The office of The Presidency Essay Example for Free

The office of The Presidency Essay Arguing for a strong, central figure of authority in the American President, Alexander Hamilton made his feelings quite explicit in Federalist No. 70 that duplicity in regards to the Presidency is an undesirable position. For Hamilton, history was replete with examples of shared responsibility or rule-by-partnership which provoked tragic results. The lesson of history, according to Hamilton, was to avoid creating any discrepancy in Presidential authority while simultaneously preventing the President in an American Constitutional democracy from becoming an autocrat. Although Hamilton leaves little room for second-guessing on the topic of a duplicitous leader, his reasoning admits that his ideas are based on an understanding of human nature: Wherever two or more persons are engaged in any common enterprise or pursuit, there is always danger of difference of opinion [ ] Whenever these happen, they lessen the respectability, weaken the authority, and distract the plans and operation of those whom they divide (Hamilton). This assertion, of course, begs the question as to whether or not leaders, even in a Constitutional democracy must be expected to rise, at least to some degree, above the mean average of human impulse. A counter-argument of sorts is presented in Madisons Federalist No. 51, which should be examined in tandem with Hamiltons assertions. Hamiltons ideas about human nature may be evident in the extant history of the United States. Presidential authority within the constitutional democracy of the United States has posed a continuous and evolving potential threat to the integrity of a government formed by the people for the people. Whether by the machinations and ambitions of the personally ambitious and influential, or by an endemic tendency for all social systems to unify and in doing so, centralize authority, a pattern of political and judicial evolution toward Presidential supremacy is evident in the political history of America. The mounting supremacy of Presidential authority in the United States presents a profound and complex challenge for the present generation and the determination of exactly where and how the Presidents authority can be checked will prove to be of great consequence for the future of not only domestic, but international, affairs. Hamiltons suggestion that a robust and energetic leader is a desirable consequence in a democracy: Energy in the Executive is a leading character in the definition of good government. It is essential to the protection of the community against foreign attacks; it is not less essential to the steady administration of the laws (Hamilton), the potential for the dangerous expansion (and possible supremacy) of Presidential authority exists within the original Constitution. The executive authority given the President led many of the original framers to express reticence regarding the development of a new monarch. Some modern political scientists believe that this is exactly what is taking place now and has been taking place over the course of US political history: we have changed our constitutional democracy into a political democracy[ ] substituted an unwritten for a written constitution and a government of laws for a government of men. This means that the principles of the American Revolution, as the foundation of our constitutional system, have been destroyed and that we have returned to the principles of the British system. (Patterson, 1947, p. ) Such a dire pronouncement may seem like hyperbole, however, several key points contribute to this rather scathing indictment. First, there is the issue of national unity, a fact which modern communications, transportations, educational and economic systems have made unavoidable. Since 1789 the movement toward national unity has developed far more rapidly. In this respect, we have only followed the law of the life of nations, beginning in isolation, passing through confederation, and ending in unity. (Patterson, 1947, p. 6) Unity heralds a sole leader, rather than a confedaration of leaders. Secondly, the two-party political system has allowed for the centralization of political power within the congress. The powers necessary for presidential supremacy had first to be centralized in the Congress before the control of the Congress by the President would give him national supremacy. The President has facilitated this movement by urging the Congress to seize power to enact his policies into law and by making appointments to the Supreme Court. (Patterson, 1947, p. 7) The movement toward unity entails the expansion of the federal bureaucracy, which in turn, enhances Presidential authority. The tremendous growth in the functions of the national government have necessarily multiplied executive agents by the hundreds of thousands. The President cannot perform this multiplicity of services without authority and without an army of subordinates. (Patterson, 1947, p. 77) These factors, plus the politicization of the ensuing civil and legislative offices, greatly enhance the scope of Presidential authority. The fact that the President has become our political executive is not exclusively a result of the development of political parties though without a party system, or a party in the totalitarian sense, there could be no political executive. (Patterson, 1947, p. 84) Perhaps one of the most critical and complex issues which faced the framers of the United States constitution was that of how to limit the government and associated governmental beuracacy while ensuring that the Federal government retained enough power and authority to interpret and enforce the constitution itself. As Madison remarks in the opening lines of his now-famous Federalist #51, there can be no more urgent an issue, nor one which so directly confronts both the self-interested nature of the individual, but the self-interested nature of government itself: to what expedient, then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? (Madison, 1788). The partition of power is a key phrase and contains within it the seeds of Madison answer to his own opening, rhetorical question. Madison offers a direct and seemingly mandatory vision of how the partition of power should be best accomplished: The only answer that[ ] by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places (Madison, 1788). This conclusion is commonly referred to as the system of checks and balances upon which the democracy of the United States is founded. Madisons observations in Federalist #51 are frank and founded upon concerns that the basic self-interests of human-beings, coupled with the leviathan