Why are political parties so strong in the United Kingdom yet so weak in the United States

Why are political parties so strong in the United Kingdom yet so weak in the United States Introduction The United States and United Kingdom are the largest democracies in the world hence they have variant political parties. A political party in any governing system is defined as an organization of people with similar political aims and opinions who seek to attain political influence in public policies through their representative being elected to the governing body (Medvic, 2009, p.120).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why are political parties so strong in the United Kingdom yet so weak in the United States? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Political parties are either funded by the government or individual party members depending on a country’s regulations. Irrespective of the fact that both United States and Great Britain have two dominant political parties, two legislative houses and a single executive, the political parties in both nations differ in their strength. The strength of political pa rties is determined by the amount of influence a party has on its members and the cohesion in the party. The political parties in the United States are much weaker than in the United Kingdom. In the US, politics are dominated by two major parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Additionally, there are other smaller and weaker parties in the political scene. In the democracy of United Kingdom, there are three dominat political parties namely the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, and the Liberal Democrat Party currently led by Nick Clegg. However, there are other smaller political parties namely Independence Party and the Green Party. The roles of political parties include voicing the needs and concerns of their members and supporters, recruiting and training candidates for public office and socializing the citizens. This paper defines the significant difference in the strength of political parties in the United States and the United Kingdom. Moreover, it explores the factors that make political parties to be strong or weak in these countries. Political parties in the United States Political parties in the United States were not endorsed in the founding constitutions, since the intention of the Constitution and its founders was to have a triple balanced system of executive, judicial, and congressional powers. Factors that contributed to the establishment of the two-party system in the United States as the key type of system include historical foundations of the system, political socialization and practical considerations, the electoral system and the federal laws.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, there are no major requirements obligatory from the public in order to become a member of any political party (Schmidt, Shelley, Bardes, 2010, p.154). Scholars have noted that there is a decline in the strength of politic al parties compared with the past. Two party system in the United States The two-party system has dominated the United States political scene for a very long time. This could be one of the contributors to the weakening of smaller political parties in the country. People who wish to serve as president, congressional representative, state governor or state legislators have to use the two main parties, Democratic Party and the Republican Party, to increase their chances of wining. Electoral system The method of electing national and legislative representative promotes the dominance of two-party system. The structure of political parties in the United Kingdom is defined by the individual ideologies supported by each party, which their members endeavor to legislate; however, their counterparts in American lack ideologically cohesive and programmatic. The available resources for these dominant parties allow them to retain their dominance. Similarly, single member system operating in a sma ll constituency can weaken the general party by creating smaller local independent entities (Duverger, 1963, p.45). The involvement of political parties’ leaders in the selection of candidates of their political parties is very low in the United States. On the other hand the leaders of political parties in the UK have the role of choosing which candidates should represent their parties. Moreover, the United States political parties are not involved in campaigning for their chosen candidates therefore resulting to less influence on the candidates. The United Kingdom utilizes a system of proportional representation, where officials are elected, on the bases of the number of votes their parties receive in an election, which promotes strength of parties. In the United States, the election system is focused on the candidates compared to the United Kingdom model where election is party focused (Safran, 2003, p.34). Therefore, parties in the US are not perceived to be as important a s individual candidates. In party centered system, political parties are in charge of all resources while in candidate-centered system, the parties provide just a few resources to the candidates. Moreover, in the US, parties do not have the mandate of choosing the candidates to run under the party, rather, it is done by voters in preliminary voting.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why are political parties so strong in the United Kingdom yet so weak in the United States? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result, the influence of parties is limited hence leading to their weakening. In contrast, the United Kingdom political parties determine the candidates to run under their parties based on their set regulation. Since the political parties in the US contribute minimal resources to the campaigning of their candidates, the party has less or minimal influence and cannot sanction the candidate if he wins (Safran, 200 3, p.34). However, the political parties in the United Kingdom have much influence on their candidates and they can sanction them since they contribute most of the resources that the candidates require. The electoral system, through preliminary election of party leaders, favors the linking candidates with their local supporters rather than creating a bond between the candidates and the party (Safran, 2003, p.34). Fundamentally, the electoral system is also weakening the ideologies of the political parties. Generally, direct primaries of selecting candidates have weakened political leaders as it takes away the rights and influence of the party. In the United Kingdom the parties have the obligation of selecting candidates that they wish to field for an election without external influence. Moreover, the party oversees the campaign of its candidates and in return, the party has ultimate control and influence. Campaigning The candidate-centered approach in the US reinforces campaign-fina ncing laws. The inclination of candidates funding most of the campaign is done at the expense of the party’s influence, as is the case in America. On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, parties retain their influence since they fund the campaigns of their candidates. The use of political consultants by political candidates has contribution to the decline of roles of political parties in America where the candidates are more inclined to listening to their consultants than the position of their party. However, consultants weaken the political parties through creating campaign atmosphere where they project individual candidates to the public at the expense of the party. Nevertheless, the public are more informed on candidates’ traits rather than the policies of the candidates’ parties (Best Radcliff, 2005, p.63). Moreover, political parties have failed to innovate, hence the need for outsourcing their duties to consultants. Some modern campaign tactics are weak ening the political parties. In the United Kingdom’s party-centered system, the campaign is geared to selling the party policies to the electorate whereas in America campaigns are focused on the candidates (Swanson Mancini, 1996, p.272).Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Legal factors Legal factors in the United States have contributed to the weakening of political parties (Wilson, 2008, p.124). The policy of cross filling has also undermined the strength of political parties in America. This practice, cross filling, allows individuals to be listed on more than one political party and can participate in primary ballots of all parties where they are registered (Sabato Ernst, 2006, p.88). The candidates who use this strategy aim at reducing competition, thus weakening political parties. This policy is still in effect in some states, which weakness the ideology. Moreover, the use of cross filling in the primaries resulted in reduction of political parties responsibilities. Moreover, voters in primary elections can influence nomination of their opposing party through crossover voting. These kinds of policies limit the influence of political parties on their candidates since they do not have the right to chose or vet candidates in their parties. Moreove r, the external interference in political parties through crossover voting weakens political parties in the US. Contrary to this, political parties in the United Kingdom do not have any interference from supporters of other parties; hence, they retain their objectivity in their core issues. The United States, through federal and state governments, closely regulates and it has decentralized the political parties. These actions of the government have contributed to weakening of political parties in America (Wilson, 2008, p.124). Political Action Committee (PACs) and special interest groups The decline of political parties can also be attributed to the rise of political action committees (PACs) in the elections in particular in fund raising. Candidates in the American political scene have their own PACs, which help them to collect funds for their political activities. Therefore, the candidates are more inclined to their committees than to the party, thus weakening party cohesion (Barde s, Shelley, Schmidt, 2008, p.248). However, political parties in the UK get finance from their membership contribution, donations i.e. from trade unions and the opposition parties also financed from the government kitty. Therefore, parties in UK are generally stronger than parties in US due to better finance availability. Moreover, funding of political parties from public kitty promotes internal unity among party members with in turn promote party cohesion. Subsequently, monies issued to support elections in the United States are given directly to the candidates. However, any money given to candidates tends to weaken the political parties, since the candidate becomes more independent and less reliant of the party. Conversely, public funding of political parties in the UK is channeled through the parties and not the candidates. Therefore, funding promotes part strength since the party leaders have leverage to induce their ideologies. Moreover, parties limit the amount of resources t hat an individual candidate can contribute to their campaign in order to protect the party’s influence. Additionally, political parties in American are influenced by their private donors, hence leading to partisan politics that decrease the strength of the party; however parties in the UK are less likely to be influenced since they do not over-rely on private donors for funding. Since action groups can access public support and resources, they have been undermining political parties that do not support their ideologies hence weakening of parties. Voters The social and political environment, in which the party operates, has a great impact on party cohesion. In addition, the development of an increase of number of independent voters has given rise to weakening of the political parties. Generally, a considerable number of voters in America are not registered in the two main political parties, thus the two key political parties have been declining in recent years. Further, the pa rticipation of voters in direct primaries to determine the candidate to run under a certain party weakens political parties (Sabato Ernst, 2006, p.110). Nevertheless, the political parties have not been able to attract public loyalty due to social changes. Furthermore, there is a trend of voters disengaging from party politics due to disappointments from political parties in the past. This is as a result of the fact that most American political parties are not engaged actively in their citizens’ lives, leading to high number of non-partisans. Conversely, the public in Europe and particularly in the United Kingdom are still inclined to party politics as they join and register in political parties, pay contributions to their parties and participate in party activities i.e. attending meetings (Wilson, 2008, p.125). Moreover, interest groups and citizen groups are competing with political parties for influence and loyalty among the citizens. However, party loyalty has declined s ince the inception of interest groups among the people in the United States. In deed, citizen action groups are actively replacing the role of political parties as a result of their weakening. Conclusion The United States and the UK have some dominant political parties and other smaller parties. Generally, the role of political parties in democracies is to educate the public on their civic rights and duties, to participate in influencing of public policies and recruiting and training candidates for public office. The strength of political parties is determined by the amount of influence a party has on its members and the cohesion in the party. However, there factors that undermine the strength of political parties namely rules and regulations, electoral systems, change of attitude among voters and modern campaigning techniques. Additionally, the rise of Political Action Committees and citizen interest groups has also undermined the strength of political parties especially in America . The United Kingdom has been able to retain the strength in its political parties due to the fact that they are able to control the selection and funding of their candidates. Moreover, the parties have restricted candidates from being independent from the party, hence creating reliance and influence. Through primary election in single-member district system, political parties in America have lost their influence in selection of candidates. Besides, a policy like cross filling of candidates during the direct primaries also contributes to the decline of parties (Shepherd, 2005, p.337). Further, the political parties in America are not funded by the government; rather, the candidates are funded directly. Consequently, this direct funding from the government makes the candidates independent from their parties. However, in the United Kingdom system, the government funds political parties directly, which in turn dispatch funds to their candidates. This mode of funding ensures that politi cal parties maintain their influence over their candidates, hence creating cohesion and party strength. References List Bardes, B., Shelley, M. Schmidt, S., 2008. American Government and Politics Today. Belmont: Cengage Learning. Best, S. Radcliff, B., 2005. Polling America: A-O. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. Duverger, M., 1963. Political Parties: Their Organization and Activities in the modern State. London: Taylor Francis. Medvic, S., 2009. Campaigns and elections: players and processes. Boston: Cengage Learning. Sabato, L. Ernst, H., 2006. Encyclopedia of American Political parties and elections. NY: Infobase Publishing. Safran, W., 2003. The Secular and the Sacred Nation: Nation, Religion and Politics. London: Taylor Francis. Schmidt, S., Shelley, M. and Bardes, B., 2010. American Government and Politics Today, 2010-2011. Boston: Cengage Learning. Shepherd, M. 2005. Mastering the National Admissions Test for Law. London: Routledge. Swanson, D. Mancini, P., 1996. Po litics, media, and modern democracy: an international study of innovations in electoral campaigning and their consequences. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. Wilson, J. Q., 2008. American Government. OH: Cengage Learning.

