Pros and Cons of Term Limits for Congress

The idea of imposing  term limits  for Congress, or a mandatory restriction on how long members of the House and Senate can serve in office, has been debated by the public for centuries. There are pros and cons and strong opinions on both sides of the issue, perhaps a surprise, given the electorates less-than-flattering opinion of their representatives in modern history. Here are some questions and answers about term limits and the ongoing debate surrounding the idea, as well as a look at the pros and cons of term limits for Congress. Are There Term Limits for Congress Now? No. Members of the House of Representatives are elected for two years at a time and can serve an unlimited number of terms. Members of the Senate are elected for six years and also can serve an unlimited number of terms. Whats the Longest Anyone Has Served? The longest anyone ever served in the Senate was 51 years, 5 months and 26 days, a record held by the late Robert C. Byrd. The Democrat from West Virginia was in office from Jan. 3, 1959, through June 28, 2010. The longest anyone ever served in the House is 60 years, a record held by U.S. Rep. John Dingell Jr. The Democrat from Michigan was in office from 1955 to 2015. Are There Term Limits for the President? Presidents are restricted to only two four-year terms in the White House under the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which reads in part: No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice. Some conspiracy theorists claim that President Barack Obama was secretly plotting to repeal the 22nd Amendment and run for a third term in the white house. Have There Been Attempts to Impose Term Limits on Congress? There have been numerous attempts by some lawmakers to pass statutory term limits, but all of those proposals have been unsuccessful. Perhaps the most famous attempt at passing term limits came during the so-called Republican revolution  when the GOP took control of Congress in the 1994 midterm elections. Term limits were a tenet of the Republican Contract with America. The contract called for a removal of career politicians through a first-ever vote on term limits as part of the Citizen Legislature Act. Term limits never came to fruition. What about the Congressional Reform Act? The Congressional Reform Act does not exist. It is a fiction passed off in email chains as a legitimate piece of legislation that would limit members of Congress to 12 years of service - either two six-year Senate terms or six two-year House terms. What Are the Arguments in Favor of Term Limits? Proponents of term limits argue that restricting the service of lawmakers prevents politicians from amassing too much power in Washington and becoming too alienated from their constituents. The thinking is that many lawmakers view the work as a career and not a temporary assignment, and therefore spend much of their time posturing, raising money for their re-election campaigns and running for office instead of focusing on the important issues of the day. Those who favor term limits say they would remove the intense focus on politics and place it back on policy. What Are the Arguments Against Term Limits? The most common argument against term limits goes something like this: We already have term limits. Theyre called elections. The primary case against term limits is that, indeed, our elected officials in the House and Senate must face their constituents every two years or every six years and get their approval. Imposing term limits, opponents argue, would remove the power from voters in favor of an arbitrary law. For example, a popular lawmaker seen by her constituents as being effective and influential would want to re-elect her to Congress - but could be barred from doing so by a term-limit law.

Essay on The Everlasting Dark Shadow of Romanticism

For many, saying or hearing the word romanticism evokes numerous stereotypical and prejudged definitions and emotions. The biggest reason this probably happens is because of how closely romanticism sounds like romance. The similarity of the sounds and spelling of the two words can lead to some thinking that the two words mean the same thing or are closely related. Although romanticism and romance do share some similarities in their spelling and pronunciation they couldn’t be more different. In the Merriam Webster Dictionary romance is defined as, â€Å"a love story†. The Romantic Period was not necessarily a time of true romance and love stories, although love was written about, but was instead a time of extreme emotion expressed in many†¦show more content†¦Whether Shelley anticipated that her story of reanimation and death turning to life would be her masterwork is unknown, although it is likely that she never anticipated the kind of response that her littl e tale would immediately receive and the impact that it would still have today. Frankenstein is one of the greatest examples of Romantic writing. One of the biggest traits of Romanticism that the story possesses is the inclusion of the Byronic hero. Victor Frankenstein’s creation is a hideous, murdering, and vengeful being but the reader can’t help being fascinated by the monster and wanting to see what he will do next. The way that the monster is written can also make the reader want to root for him in certain parts of the story. The monster is actually an incredibly sympathetic character. Even though the monster kills everyone that Victor loves and he performs numerous acts of evil, the reader can still sympathize with the character and understand his motives. Unlike in most of the film interpretations of Frankenstein and the stereotypical idea of what the monster is, he is textually very intelligent, calculated, and isn’t the slow moving speechless mongolo id that pop culture has made him out to be. The monster even sorrowfully gives his own type of self eulogyShow MoreRelatedAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 PagesAmerican Literature through Time To find out more about a particular literature time period, click on the links below: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · Puritan Times Rationalism/Age of Enlightenment American Renaissance/Romanticism Gothic Realism Naturalism Modernism Harlem Renaissance Postmodernism Contemporary Puritan Times period of American Literature - 1650-1750 Content: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · errand into the wilderness be a city upon a hill Christian utopia Genre/Style: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · sermons, diaries personalRead MoreVictorian Novel9605 Words   |  39 Pagesconscious they lived in the ‘Victorian period’. They thought that this was a modern era marked with turbulent transition. However, the most crucial writers of the period grew up in the earlier years, and had been influenced by the age of English Romanticism. Therefore, although Victorian was modern, materialist, factual and concerned with ‘things as they are’, Romantic, associated with Gothic, melodramatic, idealistic influenced the way novelists wrote in the beginning of the 19th century. I THE

