Factors in American Democracy

Factors in American Democracy American Democracy The seven key functions of interest groups. The interest groups are organizations that may be formed in reaction to certain issues either as a single event or threat that may later become institutionalized. They are private organizations that endeavor to influence public officials to respond the shared aspirations of their members without holding to political power. They stimulate interest in public affairs through members representation based on a criterion of shared beliefs rather than by geography. Interest groups provide useful data to governments and are a means through which political participation is attained hence they act as a check and balance. This is a fundamental role that manifest itself in politics, education, business etc. These Interest groups may be for profit while others are for non profit. One function of interest groups is to garner representation that may be political. They seek out memberships as more members more power hence attaining a position where election outcome is influenced. Therefore securing money for its cause is central and advantageous in order for it to sustain itself and be effective at lobbying and influence government policy. They have the responsibility of spreading information to the general public because they pose information that either the public or the policymakers may lack. This helps it to gain more followers and influence policy makers to take certain favorable actions. They have an inbuilt mechanism to change policy both in both private and public spheres. Interest groups do educate both their own constituents and the public and by this members are educated on the most recent developments on the issues at hand. With their developed expertise on a particular field or policy area they are normally called to testify before congress on their position concerning legislation (Aldrich, 1995). The two-party system today: is it in decline or in resurgence? Over the last three decades pundits have claimed that the American political parties are on the decline in the US politics. Their role has been reducing in the political process and it has been inferred that they are not a useful tool any more. The political action committee (PACs) has supplemented the political parties rendering them to be outdated. The view is reinforced with the idea that candidates are independent of political parties to get elected rendering the parties to be less significant. Parties do not make significant and purposeful stand on issues but are concerned with accommodating followers form the middle of the ideological spectrum rendering them irrelevant to progression of society. The party leaders do not make important decisions on presidential candidate as a result of party primaries and committees. The role of the party in educating and influencing the electorate has been overtaken by the mass electronic media. Democratic Party reformed the delegate selection process trough the 1968 convention that led to increase usage of the primaries leading to an increased youth, women and minorities representation. These reforms in the Democratic Party have made it to be reflective to the view of academicians and intellectuals at the expense of the working masses, unionist, elected officials etc who have the numbers. A large number of citizens are distrustful to the major parties viewing them as corrupt institutions that circumvent the issues at hand, have no ideas and follow public opinions rather than generate them. Nevertheless political parties still do play a crucial role in American politics (Reichley, 2000). The parties are transforming but not declining despite the political environment being more candidates centered than before. Today parties are better funded with permanent headq uarters. They are more capable to providing assistance to states and local party organizations due to the strengthened financial base. They have defined themselves as providers of expertise to the needy but they cannot themselves acquire it. They have shown unity during roll call votes in congress and after the 1968 convection the Democratic Party replaced the unit rule with system of proportionality. The Republican Party has given the national committees more control over presidential campaigns and urged state parties to encourage broader participation of all groups. Today both parties do provide training sessions for candidates on campaign planning, marketing, fund raising, volunteers and campaign scheduling. The two major political parties have demonstrated adaptability to change with time and respond to constitutes demand despite the cultural and structural forces that perpetuate the two party system showing little signs of relenting. The three types of third parties. The US electoral system works against a proliferation of political parties but minor parties and independents have still managed to run for office. Third parties are created for various reasons; a split within the republican and democratic parties often represents factions over policy issues. These splinter parties have been at the forefront in gaining popularity and the electorate college (Aldrich, 1995). Ideologically related parties and issue advocacy parties do cover both ends of the political continuum. These political parties are formed around single issues e.g. green energy. Voters normally vote for third parties because they are trying to send a message to the two big parties often with success. Both the two major parties have embraced reforms and programs that were often rejected when presented by third parties. Third parties in the long run do fail to maintain themselves at local and state levels due to skimming of their talent by the major parties. There members are always small to have any domineering influence plus lacking the financial resources to carry out effective campaigns. The two major parties consolidate their dominance of the political system through high profile campaigns and