Scarlett letter essays

Scarlett letter essays In the novel, The scarlet letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne arrives at colony where she is accused of adultery due to a love affair with minister Dimmesdale. As a result of this affair is their daughter Pearl. She is sentenced to wear a scarlet letter, which symbolizes her sin. The Puritan society turns her into an outsider due to her sinful action. The characters actions, throughout the text, convey the themes of hypocrisy and the inherent viciousness of the human spirit. One of the romantic elements that is used by Hawthorne, is the love between Hester Prynne and Mr. Dimmsdale. Knowing that their love is forbidden and looked down upon , they choose to follow their hearts and accepting the future consequences. The author acknowledges Hesters strength and bravery. She does not reveal her partners identity and decides to take the blame upon herself. Wondrous strength and generosity of a womans heart !She will not speak! (Pg48) Even though Hester is tortured by her feelings for Mr. Dimmsdale, she accepts and faces the consequences like a courages woman. Hester proves her courage when the chance to flee her sentence and remove the scarlet letter, is presented to her . If she would reveal her daughters father, all shame would be removed, but decides to see the letter as a moment of the past. However the Puritan society did not see Hester as a courages woman, they viewed her and her sin as a threat to the community that should be punished and suppressed. This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die ...is there no virture in woman. (Pg36). Although they did not think about what feelings Hester had for her lover or her needs as a woman. They blame her blindley and their answer to Hester sin is to ostracize her. Although the puritan society does not acknowledged their love for each other. Both Hester and Dimmsdale have learned and grow ...

