Igor Stravinsky Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Igor Stravinsky - Essay Example The exploitation of these ideals and the exploration of how music reflected the time were the main initiatives that Stravinsky took with the compositions written during this time frame. Changing Culture of 1914-1918 The region of Europe and the exposure that was occurring within the arts during this time had one of the most influential aspects in terms of culture and politics. The several outbreaks of war, specifically which led through World War I, began to change the outlook of the artists that were in various countries. A sense of patriotism and pride toward the country was one of the growing influences that many of the artists began to look into. More important, there was a focus on the outbreaks and outcomes of the war and the destructions and victories which were associated with this. â€Å"The burden of the national ordeal and the wartime experiences led to the formation of a new worldview and a new self awareness†¦. On the one hand, the Great War became a touchstone for the humanistic yearnings of the intellectuals. On the other, it acted as a catalyst for new aesthetic directions. † The cultural direction which was influenced by the war then created a component of new expressions and values that most could work toward in building a different understanding of humanistic and political expressions. The expressions of culture were furthered by the political leaders and outlooks associated with this. Many of the artists of this time were interested in making a statement that either opposed or was for the patriotism that was within various regions of Europe. Before 1914, there was a movement that was based on anti – politics, specifically with those who either were patriotic or opposed the changes that were occurring within Europe. Social policies, conflicts of those who were involved in politics and the outcome from various groups led to different and opposing ideologies about the war and the political stance. Those involved in the politics, or which were opposed to this, were also interested in creating social change and statements that were reflective of the need to find new solutions. When the war began, this was heightened and became intensified by artists who were interested in a change with the politics. This either led to a sense of propaganda among the artists or opposed the reforms which were taking place2. Stravinsky and World War I The perspectives that Stravinsky held during 1914-1918 were pivotal in how he worked toward the creation of his music and the pieces which were associated with this. While he was from Russia and the Poland territory, there was also an international outlook which he held because of his recognition at this time. Before this time, Stravinsky was noted to have a more exploratory outlook with the works, such as through Pierrot Lunaire. While the exploration of music continued in 1914, there were several personal and cultural conflicts that changed the music. For instance, the funding for arts was more conservative because of the war, leaving many of the works unpublished unless they were more conservativ e in nature. Many of his works weren’t published until the 1920s when a sense of recovery began to occur in the country. This was combined with the understanding that a new culture was being born, specifically which Stravinsky saw through the destruction

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

Slavery - Essay Example Freedom was the greatest development more so because during the civil war, the rights of the African Americans were greatly infringed. They were used for the war and were viewed as disposable people. This was a great disadvantage as their families were not taken care of. The men were front lined during the war and this led to many deaths of the African Americans during the Civil war. After the civil war, slavery was abolished and people could now get employed. Others were given land for relocation and they started up their own small scale farming. This is seen to have led to creation of institutions such as schools, churches and even African American magazines such as the Freedom’s Journal. These institutions became the basis for equality another great step in the History of the United States. Industrialization was another great development that arose from the Civil War and colonial period. When slavery was abolished, the farmers in the big plantations in the South still required labor. In the North, many industries were growing from manufacturing industries to banks among others. Industrialization in my opinion allowed blacks to implement their skills efficiently and to earn a living from it. Although it was difficult to start up because racism was not yet at a halt, it ensured that some if not most of their rights were protected. They could also vote and work for pay which enabled them to choose their leaders. On an overall in the present, if this hadn’t happened, the United States would never have achieved equality to the point of choosing an African American president. Industrialization though many may say was full of monopolies, still ensured that many grew their societies and their families. Though the African Americans mostly received bad treatment and less pay even with freedom, it was on the other hand much better than slavery in itself. Industrialization is what led the United States to be the super power it is today

Movie Analysis Of Sunset Boulevard Film Studies Essay

Movie Analysis Of Sunset Boulevard Film Studies Essay Sunset Boulevard, directed by Billy wilder in 1950, is considered to be the greatest film about Hollywood ever put on celluloid by Hollywood. It is a classic black comedy/drama, and perhaps the most acclaimed, but darkest film noir story about behind the scenes Hollywood. Some people describe it as the black pearl of film noir: a macabre movie whose decadent glamour and despair are memorably haunting. The movie combines melodrama and film noir to give us a deliciously scathing satire on the movie making industry. This is why it is still regarded as a landmark of American cinema, even though it has been more than a half century since it was produced. While this film is both entertaining and striking, it is a sad tale of deception, greed, and jealousy. It begins and ends with a dead man floating in the pool of a crumbling old mansion. This movie not only pokes fun at old Hollywood, but also broke new ground with techniques never used before in film. From its legendary opening shot of a man floating dead in a swimming pool, Sunset Boulevard seizes our attention and doesnt let go until its equally famous closing shot. In fact, the movie opens with a jolt: the bullet-riddled body of a young man is seen floating face down in the pool next to a mansion. Then the ghostly voice of Joe Gillis recounts the events leading up to his death, which are shown in flashback until ending with the final scene: A completely deranged Norma Desmond descending a staircase in front of newsreel cameras. She is once again in the spotlight, even if she is unable to comprehend why, and Max, who is positioning the cameras, is directing her for one final time. Despite their apparent differences, Joe and Norma are two of a kind both are vain mediocrities who think they are better than what they are, and who seriously believe that they are destined for a better future, but they are obviously doomed. Sunset Boulevard is a movie made in Hollywood that is about making movies in Hollywood, this is why it is self referential. It critiques Hollywoods star system. In fact, the main female character of the film (Norma Desmond) plays a washed up actress from the silent age of Hollywood. She lives in a world of delusion where her fans still remember her, and where her old director Cecil B. DeMille will produce the wretched script that she is writing. Her eccentric behavior and her neurotic tendencies seem to know no limits. In this main female character the movie exposes a sad picture of the dark side of the star system: The star system exploits an artists skill, but when that actor or actress becomes obsolete, or lose their appeal to the public, the system would cut them free. At the end of the movie, she commits murder to protect her fantasy. This film expresses a cynical attitude toward Hollywood, by showing the main character of the film face down in his dream pool; killed, in a roundabout way by the Hollywood system. The dead man, we find out, is Joe Gillis, a Hollywood script writer, and also the narrator of this tale. Then Gillis takes us on a journey of how he got there through bad creditors, a car chase, a dead monkey and a very well timed landing at the home of Norma Desmond.   With that, the film can be seen as a look at the writer and the game of writing and filmmaking in Hollywood. It depicts a lack of respect for the art of writing, and the lack of humanity in the Hollywood system. From a technical standpoint, Sunset Boulevard is not a ground-breaking film, but Wilder uses the films visual elements to good effect. Normas mansion is shown in all of its crumbling, gothic glory, as well as the fishs eye shot of Joe in the pool. These are memorable moments that give the movie a special characteristic that makes it different from others, without forgetting the perfect musical accompaniment. The acting is flawless, with each actor fully inhabiting the skin of his or her character. And the camera work and music are effortlessly wed to the projects other aspects. The movie represents the center stone in Billy Wilders glittering cinematic tiara. Finally, we can say that Sunset Boulevard is a prototype of film noir. And no other motion picture about Hollywood comes near Billy Wilders searing, uncompromising and utterly fascinating portrait of the film community. That is why there has never been or will there ever be another movie like Sunset Boulevard in all of cinemas history.

