Stem Cell in the Philippines Essay Example for Free

Stem Cell in the Philippines Essay As time goes by, there seems to be a gradual influence of modern sensibility on the way humans perceive the concept of health. In fact, nowadays, there seems to be a blurring of the line between health and wellness. Because of this, it is inevitable that in a modern society, people are now being more conscious with their body and their health is now being a worrisome for them. Thus, science, especially the field of medicine and health sciences, has permeated popular culture in a sense that people have already treated health as a â€Å"religion†. A perfect example of this phenomenon is the rising popularity of stem cell technology because it has already become a transnational activity and issue. Because of this technology’s transnational influence, governments around the world have been very supportive of it. And now, this transnational activity has entered the Philippine healthcare and medical discourse, and issues in its funding are arising. Although stem cell technology is a relatively new and promising technology which will help address health concerns in the country, the federal funding of this technology will only be a burden for the government for it is not a necessity, has questionable benefits, and is impractical and not practicable. This paper, then, seeks to determine the origin of how the concept of stem cell entered the Philippine health and medical discourse as well as issues regarding the federal funding of stem cell research and technology in the country. Furthermore, the writer wants to state that although this paper is arguing that the government should not fund stem cell research in the country, this paper is not trying to argue on the necessity, beneficiality, practicality, and practicability of stem cell research and technology in general, or should it be implemented in the country without federal funding. Also, although some issues of bioethics are going to be tackled in this paper, the writer does not intend to side on certain beliefs of some culture or religion. The discussion on the ethical issues affiliated with the federal funding of stem cell research and technology are entirely made on a social, political, and economic basis. But before the paper begins on enlisting the arguments against the federal funding of stem cell research and technology in the country, it will first provide a background of how it came to the Philippine context. Starting now from what was stated in the introduction, that modern sensibility has gradually influenced people’s perception of the concept of health, it is important to note that with modern technology it has provided an avenue for medical research to continuously uncover new facts and principles that build upon existing knowledge to modify the way we think about biological processes (Trounson xix). In relation to this, throughout the age of medical research, it can be inferred that the reason why there is a continuous activity regarding medical research is because there is a growing interest among scientists in the discovery of new and revolutionary methods of treating certain illnesses that are difficult to be treated in the present like cancer, diabetes, and other degenerative illnesses. It is true that after the nineteenth century, it was thought that â€Å"germs† are the main causes of death among Americans in terms of health-related deaths. But with the birth of the twentieth century and the booming twenties, there has been a paradigm shift in trying to find out the causes of health-related casualties. It was believed then that as generations come, people will be more conscious to degenerative illnesses than that of infectious diseases. Since then, there have been many studies that try to give cure to these degenerative illnesses like cancer, diabetes, etc. And yes, there have been successful discoveries, and there are some failures or â€Å"still ongoing† studies like the attempt to find the cure for diabetes. These then, can be the rationale behind the endless string of studies in the field of medicine and health sciences. However, it is also without doubt that the reason why scientists are so interested with medical research is that, in a social context, the field of medicine and health sciences tries to give pertinent solutions to the people’s needs, wants, and interests in having a healthy lifestyle, being safe from diseases, and in having a beautiful and healthy body. It is intriguing, though, to know that medical research is also being influenced by the interest of the people, of the mass to be more specific. From this, we can then assume that health has been popularized already. In fact, after the first half of the twentieth century, in the final phase of the popularization of health, masses of Americans took a special interest in health as shown in their willingness on spending dramatically increased amounts of money for their health, not only on medical care but gymnasium and similar group memberships and paraphernalia as well to be able to have a healthy lifestyle, thereby blurring the line between health and wellness (Burnham 67). It is then without doubt, according to Trounson that â€Å"in the history of science, certain discoveries have indeed transformed our thinking and created opportunities for major advancement, and so it is with the discovery of stem cell technology†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (xix). Indeed, if there is to be an example of how the field of health and medicinal sciences became popularized, it is the rise of the stem cell. It was November of the year 1998 that stem cell came to the scene of health in popular culture. There were separate announcements in this time by two groups of medical researchers, lead