Stronger legislatures bring stronger and more stable democracy Essay

Stronger legislatures bring stronger and more stable democracy - Essay Example It is extremely difficult to achieve all three dimensions, and this explains its evasiveness. This essay will first introduce the concept of a stable democracy and then explain the role of a strong legislature in its existence. The essay will then use the UK and US legislatures as examples of the effect of strong legislatures on stable democracies and explain how these countries’ legislatures have contributed to their sound democracies. Finally, the essay will reaffirm the stance adopted by stating that stronger legislatures are vital for stable democracies. To understand the impact of legislatures on democracy, it is first necessary to understand that legislatures are, in most countries, branches of the executive (Saathoff, 2012:48). Their common role of making laws means that they are one of the ruling arms of any governments in which they exist. In addition, in most countries, legislatures are tasked with checking the powers and actions of heads of state. These two roles (law making and power checking) are key to gaining a critical perspective of the impacts of legislatures on democracy and stable democracies, in particular (Lelan, 2012:29). Let us consider two countries that often come to mind whenever the subject of stable democracies comes up: the United Kingdom and the United States. In the United States, the modern world’s beacon of democracy, Congress is the legislating body. Looking at the history of America, it is easy to see that Congress has been at the heart of most laws that have defined the country’s democr atic leadership and its institutional strengths. As a matter of fact, the US Congress is the perfect example of a well-oiled, purpose-driven, and powerful legislature (Roper, 2013:37). The powers of the Congress, and the manner in which it exercises them have made it both a representative of the American public in the government and a formidable critic of the same government (Barkan, 2008:131). Congress checks

Proposal to avoid managerial derailment and failure Essay Example for Free

Proposal to avoid managerial derailment and failure Essay Southwest Airlines strict adherence to its mission to provide the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit is a key factor to the company’s success (About Southwest Airlines Co, 2013). The airlines ability to commit to employees to provide them with a stable work environment that ensures equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Southwest prides itself on allowing all within the company to be creativity and innovative to help improve the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. The most important benefit, employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer. Southwest uses an unorthodox leadership style created by Herb Kelleher. The basic idea is that the organization works like an upside down pyramid. The upper management is at the bottom and supports the front line employees, who are the experts. This strategy works for Southwest Airlines because management decisions are made by everyone in the organization, not just the head executives. The company’s emphasis on creativity and innovation bodes well for a company that stresses free will over structure and titles (About Southwest Airlines Co, 2013). While Southwest Airlines offers the bare minimum in flight options, it does meet and exceed customer expectations when it comes to service. They base their model on the motto, which states that if theyre happy, satisfied, dedicated, and energetic, theyll take real good care of the customers. When the customers are happy, they come back. And that makes the shareholders happy, (About Southwest Airlines Co, 2013). Southwest Airlines have managed to keep a happy medium between labor unions and contract employees by maintain a healthy relationship with its employees. It is an added benefit to offer employees longer hours with more than just competitive pay. Southwest has had the ability to succeed because of the vision to realize and obtain its goals in business. The focus on bare essentials for flight is the catalyst for its low cost business model. A low cost plane with short travel between major cities has equally allowed Southwest Airlines to focus on a specific type of consumer. The customer base for Southwest Airlines is largely the business class will take service or luxury when it comes to being efficient and cost effective. The ability to focus that theidea that customers, can be satisfied without having expensive options available for them, Southwest Airlines has successfully lured those consumers away from the bigger airlines. Combined with the influences of the internet, Southwest Airlines can continue to excel in the industry by bypassing travel agents and their fees ensuring to avoid any managerial derailments or failures. Reference About Southwest Airlines. (2011). Retrieved October 12, 2013, from Southwest Airlines: http://www.southwest.com/html/about-southwest/index.html