power of the State pose the continual potential for dictatorship and the subversion of the constitution itself. In this light, there is an almost exclamatory tone to Madisons writing and there is, without a doubt, a tone of warning in the following, famous passage: But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others[ Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. (Madison, 1788) In Colonial times, no mistake would have been about just what kind of encroachments of others Madison meant to illustrate: the potential of personal ambition to trump the idealism of a democratic government founded upon principles of liberty and equality. Similarly, the idea of connecting the interests of the individual with constitutional principles is an exceedingly complex idea, but one which would have been explicit, in consequence, to the Colonial framers of the constitution. Madison means no less than: all citizens of a democracy must put the principles of that democracy, its traditions, its institutions, laws, and integrity above their personal ambitions and self-interests. The subtext of this, of course, is that all mens self-interests are ultimately best-served by a government which enables them to live free and which enables them to pursue their self-interests to a point of true liberty; however, the maintenence of the constitution and the democratic state, which are, in actuality, protections against the propensity of governments to turn oppressive and hostile, must be regarded as more essential, more important than the mere personal self-interests of those who serve in government. Against this summation, Hamiltons assertion that responsibility has two aspects becomes hat much more provocative: Responsibility is of two kinds to censure and to punishment. The first is the more important of the two, especially in an elective office. Man, in public trust, will much oftener act in such a manner as to render him unworthy of being any longer trusted, than in such a manner as to make him obnoxious to legal punishment (Hamilton). What Hamilton is saying is that the concentration of power and responsibility in the figure of the President leads to a greater amount of accountability in government. By contrast, Madison viewed the American people, as a whole, as being the firewall of the democratic traditions the President was theoretically bound to serve. However, the idea that individuals in high positions of power must function both as facilitators of the democracy but also as a check against the possible tyranny of the majority is also an idea which Madison sets forth in this paper which is quite a radical idea: Different interests necessarily exist in different classes of citizens. If a majority be united by a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure (Madison, 1788). In conclusion, Hamiltons Federalist #70 is one of the most important political documents associated with the framing of the US constitution and forms a remarkable counterpoint to Madisons thought. Both writings represent an attempt by the framers to pinpoint the points of danger and structural weakness in both the democratic form of government and the innate nature of the citizens who comprise that democracy.

Impact of Poverty on Economic and Social Issues

Impact of Poverty on Economic and Social Issues Inequality is a matter for concern for every society. Using this statement discuss the uneven spatial access of resources to alleviate poverty Introduction Inequality is a topic that has been increasingly dismissed by many in power for a substantial period of time. Jones (2012) talks of how it has been thought of as an ‘airy- fairy irrelevance’: all that matters is that the living standards of all were improving; this has not been the case though, especially in Britain. This essay will focus on Britain arguing that unless inequality is urgently addressed, it will lead to a large range of economic and social issues. From this the uneven spatial access of resources shall be looked at with a specific focus on opportunity and trust, two issues which are in vital need of attention if poverty is to be alleviated. Politicians need to take a central role in attempting to eradicate inequality; Jackson and Segal (2004) argue that many people, including some on the Left express doubts about whether economic inequality matters to public policy. Wilkinson and Pickett (2009) in their book, The Spirit Level: Why Equal Societies Almost Alw ays Do Better, highlight that less equal societies tend to do worse when it comes to health, education and general well-being. This has been echoed by many others (Brandolini, 2007; Jackson and Segal, 2004; Jones, 2012; Smeeding, 2004, 2005, 2006) yet the government has done very little resulting in inequality in Britain being the fourth highest in the developing world (Wilkinson and Pickett, 2009). Opponents of inequality will argue that if most of us are better off than we used to be, does it matter if some are much, much better off than most? This is a question that shall be addressed as it is central to promoting the argument that inequality is a matter of concern for us all. Defining Poverty Before continuing it is important to define what poverty is. The Oxford Handbook of Economic Inequality (2009) definition is: ‘Living in poverty shall be taken to mean persons, families and groups of persons whose resources (material, cultural and social) are so limited as to exclude them from the minimum acceptable way of life in the Member State in which they live.’ The second definition is from Townsend (1997): ‘The definition of poverty most commonly applied in economically advanced societies is the exclusion from the life of the society due to lack of resources’ Two definitions from different time periods have been used as it is important to get a perspective from different years to see if the definition has changed. As you can see both definition are similar with the exception that the Oxford Handbook (2009) definition is far broader that Townsends’ (1997) definition which focuses on economically developed countries. These two definitions shall be used as the platform when discussing poverty further into this essay and so as such inclusion and exclusion as a form of poverty are the main focus of this essay. Why we should Care about Inequality Since the Coalition came into power in 2010, they have promoted their key phrase of ‘We’re all in it together.’ Jones (2012) sees this as a ludicrous statement because while the average Briton faces the most protracted squeeze in living standards since the 1920s, the Sunday Times Rich List reveals an ever-booming elite. In the developed world there is an obsession with gazing upon those richer than us, peering into their ludicrously privileged lives to see how they function. This can be seen with the rising popularity of shows such as Channel 4’s Made in Chelsea, the show capturing the lives of London’s elite living in Chelsea. Wollaston (2013) describes the show and its main characters very well: ‘these are ghastly, ghastly people – vacuous, petty, dull, and offensive. But there is kind of open-mouthed fascination in watching Made in Chelsea. Its about incredulity more than anything else, tinged with just a hint of jealousy and lechery. Well, they are rather splendid to look at.’ Made in Chelsea is a fitting example to use when looking at how people think about inequality. The vast majority of viewers for the show will look enviously at the characters but would take little if any time at all to consider how and why they are so wealthy considering they seem to do so little. They just want to live their lavish lifestyles; Krugman (2007) notes how this pattern of the wealthy spending more leads to others attempting to do the same. This has led to household debt and inequality rising in both the USA and UK, especially in the run up to the financial crisis in 2008. Krugman (2007) highlights that there is a link between inequality and the financial crises that occurred in 1929 and 2008- both coincided with historic levels of inequality. It should not take financial meltdown to get people talking and thinking about inequality. Shows like Made in Chelsea act as tools to make the general population forget about ineq uality when in fact they should be highlighting it; when this begins to happen inequality will be taken far more seriously by both those in power and the general population. In the introduction the question was posed that if most of us are better off than we used to be, does it matter if some are much, much better off than most? Mandelson (1998) said that the New Labour government was, â€Å"Intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich.† With politicians having so much power it is imperative that inequality is a matter of concern for them as they can attempt to implement changes needed. This has not and still is not the case though, Jackson and Segal (2004) argue that governments could fix inequality but chose not to and put the recent growth in inequality down to policy decisions taken by the government in the 1980’s and 90’s. During this period Labour ideology and policy was revised, inequality became a taboo subject, something that members of the Labour party seemed to be almost embarrassed about as they potentially thought it may revert back to Old Labour ideals. Jackson and Segal (2004) talk of how the anti-egalitarian thr ust of Thatcherism and the enthusiasm of members to secure the support of affluent floating voters meant that the Labour leadership was transformed. Hattersley (1997) notes the party leadership believed the pursuit of greater equality was an objective that put an arbitrary cap on individuals’ aspirations. Equality does not cap individuals’ aspirations; it just gives everyone a fair platform on which to start. This point was outlined by Kinnock (1987) where he attacked the ‘savage unfairness of the Conservative policy,’ and talked of how if people had a platform on which to stand and build their business or reputation they would flourish. From this point we can move on to talk about opportunity, a resource that must be utilised to move forward as a country and alleviate poverty. The Uneven Access of Opportunity â€Å"For me, the goal of social democracy is to create the sort of society in which the daughter of a Hartlepool shop assistant has as much chance of becoming a High Court judge as the daughter of a Harley Street doctor.† Peter Mandelson, 1998. The statement above from Peter Mandelson is a point which the UK should strive to work towards. Jackson and Segal (2004) note that the richer you are the greater ability you have to do as you want without interference from others. Using the example from above, the daughter of a Harley Street doctor would most likely get a good education and progress onto university if she wanted. The daughter of a Hartlepool shop assistant could have the exact same wants but economically it may not be possible to do as she wants. Table showing correlation between father’s quartile and son’s quartile Source: Dearden, Machin and Reed, 1997, p62 The table above strengthens the argument that there is a connection between class origins and destinations and truly highlights how levels of opportunity are very low for a child born into the lowest level. Britain has to improve the figures shown above to stop the prospect of there being a generation of children born into poverty with no hope, few aspirations and no platform on which to start. Rawls (1999) notes that while a meritocratic might argue that an individual deserves to be able to eat in fine restaurants or own a new car as a result of her superior productive contribution, it is harder to claim that an individual deserves to be healthier or to be better educated simply as a result of his/her (or his/her parents’) talents. Being born into a poorer family should not impact your opportunities, but unfortunately this seems to be the case in many places. This essay has argued that equality in opportunity needs to be achieved in the attempt to alleviate poverty. Brooks (2008) has argued though that what people really need is neither material equality nor equality of opportunity but simply good access to economic opportunity. This point of view is one that many would see as a better solution, if everyone had better access to money then surely the playing field would be a more level one? Wilkinson and Pickett (2009) use the example of London, one of the most unequal cities on Earth, where the top 10% receive 273 times more than the bottom 10% (IFS, 2010). This essay would argue that although economic opportunity is an important factor, on its own it would solve nothing. Increasing economic opportunity would do very little in such an unequal place; improving equality of opportunity would allow people to truly strive towards their goals without being stopped due to lack of money ,being born in the wrong part of the country or being born i nto a lower class family. Wilkinson and Pickett (2009) highlight that in London there are those who feel excluded and can see what they are denied on an almost daily basis. This was the main reasons for the summer riots in 2011. Jackson and Segal (2004) note that beyond a certain point money does not improve the quality of life in a society but greater equality and opportunity does. Reducing this gap in Britain would facilitate a happier, healthier and more successful population. The most unequal countries, the US, the UK, Portugal and Singapore have much worse social problems than the most equal countries of Japan, Sweden and Norway (Wilkinson and Pickett, 2009). Effects of Low Levels of Trust Another significant factor in trying to alleviate poverty is increasing the levels of trust in Britain. Uslaner (2002) argues that to maintain trust between members of a community, ‘what matters is not how rich a country is, but how equitable the dispersion of income is.’ In unequal communities members trust one another less; Hsieh and Pugh (1993) highlight that these more unequal societies suffer from higher crime rates, health and education issues and, in particular higher homicide rates. Putnam (2000) argues that growing inequality has coincided with a decline in social cohesion and goes on to say how more detailed empirical studies have shown that tangible social fragmentation is indeed associated with rising inequality. Jackson and Segal (2004) note that in more unequal societies people trust each other less. Inequality undermines the sense of community- as a result of people’s lives being so different the feeling of common citizenship becomes more and more d ifficult. Lansley (2011) talks of how, ‘greater inequality increases status competition and provides fertile soil for the growth of mistrust and isolation.’ These factors aren’t a good platform for a country to grow from and attempt to create a society that tries to include people who want to work. Kawachi (1997) notes how economic efficiency can be enhanced if there is greater interpersonal trust among communities, this would mean a greater number of people being prepared to work with one another creating the potential for a variety of new products and services. Continuing on the subject of trust levels decreasing in Britain, residential segregation depending on social class has increased as people move away from less desirable areas partly as a consequence of spiralling inequality. Hutton (1996) describes residential segregation as, ‘the drawbridge community for the rich and the decaying housing estates locked in viscous circles of depopulation and poverty for the poor.’ With the rich increasingly excluding themselves from others it has serious consequences for attempts to guarantee adequate funding for public services which could then fall into decline leading to those at the bottom losing out. Jackson and Segal (2004) note that shared public services have an important role in social democratic thought: certain goods essential to the health and well-being of citizens are decommodified in order to equalise access of such goods relative to market distribution. These services should be in a space, in which all members of the comm unity are welcome equally, Hutton (1999) highlights that this mixing together of individuals from different backgrounds who would never usually meet is the end goal and helps to keep the services running. However, in a country where levels of inequality are high and trust is low, the wealthy can buy their way out of these services. If the rich are not included in the public system they are likely to be far less supportive of efforts to improve them, and very unhappy at the prospect of having to pay higher taxes needed to fund them. Titmuss (1968) argued that, ‘services for poor people have always tended to be poor quality services.’ If trust was higher the different social classes would mix and we would not have services labelled as rich or poor; services for those at the bottom are so poor it is incredibly difficult for them to get themselves out of poverty and engage with the economy. Britain has the lowest life expectancy out of the 23 most developed countries (Wilki nson and Pickett, 2009) despite spending vast sums of money on healthcare. This is because large amounts of money are going to the wealthy while those at the bottom struggle to survive on what little they are given. Following on from the previous section, we can look at how inequality and trust have led to services for the least well of declining. Schwabish, Smeeding and Osberg (2003) found that countries such as Britain with large levels of economic inequality had lower levels of spending on public programmes that provide goods or income and services to households. This occurs because the rich become more distant from the other classes leading to them finding it easy to opt out of public programmes and convert to private services. This may not seem like a problem at first, but because the rich exert a greater influence over decision and policy making than the other groups political support for these goods and services is eroded. People not only at the bottom, but also in the middle therefore have services that could be far better. Conclusion â€Å"If you are born poor in a more equal society like Finland, Norway or Denmark then you have a better chance of moving into a good job than if you are born in the United States. If you want the American dream – go to Finland.† Ed Miliband, speech to the Sutton Trust 21 May 2012 This essay has shown how two untraditional resources of opportunity and trust can have a huge impact on how we can deal with poverty in Britain. The current and future governments have a huge task ahead of them if they are to reduce poverty and to promote social mobility. Jackson and Segal (2004) highlight the need for policy changes and public attitude changes. For policy changes there is no set rule on how to tackle inequality and poverty, which we have seen throughout this essay are linked very closely. It is clear that policy- makers need to think creatively and broaden their ambitions to forge a strategy for Britain. For public attitude changes Jackson and Segal Jones (2012) note that, ‘a large majority agree with the proposition that the gap between the rich and the poor is too large.’ A large majority agree that the gap between rich and poor is too large, with over 80% agreeing with this statement from the early 1990’s onwards (Hills, 2001). Most will recog nise that the low paid make a huge contribution to society and the economy and thus deserve more than they are getting at present. Once policy and attitudes have changed, as it has been shown in this essay the economy will prosper, society will function more efficiently and this should reduce poverty levels in Britain. References Brooks, A (2008). Gross National Happiness. Why Happiness Matters for America – and How We Can get More of It. New York: Basic Books. Dearden, L, Machin, S and Reed, H, (1997) ‘Intergenerational Mobility in Britain’, Economic Journal, 107, pp47-66. Greenspan, A (2007), The Age of Turbulence, Penguin. Hattersley, R, (1997) ‘Why I’m No Longer Loyal to Labour’, The Guardian, 26 July; Brown, G, (1997) ‘Why Labour is Still Loyal to the Poor’, The Guardian, 2 August Hills, J. (2001) ‘Poverty and Social Security: What Rights? Whose Responsibilities?’ in Park, Curtice, Thompson, Jarvis and Bromley (eds), (2001) British Social Attitudes: The 18th Report – Public Policy, Social Ties, London, Sage, pp8-9; Hsieh, C and Pugh, M, (1993) ‘Poverty, Income Inequality, and Violent Crime: a Meta-analysis of Recent Aggregate Data Studies’, Criminal Justice Review, 18, pp182-202. Hutton, W, (1999) ‘Real Cost of the Property Boom’, The Observer, 15 August. Marshall, TH, (1950) Andersen, G, (1990) Citizenship and Social Class, Cambridge, CUP; Esping- The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, Cambridge, Polity, pp35-54. Jackson, B and Segal, P. (2004). Why Inequality Matters. Catalyst Working Paper. Jones, O. (2012). Why Inequality Matters. Centre of Labour and Social Studies Kawachi, I, Kennedy, B, Lochner, K and Prothrow-Stith, D, (1997) ‘Social capital, Income Inequality and Mortality’, American Journal of Public Health, 87, pp1493-4 Kinnock, N, (1987) The Biography, London, Little, Brown Co., p406. Krugman, P. 2003 The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century Krugman, P. 2007. The Conscience of a Liberal Lansley, S (2011) The Costs of Inequality Three Decades of the Super Rich and the Economy, Gibson Square. London Institute for Fiscal Studies (2010). Poverty and Inequality in the UK: 2010. Available at: http://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/4877.11 Mandelson, P. (1998) ‘New Labour: The Challenge of Becoming New Labour’, at http://www.petermandelson.com/newlabour.shtml. Mandelson, P.1998. Report for the Financial Times by David Wighton on 23 October 1998 Miliband,E. (2012) Speech to the Sutton Trust 21 May 2012 Putnam, R, (2000) Bowling Alone, New York, Simon Schuster, pp358-9 Rawls, J, (1999) [1971] A Theory of Justice, Oxford, OUP, pp63-4. See also Dworkin, R, (2000) Sovereign Virtue: The Theory and Practice of Equality, Cambridge MA, Harvard UP Salverda, W, Nolan, B and Smeeding, T. (2009) The Oxford Handbook of Economic Inequality. Oxford University Press Schwabish, J, Smeeding, T and Osberg, L, (2003) ‘Income Distribution and Social Expenditures: A Cross-National Perspective’, Luxembourg Income Series Working Paper No. 350, Syracuse University, p35. Townsend, P, 1979. Poverty in the United Kingdom. Harmondsworth: Penguin Titmuss, RM, (1968) Commitment to Welfare, London, Allen Unwin, p134. Uslaner, E M, (2002) The Moral Foundations of Trust, Cambridge, CUP, pp230- 42, p181. We are grateful to Patti Lenard for guiding us through the literature on trust and inequality. Wilkinson, R and Pickett, K (2009). The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better. London: Allen Lane. Wilkinson (2009), op.cit., p. 23 Wollaston, S. 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2013/apr/09/made-in-chelsea-tv-review

What To Do About The Pollution Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Envir

What To Do About The Pollution Have you ever stopped to think about what our personal motor vehicles are doing to our environment? Gasoline powered vehicles are one of the biggest causes of the depletion of our ozone. There are so many ways we can clean up our environment, but first we need to stop polluting it. If a major action were to be taken, efficient funds would need to be collected in order for any project to be successful. That is why I propose that in order to fund conservation of the natural environment, the federal government should increase gasoline tax by $1.00 per gallon. It only seems fair to raise the price of the major cause of the pollution problem. In order to reduce pollution, mass transportation in cities seems like it would be a good idea. Buses, subways, and light rail systems are all forms of mass transportation. However, even though this takes cars off the streets, it still puts pollution into the air. Another downside of mass transportation is that people might choose not to use it because of its Inconvenience. People these days are very busy, some plan their days down to every minute. They depend on their personal vehicles so they can run their days according to their own schedules. Another solution that is becoming more common, is the use of ethanol fuel. This is safer for our environment, but it is not 100% ethanol, thus it pollutes the air as well. The best way to clean up the environment that I can see is to switch to the use of electric vehicles. Currently electric vehicles are only available by lease. So, I suggest that the money the federal government gets from collecting more gasoline tax, should go toward the research of electric vehicles. As soon as they are perfected, and ready to ... ...nt, they also benefit the consumer. EV-Economic Benefits.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/Benefits/econ.html Hopefully by the government's action, enough money will be collected to continue the research and making of electric vehicles. A change from gasoline to electricity would immensely benefit our environment. When compared to other options, electric fuel seems to be the only way to reduce pollution without adding more problems as well. As soon as the market foe electric cars is improved, we will be able to start preserving our natural environment. Works Cited Electric Vehicles-FAQs.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/ep_faq.html EV-Economic Benefits.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/Benefits/econ.html EV-Environmental Benefits.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/Benefits/envir.html EV-Pioneer Profiles.