by James A. Thomson of the University of Wisconsin and John Gearhart of the John Hopkins University School of Medicine, about the isolation of the human stem cell. That’s why recently there has been an increased interest among professionals and the public for the stem cell technology other than any fields in biology. But why is there such an interest in stem cell? The ability of the stem cell to provide an in-depth understanding of the biology of the cell and its promising abilities in the field of medicine are the reasons why stem cell is what getting the imagination of the scientists. They are interested in the stem cell because of its property of self-renewal (the ability to produce cells identical to the mother cell) and the ability to make differentiated cells (daughter cells that have limited and focused potential) (Melton and Cowen xxiii). It is a relatively new and promising technology that can lead to the cure for diabetes and more advanced treatment of cancer and other degenerative illnesses. Furthermore, there is a possibility that through regenerative medicine that makes use of stem cell, cancer and heart disease can now be cured. But what makes stem cell technology a buzz among the public is because it has been a hit in the field of cosmetology for stem cell technology can prevent body aging. Also, through the popularization of the stem cell, there have been certain hypotheses that stem cell technology can prolong someone’s life span compares to the average human life span. Because of the popularization of stem cell, it is without doubt that it will become a global issue. Its impact has made transnational influence already. It is because presently, science is a transnational activity – the work and research of scientists have no national boundary (Savulescu and Saunders c3). However, the regulation of science is still being placed under national jurisdiction. It is often that there are different laws and ethical standards in each country, and of course, transnational studies in science are being affected. This implies that there are â€Å"some fundamental cultural, social, [political], and economic forces that drives controversy and conflict, not only in the United States, but in Europe and elsewhere† (Green 265). Due to this, there have been suggestions from different groups from the scientific community specializing in stem cell research and technology that there should be a regulation of stem cell research in different countries because of the potential of this technology especially if the administrations will give importance for the politics of public health (Savulescu and Saunders c3). Later on, because of this transnational influence, there has been a steadfast support from governments all over the world for stem cell technology and in the effort of making stem cell research and technology a transnational activity, also due to the transnational collaboration of scientists from different countries to impart among themselves knowledge about stem cell technology. One of these countries is the United States which pioneered research in this field, where modern medical techniques were developed using this technology. In fact, stem cell research has a long history already in the US. There have been debates regarding the ethical issues associated with stem cell technology, specifically the use of human embryonic stem cells, and issues regarding the federal funding of stem cell research and technology. Only last 2009, US President Barack Obama approved the bill amending the federal funding of stem cell research and technology in the US. It is also important to note that other countries in Asia and other third world countries have been influenced by this transnational activity. In 2004, three private stem cell banks were established in South Africa. Even though, these banks were private, the government has shown interest and support for these private research entities and stem cell research as well because of the Human Tissue Act that allows the use of human embryos that are not more than 14 days old in their research projects. Last March 2012, a group of scientists from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa was able to produce pluripotent stem cells – a feat and a first from a third world country. Meanwhile in Asia, legislation was passed in China that allows the stem cell research and India, another third world county in Asia, has now launched programs using stem cell technology. Singapore is now known as Asia’s Stem Cell Center, where more than forty groups of researchers are to be found, some of it are funded by the government. The Philippines is no exception. A third world country from South East Asia, the country has proved that we are not to be left behind in terms of medical development. Stem cell technology was introduced to the Philippines as a technology used in the medical field of cosmetology. A few examples of the usage of this technology in this field are the alteration or surgery of certain body parts like the nose or breasts and the age-defying medications that fight off skin or body aging. However, discoveries that are exchanged through transnational studies brought to the Philippines some breakthroughs in the use of stem cell technology. That’s why some groups of specialists from the country has already joined the transnational activity that is collaborative stem cell research and used the discoveries in stem cell research in other medical fields other than cosmetology. The group of specialists from the National Kidney and Transplant Institute pioneered the use of stem cell in transplantation in 1990. From then on, the institution has strived to raise the standards of stem cell technology through providing modern facilities and continuous research in the field