Nuclear Arms Control In India And The Abm Treaty Essays

Nuclear Arms Control In India And The Abm Treaty Nuclear Diplomacy and Arms Control 1. There would be several advantages for the Government of India by adhering to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). For instance, adhering would ease international pressures spearheaded by the United States, Great Britain, and France. As India is just starting to become a nuclear power of its own, the already nuclear ?powers that be? want to use India as an example to the rest of the world. As more countries become nuclear, they should sign the CTBT and follow the footsteps of the rest of the world powers. Another advantage of adhering to the CTBT is that Pakistan will also sign if India signs. (N.B. with the stipulation that the US ratifies the treaty) If Pakistan adheres; it will be easier for the Indian government to use information obtained by national means of verification ?in a manner consistent with generally recognized principles of international law, including that of respect for the sovereignty of States.? (CTBT Article IV #5) This means that India will be abl e to see how much Pakistan is adhering to the stipulations of CTBT. There are however, several disadvantages of adhering to the CTBT. For instance, if India does not adhere, the government keeps on testing; Pakistan would match test for test. Both countries have been at odds with each other for a while. When India tested a nuclear explosion, Pakistan answered immediately with a test of their own. If India does not adhere they would be put in a costly and possibly deadly arms race with the Pakistani government. Defense spending would increase drastically on both sides. The Pakistani economy is not as strong as the Indian, which means that Pakistan will be the first to declare bankruptcy. A failed economy with an internal government in turmoil could heighten the chance of a Taleban-like group to seize power in Pakistan. If a radical group with a hatred of the Indian government were to take power, an all-out war would be imminent, possibly nuclear. The CTBT also focuses too much on the big nuclear powers of the world. Countries such as the United States , Russia, and China are the real winners in this deal. Smaller countries such as India have to worry about threats, as the ?big ones' do not. For example, India is in constant turmoil with Pakistan, and both are have nuclear capabilities. If India does not adhere to the CTBT, neither will Pakistan. If this were to be so, India would have to stockpile enough nuclear arms to stay on top of Pakistan. This is relevant to the US-USSR model of deterrence. The United States wanted to have a large number of nuclear weapons to be able to back up their threat of nuclear attacks on Russian soil. If the USSR were to launch, the United States wanted to have a second strike capability which would cripple the Russian homeland, hence to deter the Russians from making a preemptive strike. India also wants to deter Pakistan from launching if neither adheres to the CTBT. India wants to continue as a nuclear power to try and deter the Pakistani government from launching into Indian Territory. 2. If the United States were to build their Anti Ballistic Missile system (ABM) in North America, it would be a clear violation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty signed in 1972, thus forcing the U.S withdrawal from the treaty. The U.S. government point of view has been that the new ABM system will be focused on shooting down limited attacks from ?rogue? nuclear states, considered to be North Korea, Iran, and possibly Iraq. This possible ABM system has Russia in an uproar. There are definite fears throughout the Russian government if the U.S. builds this ABM system. For instance, with this new ABM system, the United States would have a distinct advantage in the nuclear arms division. The U.S. could possibly have a distinct first strike capability, which would be remarkably efficient. This is a valid fear among Russian officials. The U.S. could hypothetically launch first against the Russians. Russia would then launch in retaliation to the attack. With the new ABM system set up, the United

30 Sports Idioms

30 Sports Idioms 30 Sports Idioms 30 Sports Idioms By Mark Nichol This post lists and defines terms derived from two or more distinct sports that by extension serve as idioms in other realms of endeavor outside athletics. (The original meaning is provided in parentheses.) 1. ace: accomplish something with ease (slang term for when an opposing player or team fails to return a serve) 2. bench: keep someone from participating; as a noun, a figurative reference to the members of a group as a whole or to the depth of talent of the group members collectively (seating for players not competing) 3. bench-warmer: a person with a negligible role (slang term for a player who spends most or all of a game sitting on the team bench rather than participating in competition) 4. cheap shot: a hurtful or unfair critical comment (an illegal hit during a contact sport) 5. drop the ball: fail or make a mistake (lose control of a ball and thus give up possession of it in favor of the opposing team) 6. game changer: something that significantly and suddenly changes a situation (a play during a game that abruptly alters the likely outcome) 7. game plan: strategy (the approach athletes practice to achieve victory in a competition) 8–9. get/keep the ball rolling: start an activity or project, or maintain progress on an activity or project, respectively (putting and keeping a ball in motion so that regulation play continues) 10. goal line: an achievement or benchmark considered a success (the line on a playing field across which a ball must cross in order for points to be scored) 11. hat trick: a very clever or deft maneuver (a series of three consecutive achievements in a game or season, based on a tradition in which a cricket player was awarded a hat for such an accomplishment) 12. hotshot: a conspicuously successful or talented person, or one who believes himself or herself to be especially successful or talented; often used sarcastically or derogatorily (a player unusually successful in making shots, or goals) 13. level playing field: an equitable arrangement (a flat surface on which a competition is held so that a slope does not favor one team) 14. long shot: an effort, or a person or thing, with little chance of success (an attempt to score a goal from a far distance) 15. losing streak: a record of a series of failures (a sequence of successive defeats by an athlete or team) 16. make the cut: qualify (having one’s name remain on a roster from which the names of other prospective team members have been removed or struck out, signifying retention of the one who has made the cut and disqualification of the others) 17. on the ball: alert, successful (remaining close to, or gaining possession of, a ball in a competition in order to achieve victory) 18. on the sidelines: having an indirect or insignificant role (the area next to the boundary of the playing area where team members not participating in a competition watch game play) 19. out of bounds: not acceptable or appropriate (outside the field of play, where a ball may not be carried or moved to score a point or goal until it is returned to a prescribed place on the field and play officially resumes) 20. referee: a mediator or arbitrator (an official responsible for overseeing a competition and monitoring that rules are being observed) 21. ringer: a person with a striking resemblance to another person, or an unauthorized substitute (a competitor not authorized to play) 22. score: achieve or obtain something desired, or record outcomes or results; as a noun, the status of a situation, or pertinent information (the tally kept during a competition) 23. sideline: as a noun, an additional pursuit or product line; as a verb, keep or remove from participation; in plural form, the state of observing rather than participating (the line marking the boundary of the playing field) 24. stay ahead of the game: anticipate changes in a series of events or incidents (predicting how a competition will play out and using that knowledge to affect the outcome) 25. take sides: support one faction or position at the extent of the other (forming the prescribed arrangement of team members before a competition begins) 26. team player: someone who gets along well with others or is loyal to a cause (an athlete whose performance supports a team’s success) 17. stage of the game: a point during a series of actions or events leading to an outcome (the notion of a particular interval or moment during a competition) 28. time out: a pause or break to assess a situation or provide time for reflection, or removal of a child from an activity as a form of punishment (one of a prescribed number of interruptions in competition each team is allowed to take to temporarily halt game play to discuss strategy) 29. winning streak: a series of successes (a sequence of successive victories by an athlete or team) 30. workout: an exercise routine, or any strenuous effort (a series of activities or exercises an athlete undergoes to enhance physical conditioning) 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†45 Synonyms for â€Å"Old† and â€Å"Old-Fashioned†13 Theatrical Terms in Popular Usage