George III of Britain: Popular with the People, but not with Parliament

George III of Britain: Popular with the People, but not with Parliament Although history has labeled King George III of Britain primarily as the â€Å"mad† king responsible for the loss of America, a closer look at the 1780s, the heart of his reign, proves George III to be a particularly effective monarch rather than the bungling idiot some scholars have dubbed him. George III’s effectiveness, during the 1780s, stemmed from his immense popularity with the common people, which lay in direct contrast to his lack of popularity with Parliament. The popularity that George III enjoyed with the masses was largely due to his personal integrity and moral character, and his lack of popularity with Parliament was a result of his desire to reclaim the monarchial power lost in the reigns of George I and II. The popularity George III held with the masses ought to first be considered in light of his Hanoverian predecessors. Neither George I nor George II held the British throne in high esteem. In fact George I, the first of the Hanoverian monarchs, viewed his ascension to the British throne as little more than an opportunity to â€Å"enhance his prestige amongst the other Electors of the Holy Roman Empire† (Clark and Ridley 13). He also saw England as a means, with considerable resources, to ensure the safety of his beloved Hanover. This attitude of ambivalence resulted in George Is leaving the duties of running Great Britain to Parliament while the king acted as little more than a figure-head. George II acted likewise leaving the main governing of Britain to Parliament and failing to be a truly active monarch, instead indulging his attentions in wine and women rather than the politics of the day. Needless to say George III's desire to... ...t for a private funeral. And â€Å"shops throughout England, Scotland and Wales shut for the occasion which spawned a vast array of sermons and homilies on the ‘sainted remains of our dear king† (Colley 94). King George III died a beloved and well-respected monarch whose popularity was unequaled in his time. Works Cited Bloy, Marjie. â€Å"The Age of George III.† A Web of English History. Jul. 2003. 10 Nov. 2003 . Brooke, John. King George III. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1972. Clarke, John, and Jasper Ridley. The Houses of Hanover & Saxe-Coburg Gotha. Los Angeles: Cassell & Co, 2000. Colley, Linda. â€Å"The Apotheosis of George III: Loyalty, Royalty and the British Nation 1760-1820.† Past and Present No. (Feb., 1984), 94-129. White, R. J. The Age of George III. New York: Walker and Company, 1968.

Importance of Accounting Ethics Essay

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that judge human beings on wrongs and rights concerned with the nature of value and the standards by which human actions can be judged .The term is also applied to any system or theory of moral values or principles. Accounting is the mechanism that offers information regarding the financial position of the organization or business. This type of information is critical to investors as it provides them with important and detailed information that could turn out to be the determining factor as to their decisions to invest or not to invest in a particular organization. Accounting in business is one of the most important departments. Ethical and professional accounting forms a clear financial image of a business, and allows managers to make informed decisions, keepsinvestors abreast of developments in the business, and keeps the business profitable. (Osanyin, 2008) In accounting, there is the professional ethics that guides the accounting profession. Accountants are expected to adhere to the set ethical standards which are designed to ensure that they behave in a way which is ethical and consistent. For most professional accounting organizations, accountants are certified in order to comply with ethics and they are stripped off their certificates if they fail to abide with ethical codes. Therefore, it is common to find unethical behavior in accounting profession. Some of the forms of unethical behavior in accounting are, Providing erroneous information regarding expenses incurred in business Giving out false information on expenses purposely is unethical. In accounting profession, the accountant should always provide the correct information regarding any expenses as failure to do so make the financial status of the business to be false. This affects the profit and loss reports of the business and consequently affecting the performance of the business in the long run. Exaggerating business revenue In accounting practices, all revenue in the business should be reported correctly as this can hurt investors in the company, the tax payers who may be caught up in governments bail outs and the workers at the company. By showing the correct revenue generated, this reflects the true financial position of the company. Misuse of business funds Accountants access most of the funds in the organization and it is unethical to misuse them. This can lead to the closure of the business and eventually leads to the loss of jobs and investments. Accountants should never misuse business funds and if they use it should be reported in the books of accounts and debited clearly. Some of the reasons why ethics is important in accounting are;- Confidentiality: People need to have confidence in accountants and the services they provide. Failure to do so leads to uncertainty in investors, shareholders and the work force in the organization. If the quality of the accounting is unprofessional this leads to low confidence with the stakeholders of the organization. Professional Competence: Ethics in accounting ensures that the accountants maintain professional knowledge and skills at the level required to ensure that a client or employer receives competent professional service. This is exhibited by acting diligently and in accordance with applicable technical and professional standards when providing professional services. So as to maintain law and regulations governing the accounting profession, accountants should always observe the professional ethics in their profession.