especially in its usage in Dendritic Cell Vaccine Therapy in collaboration with the Lung Center of the Philippines. Another spearheading group in the field of stem cell technology in the country is the group from The Medical City where they used their discoveries to be the pioneers in the medical technique of personalized molecular medicine in the country through their Regenerative Medicine Program that is lead by Dr. Joyce Bernal. Other groups that have explored stem cell technology in the country are the groups from St. Luke’s Medical Center, Eye Institution, and the Makati Medical Center. Notice that all of the institutions mentioned are private institutions. It is with no doubt that the government might have an interest in a public stem cell center. The interest was then materialized on September 13, 2011 when House Bill No. 5287 or the Stem Cell Center of the Philippines Act of 2010 was passed to the congress. The house bill, introduced by Rep. Carmelo Lazatin, states that a government-run stem cell center has to be established in the country that will be the premier center for research and technology applications of stem cell which will be, in essence, funded by the government. However, we need not to follow the United States in federally funding stem cell research and technology in the country. That although stem cell technology will help address health concerns in the country, the federal funding of the technology will only be a burden fir the government for it is not a necessity, has questionable benefits, and is impractical and not practicable. Firstly, the federal funding of stem cell research is not a necessity. The government has more pressing concerns that should be prioritized first in the health care system. Instead of building new facilities for a single stem cell center, why not improve the infrastructures of public health institutions? We need more public hospitals, especially in the provinces and rural areas where access to medical assistance is scarce, that are also well-equipped with modern advances in medicine and have competitive health workers. This way, we’re already hitting two birds with one stone. Not only that the government is providing more health facilities for the people, but it is also providing jobs for practitioners in medicine like doctors, nurses, midwives, and etc. as well. Through this, the government is making a small step towards lessening underemployment in the country and the number of health professionals that have to work abroad. Also, the government has to address issues regarding the PhilHealth system. According to the Philippine Health System Review, although estimates of PhilHealth coverage of the population vary, there are legitimate concerns that the amount of financial protection provided by the county’s largest insurance program is actually small, at least relative to its infrastructure and available resources (Romualdez et al. 36-39). In addition to this, the government has to financially support instead research in the advanced treatment of epidemic diseases that are more rampant in the country especially among the poor. Secondly, the federal funding of stem cell technology has questionable benefits. The fact the government will fund stem cell research will do ensure that stem cell treatment may be open to the public at a lower price. However, stem cell treatment is not the same for anyone, thus, there will be different processes such that because stem cell treatment must be a personalized treatment, but this will require a lot of costs because specialists will then have to prepare different treatments for different patients. Even so, that the treatment may be open to the public at a lower price might affect the quality of the treatment because (1) price tag may limit potential scope of stem cell treatment, particularly if treatments are individually customized, which may be necessary and (2) such limitations might lead to further problems and will have to require financial support again. Furthermore, Evert and Zavarzadeh argue that: â€Å"†¦[B]ut public funding is itself the immediate form of surplus labor in conducting stem cell research†¦Those who use the excuse of the usefulness of stem cell research for curing illnesses argue that public funding (the social surplus) but privatize its cost of new research (funding it through people’s taxes) but privatize its profits. The new procedures/medicines that will be developed will then be patented by these companies and sold at a high profit back to the people who have provided the funding (through their taxes) for these discoveries.† (116) Indeed, since the government will have to fund a costly research, there will be no choice left than to spend a considerable part of the taxes collected from the public for stem cell research which then raises the question: Who are the actual beneficiaries of federal funding of stem cell research then? Thirdly, the federal funding of stem cell technology is impractical and not practicable because the facilities and technology required in making sure that an advance science like stem cell technology meets high standards are definitely going to be of high maintenance and expensive value. According to a press release of the Department of Health last September 4, 2012 in its website, DOH Secretary Enrique T. Ona announces the proposed 2013 budget of the department. He announces that there is an increase for this year’s healthcare budget. