them. Tide Tide is the name of a popular laundry detergent on the market in INDIA, the United States and other countries. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble. Tide is marketed under various sub-brands, such as 2x Ultra Tide. First introduced in test markets in 1946 with national distribution reached in 1949, Tide was voted as â€Å"America's Washday Favorite†. It quickly gained dominance in the detergent market, dwarfing the sales of other P products, such as Ivory Snow. The latter one was soap powders and flakes. In the late sixties and early seventies, it was branded as Tide XK, but it was rebranded as Tide later on. Originally, Tide was a white powdered bead, but the brand line was later expanded to include an orange-tinted clear liquid form in 1984. Today, most formulations of liquid Tide are dark blue with the exception of Tide Free, which is clear. An addition to the Tide Family, Tide Cold Water, was formulated to tackle stains while saving energy because it does not require hot or even warm water. Tide is recognized for its distinctive orange-and-yellow bullseye logo. The original logo was designed by Donald Deskey, a famous industrial and identity designer. Tide was the first product to be nationally packaged using Day-Glo colors, strikingly eye-catching when first introduced. The logo people see today has been slightly modified for the product's fiftieth anniversary in 1996. Currently, the Tide brand is given to over half a dozen powders and liquid detergents in the United States alone. In most of Latin America the Tide formula is marketed under the name Ace and in Turkey under the name Alo. Tide is commercialized in Pakistan SWOT Analysis Strengths †¢ The product’s image TIDE has been an intricate part of American culture for, over a 50 Years. The product’s image is laden with sentimentality and this is an image many people have taken deeply to heart. The TIDE image is displayed on T-shirts, hats, and collectible memorabilia. This extremely recognizable branding is one of greatest strengths. â€Å"Use more than million times a day around the world TIDE stands as a simple, yet powerful symbol of quality and Cleanness†. †¢ Distributor’s Excellent Service TIDE is the brand of P&G and P&G search strong, experienced parties, devoted and loyal people. Basic requirement of them is financially strong people, devoted with product, loyal with company and involve in their business. Financial Position And Credit Rating Are Strong Their domestic organization achieved revenue growth from a healthy pricing environment, strong field execution, and effective innovation as their liquid TIDE , Stain remover TIDE partially compensate a continued shift away from their TIDE trademark. Revenue growth and cost management offset a relatively more volatile raw material cost environment. The profitability of their international business c ontinued to improve and it has become a more significant contributor to their performance. †¢ Well Developed Strategy P&G recognizes there is a right time and place for their product; therefore, their strategy makes room for adjustments. †¢ LOW PRICE TIDE INTRODUCE IN PAKISTANI MARKET AS LOW PRICE BRAND. THE PRICE OF TIDE IS LOW AS COMPARE TO ITS COMPATITOR WHICH IS ITS COMPATITOR ADVANTAGE. WEAKNESSES †¢ Less Aggressive Stand Due to the changing global economies TIDE has taken a less aggressive stand in the market place †¢ Low Quality As its price is low with compare to other detergent in the market so one can easily think that its quality is low. Opportunities Introduction of new product under TIDE. It is a big opportunity for P&G to bring its other brand under TIDE logo in the market, due to good reputation in the market there will be big room in the market for these new washing brands. †¢ Increased Distribution of Products P&G also allows the company to take advantage of infinite growth opportunities around the world. This strategy gives TIDE the opportunity to service a larg e geographic, diverse area. Especially in the vast market of the Asia where almost 60% of the world population lives. And when we talk about the Pakistan there are a lot of opportunities to extend their product to the Azad Kashmir and to the other back wards areas by sponsor’s social activities in those areas. †¢ Brand Recognition Brand recognition is the significant factor affecting TIDE competitive position. TIDE’s brand name is known well throughout 90% of the world today. The primary concern over the past few years has been to get this name brand to be even better known. Threats †¢ New Viable Competitors Currently, the threat of new viable competitors in the detergent industry is not very substantial. The threat of substitutes, however, is a very real threat. The detergent industry is very strong, but consumers are not necessarily married to it. Possible substitutes that continuously put pressure on TIDE include RIN, BONUS, and WHEEL. †¢ Rapid Technological Changes The technology is changing rapidly day by day. Any company that uses the latest technology can take competitive edge because of its high speed production. †¢ Political Instability in the Country Political condition of the country is uncertain, govt. policies can disturb position of the company and certain rule and regulations are imposed by the govt. Economic Instability The major threat for the company these days is the economic instability in the country due to which the purchasing power of common man is decreasing. STP of TIDE in Pakistan TIDE is launch in Pakistan for low income level. This is the world famous brand that is launch in the rural areas of Pakistan after success in India and other countries. T IDE is introduced in Pakistan as B grade product which is due to its low price. TIDE is also use as energy saver because its result in cold waters same like hot water to remove stains. TIDE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE (PLC) The Product Life Cycle refers to the succession of stages a product goes through. Product Life Cycle Management is the succession of strategies used by management as a product goes through its life cycle. The stages A Typical Product Life Cycle Products tend to go through seven stages: Introduction Phase †¢ Introduce new TIDE in the market of Pakistan. New product development stage †¢ Very expensive †¢ Low sales revenue †¢ Losses Market introduction stage †¢ Cost high †¢ Sales volume low †¢ Losses Growth stage †¢ Costs reduced due to economies of scale †¢ Sales volume increases significantly †¢ Profitability Prices to maximize market share Mature stage †¢ Costs are very low as you are well established in market & no need for publicity. †¢ Sales volume peaks †¢ Prices tend to drop due to the proliferation of competing products †¢ Very profitable Decline stage †¢ Costs become counter-optimal †¢ Sales volume decline †¢ Prices, profitability diminish Death †¢ At this stage product vanish from market. The BCG Matrix On the horizontal axis: relative market share : This serves as a measure of SBU strength in the market On the vertical axis: market growth rate This provides a measure of market attractiveness. By dividing the matrix into four areas, four types of SBU can be distinguished: Stars : Stars are high growth businesses or products competing in markets where they are relatively strong compared with the competition. Often they need heavy investment to sustain their growth. Eventually their growth will slow and, assuming they maintain their relative market share, will become cash cows. â€Å"TIDE sachet has high market demand & high market growth in the country† Cash COWS: Cash cows are low-growth businesses or products with a relatively high market share. These are mature, successful businesses with relatively little need for investment. They need to be managed for continued profit – so that they continue to generate the strong cash flows that the company needs for its Stars. â€Å"TIDE jumbo pack are that products which need more investment for the achievement of high market share† Question MARKS: Question marks are businesses or products with low market share but which operate in higher growth markets. This suggests that they have potential, but may require substantial investment in order to grow market share at the expense of more powerful competitors. Management have to think hard about â€Å"question marks† – which ones should they invest in? Which ones should they allow to fail or shrink? â€Å"TIDE liquid unit have high market growth but low market share so management have to think about it more seriously for taking high market share†. Dogs : Unsurprisingly, the term â€Å"dogs† refers to businesses or products that have low relative share in unattractive, low-growth markets. Dogs may generate enough cash to break-even, but they are rarely, if ever, worth investing in â€Å"TIDE liquid, TIDE dish wash bar have low market growth as well as low market share so management have to look at this unit for achieving the companies goal† Marketing Mix PRODUCT (Customer Solution) TIDE is our product that we launch in Pakistan for middle and low income people. This is the basic need of every house. So our company P&G launch TIDES detergent powder. PRICE (Customer Cost) The price of TIDE is very low that each and every person can easily buy this tremendous product. PROMOTION (Communication) P&G promote its product in different ways because they wants to introduce there new product in very efficient and effective manner so the customer recognize the product and also buy it for their satisfaction. PLACE (Convenience) The place of launching TIDE is the rural areas where the income level of the population is comparatively low with urban areas. So company focuses the area that is far away from main cities. Competitive Analysis The process of identifying key competitors; assessing their objectives, strategies, strengths and weaknesses, and reaction patterns; and selecting which competitors to attack or avoid. Steps in the Process: Identifying Competitors The competitor of P&G from industrial point of view is Uniliver and the competitor of TIDE is Wheel and Rin from market point of view. Assessing Competitors First of all in the market we determine what is the objective of our competitor in the market then identifies the strategies of our competitor its strength and weaknesses. Selecting Competitors to Attack or Avoid First of all in the market we saw Strong or weak competitors on the basis of this analysis we value our customer. Then we will see that Close or distant competitors then we will compete against close competitors. After this we saw† Good† or â€Å"Bad† competitors and then we decide that which one is beneficial for us in the market and which one is bad for our brand.