John Wayne Gacy Murder Trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

John Wayne Gacy Murder Trial - Essay Example John Wayne Gacy was an American who was convicted of murder and sexual assaults. Evidence indicated that between 1972 and 1978, he murdered and sexually assaulted at least 33 young men and teenage boys. Due to his serial killing, he earned the tag â€Å"Killer Clown†. Also, evidence indicates that the defendant was living a double life; that of committing murders and that of engaging in political and charitable activities. Murder trials show that he was convicted of more murders than any other person in the American history. Based upon this historic murder trial, therefore, this paper will analyze the case and document and respond to a number of issues relating to the case (Mendenhall, 1996).   Since the offenses that the defendant committed were â€Å"unusual†, it is important to understand the specific psychological characteristics and patterns that might be inferred from him. The testimony that was made during the trial indicated that Gacy had psychological characteristics and patterns that to a greater extent depicted his atrocious actions. Those who worked for him testified that he was violent and in most cases showed an intention to commit sexual assaults; actually, they testified that they had survived sexual and violent encounters with him (Amirante and Broderick, 2011). Friends, family and his former employees also testified that Gacy had mood swings and was â€Å"awfully tricky†, a trait he used to succeed in handcuffing them. Most of the sixty witnesses who testified during trial took notice of these characteristics and patterns. Since such characteristics are often associated with the insane, this was not the case with Gacy as psychologists had confirmed that he was sane, and he committed the offenses while in sound mind. Psychologists and medical experts who testified for the defense agreed that he was very intelligent and generous.

Reflective journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reflective journal - Essay Example â€Å"Sustainability implies that an action can be continued indefinitely with little or manageable impact on the environment. This is important because the health of the environment is closely linked with the health of society in general. Sustainable practices ensure that the earth's resources will be available even for future generations to enjoy... Sustainability aims to balance the needs of human societies with the needs of the environment, preserving both for all creatures on earth to make use of and enjoy. Sustainability promotes biodiversity, the preservation of unique ecosystems, the health of the environment, and a high quality of life† (Wise Geek, 2012). Based on such definition, I believe that as members of the human society, we should pursue this two-pronged sustainability, which is both social and environmental, both for the present and future generations, not only for humans, but for all creatures on earth. It is in this endeavour that the activists can play a cr ucial role. Activists are involved in activism. What is activism? â€Å" Activism is a doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue† (Merriam-Webster Dictionary w.com 2012). Activists can promote social and environmental sustainability by several approaches. ... Gandhian ahimsa); 6) peace activist/peace movement; 7) political campaigning; 8) propaganda; 9) protest (demonstration, direct action, protest songs, theatre for social change); 9) strike action (work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work ); 10) youth activism (when the youth voice is engaged in community organizing for social change). I agree that activists can contribute significantly to facilitate some changes in different areas including social and environmental sustainability. Activists can focus their vast energy in changing the perspective of the businesses in favour of the environment. Some authors like Shrivastava (1995) and Welford (1997) as quoted in Sandhu (2010, p. 287) blame the current business systems for the environmental predicament. However, there is an increasing awareness among the business organizations regarding the natural environmental issues and they are taking the challenge and responding in an environmentally responsive ways ( Hart, 2007 , as quoted in Sandhu, 2010, p. 288). The response of the Timberland CEO is one example of an environmentally responsive way (Swartz, 2010). In Timberland's case, activism was in the form of 65,000 Greenpeace supporters who sent angry e-mails to the CEO, accusing Timberland of supporting slave labour, destroying Amazon rain forests and exacerbating global warming. The e-mail senders pointed out that the Brazillian cattle farmers were illegally cutting trees in the Amazon rain forests, for the pastures of grazing cattle, from which the leathers of bootmakers were obtained. Their message was one of concern, and they were strongly urging the company to work with Greenpeace to find permanent global solution to