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the budget is allotted in line with the administration’s effort to alleviate poverty, thus the imperative implementation of the Kalusugan Pangkalahatan by the department. He further broke down the components of the budget. He emphasized that 69% of the budget will be used for priority projects, and that the budget will ensure the enrolment of indigenous families under the healthcare system. Moreover, part of the budget is to address concerns regarding the improvement of current medical facilities and work force from the barangay up to the regional level especially in rural areas. Concerns regarding immunization and infectious diseases will be addressed by the budget as well. Ona ends the press release by stating that the budget will help the nation achieve its Millennium Development Goals, and further suggests that to further bolster the sustainability of the budget, the Senate has to pass into legislation the tobacco and alcohol excise tax reform bill and the reproductive health (RH) bill. Ona emphasized in the press release that 69%, a big part of the budget, will be used to address priority projects, activities, and programs in support of KP of the DOH. The following programs are as follows: Subsidy for Health Insurance Premium payment of indigent families to the National Health Insurance Program, Health Facilities Enhancement Program, Implementation of the Doctors to the Barrios and Rural Health Practice Program, Family Health including Responsible Parenting, Expanded Program on Immunization, National Pharmaceutical Policy Development including provision of drugs and medicines, medical and dental supplies to make affordable quality drugs available, Tuberculosis Control, the elimination of diseases as public health threats such as malaria, schistosomiasis, leprosy and filariasis, other infectious diseases and emerging diseases including HIV/AIDS, dengue, food and water-borne disease, and Rabies Control Program. Notice that the programs that are to be prioritized by the majority of the budget are the timely concerns in the health sector in the country. The researcher argues that the remaining percentage of the budget will be unable to financially support the implementation of the Stem Cell Act, and that to include the proposal to the priority programs will be impractical for the research itself is quite inconclusive and will be not practicable for it is an expensive technology. Furthermore Ona said at the press release that, â€Å"It is imperative for us to support the proposed DOH 2013 budget in order to build on the health gains of 2010-2012 and continue the direct, immediate, and substantial health benefits for our people, especially the poor.† Thus, the current proposed budget for the Department of Health is already spot-on on addressing the priorities of the government for the health sector. Without a doubt, stem cell technology is a high maintenance and expensive technology, thus efforts on trying to keep up with certain standards will significantly diminish the budget. However, as Ona said that â€Å"it is an imperative†¦to support the proposed DOH 2013 budget,† with the remaining percentage of the budget in support of other projects, federal funding of stem cell technology seems not practicable. Moreover, stem cell technology has yet inconclusive results that doesn’t address the more pressing concerns in the context of the Philippine health setting – that is, it cannot cure epidemic diseases like malaria, dengue, and typhoid fever which are more rampant in the country. Further on, there are a few select professionals that specializes in stem cell technology, thus the government still need to provide training for certain health professionals so that they can specialize in stem cell technology and treatment for the proposed public stem cell center which, in essence, is an additional expenditure. In the end, the conditions and standards set by stem cell research and technology do not fit in the context of the Philippine health setting. Besides, with the rising protest against stem cell technology because of it not being in tune with the established norms and ethical standards in the country, it will be better off that the government should not fund it because the country is still amidst debates between the implementation of certain bills that go against the foundations of moral standards in the country. Works Cited Burnham, John C. How Superstition Won and Science Lost: Popularizing Science and Health in the United States. New Brunswick: Rutgers, the State Univeristy, 1987. Print. Department of Health, Republic of the Philippines. DOH 2013 Budget Promises Better Health for All Filipinos. Department of Health. Department of Health, Republic of the Philippines, 4 Sept. 2012. Web. 28 July 2013. . Ebert, Teresa L. and Mas’ud Zavarzadeh. Class in Culture. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers, 2008. Print. Green, Ronald M. â€Å"Embryo as Epiphenomenon: Some Cultural, Social, and Economic Forces Driving the Stem Cell Debate.† Global Bioethics: Issues of Conscience for the Twenty-First Century. Ed. Ronald M. Green, Aine Donovan, and Steven A. Jauss. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2008. 265. Print Melton, Douglas and Chad Cowen. â€Å"Stemness: Definitions, Criteria, and Standards†. Essentials of Stem Cell Biology. By Robert Lanza, et al. 2nd ed. Toronto: Elsevier Inc., 2009. xxiii. Print. Republic of the Philippines. Cong. House. Rep. Carmelo Lazatin. An Act Establishing Stem Cell Center of the Philippines and Strengthening Research on Stem Cell Technology. 15th Cong., 2nd Sess. HR 5287. Quezon City: Philippine Congress, 2011. Print. Romualdez, Alberto G., Jr., et al. â€Å"The Philippines Health System Review.† Health Systems in Transition 1.2 (2011). 36-39. Print. Savulescu, Julian and Rhodri Saunders. â€Å"The Hinxton Group Considers Transnational Stem Cell Research.† Hastings Center Report 36.1 (2006). c3. Print. Trounson, Alan. â€Å"Why Stem Cell Research.† Essentials of Stem Cell Biology. By Robert Lanza, et al. 2nd ed. Toronto: Elsevier Inc., 2009. xix. Print.