Four Things To Do to Increase One’s Level of Contentment and Happiness Essay

The learned Viktor Frankl contends that â€Å"chance decides what happens but we decide how to take it† (cited in Southwick, et. al. , 2006, p. 162). For someone who has been through the most tragic circumstances of human existence, Frankl is surely someone who knows pretty well how happiness is to be pursued in one’s life. While it can be argued that happiness is a state of human living which cannot be singularly defined, we – human persons that we are – nevertheless know what brings it about or how it affects our general take of life. Pursuing Happiness All throughout One’s Life The basic thrust of this paper is to argue that our state of contentment or happiness is something that we human persons can always choose to pursue. By adopting Frankl’s philosophy, we can say that a person can always choose the path towards happiness against the backdrop of different life circumstances and issues that come with one’s lifespan development. First, one can always choose to discover his or her crafts, potentials and talents as a way to appreciate one’s giftedness and uniqueness. This is a very potent element that contributes well to one’s happiness; and this usually happens during one’s late childhood and adolescent stages. The discovery of our uniqueness gives us a sense of who we are. But even when, for instance, one is not gifted enough, one can still discover certain strains of uniqueness to be appreciated. This is crucial because it can give us an initial taste of our sense of directedness and purpose. Second, a person needs to choose the kind of relationships that work in order to attain a level of happiness as well. This is especially true for those who are at the early adulthood stage. Growing up, it would be normal to feel that we need someone to complete us; and finding that suitable someone is notably crucial for this stage. Many people end up either unhappy or miserable because they did not either take the courage to pursue a person whom they love or feel powerless to break free from relationships that just do not work. But finding true happiness is about choosing the right relationships that could nurture, and not defeat life. Third, in order to secure happiness, one must always face life-crises with a brimming sense of optimism. This surely is a case of no little importance, as it is not uncommon to learn that many middle-agers suddenly lose their sense of meaning at a time when life-crises emerging from home and workplace start to take their toll. Crises, it needs to be remembered, cannot be avoided. But they are defining moments that can either make or break us. Increasing one’s state of happiness during these poignant moments therefore necessitates a commitment to hope – i. e. , one faces life problems with a sense of optimism. If one can face problems convinced that he or she can successfully get out of it, then it is like facing a battle half-winning it already. Fourth, one can look at his or her life under the lenses of accomplishment and gratitude so as to be happy. This especially applies to those who are in the twilight of their lives. When one becomes bitter every time he or she looks back at the past, it effectively robs a person with a sense of contentment and happiness. Instead, looking back at life with eyes fixed on the accomplishments and blessings that one has done or received in his or her life surely elicits an incomparable sense of contentment, happiness and pride. Conclusion This paper therefore concludes that a person is always empowered to make a choice in order to increase his or her level of contentment or happiness. In any lifespan development or stages, the choice to uphold sense of happiness is always a concrete possibility; i. e. , we can always choose to discover one’s giftedness, choose the relationships that could make us happy, choose to face life-crises with hopefulness and choose to be thankful in our lives. In the final analysis, it must be ultimately argued that we are the ones responsible for our own happiness.

Social Norm Challenge Essays - Elevator, The Norm Show, React

Social Norm Challenge Essays - Elevator, The Norm Show, React Social Norm Challenge 10 November 2014 Intro to Psychology Social Norm Challenge Pushing buttons for floors I am not going to on the elevator When you get on the elevator, you are usually suppose to just press the button for the floor that you are going to. When I get on the elevator with multiple other people, mostly strangers and press multiple buttons for floors that I am not getting off at, they become angry. Most people become angry and/or frustrated when I do that because they may be in a rush or they may just like that. But I get a different reaction when I do that when Im on the elevator with friends. They often yell at me and/or attempt to curse me out. When Im on the elevator with strangers and that happens, I kind of just laugh a little inside because it was just a joke and they take it so serious. But I dont say anything aloud; I just watch their facial expressions and body language. And maybe apologize when I get off or when they get off. I really dont feel anyway about their reaction I just laugh at both my friends and the strangers. Sit right next to someone in class when there are a lot of open seats When you enter a classroom with a lot of empty seats, most people would choose to sit in a seat in an area where no one is sitting. But sometimes I dont do that; I sit right next to somebody even though I see plenty of seats open. The person that I choose to sit next to may become very aggravated and disturbed because I chose to sit right next to them. They may even begin to feel uncomfortable. Their reaction is probably kind of the same way I would react. But I do things like that to try to be funny. So I didnt really take offense to their reaction. Start talking in class without raising my hand In most classroom scenarios, the teachers social norm is that you raise your hand before you begin speaking if you have something to say. But most times I dont do this, I just begin talking. Students in the class, who already had their hand up waiting to talk, may react by sucking their teeth and getting an attitude. The teacher sometimes becomes angry and tells me to not do it again but that slip my mind and I do it again. Ninety percent of the time I pay no attention to the students reaction. But I apologize to the teacher for not following the rules.

Church in the Wild Analysis Essay Example

Church in the Wild Analysis Essay Example Church in the Wild Analysis Paper Church in the Wild Analysis Paper Essay Topic: Wild Jay Z no Church in the Wild With the release of their newest CD, Watch the Throne, many of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s most exclusive tracks have come under scrutiny. One particular song containing debatable yet obvious theological symbolism is â€Å"No Church in the Wild.† Citing and exclaiming their religious and social beliefs, as well as their activities in today’s society in this new song, Kanye West and Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) show deep symbolism of today’s culture, the influence of Plato and Socrates on them, as well as their controversial lifestyles. Also, containing a featured chorus by Frank Ocean and a bridge by The-Dream, these parts touch on the symbolism and influence of religion and love in many lives today. The Watch the Throne duo revealed their theological beliefs in this song in many ways typical of their style. The song starts off with Frank Ocean’s hook: â€Å"Human beings in a mob, What’s a mob to a king? What’s a king to a God? What’s a God to a non-believer who don’t believe in anything?† Each of these couplets have significance to one another and are all tied together. He starts off by saying that there are human beings in a mob. But what is one human being to a mob? It is insignificant by number, but numbers make up the masses. He then goes on to ask â€Å"What’s a mob to a king?† creating the question that asks: can a mob of people overcome a king or is a king too powerful? But what is a â€Å"king to a God?† Does a mortal king have as much power as an almighty spiritual God? The song begins to unfold when Frank Ocean sings, â€Å"What’s a God to a non-believer who don’t believe in anything?† Frank Ocean brings up an interesting question: if a God is almighty and powerful and has influence over itâ₠¬â„¢s followers, what does this God mean to a non-believer? A non-believer does not care about a God’s existence, so to this person, this God does not even exist or matter. God has just went from being the most powerful being in the universe to superstition. The hook is ended with and also begins the song with the line â€Å"Will he make it out alive, alright, alright, no church in the wild.† This line touches on the â€Å"non-believer† who doesn’t believe in a God and is, in a sense, in the wild. The non-believer has no one protecting him, including a God, so will he be safe in this world where there is no church and God protecting him? As Frank Ocean’s hook of the song endz, the song breaks down and Jay-Z’s verse begins. Jay-Z touches on some philosophical and religious topics throughout his verse. During the second line of his verse, he raps, â€Å"Lies on the lips of a priests, Thanksgiving disguised as a feast.† What if every priest, the messenger for God, whom was supposed to spread the truth, was just telling lies? The basic theme of the track is that you have to fight for yourself, as there is nobody else there to save you (no church in the wild). This is explored through the use of scripture and religious imagery. With the media, Internet, and other means of communication, it is hard to tell what information is true. Thanksgiving, the American holiday to celebrate America’s independence and God’ provisions for our nation, but is tabooed by the fact that we killed numerous Native Americans for our nation. In his sixth line, he states, â€Å"Drug dealer chic, I’m wondering if a thug’s prayers reach,† which is also a Tupac reference, and wonders whether or not a thug or criminal’s prayer is reached by God. From lines 7-9 (â€Å"Is Pious pious cause God.I know yall hear my sneaks†), Jay paraphrases â€Å"The Euthyphro Dilemma†: Do the gods love holy (pious) things because they are pious, or are those things that are pious made in this holy way because the gods love them? This comes back to Socrates and his questioning and wondering of why we do things for certain people or the gods to make them happy for no reasoning? Why do we want to make God happy? It is because we are told to make God happy through worship. Jays verse starts with him describing impurities in things that are supposed to be perfect (i.e. Tears on the mausoleum floor, blood stains on the Colosseum doors, lies on the lips of a priest etc.) He then insinuates that he, Jesus, and Kanye are a new Holy Trinity:Jesus was a carpenter, Yeezy he laid beats (Kanye built music like Jesus, a carpenter would build a house - this could also be a loose allusion to Kanyes song Jesus Walks). He’s setting the two of them up as Gods of Rap. Kanyes verse stays with the Trinity by rapping about a a threesome (we formed our own religion†). He then describes a girl who is a perfect apostle for him, with two tattoos that read, No Apologies and Love is Cursed by Monogamy.

