International Market Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Market Research - Essay Example Along with that, the interactive setting can help the moderator focus on the non verbal aspects of the participants, i.e., the expression, attitude of the individual etc, which can help in giving clearer insight of the participants’ beliefs. Also, the possibility of screening each participant lets the researcher know who is involved in the discussion process, e.g., a competitor maybe. In our case, if the majority of our participants are the buyers, it can help us gain a better understanding as to what their demands and hence, queries entail(Patton, 1990). The observation method of conducting research is developed to observe individuals in their natural setting. There can be participant and non- participant observations. This method helps in overcoming issues of validity. It also helps in covering those areas which are not easily accessible through means of speech communication, for example, when an individual isn’t cooperating in disclosing certain information. Observat ions can also help researchers in studying trends of a particular market in great detail and how the attitudes of the buyers are affecting those trends.

Which former ally, the U.S. or the U.S.S.R., was most at fault for the Essay

Which former ally, the U.S. or the U.S.S.R., was most at fault for the Cold War - Essay Example The most affected areas were the European countries although later the war extended to Asia, Middle East and Third World countries as the two nations struggled for dominance. The war was characterized by arms race and space race with an imminent danger of a nuclear war erupting. However, the question that needs answering is; who was responsible for the war? Traditionalists blame the U.S.S.R; the revisionists blame the U.S while the post-revisionists believe both were to blame. This paper will argue that the U.S.S.R was solely to blame for the start of the cold war due to its expansionist motives and the need to spread communism to the whole world. Although the US and U.S.S.R were both isolationists (remained neutral) in the two world wars, it was clear that the two were mutual antagonists. The US was a strong advocate of the capitalist system and hoped that all nations would embrace democracy while the U.S.S.R was a strong critic of the capitalist system and an advocate of communism. The Soviet wanted to convert the world into communism and abolish capitalism which was viewed as exploitative. Furthermore, the attempt by the US to aid anti-communist Russian forces in the 1918-1919 revolution was not forgotten. However, when German invaded Soviet Union in 1941 an alliance was formed between both powers whereby the Soviet Union was to help US against the Japanese after conclusion of the Nazi-Soviet war. According to Mooney, â€Å"Despite these mutual antagonisms, President Roosevelt extended Lend-Lease aid to the Soviets in November 1941 and initiated the wartime partnership between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S that endured until the war’s successful conclusion† (165). Stalin was not genuine in his dealings according to William Bullitt an advisor to the president. The first signs came when Soviet insisted on instituting a provisional government in Poland referred as the Lublin Committee and refused the Poland government in-exile which was operating in Lo ndon. The Soviets were also advantaged by the Moscow agreement whereby Churchill and Stalin agreed to formula for division of post-war South Eastern Europe spheres (75% for Britain and 25% for U.S.S.R). This enabled U.S.S.R to dominate most of Eastern Europe and advance its cause. Another meeting for Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin was held in Yalta in 1945 whereby they agreed to form an international peace organization and re-arrange post-war map of Europe. As such, the United Nations (UN) and the UN Security Council were formed. However, the Soviet Union was against this Security Council as it refused to acknowledge the communist government of China. According to the Yalta agreement, each power was to control its ‘zone of occupation’ after the war in Germany but Berlin City was to be divided among the four nations. The Americans condemned the agreement and blamed Roosevelt and Churchill for giving up Eastern Europe to the Soviets. However, Robert Dalleck of Boston Uni versity states that, â€Å"this idea that Roosevelt and Churchill gave away Eastern Europe to the soviets is nonsense.†(60 years later debating Yalta). The Big three also made a Declaration on Liberated Europe which mandated the superpowers with the role of supporting the shattered nations to rebuild themselves and also create democratic institutions of their own choice. This meant the nations were free to hold elections and decide on the form of government they wished to institute and which is responsive to people’s will. The superpowers could not interfere with democratic processes of those nations. However, the Soviet Union defied this rule and went ahead to establish a communist government in Romania. The Soviet Union was

Nursing Retention in South Africa

Nursing Retention in South Africa 2nd Paper Quantitative Research Title Mokoka,K.E., Ehlers, V.J. Oosthuizen, M.J. (2011). Factors influencing the retention of registered nurses in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Curationis, 34(1), 9. Retrieved from http://dx.doi. org/10.4102/curationis. v34i1.16 Introduction South African Nursing Council has predicted a critical nursing staff shortage within the country in the near future. This phenomena occurred as the number of nurse graduates has reduced by 42% over a period of 10 years. The authors carried out this exploratory descriptive quantitative study with the intention to investigate work related factors that influence nurses decision to stay with current employer. Questionnaires were posted to 536 registered nurses selected using random sampling method. Authors employed postal questionnaires as data collection instrument to targeted respondents with covering letters and stamped addressed return envelope. However, only 108 questionnaires returned where 73.1% of responded nurses expressed thoughts of leaving their job. Data analysis of this study employed quantitative descriptive procedures using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) tool. As a result, financial factors was the most important factor influencing nurses retention. Re commendations based on the results of this study made to the employers for implementation to reduce turnover and enhance retention. Data collection method will be discussed in this study. Data collection method Structured self report survey-based method was used by the authors in the data collection. Researchers have the options of face to face interview, phone interview, postal questionnaires and online (electronic) questionnaires. Since this cross sectional quantitative survey consisted of large number of sample to achieve generalization of the study, postal questionnaires as data collection instrument is favored (Stenhammar et al., 2011). In addition to that, Ashby et al. (2010) reported that postal questionnaires tool is frequently used for health services research. In fact, postal questionnaires approach used by researchers can be distributed throughout a wider geographic area thus increases the number of return samples. McDonald and Adam (2003) claimed that postal data collection received twice response rate than online method. Similarly, Shih and Fan (2007) reported that postal mail survey gives better response rate as compare to electronic mail after a review into 35 studies. Subsequently, high questionnaires response rate will ensure studys validity and avoid bias (Stenhammar et al., 2011). However, postal survey with incomplete questionnaires is excluded hence the occurrence of item-missing data reduce s data quality. Meanwhile, force function set up to ensure completion of questionnaire for online data is not possible for postal data. Indeed, Basi (1999) found that completion of data by online respondent is more than that of postal respondent. On the contrary, Stanton (1998) compared postal and online questionnaires and suggested that there were no differences in the item variability and amount of incomplete data. Even so, there were variety of findings in the studies that compare the postal and online methods (e.g. Buchanan,2003; Epstein et al., 2001; Lewis et al., 2009). As many researchers begin to recognize the impending trend where network interactions progressively gain popularity among the population, it is highly possible that electronic devices will play an active role in time. According to McDonald and Adam (2003), online technologies might include interactive television, handphones and 3D simulations touch screen devices. However in 1999, Dommeyer and Moriarty concluded that online data collection methods do not result in higher response levels and Cobanoglu et al. (2001) stated that postal survey was a common research method in year 2000. When exploring the social background of the participants, mail response samples showed conventional and introvert profiles. Whereas, the online response samples showed profile of technology savvy group (Schillewaert Meulemeester, 2005). Clearly, penetration of technologies and adaptation of users are other important factors to consider by researchers while referring to the social-demographics pattern of t he population. There were total of 89 questions in this study that may reduce the response rate significantly. Given the circumstances that nurses in the sample group have been busy at workplace and back home (handling household chore), they are less likely to participate in the study actively. In this case, question designs by researchers must be focused and short to extract required information and encourage participation. As pointed out in a pilot study carried out by Jepson et al. (2004) the threshold for questionnaire length on a favorable response rate was approximately 1000 words. In addition, Edwards et al. (2003) supported this hypothesis after the review of 251 relevant reports concluding that using shorter questionnaire increases response rate. In another word, questionnaire design is important to speed up returns. All things considered, novice researchers consider the use of questionnaires are advised to refer experts and literature on the similar study ( Drummond et al., 2007; Dunn et al., 2002; Marshall, 2004 ). Then again, traditional research method such as postal survey costs more as compared to online survey. Postal cost includes those of printing, preparing mail cover and two way postage (MacDonald Adam, 2003; Mehta Sivadas, 1995; Weibie Wallace, 1998). Moreover, to improve postal questionnaire response rates few measures were introduced for examples including pencils and erasers in the postage package, sending reminder in the form of text messages or electronic mail. For the study on cost effectiveness of including pencils and erasers, Aveyard et al. (2001) found that there was no benefit shown to set off the cost. Nevertheless, text messages as suggested can be conveniently implemented as a strategy to increase response rate by researchers because participants take shorter time to access text messages on phone than electronic mail ( Keding et al., 2016; Man et al., 2010). Conclusion Selection of data collection instrument is essential to enhance survey quality while taking into consideration the aspect of accuracy, cost and timeliness. Unfortunately, studies looking at comparative result among different data collection methods over the years has produced conflicting outcome (Weigold et al., 2013). In time, health care providers being the technologically sophisticated population may be able to provide higher response rate in web-based survey with the improvement of internet accessibility and successful technology adoption (Weible Wallace, 1998). On the whole, ongoing study is required to monitor the evolution of health care research so that the researchers can decide on the suitable method for their studies.

To Build A Fire Essay -- essays research papers

'To Build a Fire';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Jack London's, 'To Build a Fire';, it is obvious to see that as the story progresses, the man becomes more bestial. However at the same time the dog seems to gain the human quality of good sense. This quality of good sense, which the dog acquires, allows it to away from the same fate of the man. There are many examples of how this is portrayed as the story makes headway.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first example of how the man becomes more bestial occurs after his first fire fails. After his fire fails, his hands are too cold to allow him to pick up matches. He was trying everything in order to warm up his hands, but nothing was working. Then he came up with a crazy and savage idea to warm them up. The story reads, 'He would kill the dog, and bury his hands in the warm body until the numbness went out of them. Then he could build another fire...'; That idea is a perfect example of his turn to bestiality. When the man tries to carry out this insane idea, the dog demonstrates his lean towards human characteristics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another example how the man is beginning to move and act like an animal. It reads, 'After some manipulation he managed to get the bunch between the heels of his mittened hands. In this fashion he carried it to his mouth...'; At this point, the man's hands are so cold that he can no longer grasp objects, such as matches. In order to get the matches he has to use the heels of his ...