Field Experience Report Free Essays

General Outcome: 1. 0 The student shall spend 15 hours in observation in a school setting. Specific Measurable Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this unit, the student shall be able to: 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Field Experience Report or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1 Review an existing lesson plan prior to the lesson. After reviewing an existing lesson plan prior to the lesson implementation by your cooperating teacher, address the following: 1) Record the subject, grade level and the goal of the lesson plan. 7th grade Civics. Goal: 1. Identify the key issues discussed at the Constitutional Convention;? . Describe the problems and solutions that were addressed by the Great Compromise of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. How did this lesson plan differ from the required lesson plan of this course? Much less detailed, in fact I would even call it vague. 2) Did the plan include an assessment? Not really, he had â€Å"Evaluation† and that was to be determined by student’s participation. Observe the implementation of the lesson and address the following: 3) Did the actual teaching/learning process take place as outlined in the plan? Why or why not? The teaching process took place as outline, however the learning process is hard for me to gauge without a formal assesment. 4) Did the teacher feel as if the lesson was successful and the objective was met? Yes, he did, he seemed satisfied. But to be frank, I don’t believe so. 5) Would you have done anything differently from the teacher? If so, what? Yes, I would definitely be more detail oriented with my lesson plans. I find his plans to be too vague for my liking. 1. Observe a cooperating teacher in large and small group instructional setting. After observing a cooperating teacher in a large and small group instructional setting, address the following: Large group instructional setting: 1) Did you observe any of the following instructional strategies: integrated curriculum, thematic teaching, cooperative learning, critical thinking/problem solving, or differentiated instruction? He used differentiated instruction for a gifted student in one of the classes I observed. For example, he would assign the same chapter from the Civics book for all the students, but he would assign the gifted students, additional questions to answer at the end of the chapter, and in fact, they were what I would consider â€Å"higher order† questions. 2) Describe what you observed. (If none of the instructional strategies listed above were observed, describe what strategies you did observe. ) Small group Instructional setting: 1) Did the cooperating teacher use small group instruction? If not, why do you think it was not used? Yes, he did use small group instruction. In one of the classes I observed, there was 5 ESOL students, he grouped them together to get the extra help needed in reading chapters and comprehension of the material, with an ESOL teacher aide. 2) How could you use small group instruction with this class of students? It could be used by divinding kids into different small groups, I would divide them not by grouping skill levels together, but by group different skill levels together. That way, they could collaborative learning could be implemented. If so, describe the teaching strategies in the small group. I would use collaborative learning and use higher order thinking skills as my primary goal in the small group. I would act more as a facilitator, guiding them on the journey. 3) What criteria was used to form the small groups? He sepereated the ESOL group, however you could also use small group instruction for differential instruction for gifted students. How did the instruction in the small group compare to that of the large group? The small group was much more interactive. The large group listened to a lecture, while the ESOL group participated much more among the group and interacted much more within the small group, as compared to the large, which did not interact. 1. 3 Observe and describe the classroom learning environment. A student-centered learning environment is one that is safe, organized, inclusive, equitable, flexible and collaborative. Describe what you observed by addressing the following: Did the teacher†¦ * provide an organized classroom with well-managed space? Yes, I believe so; the only thing I did observe was that there were not enough textbooks for all the students, so in one class about 4 students always had to share a book. This is not really something that the teacher can control, but it did surprise me. * convey high expectations to students? Somewhat. He always repeated to students that Civics is important, that in order to be good citizens, one must have an understanding of Civics. Also he discussed with them the importance to study and the need to study a lot for success. maintain a climate of openness, inquiry, and fairness? Yes, I believe so. The students were never reprimanded without reason. Also, he did encourage them to answer questions, even if they were wrong. * adapt the environment to accommodate different needs and diversity? Yes, he did try; he would often separate the ESOL students so they could sit in a group with their ESOL aide. Also the teacher had a student who was gifted and he accommodated his needs by assigni ng him higher-order questions from the book. * model clear oral and written communication skills? Most times, though I do think at times he could have been even more clear, because sometimes the kids were completely lost as to what chapter they were on, and on what dates things were do. Obviously there is a miscommunication somewhere. 1. 4Observe the teacher use materials in the teaching/learning process. Observe a lesson and describe the process that was used to utilize instructional materials by addressing the following: 1) List the materials used in the lesson. He used a website called â€Å"ConnectEd† which is a website associated with the Civics book used. They also had a workbook that was used. 2) Did the materials enhance the lesson and stimulate interest? To some extent. Some of the kids did not have computers and or Internet access, so they were not able to utilize the â€Å"ConnectEd† website. The book is a standard Civics book, so the extent that it can stimulate interest is limited in my opinion. 3) Did the teacher use the materials for demonstration only or were children able to use the materials? Yes, children could use the website at home, if they had Internet access and/or computer, which not all did. ) Would you use materials differently or would you use different material? Explain. I would use different materials as well as more materials. The lessons could be boring since they were mostly lectures and going over questions in the book. With Civics you could use creativity and hold a mock election, or maybe have the class write their own class constitution etc. I would implement those sorts of ideas to try and make t he classes more interesting for students. 1. 5 Observe the teacher – learner and learner – leaner interaction. Mutual respect and good communication between students and teacher are vital to an effective learning environment. Address the following that you observed in your cooperating teacher’s classroom: 1) How did the teacher encourage open communication? He always waited patiently for students to answer the questions and never criticized students if there answer was wrong, he would say something like â€Å"No†¦you are getting there though†¦Ã¢â‚¬  so even if the student was wrong, there were not made to feel bad and this I believe created a sense of comfort and confidence in the classroom for the students. ) Was learner-learner interaction a vital part of the instructional strategy? Not in the large group, however he did have ESOL students that were separated into a small group, and there was a lot of learner-learner interaction in this setting. 3) Did you observe cooperative learning? No, this is not something I observed during this field experience, perhaps I will next semester. 4) Was the teacher more of a facilitator or a lecturer? Explain. I think he was a little of both. He did seem to lecture a lot, but by the same token, even though he did lecture, he also asked questions of the students every once in a while, which gave them opportunities to do critical thinking and thus, in that sense, he became a facilitator. 1. 6 Read to individual children or groups of children. A. Choose the book recommended by the cooperating teacher. Develop at least one question from the higher order questions (Bloom’s taxonomy) to ask the children. Describe the experience. If you are at a middle or high school setting, you may discuss a current book, article, or perhaps a poem that a student has read. We read the Bill of Rights during my lesson on the Constitution. One of the higher order questions I asked was: What are some of the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights and how have these rights affected your life? Explain. 1. 7 Listen to individual children read. Discuss with your cooperating teacher some instructional strategies that you can use to concentrate on vocabulary skills, fluency or comprehension. What were the suggestions? Describe the experience. During one of my visits the class read aloud a chapter in the book. Some students were better readers than others. The teacher makes a vocabulary list every week, based on the reading. He instructs the students to make vocabulary cards from index cards, with definitions for students to study weekly. Then, on a weekly basis, they have a1 vocabulary quiz. 1. 8 Work with individual or small groups of students to provide a review on previously taught materials. Discuss with your cooperating teacher a review lesson that you could implement with an individual student or a small group of students. With approval, implement the review and reflect on your experience. I had the opportunity to do this activity with a student that had been out a couple of days because of illness. I went over some of the lessons in the chapter with him that he missed, than the cooperating teacher wanted me to work with the student to answer the questions at the end of the lesson. This went well, since it was just one student, it was nice to have the personal interaction with him. However he was quite shy and I did have to work to get more than a 2-word response from him. 1. 8 Reflect upon the educational theory and philosophy observed in the field based school. Your textbook describes four philosophies that influence today’s education. The subject-centered philosophies are perennialism and essentialism. The child-centered philosophies are romanticism and progressivism . Have a discussion with your teacher about his/her guiding beliefs of how teaching and learning occur in the classroom and address the following: 1) Which philosophy comes through in the discussion? During our discussion he told me that he is most influenced by the progressivism philosophy. He believes that students students learn best by doing. 2) Which best describes the reality of the classroom that you observed? In reality, the cooperating teacher seems to lean more toward perennialism or essentialism. Certainly not progressivism because I did not once observe them doing any work on their own, other than answering questions at the end of a chapter reading. He relies most on lecture, and some discussion. 1. 9 Review curriculum guides, teacher manuals, etc. Ask your cooperating teacher for an instructional focus calendar or a teacher manual for you to review. After reviewing the selected material, address the following: 1) What guide, manual or material did you review? He showed me an IFC (Instructional Focus Calendar) for 8th grade US History, which was not a class I observed, but that he has taught. 2) What information did your teacher give you regarding the use of the material? He explained to me that it outlines for a teacher what their focus should be on every given week. For example, for weeks 2-3 of the school year, the teacher should be focusing instruction on Early American Settlements up to 1625. 3) Did you find the material beneficial? Explain. I believe so, I liked that the IFC, outlines for teacher what benchmarks they should focus on, what topic should be covered and in what order. I think it helps make the job of a teacher easier in the sense that you always know what you should be covering and what benchmarks you should be focusing on. 1. 10 Select for observation and interview one of the following: music, art, physical education, or exceptional education teacher; guidance counselor; speech pathologist; or other professional staff. I was not allowed by the school to observe any other teacher other than my cooperating teacher, however in order to at least be able to answer the questions, I did observe the art teacher at my daughter’s preschool, she teaches an after-school enrichment art class â€Å"Little Chagall†. After the observation and speaking to the educator, answer the following: 1) How is his/her instructional preparation different from the regular classroom teacher? She decides week by week what they will focus on (her class is held once a week). One week they might cover Picasso and Cubism and another she may do sculptures and the renaissance. She does not have a formal plan per se and is pretty much allowed free reign on what she would like to focus on. She also does not have to focus on benchmarks, nor does she have to worry about covering material for standerdized tests. ) Do the students respond differently in these settings? Absolutely. This class is completely different than my 7th grade class for Civics. Besides the fact that the students are 3 and 4, this is indeed a class where the progessivism philosophy’s influence is seen. Children are encouraged to be creative, think for themselves and to experiment. 3) What methods are used to measure student progress? Less paint on the floor means that progress is being made (Just kidding! ) She says that she mainly focuses not only on their creativity, but also on building their fine motor skills. Usually after the first year the students are much more adept at holding paint brushes and they even paint more neatly. The objects in the paintings become more recognizeable as the objects that they were painted to be. (I. E. faces will actually start to have more defined features, as opposed to â€Å"blobs†). 4) What resources are available to help include special needs students? Her class is quite small, only 5 students. So she is available to give a special needs student more attention if it is needed. 5) Describe the classroom management technique. If the kids are not paying attention she says â€Å"1,2,3 eyes on me! She says it works well and helps bring the kids back to focus. 1. 11 If appropriate, attend PTA, faculty, and grade level/department meetings as well as participated in field trips. If you are able to participate in any of the listed activities, address the following: 1) What was the activity or meeting? Faculty Council Meeting 2) List the date, time and dur ation. 11/8/12, @8:30 AM to 9:20AM 3) What topics were discussed? FCAT, Computer carts, outdated teacher laptops, mistakes when placing students (gifted student was placed in a class for the earning disabled), lack of security (2 security guards for 1200 students). No response for student referrals. 4) Who was in charge of the meeting? Mr. Morrina (cooperating teacher). 5) What did you learn from the experience? I didn’t realize that there were so many problems inside schools. The teachers feel very frustrated, especially with the lack of security, their outdated equipment, and the fact that when they refer a student for bad behavior, nothing is really done about it. 1. 12 Assist in the preparation of bulletin boards, charts, transparencies, PowerPoint presentations and other instructional aids. Describe and discuss how you assisted the cooperating teacher in any of the above listed items. Discuss what you learned from the experience. . I assisted with making a bulletin board using some projects the kids had done. While of course I learned to be creative and such while doing the bulletin board, what I learned most was the value of doing a bulletin board with the student’s projects. They really enjoyed seeing their work displayed for the world to admire. And that is not what I was expecting to take away from it initially. 1. 13 Provide assistance to the teacher by grading papers, record keeping, taking attendance, etc. Describe and discussed how you assisted the cooperating teacher in any of the above listed items. Discuss what you learned from the experience. 1. I assisted the teacher with taking attendance. He takes attendance by assigning each student a number, from 1 to however many kids are in the class, in this case 22. Each child calls out their number starting with 1, if there is a missing number, he looks up who the child is and marks them absent. To be frank, it seemed to me much easier just to make a seating chart or just taking roll. With this method, some times the students forgot their numbers and we had to stop and start over. It just became too much of a time waster. I think it’s more efficient just to quietly check attendance without making a group activity out of it. 1. 15 Know the policy and procedure in an emergency situation. Each school has a list of emergency situations and emergency procedures. Obtain and read a copy of the school’s emergency procedures manual. Address the following: 1) Which of the identified emergencies occur most frequently? According to the school’s emergency report, the incidents that occur the most are crime related emergencies, for example, gangs, bullying or fighting. ) Write a brief summary of the recommended procedures for a fire drill. When alarm sounds, teacher immediately direct their class to the nearest exit as indicated in the fire escape route map in the classroom. There is no running or talking while exiting the building. Teachers must take with them the attendance records and the lesson plan records as these are official legal documents indi cating the number of students who are present at the time. Furthermore, teachers must be aware of students who are not in the classroom at the time of the alarm and must be able to obtain their whereabuts. If student is missing, an administrator must be contacted immediately. Classes should remain at the designated wait spot until given the â€Å"All clear†. 3) Write a brief summary of at least one other emergency procedure. In the event of a Hurricane watch being announced and students have not been picked up, at least two staff members must remain until all students have been picked up. Students should be taken to areas with no windows, such as hallways. Once the building is empty, custodians should prepare and secure the building. How to cite Field Experience Report, Papers