Mobile Application by

Mobile Application by Mobile Application by We are happy to announce the release of our mobile app for Android users. The mobile app is meant to make your user experience more convenient and effective. This app is essentially the tool that allows you to gain total control over the writing process. You are able to view all your orders, communicate with your writer staff, download or upload files and rate your completed papers. As you can see the app allows you to do essentially same things that customer control panel does with the only difference that you dont have to work from your computer a good old smartphone or tablet will do. After you install the app, you will need to log into it. There are two ways of authorization: you can either log in using your username password or you can use your facebook account. The latter method is the most convenient option because it does everything in just one click. For your information: we do not track facebook logins, do not store this information in any way, so rest assured your personal information will not be released to anyone else. Want to know more? Go here: Ordering Procedure and Its Staff Our Writers The History of Our Partners Once you log in, you will see that your mobile app is subdivided into three categories: current orders, completed orders all orders. These titles speak for themselves, so we will not explain them in great detail. You can see their status, order title order number. To view order details, touch the respective order. Once you enter this section, you will see your order details, including things like progress, type of order, a number of pages, academic subject, deadline and your writer ID. Use other sections (info, messages, review, rating) to navigate through the app and access the function you need. Thank you for downloading and installing the application on your smartphone. We hope you find this application useful and really enjoy it. We are happy to hear any feedback from you, please email our support team at support@

Adult Learning Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Adult Learning Theory - Assignment Example This theory carries with it some assumptions about self-concept, experience, readiness, motivation, and, orientation to learning as well as relevance. These assumptions give the individuals a chance to take the initiative, with or without the help of others to diagnose their needs in learning, formulate them, identify human and material resources for learning, preferring and putting into practice appropriate learning strategies as well as evaluating the outcomes (Brookfield, 2005). This is what differs with the learning of children due to the fact that the characters portrayed in this theory, such as self-reliance cannot be present in childhood learning as it requires a lot of guidance from teachers or instructors depending with the kind of teaching they are going through (Hall, et al., 2004). I recall my recent workshop training on the importance of adult learning based on â€Å"learning the new electronic medical record’ in all in the medical fraternity. The workshop had come up to encourage most of the hospitals to come up with an adult learning session so as to improve the mode of working for its members. During, the experiences there was the principle of adult learning the entails practice and problem centred where people were taught how to insert a chip under the skin of the patient so as to come up with all the health issues that are affecting the patients, thus encouraging the keeping of health records. There was the use of collaborative, authentic problem-solving activities such as understanding what to do especially when some or all the gadgets were not working (Hohler, 2003). By giving new ideas and offering suggestions through the discussions that were held. This learning experience brought to light the importance of positive self-esteem especially based on the kind of profession that was on hand. It emphasized the importance that individual being more effective and confident through practice and establishing routines and self-set goals ensuring that they are met at all cost. New ideas were also incorporated in relation to the previous experience that was gained with the help of the of the days topic.  

How does fire frequency influence tree species diversity in the boreal Research Proposal

How does fire frequency influence tree species diversity in the boreal forest - Research Proposal Example Its unique characteristics are quickly changing as a result of human and natural pressure and this area is expected to be one of the most rapidly impacted regions of the world by the climate change that is ongoing which might lead to degradation of the Boreal eco systems in the end (Shvidenko & Apps, 2006). Canada is the largest producer and exporter of forest products with most of these products coming from the boreal forest that is there and therefore it may not come as a surprise that Canada has an advanced forest industry and also a forest management that is equally advanced. This has not stopped the forest in Canada from being significantly affected by changes that are occurring in the natural disturbances that include wild fire and insect outbreaks that have been taking place in the last few decades (Shvidenko & Apps, 2006). It is expected that the Boreal forest in particular will be vulnerable to disease, fire and competition from other tree species as the climate changes continue to be experienced and the weather gets warmer but the natural replacement in forest will take some time (Louiseize, 2005). Fire spread is not only a function of weather, but it also depends on topography, fuel load, types and spatial arrangement as well as active suppression and this therefore means that the fire spread simulations for everyday fire management require a large amount of information that is site specific (Pueyo, 2007). Being able to predict future fire activity that is related to climate change is a leap towards appreciating the future state of the Boreal ecosystem since the natural disturbances are usually controlled by the interplay between biotic and abiotic factors. Forest fire is the dominant natural disturbance that exists in Canada’s western Boreal forest where the fire regime of a particular area reflects the integration of