Enlightened Philosophers (John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean Jacques Rousseau)

John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean Jacques Rousseau were all enlightenment philosophers. Each of these men had a particular view of government, society, and its citizens and they were all passionate about their works. Locke (1632- 1704) was an English philosopher, his ideas had a great impact on the development of political philosophy and he is widely regarded as one of the most influential enlightenment thinkers. Montesquieu (1689- 1755) believed that all things were made up of laws that never changed. His most famous work, The Spirit of Laws, outlined his ideas on how government would work best.Voltaire (1694- 1778) was a poet, an essayist, playwright, historian, and above all, a critic of society. He was a great crusader for liberty and was twice imprisoned for his writings. Rousseau (1712-1778) generally recycled older enlightenment ideas but is well known for his passionate rhetoric, which enflamed a generation and beyond. John Locke’s view of government was that it was good to have one. The people may put their trust in the government so that in turn, the government may trust the people and protect their rights. The reason why men choose and give power to lawmakers is that there may be made, and rules set, as guards and fences†¦ The people are right in trying to put the laws in the hands of the government which will protect their rights. (Excerpt from Locke's Two Treatises with Government) †. Within the government, there were societies. Lock felt that the people needed/ wanted a government to protect their rights. They don’t, however, want to be victims of power abuse by the government. â€Å"The reason why men enter into society is to preserve their property. Two Treatises with Government) †. Every society is made up of citizens; he believed that People (lawmakers) will inevitably abuse their power at some point. When this happens, people should have the right to break free from the government. â€Å"Whe n lawmakers abuse absolute power and try to take away and destroy the property of the people†¦ The people are then freed from any further obedience to lawmakers†¦ (Two Treatises with Government) †. If Locke were alive during the Renaissance period, his views may have shifted.Lock may have been less bold about his reasons â€Å"why men enter into a society†. The renaissance was a time of peace and prosperity. Humanism, self awareness, art, and science were a big deal and his view of people and their â€Å"state in nature† may have changed because people were thinking differently during those times. During the Protestant Reformation, times were also different and his opinion may have altered again. Locke may have not cared about the people as much because he was too busy criticizing the government/ churches.The Protestant Reformation was a time where people were very critical of the churches because they abused their power which is one of Locke's philosop hies; people want to be protected by the government, not abused. During the Scientific Revolution, however, people were big on science and the people; not so much the churches/ government so Locke's view may have changed again. He probably would feel the same way about the government but less harsh about the people. As times change, so do peoples’ opinions. Baron de Montesquieu believed in a government slightly different than Locke's.Montesquieu still believed in a central government but he thought that laws should be specific to different parts of the world where as different law may have to be enforced in different places. In his most famous work, The Spirit of Laws, Montesquieu says â€Å"Laws†¦should be adapted for the people for whom they are framed†¦they should be relative to the climate of each country, to the quality of its soil†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Montesquieu’s view of society, however, differed very much from Locke's. Montesquieu felt that people become intoxicated on power when they have enough of it and they couldn’t handle having more than the person next to them. Political liberty can only be found in moderate governments when there is no abuse of power. (The Spirit of Laws) † Montesquieu feels the same way about individual citizens as he does about the general society. People always abuse their powers. No matter how small the amount they have, they will push their credibility to the edge. â€Å"Constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it and carry it as far as it will go. (The Spirit of Laws) †. As the renaissance came around, Montesquieu would definitely not have had such a bad opinion of man.As previously mentioned, the renaissance was a time for prosperity and there was a focus on humanism. Montesquieu believed that men will abuse any power that they are given but during the renaissance, people were much different. As for the Protestant Reformation, Montesquieu woul d probably feel the same way as his original philosophy. Nobody liked each other during the Protestant Reformation but the liked the government/ churches even less. There’s no doubt that people would abuse their power and the government should be split in 3 sections.However, during the Scientific Revolution, Montesquieu would feel the same about the people and probably would view the government the same way. During the Scientific Revolution, people were recovering from the Protestant Reformation but it was the abuse of power that put them there in the first place and they needed a stable government. Jean Jacques Rousseau was similar to Locke in his belief of a government. Rousseau believes that government is necessary for stability but only to an extent. If the king/ government should go against the people, they have a right to demand their freedom. No one – not even a king – has the right to go against the community as a whole. If a ruler was tyrannical and wen t against the will of the people the social contract is broken and the people had a right to demand their freedom (The Social Contract)†. Rousseau’s view of society was also good in that he did not criticize anything; he merely made the observation that in a society, people all have to abide by all the same rules because this keeps them at bay. â€Å"The essence of the social contract can be stated simply: each individual surrenders all his rights to the community (The Social Contract). Rousseau’s view of citizens basically adds onto his view of how they react in society. He believes that people want to live amongst each other in peace; they want to be protected and live by certain guidelines to ensure prosperity. During the Protestant Reformation, Rousseau’s ideas would have changed drastically. People were definitely not living in peace and the government/churches were what got them into a mess in the first place. During the Protestant Reformation peopl e were basically at war with the church and anyone who disagreed with their opinion.During the Scientific Revolution, people need a stable government because of what happened during the Protestant Reformation. However, people also wanted to live in peace with the government and their neighbors and whoever else. Rousseau would have felt the same about the government and about how people were living their lives during the Scientific Revolution as he would have from his original philosophy. Voltaire does not seem to care much for the government, â€Å"He was a great crusader for liberty and was twice imprisoned for his writings. His view of society was that people should be accepting and understanding of each other; when people do not accept each other and their ways of thinking, nothing good will come of it. â€Å"Tolerance has never brought about civil war. Intolerance has covered the earth with destruction (A Treatise on Toleration). † When it comes to individuals, Voltaire is lighter with his words; he doesn’t penalize them for his distaste in the government. Voltaire believed that people should have certain unalienable rights that cannot be revoked unless they are causing some sort of a public disturbance. Each person must be permitted to believe and to think that which he rightly believes in. Each person should be able to speak freely as long as it does not disturb the public order. Each person must be able to freely practice any religion which he believes in†¦ (A Treatise on Toleration). † Voltaire would have the same feelings about the government and about the people during the Protestant Reformation. It was a time when nobody liked the government/ churches and the people wanted their rights because they were losing faith in religion.During the Scientific Revolution people wanted their rights because they weren’t big on religion anymore, so, Voltaire probably would have felt the same way as his original writings. In conclu sion, each philosopher had their own ideas and ways of thinking about the government, different societies, and its citizens. Each man may have also been influenced differently by the Renaissance, Protestant Reformation, or the Scientific Revolution. These enlightenment philosophers have left their mark on history and will always be remembered as influential figures.

The Story of Rosewood

Ingred Thompson Minority Groups 2390. 50 Dr. Dollarhide Texas Wesleyan University Fall 2012 This is the story of Rosewood, Fl. I chose this film because of its sensitive subject on Racism and Discrimination. Rosewood is the true story of a small Florida town, was inhabited that almost entirely by quiet, â€Å"middle-class† African- Americans (most of them home and land owners and better off than average at the time. ) On New Year's Day, 1923, the town was wiped off the face of the earth by angry whites from a neighboring community.It occurred because of the false testimony of one white woman. The massacre in Rosewood claimed dozens of African American's lives. At a time when racial tension was incredibly high, the black members of a small segregated community found themselves unprotected from the hatred of the neighboring white men. The director of this movie is John Singleton; he was on born January 6, 1968, he is a film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is a native of South Los Angeles. A lot of Singletons films deal with issues ranging from discrimination, racism, prejudice, and stereotyping.I will look to explore the different areas of conflict regarding the maltreatment of the African American people. I think that it was so unfortunate for them to be driven away from their homes and life as they knew it. Some of the areas that this film deals with are: Prejudice, Racism, and Discrimination. The conflict theoretical perspective of Weber is utilized throughout the film. The whites were in control of everything, except for the land that the blacks owned (but they wanted to own it too).Prejudice is found throughout this film among the Anglo-Saxon community because of what one woman claimed happened to her. Prejudice is defined as the tendency to think and feel negatively about members of other groups. The main factor of Prejudice as seen it this movie reflects the same ideas that were learned in class. Stereotyping is also present, just because s he (Taylor) didn’t want to be found out she blamed a black man for assaulting and raping her. The fact that the sheriff didn’t really believe her account of what happened, he had to go along with the majority in order to save his ob. This was a case of selective perception, because they only seen it one way, the black man did it. Discrimination on the other hand is the unequal treatment of people based on their membership in a group. Because of what Fannie Taylor said happened to her a whole community suffered at the hands of a group of racist white people. On the morning of January 1, 1923 Fannie Coleman Taylor of Sumner Florida, claimed she was assaulted by a black man. No one disputed her account and no questions were asked.It was assumed she was reporting the incident accurately. Sarah Carrier a black woman from Rosewood, who did the laundry for Fannie Taylor and was present on the morning of the incident, claimed the man that assaulted Fannie Taylor was her white lover. It was believed the two lovers quarreled and he abused Fannie and left. No one questioned Fannie Taylor's account and no one asked Sarah Carrier about the incident. The black community claimed Fannie Taylor was only protecting herself from scandal.Fannie’s husband learned of the incident and became angry. The local white community became aroused at the alleged abuse of a white woman by a black man, which was an unpardonable sin against black men back then to look at a white woman. James Taylor summoned help from Levy County and neighboring Alachua County, who was ending a staged Klu Klux Klan rally leading up to January 1, 1923, on the court house square in downtown Gainesville, where a large number of KKK members had been rallying and marching in opposition of justice for black people.The accounts of what happened: 12/31/22: On New Year's Eve a large Ku Klux Klan Parade is held in Gainesville. 01/01/23: Early morning: Fannie Taylor reports an attack by an unidentified black man. Monday afternoon: Aaron Carrier is apprehended by a posse and is spirited out of the area by Sheriff Walker. Late afternoon: A posse of white vigilantes apprehends and kills a black man named Sam Carter. 01/02/23: Armed whites begin gathering in Sumner. 01/04/23: Late evening: White vigilantes attack the Carrier house. Two white men are killed, and several others wounded.A black woman, Sarah Carrier is killed and others inside the Carrier house are either killed or wounded. Rosewood's black residents flee into the swamps. One black church is burned, and several unprotected homes. 01/05/23: Approximately 200-300 white men from surrounding areas begin to converge on Rosewood. The negro section is destroyed by fire. Governor Cary Hardee is notified, and Sheriff Walker reports that he fears â€Å"no further disorder. † The Sheriff of Alachua County arrives in Rosewood to assist Sheriff Walker. James Carrier is murdered. 1/06/23: A train evacuates refugees, the Rosewoo d families, to Archer and Gainesville. 01/07/23: A mob of 100-150 whites return to Rosewood and burn the remaining structures. For over 60 years, the former citizens of Rosewood lived quietly with their grief and fear. Finally, through the determined efforts of Rosewood descendants, persistent journalists, and talented lawyers, the long-buried story was brought to light, and the survivors and their families were compensated with a $2 million payment of restitution from the state of Florida.Work cited http://www. africanaonline. com/2010/08/the-rosewood-massacre/ http://www. blackpast. org/? q=aah/rosewood-massacre-1923 http://www. displaysforschools. com/history. html http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0120036/ http://www. reelingreviews. com/reel148. htm#rosewood Like Judgment Day: The Ruin and Redemption of a town called Rosewood. D'Orso, Michael. New York: Putnam 1996. 1st Edition. 8vo. 373pp. http://www. africanonline. com/2010/08/the-rosewood-massacre/