Exothermic reaction Essay Example for Free

Exothermic reaction Essay The object of this investigation is to determine the enthalpy change for the reaction CaCO3 (s) i CaO (s) + CO2 (g) by an indirect method based on Hess Law. Hesss law states that the enthalpy change for any chemical reaction is independent of the route taken provided that the initial and final conditions are identical. So the temperature change during these reactions below can be measured and the enthalpy changes ? H1 and ? H2 calculated. For Example: Using Hess law with the calculated values for ? H1 and ? H2 it is possible to calculate a value for ? H3. Results Table. Temperature change during reaction   The results for the temperatures are to the nearest whole number as it is unrealistic to measure to a point of a ? C with this type of thermometer and the masses rounded up to 2 decimal places for greater accuracy. Calculations Its possible to use the formula E = mc ? T, where E = energy transferred, m = mass of HCl, c= specific heat capacity of HCl and ? T = temperature change. This formula can be used for calculating the energy transferred in the following reactions ? ?H1, CaCO3 (s) + HCl and ? H2, CaO (s) + HCl. Seeing as the molar mass of CaCO3 = 100. 00 ?H1 = 420 x (1 x 0. 0250) = 16. 80 kJmol-1 I will not include the last result in my average for ? H1, which is 16. 80 kJmol-1. This is because its way off the other results and would significantly affect my average results, its an anomaly. AVERAGE for the ? H1 for the reaction between CaCO3 + HCl: (- 25. 09 kJmol-1) + (- 24. 90 kJmol-1) 2 ?H1 = 25. 00 kJmol-1 This value for ? H1 is negative because heat is lost to the surroundings. Its an exothermic reaction. Calculations for ? H2 for the reactions between CaO (s) + HCl: 1. I will not include the 102. 86 kJmol-1 result in my average for ? H2. This is because its way off the other results and would significantly affect my average results, its an anomaly. AVERAGE for the ? H2 for the reaction between CaO + HCl: (-128. 05 kJmol-1) + (- 111. 43 kJmol-1) 2 ?H2 = 119. 74 kJmol-1 This value for ? H1 is negative because heat is lost to the surroundings. Its an exothermic reaction. Using Hess cycle I will use the values that I have calculated for ? H1 and ? H2 to work out the value for ? H3. ?H3= ? H1 ? ?H2 = (- 25. 00 kJmol-1) (- 111. 43 kJmol-1)= 86. 43 kJmol-1 This value is positive because heat is absorbed from the surroundings. Its an endothermic reaction. I have been told the actual value for ? H3, which is 178. 00. So I will calculate the percentage by which my value is out by the actual value. 178. 00 ? 86. 43 = 91. 57 (91. 57 ? 178. 00) x 100 = 51% Evaluation Errors in procedure: When the CaO and CaCO3 were put into the cup there was a delay before the lid was put on. This could have caused heat to escape out of the cup and the temperature change would not have been as great compared to if there was no delay.

The Pursuit of Happyness in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Ray Bra

Would one rather have a life with no control over what happens; or would one want to have a life with some power, but a limited pursuit of happiness? The Government in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 let the citizens do whatever they want to do. The only exception is that they are not to be left alone to think about life and the enjoyments that are involved; they are supposed to live and forget. Illegal activities are considered normal in these novels. America’s society compared to these two Utopias is completely different. Things that make one happy might be illegal in America’s society, but are considered normal in the novels. With society today, people say that things are socially or politically incorrect. There is no law stating that it is unlawful to do these things. In today’s society, if one had meaningless sex with another person, they would be considered a whore, or a man-whore. If a person took a pill and overdosed on it, they would be considered an addict. In these two novels anyone can do whatever they want and nothing is considered politically incorrect . Drugs are offered at free will to anybody that wants them. In Huxley’s Brave New World, â€Å"there is always soma, delicious soma, half a gramme for a half-holiday† (Huxley 55). This is the citizen’s way of escaping reality. Most crowds in this book take soma just before an orgy-porgy and everybody has sex with one another. In Bradbury’s novel, people overdose on sleeping pills frequently. People truly are not happy if they are trying to commit suicide time after time. According to the handymen, â€Å"We get these cases nine or ten a night. Got so many, starting a few years ago, we had the special machines built† (Bradbury 15). Th... ...nge at the thought of having a mother and a father because they think that having a child is repulsive. These futuristic societies show what can happen if we follow governmental rule without questions. Huxley shows us that this can be a â€Å"possible shape for things to come† in America’s society if we keep doing what we are doing (Schmerl 38). This can even occur if people stop thinking critically and just follow along. Instead of people choosing their own pursuit of happiness and freedoms, they have the governments choose it for them. Works Cited Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine Books, 1953. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Pernnial Classics, 1998. Matter, Wiliam W. "The Utopian Tradition and Aldous Huxley." SF-TH Inc (1975): 146-151. Schmerl, Rudolf B. "Aldous Huxley's Social Criticism." Chicago Review (1959): 37-58.