Boring but Paid Well Job Essay Example for Free

Boring but Paid Well Job Essay Would you take a really boring job if it paid well? Or are you the type of person to stay in a job that stimulates you even if the money is bad? Many people face dilemma when they choose their jobs: what they really want are high salaries. If one chooses what one really wants, one can be happy with a job but how much one earns from a job cannot be ignored either. However, given a choice between those two, I would definitely lean more towards whether I am happy with my job than having a high salary since happiness cannot be gained by money and satisfaction with a job that brings even more success. To my opinion job satisfaction is paramount. Much of a person’s life is spent at work. The job has to be done. It is the way of getting the salary. In a perfect world a person has the job they love with a salary they dream about. Very few of us live in this very perfect world. So why is job satisfaction more important than the salary? First of all, being happy with a job is more important than having a high salary because money cannot buy happiness. If we cannot enjoy working and indulging in what we do, it means we gain nothing even though we are earning a high salary. Most people spend about or more than half of a day at work. It would be a torture to be stuck in a load of job which we never enjoy. On the other hand, one can gain self satisfaction if one is doing what one really wants even if one does not make a lot of money. Secondly, being happy with a job can bring even more success. If one works for one’s goal or dream, not for money, one would put a lot of effort into one’s work. Then, there is not doubt that outcomes or results coming from one’s work will be more successful. For example, the famous Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, forsook his safe way of getting a stable job when he decided to quit Harvard because he knew he was happy with life in the university. So, he chose a difficult way only to pursue what he really wanted and the belief that he would change the world. Without his brave decision, Microsoft would not have been born. Is money important? Certainly. However, it is important to note that money doesn’t buy happiness. Money does buy opportunities. These opportunities may or may not turn into a good thing, so it is a gamble. Job satisfaction is not a gamble. It is a constant everyday process. There are some days one likes their job better than others, but overall job satisfaction is fairly consistent. Money can not replace those hours, feelings and expectations. In conclusion, I strongly agree that being happy with a job is more important than having a high salary since money cannot buy happiness and sometimes people can be more successful when they are happy with their jobs. Nowadays, more and more people too often consider money as the most important factor when they choose something. A recent UK survey found that British workers were now ranking job satisfaction lower than money when it came changing jobs. That might be a trend created by the global financial crisis, as people become more aware of their financial circumstances. However, I believe people should listen to what they are really keen about in their hearts, especially when they make important decisions like choosing their jobs which might influence their entire lives. It may not be true for every individual, but for most, it is more important to love what you are doing than it is to make more money than necessary. Money is simply one rung in the job satisfaction ladder.

Gothic Art :: essays research papers

Gothic Art began in 1137 with the rebuilding of the chair of the abbey church of St. Denis. Gothic Art is the style of art produced in Europe from the Middle Ages up to the beginning of the Renaissance. Typically religious in nature, is especially known for the distinctive arched design of its churches, its stained glass, and its illuminated manuscripts. Gothic, although symbolic, is a lot more anecdotal and naturalistic than Romanesque. In the late 14th century, anticipating the Renaissance, Gothic Art evolved towards a more secular style known as International Gothic. One of the best-known artists of this period is Simone Martini. Simone Martini was a Sienese painter who greatly influenced the development of the International Gothic style, and was a major figure in the development of early Italian painting. Giovanni Pisano was an Italian sculptor, as was his father Nicola Pisano. His work shows a mixture of French Gothic and the classical style. Among his works are: Pulpit for the Duomo di Siena, Sculptures and architectural design for the facade of the cathedral in Siena, Pulpit for the church of S. Andrea in Pistoia, The five reliefs on the pulpit are the Annunciation and Nativity, the Adoration, Dream of the Magi and Angel warning Joseph, the Massacre of the Innocents, the Crucifixion, and the Last Judgement, and the Pulpit for the Pisa Cathedral. The extraordinary painter Hieronymus Bosch stands apart from the prevailing Flemish traditions in painting. His style was unique, strikingly free, and his symbolism, unforgettably vivid, remains unparalleled to this day. Marvellous and terrifying, he expresses an intense pessimism and reflects the anxieties of his time, one of social and political upheaval The Gothic era in painting spanned more than 200 years, starting in Italy and spreading to the rest of Europe. Towards the end of this period, there were some artists in parts of the North who resisted Renaissance influences and kept to the Gothic tradition.