Aztec Indains Essays - Aztec Society, Aztec, Tenochtitlan

Aztec Indains Essays - Aztec Society, Aztec, Tenochtitlan Aztec Indains The Aztec Indians, who are known for their domination of southern and central Mexico, ruled between the 14th and 16th centuries. They built a great empire and developed very modernized ways of doing things. They had phenomenal architectural skills and waterway systems. The Aztec Indians also had very developed social class and government systems and practiced a form of religion. To begin with, the Aztecs were very skilled in the art of Architecture and waterway systems. An example of the monumental architecture within the Aztec society is the great pyramid of Tenochtitlan. Montezuma I, who was the ruler of the Aztecs in 1466, created it. The pyramid was not finished until the rule of Montezuma II, around 1508(Carrasco, Montezuma Mexico, Pg. 49). Aztec cities and towns also had working drinking water and waste treatment systems. An intricate plumbing system using clay pipes ran down from the mountains around Mexico valley to all of the towns and cities in the valley. As the water ran into each town or city it was the dispersed to 10 or 12 places around town were it flowed into a pool for drinking water or was piped into public baths and toilets. Only nobles had working drinking and bathing systems with running water in their homes. The sewage system worked much like today, having human wastes carried to a collection pool where solids were collected, and then having liquids run off into a series of terraces which filtered the water. Solid wastes were allowed to sit in a collection pool for about six months and then were brought to the lake gardens to be used as fertilizer(Jennings, Aztec, Pg. 220). The Aztec social structure contained four well defined classes. At the bottom of the heap were slaves and serfs, or the Tlacotli, who worked the private lands of the nobility. Next came the Macehualtin, the fortunate, as they were called because they were equally free of the heavy responsibility of the nobility and of the slaves liability to being basely used. They were the merchants, shopkeepers and artisans that made up the bulk of the population. The Macehualtin belonged to localized kin groups known as calpulli or big houses, each of which had its own lands, clan leaders, and temple(Jennings, Aztec, Pg. 354). After that came the hereditary nobility or Pipiltin, who supplied the top bureaucrats in the Aztec imperial system, and from whose ranks was a formed a council which advised the emperor and elected his successor from the ruling lineage. Also all of the nobility had the sound ztin added to the end of their name. At the very top of the ladder was the Uey-Tlatoani, or revered s peaker. He had absolute control over civil affairs and it was his job to increase the size of the Aztec Empire every year and if he didn't wage enough wars within a period of time he would be impeached and replaced by the Pipiltin(Oliphant, Atlas of the Ancient World. Pg. 268). The Aztec government consisted of principally of the leadership of the royal house and the vast bureaucracy backed by it. The Uey-Tlatoani dealed mainly with external affairs of the Aztec empire, such as starting wars and making peace treaties. Also there was a parallel ruler, another member of the royal lineage, known as the Cihuacoatl. He dealt mainly with the internal affairs of Tenochtitlan such as the water system and the justice system. The bureaucracy was set into place by the nobles and performed the same function that civil servants perform today(Oliphant, Atlas of the Ancient World, 195). To maintain the empire the Aztec government made the territories it conquered contributes twice yearly. Taxes were collected from the territories also and careful accounts were kept of what territories had to pay. The heavy taxation and forced tribute disgruntled many territories. When Hernando Cortez arrived in the early 1500's they were happy to help him as spies and informants(Blacker, Cortez and The Aztec Conquest, 143). Aztec religion was based on the worship of many gods, but the most important was the sun god. Aztec priests were not allowed to bathe or wash ever during their time as a priest. This resulted in the priests becoming

Black Legend essays

Black Legend essays William of Orange once stated, Spain committed such horrible excesses that all the barbarities, cruelties, and tyrannies ever perpetrated before are only games in comparison to what happened to the poor Indians. This statement can be viewed in several different ways: truthful, hypocritical, harsh...the list goes on. William was correct in his statement except for the first word, Spain. Even though Spain did commit horrible offenses against the Indians, William of Orange, and the rest of the European settlers, should be included in that statement. Every settler that came over to the New World, whether they were aware of it or not, condoned the horrible excesses bestowed upon the Indians. Although several other nations were involved in the horrific crimes against the Indians, Spain may have been the worst in their treatment of the natives they encountered. The Spanish felt that servitude was a natural right, especially if you were born into so form of nobility. Dona Isabel De Guevara was a woman who was born into the position of princess. She came over to the New World only to find the men weak and the food supply scarce at best. She then wrote a letter back to the Queen asking for encomiendas, or serfs. The request was granted and Guevara received several Indians for help with the every day chores while the men were weak. The Spaniards treated everyone they encountered in the New World inferior for selfish reasons. They felt that Western Europe was the center of the world and there means of living were the civilized way. There reasoning for colonization was Gold, God, and Glory. The Pope, thousands of miles away, created the Papal Bull of 1493 that divided the world between Spain and Portugal. This bold statement shows the audacity of the Spanish towards the newly discovered Natives. Even though measures were tak ...

Breach and Break

Breach and Break Breach and Break Breach and Break By Maeve Maddox Patrick writes: Im an English instructor in Germany and was recently asked about the difference between breach and break. Can you help? Both words have to do with breaking. Both can be used as either nouns or verbs: Can you repair the break in this line? How did you break it? Joan of Arc was sued for breach of promise. The Burgundians breached the walls of Paris. The principal parts of to break are break, broke, (have) broken. The principal parts of to breach are breach, breached, (have) breached. Break comes from Old English brecan, to break, shatter, burst. Breach comes from the same OE verb, but by way of a noun derived from brecan. The OE noun bryce (the ce is pronounced /ch/ as in modern breach) meant a breach, fracture. Bryce was later influenced in its spelling by Old French breche, opening or gap. A breach is a broken place, as in a wall. Used as a verb, breach has the same meaning as to break, but to breach something suggests that the break is being made despite defenses or safeguards that are in place. The noun breach is common in legal language, as in the terms breach of contract and breach of the peace. Here are some examples the use of breach used as a verb: FBI, Telecoms Teamed to Breach Wiretap Laws The Rachel Corrie ship to try to breach Gaza blockade next month Open-records law appears to breach government secrecy Marines use a torch to breach a door A common use of breach as a noun is in the expression to heal a breach, that is, to reconcile sides in a dispute or falling out Codeplex hopes Walli can heal breach with open source As efforts continue to heal the breach in regional relations in the Middle East, Qatar emerges as an important player†¦ Healing the Breach between Feminists and Non-Feminists In the context of a broken bone, one would speak of healing the break. Sometimes writers use breach in place of a more suitable word, as in this question dealing with the breakage of hair: What works best hair product to heal the breach? Non-native English speakers are prone to use breach in a context calling for break as in these examples: At the alpha of 2009, Nino took a breach from music to complete his accomplish account in the Hellenic Army in Rhodes, He was apprenticed by a faculty of honour, never lied, and would rather die than breach his word. Her career connected auspiciously with films such as Bob Carol Ted Alice (1969). After this she took a breach from acting†¦ In each example, break is the word called for by the context. Although break and breach are similar in meaning, they cannot be used as exact synonyms. 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:Homograph ExamplesTaser or Tazer? Tazing or Tasering?20 Slang Terms for Law Enforcement Personnel

The Court Decisions and Powers Over Educational Financing Essay

The Court Decisions and Powers Over Educational Financing - Essay Example The disparity in education financing has been the major issue with the judicial system. Legal provisions for equal protection, based on the 14th amendment, have formed the basis of the litigation regarding the finances. According to the clauses, every person is entitled to equal treatment and no disparity should, therefore, exist on education financing (Ryu, 2015). While the courts made significant efforts in enforcing existing laws to regulate educational financing, reforms that the courts initiated had little effects in solving the financing inequality that the society realized. Ryu further argues that court decisions on educational reforms have argued for adequacy of available education and not on financial neutrality. The ineffectiveness in previous courts’ attempt to regulate educational financing suggests a lack of power to implement the decisions and indicate a possible occurrence in future. The change in focus from fiscal neutrality also means possible elimination of t he jurisdiction from the judicial system and suggests that the courts are not likely making decisions on the issue (Ryu, 2015). The Supreme Court decision on fundamentality of education as a constitutional right and the court’s final decision on related cases is another indicator that courts have ceded their power on educational financing and are not likely to make any ruling on a case that seeks to challenge educational financing policies. The Supreme Court noted that education is not a fundamental right and should therefore not be considered under the equal opportunity clauses and any other amendments that provide for human rights.

Eliminating redundancy at Lion using Business Intelligence Platform Essay

Eliminating redundancy at Lion using Business Intelligence Platform - Essay Example In the report, the researcher has discussed about the Kirini, a Japanese based brewery company which has been brewing beer since its inception in 1888. Lion Nathan Ltd in Australia is wholly owned by subsidiary of Kirin after the merger. According to information obtained from its official website, Lion is a leading beverage and food company with a portfolio that includes many of Australia and New Zealand’s favourite brands. It was formed in 2009 under the name ‘Lion Nathan National Foods,’ but the name later changed to Lion when Kirin Holdings Company Limited completed its purchase of Lion Nathan and merged the business with National Foods in 2009 and it has owned this business since 2007. These companies before and after the merger belonged to the national economies of their host countries. The researcher posits to the effect that Lion employs close to 8,000 people across Australia and New Zealand and it boasts of a portfolio of market-leading, household-name bra nds in beer, spirits, wine, milk, fresh dairy foods, juice, cheese and soy beverages. The company has significantly contributed to the Australian and New Zealand economies. However, the problem emanates from the view that the merger acquisition by Kirin of Lion which is Australian based company may cause redundancy and problems in operation support services. As a result, the redundancy can lead to an increase in the operation costs if the problem is not fixed and this is likely to affect the company. If the problem not fix, explain why it will affect the company. Of notable concern is the factor that there are also competitors in the food and beverage industry where Lion operates and Heineken is the greatest competitor. In order to address the problem raised above, the initiative change is primarily concerned with reviewing the computer system used by the organisations before and after the merger to establish the changes required to turn around the fortunes of the organisation. In t his case, it is proposed that when solving this problem, a business intelligence Platform (real time) can be used to reduce the operational costs after the merger so as to improve the organisation’s productivity in order to gain a competitive advantage over the other rival competitors in the same industry. BIP is a computer based support system used in the decision making process and is based on factual data. According to Gartner (2007), BIP is comprised of mainly three categories namely information delivery (workflow and collaboration) as well as analysis. All information about the operations of the organisation is gathered and computed in detail where it is established if there is any area that may need change to ensure effective operation of the organisation. However, these two organisations have been using different systems where the BIP model was alien to Lion Nathan before the merger. The issues raised above are very important and they are likely to affect the company i f change is not done given that before the major, these two companies used different BI platforms which can pose a challenge to the merged company. In order to analyse the current performance of Lion, it will be imperative to carry out a financial analysis of the company in order to draw a comparison with its previous performance levels. Analysis of the current situation Lion is a company which operates in the food and beverages sector in Australia and it is a public company with various shareholders. The company is listed on the Australian stock exchange and all the data in the financial statements from 2009 to 2010 is quoted in Australian dollars. All the data used in the financial analysis for the company below has been retrieved from the company’s official website (http://www.lionco.com/2011/02/10/lion-nathan-national-foods-fy10-result/, 2010/11). The analysis of the organisation is mainly based on the following three important aspects namely expenses, revenue, net profit as well as return on investment for the three year period under survey. The financial analy

Organizational Culture and Organizational Communication Essay

Organizational Culture and Organizational Communication - Essay Example Toyota is renowned for its production process, and its innovative management policies and culture. Toyota created and implemented the Just-in-Time method of inventory, which was revolutionary in nature. This concept has proven quite successful for the company. I am truly fascinated by this organizations managerial attributes and culture, which is why I chose to write about this organization. The culture at Toyota, described as ‘The Toyota Way’ is the core that drives the success of this organization. It lays out clear objectives for operations, Total Quality Management (TQM), customer service, employee management. Moreover, it aims to create a harmony amongst all the objectives. Even the logo of Toyota, is a symbol of how these values amalgamate. As we know, the Toyota logo consists of 3 ovular rings. The first ring symbolises the heart of Toyotas customers. The second ring symbolises the care taken by Toyota to manufacture its products. The third ring which joins the other two rings symbolises the joining of customers with their product and creates the ‘T’ of Toyota. (Appendix) Up to the Challenges: Toyota believes in creating value through their production process, and thus delivering high quality products and services to their customers. They plan on creating long term visions which can overcome possible hurdles. Moreover, they believe in accepting challenges and excelling in them through careful analysis before any decision. Kaizen: It means to improve in Japanese. This concept urges the employees of Toyota to keep improving and innovating through learning, creating sound infrastructure and, by promoting education within the organization. It believes that this will help deliver better and improved goods and services to the customer. "Something is wrong if workers do not look around each day, find things that are tedious or boring, and then