Carver’s Cathedral Critical Perpective Essay

I reviewed a collection of literary criticism on Carver’s Cathedral, a collection of short stories written by Carver which was published in 1983. One that stood out to be in particular was James W. Grinnell’s criticism on Carver’s Cathedral works. Grinnell wrote his review in the winter of 1984, and went on to say many things about Carver’s work. Grinnell mostly praises Carver’s work and his addition of newer and more creative ideas in his latest work. Grinnell also believes that Carver has improved his, what some called â€Å"old† style, by adding new elements to his work. James W. Grinnell opens his critique by saying, â€Å"Things are finally looking up for Raymond Carver. † I have to say I agree with Grinnell’s opening statement, the stories in Cathedral were some of which had a more pleasing and refreshed outlook on life. James Grinnell gives an overview of Carver’s life. To paraphrase Grinnell, Carvers life was not always on the positive side that it seemed like it was on since the release of Cathedral. Carver was married at the age of eighteen and he had a lot of responsibilities at that early age. Carver had the responsibilities of supporting his children and wife at this age while working dull, routine jobs. Grinnell goes on to explain how Carver was raise in a poor neighborhood in the city of Yakima, Washington. Then Carver was able to go to college and complete a Bachelor’s Degree from Chico State in California. After college Carver took up writing from the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop, making just enough to barely survive in the year he spent there. After these experiences Carver took up drinking while wasting many years of his thirties. Which Carver fully accepted and did not make any excuses for. Before 1983, Carver wrote two books full of stories called Will you Please Be Quiet, Please? and What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. Compared to the long titles, the content of the stories were pretty short, many being less than or equal to ten pages each. Carver carefully crafted his stories despite his drinking and lack of comfortable writing space. Due to the restricted viewpoints and the characters not being quite clear, Carver gained a reputation for his kind of writing that won for him. According to Grinnell when Carver came out with Cathedral, â€Å"a book with a one-word title and a dozen, more fully fleshed-out stories,† which I agree totally with, the stories were still â€Å"hard little gems of fiction but they are a few carats heavier than those of the earlier books† (Grinnell p. 106). To summarize Grinnell, half of the stories were first person narrations, which Carver had tight control over his characters perspectives. Carver does not give too much to the outside world around his characters and allows the reader to bring their own emotional baggage to and from the stories. While Carver is a literary minimalist and presents the characters of his stories lives as nothing more than what it is. Grinnell uses the opening story Feathers as an example, explaining the story. Grinnell explains that the narrator’s daily routine is exhausted and weary and that his wife is broken when a coworker invites them over for dinner. Carver places details such as the television that has a plaster of Paris cast of crooked teeth, and a La-Z-Boy chair, as well as the host’s wife, and their baby that is described as fat and ugly, as well as a pet peacock. The narrator holds nothing back and shares with the reader that the baby was the ugliest they had ever seen. The night turns out to be a nice, special one that is actually memorable because after that their lives became even duller. The narrator and his wife have a child of their own, who developed â€Å"a conniving streak in him. Grinnell explains that Carver’s characters â€Å"Often experience a special moment which almost affords them a glimpse of something elusive- a better life perhaps† Grinnell then says that they cannot actually achieve it hence they retreat to drinking or their regular boring life which seems even duller by the missed opportunity to achieve this better life. Grinnell calls â€Å"Cathedral† the peak story of the collection, and also refers to it as â€Å"this little masterpiece,† which I also agree with; Cathedral was my favorite story honestly. Grinnell tells that the piece concluded with the narrator trying to describe to a blind man a cathedral that he sees on television, but his words fail. Then the narrator tries to show the experience by holding the blind man’s hand while making a sketch of cathedral. The narrator then closes his eyes after the blind man asks him to. Grinnell expresses that the blind man is more perceptive than the narrator is and when the narrator closes his eyes, he gains a new dimension of perception. Grinnell ends his critique by saying Carver’s life seems to be coming back together and that his art is blooming, while he thinks that Cathedral is a major part of a new beginning for Carver’s writing career. The second literary criticism text I chose to select was one from Randolph Paul Runyon, which was written in 1992. Runyon’s essay examined the connecting elements and recurring themes in the short stories from Cathedral. Runyon first reviews â€Å"Feathers,† and mentions the characteristics of the setting. Runyon mentions the â€Å"old plaster-of-Paris cast of the most crooked, jaggedy teeth in the world† as well as the pet peacock and the baby. To summarize Runyon, the narrator of the story ends up mentioning that the evening was a special one that made him forget his everything in his life. Runyon says that there are two different interpretations of the meaning of the visit; one was that for the narrator’s wife the visit was a reminder of what went wrong in their lives in the beginning. The other one is that for the narrator it was glimpse of paradise, that he would never see again which was symbolized by the pet peacock. Runyon believes there is a possible three interpretation, which can be seen from a different point of the nonparticipants of the story. This is the point of view that the reader sees and the one that escaped Jack and Fran. The story takes place in the evening which they both always remember it began with a little story about the difficulty of remembering. This tied into a previous story that Carver had written. Another thing Runyon mentions about â€Å"Feathers† is that a lot of things are presented in pairs in the story such as the narrator and his wife, the baby and the peacock, the teeth â€Å"before† and â€Å"after. † Then Runyon goes on to say that it was fitting for the first story of the collection to begin with a series of chains of before and after, and we should be accustomed to them now because this is the way his short story sequences seem to be put together. Runyon then talks about â€Å"Cathedral,† which he starts off by summarizing the story, saying that before the narrator’s wife married him she worked as a reader for Robert and that they had exchanged tapes in the years since. When the narrator’s wife was telling him about Robert she told the narrator that she had talked about him in a tape to Robert and Robert had something to say about the narrator in his tape back to her, but what Robert had said about the narrator was never fully told since an interruption came at that time. This type of interruption had been seen in another one of Carver’s works. To summarize Runyon, the narrator was annoyed at first that Robert was coming to visit because he has never had much to do with blind people and he thinks he will be uncomfortable. Robert is a nice man that enjoyed thing just like any other person would, good food, good drinking and good marijuana although he was just trying it for the first time. Runyon then summarizes the rest of the story, and then adds his opinion. Runyon believes that the conclusion is intended to make the reader think to explore many of Carver’s other pieces. Runyon says that the conclusion also reminded him of the conclusion of â€Å"The Bridle† when Holits was high on the cabana roof since the narrator and the blind man drew the cathedral while they’re high. Also a significant role reversal was seen since at first the narrator was in charge of drawing the cathedral on the heavy paper so that Robert could move his fingers over the paper to get an idea of what it looked liked, but by the end the blind man is actually guiding the narrator. The blind man was basically showing the narrator what it was like to be blind, when the blind man tells the narrator to close his eyes. Runyon says the collaboration between the two, the blind man and the narrator, was something like collaborattion Carver held with his editor (p. 176). I agree with a lot of things I read in both of these pieces of criticism. I like the criticism given by Grinnell the most, and I would say it was a really good one. Not all of the stories of the collection were gone over in these though. I agree that drinking is often turned to by the characters of Carver’s writing, like when Robert first got to the narrators home, the narrator offered him a drink right away, I said, â€Å"Let me get you a drink. What’s your pleasure? We have a little of everything. It’s one of our pastimes† (Carver). The narrator then closes his eyes after the blind man asks him to. Grinnell expresses that the blind man is more perceptive than the narrator is and when the narrator closes his eyes, he gains a new dimension of perception. Also when Grinnell expressed that the blind man is more perceptive than the narrator, I agreed as well. Although the narrator has been able to see all of his life he doesn’t comprehend that being blind doesn’t mean that a person is completely handicapped but he isn’t completely normal either. The narrator says â€Å"I’ve never met, or personally known, anyone who was blind. † The narrator also thinks that Robert could be taken bowling which is not very realistic. I do believe at the end the narrators perception is taken to a new depth especially while he mentions that the drawing they worked on was really something, saying that with his eyes closed.

Oil

Oil In our society today, consumption of oil has become as common as food or beverage consumption. We use oil everyday. Oil is used for many things such as: raw material for many plastics, heating in winter, medicines, clothing, paint, transportation, and pesticides. "Crude Oil can be refined into gas, gasoline, kerosene, gas oil, fuel oil, and long residue" (Cohan, Emily 1). By using oil for basically everything, this natural resource is likely to last for only a short period of time. It seems as if we are always running out of oil and each barrel we use brings us one step closer to completely running out. However, we are finding new oil everyday. "Despite being a very mature producing region, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Minerals Management Service, have estimated that the U.S. still has substantial undiscovered oil and gas resources." Untapped resources are still coming up and are of use (American Petroleum Institute 1).United StatesIn 1859, Pennsylvania put up the world's first oil well (Clifford, Dick 3). According to the American Petroleum Institute, "Oil and natural gas together equal 65 percent of our nation's energy." That is an incredible amount of energy. Without that energy, our world would be in a lot of danger. We would run out of everyday materials such as: rubber, electricity, and other things that we need for existence. In 1904, Captain William Matson proved oil was more efficient than coal. Oil was thereafter used for gasoline in the new cars, in steamers, and in sugar refineries. A ton of coal equals the same amount of energy as 4 barrels of oil (Cohan, Emily, 1). Wow! If people could actually realize how much that actually is then the world would be saved! Think of how much money people could save on...