Compare Nationalism in China and Japan

Compare Nationalism in China and Japan The period between 1750 and 1914 was pivotal in world history, and particularly in East Asia. China had long been the only superpower in the region, secure in the knowledge that it was the Middle Kingdom around which the rest of the world pivoted. Japan, cushioned by stormy seas, held itself apart from its Asian neighbors much of the time  and had developed a unique and inward-looking culture. Beginning in the 18th century, however, both Qing China and Tokugawa Japan faced a new threat: imperial expansion by the European powers and later the United States. Both countries responded with growing nationalism, but their versions of nationalism had different focuses and outcomes. Japans nationalism was aggressive and expansionist, allowing Japan itself to become one of the imperial powers in an astonishingly short amount of time. Chinas nationalism, in contrast, was reactive and disorganized, leaving the country in chaos and at the mercy of foreign powers until 1949. Chinese Nationalism In the 1700s, foreign traders from Portugal, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, and other countries sought to trade with China, which was the source of fabulous luxury products like silk, porcelain, and tea. China allowed them only in the port of Canton  and severely restricted their movements there. The foreign powers wanted access to Chinas other ports and to its interior. The First and Second Opium Wars (1839-42 and 1856-60) between China and Britain ended in humiliating defeat for China, which had to agree to give foreign traders, diplomats, soldiers, and missionaries access rights. As a result, China fell under economic imperialism, with different western powers carving out spheres of influence in Chinese territory along the coast. It was a shocking reversal for the Middle Kingdom. The people of China blamed their rulers, the Qing emperors, for this humiliation, and called for the expulsion of all foreigners - including the Qing, who were not Chinese but ethnic Manchus from Manchuria. This groundswell of nationalist and anti-foreigner feeling led to the Taiping Rebellion (1850-64). The charismatic leader of the Taiping Rebellion, Hong Xiuquan, called for the ouster of the Qing Dynasty, which had proved itself incapable of defending China and getting rid of the opium trade. Although the Taiping Rebellion did not succeed, it did severely weaken the Qing government. The nationalist feeling continued to grow in China after the Taiping Rebellion was put down. Foreign Christian missionaries fanned out in the countryside, converting some Chinese to Catholicism or Protestantism, and threatening traditional Buddhist and Confucian beliefs. The Qing government raised taxes on ordinary people to fund half-hearted military modernization, and pay war indemnities to the western powers after the Opium Wars. In 1894-95, the people of China suffered another shocking blow to their sense of national pride. Japan, which had at times been a tributary state of Chinas in the past, defeated the Middle Kingdom in the First Sino-Japanese War  and took control of Korea. Now China was being humiliated not only by the Europeans and Americans  but also by one of their nearest neighbors, traditionally a subordinate power. Japan also imposed war indemnities  and occupied the Qing emperors homeland of Manchuria. As a result, the people of China rose up in anti-foreigner fury once more in 1899-1900. The Boxer Rebellion began as equally anti-European and anti-Qing, but soon the people and the Chinese government joined forces to oppose the imperial powers. An eight-nation coalition of the British, French, Germans, Austrians, Russians, Americans, Italians, and Japanese defeated both the Boxer Rebels and the Qing Army, driving Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu out of Beijing. Although they clung to power for another decade, this was really the end of the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty fell in 1911, the Last Emperor Puyi abdicated the throne, and a Nationalist government under Sun Yat-sen took over. However, that government did not last long, and China slipped into a decades-long civil war between the nationalists and the communists that only ended in 1949 when Mao Zedong and the Communist Party prevailed. Japanese Nationalism For 250 years, Japan existed in quiet and peace under the Tokugawa Shoguns (1603-1853). The famed samurai warriors were reduced to working as bureaucrats and writing wistful poetry  because there were no wars to fight. The only foreigners allowed in Japan were a handful of Chinese and Dutch traders, who were confined to an island in Nagasaki Bay. In 1853, however, this peace was shattered when a squadron of American steam-powered warships under Commodore Matthew Perry showed up in Edo Bay (now Tokyo Bay) and demanded the right to refuel in Japan. Just like China, Japan had to allow foreigners in, sign unequal treaties with them, and allow them extraterritorial rights on Japanese soil. Also like China, this development sparked anti-foreign and nationalist feelings in the Japanese people and caused the government to fall. However, unlike China, the leaders of Japan took this opportunity to thoroughly reform their country. They quickly turned it from an imperial victim to an aggressive imperial power in its own right. With Chinas recent Opium War humiliation as a warning, the Japanese started with a complete overhaul of their government and social system. Paradoxically, this modernization drive centered around the Meiji Emperor, from an imperial family that had ruled the country for 2,500 years. For centuries, however, the emperors had been figureheads, while the shoguns wielded actual power. In 1868, the Tokugawa Shogunate was abolished and the emperor took the reins of government in the Meiji Restoration. Japans new constitution also did away with the feudal social classes, made all of the samurai and daimyo into commoners, established a modern conscript military, required basic elementary education for all boys and girls, and encouraged the development of heavy industry. The new government convinced the people of Japan to accept these sudden and radical changes by appealing to their sense of nationalism; Japan refused to bow to the Europeans, they would prove that Japan was a great, modern power, and Japan would rise to be the Big Brother of all of the colonized and down-trodden peoples of Asia. In the space of a single generation, Japan became a major industrial power with a well-disciplined modern army and navy. This new Japan shocked the world in 1895 when it defeated China in the First Sino-Japanese War. That was nothing, however, compared to the complete panic that erupted in Europe when Japan beat Russia (a European power!) in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. Naturally, these amazing David-and-Goliath victories fueled further nationalism, leading some of the people of Japan to believe that they were inherently superior to other nations. While nationalism helped to fuel Japans incredibly quick development into a major industrialized nation and an imperial power  and helped it fend off the western powers, it certainly had a dark side as well. For some Japanese intellectuals and military leaders, nationalism developed into fascism, similar to what was happening in the newly-unified European powers of Germany and Italy. This hateful and genocidal ultra-nationalism led Japan down the road to military overreach, war crimes, and eventual defeat in World War II.