Hispanic, Worker, Student, Mother Essay -- Graduate College Admissions

Hispanic, Worker, Student, Mother    I am the only girl and middle child in a family of five siblings. As is common in Hispanic culture, my status was automatically placed below that of my brothers by virtue of my gender alone. Even as a teenager, I was not allowed to go out to movies alone with my friends; my younger brother was sent to keep an eye on me and report back to my mother. Needless to say, I was also not permitted to date in high school. At that time, without the social life afforded to other girls my age, I turned to academics.    Captivated by muckrakers, yellow journalism, and the sheer power of the printed word, I discovered through journalism my love for writing. The idea of writing something that would get the attention of my teenage peers, or anyone for that matter, appealed to me. In one column I wrote about gang activity at my high school. I argued for tougher disciplinary measures for gang members and against ineffective administrative procedures in dealing with gangs. However, one did not disrespect gangs in the school paper and expect it to go unnoticed. While my adviser feared for my safety, he agreed to run the column anyway. The day it ran, I walked into school with my head held high and prepared for the worst, but it never came. Instead I got people talking; talking about changes. I had succeeded in what I had intended for my writing. My senior year I became a correspondent for the El Paso Herald Post and earned an internship for the summer after graduation. Although I served as more of a gopher than a writer, no task was too small. I loved the opportunity to hang around the newsroom and witness seasoned veterans at work.    When summer ended I was terrified at the prospect ... ...e I had loved in academics. I needed to do more for my daughter and myself. In the summer of 1996, 1 walked off the job and back into the classroom.    Unlike the scared, sheltered girl fresh out of high school, I was now a single mother, a little older but far wiser. While I had longed for my mother's approval when I began college, I now had the admiration of my daughter. As her role model, I'm obligated not merely to teach her about responsibility but also to show her what is right through my actions. I have balanced academics, a child, a household, and a job (sometimes two jobs) every semester while continuing to have my writings published and making the best grades of my academic career. The decisions to keep my daughter and to raise her alone could have devastated my academic career, but instead they made me into a strong, dedicated, and balanced person.

Pilgrimages to Sacred Sites as Tourism Essay -- Tourism

In discussing the viewpoint that pilgrimage to sacred site is a form of tourism there are certain terms that require definition: pilgrimage, sacred and tourism. The Oxford English Dictionary, (OED, 2012) defines pilgrimage as ‘a journey undertaken to a place of particular significance or interest’. It is usually as an act of religious devotion, homage and respect and those on a pilgrimage are referred to as Pilgrims. Waterhouse (2009, p199) defines religion as ‘a system of practices, institutions and beliefs that provide meaning to life and death’. Waterhouse’s definition not only encompasses the five main religions but also the various sub divisions and alternative religions. Tourism is defined by OED (2012) as ‘the theory and practice of touring, travelling for pleasure’ and thus a person on tour is defined as a tourist. The OED (2012) defines sacred as ‘dedicated, set apart, exclusively appropriated to some person or some special purpose’. This essay will discuss the view that pilgrimage to sacred sites is a form of tourism by outlining the debates surrounding sacred sites and between different factions. The essay will then apply these arguments and ideas to Stonehenge and Avebury. It will also look at the associations of Pilgrimage and Tourism within the ideologies surrounding leisure and their application to Glastonbury. The definition of sacred as a place separate from the secular world has different connotations and meaning for different individuals and groups. The main academic argument is between the ideas that the site is inherently sacred or is the product of human effort. Eliade (1961) argues that the ‘manifestation of something of a wholly different order, a reality that does not belong to our world in objects tha... ...ity, pp.10-34 Pike, J. (2008), ‘Leisure, Laziness and feeling good’, in Brunton, D. (ed), Place and Leisure AA100 Book 4, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.3-10 Reader, I. (2012), ‘Pilgrims and Pilgrimage: place and Journey in Cultures and Faiths Worldwide’, available from http://www.york.ac.uk/projects/pilgrimage/content/faiths.html accessed on the 11/5/12 ‘Sacred Space and Landscape’ (2008) (aa100DVD Video), Milton Keynes, The Open University The Open University (2008), AA100 Illustration Book (Plates for Books 3 and 4), Milton Keynes, The Open University. Waterhouse , H. (2009), ‘The Dalai Lama’, in Moohan, E (ed), Reputations AA100 Book 1, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.197-229 Wolffe, J. (2008), ‘Tradition and Dissent in English Christianity’ in Price, C (ed), Tradition and Dissent AA100 Book 2, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp71-106