Japanese expansionary fiscal policy

Japanese expansionary fiscal policy Introduction Since the fall of the Soviet Union, capitalism has been the most dominant form of economy in the world. With the exception of China and Cuba, few socialist economies survive in the world today. Japan, along with the United States, has some of the oldest capitalist economies in the world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Japanese expansionary fiscal policy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the most significant features of the market economy is the cycles that characterize it. Perhaps, the most severe of these cycles is depression which last occurred in 1933. However, recession is devastating as well, and it disrupts many economic processes including credit flow. Both the US and Japan have gone through these cycles and offer a good studying point on the same. While China dethroned Japan as the world’s second largest economy, Japan still presents a model case for world economists in studying its economic cycles. This discussion will focus on the â€Å"scrap and build† strategy that Japan employed early on its economic development especially in industrial development. Additionally, the discussion will take a look at the balance sheet recession that some scholars argue Japan has undergone since the bubble bust in 1989. Scrap and Build Strategy There has been an argument by Burkett and Hart-Landsberg that, since the end of the occupation in 1952, Japan, under the guidance of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), practiced a strategy of ‘scrap and build,† which eventually ran out of steam by the end of the 1980’s. Scrap and build strategy mainly focused on the postwar accumulation of assets and industrial restructuring in Japan with the primary aim of restoring the Japanese economy, mainly through exports (Rob 5). Before the oil crisis in 1973, Japan had run down light industries which in the prewar period ensured the country genera ted a surplus for a number of years. The government used this surplus to offer subsidies to heavy industries whose growth will later fuel Japanese capitalism. â€Å"Scrap and build†essentially derived its meaning from the Japanese government policy which emphasized on building heavy industry for chemicals and basic materials for processing imported raw materials while exporting iron, steel, ships and petroleum products (Rob 6). On the other hand, the policy advocated for the scraping of coal mining and agriculture as well as textiles. According to Rob, it is important to note that the scrap and build process involved many socio-political processes that eventually led to its decline (9). Rob adds that the scrap and build process demanded high-level political organization and a social structure that could accommodate the dislocations that the process brought (9).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Most observers essentially agree that the scrap and build process was somehow a causality of the cold war and the resultant socio-political consequences that had a negative ripple effect on the entire system. Rob precisely says that the breakdown of the scrap and build process was as a result of the socialist elements in the Japanese system who prioritized development of the welfare state at the expense of market efficiency (10). An objective audit of the entire process will reveal however, a gradual loss of control of the working class by the bourgeois which in effect reduced the effectiveness of labor relations resulting in the decline of the process. Bailey on the other hand argues that the decline of the scrap and build process was as a result of years of cumulative dynamic capitalism ways that were beyond the control of Japan’s economic managers (192). It is not easy to tell if the scrap and build process in Japan would have survived b eyond the 1980’s. However, loss of steam was more or less likely because of economic cycles that ensured that the process peaked at the time. Nonetheless, it is safe to conclude that despite its loss of steam in the 80’s, the process was strong enough to power Japan to greater economic prosperity in the long run. Japan’s balance sheet recession The world economic crisis in 2008 reverberated across the world perhaps because many countries anchor their economies with that of the United States. Currently, the US economy is recovering but, another important economic zone, the Eurozone is undergoing one of its worst economic crises. These situations are comparable to the Japan balance sheet recession and the deleveraging cycles that Japan’s private sector had to go through twenty years ago due to the asset bubble in equities and real estate. According to Weinstein, both the government and the private sector of Japan responded to the crisis by adopting an expan sionist approach to fiscal policy (45). The private sector stated paying big debts, improving by atleast 6% of the gross domestic product. Household savings stood at 4% per year on the backdrop of 0% interest rates (Weinstein 50). The government of Japan’s expansionary fiscal policy was however the most significant. The government borrowed heavily and spent approximately $100 to maintain the economy’s expenditure at $1000 (Weinstein 50). Though the balance sheet recession led to a massive loss of wealth, Japan was able to avoid loss of GDP by rates lower than the pre-crisis levels. The expansionary policy by government helped maintain incomes in the private sector as well as in the households in such a way that economic entities were able to pay back debt.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Japanese expansionary fiscal policy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Objective analysis of the situation will conclu de that the Japanese government’s fiscal expansion policies helped stem crowding out, rise in inflation and interest rates especially on the face of a deleveraging private sector. Further, most economists agree that the expansionist fiscal policy that the government undertook helped in shelving the fall of money supply in the Japanese economy mainly because government borrowing from the private sector mitigated severe contraction of Japanese bank assets. Concisely, the expansionary fiscal policy that the Japanese government took was helpful in ensuring that the GDP as well as money supply did not contract on the face of considerable deleveraging by the private sector players. Conclusion In a balance sheet recession situation, the economy tends to be in a free fall. However, the actions by the Japanese government helped stem a complete collapse of the economy through a fiscal expansion policy. It is correct to assert that if the Japanese government lacked action i.e. expansion ary fiscal policy, economic agents in the Japanese economy would have shifted massively from borrowing to savings effectively strangling credit flow. The result will be private sector deleveraging which could only be offset by increased government borrowing. One of the widely accepted notions in the market economy is the role of investor psychology. The perception of economic agents on the health of the economy is important in making decisions. Hence, the perception that the government is taking remedial measures concerning the economy is always crucial in sorting out an economic mess such as the Japanese balance sheet recession. Bailey, David. Crisis Or Recovery in Japan: State and Industrial Economy, New York: Sage Publications, 2007. Print. Steven, Rob. Japans new imperialism, New York: Routledge, 1990. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Weinstein, David. Japans Bubble, Deflation, and Long-Term Stagnation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print.

Concrete Homes - Best Bet on a Windy Day

Concrete Homes - Best Bet on a Windy Day When hurricanes and typhoons howl, the greatest danger to people and property is flying debris. Carried at such intense velocity, a 2 x 4 piece of lumber will become a missile that can slice through walls. When an EF2 tornado moved through central Georgia in 2008, a board from an awning was ripped off, took flight across the street, and impaled itself deep into an adjacent solid concrete wall. FEMA tells us this is a common wind-related event and recommends the building of safe rooms. Researchers at the National Wind Institute of Texas Tech University in  Lubbock have determined that concrete walls are strong enough to withstand flying debris from hurricanes and tornadoes. According to their findings, homes made of concrete are much more storm-resistant than houses constructed of wood or even wood studs with steel plates. The ramifications of these research studies are changing the way we build. The Research Study The Debris Impact Facility at Texas Tech is well-known for its pneumatic cannon, a device capable of launching various materials of different sizes at different speeds. The cannon is in a laboratory, a controlled environment, To duplicate hurricane-like conditions in the laboratory, researchers shot wall sections with 15-pound 2 x 4 lumber missiles at up to 100 mph, simulating debris carried in a 250 mph wind. These conditions cover all but the most severe tornadoes. Hurricane wind speeds are less than the speeds modeled here. Missile tests designed to demonstrate damage from hurricanes use a 9-pound missile traveling about 34 mph. Researchers tested 4 x 4-foot sections of concrete block, several types of insulating concrete forms, steel studs, and wood studs to rate performance in high winds. The sections were finished as they would be in a completed home: drywall, fiberglass insulation, plywood sheathing, and exterior finishes of vinyl siding, clay brick, or stucco. All of the concrete wall systems survived the tests with no structural damage. Lightweight steel and wood stud walls, however, offered little or no resistance to the missile. The 2 x 4 ripped through them. Intertek, a commercial product and performance testing company, has also done research with their own canon at Architectural Testing Inc. They point out that the safety of a concrete home can be deceptive if the house is built with unreinforced concrete block, which offers some protections but not total. Recommendations Reinforced concrete homes have proven their wind-resistance in the field during tornadoes, hurricanes, and typhoons. In Urbana, Illinois, a home constructed with insulating concrete forms (ICFs) withstood a 1996 tornado with minimal damage. In the Liberty City area of Miami, several concrete form homes survived Hurricane Andrew in 1992. In both cases, neighboring homes were destroyed. In the fall of 2012, Hurricane Sandy blew apart the older wood construction homes on the New Jersey coast, leaving alone the newer townhouses built with insulating concrete forms. Monolithic domes, which are made of concrete and rebar in one piece, have proven especially strong. The sturdy concrete construction combined with the dome shape make these innovative homes nearly impervious to tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Many people cannot get over the look of these homes, however, although some brave (and wealthy) homeowners are experimenting with more modern designs. One such futuristic design has a hydraulic lift to actually move the structure below the ground before a tornado strikes. Researchers at Texas Tech University recommend that houses in tornado-prone areas build in-residence shelters of either concrete or  heavy gauge sheet-metal. Unlike hurricanes, tornadoes come with little warning, and reinforced interior rooms can offer more safety than an exterior storm shelter. Other advice researchers offer is to design your home with a hip roof instead of a gable roof, and everyone should use  hurricane straps to keep the roof on and the timbers straight. Concrete and Climate Change - More Research To make concrete, you need cement, and its well-known that the manufacturing of cement releases great amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere during the heating process. The building trade is one of the largest contributors to climate change, and cement makers and the people who purchase their product are some of the largest contributors to what we know to be greenhouse gas pollution. Research on new production methods will no doubt be met with resistance from a very conservative industry, but at some point consumers and governments will make new processes affordable and necessary. One company trying to find solutions is Calera Corporation of California. They have focused on recycling CO2 emissions into the production of a calcium carbonate cement. Their process uses the chemistry found in nature - what formed the White Cliffs of Dover and the shells of marine organisms? Researcher David Stone accidentally discovered an iron carbonate-based concrete when he was a graduate student at the University of Arizona. IronKast Technologies, LLC is in the process of commercializing Ferock and Ferrocrete, made from steel dust and recycled glass. Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) known as Ductal ® has been used successfully by Frank Gehry in the Louis Vuitton Foundation Museum in Paris and by architects Herzog de Meuron in the Pà ©rez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). The strong, thin concrete is expensive, but its a good idea to watch what the Pritzker Laureate architects are using, as they are often the first experimenters. Universities and government entities continue to be the incubators for new materials, researching and engineering composites with different properties and better solutions. And its not just concrete  - the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory has invented a glass substitute, a transparent, tough-as-armor ceramic called spinel (MgAl2O4). Researchers at MITs Concrete Sustainability Hub are also concentrating their attention on cement and its microtexture  - as well as the cost-effectiveness of these new and expensive products. Why You Might Want to Hire an Architect Building a home to withstand natures fury is not a simple task. The process is neither a construction nor design problem alone. Custom builders can specialize in insulated concrete rorms (ICF), and even give their end-products safe-sounding names like Tornado Guard, but architects can design beautiful buildings with evidence-based material specifications for builders to use. Two questions to ask if you are not working with an architect are 1. Does the construction company have architects on staff? and 2. Has the company financially sponsored any of the research testing? The professional field of architecture is more than sketches and floor plans. Texas Tech University even offers a Ph.D. in Wind Science and Engineering. Sources Inline photo link of Georgia tornado by Mike Moore/FEMA PhotoStorm Shelter Research and Storm Shelter FAQs, National Wind Institute, Texas Tech University [accessed November 20, 2017]A summary report on Debris Impact Testing at Texas Tech University, Prepared by Wind Science and Engineering Research Center, June 2003, PDF at https://www.depts.ttu.edu/nwi/research/DebrisImpact/Reports/DIF_reports.pdf [accessed November 20, 2017]Guidance for Wind Resistant Residential Design, Construction Mitigation, Larry J. Tanner, P.E., NWI Research Assistant Professor, Debris Impact Facility, National Wind Institute, Texas Tech University, PDF at depts.ttu.edu/nwi/research/DebrisImpact/Reports/GuidanceforWindResistantResidentialDesign.pdf [accessed November 20, 2017]Hurricane-Proof Construction Methods Can Prevent the Destruction of Communities,  Zach Mortice, Redshift by AutoDesk, November 9, 2017, https://www.autodesk.com/redshift/hurricane-proof-construction-methods-can-save-buildings-communi ties/ [accessed November 20, 2017]