Skepticism Essay -- Skeptic philosophy philosophers

Skepticism Skepticism is the Western philosophical tradition that maintains that human beings can never arrive at any kind of certain knowledge. Originating in Greece in the middle of the fourth century BC, skepticism and its derivatives are based on the following principles: There is no such thing as certainty in human knowledge. All human knowledge is only probably true, that is, true most of the time, or not true. Several non-Western cultures have skeptical traditions, particularly Buddhist philosophy, but properly speaking, skepticism refers only to a Greek philosophical tradition and its Greek, Roman, and European derivatives. The school of Skeptic philosophers were called the "Skeptikoi" in Greece. The word is derived from the Greek verb, "skeptomai," which means "to look carefully, to reflect." The hallmark of the skeptikoi was caution; they refused to be caught in assertions that could be proven false. In fact, the entire system of skeptic philosophy was to present all knowledge as opinion only, that is, to assert nothing as true. In this, they were firmly planted in a tradition started a century earlier by Socrates. Socrates claimed that he knew one and only one thing: that he knew nothing. So he would never go about making any assertions or opinions whatsoever. Instead, he set about questioning people who claimed to have knowledge, ostensibly for the purpose of learning from them, using a judicial cross-examination, called elenchus . If someone made an assertion, such as, "Virtue means acting in accordance with public morality, " he would keep questioning the speaker until he had forced him into a contradiction. As in a court of law, this contradiction proved that the speaker was lying in som... ...at a certain piece of knowledge, that piece of knowledge then becomes the basis for clearing up other doubts. Descartes systematic doubt became the basis of the Enlightenment and modern scientific tradition. One begins with a proposition, or hypothesis, that is in doubt and then tests that proposition until one arrives, more or less, at a certain conclusion. That does not, however, end the story. When confronted by the conclusions of others, one's job is to doubt those conclusions and redo the tests. Once a hypothesis has been tested and retested, then one can conclude that one has arrived at a "scientific truth." That, of course, doesn't end it, for all scientific truths can be doubted sometime in the future. In other words, although scientists speak about certainty and truth all the time, the foundational epistemology is skeptical: doubt anything and everything.

Founding Fathers Essay

In the past century, there has been a growing debate as to the motives of the founders of the republic and as a result the nature of our constitution. While Marxist analysts such as Charles Beard contended that the founders were wealthy elite that ultimately created a conservative document intended to weaken the poor popular majority, other scholars like John Roche believed that the fathers had no such agenda and they were working purely to reconcile states’ interests. Pluralists, such as Hofstadter, believed that the constitutional insistence of checks and balances intended to create a slow political process in which no interest can completely win and oppress other interests over a long period of time. While the scholars, Beard and Roche, make a strong defense of their opposing argument, it appears, based on the constitutional document and historical analysis that Hofstadter provided a more accurate portrayal of the founding fathers and their purpose in framing the various pi eces of the Constitution. The men who wrote the constitution came from a particular background of wealthy and politically elite people and as a result one of their main concerns in the newly developing nation was the protection of their property. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was no guaranteed right of property and the economy was becoming a mess as there was no power to keep it controlled. Charles Beard states in his document, â€Å"They were anxious above everything else to safeguard the rights of private property against any leveling tendencies on the part of the propertyless masses.† In a country where the majority rules, the wealthy few became vulnerable to possibility of the poor population taking their belongings. Beard believes evidence of this can be seen throughout the Constitution, such as the Contract and Commerce clause which both limit state powers and allow Congress to regulate trading and property rights. The second piece of evidence is that certain branches of the government, the Senate, President, and Supreme Court, are not directly elected by the people. John P. Roche suggests that the framing of the Constitution was essentially a democratic process involving the unification of the state, political, and  economic interests of the nation. Roche recognizes that the framers were an elite, but he is careful to point out that they were a political elite dedicated for the most part to creating an efficient and at the same time controlled national government that would be able to overcome the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. The framers were not an organized few dedicated to particular notions of political or economic beliefs beyond the need to create