Trip To The Porno Shop Essay Example For Students

Trip To The Porno Shop Essay Before going into Phase II, I didnt really feel anything out of the ordinary. I have been in that store a few times, and dont find it offensive in any way. Myonly feeling about being in that store is a sense of sexual overload on the senses. There is so much sexually oriented material there that it is almost overwhelming. I drove there with three friends from my house, who are also in the HDFS240 class. Their feelings on the store were generally similar to mine. We allagreed, however, that it is more uncomfortable to go in alone than in a group. So,with the four of us, the uncomfortable feelings were eased. The first item I selected was a movie, titled, Ready to Drop: Volume 7. The film was priced at $10.95. The box displayed pictures of pregnant women ina variety of sexual acts. The photos appeared to be of low quality, and the sceneryand actors in the pictures also seemed to be in the more inexpensive range. Iselected this item because it grabbed my attention. It was something out of theordinary, as movies go, so I decided I should take a look at it. My second item was a product called the Super Suction Penis Pump. Thebox was very plain, with only a small block of text describing how a man couldwatch his cock grow to unbelievable dimensions! The product is designed toincrease the size of the penis in both length and thickness. This product was onsale for $21.95, and was an open-box special, which was interesting in itself. Ichose this one because it was sitting on top of a pile of movies, and I knocked itonto the floor. So, I figured that, since I already had to pick it up, Id just wr iteabout it. Finally, my favorite choice was The Famous Erotic Love Piggie. Thisitem can be purchased for a mere $12.95, and provides hours of Farm fun. Thepicture on the front showed a drawing of a pig wearing a bikini. This box was alsovery plain, and didnt give any description or photo of the product. We could onlyguess what amazing craftsmanship was invested in that $12.95 piggie. I chose thisitem because it was the most entertaining item there. It seemed to be the only oneof its kind, so it grabbed my attention. After having gone into the store, I didnt feel any different that before. Inside, I felt comfortable looking around through the products because so many ofthem are so outlandish and humorous. It is almost like a store of gag gifts andjokes. The trip was fun and entertaining, but due to prior experience there, did notmake any significant impact on my views or feelings on adult shops. Category: Miscellaneous