Government Merit Systems

Elimination of Merit Systems For many reasons, merit based civil service systems have come under assault and yet at the same time have been hailed. Merit systems do however attempt and achieve many important objectives including ensuring that an effective workforce is attracted and maintained by providing protections against arbitrary termination and by attempting to avert politically influenced hiring and promotions. Notwithstanding, the way merit systems go about attracting a workforce and the varied protections against termination are the cause of antipathy. Many would agree that a better civil service system is needed. This better civil service system should reward good service and punish bad or mediocre service with dismissal or no promotion. Equally important, this new system has to have a process to hire quality employees quickly. However, this better system needs to have all the mechanisms that are in the current merit systems to protect against corruption. This paper argues in favor of eliminating both merit system protections and merit in hiring and promotions, while at the same time evaluating the various arguments against merit systems. In public administration literature, it is argued that in order for the bureaucracy to be both efficient and effective, it has to be staffed by tenured bureaucrats who feel relatively secure in their positions and receive adequate compensation. The bureaucracy attains its power from the experience of its workforce. Indeed, the bureaucracy is made up of â€Å"seasoned and knowledgeable ‘old hands'† who have molded relations with organizations and government itself (Kaufman 2001, 8-42). Therefore, if returning to a spoils system results in arbitrary terminations the bureaucracy would be robbed of the most experienced administrators who bestow effectiveness within an agency. An important point regarding the removal of protections against arbitrary terminations is made by Charles T. Goodsell who argues that removing protections causes an â€Å"Am I Next? † mindset to occur where employees agonize over the threat of termination and which in itself can result in diminished effectiveness (1998, 653-660). In a related way to the â€Å"Am I Next? † syndrome is a breakdown of the â€Å"politics administration dichotomy† where administrators fearing termination would only perform those duties to please the administration (Durant 1998, 643-653). Accordingly, a break down in the â€Å"politics administration dichotomy† would seem to some to signal an increase in corruption and overall unethical behavior. Corruption is one of the big factors for the creation and continuance of a merit system. Those opposed to removing merit factors cite the abuses that occurred in the nineteenth century prior to the Pendleton Act. Also, tenured civil servants are necessary to assure that political appointees obey the law† (Maranto 1998, 623-643). Speaking about this was a Washington journalist, who argued that it was tenured civil servants of the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation who blew the whistle during the Watergate scandal and for this purpose tenured civil servant are needed to serve alongside appointees (Maranto 1998, 623-643). However, Robert Maranto who is a proponent of a alternative systems, points out several occurrences where tenured civil servants and political appointees worked together, such as in the Department of Housing and Urban Development scandals during the Regan administration. Specifically, Maranto argues that when any organization, private or public is under investigation â€Å"it reacts by closing ranks to outsiders and shunning suspected whistle-blowers† (1998, 623-643). Using this rationale, it could appear that having no tenure protections is the same as having tenure protections with regard to whistle-blowing. Maranto furthers the argument of corruption stating that â€Å"regular rotation of some political officials as ‘in-and-outers' helps uncover scandals because incoming appointees are not tied to existing corrupt practices, can claim credit for ending them, are not as protective of organization reputation, and have sufficient political pull outside the organization to weather attacks of those within† (1998, 623-643). Indeed, as pointed out by Maranto, the scandals of Andrew Jackson's administration had actually begun under the previous administration and were uncovered by Jackson appointees. Another argument offered by Murray was that to cite the difficulties presidents Clinton, Bush (1st), Regan and Carter had in filling executive branch positions that required presidential appointments. His argument is that if an administration is unable to fill important political positions than it is doubtful an administration â€Å"will put much urgency in finding a nominee for positions currently filled by career bureaucrats† (1998, 70-677). His argument was meant to conclude that if there is a weak administration many positions will go unfilled and result in diminished effectiveness. Nonetheless, his argument against a spoils system citing a weak presidency is apt in arguing that there will not be a massive partisan termination following elections. Moreover, there have been several Supreme Court rul ings which prohibit hiring, promotion, termination and even the awarding of contracts based on politics. Eisenhart distinguishes between five categories of public sector employees: 1)full-time permanent employees protected by some form of civil service system; 2) at-will employees who can be fired at anytime for any reason so long as the reason is not illegal; 3) contractual employees; 4) temporary employees; and 5) independent contractors (Eisenhart 1998, 58-69). These five categories of employees within the public sector are covered by Supreme Court rulings. In 1976, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in Elrod v. Bums (427 U. S. 347) that it was unconstitutional for the newly elected Democratic Sheriff of Cook County to dismiss all employees who were hired under the previous Republican administration whose positions were not in policymaking areas where political loyalty would be required. Another ruling by the U. S. Supreme Court was in 1990, Rutan v. The Republican Party of Illinois (497 U. S. 62). The U. S. Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for the Republican governor of Illinois to require applicants for hire, promotion, transfer and recall from layoff to obtain recognition from the Republican Party of Illinois prior to service. In 1996, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the Rutan decision applied to temporary employees as well. For several reasons it is unlikely an administration would commence large scale terminations after each new election. Even with a return to a spoils system an administration would not introduce massive terminations of productive workers for several reasons. First, as Kernell and McDonald argue, â€Å"the new breed of office-holding politicians who entered Congress at the end of the nineteenth century saw greater electoral payoffs from providing direct services to their constituencies than from subsidizing local party organizations. Thus they eschewed patronage for the merit system† (Ruhil and Camoes 2003, 27-43). This reflects twenty-first century American society more than it did in the nineteenth century. Also, the expensiveness of mass terminations would prevent government from mass terminations of productive employees. As argued by Kellough and Osuna â€Å"turnover also holds the potential for enormous organizational costs, including the direct costs of hiring and training new employees as well as significant in direct costs associated with lower productivity levels from newer employees and opportunity costs from situations requiring more experienced workers to provide task assistance to new colleagues (Kellough and Osuna 1995, 58-68). Indeed, research by the Saratoga Institute proposed that the replacement cost of an employee is between one and two times the individual’s salary. In another study by the Keener-Tregoe Business Issues Research Group it was estimated that it costs approximately $134,000 to replace a human resource manager in the automotive industry (Selden & Moynihan 2000, 63-74). For this reason it is just unlikely that government would commence with large scale terminations as those who are against the spoils systems contend. Equally important it is extremely expensive to run a merit system and as a result a lot of poorer