How a person should be Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How a person should be - Essay Example Another approach in the direction of understanding truth goes with the name of interpretive analysis of situations and the conclusions that individuals and groups draw from their experiences are indeed identified as truths. But, in the view of this group’s conceptual understanding, the nature of truth wholly and solely depends on one’s experiences alone. The final approach towards gaining understanding of reality is called postmodernism that simply states that nothing is in-definitively true and vice versa and therefore, the gathering of information is going to determine the truths and facts of the present time. There was a time in past, when scientists believed that world is flat like a table and if ships were to go far into the sea then, they may fall from the edge of the world. However, with the passage of time, the featured belief changed and so did the human behavior towards reality (Klein pp. 26). The knowledge always changes, modifies, and transforms the basic se t of beliefs from which the complete social value system is based and because of this reason, when beliefs go through the process of change, then, the societal behaviors mold in such a way so that they can represent the newly formed assumptions. The Plato developed a way that thrived on gathering people’s opinion about a particular matter and then, the group attempted to develop a consensus and that agreed upon statement was given the status of divinity. But, if people’s experiences are recommending against the general statement then, it means that the reality is outdated and needs modifications. Thusly, the major and the most important approaches towards reality are based on human interpretation of events. The scientific experimentation technique introduced by early Muslim scholars was based on the due principle of experimentation and it supported the notion of experimentation via that the statements about reality can be proven and disproven (Rorty pp. 1). The real ch ange in the community occurs on a cognitive level and then, a new thought is shared slowly and gradually with others (Gladwell pp. 2). Ultimately, it reaches the people who have the appropriate level of power and authority needed to bring the change. Therefore, a small change in a thought pattern leads to a major one. But, nobody cares to tell the name of a person who originally gave the seed of change and because of this reason, real thinkers of the community remain unknown and unsung in most number of the cases. In the modern scientific literature, the researcher is free to fabricate hypothetical statements about an issue but he or she has to prove it with the help of empirical experimentation in order to derive generally acceptable statements. Nevertheless, the above-mentioned approach can be taken as monistic evaluation of interpretive assumptions about reality. The trend of change in human belief system over the passage of time is supporting that nothing is true forever and tha t is an elementary assumption of postmodernism (Rorty pp. 2). The previous discussion highlighted the fact that not all of the approaches towards reality are hostile to each other but they are indeed complimentary. The monistic way of thinking helps humans in standardization of realism so that public can understand and comprehend the world around them in a shared manner. The interpretive analysis of the situations helps

The Elimination of the Electoral College Essay Example for Free

The Elimination of the Electoral College Essay With the recent election, a controversy has come up about the eliminating the Electoral College. The Electoral College is made up of a group of electors where they vote for the President and the Vice President based on the states popular vote for the candidate. There are 538 Electoral College votes and in order to win the election, a candidate must have a majority of 270 votes to become the President. When Americans cast their vote, they are actually casting votes for the electors who will then cast their votes for the candidate. So, what’s the issue? Well, the issue is that, â€Å"The current system has the problem that presidential campaigns concentrate on only ten of the fifty states, and at least four out of five Americans are left out of the process of deciding who their president should be,† according to John Koza. In this election alone, President Obama and Governor Romney have visited Ohio a total of seventy-one times because Ohio was a major battleground state. To add on, statistics show that President Obama and Governor Romney have spent about ninety- five percent of their time and money in only ten out of the fifty states. Why? Because those battleground states have citizens who are undecided as to which candidate they should vote for, whereas most of the citizens in other states are decided. Now, let’s say that there was no electoral college and the candidates won by popular vote, chances are that they will spend a lot of their time and money campaigning in heavily populated areas such as the New England states, the South, and the West Coast. This unit has mostly been about public opinion and political participation. It has also been about the election. We learned how people choose the president and we got a general idea about the Electoral College. The Electoral College plays a HUGE role in an election. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, the electors vote for a candidate based on the states popular vote. Take Virginia for example, if you were to look at the counties, you would see that a majority of them voted for Governor Romney. If you were to look at the heavily populated (urban) areas like Richmond or D.C., they voted for President Obama. So, what candidate did the electors place their vote for? President Obama. Just by looking at the map, one would think that Virginia voted republican. The Electoral College was an agreement between the election of a candidate by a vote in Congress and the election of a candidate by popular vote of citizens. I’m sure that back when the Electoral College was formed, no one questioned the fairness of it. The popular vote is basically being spilt from the Electoral College vote. In my opinion, the Electoral College should be eliminated because it should not be electors from each state deciding the â€Å"fate† of our country. It should be the citizens deciding the outcome of an election because after all, that is why we are allowed to vote. I feel that even though we are allowed to vote, our vote doesn’t really count because of the Electoral College. Voting is a great way for our votes to be heard and to exercise one of our many rights, but if the Electoral College is eliminated, then we might as well not vote. Works Cited Page Savage, George . George Savage: Time to eliminate the Electoral College.Madison.com Madison WI news sports entertainment. N.p., 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. Jeunesse, William La. Time to eliminate the Electoral College? | Fox News. Fox News Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos News Videos. N.p., 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. . Is it time to eliminate the Electoral College? | TheGazette. Eastern Iowa Breaking News and Headlines | thegazette.com Cedar Rapids, Iowa City. N.p., 6 Nov. 2012. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. .

Strengths and Weaknesses of Crime Statistics and Victimisation Surveys

Strengths and Weaknesses of Crime Statistics and Victimisation Surveys Rates of crime are recorded using two key sources; Police Recorded Crime (PRC) and Victimisation Surveys. Both will be explored and examined to see how they can, effectively assist policy makers in targeting areas for change. In addition the advantages and disadvantages of each method will be discussed along with their similarities and differences. To understand why it is important to record crime levels, three key notions must be clarified. Firstly, crime is legally defined as any act or omission outlawed by the criminal law and thus punishable (Odgers,1911). Secondly, the purpose of the judicial system is to enforce the law and protect victims of crime. Thirdly, criminal guilt relates to premeditated intention. Universal law is non-existent; therefore each country or locality has its own legal system. The shared aim is to hold person/s accountable for their behaviour. Substructures of the judiciary may focus on specific areas of interest. These may include the courts, and penal system and constabulary. The role of the courts and penal system is specific. It is in place to serve and protect the innocent, to pass judgement on the guilt or innocence of persons presented and to serve a proportionate punishment in response to the criminal act committed. Any form of justice served must remember the civil liberties of all concerned, including the offender. Crime prevention and law enforcement are a separate division provided by the constabulary. The term criminal guilt stems from two fundamental Latin principles. These are actus reus which translates as bad act and mens rea guilty mind. The accused must be found to have committed actus reus with the willing intention to perpetrate the act and/or to have assessed the risk i.e. accident or fear may be experienced as a direct result of the action (Dubber, Markus D. (2002). Few exceptions to being found guilty of one of these alone exist, these concern whether a person can be fully answerable for their actions. Examples of mens rea without actus reus can relate to crimes, where although the action is deemed illegal, the act may not have the deliberate intention to harm another. Examples of this could involve driving at excessive speed, an act of accidental manslaughter or self-defence. (law.jrank.org) Two comparable sources are used to measure crime rates within the UK. Police recorded crime measures the volume of notifiable offences committed over a fixed period, within the jurisdiction that the constabulary serves. Crime-related statistics are obtained at request of the British Home Office, where they are collated, analysed, and published throughout the year. The figures provide the government and the public with a summarised account of the information obtained. They aim to reveal and compare crime rates within specific localities. They are also used to demonstrate the effectiveness of policing. This information can be used to suggest areas for improvement and assist in the constant struggle to prevent crime occurring. The second method that is utilised, verifies the extent to which crime is perpetrated and is a valuable tool when combatting crime. Victimisation surveys; primarily recognised as the British Crime Survey (BCS) is a form of crime-related statistical research that was established in 1982. It was introduced in response for an alternative complementary system to exist alongside using police records alone. It aimed to gather intelligence on the public attitudes towards crime and their opinions relating to the judicial system. Although operationally independent from any government body, the BCS is still conducted for the British Home Office (First BCS report, Hough and Mayhew, 1983). The survey confidentially canvasses in the region of forty to fifty thousand individuals (Office for National Statistics, 2005) to uncover various information relating to crime-related experiences, including anti-social behaviour and police interaction and response to criminal activity. The people questioned span various demographics and aim to be representative of society. They are interviewed anonymously via door to door visits or telecommunications. Police recorded crime statistics are easy to conduct and provide a good measure of criminal cases both regionally and nationally. Because the statistics are compiled from police reports readily available, the only additional cost incurred involves the information being sent, analysed and evaluated. Over time re-occurring inclines and declines in illegal behaviour can be identified and used when analysing patterns of crime, in particular to risk assess, highlight and tackle crime hotspots. Crime statistics can also indicate the workload and performance level of police forces throughout the country.  [1]   An indication of a reduction in crime related incidents could boost public morale. If necessary the findings could influence change surrounding governing policy. For example, the allocation or re-allocation of specific resources within a police department could lead to a more efficient service. Identifying the need to place patrol officers where the greatest street crime occurs would be one way to maximise effectiveness of the police service. Unless a crime has been reported to the police and they have classified it as criminal it will not be included. This means that all minor misdemeanours that would be trialled as summary offences in court such as, crimes relating to anti social behaviour, assault, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass, along with most either-way offences for example theft and drug offences are excluded from being recorded  [2]  . This highlights one of the main failings of this form of data collection as it leads to discrepancies when analysing the results, especially when comparing between PRC and victimisation surveys. Data collection and recording of PRC statistics are affected by the regulations implemented by the current governing body  [3]  . The results uncovered may point to a rise in criminal acts being committed. This could have a negative impact on society. As a result the published findings could become biased and used as propaganda to mislead people into believing that crime rates are more favourable than factual. In some situations the volume of crime could be falsely recorded to meet performance and administrative targets (Chambliss, 2001). This is in direct contradiction of providing a good service to the public. British crime surveys are independent from government reports and not affected by changes in how crime is reported and documented. They play an important role in serving the public interest and governing change and policy. They provide a better indication relating to long-term trends of crime within society  [4]  , in particular highlighting crimes which affect different sociological groups. For example, crimes against women and those which affect minority groups such as the vulnerable, mentally ill, the disadvantaged and ethnic minorities. The BCS provides statistics which demonstrate the extent to which crime occurs. It accounts for minor offences, antisocial behaviour and victimless crime such as fraud. It also includes household and personal crime which may not be otherwise reported or deemed a criminal act  [5]  . The BCS is constantly changing to adapt to new concerns affecting society  [6]  . Recent expansion has seen the inclusion of acts committed against minors such as gadget theft which has seen a vast increase as technology advances; however this is only in the testing stage and is yet to be fully implemented. It has also seen the inclusion of crimes relating to identity theft  [7]  . The confidential method of surveying is flexible and can reach a wide proportion of people. Interviews conducted may take place at home, by visiting door to door or over the telephone. This can motivate people to openly speak their mind about their experiences and concerns. It may also lead to the discussion of topics of a sensitive nature for example, being the victim of racially incited or homophobic hate crimes, which they may not have wanted to report. This may be due to shame, embarrassment, a fear of repercussions or not being believed or taken seriously by the police service  [8]  . Over all the BCS appears to paint a broader picture of how a variety of crime-related issues really affect a range of varied people. Perhaps this is because they take the initiative and seek to learn more. Shortcomings surrounding this form of canvassing is that it is very costly to conduct, not only in man power but also time and resources. The effectiveness is questionable as the results gathered rely on a persons honesty and personal insight in to how they have been affected which may provide exaggerated responses or false information. The BCS also excludes the recording of commercial crimes and heinous crime such as murder. However, the Commercial Victimisation Survey and the Offending Crime and Justice Survey are both in place to ensure that crimes outside the boundaries of the BCS are still accounted for  [9]  . In summary, I have explored both methods used to research crime statistics and outlined the strengths and weaknesses of each. For example, The BCS relies on the respondents personal view of the effect of crime. PRC assumes that crime is always reported. Both methods are dependent on the classification of crime. Victimisation surveys fail to provide an accurate depiction of society. This is because surveys of this form assume that people interviewed can and will provide a reliable version of events. An effective source of information can not solely rely on the integrity and factual representation of those it surveys. Individual perception can vary hugely, and factors such as differences between living in a rural versus urban location and coming from differing socio-economic backgrounds can lead to ambiguous results. For example, certain groups of people may be targeted more or less than indicated. If these variables are not taken in to account then the measure of crime rates could be distorted and the overall findings in relation to the sample population unfounded. Overall it can be seen that both the BCS and PRC are adequate methods for collecting information. When trying to measure crime the most effective method is to examine BCS and PRC together as the results combined provide a more com prehensive picture of how crime really affects society.