Collapse paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Collapse paper - Essay Example Economic history of the United States of America extends over a period of less than two and half centuries. Over the course of this period, the US economy had multiple series of progress and problems. The United States has grown from an alliance of thirteen British colonies with distinct economies and institutions to the unified state which nowadays accounts for more than fifth of the world economy ("Economic history of the US"). US economy today is based on three major elements. The first element is its natural resources. The continent of the United States has rich mineral resources and favorable terrain, as well as mild climate conditions. It also has broad access to the ocean and corresponding transportation routes, encompassing the coastlines of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as that of the Gulf of Mexico. Additional shipping routes are ensured by a host of rivers crossing the country and the Great Lakes along the border with Canada. These extensive transportation channels endorsed the economic growth of the USA, especially at early stages, and played a significant role in uniting America's 50 individual states into a full-fledged economic unit ("Economy of the United States"). The second ingredient is its human resources. USA has the third largest population in the world, which was estimated to be ca 295 mil people in July 2005 (CIA). The labor force is one of the major factor of economic growth and therefore prosperity of the country. On the other hand, country's citizens are also its biggest asset. Their welfare should be one the top of government's priorities list. Good environmental conditions and balanced habitats are essential to the welfare and health of the people, which makes environmental regulation extremely significant. The third element is industrial production and investments. USA is a home to corporations, which are complex organization governed by extensive set of rules and owned by stockholders. Boosted by the advent of mass production corporations like General Electric have been crucial in shaping the country. Using stock exchanges and financial markets American investors and banks managed to substantially increase their capital investing and withdrawing funds from profitable corporations. In the current era of globalization US investors and corporations have even larger influence on the world than ever before. ("Economic history of the US") It is essential to know these because above described components are vital in making the economy of the United States prosper. Therefore, it is imperative that the US government initiate regulation in order to preserve these valuable resources. Some regulations and policies that control these resources, however, are at times being overlooked not only by private corporations but the US government itself. Some private corporations in the USA abuse the use of natural resources, which leads to the destruction of the environment and increase in pollution, both harmful to human beings. The government, on the other hand, sometimes disregards these issues and even makes some initiatives to accelerate the economy at the expense of environmental deterioration. One of the recurring problems faced by the US government is energy. The government has been constantly seeking for appropriate means to regulate the use of energy and find new energy sources. US government has been extensively seeking for such sources as oil, nuclear

Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Capital - Essay Example The prices of the Australian goods exports have decreased since May, due to the decrease in the price of crude oil, iron ore, etc. The Australian dollar price has appreciated over three months, despite the deterioration in the global economy and fragile financial condition. This study aims at evaluating the decision of Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) for not changing the cash rate until December. The implications of cash rate in the economy of Australia, its effect and the effect of probable changes in the cash rate are also important issues that would be discussed in the study. The motive is to forecast the decision of RBA regarding changing the cash rate. Like the central banks in the industrialized countries, the RBA also utilizes interest rate on short-term basis, as an operating instrument in order to implement monetary policy. Under the current policy, the RBA has set a monetary policy by allotting a level of target for cash rate. RBA has been quite successful in achieving the cash rate as per its target level. The payment system of an economy represents the system by which the different agents settle their transactions. In case of Australia the major participants that can be considered in the payment system are the households or the firms, which can also be called the non-bank mass of public, the RBA, private banks and the federal government. The non-bank public use transaction deposits and currency for making payments and eliminating their debts if any. The transaction deposits are the banks accounts that can be used by cheques or through the debit cards. Money or currency is a liability for the RBA. So it can be said that the transaction deposits are also a liability for the banking system. It can be also said that the medium of transaction by a household or firm would also depend on the relative cost. The banks

Attitude Towards Credit Card And Financial Awareness Dissertation

Attitude Towards Credit Card And Financial Awareness - Dissertation Example ................................ 4.3 Attitude...................................................................................................................... 5.1 Discussion of findings............................................................................................... 6.1 Conclusions and recommendations......................................................................... REFERENCES APPENDICES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Research has indicated that there are three potential influences that will impact the credit card behavioural patterns of Chinese university students: financial awareness, attitude and social demographics. Chinese society is borne of long-standing cultural values related to the Confucian era, in which hedonistic self-gratification is present, where collectivist values are nurtured and respected, and where social in-group affiliation and reputation protection are considered important constructs of the Chinese lifestyle. Hence, there is ample evidence using t he theory of conspicuous consumption that Chinese university students might be adopting or increasing their frequency of credit card utilisation to gain important social opinion. Because the market is not in a stage of growth, but has become stagnated, business leaders need to know how to best target consumer segments and gain more profitability opportunities. The findings from the study provided a foundation for recommendations on how to improve business strategy develop for more effective strategic plans to gain university student interest and engagement with credit cards. Further implications from the study include how to build more effective marketing by credit card providers and how to potentially enhance education at the university to provide more financial responsibility and... By focusing on what actually drives existing sentiment about credit cards and the specific socio-psychological factors impact behaviors, utilizing qualitative research methodology, it will give a more concrete lesson about what factors influence and motivate credit card adoption and utilization patterns. This research project fulfilled all of its objectives, identifying the potential relevance of financial awareness, attitude and social demographics on the credit card behavior of university students. Though not all assertions and contentions provided in the literature review were supported, there were many factors related to university student credit card behaviors that create opportunities for new business model development that can better improve the competitive and revenue positions of credit card companies and banking institutions that offer credit card services.This project provided a new series of understandings about the relevance of social demographics, the tangible irrelevan ce of financial awareness and the strong relevance of attitude that could serve as a standard for marketing research practice and credit card policy development that could be better geared for exploiting market opportunities with male and female university students. Businesses that offer credit services should be aware of the identified predictors of certain credit card behaviors in the university student market segment in China in order to provide more relevant offerings and insulate the business from potential risks.

Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Capital - Essay Example The prices of the Australian goods exports have decreased since May, due to the decrease in the price of crude oil, iron ore, etc. The Australian dollar price has appreciated over three months, despite the deterioration in the global economy and fragile financial condition. This study aims at evaluating the decision of Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) for not changing the cash rate until December. The implications of cash rate in the economy of Australia, its effect and the effect of probable changes in the cash rate are also important issues that would be discussed in the study. The motive is to forecast the decision of RBA regarding changing the cash rate. Like the central banks in the industrialized countries, the RBA also utilizes interest rate on short-term basis, as an operating instrument in order to implement monetary policy. Under the current policy, the RBA has set a monetary policy by allotting a level of target for cash rate. RBA has been quite successful in achieving the cash rate as per its target level. The payment system of an economy represents the system by which the different agents settle their transactions. In case of Australia the major participants that can be considered in the payment system are the households or the firms, which can also be called the non-bank mass of public, the RBA, private banks and the federal government. The non-bank public use transaction deposits and currency for making payments and eliminating their debts if any. The transaction deposits are the banks accounts that can be used by cheques or through the debit cards. Money or currency is a liability for the RBA. So it can be said that the transaction deposits are also a liability for the banking system. It can be also said that the medium of transaction by a household or firm would also depend on the relative cost. The banks

Characteristics of Effective Technical Writing Essay Example for Free

Characteristics of Effective Technical Writing Essay Technical writing is meant to get a job done. Everything else is secondary. If the writing style is interesting, so much the better. There are 6 basic characteristics of technical writing: 1. Clarity: The written document must convey a single meaning that the reader can easily understand. Unclear technical writing leads to wasted time, money and resources. 2. Accuracy: This means to not only be careful to avoid errors in recording facts; it also means freedom from bias or subjectivity. If readers suspect you are slanting information by overstating the significance of a particular point, they have every right to doubt the validity of the entire document. 3. Comprehensiveness: A comprehensive technical document provides all the information its readers will need. Readers who must act on a document need to be able to apply the information efficiently and effectively. 4. Accessibility: This refers to the ease with which readers can locate the information they seek. Topic sentences should be used at the beginning of paragraphs. Thesis Statement should be identifiable in the introductory paragraph. 5. Conciseness: To be useful, technical writing must be concise. The longer a document is, the more difficult it is to use, for the obvious reason that it takes more of the reader’s time. A document must strive to balance the claims of clarity, conciseness, and comprehensiveness; it must be long enough to be clear-given the audience, purpose, and subject –but not a word longer. 6. Correctness: Good technical writing observes the conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage. Leaving sloppy grammar errors in your writing is like wearing a soup-stained shirt to a business meeting: it will distract your readers, and may make them doubt the importance of your information.

The Effects Of Exercise On Pulse Rate

The Effects Of Exercise On Pulse Rate Aim: To find out how exercise affects the human body, by measuring changes in pulse rate and blood pressure. Introduction The glucose is broken down in our tissues into Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP). ATP provides energy for processes such as muscle contraction (the process needed for exercise). The glucose and oxygen necessary for respiration are transported to the cells through the blood stream. The heart muscles contract to pump the blood around the body to the cells, providing the substances needed for respiration. When you exercise the muscle cells (which muscles are made of) need to contract more than usual, requiring more energy. To produce more energy the cells need more oxygen and glucose than they would usually receive. In order to supply the heart muscles contract faster. This increased rate of contraction increases the blood pressure, transporting the blood round the body faster. The increased rate of contraction can be measured through pulse rate or taking blood pressure. Glucose enters the blood stream through the digestive system but oxygen is absorbed into the blood stream through the lun gs. Oxygen is taken into the lungs and diffuses into the blood stream. The oxygen is transported round the body to the cells in this manner. In order to prove that these are the effects of exercise on the body I will need to conduct an experiment. I will exercise for varied periods of time or for varied periods of distance and I will record my number of breaths and pulse rate for one minute after exercising. I will also record my pulse rate and breathe rate at rest. This should prove that both increase after exercise. To choose an exercise and to determine whether I should use distance or time I will conduct a preliminary experiment. Method 1. Use the metre rule to measure a distance of 62 metres. 2. Measure the pulse (at the neck or the wrist) per minute and number of breaths per minute. 3. Jog the 62 metres (1 length). 4. When you have finished jogging record your pulse rate and number of breaths for one minute. 5. Jog 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 lengths, recording pulse and number of breaths per minute after each period of jogging. 6. Repeat each number of lengths at least 3 (preferably 5 or more) times. Result My results helped me choose an exercise to use for my experiment. running and bike were all too exhausting to keep up for long periods of time (they gave an extremely high pulse and breathing rate for just one minute of exercise). Step ups, sit-ups and power walking gave fairly low results, meaning that they might give insignificant changes after brief periods of exercise. Jogging gave a good mix between the two so I decided to use jogging as my chosen exercise. After choosing jogging I needed to find out whether time or distance was more appropriate for my final experiment. I jogged for 1-5 minutes and I jogged 62-310 metres (62 metres was the length of a tennis court I used as a measure of distance). After jogging I took my pulse rate and breathing rate for one minute each. Discussion The exercise would have to give clear results that would make a significant difference to blood pressure and pulse rate, without giving too drastic a change. If the change was too drastic it would be difficult to keep up the exercise for a long time or distance. I recorded results for eight different exercises, doing each exercise for one minute before taking pulse rate for one minute and breath for one minute. Conclusion Overall the evidence obtained was fairly accurate and reliable. I recorded several results for each distance in order to get a reliable average and to ensure that the results were not incorrect or abnormal. The results were not as accurate as they should have been, however. Two results, one for number of blood pressure and one for pulse were anomalous and had to be redone. The measurements taken were accurate as far as they go, but number of breaths per minute is ambiguous. The tidal volume (depth) of the breaths may vary over the minute they were being recorded, with breaths at the beginning of the minute being deeper than those at the end (due to the fact that less energy is needed just after an exercise than is needed a short time after the exercise). The procedure was relatively accurate and allowed plenty of opportunity for repeats. The procedure could have been improved if lengths with replaced with a continuous circuit, as more energy is required for turning and you need to sl ow down to turn. The main problem with the procedure was that there was no foolproof way of keeping the pace constant. This could perhaps have been rectified through the use of an electronic treadmill. On an electronic treadmill you set a speed and your pace must remain the same otherwise you run out of space to jog on. The evidence is firm enough to support my conclusion, although more evidence is needed to confirm it. The evidence is also reliable as a reasonable amount of repeats have been conducted. To provide firmer results, more repeats should be performed over a wider range; preferably using more than one person (I used only myself in this experiment). Two anomalous results were recorded. The first was a pulse rate of 123 after having run 310 metres (the other results recorded were 169, 171, 174 and 170).This anomaly was the result of losing count during the reading. The second anomaly was 40 breaths after running 620 metres (the other results were 57, 54, 59 and 52). This an omaly was a result of accidentally stopping the count before one minute had passed. Reflection As can be seen after exercise pulse rate and breathing rate increased. The pulse rate went up quite quickly at first, before slowly levelling off. Breathing rate increased steadily and slowly began to level off. The reason for this increase is due to the energy required for exercise. When running the muscles contract to make move. To be able to contract they need energy. They produce this energy through a process called aerobic respiration: As can be seen Glucose and Oxygen are required to produce energy that muscle cells need to contract. Glucose and oxygen are taken to the cells in the blood stream. Glucose is taken into the blood stream through the digestive system. Oxygen is taken into the blood stream through the lungs. When humans gasp (breath in) the oxygen that is inhaled diffuses (diffusion is the random movement of molecules from a region of high concentration to low concentration) into the blood stream. The oxygen diffuses through the alveoli, which are microscopic bubbles in the lung. A network of capillaries (tiny blood vessels) surrounds these alveoli and it is through these that oxygen enters the blood stream. In the blood there are red blood cells. These cells contain chemical called haemoglobin, which attracts oxygen. The oxygen is absorbed into the red blood cells and forms a compound with the haemoglobin, called ox haemoglobin, the heart muscles contract, forcing the blood round the body. The oxygen is transported round the body in the red blood cells; to where it is needed (it is needed in all cells as they must all carry out respiration to survive). When you exercise the muscle cells need to produce more energy than usual, so they need more oxygen and glucose than usual. To allow this to happen, your breathing rate must increase. You take in more breaths and your tidal volume the depth of your breath increases, Muscles in between your ribs contact, moving up and out and your diaphragm (a sheet of muscle at the bottom of your chest cavity) contracts, moving down. This increases the volume in your thorax (chest cavity), decreasing the pressure. Air rushes down to equalise the pressure. When you exhale your intercostals muscles and diaphragm relax, moving back to their original positions. The pressure is increased in your thorax so air rushes out to equalise the pressure. Your intercostals muscles and diaphragm contract more quickly and contract more than they usually would, to allow a greater amount of deeper breaths. Glucose and oxygen must still be transported to the cells, however. To accomplish your heart muscles contract more rapidly. This increases the blood pressure, forcing it round the body faster. This helps transport the oxygen and glucose to the muscle cells quicker. Also, it makes sure that plenty of blood is circulating around the capillaries in the lungs, so that more oxygen can be absorbed into the blood stream.