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/cp_pioneer.html What To Do About The Pollution Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Envir What To Do About The Pollution Have you ever stopped to think about what our personal motor vehicles are doing to our environment? Gasoline powered vehicles are one of the biggest causes of the depletion of our ozone. There are so many ways we can clean up our environment, but first we need to stop polluting it. If a major action were to be taken, efficient funds would need to be collected in order for any project to be successful. That is why I propose that in order to fund conservation of the natural environment, the federal government should increase gasoline tax by $1.00 per gallon. It only seems fair to raise the price of the major cause of the pollution problem. In order to reduce pollution, mass transportation in cities seems like it would be a good idea. Buses, subways, and light rail systems are all forms of mass transportation. However, even though this takes cars off the streets, it still puts pollution into the air. Another downside of mass transportation is that people might choose not to use it because of its Inconvenience. People these days are very busy, some plan their days down to every minute. They depend on their personal vehicles so they can run their days according to their own schedules. Another solution that is becoming more common, is the use of ethanol fuel. This is safer for our environment, but it is not 100% ethanol, thus it pollutes the air as well. The best way to clean up the environment that I can see is to switch to the use of electric vehicles. Currently electric vehicles are only available by lease. So, I suggest that the money the federal government gets from collecting more gasoline tax, should go toward the research of electric vehicles. As soon as they are perfected, and ready to ... ...nt, they also benefit the consumer. EV-Economic Benefits.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/Benefits/econ.html Hopefully by the government's action, enough money will be collected to continue the research and making of electric vehicles. A change from gasoline to electricity would immensely benefit our environment. When compared to other options, electric fuel seems to be the only way to reduce pollution without adding more problems as well. As soon as the market foe electric cars is improved, we will be able to start preserving our natural environment. Works Cited Electric Vehicles-FAQs.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/ep_faq.html EV-Economic Benefits.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/Benefits/econ.html EV-Environmental Benefits.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/Benefits/envir.html EV-Pioneer Profiles.7Oct2001.http://www.sdge.com/EV/cp_pioneer.html

Hamlets Antic Disposition Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet's Antic Disposition      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In William Shakespeare's famous tragedy Hamlet, the main character of the story is one majestically elaborated, aside from being quite complex. There are infinite volumes written about this character because Shakespeare leaves no firm proof of many of his character traits. Yet on Hamlet's antic disposition, meaning his obviously absurd temperament or madness, Shakespeare leaves plenty of reason to believe that it is feigned, meaning that it is simply a ploy to help Hamlet carry out his plans for revenge. It is feigned, meaning that it is faked, merely put on as a faà §ade. This is denoted in various aspects of his antic disposition. Hamlet's antic disposition is self imposed, meaning that he himself decides to appear "mad", assuming the antic disposition willingly because he thinks it meet. It is methodical because there is a system to it. He is able to turn it on and off when he has reason for it; other characters in the play notice it and Hamlet himself states it. Finally, Hamlet's madness is also clever because it allows him to express himself and his thoughts clearly, and through comments full of wit that show his awareness of reality when he mocks other characters in their faces without their noticing. Therefore, Hamlet's antic disposition is not true madness; rather it is feigned because it is self imposed, methodical and clever.    Hamlet's antic disposition is self imposed, meaning that he chooses to impose this disposition upon himself. He willingly appears to be mad in order to obtain all he wants. This comes up in the situation after Hamlet has seen his father's ghost and is with Horatio and Marcellus. He, on this occasion warns them that he does "think meet to put an antic d... ... and off at his will, being it a means for an end. This again, shows that the madness is feigned because true madness lacks method. Finally, the cleverness of his madness shows it to be feigned because he expresses his true opinions through the madness, being able to even mock others willingly, a characteristic that clearly renders his madness fake. Shakespeare lets us know that his main character is mad through all these proofs he leaves behind. Yet there are many other aspects of Shakespeare's Hamlet to be analyzed and discussed, but that you will not find here for they are elsewhere, in endless volumes of infinitely large libraries.    Bibliography:    1. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Inc., 1958.    2. Wilson, John Dover. What Happens in Hamlet. Cambridge: University Press, 1935.

My Star- Lesbian Relationship :: Personal Narrative Relationships Papers

My Star I sat on the edge of her bed, with my head in my hands, crying. My heart was pounding and adrenaline rushed through my veins, making me feel sick to my stomach. I couldn't make myself calm down. I couldn't even take a breath. My hands trembled as I wiped the hair out of my eyes. I glanced through my tears at Star, huddled in the corner of her bright yellow room. She was curled up in a ball with her head on her knees, shaking. I stared, wondering what she was thinking, and what I should do. I wanted so badly to go comfort her as we both cried, but I felt as though I could never touch her again. I felt dirty, even evil. I began to question every belief I'd ever had, even who I was. I looked back down to the ground, and watched everything fade away as more tears formed in my eyes. I wanted to just disappear, to leave my body behind, and not have to deal with what was about to happen. My roommate Star and I had decided to go to Tampa to visit her family for the weekend. She stood over my bed one Friday morning, watching me sleep. I opened my eyes and smiled expecting her to crawl in like she did every morning after her first class, but instead she asked " You wanna come to Tampa with me?" She had a huge, fake smile on her face, as if she was saying please. I didn't hesitate. "Sure," I said as I made room for her next to me. How could I say no to Star, especially when she smiled at me like that? I didn't care where we were going, but I knew I didn't want to spend a weekend with out her. Star was the only child of two extremely religious parents, and attended Catholic school her whole life. She was very sheltered, and modest, whereas I am a very open-minded, liberal person, who is anything but modest. She was Hispanic, and had dark brown, short, curly hair, that she always hid with a bandana. Her eyes were almost black, and were so mysterious and deep that I could stare into them and get lost. She wore pointy, black glasses that I called her "sassy librarian glasses." She dressed how my friends would describe as "dykey.