Japan :: essays research papers

Japan, a country made up of islands, has a very extensive history that goes along with it. Recorded Japanese history beings about A.D. 400. It is believed that Japan was created by the sun goddess, from whom the emperors descended. The first emperor was Jimmo, who supposedly ascended the throne in 660 B.C. There're two main reasons for this report. To give people an overview of Japanese History, and what happened to make it what it has become. Also, to give a better understanding on what happened, and facts that led up to certain Japanese events.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In approximately A.D. 400, the Yamato clan, eventually based in Kyoto, managed to exact a control of the other family groups of central and western Japan. Korean contact introduced Buddhism to Japan. Through the 700's, China greatly influenced Japan, and there was an imperial court set up much similar to that of China. The authority of the Imperial court in the ensuing centuries was undermined, and various family clans vied for control. During this time, warrior clans were rising as a distinct clan known as samurai. In 1192, the Minamoto clan set up a military government under Yoritomo, their leader. Yoritomo was designated shogun (a military dictator). For the next 700 years, shoguns from different clans ruled in Japan, and the imperial court existed in relative obscurity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In about 1542, Japan had its first encounter with the Western World. An off course Portuguese ship arrived in Japanese waters. Soon after, Spanish, Dutch, and English traders followed. From Christianity, and the Portuguese support of a Japanese revolt, the shoguns of the Tokugawa period (1603-1867), cut off all trade with the foreign countries, only allowing the Dutch trading post at Nagasaki. The western countries tried to renew the trading, but failed up until 1853. In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry, from America, sailed a fleet of American ships into Tokyo Bay. Trade was forced upon Japan, under terms not favorable to the Japanese. Struggles caused by these actions brought the shogun rule to an end. Emperor Meiji came to the throne in 1868   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1889, an Imperial army was formed, and also a parliamentary government. The Japanese began to make steps to extend their empire. In 1894-95, there was a brief war between Japan and China. Japan gained Taiwan (Formosa), the Pescadores Islands, and part of southern Manchuria. China also recognized the independence of Korea, which Japan annexed in 1910.