McDonalds and Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

McDonalds and Globalization - Essay Example McDonalds is a chain of restaurants working in collaboration to deliver their customers with the best product. It also follows the concepts of globalization. This essay would discuss an ethnographic study in McDonalds as it affirms or refutes the claims made about globalization. Ethnographic Study McDonald’s is one of the biggest fast food restaurant chains around the globe. Franchising is the key success factor behind the international success of McDonald’s. The global strategy of franchising McDonald’s is to involve local people and translate the US brand culture to the local culture and values of products and services offered. The integration of local values and cultural elements into the flexible working environment and structure of McDonald’s, help in developing the standards of the food chain with reference to customer’s loyalty and satisfaction.... McDonald’s values, hence, comprise of strategies which uphold the customers’ values. Their advertisements and marketing campaigns include slogans like ‘our community’, ‘our commitment’ etc. and symbols like a smile, happy and fresh look and so on. The idea of community greatly influences the customers at McDonald’s as this word provides them with a feeling of care and trust. Cleanliness, quality and timeliness are some other key values that were emphasized by the management every now and then. The claim of McDonalds to support charities also make a good impression on the customers, however, the quality and value of food along with comfortable environment of the franchise were the key components of success of the business. The division of labour as I observed comprised of more female staff than male. The reason behind such distribution of labour may be the timings that I chose to work in. The day timings may be more of comfort for the fem ale staff and the night shifts might have more male members than female. Around 14 workers worked at a time excluding the managers who were responsible for the operational and strategic decisions related to the franchise. The jobs were distributed in various categories as per the skills, competence level and qualification of each employee. Cashiers, food packing staff, food making staff, cleaning staff, employees dealing with drive-through customers, cashiers and supervisors were all working to avoid any mishaps and quality compromising act (McDonald's goes ethnic 2010; Whats Eating McDonalds 2009). The customers included different age groups, genders, ethnic classes, social classes and cultural backgrounds. Children were more likely to opt for kids’ meals like happy meals which include toys for the children that

Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethnic Groups and Discrimination - Essay Example Major emigration from Sweden to America started after 1839, when the initial organized emigrant communities began to arrive in New York (Beijbom 1996). From 1850 to 1929, more than 1.3 million Swedes migrated to America, a quantity that covered around 26 percent of the total population of Sweden during that time. Sweden had one of the top rates of emigration of all of the European countries. The rates of immigration to America varied every year, nevertheless, mirroring economic conditions in both Sweden and America. The first major migration of Swedes to the United States came between 1868 and 1873, as famine in their home country and opportunity for land in America encouraged around a hundred thousand Swedes, primarily farm families, from Sweden. (Granquist 2009) Swedish-Americans had relatively little negative experience with regard to discrimination, because the Swedes did not experience some of the cruelties other ethnic groups experienced. Swedish immigrants were in general well accepted by majority of Americans and appeared to mingle well with their neighbors. It helped that the Swedes were seen as welcome immigrants, because they came from a Protestant northern European nation (Granquist 2009). All in all, Swedish Americans were educated, possessed skills, and industrious type of people, and found employment on farms and in mines and factories. Young Swedish women were particularly in demand as domestic servants in American homes. In many areas in the United States during that time, Swedes lived near other Scandinavian and German immigrants. A conventional typecast of nineteenth-century Swedish immigrants was that they were either farmers or agricultural laborers in the countryside areas, or domestic servants in urban areas. There was a certain amount of veracity in this typecast since such jobs were often occupied by immigrants who have recently reached the United States. Many Swedish immigrants were educated, skilled, and self-driven,