conventions subsidized by tax payer’s money. Nevertheless they have been successful at calling for attention to an otherwise ignored, misrepresented or surprised issues. They have over the years managed to get the major political parties to adopt the most important portion of third party platforms as theirs giving the far sighted voter a means of making tangible statements with greater impact on the direction of the country. They work to enhance the prospects and credibility of lesser know ideas and lesser known candidates to gain and solidify ballot access. There activity provides whoever wins off ice with a more latitude and public support in choosing new public policy approaches or solutions to existing or future problems or concerns (Schaffner, 2012). Elements of referendums, initiatives, and recalls. Many countries that are representative’s democracies permit three forms of political action providing limited direct democracy. These are initiative, referendum and recall. An initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote on a proposed law, amendments or ordinance. It allows citizens to bypass their state legislature through placing proposed statutes or constitutional amendments on the ballot. In America twenty four states have adopted the initiative proceeds in their constitutions. Two types of initiatives exist. Direct initiatives are submitted to the legislature which may act on the proposal. This depends on the state hence the question may go to the ballot and if rejected a different proposal is submitted. For indirect process the legislature submits a competing measure that appears on the ballot together with the original proposal examples states of Nevada, Ohio and Massachusetts. In Utah and Wash ington proponents either chooses the direct or indirect method (Schaffner, 2012). A referendum is a direct method of voting where an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject an article proposal. This may lead to ratification of a new constitution, amendment, law or recall of an elected official. Legislative referendum is where the legislature refers a measure to the voters for approval. Popular referendum is a measure that appears on the ballot as a result of a voter petition. Legislative referendums are less controversial than citizen initiatives with high success rates. Popular referendum is a means that allow voters to approved or repeal an act of the legislature. Law passed that citizens do not approved for may lead to gathering of signatures to demand a popular vote. Advisory referendum is where the legislature and in some states the governor places a question on the ballot to asses voter opinion where the results are not binding. A recall is a procedure where voters remove an elected official from office through a direct vote when sufficient vot ers sign a petition. It allows citizens to remove from office a public official before the expiry of the term. Recall is apolitical device different from impeachment that is a legal device (Aldrich, 1995). Media Bias Professional who constitute Americas mainstream news media are mainly left oriented and democrats. They make it clear that they are giving their opinions and analysis of the news as they perceive it rather than being impartial and focus on research so as to represent relevant facts to the audience. A more useful way of measuring the news media political and ideological makeup is to examine what the professional in the industry believe about a wide array of social, ethical amend political issues. Bias manifests itself not in the form of outright lies but as a function of what reporters choose not to tell their audience. They omit factors so as to avoid contradicting the political narrative they wish to propagate. Some mangers in American newsrooms are so ideologically entrenched that there is a feeling and discussion that some of them have a difficult time reviewing a story that reflects negatively upon government or the administration. Politicians are a biased lot and they belong to political parties that champion policies and ideologies. Irrespective of their thought these ideologies are common since they do perceive their political conversations as politics. Journalist do also speak form a political position but the industry ethics and the objective of fairness do influence there profession that endeavors to do the right thing. This objective is met through fairness to those concerned with the news covered, completeness and accuracy. The American press is a unified voice with a distinct bias that generates a simplistic thinking that fits the needs of an ideological struggle. American media bias is as a result of journalist failure to reflect upon the meaning of the premise and assumptions that supports their practice because the mass media wanted to apply a narrative structure to ambiguous events in order to create a coherent and casual sense of events (Reichley, 2000). WORKS CITED: Aldrich, J. H. (1995). Why parties?: The origin and transformation of political parties in America. Chicago [u.a.: Univ. of Chicago Press. Reichley, A. J. (2000). The life of the parties: A history of American political parties. Lanham, Md [u.a.: Rowman Littlefield. Schaffner, B. F. (2012). Politics, parties, and elections in America. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Organizational Plans Essay