a national government that would be capable of uniting the disparate interests of the state. When the Constitutionalists decided to challenge the Confederation, they used the methods of political legitimacy. The 3/5 compromise allowed more representation of the lower population in the house of representatives and the bill of rights was formed in order to ensure state rights and c heck the central government. Roche believes the bicameral legislation of the constitution was effective at producing pluralism. Finally, the last theory of what the founding fathers intended for the purpose of the Constitution to be was to create a balanced government that followed the philosophy of checks and balance which derived from the Enlightenment ideals of Montesquieu. In â€Å"The Founding Fathers: An Age of Realism,† Hofstadter argues that the agenda of the founding fathers was not only to ensure the rights of property for the wealthy elite, but also for the poorer masses. â€Å"Most of them would probably have admitted that the rich, unrestrained, would also plunder the poor.† The purpose of the Constitution was to create a government that allowed both the elite and individuals to maintain their rights and opportunities in the nation. The framing made sure to include legislation that aided the wealthy but also pieces that helped represent the larger population. The contract and commerce clauses protected property rights and strengthened the central government, but then the Bill of Rights and the House of Representatives gave power to the states and the poor majority. In addition, while the President can veto bills, Congress has the chance to override the veto with a 2/3 majority. The Senate, representing states, and the House of Representatives provide involvement for the majority in the Constitution, while the President and Supreme Court are chosen by the minority and provide protection for the smaller group of individuals. The founding fathers made  sure to include checks and balances when they developed the Constitution in order to ensure a fair government where one group does not hold the most power. Both Beard and Roche have contrasting views on what the purpose was of the founding fathers in their framing of the Constitution, but both are ultimately flawed as it is wrong to say that their agenda was limited to selfish greed or altruism for the majority. The real agenda, as Hofstadter explains, was to form a balanced government that ensures the basic rights for both the majority and minority, allowing the wealthy and the poor to be represented and protected under the branches of the government and legislation through a system of checks and balances.

Essay on The United States Democratic Party History

The United States Democratic Party History The Democratic Party is one of the oldest and biggest party in the United States. The other one is the Republican Party. Every four years the party holds a National Convention where they pick one from their party to be the next candidate for the presidency. The last Convention took place in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2012 where Barack Obama was nominated for President and Joe Biden was nominated for Vice President, and as we all know that turned out well Obama won and he became the 15th Democrat to take office, the Democratic Party currently holds a minority of seats in the House of Representatives and a majority of seats in the Senate, as well as a minority of state governorships and†¦show more content†¦Sometimes Democrats are called the left, liberals or progressives, even though not all Democrats are left-wing or liberal. Generally Democrats support: progressive income tax, increasing overall tax income higher corporate taxes and recapturing income from overseas profits expanding spending on government programs spending on business, education, infrastructure, clean-energy abortion (spending on reproductive issues) stem-cell research reducing the use of US troops in international affairs, downsizing the military Equal rights (without regard for race, creed, gender or sexual orientation) through Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity laws. restrictions of weapons use through government oversight Keynesian, and a mixed economy universal healthcare regulating business and the economy freedom of religion Most support for Democrats comes from states in the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific Coast areas of the USA, but there are Democrats elected to office in all other states too. In this section I found some information about the Democratic Party and the people in it right now. I would like to say that these information’s are from Wikipedia. Chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL) President of the United States Barack Obama(President) (IL) Senate Leader Joe Biden (President) (DE) Daniel Inouye (President pro tempore) (HI) Harry Reid (Majority Leader) (NV) Dick Durbin (Majority Whip) (IL) House Leader Nancy PelosiShow MoreRelatedEmergence of a Two-Party System 1789-18081405 Words   |  6 PagesBr. Herb AP American History Period 4 10/8/12 Emergence of a Two-Party System 1789-1808 A two-party system is a political system in which the electorate gives its majority of votes to only two major parties and in which one or the other party can win a majority in the legislature. An example of a two-party system is the United