Homosexuality and Film

Reaction Paper: â€Å"Philadelphia† I was really in love by the film. It was truly an Inspiration for me as a gay person. It reminded me that every person In this world, even if you're lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, black, white or aslant deserves to be respected and to be equally well-treated. This film was great because It shows or talks about delimitation and tolerance as well. For me, I personally define Philadelphia as a cinematic perfection.It Is a very Important film to watch not only for the List's but also for every person In this world for them to know that delimitation Is a big no and to realize that even though a person Is different he/she must respect It. God created the man equally and we must not Judge anyone of us for their differences and disabilities. Actually, I was really feeling bored watching at the beginning of the movie. I honestly don't get the meaning and the purpose of creating this film.Aside from this film was a bit older (because it was rele ase in the year 1993) it took me a bit long to understand what thieve trying to say because of their slang accents and their idiomatic expressions and sentences that I don't understand. I was also confused and curious if why the movie was entitled Philadelphia and then I found the answer later As I watched the film, I found it interesting. I found out that the protagonist was a homosexual and was infected by a terrible disease called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS.Andrew Becket was an excellent lawyer and was fired by the law firm because he had AIDS, but the law firm didn't actually say the real reason of why hey fired him and that they made it appear that Andrew had a questionable professional ability in light of the misplaced file or document and is incompetent. Then he find several attorneys to take his case including Joe Miller. But Joe Miller was hesitant to accept the case and initially declined it. It is because Joe was a homophobic and he knew that Andrew had AI DS. But eventually after Joey's doctor told the method of HIVE infection he accepted the case.As the case goes, Becket wanted to win his case not only for his own good but also for the sake of other people who have his terrible disease and who Is also gay or lesbian, because In their place which Is the Philadelphia the people who has this particular disease was being adulterated. Eventually Becket won the case. For me, this film has Important morals to all the people. We must treat each of us equally even that person has a disease or even If his sexual orientation Is different. Us also, here In the Philippines must apply this kind of moral.We must not discriminate people especially those people who are LIGHT. As far as I know here in he Philippines, Lists are dismissed from work or denied promotion because of their gender identity. There are still schools that kick out gay students if they come out. Gays are also discriminated in insurance policies because they are thought to be no to discrimination here in the Philippines. We must respect each of everyone no matter who we are. I hope that someday as soon as this problem is solved, I can freely utter â€Å"l say to you quite frankly that the time for racial and sexual orientation discrimination is over†.

Depression Among The Hiv Victims Health And Social Care Essay

The survey aims at mensurating the degrees of depression among the HIV victims. The sample consists of two groups of the same gender i.e. adult females, viz. married and single ( individual ) adult females, between the age group of 25 to 35. Hence, the sample comprises of 60 adult females, 30 of each belonging to get married and single ( individual ) class severally. The sample besides belongs to the patients fit in to the governmental rehab centre, and they are being administered by the research worker through the standardised questionnaire – depression graduated table designed by Aaron T. Beck. The scale touches assorted facets like temper, , self-dissatisfaction, guilt, self-destructive thoughts, societal backdown, pessimism, sense of failure, deficiency of satisfaction, guilty feeling, sense of penalty, self hate, self accusals, self-punitive wants, shouting enchantments, crossness, indecision, organic structure image, work suppression, sleep perturbation, fatigability, lo ss of appetency, weight loss, bodily preoccupation, and loss of libido. Introduction Everyone feels down or at loss at some clip or the other during his or her life. In fact, ephemeral feelings of unhappiness or disheartenment are absolutely normal, peculiarly during hard times. Life is full of emotional ups and downs. But when the â€Å" down † times are long lasting or interfere with an person ‘s ability to map, that individual may be enduring from a common, but terrible emotional reverse which is universally known as depression. ( NIMH ) .Depression is an unwellness which involves the organic structure, temper and ideas which affect the manner a individual chows and slumbers, the manner one feels about oneself and the manner one assumes about things. Depression is a province of low temper and repulsion to activity. ( NIMH ) A down individual might hold one or any of these inclinations like experiencing sad, dying, empty, detering, helpless, worthless, guilty and frequently loses involvement in activities which were enjoyable to them earlier. They migh t besides hold symptoms like loss of appetency or over feeding and even self-destructive ideations. depression is an change in temper which affects a individual ‘s ability to work twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours. ( NIMH ) In the most up-to-date study from 2000, the World Health Organization ( WHO ) reported that depression is the 4th most onerous disease in the universe, with more than 120 million people enduring from it worldwide and it is expected that by 2020 it will be the taking planetary disease load ( WHO ) . Depression can look at any age. Anybody can see depression, be it adolescents, teens, grownups and if looked from the gender position, both work forces and adult females. However, Womans are more likely to go more down than work forces. Womans are about twice every bit likely as work forces to see depression. â€Å" Womans are genuinely more down than work forces, chiefly due to their experience of being female in our modern-day civilization † ( Dr. Ellen McGrath, a psychologist in Brooklyn Heights ) . As with other serious unwellnesss such as malignant neoplastic disease, bosom disease or shot, nevertheless, HIV frequently can be accompanied by depression. Depression is a really common status for people with HIV ( Depression and HIV, October 12. 