Fraud And Capital Market Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Fraud And Capital Market - Research Paper Example These eroded financial statements are referred to as fraudulent financial reporting which can be defined in broad sense as deliberate misstatements or oversight of monetary values or disclosures in financial statements prepared to mislead financial statement users. Previous cases of fraud have left investors and regulators looking for answers like how can creative accounting be stopped, how it start and who is to blame when its revealed in their companies. Generally, these entire questions seem to be answered by putting liabilities to management for failure to comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Again, failure to detect fraud can be a backlog of independent auditors for failure to apply Generally Accepted Auditing principles (GAAP) accordingly. To counteract these frauds, regulators, corporations and government have instituted various professional ethics and liability laws to reduce such cases. Fraud detection and procedure Fraud detection is not necessarily the duty and obligation of the obvious and recognized agents such as investors, SEC and the independent auditors; rather it is the obligation of community which includes the media, industry regulatory actors, and the company employees. According to the research conducted by the (Kuhn & Sutton, 2006) whistleblowers defer in their capacity to detect frauds. Essentially, the researches indicate that, under legal duties and obligations, the independent auditors and the security regulators are the primary detector agents, auditors can either be internal or external. A fraud can either be detected by an internal auditor or external auditor since both have mutual interests in regard to internal financial controls. The internal auditor is usually part of the company or organization; their roles are stipulated by their respective boards, management and the professional standards while external auditors are not part of the organization but in the line of duty they are engaged by the organization (Harrison 2002). Their roles are set by their client and primary statute for a purpose of providing an independent opinion toward the organization financial statement and this is done annually. Both external and internal auditors ought to meet and share common interest which are directly related to auditing Procedures that auditor needs to go through to discover fraud There are three main steps auditors go through in detecting fraud, these steps are planning, execution and reporting, these steps involve follow up actions that reflect the performance of the audit. In a normal audit, fraud detecting can be done during the planning and execution stage. The table below show procedures an auditor ought to go through in order to detect fraud. Overview of fraud and detection process during normal audit During planning, the auditors assess the risk of fraud; this involves discussions between auditors to consider how and where the financial entity is lik ely to be susceptible to fraud (Harrion 2002). This assessment involves known external and internal factors that affect the financial entity and also consider risk of management overrule of control, and how the auditor is likely to react to the susceptibility of the entity in regard to fraud. During planning, it is important to obtain information required to identify fraud. The auditors are supposed to get sufficient

Slavery and Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Slavery and Religion - Essay Example On the other hand, religion refers to a collection of beliefs, and cultural systems which relate humanity to spirituality as well as to morality. In most cases, religion tends to guide people in their day-to-day lives with regards to humanity, spirituality and morality. Conversely, the two aspects, religion and slavery were a salient feature in most societies. Thus, the relationship between slavery and religion has been of major concern. They are intricately interlinked. In this regard, slavery cannot be wholly exonerated from religion. On one hand, slavery played a substantial role in the establishment and growth of slavery. On the other hand, slavery contributed to the establishment and development of various religions. Taking another dimension, religion played a palpable role in the eradication of slavery. Thus on this premises, this paper analyzes the mutual relationship religion and slavery. Much emphasis is however placed on the three most prevalent religions: Christianity, Isl am and Hinduism in correspondence to slavery. Prior to analyzing each of the major religions with regards to slavery, it is important to preview the concept of slavery before the existence of the world’s elaborate religions. Indeed, one thing that turns out clearly, is that slavery is of great antiquity. The ancient world was marred by various forms of servitude. These vary from class enslavement, collective slavery, sacerdotal slavery, individual enslavement to feudal enslavement1. In addition, various reasons accounted for slavery at various specified times in history. In this regards, slavery existed due to war, where those defeated in wars were captured and taken in as slaves. In some instances, slaves were purchased, other were given as gifts. In some communities, some people became slaves by virtue of birth, whereas some people gave themselves in as slaves as a settlement of debts accrued to them. In the ancient Greek, slave was a common phenomenon. This is evidenced fr om the records of the great Greek Philosophers Aristotle and Plato who asserted that slavery existed and was defined as the natural law of humanity2. Plato further averred that, for there to be a state of balance in the society, there must be two groups of people, the slaves, and the free. Early literary works as expressed in form of paintings and writings depicted an element of slavery which marred the ancient Greek. For instance early Poets and orators never ceased to talk ill of slavery. There works revealed the inhuman treatment to which slaves were subjected to. Most of them yearned for a revolution. They therefore advocated for freedom of slaves. In the early Roman times, slavery was palpable in the military and general life of the Romans. They extensively participated in the slave trade which was one of the lucrative ventures of the time. In most instances, they sourced their slaves form wars. However, the Roman Empire faced much resistance from slaves. The world’s ren own earliest slave revolution championed by Spartacus depicts how the vice had taken root in the Roman empire3. Slaves were equated to commodities, and never acknowledged as human beings. There was however a turn of events when the Roman people embraced Christianity a while later. They began to treat slaves with humane. Ancient China was also not immune of slavery. It has been recorded that poverty intensified slavery in China to large extents4. Due to economic hardships, many people sold themselves or their family members to rich masters. Some people would also sell other to avert the economic hardships. The Indian people of ancient time also acknowledged slavery. Apparently, slavery among eth Hindus was perpetuated by the incumbent

Social Movements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Movements - Essay Example As the report declares collective behavior refers to the actions, often disorganized, taken by a large number of people gathered together usually in defiance of society's norms. Collective behavior can take one of several forms, including crowd activities and social movements. This paper discusses that there are four types of social movements: reformative, redemptive, alternative, and revolutionary. Reformative movements are movements that are aimed at altering only some aspects of the existing social order. Redemptive movements are movements that are aimed at rescuing people from ways of life seen as corrupting. Alterative movements are movements aimed at securing partial change in individuals. Revolutionary movements are movements that are aimed at far-reaching, cataclysmic, and often violent change in the society of which they are a part. There are a number of different explanations for social movements. Marx argued that revolution occur because of class struggles from Economic deprivation-Marx argued that revolutions occur because of the class struggles resulting an imbalance in the economy and society. Members of society believe they are deprived of some valued resource. Problems with this theory include the fact that social movements themselves may c ause deprivation to one segment of society. In today’s world it’s difficult to look at any segment of society and not find some type of social movement. But perhaps one that spans the globe universally is the Global Peace Movement.

Economic Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Economic Geography - Essay Example These include corruption of state officials, poor management of resources, and over dependence on foreign aid, poor government policies, lack of proper education, and lack of good infrastructure. These factors, summed up with the global epidemics of global warming and climate change, lead to underdevelopment in a country. Corruption among state officials is a common phenomenon in many underdeveloped and poor countries. This was the case in Kenya’s Goldenberg Saga in which tax payers’ money was squandered in the name of trading gold and other precious stones. The power that these masterminds possess is derived from their money. These corrupt officials never got any legal punishment. The corrupt officials also fail to deploy development funds to the regions that require them, and instead pocket the biggest portions of it. The result of this greed is the lack of development in the deprived regions and the eventual poverty of the people living in these areas. Another cause of poverty and underdevelopment is the poor management of natural resources and their under-utilization. These resources include earth minerals, water bodies, agricultural land, and sources of energy. There is no much effort in tapping natural resources and using them for development. A case in check is solar power. It was hardly tapped in large amounts to power massive utilities. Instead, underdeveloped countries depended on imported petroleum products for fuel. Oil is expensive and one cannot renew it once it is used up, unlike the natural and cheap solar energy and wind energy. Agricultural land is also not utilized to its fullest. Instead, people are abandoning it and going to look for jobs in the cities, and yet these countries have no food security. Poor government policies are also another reason for underdevelopment. These poor policies fail to address the issues affecting underdeveloped countries. They include misplaced financial