Globalization Argumentative Paper Essay

Is globalization good or bad in the business world today? There are good and bad sides to everything now days. It’s just weighing your options out to see what fits better. In the next couple of paragraphs we will go over what is good and what could be bad in globalization in the business world. Globalization Good The good side to globalization is all about the efficiencies and opportunities open markets create. Local producers can sell their products worldwide. This creates more business for them. Globalization has made the flow of money around the world easier. Creating more jobs around the world. (1 Premise) Globalization is great to the markets around the world. They have been able to expand their businesses. Globalization Bad The bad side to globalization is new uncertainty and risks that have risen. It has made the competition between markets intensify. (2 Premise) Companies that we enjoying this globalization are now facing unpredictable demand and business opportunities. With there being so much competition and being under constant pressure of new competitors, leaves the current companies with little to no pricing power. Another bad side of globalization is declining money flows across local and national boundaries. Conclusion Is globalization good or bad? There are many advantages and several disadvantages to globalization. But it is each individual’s personal opinion. (1 Conclusion) Globalization is good and can continue to be good for the world. Everyone is going to look at this issue in a different way. Although globalization is good in many individuals eyes, it is still bad in many others eyes. (2 Conclusion) There are many risks that come with  globalization, and so many uncertainties. This is why this will be an ongoing debate to whether globalization is benefitting us locally and nationally, or if it’s hurting the entire world. References 1. www.forbes.the-good-the-bad-the-ugly.com 2. www,geography.about.com > globalization

Largest City in Area in the United States

Largest City in Area in the United States Although New York City is the most populous city in the United States, Yakutat, Alaska, is the largest city in the area. Yakutat includes a whopping 9,459.28 square miles (24,499 sq km) of area, composed of 1,808.82 square miles of water area and 7,650.46 square miles of land area (4,684.8 sq km and 19,814.6 sq km, respectively). The city is larger than the state of New Hampshire (the countrys fourth smallest state). Yakutat  had been founded in 1948, but in 1992 the city government was dissolved and it combined with the Yakutat Borough  to become the countrys largest city.  Its now officially known as the  City and Borough of Yakutat.   Location The city lies on the Gulf  of Alaska near the Hubbard Glacier and  is surrounded by or is nearby the  Tongass National Forests, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Yakutats  skyline is dominated by  Mount St. Elias, the United States second tallest peak. What Folks Do There Yakutat has a population of 601 as of 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Fishing (both commercial and sport)  is its largest industry. Many types of salmon inhabit the rivers and streams:  steelhead, king (Chinook), sockeye, pink (humpback), and coho (silver). Yakutat hosts a three-day annual tern festival in late May or early June, as the area has one of the largest breeding grounds for  Aleutian terns. The bird is uncommon and hasnt been studied extensively; its winter range wasnt even discovered until the 1980s.  The festival features  birding activities, Native cultural presentations, natural history field trips, art exhibits, and other events. The first Saturday in August is the annual  Fairweather Day  celebration, which is full of live music at Cannon Beach Pavilion. People also come to the city for hiking, hunting (bears, mountain goats, ducks, and geese), and wildlife and nature viewing (moose, eagles, and bears), as the area is along migration patterns for waterfowl, raptors, and shorebirds.   Displacing Other Cities With its incorporation with the borough, Yakutat displaced Sitka, Alaska, as the largest city, which had displaced Juneau, Alaska. Sitka is 2,874 square miles (7,443.6 sq km) and Juneau is 2,717 square miles (7037 sq km). Sitka was the earliest large city, having been formed through the incorporation of the borough and city in 1970. Yakutat is a perfect example of an overbounded city, which refers to a city that has boundaries that extend far beyond its developed area (certainly the glaciers and ice fields in the city wont be developed soon). The Lower 48 Jacksonville, in northeast Florida, is the largest city in area in the contiguous 48 states at 840 square miles (2,175.6 sq km). Jacksonville includes all of Duval County, Florida, with the exception of the beach communities (Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach) and Baldwin. It had a population of 880,619 as of 2016 U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Visitors can enjoy golf, beaches, waterways, the NFLs  Jacksonville Jaguars, and acres and acres of parks (80,000 acres), as it has the largest network of urban parks in the country- more than 300.