states and local governments just cannot continue with the expansive hiring, promotion and discharge protocols. For instance, in a local government in the state of Michigan written test were administered to six hundred applicants for just a few vacancies, and followed up with oral examinations for all those found qualified by the written exam. It is argued that such a process is â€Å"neither practical nor an efficient use of limited government resources† (Leidlein 1993, 391-392). As a result a lot of states and local governments have tweaked their own merit systems resulting in abandonment of some merit principles or abandoning the principles all together. This situation is exemplified by Jay M. Shafritz, who argues that there is a â€Å"nether world of public personnel administration† which often exists to circumvent the maze of merit systems (1974, 486-492). For instance, in both the city of New Haven, Connecticut and the state of Idaho the personnel systems there were so time consuming they begun hiring temporaries in an effort to speed the process (Jorgensen et al. 1996, 5-20). Moreover, in Florida, Georgia and Virginia merit principles have been removed and have resulted in efficient government activities. For example, in the state of Georgia, merit protections have been removed entirely for state civil servants hired after June 30, 1996; employees hired prior to July 1, 1996 are still covered by the traditional merit system protections. In the state of Florida, merit protections were removed for all state civil servants on May 14, 2001. The result is in both Georgia and Florida, â€Å"civil servants can be hired, promoted, disciplined and fired quickly and with relative impunity; they [civil servants] accrue no seniority and therefore have no bumping rights whatsoever† (Walters 2003, 34-80). Nonetheless, in regards to Florida’s new civil service system, Mark Neimeiser, from Council 79 for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees which represents most of the state’s rank-and-file employees states that: It [Florida’s new system] exposes state workers who enforce regulations and license businesses and professionals to the risk of retribution for pursuing cases against politically well-connected Floridians. Second, it leaves higher-salaried senior staff exposed to the whims of departmental budget cutters who, like a sports-team owner trying to meet a salary cap, might be tempted to off-load more senior, high-paid staff just to save money, regardless of what it means by way of institutional brain drain or employee morale (Walters 2003, 34-80). However, according to Walters it seems that their concerns are valid. He details how there are several former employees who blew the whistle and were terminated for political reasons, either because they took regulatory action against an ally of the governor or because they were Democrats. Notwithstanding, Walters does point out that â€Å"Depending on one's view of the spoils system and what it ought to deliver to whom, such stories are either shocking or just par for the political course and no different than stories that filter out of Albany, Springfield or Sacramento whenever there's a change of party, regardless of the civil service rules† (Walters 2003, 34-80). Nevertheless, Walters does point out that there is ample evidence showing that there was widespread removal of long time employees in various Florida agencies. Yet, he does note that most of the laid-off employees were given the option of taking other jobs in government. According to AFSCME, the jobs offered typically represented demotions in both rank and pay. For example, a group of employees in the Department of Business and Professional Regulation were terminated, then allowed to reapply for jobs paying 25 percent less (Walters 2003, 34-80). As pointed out previously, one of the necessary factors for retaining workers is relative job security. And as such if termination protections are removed, it is believed a large turnover in the bureaucracy would occur (Godsell 1998, 653-660). However, a study on turnover in state government which specifically studied the environmental, organizational, and individual factors for turnover found that one determinant that prevented large turnovers was pay increases and promotions (Selden & Moynihan 2000, 63-74). Charles W. Gossett conducted a survey in the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice testing hypotheses on organizational loyalty, job mobility, and performance responsiveness between the workers covered by those hired after June 30, 1996 who has no civil service protections and those hired prior to July 1, 1996 whom still are covered by civil service protections (2003, 267-278). Some of Gossett's findings were that there were no substantial differences between the protected and un-protected civil servants in voluntary turnover and concern for the agency. However, Gossett's research did determine that un-protected workers are more willing to seek promotion within the agency and view themselves as needing to be more responsive to management because they feel they can be disciplined for any minor infractions (2003, 277). The purpose of this essay was to argue against and examine the arguments against eliminating merit systems. Given the importance of achieving an efficient and effective public workforce, it is essential to know whether eliminating merit protections and procedures will result into a more efficient and effective workforce. From the literature, it appears that the elimination of merit systems pose no horrific menace. Most of the arguments against removing merit factors, center on effectiveness and efficiency. The opponents argue that the removal of merit factors will result in hiring, promotion and termination based on political considerations. However, there are numerous federal laws, state laws and court decisions to protect every possible category of employee employed by government. Also, as evidenced in Georgia, non-protected workers tend to be more responsive to management which is good because it increases the effectiveness of executive leadership. For this purpose, chief executives are able to deliver on their promises. Getting rid of merit principles also allows government to hire qualified individuals quickly and cost effectively. Works Cited Durant, Robert F. 1998. Rethinking the unthinkable: A cautionary note. Administration & Society 29 (January): 643-653. Gossett, Charles W. 2003. The changing face of Georgia's merit system: results from an employee attitude survey in the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. Public Personnel Management 32 (Summer): 267-278. Hamilton, David K. 1999. The continuing judicial assault on patronage. Public Administration Review 59. (January): 54-62. Jorgensen, Lorna, Kelli Patton and W. David. 1996. Underground merit systems and the balance between service and compliance. Review of Public Personnel Administration 16 (Spring): 5-20. Kaufman, Herbert. 2001. Major players: Bureaucracies in American government. Public Administration Review 61. (January/February): 18-42. Leidlein, James E. 1993. In search of merit. Public Administration review 53 (July/August): 391-392. Maranto, Robert. 1998. Thinking the unthinkable in public administration: A case for spoils in the federal bureaucracy. Administration & Society 29 (January): 623-633. Ruhil, Anirudh V. S. and Pedro J. Camoes. 2003. What lies beneath: The political roots of state merit systems. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 13. (January): 27-43. Selden, Sally Coleman and Donald P. Moynihan. 2003. A model of voluntary turnover in state government. Review of Public Personnel 20 (Spring) 63-74. Walters, Jonathan. 2003. Civil service tsunami. Governing 16 (May): 34-40. ________. 1997a. Who needs civil service. Governing 10 (August): 17-21. West, William E. and Robert F. Durant. 2000. Merit, management, and neutral competence: Lessons from the U. S. Merit Systems Protection Board, FY 1988-FY 1997. Public Administration Review 60 (March/April): 111-122. Cross-agency comparisons of quit rates in the Federal Service: Another look at the evidence Author: Kellough, J Edward; Osuna, Will Source: Review of Public Personnel Administration v15n4, (Fall 1995): p. 58-68 (Length: 11 pages) ISSN: 0734-371X Number: 01152472 Copyright: Copyright Institute of Public Affairs 1995 Shafritz, J. (1974). â€Å"The Cancer Eroding Public Personnel Professionalism. † Public Personnel Management 3, 3 : 486-492