Why Beowulf is a True Epic Hero Essay Example

Why Beowulf is a True Epic Hero Paper It seems as though humanity is fixed on one form of what and how a hero ought to be. The epic hero is the central figure in a long narrative that reflects the values and heroic ideals of a particular society. Beowulf is an illustration of this in most aspects because he fought for the common good, had a superhuman trait of strength in his hands, and showed tremendous courage and bravery when entering a battle despite death might win in the end. Beowulf shows throughout the poem that his actions are in no way selfish. John D. Niles states in The Fatal Contradiction in Beowulf (94), Before the fight he declares himself willing to accept whatever outcome the lord see fit to grant. This shows that Beowulf does not fight to win personal glory; he did it for his people. A quality an epic hero should acquire. Beowulf was proud to know he pleased his people by defeating Greened and later on Grenades mother. He goes on to show throughout the poem that he will defend the Gears at all costs. Bernard F. Happen suggests that Beowulf is in fact far from a true hero. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Beowulf is a True Epic Hero specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why Beowulf is a True Epic Hero specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why Beowulf is a True Epic Hero specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer He states In The Failure of the Heroic Ideal (82), Beowulf behavior from beginning to end Is governed by the ethic of vengeance and the desire for glory. Its apparent that this Is not exact because its proven that Beowulf chose to fight alone so the fight would be equal. He knew the potential outcome, death. Epic heroes dont naturally fight with an army or side by side a friend, they take on their challenger alone. Beowulf chose to conquer a number of villains by his own hand to ensure the Seats would remain In peace. When we think of heroes, we automatically think of superpowers and extravagant Holon suits with capes and gadgets. Like Superman and Spenserian, modern day examples of heroes, Beowulf contained an almost superhuman Like quality. He had an ultimate strength In his hands. In his battle with Greened, Beowulf fought with no weapons to equal the fight and to show the meaning of true defeat without It being all for his glory. He killed Greened and put Warthogs and his people at ease. They saw Beowulf as a true hero as well. Beowulf Is definitely an epic hero. He fought for his people to the death and defeated numerous monsters. He was aware of his responsibility as a king to do whatever It took to protect the Seats. Beowulf Is a ferocious warrior with no tragic flaws who died for his people. Like John D. Niles states, If the behavior of anyone In the poem Is to be considered Irresponsible and Impractical, It Is that of the Gears, whoso failure to live by the heroic Ideal proves to be Impractical In the extreme, even to the point of leading to their ruin as soon as they no longer have a hero to protect them. This Is a Ideal example of why Beowulf Is a true epic hero. BY earner 991 be. The epic hero is the central figure in a long narrative that reflects the values and Niles states in The Fatal Contradiction in Beowulf (94), Before the fight he declares Beowulf does not fight to win personal glory; he did it for his people. A quality an epic that he will defend the Seats at all costs. Bernard F. Happen suggests that Beowulf is in fact far f rom a true hero. He states in The Failure of the Heroic Ideal (82), Beowulf behavior from beginning to end is governed by the ethic of vengeance and the desire for glory. Its apparent that this is equal. He knew the potential outcome, death. Epic heroes dont naturally fight with an conquer a number of villains by his own hand to ensure the Seats would remain in examples of heroes, Beowulf contained an almost superhuman like quality. He had an ultimate strength in his hands. In his battle with Greened, Beowulf fought with no weapons to equal the fight and to show the meaning of true defeat without it being Beowulf is definitely an epic hero. He fought for his people to the death and defeated numerous monsters. He was aware of his responsibility as a king to do whatever it took to protect the Seats. Beowulf is a ferocious warrior with no tragic flaws who died for his people. Like John D. Niles states, If the behavior of anyone in the poem is to be considered irresponsible and impractical, it is that of the Seats, whos failure to live by the heroic ideal proves to be impractical in the extreme, even to the point of leading to their ruin as soon as they no longer have a hero to protect them. This is a ideal example of why Beowulf is a true epic hero.