U.S. Criminal Justice System Essay -- legal reform, social issues, cir

Before proposing a reform to the American criminal justice system, we must first examine the problems that plague the process of justice on all levels. American society plays an important role in shaping the criminal justice system. Their beliefs and values determine the type of deviants and the consequences of the crimes. Often their beliefs contradict each other. Americans believe that the more serious a crime is, the longer a person should spend in a prison. In reality it means that a law at discretion can sometimes just set a number of years that a person should spend in the jail, regardless of the situation. The time in the prison is often very long (Randall, Brown, Miller& Fritzler, p.216) because some states have definite sentence or mandatory sentences which leave little room for the judge to decide on the merits of the person. For example, California favors â€Å"Three Strikes and You’re Out†(Randall & et al., p.216) stance on the laws which means after third felony crime, a person must spend 25-year-to-life sentence in the prison. They believe that the deprivations of basic needs, isolation from the society, and in extreme cases, death are consequences of committing a crime. The process of the court in America values efficiency and tough punishments. Since there are a lot of arrests, the court is overburdened and pressed for time. The prisoners are processed through like animals for the slaughter, quickly and with no mercy. The inequality in the terms of power and money influences the court. People with deep pockets are able to bail out or negotiate for a lesser term than a person assigned to a free lawyer by the state. Those consequences Americans believe will serve as deterrence or warning to people to obey the law... ...not the answer to all of the problems that America is experiencing in the criminal justice system, but however it may take the pressure off the state to provide the help to people. The reduction and the reform in the prisons are strongly recommended before using this new model. Works Cited Shelden, R.G., Brown, W.B., Miller, K.S., & Fritzler, R.B. (2008). Crime and criminal justice in american society. Long Grove, Illinosis: Waveland Press, INC. Bohet, A.K. & Wadhwa, T. Beyond the prison walls: reforming through silence. Indian Psychology Institute. http://ipi.org.in/texts/nsip/nsip-full/toolika-tihar.html Doleschal, E. (1977). Rate and length of imprisonment: how does the united states compare with the netherlands, denmark , and sweden?. Crime & Delinquency, 23(1), p. 51 -56 http://cad.sagepub.com/content/23/1/51 doi: 10.117/001112877702300105

Transmission of Pain Signals by the Brain at the Spinal Level Essay

Transmission of Pain Signals by the Brain at the Spinal Level Pain has been defined by Coates & Hindle as an unpleasant emotional and sensory experience which signals a potential or actual damage to tissues (2011, p. 213). Pain is a common human experience and can emanate from injury and illness. There are two main types of pain; acute pain is short-lived, lasting for minutes or several days and its onset often takes place rapidly. It results from the activation of pain nerve endings or nociceptors either by internal or external pain stimuli. On the other hand chronic pain is continuous and sometimes recurrent and can last for weeks, months or even years. Chronic pain is usually not located at or related to the tissue undergoing trauma (Draper & Knight, 2007, p. 104). Various theories have been proposed to explain the mechanism underlying the transmission and perception of pain. These include the specificity theory which maintains that specific fibers and pain receptors are activated by injury after which the pain signals are projected via the spinal pathway to an area in the brain that interprets the pain. In this regard, the specificity theory virtually equates the peripheral injury with the psychological experience caused by the pain (Anderson, 2004, p. 355). However, this theory has been found to harbor several limitations as research about pain has intensified with time. In light of this, the gate theory that was proposed by Melzack and Wall has had a major contribution to the understanding of pain transmission and perception (Pain Game Part 2, 2011). Research has demonstrated that pain is affected by psychological and physiological factors which helps to explain the mechanism underlying inhibition and/or facilitaion of pai... ...t has been noted that the gate control theory proposed by Melzack and Wall in 1965 formed the foundation of understanding the process of pain signal transmission. The dorsal horn of the spinal cord is the region of the CNS that controls the passage of pain signals by means of opening and/or closing the gate. Pain can only be perceived if reaches the brain. Events that cause excitation such pain signals and the release of excitatory or facilitatory chemicals cause the gate to open whereas inhibitory events such as competing nerve impulses caused by rubbing trigger closure of the gate. The gate can also be closed due to descending inhibition enhanced by relaxation or the use of pain-relieving medication such as morphine. The brain stem is responsible for controlling the transmission of pain signals via the ascending and descending pain pathways.

Barriers of Communication Essay

Reducing barriers whether be in general conversation or other mediums (e.g. emails, memos, or phone calls) is the responsibility of both the sender and receiver of the message. Techniques to improve communication and overcome barriers on the sender’s end would include being aware of barriers such as noise or distractions, be empathetic to the receiver, pay careful attention to nonverbal cues, and confirm understanding of the message they are sending (Baack, 2012). Baack (2012) also pointed out receivers must be active listeners and seek clarification of the message while also providing feedback to keep clarity in the conversation. Verbal and nonverbal cues play a huge role in communication. For example, brokers in the middle of the Wall Street stock exchange have the best nonverbal communications despite all the noise, distraction, and environmental barriers. Brokers have worked years on perfecting hand gestures to communicate with other members of their firms. This is one way to overcome such barriers. The use of evolved technologies such as email, power point, or text messages creates another barrier to overcome. The medium of message delivery can produce barriers with too many fonts, slang, emoticons, pictures, text talk, and unclear descriptions. This barrier is personal to me. I find my emails to be extremely detailed, full of industry jargon, and read as if I speak. After reading this chapter I see how my written messages confusion the receiver and cause unnecessary barriers and wasted time. I need to focus more on condensing my thoughts and making a concise clear message. Baack, D. (2012). Management communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education.

Culture of Australia Essay

The question of identity is always a difficult one for those living in a culture or group, yet belonging to another. This difficulty frequently remains in the mind of most immigrants, especially the second generations who were born in a country other than their parents. Younger generations feel as if they are forced to change to fit the social standards despite previous culture or group. Furthermore those who wish to adopt a new identity of a group or culture haven’t yet been fully accepted by original members due to their former identity. Living with a different culture to our roots can lead to changes in our lives. Migrating to Australia has affected a lot of authors from Alice Pung’s vignettes of ‘Growing up Asian in Australia’. Michelle Law displays her exclusion from the Australian culture by preparing ‘exotic lunches’ with her mother, as well as her ‘hairless’ Chinese body compared to the school girls. Being seen as a distinct outsider to the Australian culture can influence one to change their way of life to fit in and form friendships. Sunil an Indian schoolboy was faced with the choice of constantly being bullied over his differences or adapting to the community by altering his name to Neil. Changing for others an lose your place in your original identity and culture. After visiting Hong Kong, Michelle momentarily feels identical to her surroundings with her Chinese ethnicity. After mispronouncing words when ordering at a Cantonese Mc Donald’s, Michelle comes to realise that she feels just as excluded in Hong Kong as she did in Australia. This sense of displacement caused by multiple cultures can question Michelle’s judgement, â€Å"Am I more Asian or more Australian? † The feeling of not fitting in can lead us to changes in our life to fit social standards despite our previous culture or way of life. Alice Pung addresses the idea of multiculturalism in her novel ‘Unpolished Gem’. Two of the themes in this novel where she portrays her culture are through personal identity and the impact of the past. A major influence on Alice’s identity was when she was a young child and her grandmother would tell her stories about events that occurred in Cambodia. In Alice’s teenage years, her beloved grandmother has a stroke, developed disabilities and eventually had passed away. It is around this time where serious psychological problems occur for Alice. This almost forces her into a mental state in which she knows she does not fit in with the Australian culture. She believed she had to do everything she could to change that otherwise Alice knew she would break down mentally. Alice was forced to attempt to fit the social standards of Australia. The actions of adopting a new identity by putting yourself into a different group can lead to not only the new group not fully accepting you but also your original group will see you as a totally different person. At the age of 13 I played basketball for the under 14s side. We were all very close and had formed great friendships throughout the season. The following season I was asked to play above my age group. Without thinking twice I accepted what I thought was a great opportunity. A few days pasted and it was the day of my first training session with the older group. Throughout the 2 hours of training I did not enjoy myself at all. No one would pass me the ball and it was as if they didn’t want me there. To be honest I didn’t want to be there neither. I decided to return to my own age group and play with my old friend. At the next training session with my original team I realized the same thing was happening, no one would pass me the ball or even acknowledge that I was on the court. It turns out I had changed as a person and found myself caught between the two teams. The moral of that experience was by trying to fit in with a new group I found that I had lost my original identity and forgot where I belong. There are a variety of scenarios that result in us trying to change. Whether it is a result of a different culture or even past experiences. People also feel as if they are forced upon change, and even if you find yourself with a new identity or culture, you may not be fully accepted by original members of that group or culture. The power of a group however is often the cause of losing our individual identity. In conclusion the question remains of whether Change of an identity is right or wrong?