Ethnic Minorities. Choose an ethnic minority in a population not u.s Essay

Ethnic Minorities. Choose an ethnic minority in a population not u.s. or canada. Describe basic info, where they live population - Essay Example The Neolithic culture, which they brought with them, is still evident in the rice terraces, cloth weaving and the use of iron implements. Scholars differ in their contentions of the mountain people’s ancestors, however, a noticeable number supports the contention that the ancestors of the mountain people came from the South East Asia Mainland. In the process of settling down, the early settlers became geographically isolated from one another. The long period of isolation and adaptation to the environment gave rise to variations of culture. Akin to other kinds of culture, distance has caused differences. Over time, the territories have made them stay in their respective tribes. An individual who would wander or dare to cross boundaries would have dire consequences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Igorots or â€Å"mountain people† as they are called by their lowland counterparts refer to the people living the mountainous parts of Central Luzon in the Philippines. It is an au tonomous country in Southeast Asia. Some of its known neighbors are Taiwan, China, Borneo, Vietnam, and Indonesia (Peters 7). The nation’s name was derived from Spain’s King. Phillip II ruled Spain during the islands’ discovery by Ruy Villalobos. ... The region’s economy mainly involves farming, mining, and tourism. Most of the agricultural products are vegetables such as potato, beans, and other leafy greens. The Cordilleras is also the major producer of highland vegetables of the entire Philippines. This is because of is very fertile lands and cool climate. Some of the region’s minerals are gold and silver. The Igorot Mountains are also attracting lots of tourist from all over the world. Aside from having the Banue Rice Terraces, which is considered to be the Eighth Wonder of the World, it has lots of natural and manmade wonders. These majestic places include the Sagada Caves, the hanging coffins and mummies of Benguet, the cool, pine filled climate of Baguio City also known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines, the Strawberry fields of La Trinidad, otherwise known as the Salad bowl of the Philippines, the hot springs of Asin and a lot more. It is also a host of a large number of mountain climbers since it con tains the second highest mountain in the Philippines, Mt. Pulag. Igorots’ settling locations have been concentrated in one area. However, the different subgroups have occupied different divisions. The closeness of their geographical aspects have ensued some similarities in their practices. However, the slight environmental dissimilarities have caused diversity among the mountain people. Interestingly, enculturation have transpired over time. The Igorots have also been proven to build stone walls, dams, and canals that still puzzle engineers. These hydraulic works were shaped from stones greater in bulk than those of the Great Wall of China ( . Specifically, the mountain people mostly live in the region’s southern, eastern, and central expanses. Those who live in Mountain Province are called

Economic Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Economic Geography - Essay Example These include corruption of state officials, poor management of resources, and over dependence on foreign aid, poor government policies, lack of proper education, and lack of good infrastructure. These factors, summed up with the global epidemics of global warming and climate change, lead to underdevelopment in a country. Corruption among state officials is a common phenomenon in many underdeveloped and poor countries. This was the case in Kenya’s Goldenberg Saga in which tax payers’ money was squandered in the name of trading gold and other precious stones. The power that these masterminds possess is derived from their money. These corrupt officials never got any legal punishment. The corrupt officials also fail to deploy development funds to the regions that require them, and instead pocket the biggest portions of it. The result of this greed is the lack of development in the deprived regions and the eventual poverty of the people living in these areas. Another cause of poverty and underdevelopment is the poor management of natural resources and their under-utilization. These resources include earth minerals, water bodies, agricultural land, and sources of energy. There is no much effort in tapping natural resources and using them for development. A case in check is solar power. It was hardly tapped in large amounts to power massive utilities. Instead, underdeveloped countries depended on imported petroleum products for fuel. Oil is expensive and one cannot renew it once it is used up, unlike the natural and cheap solar energy and wind energy. Agricultural land is also not utilized to its fullest. Instead, people are abandoning it and going to look for jobs in the cities, and yet these countries have no food security. Poor government policies are also another reason for underdevelopment. These poor policies fail to address the issues affecting underdeveloped countries. They include misplaced financial

Education level vs. GDP per capital (Analysis) Essay

Education level vs. GDP per capital (Analysis) - Essay Example From the table above, there is less than 5 years of elementary school and the GDP are perfectly negatively correlated. There is a relatively strong correlation between 4 or more years of college and GDP per capita than there is between high school completion or higher and the GDP per capita. This means that those who have less than 5 years elementary education contribute less to the country’s GDP per capita as compared to high school completion and 4 or more years of college. The longer one takes in learning, the higher they contribute to the GDP per capita. From the regression analysis output above, the equation of the model is y = -1129498.874 +583.606*Year. This is to show that there is a significant relationship between the GDP and the education level as years spent in school is part of the model formula. Based on the four years moving average of the country’s gdp above, it is healthy to assume that the country’s GDP is improving exponentially over the years with the forecasted GDP almost meeting the actual GDP (Corder, &, Foreman, 35) Even though the data provides that there is a strong correlation between education level and the gdp, IT is imperative to note that the GDP as it is, is a wide econometric term used to refer to a number of variables. Therefore, the relationship between the educational levels and the GDP may be assumed correct in the light of the data but not in real life scenarios. One is likely to realize that the GDP alone to be strongly correlated to the other macroeconomic factors than just educational level. It is therefore important to conduct anon parametric analysis on the other variable before making a concrete conclusion (Spearman,

What Happened To School Food Essay Example for Free

What Happened To School Food Essay What happened to school food? I use to be excited for what was for lunch but now I just hope it is something edible. Since I started high school the quality of our lunches has been on the decline. With Michelle Obama’s National School Lunch Program now requiring less than 300 calories per meal the school is losing money from students not eating and the students are losing fuel that their bodies need to survive. Park Hill South should drop the National School Lunch Program and this is why. My first issue is the new amount of calories that can be in a lunch. Reducing the maximum amount of calories to 300 is ridiculous. The U. S. Department of Agriculture recommends that the average teenage boy consume between 2,400 and 2,800 calories per day. That means that only one eighth of your daily calories is in one of our school lunches. To some students lunch many be their only quality meal of the day and if it’s such a small amount of food they won’t have enough energy to get them through the day. Also athletes need to eat good, nutritional food to give them enough energy for afterschool practices. Since they aren’t getting the amount of calories they need their performance will be decreased. My second issue is the overall quality of the food getting served. The food ranges from okay to disgusting, with most on the lower end of the scale. Back when I was a freshman the pasta bar had a delicious breadstick that was as long as the tray and soft, but now after all the changes we get a little stubby piece of hard bread. Changes like that have been made for almost every meal that is served by the school. Since the quality of our food as gone down many students now bring their lunch or don’t eat at all. With fewer lunches being bought the school has to be losing a substantial amount of revenue. I went from eating around $4. 00 of food last year to only $0. 50 this year. If 25 students do the same thing that’s a loss of $87. 50 per day! The issue with school lunches need to be changed. If Park Hill South would leave the National School Lunch Program they would benefit greatly. From the happiness and health of the students to the boosts in money that will be made from better sales. I now it won’t be done overnight but hopefully in the next few years they will decide to start making better food.