History of the Non

History of the Non Introduction Non profit organizations have always been considered as voluntary organizations that are officiated by private contributions. They are also regarded as silent contributors to the welfare of the public as well as the personal interests of individuals in society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on History of the Non-Profit Sector specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main difference between non-profit and profit organizations is that profit organizations core obligation is to gross income and reallocate assessable wealth to the workforce as well as the shareholders while non-profit organizations core obligation is to provide self-beneficial and self preservation programs and services. Consequently it is common to find volunteer human resources as well as volunteer executives who perform various roles without receiving any form of reparation. Charitable organizations, trade unions, public arts organizations as well as several other governments and government agencies all form examples of non-profit organizations which are sometimes referred as not-for-profit organizations. Due to the self-interest goals perpetuated by these organizations as well as their role in society, most nations choose to exempt NPOs from revenue and property duty since the governments fail to execute or enforce policies proposed by the NPOs. In essence, non-profit organizations are able to make a profit which is referred to as surplus and calculated at the end of every fiscal year; these earnings are retained as working capital for the internal mechanisms of the organization as well as further expansion plans rather than being distributed as dividend, shares or debentures. In most cases, NPOs use the surplus funds to hire new staff, reward the internal corporate leadership through bonuses and benefits. The mid- level management staff along with the entire human resource of the NPOs also receive incentives at the end of the year through the surplus funds. This essay aims at discussing the history of non profit organizations as well as the transformations that have taken place in the organizations over the years. A history of Non profit organizations According to Kranshinsky (1996), the non profit sector has existed in Europe and the United States since the eighteenth century though the organizations have only recently become prominent and a widely accepted aspect of the western society. The organizations’ initial operation system was strictly for charitable reasons meaning the non profit organizations in the 18th and 19th centuries never carried out business transactions. The non profit organizations of the early period depended entirely on funds donated by the financiers (Morris, 2000).Advertising Looking for essay on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A survey in America revealed that there were slig htly more than 12,000 charitable tax-exempt organizations that had no religious support while currently more than half a million of such organizations exist in America alone(Hammack, 2002). The department of trade was initially responsible for authorizing non profit organizations on behalf of the government though congress and state legislatures were later given that mandate as well as the power to establish which sort of non-profit organizations meet the requirements to be excused from paying taxes. In the 1960s, there was a rise in the number of non profit organizations in third world countries as an increasing number of communities were identified as needy either through education, food, clothing or shelter (Hammack, 2002). As a consequence, the number of NPOs in South America, Africa and Asia almost doubled in a span of less than ten years (Kranshinsky, 1996). In addition, the discovery of fatal untreatable diseases such as AIDS, Ebola, and cancer among other diseases acted as a catalyst for the augmentation of NPOs that sought to research on specific diseases and provide a cure or disease management programs (Morris, 2000). Affluent members of the public were encouraged to provide support and promote several other non profit organizations (Powell Steinberg, 2006). The responsibility of NPOs is basically to provide social services and attend to the requirements of a community such poverty, unemployment, and relief. Therefore the increasing number of non profit organizations is an indicator that the number of people that depend on non-profit organizations for aid and relief is greater than before (Morris, 2000). With reference to Morris (2000), the management and governance of non profit organizations has undergone constant transformation since their inception. Initially, NPOs were not allowed to have members and hence were made up of a self governing board that controlled all the operations of the organizations. The NPOs were permitted to function as trus ts hence activities such decision-making by the management, conflicts of interest and self-dealing were strictly prohibited (Kranshinsky, 1996). The implementation of the American Bar Associations Model Nonstock Corporation Statute by the United States in the late 20th century expanded the jurisdiction of NPOs as far as permissible activities were concerned. According to Hammack (2002), the most notable change during this period was the modification of the fiduciary standard from one of trust to a business standard, and hence non profit organizations were permitted to have members basically function similar to for-profit organizations (Powell Steinberg, 2006).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on History of the Non-Profit Sector specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The change in standard was significant since in actual fact made dissimilarities between nonprofit and for-profit institutions vague enough for the two types of organizations to have almost similar operational systems. Consequently, the legal description of a nonprofit organization has also been stretched out to consist of any activity or entity that does not entail the sharing of surplus profit in the form of dividends (Morris, 2000). Legislatures have been instrumental in altering the definition as well as the roles, tasks, and authority of nonprofit organizations in an attempt by the government to settle legal expansions with existing social and economic activities (Kranshinsky, 1996). The late twentieth century brought about fresh perspectives and ideologies that were viewed to have the potential to facilitate NPOs in realizing their corporate objectives more successfully through the application of various structures that were intended for profit organizations (Salamon Anheier, 1996). Some of the proposed changes are effective internal management, enhanced accountability for all levels of the organization and performance screen of the various departments or tasks so as to utilize the human and financial resources available(Powell Steinberg, 2006). Such transformational changes necessitate a change in management and the general operation of the organization leading to the running of NPOs as for-profit organizations (Morris, 2000). Non profit organization Values The Non profit organizations have operated under different value systems since their inception though there are two values which seem to stand out through out the history of nonprofits and have been found to be also applicable in the current situation (Morris, 2000). These values are: Justification of public good and utility, and public representation. Discussing the values; will give insight to the historical transition NPOs have undergone as well as understand the fundamental responsibilities of NPOs (Salamon Anheier, 1996). Justification of public good and utility This value according to Drucker deals with providing an outline to the correlation of non profit organizations to the requirements and principles of the society (Drucker, 1990). Basically the value entails offering transparency in relation to the functions of the organization, the responsibility of the organization to community in addition to the way the needs of society have changed over time (Hammack, 2002). In addition, the value directs the leadership of the organization on how to endorse the excellence of the organization to the public as well as the level of association required when relating to sponsors, administration units as well as other influential bodies in order to evenly distribute clout (Salamon Anheier, 1996). This value essentially provokes the organizational leadership to work as guides to society in order to easily identify and resolve pertinent issues.Advertising Looking for essay on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The value of public representation This value is concerned with the subject of diversity and stakeholder management. In addition this value also deals with the individuals and the means liable of classifying relations between nonprofit organizations and the society (Drucker, 1990). The identity of stakeholders also comes into focus under this value where the individuality and the different perspectives of the stakeholders have to be clear in order to provide guidance and direction to the NPOs (Salamon Anheier, 1996). Public representation is not the same as factual representation by stakeholders neither is it a representative structure, despite the fact that both positions may be applied by a particular organization (Drucker, 1990). This value was put in place to provoke the leadership; to insure that the different points of view that exemplify the organizations community are accessible by the organization and exploration of the perceptions also takes place. Hammack (2002) asserts that the organization should seek to nurture evocative diversity among its members and subjects rather than have an analogous discernment from its members. Theories regarding the establishment of nonprofit organizations The theories about the creation of NPOs are based on the conventional perception of a rational choice where commonly available goods and services are the most prominent factor. There are several different theories that attempt to explain the history of non-profit organizations as well as their ability to meet the society’s demand for public goods. The theory of the (Market / State) Failure is the most outstanding theory and the naissance requirement of this theory is the supposition that the operation of market is imperfect since performing markets have several deficits which prevent the saturation of all the needs in society(Kranshinsky, 1996). In addition, societies prefer to acquire public goods for free hence the production of public goods is not profitabl e and consequently there is a shortage of market subjects. Usually the state or the public administration in democratic systems intervene by paying for the goods through the public budget as long as the majority of voters agree to the production of particular public goods(Powell Steinberg, 2006). Whereas only a minority agrees, production of public goods ceases leading to the prevalence of numerous unsaturated needs and demands on public goods. Consequently, NPOs start being established to provide services and goods that neither state nor market is able to provide to society. Theory of Confidence is another hypothesis that argues that the establishment of NPOs is due to failures of the market in creating reliable environment for implementing trade (Morris, 2000). According to Salamon Anheier (1996), the low circulation of information regarding the quality of goods and services from the supplier breeds mistrust and low confidence on the goods and services leading to contractual fai lure. According to Powell Steinberg (2006), the consumer as a result tends to go for NPOs since they do not operate with the aim of making excessive profit and therefore it is improbable they would try to deceive the consumer. The final supposition is the Welfare State Theory which according to Kranshinsky (1996) significantly alters the scholarly view regarding the importance of NPOs in society. This theory classifies NPOs as pre-modern systems vital for resolving social problems (Drucker, 1990). NPOs under such circumstances normally arise in conventional society sine its inception, where there is no public administration or the administration is not yet completely developed to function effectively (Powell Steinberg, 2006). The industrialization and state social policy, however, brought about several changes that greatly reduced the significance of NPOs since the state and government took on most of the responsibilities previously held by NPOs. It is this development that led sc holars to assume that NPOs might gradually fade away especially after the improvement of the public administration. Deeper scrutiny of this theory by Powell Steinberg (2006) reveals the implications as well as the reasons of the establishment and incessant subsistence of NPOs in the contemporary modern environment is mainly a common practice rather than the failure of state to perform accordingly through the imperfections identified in the services provided by the state (Morris, 2000). To the contrast, it is to a certain extent the deficiency of state or else the fact that the duties of the state are still not yet fully effective that has led to the emergence and continuous existence of NPOs (Kranshinsky, 1996). The final view is that in the fields where the state has already taken a fundamental role, it succeeds in providing for communities and is even more effective than NPOs in affording services (Salamon Anheier, 1996). Consequently, the expansion of the supporting role of the state and the effectiveness of the state in dispensing its duties is likely to place the state ahead of other organizations in the public eye and hence slowly NPOs will be replaced by the state in the community and public support fields. Conclusion The global nonprofit sector altogether has a wide historical facet that has played a critical role in establishing the mandate of NPOs currently in operation. The state and federal laws have changed over time and the amendment of these laws has constantly identified the roles to be played by both nonprofit firms as well as nonprofit organizations and the laws have also determined the type of leadership and membership the organizations will have. The laws on the other hand have been influenced by factors such as conflicts of individual freedom, the position of the government on NPOs, the position of different religious groups, races, social customs, income groups, gender, as well as the availability and demand of public goods and services . The clear position however is that the number of NPOs have increased through out history with the total number of nonprofit employees in the U.S. workforce for instance having grown from 0.7% to 1.4% in the early 20th century and from 3% in the mid 20th century to 9% at the turn of the 21st century. The main reason for such an increase in the staff and capacity of NPOs has been the emerging and expanding public needs through out the world. For instance, education in the early 1900 was not a priority and hence no NPOs were involved in providing education to the community. In addition, the gradual increase in the government’s financial support to the sector, increase in consumer wealth as well as the amendments done on individual rights have helped the NPO sector to secure its role in the society. References Drucker, P. (1990). Managing the Non-Profit Organization: Practices and Principles. New York: HarperCollins. Hammack, D. (2002). Nonprofit Organizations in American Histo ry. American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 45, No. 11, 1638-1674. Kranshinsky, M. (1996). Transaction Costs and a Theory of the Nonprofit Organization. In: Rose-Ackerman Susan. The Economics of Nonprofit Institutions. New York: Oxford University Press. Morris, S. (2000). Defining the Nonprofit Sector: Some Lessons from History. International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, Vol.11, No. 1, pp. 25-43. Powell, W. and Steinberg, R. (2006). The nonprofit sector: a research handbook. Web. Salamon, L. and Anheier, H. (1996). Social origins of civil society: Explaining the nonprofit sector cross-nationally. Web.