The Nexus between agency theory and corporate governance Essay

The Nexus between agency theory and corporate governance - Essay Example This essay tries to explain the agency theory and corporate governance in the present day environment. Economists recently are more diverted to the phenomenon of organisation. The recently formulated organisation theory agency theory is different from the ones which existed in the past. Fama (1980) focused at the possible managerial labour market to restrain and guide individual decision-making expedience. In essence all these various statements are construed based on a few simple assumptions. These assumptions according to Donaldson (1990) are construed as a 'theory of interest, motivation and compliance'."Specifically, agency theory is directed at the ubiquitous relationship, in which one party (the principal) delegates work to another (the agent), who performs that work. Agency theory attempts to describe this relationship using the metaphor of a contract" (Eisenhardt, 1989: p58).The neoclassical school analyses the individual who tries to maximise or in the least to satisfy their utility between work and time off. This combination of assumed independence and selfish enthusiasm that is problematic within the relationship of agent and principal. In terms of corporate governance the shareholder is the principal. The problem arises due to the separation of ownership and control.According to Jill Solomon (2007) the failure to corporate governance and corporate crumple can take place in the firmest company. It is possible to seduce the Investors, creditors and employees through a company's repute and achievement. This can even throw caution to the wind. If the agents of economic accountability were intellectuals, as it is a must based on the economic and finance theory, this form of sightlessness could never occur. But the problem is that it does happen, investors behave rationally not always, and the factors of human behaviour and psychology are tricky to fit in a finance framework or an economic hypothesis. Cases of irrational behaviour in the UK during the 198 0s were that of Polly Peck and Coloroll. This was a case when the capitalist found very important information relating to contingent liabilities were missing from the accounts of these companies (Smith et all, 1992). Differences between managers and shareowners Agency theory brings up a basic problem in organizations and that is self-interested conduct. The managers of a corporation normally have their own goals which often cross roads with the proprietor's goal of maximising shareholder wealth. As it is the shareholders who give power to the managers to manage the firm's wealth, a prospective difference of opinion arises between the two groups. Agency Cost How does the agent that is the company directors serve the principal that is the shareholders is the question. The solution lies in accepting certain agency costs. These costs involve either in producing incentives or approve which adjust executive egoism with the concerns of shareholders. Or else they may be involved in supervising executive behaviour in order to restrain their self-interest. This led to the development of the number of non-executives on the company boards. Also it resulted in augmented arrangement of their function and considerations of freedom, leading to reforms all over the world. The separation of the part played by the chief executive and that played by the non-executive has been made a part of this reform. The establishment of audit, compensation, and recommendations committees is actually independent non-executives appointed to assure the proper use of the incentives and also to check the performance of the executives. These internal controls

Compare Emilia and Desdemona Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Compare Emilia and Desdemona - Essay Example Her speech here with lines like ,"So much I challenge that I may profess/ Due to the Moor my lord"(I, iii, 191-192) makes her appear to be an articulate woman who knows her own mind, a woman who has eloped with a racially disparate man, and is able to defend her choice with sagacity and courage. Desdemona's resolute profession of her love shows us the practical nature and the intensity of her affections: "My downright violence and storm of fortunes/May trumpet to the world: my heart's subdued/ Even to the very quality of my lord:/I saw Othello's visage in his mind,/And to his honor and his valiant parts/ Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate". ( I, iii, 254- 59)She is a woman in love, who is ready to go to strange parts in order to be with her husband, and is also a woman much loved, as we see when she is reunited with her husband at Cyprus. "Desdemona was a stranger, not just different in class from Emilia, different in species. Emilia watched her from a cautious distance, the impulsive girl whose giddy love, written on her incandescent face, demonstrated that she had nothing in common with her".(Rutter, 2001) Emilia's marriage is of long standing and she has seen the world with all its realities. Her husband does not lose a moment in putting her down in company, and does so viciously and with a barely concealed venom, slandering not just her but her entire kind: "Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors,/Bells in your parlors, wild-cats in your kitchens,/Saints in your injuries, devils being offended, Players in your housewifery, and housewives' in your beds". ( II, i, 113-117)We know from the very beginning that though loyal to her husband, she is living a loveless marriage. And beyond a few one-line dialogs, she indeed has no speech in the first scenes after her appearance. Having left her father's home and the confines of Venetian society for the first time, Desdemona is in a relaxed frame of mind. Somewhat guileless, her circumstances of living with her married love have made her cheerful, bantering, tolerant , as is evident from her good-humored response even to Iago's lack of taste in his very first conversation with her. She mislays her handkerchief, and lovingly nags her husband on Cassio's case by playing the shrew, fully assured of her power over Othello and her ability to make him do her bidding. She feels it her part to play the nagging wife and present it as a 'boon' to the husband: Her performance exploits and collapses the two male fantasies that most define early modern wives: the one, negative, of the shrew, and the other, the ideal of the submissive subordinate. Lest we believe the stereotypes and think Desdemona truly shrewish, she announces that she will play the shrew.....In merging the postures of good wife and shrew, Desdemona indirectly challenges the presumption of their difference enforced in marriage handbooks, homilies, church courts, misogynist pamphlets, and the like. Her performance highlights what that discourse masks: that to be a shrew is, in fact, to follow the rules, to be obediently disobedient, to fill a role created by (male) authorities who needed shrews in order to contain, by criminalizing, female speech. Conversely, Desdemona also places outspokenness within the perimeters of appropriate wifely

Quantitative Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Quantitative Decision Making - Essay Example Decision analysis also makes managers know which decisions are in favor of their companies and which can go against the benefits of the companies. â€Å"An effective decision-making process reduces the possibility of wrong choices or failures† (Ilyas). Let us take an example related to my professional field. I am a sales manager at a hardware company. The company sells all types of hardware products to the customers. A few months ago, I decided to replace all old style products with latest ones in order to achieve high levels of profits and to make the company style oriented. I had in my mind that the company’s sales could be increased by presenting the customers with new and latest styles instead of old ones. However, I did not consider the ratio of high-income people to low-income people while taking the decision. Moreover, I did not make use of six steps included in the process of quantitative decision-making. Therefore, the decision did not result in favor of the co mpany and we suffered major decrease in the profits. I think I should have done a survey of the market before taking the decision. Along with that, I should have listed all possible alternatives regarding the decision. I should also have calculated the expected profit of each combination of alternatives and outcomes.

Dickens and His Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dickens and His Society - Essay Example The realist tradition operated under the belief that the novel held a responsibility to examine the basic nature of society as it was as a means of exposing its strengths and weaknesses and to begin pointing out methods of reform (1996). Dickens does this in every book he wrote, often focusing on similar themes such as in his novels Great Expectations and David Copperfield. In both stories, Dickens illustrates human nature as he chronicles the development of a young boy into a gentleman. In each novel, the boy must survive a number of relationships with others, most of which seem designed expressly to ensure his failure, eventually finding his own way to success. Through his various plot developments and narrative elements, Dickens continues to invite his reader to make moral judgments about his characters even as this same audience is permitted sympathetic involvement in the characters’ experiences. Both stories begin with the main character at a very young age, although told from a much older perspective. Pip, in Great Expectations, is found living under the care and supervision of his bitter older sister and her down-to-earth husband Joe. The defining moment of his life takes place here as the small boy, seeking comfort from the graves of his dead parents and siblings, meets with an escaped convict and is both terrified enough and humane enough to assist the man with his escape. Shortly after this terrifying experience, Pip is employed by Miss Havisham to be playmate to her adopted daughter Estella and chooses to spend his money trying to get an education. He is suddenly lifted into the upper class through the intervention of a nameless benefactor and his studies take on a classic curriculum rather than a practical one. As he gains the knowledge suited for a gentleman, Pip’s attitude toward his sister and brother-in-law change drastically only to suffer a further reversal once he finally learns the nature of his fortune. David Copperfield also opens with a story from childhood, this time fondly recalling a pretty young mother and the family servant Peggoty (his father had died six months before he was born). However, this happiness comes to an end when his mother marries Mr. Murdstone who beats him and sends him away to a very strict boarding school. David stays at the school until his mother dies and he is returned home to go to work in one of his step-father's factories and boards with the Micawber family who are already struggling with debt. When the Micawbers leave London to escape further threat of debtor's prison, David leaves on foot to finally arrives at his great-Aunt Betsey’s house in Dover. She renames him Trotwood, Trot for short, and sends him to school at Canterbury, where he stays with Mr. Wickfield and his daughter Agnes but is plagued by the unpleasant Uriah Heep, who works to destroy everyone around him. Although fond of Agnes, he marries Dora and lives unhappily until Dora's death. David travels abroad to clear his head, finally realizing he's in love with Agnes to whom he returns and they have three children together. There are many shared social themes addressed within these two novels. Both boys are the victims of abusive homes and sometimes dire financial circumstances. One gets the sense that Pip's sister would have been nicer to him had she not had to struggle so hard to make sure the family had enough food to eat. It is unlikely Mr. Murdstone would have been nicer to his step-son had more money flowed into the house, but it seems clear David's mother would not have married him had she not been worried about the family's welfare enough to convince herself this was the best option. Money is also closely