History of Feminism in the 1990’s

Overall, the rights and status of women have improved considerably in the last century; however, gender equality has recently been threatened within the last decade. Blatantly sexist laws and practices are slowly being eliminated while social perceptions of â€Å"women's roles† continue to stagnate and even degrade back to traditional ideals. It is these social perceptions that challenge the evolution of women as equal on all levels. In this study, I will argue that subtle and blatant sexism continues to exist throughout educational, economic, professional and legal arenas. Women who carefully follow their expected roles may never recognize sexism as an oppressive force in their life. I find many parallels between women's experiences in the nineties with Betty Friedan's, in her essay: The Way We Were – 1949. She dealt with a society that expected women to fulfill certain roles. Those roles completely disregarded the needs of educated and motivated business women and scientific women. Actually, the subtle message that society gave was that the educated woman was actually selfish and evil. I remember in particular the searing effect on me, who once intended to be a psychologist, of a tory in McCall's in December 1949 called â€Å"A Weekend with Daddy. † A little girl who lives a lonely life with her mother, divorced, an intellectual know-it-all psychologist, goes to the country to spend a weekend with her father and his new wife, who is wholesome, happy, and a good cook and gardener. And there is love and laughter and growing flowers and hot clams and a gourmet cheese omelet and square dancing, and she doesn't want to go home. But, pitying her poor mother typing away all by herself in the lonesome apartment, she keeps her guilty secret that from now on she will e living for the moments when she can escape to that dream home in the country where they know â€Å"what life is all about. † (See Endnote #1) I have often consulted my grandparents about their experiences, and I find their historical perspective enlightening. My grandmother was pregnant with her third child in 1949. Her work experience included: interior design and modeling women's clothes for the Sears catalog. I asked her to read the Friedan essay and let me know if she felt as moved as I was, and to share with me her experiences of sexism. Her immediate reaction was to point out that â€Å"Betty Friedan was a college educated woman and she had certain goals that never interested me. † My grandmother, though growing up during a time when women had few social rights, said she didn't experience oppressive sexism in her life. However, when she describes her life accomplishments, I feel she has spent most of her life fulfilling the expected roles of women instead of pursuing goals that were mostly reserved for men. Unknowingly, her life was controlled by traditional, sexist values prevalent in her time and still prevalent in the nineties. Twenty-four years after the above article from McCall's magazine was written, the Supreme Court decided whether women should have a right to an abortion in Roe v. Wade (410 U. S. 113 (1973)). I believe the decision was made in favor of women's rights mostly because the court made a progressive decision to consider the woman as a human who may be motivated by other things in life than just being a mother. Justice Blackmun delivered the following opinion: Maternity, or additional offspring, may force upon the woman a distressful life and future. Psychological harm may be imminent. Mental and physical health may be taxed by child care. There is also a distress, for all concerned, associated with the unwanted child, and there is the problem of bringing a child into a family already unable, psychologically and otherwise, to care for it. In other cases, as in this one, the additional difficulties and continuing stigma of unwed motherhood I feel the court decision of Roe v. Wade would not have been made in 1949. Even in 1973, it was a progressive decision. The problem of abortion has existed for the entire history of this country (and eyond), but had never been addressed because discussing these issues was not socially acceptable. A culture of not discussing issues that have a profound impact on women is a culture that The right of abortion became a major issue. Before 1970, about a million abortions were done every year, of which only about ten thousand were legal. Perhaps a third of the women having illegal abortions – mostly poor people – had to be hospitalized for complications. How many thousands died as a result of these illegal abortions no one really knows. But the illegalization of abortion clearly orked against the poor, for the rich could manage either to have their baby or to have their abortion under safe conditions. (See Endnote #3) A critic of the women's movement would quickly remind us that women have a right to decline marriage and sex, and pursue their individual interests. However, I would argue that the social pressure women must endure if they do not conform to their expected role is unfair. The problem goes beyond social conformity and crosses into government intervention (or lack thereof). The 1980's saw the pendulum swing against the women's movement. Violent acts against women who sought abortions became common and the government was unsympathetic to the victims. There are parallels between the Southern Black's civil rights movement and the women's movement: Blacks have long been accustomed to the white government being unsympathetic to violent acts against them. During the civil rights movement, legal action seemed only to come when a white civil rights activist was killed. Women are facing similar disregard presently, and their movement is truly one A national campaign by the National Organization of Women began on 2 March 1984, demanding hat the US Justice Department investigate anti-abortion terrorism. On 1 August federal authorities finally agreed to begin to monitor the violence. However, Federal Bureau of Investigation director, William Webster, declared that he saw no evidence of â€Å"terrorism. Only on 3 January 1985, in a pro-forma statement, did the President