Love and Lust: Two Different Concept Essay

Love has a different meaning for many. For some, it may be an act of loyalty, and for others, it could be a comforting relationship. It is also an act in which everyone is happy. However, few differentiate love from lust like the character of Tomas from the book â€Å"The Unbearable Lightness of Being† by Milan Kundera does. In fact, the function of the fifth part is to prove that even though Tomas has sexual relationships with other women, he still loves Tereza. Sex and love are two distinct concepts for Tomas who loves Tereza but then sleeps with other women. He justifies this distinction by referring to his colleague’s research that â€Å"claimed that during any kind of dream men have erections, which means that the link between erections and naked women is only one of thousands way the Creator set the clockwork moving in a man’s head.† (236). Indeed, it is with the imagery of a mechanism that allows the function of a device that permits the imagination to link the distinction of love and lust to something quite technical. Therefore, man can be sexually excited by anything symbolizing that Tomas has no real control over the attraction he feels towards other naked women. However, Tomas can choose the one he loves and he chose Tereza. Moreover, he also believes that â€Å"Attaching love to sex is one of the most bizarre ideas the Creator ever had† (237) meaning that love and lust are truly two different concepts f or Tomas who would rather not be disturbed â€Å"by the aggressive stupidity of sex† (237) while loving Tereza. In other words, Tomas does not believe that lust should be a medium that will allow him to prove his love for Tereza. Tomas is characterized as always wanting to fight for the greater good but for Tereza, he stopped, proving that he loves her. Indeed, Tomas linked the tale of Oedipus with the situation in which the world was currently in because of Communists. He then developed an â€Å"analogy [that] so pleased him that he often used it in conversations with friends, and his formulation grew increasingly precise and elegant† (177) and from there, wrote an article about it. When the article was printed, his job as a surgeon was at stake because the authorities were not happy with his perspective on events. Therefore, Tomas only had two options: whether to retract his article and keep his profession or to not retract his article and keep his honor. It became apparent that when â€Å"the thing that struck [Tomas the most]: although he had never given people cause to doubt his integrity, [was that] they were ready to bet on his dishonesty rather than on his virtue† (181). Tomas’ decision was being foreshadowed meaning that his honor was more important than his â€Å"meaning of life† (179). However, Tomas did refuse to sign a petition that would liberate political prisoners because by signing it â€Å"he could be fairly certain that [Tereza] would have more frequent visits from undercover agents, and that her hands would tremble more and more.† (219) and he did not want to hurt his wife anymore. In other words, he wanted her to be happy because he loved her. Tomas will, in the end, always choose Tereza over any other woman, which demonstrates his love for her. He realizes in the fifth part of the book that he will choose Tereza over the women of his life. The realization that Tomas had in which â€Å"he will abandon the house of his happiness, time and again abandon his paradise and the woman from his dream and betray â€Å"Es muss sein!† of his love to go off with Tereza, the woman born of six laughable fortuities.† (239) can only mean that he loves Tereza in his own definition of love as bizarre as that may sound. Moreover, Tomas does not believe in the idealistic world where everyone has a better half. The narrator promptly explained that â€Å"According to â€Å"Plato’s Symposium: People were hermaphrodites until God split them in two, and now all the halves wander the world over seeking one another. Love is the longing for the half of ourselves we have lost† (238-239). However, Tomas admits that Tereza is most likely not the part of him he lost thus not his soul mate. Therefore, juxtaposing Plato’s Symposium’s definition of love and Tomas’ actions result in a clearer perspective of Tomas’ love for Tereza. In other words, Tomas loves Tereza in his own way. Furthermore, the personification of when â€Å"he feels her pain in his own heart.† (239) allows the readers to comprehend Tomas’ way of loving Tereza. If hurting her was not an option then love can be the only explanation. These reflexions made from the fifth part of the book â€Å"The Unbearable Lightness of Being† by Milan Kundera prove that Tomas truly loves Tereza. One might even argue that Tomas loves Tereza more than Tereza loves him even though he physically cheats on her. Work Cited Kundera, Milan. The Unbearable Lightness of Being. New York: HarperPerennial, 1999. Print. .