A Marketing analysis of Italian wine in the Chinese market Dissertation

A Marketing analysis of Italian wine in the Chinese market - Dissertation Example Political Political factors play an important role in the performance of businesses in the long run. In China, political risk is relatively low compared to other emerging economies in the world. This is because China follows a one party policy, which reduces chances of political parties among opponents. The central government of China has recently revised its taxation policy in order to help it encourage wine business in the country. The government has taken the initiative to provide funds for the infrastructural projects that would help the wineries in their process of production (Daft, Kendrick and Vershinina, 2010). In case of a political framework, in which there is the existence of more than one party, as the ruling party changes, it leads to the change of ideologies and policies. The one party policy in China acts as a favourable factor for any business operation in the country. Therefore, the wine industry faces positive thrust in China. Import of bottled wine has increased be tween 2004 and 2009 as shown in the graph below. It can be seen from the figure that imports from Italy have increased considerably after 2006. Figure: Imports of bottled wine by China (Source: DPI, 2013) However, there is little transparency in the political system of the country. There are wide assortments of different rules encompassing the businesses in all industries in the country. Such regulations increases challenges for the investors that are currently investing in the country or are willing to invest in the near future (Collins, 2013). Economic China is the largest economy in the world in terms of population and the ranks third in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (CIA, 2013). According to 2012 estimate, the real growth rate of the nation is 7.8 percent and per capita GDP is $9300 (CIA, 2013). There is a rising middle class in China that possesses high purchasing power. This middle income group in China makes very high demand for luxury goods in the internation al market (Zhou, 2010). With rising income of the people belonging to the middle class in China, their exposure to the international market is increasing and they are becoming more accustomed to the western culture. This develops taste among the population for luxury products, such as high quality refined wine. This provides positive incentive for the wine manufacturers to increase their operations in China. According to comments by experts, in years to come, the Chinese â€Å"middle class† would become one of the greatest stakeholders for the wine firms. With evolution of the Chinese economy the society is also advancing. A greater proportion of the population is entering the middle class (Okonkwo, 2007). They are having high average earning and are influenced by the western culture to a greater extent. These people are becoming loyal customers of wine. Besides, increasing price differentials in the international market is a major factor that brings about growth in the Chine se wine market. Social China has a long history of brewing wine and there is a tradition of wine consumption in the country. Research shows that the consumption of wine by the Chinese population has been increasing over the last decade. Researchers have claimed that consumption of wine in China would double by 2014 (UPENN, 2012). The reason behind this change

Western Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Western Civilization - Essay Example Only by examining the facts can one make a decision on right or wrong. Although not one of the actual assassins, Cicero makes the argument that some members of the conspiracy had brought up what he referred to as â€Å"petty crimes† (one of the instances was fraudulent buying and selling). His viewpoint was that made little sense when the emperor’s real crime was the simple fact that he declared himself king and that in itself justified the Emperor’s death. Indeed, Cicero goes so far to state that such views are that of an insane person (and â€Å"immoral†) and those that followed him were just as mad as Caesar. In his case, he states that the Empire was once a free state with free people and that removing somebody like Caesar (either by force or peaceful means) was not only reasonable but in fact warranted. Cassius Dio on the other hand, makes an entirely different viewpoint in that killing Caesar was perhaps not totally justified and only brought unnecessary war and sedition to Rome. Granted, it could be argued that unlike Cicero, Cassius lived close to three hundred years after the event and was writing history as based upon the documents available to him. Yet historians such as Cassius often provide valuable insight many years after the fact, maybe unprejudiced, whereas those like Cicero were inflamed and caught up in the moment. Cassius does make a valid point in that the senators and other leaders courted Caesar like he was a king, such as riding into the city on horseback in full regalia and naming him Father of His Country. True Caesar’s ego made him giddily accept such â€Å"honors† and the man truly believed he was deserving of those favors. So why then use this as a later excuse to later kill him? Cassius points out that they hoped to convince Caesar that he was a mere mortal and when that failed (the Emperor actually believd himself otherwise!), the conspiracy took