Quantitative Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Quantitative Decision Making - Essay Example Decision analysis also makes managers know which decisions are in favor of their companies and which can go against the benefits of the companies. â€Å"An effective decision-making process reduces the possibility of wrong choices or failures† (Ilyas). Let us take an example related to my professional field. I am a sales manager at a hardware company. The company sells all types of hardware products to the customers. A few months ago, I decided to replace all old style products with latest ones in order to achieve high levels of profits and to make the company style oriented. I had in my mind that the company’s sales could be increased by presenting the customers with new and latest styles instead of old ones. However, I did not consider the ratio of high-income people to low-income people while taking the decision. Moreover, I did not make use of six steps included in the process of quantitative decision-making. Therefore, the decision did not result in favor of the co mpany and we suffered major decrease in the profits. I think I should have done a survey of the market before taking the decision. Along with that, I should have listed all possible alternatives regarding the decision. I should also have calculated the expected profit of each combination of alternatives and outcomes.

Gambino Cleaning Products Salesman System Specification Essay Example for Free

Gambino Cleaning Products Salesman System Specification Essay A new system of calculating and reporting on cleaning products salesmen is to be designed and implemented. Cleaning products salesmen commission is based on a set of data which is the monthly sales of cleaning products sold by the salesmen. Objectives The new system must: * Be automated as far as possible, needing no thorough knowledge of spreadsheets, databases or any other software in order to operate it. * Have fitted controls to ensure precision and completeness of data input. * Take into account commission payments from monthly sales. * Print commission reports for each of the salesmen, and a summary report showing total paid to each salesman and overall total. * Include an option to delete commission records previous to a given date so that the file does not increase for an indefinite period. The proposed new system can be shown in a level 0 data flow diagram as follows: A level 1 Data Flow Diagram of the proposed system is as follows: User functions 1. The Commissioning Salesman in the Sales Department will be responsible for entering all details of new cleaning products salesman and new products. 2. An Accounts clerk will have special responsibility for the commission system. 3. The Accounts clerk will enter each month the sales of each product, giving quantity sold and gross sales value (i.e. quantity X cover price). 4. Every 6 months, the Accounts clerk will produce the Commission reports for each cleaning products salesman. This will show the commission that has been earned in the previous 6 months. A payment is then recorded and a cheque issued to each cleaning products salesman to whom commission is due, together with the Commission statement showing sales details, and the statement from the Accounts system the total amount due. Database specification Menu structure The many functions of the Commission System will be accessed by means of a front-end menu, which will have the following structure. The data model There are three main entities in this system related in the entity relationship diagram shown below. Because a many-to-many relationship cannot be applied in a relational database, an additional entity named Salesman/Product is introduced. The ERD can now be drawn as follows: The database for Gambino cleaning products salesman system specification will have the following tables: tblSalesman (SalesmanID, Surname, FirstName) tblProduct (ProductID, ProductName, SalesTeam, Price) tblSalesman/Product (ProductID, SalesmanID, StandardCommission, BonusCommission) tblSales (SalesNumber, ProductID, Date, QuantitySold, GrossValue) Name Type Meaning Range Where Used tblSalesman Table Salesman Table tblProduct Table Product Table tblSalesman/Product Table Salesman/Product Table tblSales Table Sales Table SalesmanID Text (5) Unique ID Primary key in tblSalesman Foreign key in tblSalesman/Product Surname Text (20) Salesmans Surname tblSalesman Firstname Text (15) Salesmans first name tblSalesman ProductID Text (5) Unique product code Primary key in tblProduct Foreign key in tblSalesman/Product ProductName Text (40) Product title tblProduct SalesTeam Text (40) All salesman who sell a product tblProduct Price Currency Product price tblProduct StandardCommission Number Percentage commission on each product sold 1-10 tblSalesman/Products BonusCommission Number Bonus percentage commission on each products sold 11-20 tblSalesman/Products SalesNumber Number 1=Standard commission 2=Bonus Commission 1 or 2 tblSales QuantitySold Number Number of products sold tblSales GrossValue Currency Data Dictionary Input Specification Three input forms will be required. frmProducts This will be used to enter product details. frmSalesman This will be used to enter details of a salesman and all products on which they receive commission. The commission percentages for each product will be entered in a subform of the main form. Validation methods: The Product ID will be selected from a drop-down list of existing Product IDs. Once a Product ID is entered, the product name will be automatically displayed. frmTransaction This form will be used to enter transactions. Validation methods: Only valid dates will be accepted. The Product ID will be selected from a drop down list of existing Product IDs. Once a Product ID is entered, the product name will be automatically displayed. Selecting a radio button so that only a valid alternative can be selected will choose the transaction type. Process Specification Commission Calculations To calculate the commission for a given transaction, a query has to be performed to combine attributes from tblTransaction, tblProduct, tblProduct/Salesman and tblSalesman. The calculation of the commission is performed as follows: If TransactionType = 1 (i.e sales) ThenRate = StandardCommissionRate ElseRate = BonusCommissionRate endif Amount = Rate * GrossValue These processes will be carried out in qryCommission. This query will be the source of both the commission report and the summary report. Maintenance Each year, transactions prior to a given date will be removed from tblTransactions. This prevents the transaction file from becoming too large and slowing down the system. The maintenance will be carried out as follows: Run a Delete query to delete records from tblTransaction. Test Plan Tests will be carried out using valid and invalid data and data at the extremes of acceptable values.