History and Design of Submarines

History and Design of Submarines Designs for underwater boats or submarines date back to the 1500s and ideas for underwater travel date back even further. However, it was not until the 19th century that the first useful submarines began to appear. During the Civil War, the Confederates built the H.L. Hunley, the submarine that sank a Union ship. The U.S.S. Housatonic was built in 1864. But it wasnt until after World War I began that the first truly practical and modern submarines were invented. The submariners problem has always been how to improve his underwater endurance and performance, and both capabilities are defined by the ship. Early in submarine history the submariners problem often was how to make his ship work at all. Hollow Papyrus Reeds Historical accounts point out that man has always sought to explore the ocean depths. An early record from the Nile Valley in Egypt gives us the first illustration. It is a wall painting that shows duck hunters, bird spears in hand, creeping up to their prey beneath the surface as they breathe through hollow papyrus reeds. The Athenians are said to have used divers to clear the harbor entrance during the siege of Syracuse. And Alexander the Great, in his operations against Tyre, ordered divers to destroy any submersible vehicle (submarine) defenses the city might undertake to build. While in none of these records does it actually say that Alexander had any kind of submersible vehicle, legend has it that he descended in a device that kept its occupants dry and admitted light. William Bourne - 1578 Not until 1578 did any record appear of a craft designed for underwater navigation. William Bourne, a former Royal Navy gunner, designed a completely enclosed boat that could be submerged and rowed beneath the surface. His creation was a wooden framework bound in waterproofed leather. It was to be submerged by using hand vises to contract the sides and decrease the volume. Although Bournes idea never got beyond the drawing board, a similar apparatus was launched in 1605. But it didnt get much farther because the designers had neglected to consider the tenacity of underwater mud. The craft became stuck in the river bottom during its first underwater trial. Cornelius Van Drebbel - 1620 What might be called the first practical submarine was a rowboat covered with greased leather. It was the idea of Cornelius Van Drebbel, a Dutch doctor living in England, in 1620. Van Drebbels submarine was powered by rowers pulling on oars that protruded through flexible leather seals in the hull. Snorkel air tubes were held above the surface by floats, thus permitting a submergence time of several hours. Van Drebbels submarine successfully maneuvered at depths of 12 to 15 feet below the surface of the Thames River. Van Drebbel followed his first boat with two others. The later models were larger but they relied upon the same principles. Legend has it that after repeated tests, King James I of England rode in one of his later models to demonstrate its safety. Despite its successful demonstrations, Van Drebbels invention failed to arouse the interest of the British Navy. It was an age when the possibility of submarine warfare was still far in the future. Giovanni Borelli - 1680 In 1749 the British periodical Gentlemens Magazine printed a short article describing a most unusual device for submerging and surfacing. Reproducing an Italian scheme developed by Giovanni Borelli in 1680, the article depicted a craft with a number of goatskins built into the hull. Each goatskin was to be connected to an aperture at the bottom. Borelli planned to submerge this vessel by filling the skins with water and to surface it by forcing the water out with a twisting rod. Even though Borellis submarine was never built it provided what was probably the first approach to the modern ballast tank. Continue David Bushnells Turtle Submarine The first American submarine is as old as the United States itself. David Bushnell (1742-1824), a Yale graduate, designed and built a submarine torpedo boat in 1776. The one-man vessel submerged by admitting water into the hull and surfaced by pumping it out with a hand pump. Powered by a pedal-operated propeller and armed with a keg of powder, the egg-shaped Turtle gave Revolutionary Americans high hopes for a secret weapon - a weapon that could destroy the British warships anchored in New York Harbor. Turtle Submarine: Use as a Weapon The Turtles torpedo, a keg of powder, was to be attached to an enemy ships hull and detonated by a time fuse. On the night of September 7, 1776, the Turtle, operated by an Army volunteer, Sergeant Ezra Lee, conducted an attack on the British ship HMS Eagle. However, the boring device that was operated from inside the oak-planked