Diary extract from the poem blessing Essay

Today was the best day ever; the pipe through our village burst. I first spotted it on the way back from my two mile hike to the well, I had two buckets in my hands had spilt a little water on the way back when seeing a spurt of water coming from the pipe. I filled up the buckets and ran home, I told everyone in the village to bring buckets and cups and everything, by this time the gap had grown and there was a good amount of water coming from it. Everyone gather around bring mugs and tin cans to collect some clean water, we filled our metal bath tub with our buckets and everything we could, we have so much water now, the crops we have tried to grow have been watered and we have kept a good amount to water them more often, the drought had finally ended, there hasn’t been rain in a while, but I believe that this is the work of god, he’s finally come through for us, everyone had prayed and thanked him for this deed, the party still hasn’t finished, I am tired, I have been dancing and singing and drumming until the sun rose again, I was the village’s favourite person today because I spotted the leak that has praised us all, I wouldn’t trade the feeling I had for anything in the world, people chanted my name and cheered all night long I loved it, none of the water is being wasted anything waterproof is being filled with clean healthy water, I will not have to go on my hike for water for the next few days and I will not have to be thirsty we are going to church again tomorrow and I think that the whole village will be there just to thank him for this blessing. I can’t believe how lucky we were, this is truly a miracle, the water came when we needed it the most, when everyone was finding it harder and harder to drink the dirty water, but the question is how long will this water last? How long will it take for the rich people to realise they are paying for our water? And will they stop it? I believe that these questions will be answered in time, God may have let this miracle but I don’t think there is much he could do to change those idiots, they have everything, clean house, clean food and clean drinking water and we have nothing. Our homes are dirty so is our food and out drinking water they just get water whenever they want whereas we have to walk over 2 miles to get dirty water from a well. Everyone hates them if only we could swap places for a week, they would know what it’s like how hard it is for us just to survive, to stay alive but they have no idea I wish something could be done about this.

Communication styles of JC Penny v. Sears Term Paper

Communication styles of JC Penny v. Sears - Term Paper Example Penny Company Inc. is one of the largest chains of American mid-range department stores, catalogue, and e-commerce retailers; with headquarters in Piano, Texas. It operates over 1, 100 departmental stores in U.S’s 50 states, Mexico, Chile and Puerto Rico (JC Penney 2012). It also runs 49 Renner department stores in Brazil. J.C. Penny began as a partnership between James Cash Penney, Guy Johnson and Thomas Callahan on April 14, 1902. The three created two more stores. In 1907, Johnson and Callahan dissolved their partnership and Penney purchased full interest in all three locations. In order to be closer to banks and railroads, Penney moved his company headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1909. The stores expanded and by 1912, there were 34 stores in Rocky Mountain States. The following year, all the stores were consolidated under the name J.C. Penney with William Henry McManus as co-founder. The company’s expansion was mainly due to its diversity of products and affo rdability. After much struggle in the 1970s, following stiff competition from upstart companies such as Wal-Mart that sold goods at discounted prices, the company reverted to a fashion oriented marketing strategy in the 1980s. It also moved its headquarters from New York to Texas, which reduced operational costs. The company was the first to sell zero coupon bonds in the public market. JCP stores are mainly located in suburban shopping malls, which is strategic in its operations. With about 1100 stores in America’s 50 states as well as Puerto Rico and Mexico, it is the second largest department store retailer and the largest catalogue merchant in the America. J.C Penny mainly targets juniors. The company focuses on value-priced fashion with an emphasis on classification and key-items focussed merchandising. JC Penney focuses on its pricing vis-a-vis its competition. Also, it focuses on providing mid-tier fashions in the malls. Its stores are located in attractive markets, tha t attract customers. It increasingly incorporating Sephora inside its locations, aimed at upgrading customers’ experiences in the stores. For the year ending January 2012, the company made sales totalling $17,260.0M and realized an annual growth of 2.8%; its net income for the year amounting to $152.0M (JC Penny 2012). 1.1 Background of Sears Holdings Corporation Sears Holdings Corporation is America’s fourth largest broad-line retailer with over 4,000 full-line and specialty retail stores in the U.S. and Canada. Its headquarters are based in Hoffman Estates, Ill. It became a multi channel store when it opened its first store to complement its catalogue channel which was launched in 1886 (Sears 2009). It provides quality merchandise and exceptional service, leading in retail of appliances, tools, lawn and garden, consumer electronics, and automotive repair and maintenance. The company provides diversified products through a wide range of retail channels. It was crowned the 2011 Energy Star Retail Partner of the year. Its leading brands are mKenmore, Craftsman and Diehard along with broad apparel offering including well known labels as Lands’ End, Jaclyn Smith and Jose Boxer, the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It is the

W5-Data Security Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

W5-Data Security Policy - Essay Example Modern technology poses modern confronts to the protection of entity privacy which existing (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). Privacy is the declaration of individuals to be theft alone, free from observation or intrusion from other individuals of organizations as well as the state. Declarations to privacy are also caught up at the place of work. Information technology and system pressure individual declarations to privacy by making the incursion of privacy inexpensive, cost-effective, and efficient (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). Organizational information security strategies, measures, and standards are entirely significant reflections. Organization has to properly file and put into practice a successful information safety plan. Every category of such information safety serves a diverse function. The W5-Data Security Policy incorporates following main points regarding the organizational data (W5-data security Policy, 2009) Security risk: The data and information security risk can be illustrated as the intensity of affect on organization activities (comprising operational jobs, illustrations, or status), organization possessions, or individuals ensuing from the procedure of an business information arrangement offers the possible influence of a hazard and the probability of that intimidation occurring (Rebecca, 2007). The above section has presented the possible hazard situation is business. Such situation can lead to lot of possible information exploitation cases. Like that any worker can take information regarding any customer and blackmail him for some reason. That will make some bad image of the company information management. Lot of customers will hesitate to provide their information or even do no come to that company. This will case a serious business problem. Data security procedures illustrate how to put into practice the data security strategy. Actions articulate the gradually comprehensive events essential to effectively fulfill a job that chains the

Witchcraft Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Witchcraft - Term Paper Example Witchcraft as is evident from its name is related to witches who are interested in making use of supernatural powers for their purposes. Witches gain knowledge of witchcraft in order to practice it. People relate witchcraft with devil forces while different religions have contrasting views about witchcraft and witches. This paper analyzes witchcraft, its different forms, its practice, people involved and the similarities and differences present between different forms of witchcraft. Witchcraft as seen historically was not always devilish or evil as many people benefited by this craft. Witches were also famous for restoring people back to health, which can be regarded as an advantageous feature associated with witches (Moore and Sanders, 2001). Witches also facilitated people with their wisdom and knowledge by giving them solutions for their problems. Although the image of witches as evil and demonic is much more reputed as compared to their good image. Witches exist in different form s due to which, their delivered witchcraft is also different. Pocs categorizes witches into three categories which are magical witches, social witches and supernatural witches (1999). The witches who helped people through different ways were termed as magical witches or sorcerers as they healed people from their physical problems, worked as midwives and fortune-tellers (Pocs, 1999). Social witches were those witches who used to curse people and cause troubles for them for their disapproving actions and supernatural witches were those who made use of supernatural powers for disturbing people and worked as demons. Supernatural witches also connected the natural world with the supernatural world. (Pocs, 1999) In different religions, witchcraft is regarded differently. Islam categorizes witchcraft as devilish and mischievous and all the practices associated to witchcraft or any such category, are regarded as anti-Islamic. Similarly, Christianity also regards witchcraft as an anti-religi ous activity and condemns it profoundly. In both the religions, witchcraft is looked upon as heretic by its scholars. The people following the mentioned religions get frightened by knowing about witchcraft and associated people and try to annihilate it. It is believed that witches get united with malevolent forces and work against the religious people and the religion as a whole to injure it due to which, witches and witchcraft are completed rebuffed in both the religions (Thomas, 1997). After knowing about witches or accused people practicing witchcraft, a major number of killings have come on the forefront historically describing the unapproved status of witchcraft in Islam and Christianity. In Christianity, witches are regarded as supporters of satanic deeds. Any work that is performed under the title of witchcraft is regarded as an anti-Christian work. Satan is thought to be working against Jesus due to which, any involvement in satanic works is again regarded as anti-Jesus (Tho mas, 1997). Christians because of their faith in Jesus and God pay attention to witchcraft as an activity that is against their religion. Like the followers of Christian religion, Jews, the followers of the religion of Jewish faith also regard witchcraft as an anti-religious activity. Such practices are linked with worshipping of gods and deities, which is a transgression from Jewish religion. To practice magic in Jewish religion is a crime as it relates to the rejection of the religion as a whole. According to the Judaism religion, witches should be punished and brought to death for their practicing the magic (Thomas, 1997). To learn about witchcraft

Discuss the tea party movement, identifyig its positive (or nebative ) Essay

Discuss the tea party movement, identifyig its positive (or nebative ) features, depending on your own political viewpoint. utilize any of the ways of thinking about political ideology your in - Essay Example Rick Santelli of CNBC has been given a high credit when in February 19, 2009 he raised his voice against the administrative proposal of the Obama government, which aimed to purchase the mortgaged securities so as to inject the capital into the economy in response to the sub prime mortgage crisis. (Rowen). However, though it is generally argued that the Tea party movement is a modern political movement staging the protests against the government in a revolutionist way, the criticisms of such movements are also emerging rapidly. The tea party movement with its progress has also mystified the people on the left and right issue. The protesters frequently try to raise them as the true patriots who are working for strengthening the public opinion over limited governmental control, free market mechanism and lower tax policies. However, we can criticize the movements, as the members of the party are very confused over the issues on which they protest. We can also say that with its activities the tea party movement has also brought and conveyed the act of racism. (Conan). However, in many conservative blogs the bloggers have tried drawing the attention of the people in favor of the tea party movement. In the blog like ‘HOT AIR’, Mr Allahpundit has raised his arguments that Mr. Obama also knows the significance of tea party movement in America and he has deliberately use the term â€Å"teabaggers† before the media. (Allahpundit). But in the more liberal blogs like ‘Fred’s Humboldt Blog’ the justification and evaluation of such movement has been discussed more generously. In this blog the blogger has raised his support towards the tea party movements by arguing that there are thousands of people now involved in this movement and it may force the government to go for lower tax and smaller government policies. (The tea parties). Notwithstanding, we may argue that at present there are many crises, which are gradually taking