Economic inequality Essay

Application and evaluation question  Candidates are required to demonstrate understanding of SOL by applying the data given to assess the change in level of SOL in Singapore. They are also required to identify limitations of data given in assessing non-material aspect of SOL and suggest possible indicators to provide a more comprehensive measurement of SOL in Singapore. Schematic Plan (to be done in 2-3 minutes) Thinking Process Introduction (GIST) Define SOL, provide an overview of the essay Provide the thesis – Show how the data given support a rising SOL Analyse how economic growth can translate to rising SOL Analyse how a low inflation rate is necessary for increasing SOL Analyse how the creation of more jobs can lead to a rising SOL Provide the anti-thesis – why the non-material SOL should be examined and analyse how stress level can affect non-material SOL Analyse how income disparity can affect the SOL of Singaporean despite evidence of economic growth Analyse how negative externalities can affect the non-material SOL Reiterate your stand and conclude General Statement (Key idea) Interpretation (Definitions, clarify concepts / question) Scope (Set up directions for the answer) sTand (State the stand) Standard of living (SOL) is a measure of the welfare of a populace. It is comprised of material aspects such as quantity of goods and services consumed and non-material aspects such as amount of leisure time and access to necessities of life. To determine whether the standard of living in Singapore has been rising over the years, it is necessary to examine changes in both the material and non-material aspects. While the information given in the preamble seems to suggest an improvement in the material aspect, there is a lack of information to prove that there is a corresponding improvement in the non-material aspect. Nonetheless, given the positive data in the preamble and taking into account the government’s constant effort to improve the non-material aspect, such as pollution level, we can reasonably conclude that the standard of living in Singapore has been increasing to a large extent. Body (PEEL) PEEL – 1 State the Point (P) As mentioned in the preamble, the Singapore economy grew by 9.2% in the third quarter, this is likely to lead to an improvement in the material well being of Singaporean in general. Explain the point with clear causal links (E) Elaborate the point with examples (E) The 9.2% economic growth in the third quarter of 1993 means that real Gross Domestic Product in third quarter of 1993 increased by 9.2% over the previous year. Since GDP is the total value of the final output produced within a country, this would meant that national output and hence national income increased by 9.2%. This increase means people are enjoying more income which allows them to purchase more goods and services to satisfy their wants. For example, now more people can afford to buy luxury goods such as cars. Link back to Question (L) This increases their welfare and hence the SOL increases. PEEL – 2 State the Point (P) As mentioned in the preamble, the inflation is low at the rate of 2.4% per annum, this is likely to translate to an increase in material standard of living. Explain the point with clear causal links (E) Elaborate the point with examples (E) As discussed above, the economy grew at 9.2% and that would translate to higher income for the average consumer. A low inflation rate of 2.4% ensures that the increase in the income of the average consumer is higher than the increase in the prices of the goods and services he consumes. As such, for the average consumer, his real purchasing power increases and he is able to consume more goods and services as compared to before. Link back to Question (L) This means that his welfare and SOL is improved. PEEL – 3 State the Point (P) As mentioned in the preamble, 19000 jobs were created, this is likely to lead to an improvement in SOL for Singaporeans. Explain the point with clear causal links (E) Elaborate the point with examples (E) With the creation of these 19000 job opportunities, many previously unemployed workers would be able to find jobs and start to earn an income. These people who were previously unemployed would now be able to afford more goods and services, such as more meals or entertainment in clubs, with the income they now earn and hence enjoy a higher material standard of living. At the same time, as unemployment rate goes down, the labour market becomes increasingly saturated and companies may be willing to pay a higher wage to attract workers. With a higher wage, workers are now able to consume more goods and services than before. Link back to Question (L) As such, the welfare and SOL of the average Singaporean is likely to improve. PEEL – 4 State the Point (P) However, it is insufficient to only look at the material aspect to determine if the SOL in Singapore has been rising over the years. It is also necessary to examine changes in the non-material SOL for a comprehensive analysis of the level of SOL in Singapore. One possible indicator would be the stress level of the average Singapore worker. Explain the point with clear causal links (E) Elaborate the point with examples (E) The high economic growth of 9.2% reported in the preamble could have come about as a result of longer working hours. For instance, there is an increasing number of 24 hour coffeeshop in Singapore and existing employees are paid to work longer hours. As workers work longer hours to produce more goods and services, they experience a higher level of stress. At the same time, majority of the 19000 jobs created might be in the sales and retail sector where the stress to perform is