Save Food, Save Planet

The first thing that comes to the mind after reading the topic is: ‘How not wasting food would save the planet? ’ ‘What effect does wastage of food has on the environment or the planet? ’ ‘What exactly makes all that waste and its emissions? ’ The answer is very simple if we pause to ponder. Food waste is not just consumers throwing dinner scraps away. Producing, distributing, storing and cooking food uses energy, fuel and water. Each of these emits greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.Looking at emissions of uneaten food from farm to table, the researchers found that food wasted at the consumer phase had the highest carbon footprint. Some food spoils before farmers can harvest it, other food goes bad on its way from the farm to the market, and still more food ends up rotting on supermarket shelves that's because by the time food gets to that stage, it's already accumulated emissions from production, harvest, and distribution. In othe r words, when chuck food that you buy at the supermarket, you're throwing away every part of the process that has gotten it there, as well.Then, some kinds of food waste create more emissions than others. Wasted fruit, for example, has a relatively small ratio of food waste to carbon emitted. Meat's ratio is much larger. That's because meat production is exceptionally carbon intensive. Of course, carbon emissions are not the only way in which wasted food harms the environment. A report finds that wasted food consumes an amount of water almost three times as large as Switzerland's Lake Geneva! And that's to say nothing of the human impact of all this food waste. In the coming years, the global population is expected to hit 8 billion.How are we going to feed everyone? There are many arguments going on related to this but what I evenly say is we should start figuring out how to eat the food that we produce instead of throwing it away since If we stop throwing this good food away it wou ld save the equivalent of at least 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, the same as taking 1 in every 5 cars off our roads and this is what I am going to emphasize on. So, yea that's right folks, stop throwing out food. Eat everything on your plate just like your mom taught you. If you can't eat it all, take smaller portions.It’s easy for us all to make to make a difference on individual base. First of all, stick to the motto ‘LOVE FOOD, HATE WASTE’! Secondly, start planning, since it works for almost everything. Think ahead to what the week has in store – look in the fridge, freezer and cupboard, make a simple list so you only buy what you need. Make the most of your fruit and vegetables. Did you know? Apples last even longer when you keep them in the fridge – up to two weeks longer if loosely wrapped. And if they’ve had a knock, try putting them in a crumble, a sauce or start the day with a smoothie. Thirdly, Freeze!Since, food can be froze n any time before the ‘use by’ date on the label. Then when you have an evening where you don’t feel like cooking, take it out of the freezer, defrost and use within 24 hours. Fourthly, get a pet! Chickens should be the priority as you can turn those leftover scraps into eggs for your breakfast but dogs would do as well since they will eat almost anything, even those fish burgers you like so much. At last, I would like to say that ‘Yes, It is as simple as that! ’ If we try, each one of us we can save millions of malnutritioned children, habitats of thousands of endangered species and on a whole our planet.

The Jacksonian Revolution by Robert V. Remini essays

The Jacksonian Revolution by Robert V. Remini essays A New Generation of Political Leaders The age of Jackson initiated a shocking overthrow of the noble republican standards of the founders by the common people. It was the people's turn to be heard and express themselves. In 1828, numerous Americans felt shocked when they heard that Jackson was running for President. Jackson was regarded by some as a "rake" or a scoundrel. One lady even cried, "Well, if Jackson can be president, anybody can!" This was indeed true. The revolution started with an overthrow of the noble republican standards by the common people. The trite people voted for "a crude frontiersman" like Andrew Jackson. They chose him over a distinguished statesman of proven ability. The years from 1828 to 1848 were known as the Age of Jackson, or the Jacksonian era. The United States had experienced many profound changes, and the arrival of thousands of new voters was to change American politics forever. Previously, only the wealthy and better educated were involved in the government. There were no political pa rties, and they were highly unaccepted by both politicians and the general public. A new generation of politicians emerged who regarded political parties more favorably. Martin Van Buren emphasized the need for a two-party system in America. He allied with John C. Calhoun and many other southern politicians. They structured a political organization around the presidential candidate Andrew Jackson. This political organization became a political party – the Democratic Party. The Democrats followed the republican beliefs of Thomas Jefferson and opposed a strong central government and also a broad interpretation of the Constitution. They had an essentially conservative political policy. Their political philosophy advocated economy in operating the government. They also wanted to eliminate the national debt, and when Jackson was president, he did eliminate the national debt in January 1835. The Democratic Party had a cent...