Many organizations design and implement plans that are put into action to ensure that each department of a company is running as efficiently and as effectively as possible. There are three main plans that organizations use to assist managers with the tasks of achieving their goals; strategic planning, tactical planning, and operational planning. Strategic planning is the broad overview of goals and strategies made by top-level management, which are set for the long-term future. Tactical planning is taking these long-term goals and breaking them down into more specific and direct objectives. â€Å"Operational planning identifies the specific procedures and processes required at lower levels of the organization.† (Bateman & Snell, 2011). All three of these planning procedures are crucial in the success of an organized and successful company. In addition, a business might want to set up a contingency plan. A contingency plan will come into action if any of the prior plans should fail. If we take a look at Subaru of America, we can see that their structure depends on these three organizational plans. This vast of an organization needs as much planning as possible because there is such a variety of departments and management alike, there need to be plans set in place so that the company can operate as one complete unit. Using the strategic plan, Subaru of America is able to let its top-level managers make decisions for future business. Using the tactical plan, the strategic plan is broke down between departments and has specific goals and deadlines. These goals are then passed onto floor managers who in turn put the goals and strategies into action. These goals can either be â€Å"single-use,† or on going day-to-day tasks. References Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. A. (2011). Management: Leading & collaborating in a competitive world (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin

On Finding Nightingales in Human Voices Essay

Anne Finch’s â€Å"To the Nightingale† is an ode to a Muse, which is represented by the nightingale. The poem is written in a series of rhyming couplets that provides it a singsong rhythm throughout, which is appropriate for its subject. When emphasizing the merits of being a nightingale, the speaker articulates the difficulties of being a human poet, subject to judgment by his critics. In â€Å"To the Nightingale†, though the narrator recognizes the significance of the nightingale and even bestows upon it affirmative adjectives such as â€Å"sweet† and lofty titles like â€Å"harbinger of spring† (line 1), he knows the limitations of the bird as a poet. The first four lines indicate the admiration of the speaker for the nightingale. â€Å"This moment I attend to praise† (line 3) refers to the moment in which the nightingale will sing to announce the coming of spring. The speaker wishes to be as free with expressing himself, like the nightingale. As the line â€Å"Free as thine shall be my song† (line 5) indicates, he believes that as a human being, his singing is more restricted by his audience. On the other hand, the nightingale sings according to its nature, whether or not it pleases anyone. There is no fear of being ridiculed, or anxieties about not being praised. Moreover, the beauty of the nightingale’s singing is in its freedom: â€Å"Poets, wild as thee, were born/ Pleasing best when unconfined/ When to please is least designed/ Soothing but their cares to rest† (lines 7-10). These four lines may also suggest that the speaker is hoping to experience the same â€Å"unconfined† performance. Indeed, if the nightingale is his muse, he is inspired by its sheer autonomy and being true to itself. Some artists need their personal pain in order to produce depth of feeling. An artist who is experiencing problems while composing sad ballads will create genuine emotion which will be felt by their audience: â€Å"Cares do still their thoughts molest/ And still the unhappy poet’s breast, /Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn† (lines 11-13). The three lines, however, may also signify the other way around – that when at his best, a poet may experience loneliness brought by success. The next few lines incorporate gold as a metaphor for the beauty and the effect of the nightingale’s song, after praising the sweetness of it. â€Å"Canst thou syllables refine/Melt a sense that shall retain/Still some spirit of the brain† (lines 18-20). The words â€Å"refine† and â€Å"melt† elucidate the worth of the nightingale’s song. It can create something equivalent to gold, which consequently leaves a mark in the listener’s mind. The poem starts to change its tone by line 21. The speaker seems to expect more out of the nightingale, by asking it to change its note. He further commands â€Å"let division shake thy throat† (line 22), longing for the joyous varying and fluttering of the golden voice. At this point, the human poet, though still admiring the singing bird, becomes aware of discontent within himself. The lovely song may not have changed its tune for some other listener, but for the narrator it has in some way for he says â€Å"cease then, prithee, cease thy tune† (line 26). He even calls his muse â€Å"trifler†, or someone who takes nothing seriously by being a constant dreamer. â€Å"Wilt thou sing till June† (line 27), he asks. He previously tags the nightingale as a â€Å"harbinger of spring†. He then wonders if it will continue its singing even when summer is near. It is as if the nightingale has been given an obligation to announce spring, and when that obligation has been fulfilled there is no need to keep on going. The speaker has started to question inspiration and leans toward practicality. The speaker believes that there is too big a difference between a nightingale and a human poet; he has stopped dreaming about attempting to recreate the singing of a nightingale through human voice. â€Å"Thus we poets that have speech/ Unlike what the forests teach† (lines 30-31). To ease this discouragement, he lifts the human advantage of being able to speak. â€Å"If a fluent vein be shown/That’s transcendent to our own/ Criticize, reform, or preach/ Or censure what we cannot reach (lines 32-35). Nevertheless, he discerns what he is trying to do; he can identify the human trait of disparaging a talent or a quality that he cannot achieve for himself. â€Å"To the Nightingale† explores the dilemma of exploring a dream and aiming to reach its zenith without any thought of its limitations and consequences, and of choosing practicality and realistic aspirations. The poem achieves a light, song-like rhythm which prevents it from being completely dreary even at its despondent but sensible end.