criticize the series of bombings as â€Å"violent anarchist acts† but he still refused to term them â€Å"terrorism. † Reagan deferred to Moral Majoritarian Jerry Falwell's subsequent campaign to have fifteen million Americans wear â€Å"armbands† on 22 January 1985, â€Å"one or every legal abortion† since 1973. Falwell's anti-abortion outburst epitomized Reaganism's orientation: â€Å"We can no longer passively and quietly wait for the Supreme Court to change their mind or for Congress to pass a law. † Extremism on the right was no vice, moderation no virtue. Or, as Hitler explained in Mein Kamph, â€Å"The very first essential for success is a perpetually constant and regular employment of violence. † (See Endnote #4) This mentality continued on through 1989 during the Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (109 S. Ct. 3040 (1989)) case. The Reagan Administration had urged the Supreme Court to use this case as the basis for overturning Roe v. Wade. † (See Endnote #5) It is disturbing that the slow gains achieved by the women's movement are so volatile and endangered when conservative administrations gain a majority in government. To put the problem into perspective: a woman's right to have an abortion in this country did not come until 1973. Less than two decades later, the president of the United States is pushing to take that right away. It seems blatant that society is bent on putting women in their places. From the above examples, it appears American culture prefers women as non-professional, non-intellectual, homemakers and mothers. This mentality is not easily resolved, because it is introduced at a young age. Alice Brooks experienced inequality on the basis of her race and her sex. In her autobiography, A Dream Deferred, she recalls the reaction of her father when she brought up the idea of college to him: I found a scholarship for veterans' children and asked my father to sign and furnish proof that he was a veteran. He refused and told me that I was only going to get married and have babies. I needed to stay home and help my mother with her kids. My brother needed college to support a family. Not only was I not going to get any help, I was also tagged as selfish because I wanted to This is another example of women being labeled as selfish for wanting the same opportunities as men. Alice Brooks is a very courageous woman; seemingly able to overcome any oppression she may encounter. During her presentation to our class, she said that â€Å"women who succeed in male dominated fields are never mediocre – they are extraordinary achievers. † Her insight encapsulates uch of the subtle sexism that exists today. I feel that no one can truly be equal in a society when only the â€Å"extraordinary achievers† are allowed to succeed out of their expected social role. This attitude of rising blatant and subtle attacks on women's civil rights is further exemplified in recent reactions to affirmative action plans. These plans have been devised to try to give women and minorities an opportunity to participate in traditionally white male dominated areas. However, we see the same trends in legal action for the use of affirmative action plans as we saw in the 980's backlash against the Roe v. Wade decision. A few interesting points were presented in the case, Johnson v. Transportation Agency, Santa Clara (480 U. S. 616 (1987)). Mr. Paul E. Johnson filed suit against the Santa Clara County Transportation Agency when he was denied a promotion, feeling the company's affirmative action plan denied him of his civil rights. Some interesting facts were presented in this case: Specifically, 9 of the 10 Para-Professionals and 110 of the 145 Office and Clerical Workers were women. By contrast, women were only 2 of the 28 Officials and Administrators, 5 of the 58 Professionals, 12 of the 124 Technicians, none of the Skilled Crafts Workers, and 1 – who was Joyce – of the 110 Road Maintenance Workers. The above statistics show women have been considerably underrepresented at the Santa Clara County Transportation Agency. These numbers are not uncommon and are found throughout business. It is interesting to note the current popular perception is that affirmative action precludes white males from finding employment with companies that implement these plans. The truth is in the numbers, however. The fact that Mr. Johnson felt he was denied his civil rights because an equally qualified woman was given a promotion, instead of him, is just a small window into the subtle sexism that exists today. Most critics of affirmative action do not consider the grossly unequal numbers of men in management and professional positions. Secondly, it never seems an issue of debate that a woman may have had no other previous life opportunities in these male dominated areas. I do not intend to argue that affirmative action is good or bad, but only wish to point out that the current backlash against these programs is heavily rooted in sexism and racism. Often blatant violence or unfair acts against a group of people will cause that group to pull together and empower themselves against their oppressors. The women's movement has made large steps to eliminate many of these blatantly sexist acts in the last century. Now the real difficulty is upon us: subtle acts of sexism and the degrading social roles of women in today's conservative culture. Alice Brooks so eloquently described her experiences with inequality, stating, â€Å"the worse pain came from those little things people said or did to me. † As these â€Å"little things† accumulate in the experience of a oung woman, she increasingly finds herself powerless in her relationships, employment, economics, and society in general. The female child has as many goals as the male child, but statistically she is unable to realize these goals because of the obstacles that society sets in front of her. Society and media attempt to create an illusion that women have every right that men enjoy. However, women will never be equal until the day female scientists, intellectuals, professionals, military leaders, and politicians are just as accepted and encouraged to participate in all of society's arenas as males.