Turtle failed to penetrate the target vessels hull. It is likely that the wooden hull was too hard to penetrate, the boring device hit a bolt or iron brace, or the operator was too exhausted to screw in the weapon. When Sergeant Lee attempted to shift the Turtle to another position beneath the hull, he lost contact with the target vessel and ultimately was forced to abandon the torpedo. Although the torpedo was never attached to the target, the clockwork timer detonated it about an hour after it was released. The result was a spectacular explosion that ultimately forced the British to increase their vigilance and to move their ships anchorage further out in the harbor. Royal Navy logs and reports from this period make no mention of this incident, and it is possible that the Turtles attack may be more submarine legend than a historical event. David Bushnell Larger Photo of Turtle SubmarineDavid Bushnell built a unique vessel, called the Turtle, designed to be propelled underwater by an operator who turned its propeller by hand. David Bushnells American TurtleThe only working, full-scale model of David Bushnells 1776 invention, the American Turtle. David Bushnell 1740-1826The most sensational contribution of patriot and inventor David Bushnell to the American Revolutionary War effort was the worlds first functioning submarine. Continue Robert Fulton and the Nautilus Submarine Then came another American, Robert Fulton, who in 1801 successfully built and operated a submarine in France, before turning his inventing talents to the steamboat. Robert Fulton - Nautilus Submarine 1801 Robert Fultons cigar-shaped Nautilus submarine was driven by a hand-cranked propeller when submerged and had a kite-like sail for surface power. The Nautilus submarine was the first submersible to have separate propulsion systems for surfaced and submerged operations. It also carried flasks of compressed air that permitted the two-man crew to remain submerged for five hours. William Bauer - 1850 William Bauer, a German, built a submarine in Kiel in 1850 but met with little success. Bauers first boat sank in 55 feet of water. As his craft was sinking, he opened the flood valves to equalize the pressure inside the submarine so the escape hatch could be opened. Bauer had to convince two terrified seamen that this was the only means of escape. When the water was at chin level, the men were shot to the surface with a bubble of air that blew the hatch open. Bauers simple technique was rediscovered years later and employed in modern submarines escape compartments that operate on the same principle. Continue The Hunley During the American Civil War, Confederate inventor Horace Lawson Hunley converted a steam boiler into a submarine. This Confederate submarine called the could be propelled at four knots by a hand-driven screw. Unfortunately, the submarine sank twice during trials in Charleston, South Carolina. These accidental sinkings in Charleston harbor cost the lives of two crews. In the second accident the submarine was stranded on the bottom and Horace Lawson Hunley himself was asphyxiated with eight other crew members. The Hunley Subsequently, the submarine was raised and renamed the Hunley. In 1864, armed with a 90-pound charge of powder on a long pole, the Hunley attacked and sank a new Federal steam sloop, USS Housatonic, at the entrance to Charleston Harbor. After her successful attack on Housatonic, the Hunley disappeared and her fate remained unknown for 131 years. In 1995 the wreck of the Hunley was located four miles off Sullivans Island, South Carolina. Even though she sank, the Hunley proved that the submarine could be a valuable weapon in time of war. Biography - Horace Lawson Hunley 1823-1863 Horace Lawson Hunley was born in Sumner County, Tennessee, on 29 December 1823. As an adult, he served in the Louisiana State Legislature, practiced law in New Orleans and was a generally notable figure in that area. In 1861, after the start of the American Civil War, Horace Lawson Hunley joined James R. McClintock and Baxter Watson in building the submarine Pioneer, which was scuttled in 1862 to prevent its capture. The three men later constructed two submarines at Mobile, Alabama, the second of which was named H.L. Hunley. This vessel was taken to Charleston, South Carolina, in 1863, where it was to be used to attack blockading Union ships. During a test dive on 15 October 1863, with Horace Lawson Hunley in charge, the submarine failed to surface. All on board, including Horace Lawson Hunley, lost their lives. On 17 February 1864, after it had been raised, refurbished and given a new crew, H.L. Hunley became the first submarine to successfully attack an enemy warship when she sank USS Housatonic off Charleston. Continue The USS Holland John Holland