Should School Start Later - 660 Words

As the education of Americans continues to fail in comparison to other countries, it is imperative that we don’t further weaken our school day by making school start later. This is important to take into consideration when deciding school start times, as well as many other facts. District officials nationwide have been discussing or even implementing a later start time in their schools. However, this will just cause more problems and hurt the students and everybody else concerned more than help them. Children need to learn how to manage their time and get the amount of sleep they need. We cannot keep enabling by starting school later. There are many reasons that schools shouldn’t start later, and they far outweigh the ones supporting the later time. One very important thing to consider would be the problems that would transpire if we were to have after school activities going later. If these activities were to begin later they would easily cut into suppertime. Missing o r even delaying a meal is very unhealthy for athletes or any students for that matter. In fact, in as little as four hours after eating the glucose levels of an athlete can be so small that it can cause an extremely poor performance. (http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/skipping-meals-can-have-negative-consequences, Evelyn Tribole) Another problem that has been occurring amongst schools with later times is the busing schedules They have been meticulously planned for the entire district and changingShow MoreRelatedSchool Should Start Later804 Words   |  4 Pagesevery weekday, high school students are waking up around six oclock in the morning to get ready for school, some even earlier. Its not practical for high school classes to start at 7:44. Its just too early for teenage minds to function properly. Our school should start at least an hour later than that. With the extra hour, our attendance would improve, as well as our grades and attitudes. The facts are all there, so why shouldnt the hours change? For the 1997-1998 school years, the UniversityRead MoreShould School Start Later?1128 Words   |  5 PagesShould School Start Later? For years, experts have debated when the proper start time for high schools in America should be. Most high schools start at around 8:00 A.M. and some even earlier. New findings have led many experts to believe that schools should start later than 8:00, around 9:00 to 9:30. Most students would agree and appreciate the extra sleep. Starting school later would be beneficial because teenagers need to go to bed later and get up later, less sleep for students means lowerRead MoreSchool Should Start Later642 Words   |  3 Pagesmysterious formula? Sleep. In the United States of America, middle and high schools start as early as 7:00 am, requiring teenagers to rise at least at 6:30 in order to make it to class. As a nation, we can only view this as a monstrosity. In this essay, I will be going over three areas of analysis: one, why early start times for middle and high school create situations not in the interest of learning, two, why a later commencement time would have substantial benefits, and three, why said benefitsRead MoreSchool Should Start Later1670 Words   |  7 Pagessociety most teens don’t like going to school that early in the morning. To have to wake up so early when they only get about seven hours of sleep, to have students be coming into school at 7:30AM or maybe even earlier in some other schools, is not right. Students need to have time at night to get work done, not only schoolwork but also non-schoolwork. Needless to say, the school schedule for high school students needs to be changed and be made where they go in later. That way they get their work doneRead MoreWhy School Should Start Later1531 Words   |  7 PagesI realized I missed the bus! Does this happen to you? Because of early school starts I have to wake up super early which makes me super tired. School starts way too early! Should students have to wake up at unreasonably early times just to get to school on time? No, they shouldn t and school should start later because it causes many risks and problems in students lives. There are many reasons that school should start later, but the main reason is because students don t get enough sleep and areRead MoreWhy School Should Start Later899 Words   |  4 PagesSchool Should Start Later Almost every day high school students are waking up around six o’clock in the morning to get ready for school, some even earlier than that. Nearly every morning students are waking up without adequate sleep. If sleep is one of the most essential needs of the body in order to grow and develop, shouldn’t we be more aware of how much it affects students everyday performance? The ways in which students are affected by sleep-deprivation is precisely why school needs to startRead MoreShould School Day Start Later? Essay1395 Words   |  6 PagesMs. Scruggs English 3 08 December 2016 Should School Day Start Later Even though that schools are starting too early and students aren t getting enough sleep. Schools should start later because teens can get more sleep and teens can get their work on time., That schools should start later so students can learn better. because Teens are falling asleep in class because they are getting to school early. and Schools are starting too early and should start later. Students need more sleep in the morningRead MoreWhy School Should Start Later1371 Words   |  6 Pagesinclude the laziness of students, and there is no reason for school not to have a later start. So, schools should start later in the day. Reason 1: Many students are not getting enough sleep. In especially middle schools and high school, teenagers are sleep deprived. At the age when they need it the most, teens are not getting enough hours of rest because of how early their school starts. It is very unreasonable that school for teenagers starts early when they need a great amount of sleep. ResearchRead MoreWhy School Should Start Later816 Words   |  4 Pagesbiggest issues facing our high school systems. Many school’s across America have started to push back their school start times. Is it worth it? The answer is yes. School should start later in order to unlock our nation’s high school potential. One of the reasons that school should be started later is because it does not give growing teens enough time to sleep. Sleep researcher, Wendy Troxel, who spoke on TED, says that high school aged kids’ sleep cycles do no start until 11 p.m and do not end untilRead MoreWhy School Should Start Later1056 Words   |  5 Pages Later Start Times School start times should be later because school times should revolve around the student’s best ability to learn. When America started public schools, they had the same time frame, around seven to three. They did this so the farmers would have time to go and work in the afternoon. Well, needless to say we still have the same schedule now, with a much different industry and way of life. There are countless reasons schools should start later and countless studies that prove