Censorship in Fahrenheit 451 essays

Censorship in Fahrenheit 451 essays Many things come to mind when the word censorship is involved. The Merriam Webster Dictionary states that censorship is stopping the transmission or publication of matter considered objectionable. In Ray Bradburys novel Fahrenheit 451, censorship plays an enormous role and is noted to be the most important theme. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. Censorship in Fahrenheit 451 has a major effect on the societys knowledge and characteristics in the novel. In the futuristic world Bradbury has created in the science fiction novel Fahrenheit 451, firemen start fires rather than extinguishing them. People of this society do not think independently nor do they have meaningful conversations. They dont even have an interest in reading books. Rather than that, they watch an extreme amount of television on wall-size sets and listen to Sea-shell radio which is attached to their ears. People drive extremely fast due to lack of appreciation for nature. It was a pleasure to burn. So goes the opening sentence of the Bradburys story. It grabs the readers attention and immediately tells where the unfortunate hero, Guy Montag, stands on the idea of book burning. Being the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451 Montag is by no means a perfect hero. Montags faith in his profession and his society begins to decline almost immediately after the novels opening passage. Montag comes across a gentle seventeen-year-old girl named Clarisse McClellan, who opens his eyes to the dark emptiness of his life with her innocent questions and unusual love for people and nature. Being faced with the complication of books for the first time, Montag is often frustrated, confused, and overwhelmed. He is often rash, unclear, self-obsessed, and too easily influenced. At times he is not even aware of why he does things, feeling that his hands...

Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe

Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe The story of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allan Poe is full of conflict from beginning to end. The narrator of this story does not reveal why such a conflict exists other than to say someone has impugned his honor. Poe makes use of irony, symbolism among other linguistics means to tell a revenge story under Montresor’s, the murderer, view and ideas. Even knowing the narrator is not reliable and he probably is mad, the reader stands on his side from the beginning to the end of the conflict. This article will try to analyze the tools used by Poe to create this short story. The Style of Poe in â€Å"The cask of amontillado† Strengthening readers’ comprehension of his writing is also a key function of the imagery Poe uses. The variety of stylistic devices used by Poe to create the atmosphere of horror and terror includes the setting, one of the things the author uses to paint a dark and gloomy picture in the reader’s mind. For example: as de scribed by him in the beginning of the short story â€Å"It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival seasonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  or like in this paragraph: â€Å"At the most remote end of the crypt there appeared another less spacious. Its walls had been lined with human remains, piled to the vault overhead, in the fashion of the great catacombs of Paris. Three sides of this interior crypt were still ornamented in this manner. From the fourth side the bones had been thrown down, and lay promiscuously upon the earth, forming at one point a mound of some size. Within the wall thus exposed by the displacing of the bones, we perceived a still interior crypt or recess, in depth about four feet, in width three, in height six or seven. It seemed to have been constructed for no especial use within itself, but formed merely the interval between two of the colossal supports of the roof of the catacombs, and was backed by one of their circumscribing walls of so lid granite†. Imagery in Poe’s style of writing clearly involves readers in the story, and his use of complex vocabulary ensures that readers understand his themes and implications. The use of symbolism is what makes Poe’s short story even more interesting. Symbolism, according to the The Dictionary of Literary Terms, is an object, person, idea, etc. used in a literary work, film, etc., to stand for or suggest something else with which it is associated either explicitly or in some more subtle way. It may not be clear for some readers, but in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† the fight between two social class conflict and the aristocratic social codes is very well pictured. Montresor meets Fortunato â€Å"as if by chance† when it is clear that Montresor already of Fortunato’s attendance during the Carnival celebration at a banquet. When Montresor leads the intoxicated Fortunato into the blind wall in the subterranean passages of Montresorâ€℠¢s family grave and takes him prisoner, he already has mortar and trowel prepared for walling up his victim. Since Fortunato had given Montresor a Masonic sign and asked him if he were a Mason, a question which response was that Fortunato was nothing more than a real stone mason and the murderer laughingly showed the real trowel he had with him, it can also be a humorous imitation of the French Freemasonry, whose motto was â€Å"libertà ©, à ©galità ©, fraternità ©.†

Aker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Aker - Essay Example xample in the case of a sales manager, the head department has given the sales manager the authority to sell the products of the company, but then eventually the head department has decided to put an end to the authority that was previously given without giving information to the customers. In this scenario the sales manager still has apparent authority, since the basis of apparent authority is the consumer’s assumption of who has the authority and not the current relationship status of a principal and an agent (Rasmusen, 2004, p. 5). Aker has served a total of 200 clients that is from the start up to his final day at Potters agency. The agency was then abolished at the same year of Akers termination. Since the 200 clients to whom Aker has rendered his services do not have an idea that he and the agency no longer exist, Potter is now burdened with the responsibility to handle future complaints, but that will only happen if Aker continues to do business with the 200 clients despite the fact that he is no longer connected with the agency. Potter stopped from creating any arguments towards any agreements or transactions made by Aker, not unless Potter will inform the clients that Aker no longer has the authority to act in behalf of the agency, and that the agency has already been terminated. The clients (third party) are only allowed to ask Potter (the principal) to compensate for the losses if it was a result of Potters negligence to inform them of Akers (agent) termination. It does not make the agreement in a contract null and void as it only refers to the principal’s responsibility to pay for the damages, but the clients may only claim for damages if there is ratification or when the principal affirms to an agreement that is entered into by one who no longer has the authority to do it, as in the case of Aker (Rasmusen, 2004, p. 22-25). Pete Principal instructs Al Agent, his employee, to repossess some property owned by Ted Turner. Al knows that the