States of America, which has the Republicans and the Democrats. For the candidacy to be president, the person must have a majority of the party supporting him or her.Read MoreDemocrats and Republicans Essay1122 Words   |  5 Pagesand Republicans The United States of America is known to have two major political parties. The Republican party and the democratic one. Both parties are based on views and principles being completely opposites of each other. The Republican party is known to be a conservative party, while the democratic party is known to be liberal. Two concepts that are opposites to each other. The democratic party will most certainly convince the majority of the people that it is the ideal party to remain in officeRead MoreBarack Obama s President Of The American Dream Essay943 Words   |  4 PagesIndonesia as a child, or that he went back to his roots in Kenya to meet his family members. Obama played a critical role of shifting the direction of the United States. This paper analyzes the history of the Democratic Party as well as the biography, platform, and criticism of Barack Obama. Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States of America, and the 1st African American president. Amongst many other accomplishments, Obama was a civil rights attorney, professor, and a senator. He wasRead More The Key Differences between Whigs and Democrats? Essay1403 Words   |  6 PagesThe major parties since early 1830s in the United States of America were the Democratic Party, organized by Andrew Jackson, and the Whig Party, assembled by Henry Clay from the National Republicans and in opposition to Andrew Jackson. There were no sectional differences between the Democratic Party and the Whig Party, but there were some cultural differences. Whig party operated from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s. The Whigs approved the authority and the power of the Congress over the presidencyRead MoreThe First Lecture, By James Caesar1176 Words   |  5 Pagesthe political parties’ cater to the lowest denomination of intelligence. When one hears Democrats versus Republicans, demagoguery and division are usually among the first things that come to mind. This Center for Constructive Alternatives series explained the history behind the two parties, how situations like today came into fruition, and clearly alluded to an idea that the parties of old are crumbling. The first lecture, eloquently given by James Caesar, a professor of history at the UniversityRead MoreThe American Revolution Of The United States1356 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the history of these great United States of America, the country has always possessed something truly unique: the fundamental principle of being for and by the people. This dynamic has lasted throughout the 241 year history of the United States being an independent nation. Whether it was the American Revolution led by George Washington, the Louisiana Purchase of Thomas Jefferson, the freeing of the slaves by Abraham Lincoln, or even through the grimmer times of the Great Depression, weRead MoreThe Political Parties Of The United States1183 Words   |  5 Pages There are two major political parties in the United States, the Democrats and the Republicans. The Democratic symbol is a donkey they got this from the colonial times when andrew jackson kept being called a donkey so he started to use it, an d we have used it ever since. The republicans got their symbol from Nast. Nast invented a famous symbol the Republican elephant. In a cartoon that Nast that had ran in Harper s Weekly in the year 1874, Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion s skin, scaring awayRead MoreDemocratic National Committee : The Democratic Party1433 Words   |  6 PagesI chose the Democratic National Committee, or DNC, as the political party organization that I want to study. I selected the Democratic National Committee because it sets the core values of the Democratic Party and Democrats in the United States. Political parties, such as the Democratic Party, are a vital way of representing concerns of the public as well as an outlet for voters to express their values and competencies (Stonecash, p. 83 84). Therefore, the Democratic National Committee is responsibleRead MoreEssay on Political Parties in the United States797 Words   |  4 PagesPolitical Parties in the United States There are numerous political parties in the United States and they all have no strict requirements for membership. That means whatever group you want to belong to you can. There are also no membership lists that are maintained. Some of the ways to determine party affiliation comes from voting surveys and public opinion polls. The majority of voters in America consider themselves to be Democrats. Party identification does not mean that who is youRead MoreThe Importance of External Influences in Building a Democracy1315 Words   |  6 Pagescircumstances that have been important in the past for building a democracy for current democratic regimes. Pinkney studies seven comparatives and their theories for the cause and effect of democracy and identifies their pros and cons. The most important of these conditions stands in the external influences and foreign participation in building the state as a democracy of a non-democratic country. In his â€Å"Conditions Conducive to Democracy† chart Pinkney introduces the