Causes of State Failure in Sub-Saharan Africa

Causes of State Failure in Sub-Saharan Africa Abstract This project sets out to examine the causes of the failure of the state in sub-Saharan Africa. Since the introduction of democracy in the sub-continent in the early 1990’s, the process has been a slow and cumbersome, casting doubts on the possibility of instituting genuine democracy on the sub-continent. The political crisis gave room for autocrats who were the fomenters of the problem to eternalize themselves in power in the name of avoiding further conflicts or problems. They have advanced a whole range of different problems as the cause of this crisis where as the problem lies in the absence of a democratic culture or the proper understanding of it. In the words of the great Africanist, the late Professor Ake Claude, the sub-continents problems is but one of leadership crisis. As this dawns on us at a moment when democratic regimes are a necessity in the new global context, how do we solve the problems which have stalled the institution this much cherished democracy? The answer the thesis states lies in the institutionalization of democracy. Introduction The quest for good governments in Africa has been a high priority item on the agenda of African and world politicians for well over half a century. The African continent for several decades now has been replete with ills such as low living standards, a stagnant economy, and high rates of unemployment, poverty, low infrastructural development, a violent political environment, dictatorships, ethnic clashes and above all a general disregard of the fundamental rights of the people. It still grapples with these political uncertainties, economic adversities, and social inequalities today (Chazan, 1999). There is thus a need to device the best means possible by which the state can be organized and empowered so that it deals adequately with these problems. Democracy’s ability to organize society, ensuring the respect of the rights and liberties of the people, pressing for accountable leadership, ensuring effective participation, a transparent economy and a just and equitable social order, in essence ensuring the socio-economic and political prosperity of a nation, which in summary are Africa’s biggest problems, makes it the best possible solution to the problems Africa faces today. As a result, the quest for democracy in Africa has been seen as vital if Africa has to set up a harmonized community that will develop and catch up with the demands of the ever globalizing world. The story of instituting democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa has been a long drawn one, with many highs and lows; several events have made it seem very probable and promising, but also there have been on the other hand other very challenging events which have questioned the possibility of democracy’s survival. As a result, several debates have ensued amongst Africanist, who have focused on a large part on the prospects of democracy on the continent, some arguing that it is doomed to fail and other optimist who believe that a genuine democratic system can and will emerge in sub-Saharan Africa. Their focus therefore have been how democracy can be properly instituted, its challenges and how the inherent problems it faces can be adequately resolved so that Africa will benefit from good governance schemes. There have been several events starting with the legalization of political parties and the return to multiparty elections in the late 1980’s which suggested that democracy was well under way on the continent. But as it was being instituted it faced several challenges which resorted to disorderliness throwing back the move to democracy; new forms of electoral authoritarianism, return to military and in some extreme cases gruesome civil wars broke out on the sub-continent. This has left many critics of African democracy to question the possibility of instituting genuine democracy on the continent, despite it being the choice of the people. Apologist of African democracy have since argued that Africa’s political crisis were as a result of an imposition of a western culture or style of administration which is not compatible with the African society. They consider democracy alien and in violation to the African culture (Ake, 1991). This according to them has been the reason for the failure of democracy. They rather support the one party dictatorial style governance, which they claim is the best means by which the continent can unite to develop (Busia, 1961). Another school of thought which emerged after the transition period, the modernist, advanced reasons for the failure of democracy in Africa, blaming the superficial nature of the state, and its failure to penetrate the African society adequately, calling the state a weak leviathan (Chabal Daloz, 1999). This same school and notably Patrick Chabal note that Africa’s economic crisis does not favor the successful implementation of democracy on the continent. Democracy he argues is underpinned by capitalism, a uniquely dynamic and productive system, in its absence therefore there is doubt that democracy can be successfully instituted on the African sub-continent. This view has also supported the point that democracy is an imposition on Africa and thus will always fail the aspirations of those who seek to implement it on the continent. This thesis therefore sets out to answer some of this cynicism and provide a possible solution for the problems democracy in the African sub-continent faces. If anything democracy has not failed Africa, but Africa as shown by the poor actions of its leader, has failed to grasp the concept of democracy. It sets out trying to systematically bring out how through its political evolution, it is the failure to properly institute democracy during the second wave democratization process which has brought about the political crisis the sub-continent is facing. Secondly if neo-patrimonialism exists and survives today it is because leaders have twisted democratic tenets to suit their whims and caprices, thus legitimizing such authoritative regimes. The set backs it faced during the mid-1990 did not spell doom for democracy, but rather served as an eye opener for Africa. â€Å"The democratic struggle is a gradual process which will emerge from experience and improvisation as it continues to struggle† states professor Claude Ake, who believes that Africa’s experience will develop the best suited type of democracy that will solve its problems (Ake, 1993). Democracy can survive in Africa, but the players and fomenters must take several factors into consideration, like picking up more democratic ethics and tenets and developing a strong united civil society, showing more good will and respect towards their people and the state as opposed to the selfish and greedy attitude which has been noted to be the norm on the sub-continent. With time as adequate steps like institutionalization and consolidation are taken, democracy will be a success story in Africa. This view is also supported by Larry Diamond, who stated inter alia â€Å"†¦ if progress is to be made towards developing democratic governance, it is likely to be gradual messy, fitful and slow, with many imperfections along the way† (Diamond, 1989, p.24). Thus this piece looks at how these imperfections were created and how certain responses will set the sub-continent on track to democratic governance. This thesis starts off by looking at the development of democracy on the African sub-continent in the 1990’s. Chapter one will therefore start off looking at why the third wave started, how it happened and why it was believed to have been the new way for Africa. The case of post independent African politics was very elusive of the masses. The one party patrimonial state had proven to be disastrous, the military regimes which later emerged, preaching immediate growth and development also failed the aspirations of the people and so there was a general move by the people towards democracy. This was in addition to the external pressures that existed at the moment. Thus there was a general surge towards democratic elections in the sub continent, with several parties legalized and the political life of the sub-continent in different countries. Chapter two looks at the break down in the drive towards democracy. Why the democratic frenzy was short lived, only registering limited success across Sub-Saharan Africa. As the concepts of multiparty elections were applied across the sub continent, there were different outcomes with each case being very unique to the different nations. Generally democracy failed to take root. It was cosmetic and a virtual democracy as described by Richard Joseph. It will consider the reasons why this was the case. Given that almost all the countries in the sub-continent held elections of different kinds, did this imply they were all democracies? We will look at the new classifications of African regimes. Considering that they were all at this point considered transitionary. Chapter three starts off by considering the complex nature of democracy. It brings out a list of factors which qualify a state as a democracy or not. It then looks at the regimes on the sub-continent and categorizes them per the 2006 Freedom House Review. These are democracies (11), Hybrid regimes (23) and autocracies (14). Since our focus is on the failing state we shall look at the commonalities and differences between the hybrid and failed/unreformed regimes. In that light we shall bring out the common or popular concern for democracy in Africa which is the misconception democracy suffers and the need for institutionalization. Chapter four now looks at the problems African democracies have faced since inception. Considering the very broad nature and tone the thesis has taken this far, it will consider a case study on the Republic of Cameroon, a country in the Central African region of Africa, which has failed to properly institute democracy till date. It is considered an electoral autocracy and serves as a perfect example of how Africa, fails democracy. The problems this state faces are in effect what most of the states of the Sub-Saharan region face, certain outcomes may differ, but essentially the issues or problems are the same. This study will provide the perfect opportunity of putting into context all the issues that I have raised this far to buttress the point of the thesis, which is that it is the failure to fully understand and properly grasp the concept of democracy that has caused democracy to fail in this country and the sub-continent as a whole. These areas include the formation of political parties, to the electoral process, the narrow political field, constrained civil society, absence of civility, politicized violence and the international support for dictatorships. These points were adequately discussed by Professor Celestin Monga. Chapter five shall be the conclusion to this project in which we shall be looking at possible solutions to the problems raised above. It shall first suggest solutions to the problems duly raised and also consider effective institutionalization through the strengthening of the three tiers of government namely the executive, legislative and judiciary; so that there is a balance in power amongst these three. By applying these solutions in the Cameroonian context and eventually on the sub-continent, the African sub-continent will be brought closer to the mark of consolidated democracies. The Rebirth of Democracy (1990-1993) The period 1989-1993 was considered to be the break point for Africa. This is the period during which Africa witnessed a wave of regime changes. Hitherto to this period, single party, military regimes and presidents for life was the norm in most African states. Competitive politics was considered a luxury by most African leaders who stated that it was neither necessary nor affordable for Africans (Decalo, 1992). This belief was aptly described in the words of Sierra Leonean president at the time Siaka Stevens when he said of democracy and I quote ‘†¦it is a system of institutionalized tribal ethnic quiquennial warfare euphemistically known as elections which is an open invitation to anarchy and disunity’ (Decalo, 1992) a view which was endorsed by Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere who also stated that democracy was stronger with a one party state rule which unified the country. To back up this system of administration, it was claimed that Africa had its own unique history and tradition thus the introduction of democracy was a violation of the integrity of the African culture (Ake, 1991). The African traditional system in its own right, they further argued, was infused with democracy with standards of accountability considered to be stricter than the west, though invariably patrimonial, thus it possessed signs of a democracy-hence a democracy (Ake, 1991). A second argument put forward was the social composition of African states. Because of its plural nature, the introduction of liberal democracy could possibly inflame ethnic rivalries which will result in political disintegration. Democracy they argued was a distraction to what was important for society. It was a thing for elites and the educated masses and ended on paper, it did not provide or cater for the pressing needs of the rural masses. This one party protagonist’s concluded that a patrimonial system was going to unite and direct all positive energy towards economic development (Ake, 1991). Thus African style democracy as it came to be termed of one party politics was considered the best option for Africa given its complex social context, endorsed by most Western governments as shown by their cooperation with them. This ideology was even backed in cases by the World Bank as noted by their remark that â€Å"†¦with weak states, only a bureaucratic authoritarian regime could contain fissiparous tensions and lead to a free market economy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Decalo, 1992). Africans believed so much in this style of administration Samuel Decalo talks of Mugabe during a state visit to the United States of America in the 80’s, who recommended to the American congress, the one party state system as an option they should consider (Decalo, 1992). A point to note here is the hypocrisy of this political ideology. Despite preaching governments of national unity and socio-economic development, the opposite was being practiced and witnessed in most countries. The presidency and administration became the possession of whatever ethnic group held the presidency. Nepotism was rife and groups were rather occupied with gaining a greater share of the existing pie than working for equitable development (Decalo, 1992). This political practice as a result accentuated the tribal and ethnic divide which existed within the many African states and fuelled anti-government sentiments amongst the population as we shall see below. A change to this political scenario though requisite, was least expected to occur by scholars, in a continent which had shown signs of defiance to a more liberal democracy by sticking to its own developed and formulated ideology of ‘Afro-Marxism’ (Decalo, 1992). There were strong calls both from within and without for a change to the system that was failing to provide adequately for their needs. This saw mass demonstrations, rallies and civil disobedience all calling for the return of democracy and for regime change. This was spawned by the stifling political authoritarianism and economic decay, further triggered by the spectacle of the fall of titans in East Europe (Decalo, 1992). The one party state had yielded a form of presidential authoritarianism, through which the state economy was plundered, there was a disdain for civic and human rights, and little or no attention was paid to the plight of the rural population (Decalo, 1992). Economic projects were failing to materialize; there was the absence of infrastructural development needed for this growth and above all a high rate of unemployment. The military regimes which took over power in certain instances