Explain links between economic development and destruction of forests Essay

Explain links between economic development and destruction of forests in the Third World. Explain how development can be designed to protect forests. Describe - Essay Example The research on the ecological situation of the world clearly shows that the largest and most significant causes of pollution are the industrial and commercial activities of humans. These activities are taking place at an accelerating rate in countries which are seeking to develop themselves into economic powers such as India and China. Whenever fossil fuels are used to drive automobiles, run industries or provide energy to offices and homes, a significant amount of harmful gasses are created which are released into the atmosphere. While a certain amount of atmospheric pollution can be controlled and nature has the magnificent ability to manage excess carbon dioxide (CO2), the present rate of creation of these compounds in developing countries is simply too much for nature to handle (Quammen, 1998). The deforestation of the world is certainly adding to the problem since different locations around the world in LDCs and MDCs are suffering from humans encroaching on forest regions. As India develops into the back office of the world, its Gir forest is being destroyed to make room for mango farms, peanut groves and lime quarries for the cement that is to be used in multistory offices in Mumbai and Bangalore. The UN reports that the rate of deforestation has only increased in the world since 15.4 million hectares per annum are being taken away from our forests. In South America alone, every year 6.2 million hectares of forest land is destroyed to make room for the population (Quammen, 1998). The situation has come to a point where 95% of the forest land of Brazil is gone and 92% of the forests of the Philippines are gone. Costa Rica was a country known for its biodiversity but she has also lost more than 90% of her forests. If the situation continues as it has in the past, by the middle of the present century, there would be no forests left in these developing countries except in

National competitive advantage of technology

National competitive advantage of technology Is technology the basis of long-term national competitive advantage? Compare the differences in the innovation systems of leading economies, industries and firms? Kay (1993) describes â€Å"innovation† as a ‘distinctive capability that can help provide the foundation for competitive advantage. Technology has been shaping the world since the start of the human era. Even in the business world it has changed the way businesses works, it has changed the manner we perceive and even the way we manage business. There are three major forms of innovating; RD, imported technology and technological transfers.   So, to argue we will use porter and chandlers theories with comparing the three different tires of the Nation level, the Industry level and the Firm level to understand whether technology on itself or with factors leads to a National competitive advantage. And we will focus over the major five economies, which are USA, UK, Germany, Japan and China. Technological development and innovation is a quite vital for long-term national competitiveness and success. Porter (1998) defined the national competitive advantage as the capacity of nation to attract local and foreign firms to use a platform for conducting business and attaining economic success. Therefore, with better technology will bring in more options for business and will be more attractive. Porter stresses the importance of technological change as â€Å"The determinants of national innovative capacity†, 2002, by referring this as one of the principal drivers of competition, which is at the heart of economic growth and development. The major reasons which supports the argument of it being vital to competitive advantage is because of the way it leads to differentiation or lower costs from the competitors in product and service designs. Firms must broaden and extend the basis of their competitive advantage by innovation through technology development and update (Fitzge rald, 1994). Innovation through technological development can also lead to national comparative advantage. Even though technology is one of the primary determinants of national competitiveness, they are other factors. Moreover, distinguishing the â€Å"Invention† from â€Å"Innovation† is must and has been done by Schumpeter, in which the invention is just a scientific breakthrough and not necessarily a business one cause of the commercial viability, being unknown. However, the job of the research and development is more to bring in the commercial viability, which may turn out to be a competitive advantage. The phrase deemed â€Å"technological change† has altered the society and increased the national wealth through success of various governments, since the 19th century. One of the major contributors in the development of economies and technology are the large industrial enterprises, which earlier with their super-normal profits and evolving competition, embodied innovation in their processes and products. So the major factors that led to these technological enterprises were lower costs, better human resources inclusive of management, smooth flow of material and information with well-built distributing networks and a primary driver of technological advances, (Chandler, 1995) Metcalfe, (1995) defines National innovation systems as â€Å"set of distinct institutions which jointly and individually contribute to the development and diffusion of new technologies and which provides the framework within which governments form and implement policies to influence the innovation process. As such it is a system of interconnected institutions to create, store and transfer the knowledge, skills and arti facts which define new technologies.† As stated above, the major five economies have been analysed at the macro level amongst their National Innovation Systems. The resources for Japanese innovation are mostly through private firms, public research institutions and educational institutions; for the USA are mostly non-US firms and educational institutions (Buiges, 2009). While the UK, Germany and China share similar resources, which is mainly the government. So, to start we analyse the RD expenditure to the economic output of the countries. The USA has a stable expenditure share between 2.5 to 3% since 1996 (Dicken, 2003). While, Japan on the contrary has the highest share of expenditure for RD which has been more than 3% of the countrys output since 2007 and the percentage is increasing (Abe and Fitzgerald, 1995). U.K. and Germany have been steady with their RD expenditure ranging from 1.5 to 2% since 1996. The Chinese increased their input by 1% from 1996 to 2006. The second major consideration is the pool of scientists and engineers in which Japan overtakes the USA. Even though USA has a mighty infrastructure of education and research. One of the major origins of innovation in the USA is non-US firms, mostly related to Japan. Hence, Wright (1992) stated â€Å"following World War 2, USA was the worlds most productive economy by virtually any measure; however, this is no longer.† Students in Germany are not trained in school, while Chinese students are now trained occupationally in school to fill in the gap of the lacking of skilled and experienced work force in china mentioned by Buiges (2009). Hence we can see that to build innovation, the other investments like in financial, information, educational systems are required with government supporting policies and sometimes industry collectivity. The first industry we opt for in the pharmaceutical industry, as it has high relevance to innovation and RD, to contrast the national systems at an industry level. The â€Å"first mover† explained by (Chandler 1992), as a crucial role was done by Germany in the pharmaceutical industry for a stronger position. This national innovation system helps in explaining why German companies like Bayer and Salvesan are able to be at the upper hand. These companies R D investment started as early as in 1870s, which help them innovating aspirin and anti-syphilis drug. Sustaining the competitive advantage over first is not possible until it is cyclical (repetitive), after world war one, Germans lost to the Americans and the British. This happened after the US and UK were forced producing substitutes to those drugs from Germany, to which they lost supply, hence started focusing on developing the domestic industry (Owen 1999). The companies were like Burroughs welcome and May Baker in the UK and Eli Lilly in the US. Loosing out in the first mover, the dependencies of the UK had increased but to counter the affect and to create a national advantage, the National Health Service (NHS) was established in 1984. The NHS is referred as the â€Å"ultimate paymaster for the bulk of the industry sales.† (Owen 1999:371). Another exposure that the British gained for responding to the Germans was the presence of major multinationals which brought in mass capital from countries like US, Switzerland and France which acted as a stimulus rather than being a threat. Finally, government intervention as a supporter gave a platform to companies like SmithKline and Pfizer. As a result the British with its strong innovation index and its regulatory options attracted Research and development. To support this argument Nelson (1993:279), states, â€Å"Competitive success in pharmaceuticals depends on a domestic environment which encourages firms to invest in costly research and development programs.