The Rusty Time Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Rusty Time - Essay Example His father was getting more and more concerned, because Michael wasn’t the sociable little boy he used to be. As if he closed himself from the whole world, even him, his own father. No matter what he did, what he offered, Michael would bleakly, yet determinedly thank him, then refuse. He went downstairs and clicked on the big screen on the wall of the kitchen. A computerized voice greeted him facelessly, and asked what he would like to have for breakfast. He chose eggs and toast. The buzzing of machines wasn’t as loud as it was before they installed the newest Cook-O-Master. He thought to himself that his wife would have loved not having to cook anymore, but just indulge in her painting and taking care of Michael and him. He sighed and took the freshly prepared breakfast tray that the table produced before him. Michael stopped crying, but the sadness was all too visible in his demeanor. He went downstairs and joined his father at the table. He wanted no breakfast. †Å"Please, dad†¦ can we try it? Just once, I believe it is possible,† Michael started. â€Å"Mike, we’ve already had this discussion. You are putting me in an awful situation having to say no over and over again. I told you, even if we did try the procedure, it is questionable whether it would work. You know that the machine transports only live matter,† his father spoke calmly, feeling tired and heartbroken having to discuss a painful thing again. â€Å"I read somewhere that new additions are made to the machine and that they managed to transport some parts of clothing†¦ Dad, we can try, we have money now, I know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Michael,† his father’s voice was getting louder and more resolute, â€Å"You know it is impossible to transport money through time†¦ and you know†¦ I feel it’s my fault that we couldn’t afford to pay for your mother’s operation†¦ We could have saved her life†¦ If onlyà ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  He buried his face into his hands and went silent. Michael felt bad and hugged his father soothingly. â€Å"Dad†¦ dad†¦ it’s not your fault†¦ you couldn’t have known we would win the lottery†¦ we had no money†¦ it was†¦ it wasn’t your fault, dad, it wasn’t†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It was, Mike, it was†¦ I am the provider, at least†¦ I was supposed to be, and I couldn’t provide your mother with the treatment†¦ it is my fault... my fault†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No, dad†¦ listen, we can try, I read†¦ I read somewhere†¦ let’s try, we have money, we can afford it now. You can go, and pay†¦ pay everything they ask†¦ just bring mom back, please, dad, please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Michael was crying in his father’s arms. His father was crushed by the weight of his guilt. He didn’t want to raise their hopes up, only for them to be shattered like glass. It would be like losing her again. And he wasn’t strong enough to go through that pain again. Not again. But, looking at his son, he felt stronger. Maybe, he thought to himself, maybe it is possible. If I make a few phone calls, maybe someone does know something. Having made several phone calls, he turned to Michael, who was looking at him with puppy dog eyes. â€Å"Alright, son, they said that they did manage to transport several pieces of cloth to the past. And, they said they are willing to give it a try, provided we pay them enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Michael jumped into his father’s arms. â€Å"But, Mike, Mike†¦ Promise me that you won’