to sweep clean the state failed to return power back to civilian rule and fell into the same predicament by falling short of the efficiency mark. These regimes were thus fundamentally unaccountable, personalized and patrimonial (Decalo, 1992). There were the failures of these regimes that could be considered the primary cause of the call to democracy and multipartyism. The growing urbanization and education of Africans made sensitive to the hostile political and economic environment being created by their leaders, thus they desired liberty and the respect of their rights which had been usurped and abused by this dictatorial one party system. They wanted their grievances listened to and solved by a regime that had been removed from the people, blind and deaf to their problems. The only way to do this was by mass protest against such regimes and seeking to over throw them. Economic related reasons, mainly externally influenced, could be said to be the greatest factors which led to this drive in re-democratization. Africa relied for a large part on international aid and loans to fund most of its activities. The administrative sector was the biggest employer in most countries, thus the money aid they received was used almost entirely on salary payments and carry out government businesses, rather than invest in lucrative businesses which could eventually pay back. Civil servants in the higher echelon were corrupt and embezzled these state funds to fund their luxurious lives. The growth registered within the economy was good but this was not sustainable growth and did not guarantee a future for the economy. Most corporations were state owned and private businesses were not promoted or were largely absent. As a result of all these, donor countries through the IMF and World Bank suggested certain adjustments be made with the governance system if they were to continue offering this aid and loans. This came to be known as the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) which called for African governments to privatize state owned corporations, cut down on its public sector and above all to democratize as conditions to receive aid. This provided a lee way for the dissenting voices of nationals who wanted change. They were joined by civil servants who suffered huge pay cuts and in extreme cases lost their jobs. This situation was further aggravated by the fall in commodity prices in the international markets meaning that African states were pretty much at the mercy of international donors, who wanted change with the regimes. Finally the demise of communism and the end of the Cold War also had an immense impact on the political life of African states. First of all it diverted the attention of investors to the newly liberalized and potential economies of Eastern Europe, thus reducing the amount of capital investments which flowed to the continent, affecting the African economy adversely. Secondly the West no longer supported the dictatorial regimes in Africa as it did during the Cold War days. They withdrew support from these regimes (example of Angola and Togo where they had supported antagonized sectarian groups) asking them to democratize as a condition for continuous aid and loans (Decalo, 1992). This was especially true of France who had since independence maintained a close link with Francophone African states and signed several military accords with African states offering them (military) support when they needed it; the case of Central Africa and the support they offered Idriss Deby against Bedel Bokassa 1990, one authoritarian regime for another. The Apartheid regime of South Africa also did not receive any more support from the West, who had pursued half hearted sanctions against this repressive regime. As soon as the Cold War came to an end, the Apartheid regime under pressure yielded and released Mandela, introducing reforms, forcing other African states to follow suit, who had used this regime to propagate a repressive rule against their citizens. They were thus forced to change. The first shots of democracy in Africa were noted in Benin, when in early 1990, students, civil servants and the whole community took to the streets denouncing the rule of then president, Mathieu Kerekou and calling for what they termed â€Å"a national sovereign conference of all active forces† (Richard Joseph, 1991). This sovereign national conference was to bring together representatives of the different sectors and works of life in a voice of national unity to address the problems of society. In the case of Benin, it resulted in the removal of President Mathieu Kerekou’s control of public policy and the establishment of a transitional government (Richard Joseph, 1991). The outcome of this was received with much delight in other African states and they later began calling for national conferences in their respective countries. This was the case in Togo, Zaire, Congo, Gabon and Cameroon. The out come was not necessarily the same as in the case of Benin, because not all the presidents yielded to such demands, they resisted these popular calls and tried making substantive concessions to the opposition (Richard Joseph, 1991). All in all it marked the beginning of change on the continent as a result of popular demand (democratic will, the voice of the people). All this pressure resulted in the democratization of Africa as noted by the re-legalization of political parties, restored freedoms of association, assembly and expression and also in the reform of constitutions which led to multiparty elections in most sub-Saharan states (Richard Joseph, 1998). Over the brief period of 1990-1994, 54 competitive elections were held in 29 countries with 30 of the electoral outcomes welcomed by the electorates and the process ruled as free and fair by observers (Bratton, 1998). One party rule was noted to have been replaced with more open and participatory competitive democracy. With the influx of these political parties, they were quick at pointing out the short comings of government, its administrative inefficiency, political corruption, economic mismanagement, and social decay (El-Khawas, 2001). Notably between 1990 and 1993, twenty five countries held elections with eleven opposition parties winning and coming to power. Though very commendable, the legalization of opposition parties did not necessarily mean democracy for African countries (Diamond, 1994). Even those who saw regime change sooner than later faced crisis thus questioning the durability of democracy in Africa, because certain cracks were noted in the firmament of this nascent African democracy. Looking at the above, democracy was not brought about by conditions of the west, but rather it was the desire and commitment of the people for accountability and meaningful development from their respective governments, further fuelled by the economic conditions and effects of the SAP, which only came to show how poorly the state was being managed. On the contrary the west could be accused of complacency. As earlier mentioned they had supported these authoritative regimes and cooperated with them. Even after conditions were placed on leverage, they never followed them up or pressed this dictatorial regimes to democratize as in the case of Kenya, Cameroon and Togo just to name a few, to which the international community still offered loans and did not question the actions of these governments like human rights abuse, which drew a lot of criticism from the press and public (Ake, 1991). Therefore the call for democracy was only emboldened by economic factors which brought change at the time to some countries (Benin ousting of Kerekou, Liberia, fall of Samuel Doe) but failed to change regimes in others (Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya) and can not be said to be the main factor but a mix of both (Ake, 1991). Chapter Three: The Democratic Dark Days Following this run of political liberalization was a period of political violence, wars and crisis in a number of African countries that sent ripples down the nascent democracy in Africa. A critical look at the outcome of the first set of elections organized in the sub-continent drew a lot of criticism from pundits who considered the process as cosmetic and as failing in its objectives. What seemed to have been created on the African sub-continent was a virtual democracy as noted by Richard Joseph (Richard Joseph, 1993). This could be explained by the fact that in a number of African states, the incumbents managed to hang on to power after elections in their states, despite the mass demonstrations against their administrations and rule. It is necessary to remind ourselves here of the popular support democracy enjoyed in the different African states; it was not an orchestration or ploy of an elitist few, but a genuine request by all for change, thus a lot was expected in the form of regime changes across the continent. Despite this, a few countries (11 of the 25 countries that held competitive elections during the period of 1992-1993) and notably Zambia and South Africa managed to see a democratic change in leadership (El-Khawas, 2001). Thus the much anticipated democracy in sub-Saharan Africa was failing to take root. Regimes failed to be changed in Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Kenya and Ghana just to name a few, despite mass protest and popular support the opposition in these countries enjoyed. Elections were noted to be carried out in a politically tensed atmosphere, characterized by intimidation (house arrest and states of emergency), massive vote rigging and general violence. The experienced leaders with all the powers they wielded violated the rules of the country with impunity and after enjoying the booty they had siphoned from the economy, had every intention of staying in power and as a result did all to ensure their stay in power. ). As a matter of fact, the biblical adage of old wine in new wine skins held true here since there seemed to be nothing new to the political order in a number of states that witnessed elections. The story of ousted leaders on the continent during the military coup days of the 1960’s had not been an envious one; as such they would do anything to preserve power in the event where they had been very reckless with power (Young, 1996; De Walle, 2001). This is what Professor Ake Claude termed the leadership crisis of the continent; according to the professor the African political crisis resulted from the absence of true statesmen, but rather the prominence of those with every intention of ensuring their stay in power or having their own share of the national cake (Ake, 1996). This assertion has been supported by Richard Joseph, who holds that a prebendal system is set up, with entrenched corruption, and the leaders work only for the benefit of themselves and their clients, leaving the locals to their own devices for survival (Joseph, 2003). As such, these leaders organized charades in the name of elections, given that they controlled the judiciary and legislative and with this centralization of power they were able to corner the multitude of opposition parties they had legalized as a disorganizing technique of the opposition (Young, 1996). As such despite their inefficiencies, the leaders found themselves in power with very vindictive policies against opposition strongholds. This was the case in Kenya, Cameroon, Gabon and Ivory Coast, where particular regions and tribes were subject to marginalization and vengeance of the leader. In Kenya, Arap Moi and his cohorts fomented tribal conflicts that led to the death of about 1500 and displaced a further 350,000 in the rift valley area, in Cameroon the Anglophone West Cameroon was massively under represented in the government that was formed following the presidential elections of 1992. Millions of dollars which were funds for other projects were misappropriated to ensure such electoral successes and thus their stay in power (Diamond, 2008; Young, 1996). These leaders were also noted by the international community as having been endorsed by the people, and as a result the West continued its support of these corrupt regimes with poor human right records, and with incumbents who had every intention to continue pillaging the economy as before. The situation generally speaking looked bleak for the African Sub-continent which had received the third wave with such enthusiasm. The democratic quest was dealt further blows when civil wars and genocides broke out in some of the sub-Saharan countries; there was a return of the military to power in others. This period is considered to be the dark moments of African political development. The Congo Basin has been noted as one of the main trouble spots on the continent owing to the manner in which the wars which emanated from this region spread across, affecting all the countries sharing borders. Zaire for starters was under the tight grip of the dictator Mobuto Sese Seko, who did not give into the pressures for democratization. He refused convening a national conference, blaming it on technicalities of representation owing to the ethnic diversity and broadness of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC). Thus democracy did not effectively take root there, despite calls for the democratization by the masses. Armed conflicts broke out first in Burundi following the overthrow of the newly elected president Melchior Ndadaye, by Tutsi officers, trying to reinstate Tutsi control over the Tutsi dominated state. In neighboring Rwanda, the Hutu rule came to a halt when following elections in 1994 the Hutu president Juvenal Habyarimana had to form a coalition regime with the Tutsi minority, but was assassinated during the process, giving room to extremist Hutu’s to launch a genocidal raid against the Tutsi’s. These two wars led to the death and displacement of millions further enshrining the problems rocking this continent. The National Resistant Movement (NRM) initiated by Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, an arm movement against dictators in the Central-East of Africa and enjoying the support of western powers and international donors promoted more of the armed conflicts faced by this part of Africa. It supported rebels against the Kabila regime who had earlier ejected Mobuto from power in 1997 (following the wars in Rwanda which gave the rebels led by Kabila the impetus to fight Mobuto) following a fall out between the rebels and Kabila, leading to the Congo war lasting from 1998-2003 Young, 1996; Richard Joseph, 1998). The story of armed conflicts in the wake of an era of democratic elections is numerous on the African continent. One very interesting case to site here is that of Congo-Brazzaville, where democratic tides were considerably reversed following the forceful return to power by Denis Sassou-Nguesso who had earlier been defeated in elections in 1993 (Young, 1996). This was accomplished with the support of France and Angola in front of a dumb struck international community that only muttered on the events that were ravaging the continent. The Liberian and Sierra Leonean cases could also be sited, but given these it is good enough to make our analysis of the democratic struggle in Sub-Saharan continent. These crises resulted in the deaths of millions, refugee problems, food shortages and famines, poverty, a poor economy and low rate of development not only in countries involved, but affected the economy of other states in general as it stalled possible investments in this part of the world. International investors feared investing in a place which did not guarantee the safety of their businesses; they rather invested in the newly democratized states of West Europe. African investors themselves were fleeing with whatever capital they had; leading to massive capital flights and brain drain as whole families sought new places and beginnings. This far Africa was not providing a perfect home for Africans. If anything these moments looked to be supporting the claims of some African democratic skeptics and proponents of African socialism (and thus one party style democracy) that democracy let alone libe