2009, AIDS info ) . HIV ( human immunodeficiency virus ) is a lentivirus which is a member of retrovirus household, that infects cells of the immune system, destructing or impairing their map. It causes AIDS ( acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ) , a status in worlds in which the immune system begins to neglect taking to life- baleful timeserving infections. The infection with HIV occurs due to the transportation of blood, seeds, vaginal fluid, pre- semen or chest milk. The four major paths of transmittal are insecure sex, contaminated acerate leafs, chest milk and transmittal from an septic female parent to her babe at birth ( perpendicular transmittal ) . HIV in worlds is considered pandemic by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .HIV adult females are more likely to be depressed in comparing to work forces ( adult females and depression, November 2009 ) AIDS continues to be a major planetary wellness priority.The figure of people populating with HIV worldwide in 2008, was around 33.4 million, Of which the adult females constituted of 15.7 million.The entire figure of people populating with the virus in 2008 was more than 20 % higher than the figure in 2000. Asia which is place to 60 % of the universe ‘s population, and is following to the sub-Saharan Africa in footings of people populating with HIV ( 4.7 million ) in 2008. India being one of the most populated states of the universe, approximately half of Asia ‘s HIV prevalence. The proportion of adult females HIV rose from 19 % in 2000 to 35 % in 2008. It is estimated that around 2.3 million people are presently populating with HIV. ( UNAIDS ( 2008 ) ‘India: State Situation ‘ ) Theoretical base HIV being the deathly disease, researches have been go arounding around it. Surveies have been done in relation to depression and HIV ( Rabkin J, Rabkin R, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY. ) where the per centum of HIV-positive agony from depression and the badness of depression was measured. A survey found that depression was under-diagnosed among HIV-positive patients which was associated with emphasis, solitariness, low attachment, and insecure sex ( Depression in Patients With HIV Is Under-Diagnosed: A Cross-sectional Study in Denmark February 17, 2010 ) . Depression is common in people with sexually transmitted infections, a Canadian research workers study in the December edition of Sexually Transmitted Infection ( Michael Carter, Published: 18 December 2008 ) . The survey had 21500 individuals,15-49 old ages of age and it showed 8 % were sick persons of depression and work forces were less likely than adult females ( 6 % and 10 % severally ) . Some other rese arches aound this subject are Other reseaches are fects of Quality of Life and Coping on Depression among Adults Populating with HIV/AIDS ( C. Gore-Felton, C. Koopman, D. Spiegel, M. Vosvick, M. Brondino, and A. WinninghamEf, J Health Psychol, SeptemberA 1, A 2006 ; 11 ( 5 ) : 711 – 729. ) ; Use of Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors in the Treatment of Depression in Adults with HIV ( J. Caballero and M. C NahataAnn. Pharmacother. , JanuaryA 1, A 2005 ; 39 ( 1 ) : 141 – 145. ) ; Predicting Fatigue and Depression in HIV-Positive Gay Men ( J. Barroso, J. S. Preisser, J. Leserman, B. N. Gaynes, R. N. Golden, and D. N. Evans, Psychosomatics, AugustA 1, A 2002 ; 43 ( 4 ) : 317 – 325. ) ; Depression among Patients with HIV/AIDS: A Treatment Dilemma ( G. P. Overman and S. L. Anderson, Journal of Pharmacy Practice, DecemberA 1, A 2001 ; 14 ( 6 ) : 540 – 550.0 ) . Depression kills HIV/Aids patients faster than the virus within them ( Nirmala M Nagaraj, Bangalo re, TNN, Dec 1, 2009 ) . It has besides proven that depression degrees are more in HIV+ adult females than HIV+ work forces ( Women and Depression, November 2009, but the matrimonial position of adult females had n't been touched yet, hence research is ought to be done. Methodology The Beck ‘s Depression Inventory ( BDI ) , designed by Aaron. T. Beck, is being used to mensurate the degrees of depression among the HIV victims. It consists of 21 inquiries, each designed to measure a specific symptom common among the people with depression. BDI is divided into two chief subdivisions viz. , one comprising with the inquiries pertinent to emotional symptoms and the other incorporating inquiries pertinent to physiological symptoms. However, a 2nd version of the stock list ( BDI-II ) was besides developed but the 1st version of it is being personally administered by the research worker to the samples. The sample comprises of 30 adult females between the age group of 25-35, belonging to two different classs, married and single ( individual ) severally. Evaluation The critical rating has encounterd the undermentioned restrictions, and the survey would be executable because entree to the patients would be a officially permitted attack as the research worker would be provided with an hallmark missive from its establishment, which could be presented to the rehabilitation centres. Decision Depression though is common in both work forces and adult females, depression in the latter affects the household straight at that place by the society adamantly, peculiarly in India, where adult females are ever viewed weak and low-level to work forces. They are the more ignored slot and besides face terrible societal stigma in the society. Hence, this subject could keep good range in groking depression in adult females, and an effort is being made to switch the cogwheels towards the encouraging and soothing of the adult females victims.