† The Ec onomist shows after the Nelson argument, expenditure on RD in the UK increased by a staggering 6% since 1995, (The Economist, March 2005). The major difference in NIS of US and the UK has been the government support, which was majorly lacking in the USA and enforced the pharmaceutical industry to heavily rely on the Market networks, to support stands Glaxo and La Roche as examples. Even the statistics show the dramatic rise of expenditure on marketing to 33% in comparison to the 19% investment on RD by Novartis. (The Economist, March 2005). Americas large domestic market has always been the excuse for super normal profits and then innovation and further by competitive advantage but there is a reason for the European counterparts to outsmart them even with lesser finances and resources was cause of the government support and culture. Even Owen supports the argument of having a domestic market is not the utmost reason for being more competitive. Due to lack of resources and government regulations about the usage of resources the Japanese were far behind in developing a NIS in the pharmaceutical industry and tend to follow the path of mergers and acquisitions to be competitive. A relevant instance was the takeover of La Roche over Chugai, a major innovator in Japans pharmaceutical industry. The second industry we opted for analysis is the semi-conductor industry. To start with USA the most competitive in this industry, where clusters have been the key to its NIS. Porter defines clusters, as a system of inter-related firms that are connected vertically and horizontally, with a value greater than its parts sum of its parts. The two major constituents of the American NIS are Route 128 and the â€Å"Silicon Valley†, which is the present core, (Dicken, 2004). The clusters have led to easier and much faster knowledge sharing which leads to an advantage. The use of clusters has also led to development of American FDI into Malaysia as another cluster for less expensive labour. The semi-conductor business being highly technical, educational system especially universities have been vital. The USA and Germany have provided with a better university network with close relationships between the firms and universities, facilitating with a stream of scientists and engineers with the skills to innovate, (Nelson 1993). The University of Stanford location around the Silicon Valley stands for a reason. This competitive NIS was firstly sheltered and supported by the government. A similar form of cluster evolved in Japan wit the five major semi-conductor producers, which are NEC, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Toshiba and Mitsubishi. The group was called MITI collaboration for research. The group was 40 % funded by the Japanese government leading the Japanese government to be a virtual part, (Dicken, 2004). As mentioned above the Americans protected the semi conductor industry, was because of Japans government support and restrictions on American semi-conductors with the supply of cheaper semi-conductors known as â€Å"Dump Chips† in the US. The Chinese followed the Japanese in making a hold in the international semi-conductor market, even though with their â€Å"open door policy†, they had generated FDI before like merging with Taiwanese company ACER Ltd. The major difference in innovation systems of the two late industrializing nations i.e. China and Japan and the rest three is that instead of being pioneers in the semi-conductor industry they choose innovation through â€Å"imitation.† In most cases the learned technology was diffused and made it into an easier adaptable version, following innovating the technology. The only price for them to pay was the license fee. Well, now the Asian countries have started to invest more in research and development for creating their own innovations. Japan is quite successful in implementing it and has been considered as the â€Å"powerhouse† in RD like the US. China is on the path and is using a techno hybrid technology, with FDI, technology transfer in it, they are evolving as a key player in the semi-conductor industry. (Fitzgerald Cirvagena, 2009) To conclude, Technology is important for a countrys national competitive advantage, but as this discussion has shown, technology is not the only factor that can stimulate a leading position in a particular industry and for the economy. As Dicken (2004) highlights â€Å"In an intensely competitive environment, the introduction of a continuous stream of new products is essential to a firms profitability and indeed survival†, which referred earlier a repetitive or cyclical innovation is must.   Furthermore, by analyzing the NIS of the todays five leading economies, we have seen that the role of the state, clusters, and corporate governance, education systems, culture, have been vital components. This discussion possibly asks us to consider which is the best NIS to gain a national competitive advantage. In reflection of the two industries that have been looked at, a blend of different factors can be identified and have been justified.   The challenging nature of the US pharmaceutical industry could be improved by following the UK NIS, which recently the Obama Administration in the USA had approved. The fact that the UK semiconductor industry is such a small player in this market could be due to a lack of RD investment, which its US counterparts achieved through clustering. It is clear that one single approach in NIS is not the key to a countrys national competitive advantage or industry. References Buiges, P Sekkat, K (2009). Industrial Policy in Europe, Japan and the USA. UK: Macmillan Publishers. p.180-220. Chandler, A, ‘Managerial Enterprise and Competitive Capabilities in Jones, G and Harvey, C. (1992) Organisational Capability and Competitive Advantage. London: Frank Cass. Chandler, A.D (1995). Strategy and structure: chapters in the history of the industrial enterprise. USA: MIT. p.1-20. Dicken, P. (2004) ‘Global Shift: Reshaping the Global Economic Map in the 21st Century London: Sage Dicken, P. (2003) Global Shift: Transforming the World Economy. E, Abe and R, Fitzgerald (1995) ‘Japanese Economic Success: timing, culture and organizational capability Fitzgerald, R Ciravgena, L. (2009) ‘Technological Innovation, MN 330 Lecture 10 Fitzgerald, R (1994). The Competitive Advantages of Far Eastern Business. Great Britain: Frank Cass Ltd. p. 1-16. Kay, J (1993). Innovation, technology and competitive strategy . USA: Economic and Social Research Council. 1-16. Metcalfe, S. (1995), â€Å"The Economic Foundations of Technology Policy: Equilibrium and Evolutionary Perspectives†, in P. Stoneman (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation and Technological Change, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford (UK)/Cambridge (US) Nelson, R.R (1993) ‘National Innovation Systems: A Comparative Context, Oxford: Oxford University Press Nelson, R.R.   Wright, G. (1992) ‘The rise and fall of American technological leadership: the post-war era in historical perspective, Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 30. Owen, G. 1999. From empire to Europe. London: Harper Collins Porter, M. (1998). The competitive advantage of nations: with a new introduction. USA: Harvard Business Review. p.73-90 Porter, M. (2002). The determinants of national innovative capacity. Research Policy. 31 (6), p.899-933. Finefacts Team (2005) ‘RD scorecard Global top 1,000 Companies: US firms dominate, 86% of total RD comes from just 6 countries out of 36, Oct 24, 2005 The Economist (2005) ‘Prescriptions for change, A Survey of Pharmaceuticals, June 18th, 2005

Argument in the Apology Essay -- Plato Socrates

The main argument in The Apology by famous ancient Greek philosopher Plato is whether, notorious speaker and philosopher Socrates is corrupting the youth by preaching ungodly theories and teaching them unlawful ideas that do harm to individuals and society. In his words Socrates quoted the prosecution’s accusation against him: â€Å"Socrates is guilty of corrupting the minds of the young, and of believing in supernatural things of his own invention instead of the gods recognized by the state.† 1 Further Socrates consistently introduces tediously compiled number of examples to provide valid and sound arguments to prove that he is innocent of the charges brought up against him to the court. The first approach that Socrates uses to prove his innocence’s is he uses a practical comparison between horses and all living and artifical things â€Å"Take the case of horses; do you believe that those who improve them make up the whole of the mankind and that there is only one person who has a bad effect on them? Or is the truth just the opposite that the ability to improve them belongs to one person or to very few persons, who are horse-trainers, whereas most people, if they have to do with horses and make use of them, do them harm.† 2 The premises in this quote are: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Horse trainers do improve horses. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Those who use the horses do not enhance them. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are more horse owners than the horse trainers. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Therefore, the improvements come from a small group of specia...