extremely high. As such, the stress level of Singaporean may have gone up. Link back to Question (L) / Evaluation If the stress level of the average Singaporean worker has increased over the years, then the non-material SOL, and hence the overall SOL, of the average Singaporean may have worsened. However, to address that, the government has been encouraging companies to have a healthy work-life balance to promote families togetherness. Work days for most companies have been limited to 5 days week. As such, it is likely that the increase in stress level is limited and the average Singaporean still enjoy a rising overall SOL. PEEL – 5 State the Point (P) Another possible way to examine whether the average Singaporean’s SOL has risen is to examine whether the gains from the economic growth is distributed equitably. Explain the point with clear causal links (E) Elaborate the point with examples (E) If the income disparity has widened, it would mean most people gained less  benefits from the economic growth while the rich gained the most. This would mean the income of the majority has changed little and hence their welfare increase is limited or negligible. Hence on the whole, the SOL may be unchanged or has even decreased in an extreme case. Link back to Question (L) / Evaluation On further analysis, this may be an unlikely scenario for Singapore. The government has had attempt to close the income gap through financial benefits such as GST credits and fundings for Comcare, the Edusave merit bursary and the likes to ensure the poor’ s finances are enhanced. In fact, recently the income disparity in Singapore has eased according to the Gini coefficient which assigns a value of 1 to the most unequal income distribution and 0 to the most equal. Singapore currently hovers around 0.430. As such, it is likely that most Singaporean would be able to enjoy the fruits of the economic growth and experience an increase in SOL. PEEL – 6 State the Point (P) Finally, it is also important to examine the impact of negative externalities in assessing the change in the non-material SOL of Singaporeans over this period. Explain the point with clear causal links (E) Elaborate the point with examples (E) It is possible that more pollution and traffic congestion may have arrived due to the increase in national production (hence output). These increase in negative externalities worsens the living environment and exacts a cost (in the form of healthcare cost) for example on the people. Hence the net benefits from the economic growth may be eroded. Link back to Question (L) / Evaluation However, the government of Singapore has had a track record of developing a clean and conducive living environment for all. It has strict laws on pollution and efficient policies on tracking traffic congestion like ERP and promoting public transport. Hence a rise in social costs is unlikely to be significant compared to countries such as China and Thailand. As such, the impact of negative externalities is likely to be limited and the overall SOL of Singaporean is likely to have increased. Conclusion Summarise and Reiterate (SR) All in all, it can be safely concluded that there is a rise in living standards in Singapore to a large extent in spite of a lack of data on the non-material aspect of SOL. This is because of the track record of the government which has worked to increase the SOL of Singapore since 1965 effectively and dramatically. However, it is still best to include other indicators such as the PSI (to see the level of pollution), the Gini coefficient and MEW. These will help to give a better estimate of the change in the SOL. Ultimately, SOL is too broad a concept to be measured by any single indicator.

causes of world war 1 essays

causes of world war 1 essays Although the coming of the First World War has aroused much interest and controversy, the question of immediate causes can be answered with considerable certainty. Darwinism, a theory developed into practice in politics in the form of aggressive colonial conquests has greatly worsened international relations in the early twentieth century. A frantic rush to plant the flag over as many people and as much territory as possible, had serious consequences. Imperialism resulted new tensions among competing European states, and lead to the triumph of nationalism. Nationalism was a crucial and underlying precondition of the Great War. It was in the form Serbian aspirations and the pan-German versus pan-Slavic racism of some fanatics. Nationalism also drove a spiraling arms race. Such great powers as Great Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary nearly tripled their expenditures on armaments in the period between 1870 and 1914. This led to distrust and hostility between the two most powerful nations: Germany and Great Britain. The leading nations of Europe were soon divided into two aggressive blocks to maintain the balance. On June 28, 1914 Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were assassinated by Bosnian revolutionaries during a state visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. As Austrian-Hungarian government soon found out, that the revolutionary group, dedicated to uniting all Serbians in a single state, was secretly supported by members of the Serbian government. Although the leaders of Austria-Hungary could not know all the details of Serbias involvement in the assassination plot, they concluded after some hesitation that Serbia had to be severely punished once and for all. In each country people believed that their country had been wronged, and they rallied to defend it. Patriotic nationalism brought unity in the short run. After nearly a month, on July 23 Austria-Hungary presente...