Loyalty In Book Characters Essay examples -- essays research papers

Can the perfect ideal of loyalty ever be achieved? What is loyalty, how can you become loyal person? How do the people of today compare to the heroes in the stories that we read Beowulf Sir Gawin and the Green Knight and Camelot. When do you know you are a loyal person, is it something that you are born with or do you learn to become loyal? Is loyalty a valuable human characteristic?How does someone become a loyal person? In Sir Gawin he proved to be loyal when he showed up to a challenge that no normal man could ever win, but he did he went to get his chopped off he was very loyal to his word. Today if you want to become loyal you do not need to do some heroic. That is not good the word loyalty today is used to loosely. If you do something as little as going to work everyday and you are loyal. That is not loyalty that is making money so you can eat. A very good example of loyalty is serving your country at any cost, if you go to war there is a good chance that you will not come back, but you put that aside just to keep the rest of the country safe. That is the ultimate sign of loyalty when you have to face death. So I think that people of today need to make sure that a word is not used just for simple thing, but the correct thing so young people can understand what the word means. Can the perfect ideal of loyalty ever be achieved? In our times I think that loyalty is almost never achieved, why do I think this? The people of today don't know the proper terminology of a w...

Separation of Powers in the American Democracy

Separation of powers provides our government with a system of checks and balances, a way to prevent one branch from becoming too powerful. This concept was important in the creation of our government because it prevented one central government. Our Framers wanted to avoid a government that was run by one person, or one super powerful group. In order to effectively put their theory to work, they actually separated the powers between each branch of government. The three branches of our government consist of the Legislative Branch, The Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch. While each branch does hold some authority over the other two, they are still politically independent of one another. Let me explain further how the separation of powers works. The Legislative Branch’s powers include passing all federal laws, the ability to override a president’s veto, declaring war, enacting taxes, and it can even impeach the president. The Executive Branch’s responsibilities include veto power over all bills, making treaties, pardon power, and it ensures all laws are carried out. Lastly, the Judicial Branch has the power to try federal cases and it can also rule that laws or executive acts are unconstitutional. As stated earlier, each branch has authorities, or checks over the other two. We know that the Executive Branch has the power to carry out laws. The Legislative and Judicial branches check over the Executive Branch in this manner because even though they are enforcing the laws, the Legislative Branch is the one with the ability to fund the laws and other executive actions, while the Judicial Branch interprets them. And, though the Legislative Branch has the power to impeach the president, a Chief Justice (a member of the Judicial Branch) sits as President of the Senate during this time. Each branch works together to ensure the other is doing what it’s supposed to be doing. I believe the Framers thought separation of powers was so important because their goal from the beginning was to establish a government that was unlike any other. Our Framers wanted to make sure that the government they were creating would be able to withstand itself over time. The Framers wanted to show they had faith (not much, but a little) in their fellow citizens by giving them the power to vote and make decisions. Giving the power to the people was the aim of our new government. By leaving behind countries where dictators ruled the people, and where Kings and Queens passed down authority from generation to generation, our Framers did everything they could to make sure our new government would not become what they disliked so much. Separation of powers preserves the ideas and wants of our Framers, and that is why I believe a system of checks and balances to be so important. References http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_cnb.html http://americanhistory.about.com/od/usconstitution/a/checks_balances.htm http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/12/what-separation-of-powers-means-for-constitutional-government