Prevalence of One Party Rule in African States Essay Example for Free

Prevalence of One Party Rule in African States Essay Africa, often known as the ‘Dark Continent’ rightfully occupies its place as the ‘Cradle of Civilization’ as the first humans have been known to originate from this continent of diverse ethnicities, tribes and clans. Since ancient times, the very nature of African society predicated formation of kingdoms and states centered on ethnicities and clans. Later, the advent of colonialism brought to Africa new forms of governance, which included democratization, socialism, communism and dictatorships. One enduring feature of African style of governance has been the prevalence of one party rule in most African countries. This paper examines why there is such a preference for such single party model of governance in Africa. To fully examine the subject, this paper shall first provide a historical overview of the progression of styles of governance in Africa and then examine the trends in major countries that make up the African continent. The paper will argue that the intrinsic nature of the African society and the effects of colonialism predispose them to following a one party rule. Historical Overview Africa is the world’s second largest continent both in terms of size and population and has 54 countries many of which are struggling democracies, a few communist regimes, and a number of authoritarian regimes bordering on dictatorship. Since ancient times, Africa had its indigenous systems of governance based on tribes and ethnic affinities. Africa also had great civilizations like the Egyptian civilization in 3300 B. C (Martin OMeara, 1995, p. 79). The earliest foreign influence came in 814 B. C. with the founding of Carthage in present day Tunisia under the Roman Empire which was followed by Persian domination of Egypt. In 332 B. C. , Alexander the Great replaced the Persian domination of Egypt and Roman rule continued in much of North Africa till the advent of Islam in the early 7th century (Martin OMeara, p. 99). In all these cases, the style of governance was centralized, as exercised by the emperor based in Rome or Persia through an appointed sovereign. The influence was limited mostly to North Africa, while the rest of Africa was considered too difficult to traverse due to thick jungles. Thus even in North Africa, from ancient times, the focus was on one –man rule and that more or less ‘conditioned’ the North African people to accept models of ‘uni-power’ in those times. Since the jungles were impassable and large number of tribes and ethnicities abounded, it was natural that rest of Africa had thousands of small kingdoms, states and at times independent nomadic tribes who dominated a particular territory. Each tribe had its own set of rules, customs, traditions and styles of governance, which again was predicated on the rule of one man or a tribal elder. The concept of Greek ‘city-state’ like democracy complete with a senate and an executive was non-existence. Over time, some of the tribes became more powerful and evolved into larger settled kingdoms that coalesced around similar ethnicities and language such as the Ghanaian empire that existed in 790-1076 A. D. followed by the Mali Empire from 1230 to 1600 A. D. (Martin OMeara, p. 70) The significant changes in style of governance came with the advent of colonialism. From the 18th century and by the late 19th century, most of Africa was divided up between the colonial powers; France, Britain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Netherlands. Under colonial rule, the African people had to undergo centralized rule of the colonial powers and the brutal suppression of any African revolt reinforced this submissiveness to a one-man rule. During the colonial period, the colonial powers brought with them their systems of governance, jurisprudence and legislation (Martin OMeara, p. 8). Colonialism lost its vigor in the early 20th century and by 1980, most ex-colonies in Africa gained independence. The former colonial powers before exiting from the continent tried to put into place systems of governance in ‘their own image’. Thus across Africa, a variety of ‘democratic’ systems took hold. Most of these ‘democratic systems were basically presidential forms of government, being the closest approximation to what they were used to both as per their pre-colonial experience and their colonial experience. The end of the Second World War gave rise to the Cold War and the Soviet Union tried to expand its influence in Africa also. This gave rise to numerous socialist-communist regimes in Africa that were opposed by the U. S. leading to proxy wars. Having examined the broad trends of the historical period of Africa till the advent of independence, the paper will now examine specific examples of how prevalence of one party rule exists in Africa. It is not intended to cover all 54 countries, but few sample countries that typify the various regions of Africa. For the ease of comprehension and brevity, Africa will be discussed under the heads North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa and Southern Africa. North Africa North Africa because of its proximity to Asia had significant influence of Asian and Islamic traditions superimposed on ethnic African traditions and cultures. It is because of the spread of Islam in the 7th century, most of North Africa is Islamic. Islam, an egalitarian religion is considered as a complete body of work wherein all aspects of human life including politics and governance can be practiced through the Quran, the Holy book and the Hadith, the Islamic interpretation of Jurisprudence. Under Islamic law and Islamic political systems, an Islamic state is governed by a Caliph and where a Caliph no longer exists, then by a monarch or a ruler. Ideas such as secularism and democracy have very little congruence with the practice of political Islam. When such a system is overlaid over ancient tribal culture of a village head, it becomes natural that a state be ruled by a monarch or an authoritarian head and if not, the nearest approximation, a single grouping or party. Take for example, Egypt. Egypt, since ancient times was a land ruled by the Pharaohs, then the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Ottomans and the Arabs. In the colonial era, Egypt was ruled by Britain but the largely Islamic populace got independence from Britain in 1922 (Pateman El-Hamamsy, 2003, p. 28). Egypt was initially a constitutional monarchy and had adopted the British parliamentary system of government but constant political interference from Britain led to internal turmoil that finally resulted in a military coup in 1952 (Pateman El-Hamamsy, p. 28) in which the monarchy was overthrown and Egypt declared itself to be a Republic under General Muhammed Naquib. Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew Naguib in 1954 to become the Egyptian President. Nasser, on assuming power banned all political parties and created a one party named the Liberation Rally to run the government. This move helped him consolidate his power and rule Egypt till his death in 1970 after which he was succeeded by Anwar El-Sadat, the vice President (Pateman El-Hamamsy, p. 29). Sadat carried out political reforms and reverted to a multi-party system (Pateman El-Hamamsy, p. 31); creating one of the parties called the National Democratic Party and remained the President till he was assassinated in 1981 by a group of Egyptian army officers during an army parade (Pateman El-Hamamsy, p. 29). Sadat’s successor, Hosni Mubarak is still in office since 1981 and is the present leader of the National Democratic Party. Though by the Egyptian constitution, multi-party system is allowed, due to sustained state patronage, the National Democratic Party is the only party which has the necessary financial and political clout to win elections. There are other smaller parties that have virtually no chance of winning a single election and till to date Egypt is essentially ruled by a single party. Libya, a British colony was declared as a monarchy under King Idris in 1951 but was overthrown by a revolution led by Colonel Muammer al-Gaddafi in 1969 (Wright, 1981, p. 130) who has ruled the country ever since. Political parties were banned by Gaddafi in 1972 and the country is ruled by the ‘revolutionary leader’, Gaddafi aided by a Revolutionary Committee also called as the People’s Congress. Tunisia was a French protectorate that became independent in 1956 and adopted a Presidential form of government, copying the French model, except that it rapidly turned into an authoritarian police state where most ‘Presidents’ have been military personnel. The present incumbent, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is a former military officer (Perkins, 2004, p. 7). On paper, political parties are allowed but in reality, it is only the President’s party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally that gets almost all the seats. The rest of the political parties are usually browbeaten into submission by the state’s security system and there is virtually no free press. The farcical nature of Tunisian ‘democracy’ can be gauged by the fact that in the 2009 presidential election, Ben Ali received 89. 62% votes to continue as the President (Lowe Amara, 2009, p. 1). The ancient kingdom of Morocco, a French and Spanish Protectorate gained independence in 1956 as a constitutional monarchy, a system that continues till to date. Though the King of Morocco has a prime minister, a parliament and a multi-party system, the style of governance continues to be rule by one man, the King (Forum, 2008, p. 49). West Africa In West Africa, the situation is slightly different. Here more than Islamic influence, it was the effect of local dynamics, ethnic rivalries, Christian missionaries and communist influence that has determined the preference for single party rule. Take for example Liberia, the only other country other than Ethiopia which has an American connection rather than a European past. Liberia was created through a private American enterprise to house freed African American slaves and became independent in 1847. Since, the project was American led; Liberia adopted a presidential form of system. However, the American backed Liberian elite who ruled the country came in conflict with 16 other indigenous ethnicities living in Liberia. Since the regime was thrust ‘top down’ from the Americans, tensions quickly developed and a coup by a group of ethnic military soldiers led by Samuel Doe took place in 1980. Doe replaced the presidential republic with his authoritarian regime. Political parties were allowed to exist but their freedom remained curtailed by the regime which furthered the hold of its own party, the National Democratic Party of Liberia. The 1985 election results in which the opposition Liberal Action Party won were declared invalid by Doe, which led to the Liberian Civil War in 1989. Doe was killed and the power passed into the hands of Charles Taylor (Moran, 2008, p. 106), who continued his dictatorial regime which again led to another civil war in 1999 that continued up to 2003 and only came to halt with Charles Taylor being forced into exile in Nigeria. From 1847 till 2003, Liberia was ruled by the Americo-Liberian elite and their single party. Since 2003, a transitional government was put into place with international intervention, which because of corruption was dissolved and fresh presidential elections were again held in 2005 and was won by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the head of Unity Party who became the first woman President of an African country (Polgreen, 2005, p. 1). Nigeria got its independence from Britain in 1960 and had numerous political parties. These political parties were sharply defined along ethnic lines comprising of three main ethnicities; the Hausa, the Igbo and the Yoruba (Rotberg, 2007, p. 19). The Yoruba dominated Nigerian National Democratic Party won the elections in 1965, which led to political dissensions and instability resulting in two military coups in 1966. This did not resolve the problem as the Igbo, dominating the Eastern region of the country declared independence from Nigeria leading to the Nigerian civil war 1967-1970 that led to over a million deaths. The civil war ended but not the ethnic strife and the military continued to rule Nigeria with coups and assassination of the presidents being a regular feature. For thirty years, Nigeria continued under military rule till 1999 when it finally elected Lusegun Obasanjo, a former military dictator as its President. Obasanjo was re-elected in 2003 (Rotberg, p. 13) as the President amidst allegations of rigging. Obasanjo was replaced by Umaru YarAdua of the People’s Democratic Party in 2007 and on his demise now been replaced by Goodluck Jonathan (Nossiter, 2010, p. 1). So while the American model was adopted, the actual functioning of a presidential type of government has been a recent development in Nigeria’s history. At present there are two main parties in Nigeria, the ruling People’s Democratic Party and the opposition All Nigeria People’s Party with numerous smaller parties. What must be noted is that a democratic political system in Nigeria is still nascent and fragile and should ethnic differences arise again it will not be long that another military coup will take place in the interests of ‘national security’. Angola became independent in 1975 after having been a Portuguese colony from the 16th century. Angolan independence came right in middle of the Cold War where Soviet influence in Africa was rising. The independent country was immediately plunged into a civil war between the Soviet backed Communist MPLA faction and the American backed anti-communist UNITA rebels (Sheehan, Yong, Lin, 2010, p. 38). The Angolan civil war continued for 27 years (Sheehan, Yong, Lin, p. 43) till declaration of ceasefire in 2002 by which time over 500,000 people were killed. The ideological factions had an ethnic base too wherein the MPLA comprised basically Angolans of the Kimbundu clan and the UNITA, the Ovimbundu tribe. Presently, the Communist MPLA holds power in Angola. As can be deduced, this being a communist regime with no legitimacy, the concept of political parties in a democratic system does not apply. East Africa East Africa including the Horn of Africa portrays a region of extreme instability with a few deceptively stable nations. Sudan, the first country being analyzed, after gaining independence from Egypt and Britain in 1956, was gripped by a civil war till 1973 (Barker, 2008, p. 16). This civil war was basically because of ethnic differences between the people of Northern Sudan (Islamic of Arabic lineage) and Southern Sudan (non-Islamic of non-Arab lineage). While the civil war raged, Khartoum was ruled by the Sudanese military. A ceasefire in 1973 negotiated through granting autonomy to Southern Sudan kept the peace till 1983 when the military general, and the de-facto President, Nimeiry unilaterally decided to incorporate Southern Sudan into a federation. The civil war continued (Barker, p. 18), Nimeiry was ousted in 1983 and replaced by a democratic government under Prime Minister Al Sadig Al Mahdi which was not recognized by the Sudan’s People Liberation Army (SPLA) of Southern Sudan. Civil war continued anew. In 1989, Colonel Omar al-Bashir over threw Prime Minister Al Mahdi, abolished political parties and established an Islamic code on entire Sudan. Al-Bashir formed the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation and allied his group with National Islamic Front to consolidate Islamization of firstly, Northern Sudan and then the rest of the country. In the subsequent military action by the Sudanese army, the SPLA were defeated in Southern Sudan by 1994. Having achieved consolidation, Bashir dissolved the revolutionary council in 1993. In the 1996 election Bashir declared himself to be the only candidate eligible to run for President. All other political parties were disbanded and Bashir converted Sudan into an Islamic state with single party at its helm – the newly created National Congress Party (NCP). Meanwhile, Bashir unleashed a brutal war of suppression on the non-Arab ethnic minorities in the Darfur region using proxy militia known as the Janjaweed that has resulted in deaths of over 400,000 Darfuris (Kessler, 2005, p. 1) leading to an indictment of Al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide. At the tip of the Horn of Africa lies the failed state of Somalia where no functional government exists. Somalia was never formally colonized by any power and had come under a variety of influences ranging from Islamic influence during the Ottoman Empire, Fascist influence under Mussolini’s Italy and then British military administration from 1941 that was replaced by the formation of a republic of Somalia in 1961 with a parliamentary form of government (Lewis, 2008, p. 33). This brief democratic interlude was shattered in 1969 when President Shermake was assassinated and replaced by a military government. The military created the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party in 1976 and ruled the nation till 1990. Meanwhile, various Islamic factions and clans grew in size and potency that overthrew the military government leading to a series of skirmishes through the period, 1990-1991. The long standing military dictator, Siad Barre was ousted in 1991 and President Ali Muhammed was installed, yet the civil war continued. The UN Security Council approved the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM) in 1992 that has since been replaced by UNOSOM II with no success. Presently, a Transitional Federal Government (Lewis, p. x)is the internationally recognized government of Somalia whose writ does not even run through the entire city of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. In the dismal narrative so far, Kenya appears to be a bright democratic spark in the African continent. After achieving independence from Britain in 1963, Kenya adopted a semi-presidential form of government albeit, with the peculiar African preference for single party rule. The Kenyan constitution mandated formation of only a single party in Kenya. Governments continued to be formed under the single party system until 1992 when electoral reforms were introduced to allow a multiparty system. The elections since then have been held in generally free and fair manner. The 2007 elections were marred by allegations of rigging in which the main opposition party, the Orange Democratic Freedom accused the ruling Party of National Unity for stealing the election. In the ensuing rioting, over 1000 Kenyans lost their lives (Raghavan, 2010, p. 1) and hundreds of thousands were displaced. Peace was restored through international mediation in 2008 and the country is presently being run by a grand coalition of members of both the parties under a new constitution (Raghavan, p. 1). Kenya’s relative stability is attributed to the British colonial era, where unlike the rest of Africa, the colonists set up educational institutions and government infrastructure. Also, unlike the other African countries, 78% of Kenyans are Christians while 10% are Muslims, 10% indigenous and the rest 2% are Asian immigrants (CIA World Factbook, 2010, p. 1). Central Africa In Central Africa, the Republic of Congo has been in the news for decades for all the wrong reasons. Congo received independence from France in 1960 and adopted the French presidential model of governance. However, the first President, Fulbert Youlou was ousted in 1963 by a military coup, which then installed a puppet civilian government (Rorison, 2008, p. 225) and also adopted communist ideology. In 1965, the Congo republic formally joined hands with the Soviet Union, firmly coming into the soviet bloc (Rorison, p. 226). This alignment did not bring about political stability as the original French democratic influence clashed with the ‘uni-power’ Soviet ideology leading to a series of coups and dictatorship under Denis Sassou. During his first spell of rule from 1979 to 1992, Sassou ruled Congo under a single party rule of the Congolese Labor Party (PCT) (Rorison, p. 227). When external pressures grew strong, he introduced multiparty system in 1990 and was defeated in the 1992 Presidential election. Sassou’s ouster led to a civil war between the supporters of Sassou and his competitor Pascal Lissouba. Sassou, a former colonel won the civil war and proclaimed himself as the President in 1997. In 2009, Sassou was sworn in for another seven-year period (Amnesty International, 2010, p. 1). In Congo’s case too, for most of its independent history, the country has been ruled by a single party and now despite a multi-party ‘democracy’ in place, the original political party, the PCT continues to rule the country. Southern Africa In Southern Africa, any discussion regarding Africa would remain incomplete without illustrating the case of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe, originally Rhodesia became independent after a violent struggle with the British in 1980. Throughout the period, 1965-1979, the country was engulfed in a civil war between British government forces and the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) led by Robert Mugabe and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) led by Joshua Nkomo as also a number of smaller splinter groups (Raftopoulos Mlambo, 2009, pp. 141-165). In the 1980 elections, Robert Mugabe won by a wide margin but fighting with opposing parties and groups continued. The two main parties the ZANU and ZAPU fought bitterly until 1988 when ceasefire was declared and the two parties merged into ZANU-PF thus starting Zimbabwe’s slide into single party dominated system (Raftopoulos Mlambo, p. 179). Till to date the ZANU-PF has won every single election by force. Mugabe’s policies of throwing out the white farmers and forcibly occupying lands and giving it to the poor black resulted in economic sanctions by the West and a meltdown of the economy. Owing to his bad economic policies, hyperinflation struck the country and created political space for Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change to challenge him in the 2008 elections. The results were rigged but could not conclusively establish Tsvangirai’s claim of having won the elections. In September 2008, Mugabe maintained his power as the President by agreeing to share power with Tsvangirai who became the Prime Minister (Raftopoulos Mlambo, p. xxxii). Yet again, the single party rule dominates Zimbabwe. Finally, a discussion of Africa would be incomplete without examining its most prosperous and advanced state – South Africa. In South Africa, the colonial power, the Dutch did not relinquish their hold over the country and continued in the form of Apartheid, which was once again predicated on the dominance of a single party – the White minority party thereby conditioning the people of South Africa to rule by a single party. However, the violent suppression of the minorities could not continue indefinitely and ever since 1961, when South Africa left the British Commonwealth (Berger, 2009, p. 166) the white minority National Party faced constant protest from the black majority for equality. Till 1993, the National Party had banned other political parties (Berger, p. 166) and it was only in the face of sustained international pressure and internal struggle by the black and colored populations that the ban was lifted in 1993 and the African National Congress (ANC) led by Nelson Mandela was allowed to participate in elections. In Mandela, the South Africans found a charismatic leader who exuded the moral authority and statesmanship, which promised to build a future for the suppressed races. Mandela delivered on his promises but also led to consolidation of the ANC as the only party of choice for the people of Africa. The National Party chose to merge with the ANC and this yet again showed the propensity of Africans to prefer single party rule. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be reiterated that analysis of all the regions of Africa shows a remarkable similarity of circumstances that seemed to have shaped their preference for single party rule. The ethnic make up into tribes and clans were at the most basic level, the building blocks for adhering to the instructions of the clan leader or village headman. This obedience in turn was further conditioned by brutal colonial rule, where the colonial masters used every suppressive means to keep the Africans submissive. Suppression and exploitation itself became the rallying point for the African clans to unite and fight for their independence. Since most of the colonial powers only exploited Africa and did not build institutions, the succeeding indigenous governments had no infrastructural back up to employ their people or give immediate succor; naturally, the people fell back to tribal and clan loyalties as rallying forces. Since these points of opposition had to be formed clandestinely, they became sort of secret societies that formed oligarchic groups to fight for independence. On attaining independence the basic dynamics of the groups did not change and they continued as a closed ‘in-group’, which only heightened social inequalities and strife broke out in most cases. As democratic institutions had not been allowed to mature under the colonial period, people tended to cluster around the ‘village headman’, in other words, any leader with some charisma and since one institution that always has a clearly defined leader is the army, most governments became victims of military takeovers. The populace conditioned by colonial repression now became victims of military repression. Military forces needed a ‘democratic fig leaf’ to govern nations and so they set up political parties which were then headed by serving or former military officers to perpetrate the rule of a single party in the states. Parts of Africa that had predominantly Islamic influence adopted Islamic laws, which ideologically are not compatible with democratic secularism. Therefore, these countries by default became ruled by a king or a dictator or by a single party. Where the Cold War intruded the African political space, communist regimes under laid by African tribalism became the dominant feature. In these cases, the political ideology required the rule of the state by a single party. Later, when communist regimes fell, the old habit of single party rule lingered on. Thus the assertion that there is prevalence of one party rule in African states is emphatically proved. However, as can be seen from the examples of African states discussed, the hold of one party system is slowly changing. Multiple parties are emerging as the African people are becoming more aware of the wider world through the process of globalization. They are also realizing the need for multiple choices for governance as a panacea against corruption and despotism. So while the one-party prevalence in Africa may seem predominant at the present, political evolution of the African polity is taking place that will, in time transform into a more inclusive political process across the continent. References Amnesty International. (2010). Congo (Republic of). Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www. unhcr. org/refworld/country,,,,COG,,4c03a835c,0. html Barker, G. (2008). Sudan. NY: Marshall Cavendish. Berger, I. (2009). South Africa in World History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. CIA World Factbook. (2010, August 3). Kenya. 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