Amnesty is Already a Verb

Amnesty is Already a Verb Amnesty is Already a Verb Amnesty is Already a Verb By Maeve Maddox A reader questions a word she heard spoken by a Fox News announcer: [The announcer used] the non-word â€Å"amnetize† to mean â€Å"granting amnesty to.† Just to make sure that it is not a real word, I looked it up as â€Å"amnetize† and â€Å"amnitize.† How can we stop this grammatical ugliness before it spreads? There’s no entry for amnetize in either the Oxford English Dictionary or in Merriam-Webster. I checked the Ngram Viewer as well: no sign of it there. According to OED and M-W, the verb that means â€Å"grant amnesty to† has the same form as the noun: OED amnesty (verb): To give amnesty to, to admit to amnesty; to proclaim the overlooking of the past offences of (rebels). M-W amnesty (transitive verb): to grant amnesty to A Google search for the verb amnetizewith and without quotation marksgarnered only about 300 hits. The two contexts in which I found the verb form amnetize were in discussions of sports contracts and in posts critical of US immigration policy: What is the rush to amnetize Scola? To make room for Howard? That’ll be the subject of a third amnesty in a few years unless the bureaucrats amnetize-as-they-go. There isnt an Illegal Alien he won’t Amnetize!    the obama minions will soon amnetize 40+ million new voters Im sitting down to type an argument that says the Spurs shouldnt and wont amnetize Richard Jefferson this season. One writer questions the validity of the word even while using it; another encloses it in quotation marks to indicate that the word is being used in a nonstandard way: Obama and the democrats want badly to amnetize (is that a word?) all 12-20 million illegals. With the vast majority of ‘amnetized’ illegals voting Democrat, they will take the next presidential election. The kind of amnesty meant in the context of sports refers to â€Å"amnesty clauses† in contracts between players and franchises: The Amnesty Clause is a clause negotiated into the newly ratified Collective Bargaining Agreement between the players and owners which allows a team to release one player from their roster and be free of any financial obligations to that player.  This was added to allow teams to clear salary cap space in preparation for new salary cap rules.   A player who is released under this program is said to be â€Å"amnestied.† Sporting Charts Dictionary Note that this official definition uses the verb form amnestied and not amnetized. Bottom line: The standard verb that goes with the noun amnesty is amnesty, not â€Å"amnetize.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive AtUsed To vs. Use ToHow Long Should a Synopsis Be?

Visual Art Research Assignment and research essay

Visual Art Research Assignment and research - Essay Example 2). However, these art forms possess notable differences because their purposes and intentions lack the modernist expectations in terms of characteristics and traits that guide their architectural make. Despite the current similarities and differences, Villa Savoye and teapot have played a significant role in defining visual practice especially when finding an attachment with modernist concepts such as functionalism and formalism. Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye and Marianne Brandt’s Teapot have significant influence in the domain of visual art particularly in the promotion of the modernist concept. This is through following the procedural expectations of form follows function essential in exposing the indicative characteristics and traits symbolic with modernism in art. For instance, Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye is attached to the modernist concept in terms of form follows function through its magnificent five-point architecture that represents the overall impression of architecture in the context of meeting global standards (Butterworth 2013, p. 2). Additionally, the cost and concern associated with Le Corbusier’s Savoye is associated with the architectural changes found in the shape of the building in regards to the form follows function principle. In other words, the Villa, according to Savoye, had to attain certain goals and objectives in his immediate society such as accommodating the Jews and acting as a historical French monument in the specifically in 1965. However, Marianne Brandt’s Teapot has interesting traits that differ with those of Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye. Functionalism, for example, is infused into the German’s art with concentration of modernist concepts in the overall display of the teapot such as Bauhaus style and integration of the tea infuser to meet the form follows function principle. Consequently, in the

The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Essay

The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children - Essay Example Viewers invariably have the entire family and perhaps none of the family members escape this all pervasive and negative influence. Children, with impressionable and tender psyches, are increasingly witnessing real-life violence, either in their homes, streets, schools, work places and almost everywhere. This violence has not only assumed epidemic proportions but is a sad and painful reflection on our society when recipients of violence are children, particularly in domestic environment. An environment which is otherwise supposed to protect and nurture young ones instead works to leave deep scars of hostile violence. To top it all provocations may be extremely trivial. This state of affair constitutes both a public health and moral/philosophical crises. The United States (US) has the highest homicide rate in the world. The US homicide rate for young men is 73 times greater than that observed in comparable industrialized nations. Largely uncontrolled proliferation of guns and other lethal weapons is linked directly, for one, to the increased homicide rates among children and for two, to the numbers of violent incidents that children may witness. On an average each day in the US, 9 children are murdered, guns wound 30 children, and 307 children are arrested for violent crimes. Purpose of the Study As the impact of violence on young children is the focus of this study, it is important to consider the culture in which children and their families are embedded. The social history of the US has always given more emphasis to traditions of individual rights and individualism over any perceived or real collective good. This philosophical stance underlies the tolerance of violence against women and the practices of corporal punishment in families. Historically, the emphasis on individual rights dictated that a man had unfettered rights on affairs of his household and that issues in family discipline were not the business of government or the courts. Prior to the late 1800s, children had few rights distinct from their families of birth. In fact it is an irony of societal logic that agencies were established to protect the rights of animals before agencies were established to protect the rights of children. It was not until the 1960s that state agencies were set up with specific legal ma ndates to protect children from familial abuse and neglect. This historical tradition of the supremacy of individual rights also contributed to the inability of the US to regulate gun ownership and possession. It is within this culture that families raise children. Definition of Terms The term violence encompasses a broad