Emirates stadium

Emirates stadium Emirates Stadium Historical background (who wants the project? And why?) The Emirates Stadium is built on a former brownfield industrial estate known as Ashburton Grove in Islington, London; to provide a home ground for Arsenal FC. Arsenal FCs previous stadium in Highbury, of which it was named after, was located a mere half a mile away from the emirates. The capacity of Highbury was small in comparison to other top-flight status football clubs and therefore expansions were proposed. However, due to surrounding transport and residential amenities, further to local authority planning objections, the room for expansion was very limited at the existing ground. Corporate hospitality management via corporate viewing boxes is a key business network to Arsenal FC as a means of securing deals for the benefit of the clubs financial capital. Highbury however, was incapable of accommodating the expanding wealth of prospective clients bearing interest in the club. The proposition of enhancing corporate relationships and negotiations was a key figure in the framework plans for a new stadium. Sporting successes at Arsenal FC had also widened their fan base and the demand for match tickets was outweighing the supply. Stakeholders within the ownership of the club were subsequently underutilised and opportune revenue was missed; this was sacrificial to the prospects of future investment. After selective consideration of various locations suitable for Arsenal FC and their respective fans it was therefore decided on the turn of the millennium, that a new stadium was to be developed on the Ashburton Grove site. The capabilities of generating greater capital to enable the club to financially contest with some of the biggest football teams in Europe whilst also providing first class facilities to their many supporters showed an unwavering determination for the clubs advancement. This was the birth of the Emirates Stadium. Islington, London; was before hand, a waning borough and the new stadium was seen as a solution to contribute to the regeneration of the area. BUY OUT EXISTING OCCUPANTS ON ASHBURTON GROVE very expensive Islington councils waste recycling plant Royal mail Holloway delivery office Two bridges over the Northern city railway were also built connecting the stadium with drayton park wer also built. Structure of the project (Financing, Objectives, Constraints etc.). In order for Arsenal FC to fund the approximate  £275m project, the sale of existing surplus land assets was necessary to enable their financiers to provide sufficient supporting gain for a case in obtaining a large loan to fund the remainder. Highbury was demolished and redeveloped (with the exception of the east stand due to heritage listing) into what is now known as Highbury Square; an allotment of housing units that were sold to generate over  £300m in final completion sales (currently payable in instalments to Arsenal FC). Sportswear manufacture Nike, also contributed to the project funding through their multi-million pound sponsorship deal that is still binding at present. At the beginning of 2004, the project order date, Ashburton Properties, a subservient of Arsenal Holdings plc, was created in order to gain access to a loan over  £200m from a banking assembly that specialised in stadium facilities management and funding. Noteworthy banking companies within this assembly include: the RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland plc), The Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Banks plc. Towards the end of 2004, a  £100.2m corporate sponsorship deal had been struck between Emirate Airlines and Arsenal FC. One of the significant terms of this deal comprised of Emirates owning the naming rights of the stadium of which led to the stadium being known as the Emirates Stadium and not its original Ashburton Grove. Multi-faceted, Analysis, Feasibility Complicated cash flow, site assembly, waste plant location, residential, demolition and disposal, advertisements. Highbury re-development 2-stage tender: Taylor Wimpey Sir Robert McAlpine Main Contractors (There Project Manager was Gulf Christiansen) Also did Excel Centre, London. Construction team was entirely site-based (Contractors and Consultants); problems were solved quickly, minimal expense, dispute resolution. Financial, Programme capital; certainty of delivery time half way through season? X Time of the essence Stakeholder analysis (Conflicts and resolutions) Construction of the Emirates stadium began promptly once the tender had been signed in February 2004. Leading UK building and civil engineering company Sir Robert McAlpine was awarded the contract as the main contractor to complete the job. Global designs practice Populous (formerly known as HOK Sport) were responsible for the architecture and design of the stadium. They have been and are currently lead architects on many large projects of similar nature throughout the UK and across the globe e.g. Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales; Wembley National Stadium, London; and the 2014 Asian Games Stadium, Incheon, South Korea. UK-based consultant engineers Buro Happold provided solutions in both structural and services engineering design to the stadium. Arcadis AYH (formerly AYH) were initially appointed as project and cost managers to the project, however, their role quickly expanded as the administering and relocation of over 80 businesses at Arsenal FCs former site was required. This allowed for commercial and residential developments within Islington to be cross-funded and eventually made provision for the new housing allotments and a new waste and recycling centre for the Islington Borough. Private funded, Private project/ contract (Onus on who?) Local communities; business displacement, working with local authorities. Sustainability issues and agendas (Impact, Conflicts and resolutions) Due to the Emirates stadium being built upon a former brownfield industrial site, Buro Happold thought it was necessary to carry out an environmental impact assessment of the estate so that any contaminated earth found could be re-generated and re-used to provide better ground conditions for the stadiums foundations. Buro Happolds engineering expertise in developing the form and structure of the Emirates Stadium was thoroughly examined to minimise the environmental impact and reflect the aspirations of the local community. One of the most noticeable design solutions provided by Buro Happolds to meet these objectives, is the clear downward sloping roof that forms a natural dish of which augments the stadiums micro-climate. When designing the project, Populous tried to coalesce the needs of the end-users with an environmentally sound structure. As the Architects of the stadium, their ideas implemented took account of multiple contributors to the sustainable agenda that is ever-growing in the UK, particularly within urban areas such as greater London. The incorporation of natural passive ventilation systems throughout the stadium has made way for a more pleasant environmental climate whilst also deducing the need for mechanical ventilation systems of which can add to the released emissions count. Solar power systems through glass cladding and skylights have also been fitted to contribute to their power-saving ethos that could potentially prove money-saving during the lifetime of the project. Not only does the stadium have sustainable measures integrated into its design but the surrounding new-build developments have also been built to standards set out under the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Eco Homes guidelines. These form part of the Code for Sustainable Homes; a benchmark in voluntary frameworks for sustainable development. Desso Sports Systems; a company that specialise in artificial turfs for sports and recreation currently provide the stadium with their pitch. They say that their synthetic grass fibres can be recycled for civil-engineering applicationsor as artificial turf and are keen to stress the point that only environmentally friendly, biodegradable chemical products are used to clean the turf. Regeneration Brownfield site Section 106 TCPA, obligation to support and facilitate project area Newlon Housing Trust; Social Housing Evaluation of risks Even with the new Emirates stadium as the home ground for Arsenal FC, the current demand for tickets still greatly outweighs the supply. The board of directors are said to be in the process of looking to expand the stadium as a result. It is however, very unlikely that the extent of the supply will be matched by the demand due to the sheer fan-base the football club possesses and the feasibility of constructing such a vast amount extra to the existing development. The risks of this potential expansion include jeopardising the sustainability issues mentioned (above) so that the stadium only meets the demands of the present and is sacrificial to meeting the demands of the future (Brundtland). What also needs to be borne in mind is to what extent the extra capacity will bring in terms of revenue. With economies of scale in highly populated areas such as London, the capital gain of a greater number of sales made may not prove profitable and could drastically add to the clubs overall net doubt; thought to be around  £200m 3Q 2009. Motor vehicle use and other forms of private transport have not been well incorporated into the stadiums design and surrounding location. This has not been by mistake and the developers are trying to promote the use of public transport (possibly tied in with the sustainable communities agenda). There have been recent upgrades on the tube at Holloway Station (Arsenal FCs local station) and more buses have been added to frequently provide services to the stadium. The potential risks of relying on public transport are: inaccuracies in times, traffic congestion and provision for disabled supporters access to the ground. Programming Business displacement Compulsory purchase orders Financial model Stigma with football stadiums e.g. Wembley, Birse walker stadium, laing orourke millennium stadium Economic and business related factors From a marketing point of view; the emirates stadium was purely financially driven. The clubs successes had expanded to a rate which was over-utilising its existing resources and many opportune costs resulted. As an innovation to providing Arsenal FC with the maximum potential for revenue gain, a completely new and improved stadium for the entire club was seen as the most serviceable concept to adopt. REGENERATION Not about football stadium, regeneration of Islington Trying to get on the local authorities side Reflection on projects management REFERENCES: * Arcadis AYH (2006), Professional Services: Property: Lifestyle: Stadia Sports: Projects: Emirates Stadium, available from [Accessed 08/02/10]. * Building (2007), Emirates Stadium boosts Arsenal FCs Results; Football clubs income jumps 46% following move from Highbury, available from [Accessed 08/02/10]. * DesignBuild-Network (2008), Projects: Emirates Stadium, Ashburton Grove, London, United Kingdom, available from [Accessed 08/02/10]. * DesignBuild-Network (2008), Projects: Emirates Stadium, Ashburton Grove, London, United Kingdom: Specifications, available from [Accessed 08/02/10]. * E-architect (2008), Arsenal Stadium, London; Information and Photos, available from [Accessed 08/02/10]. * Sir Robert McAlpine (2006), Projects: Emirates Stadium, available from [Accessed 08/02/10].

Benjamin Franklin Essay -- Biography Biographies Bio

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin was an American printer and publisher, author, inventor, scientist, and who was a diplomat born on January 17th 1706 and died in Philadelphia on April 17th 1790. Franklin was one of ten sons of seventeen children of a man by the name of Josiah who was a soap and candle maker and mother by the name of Abiah, a discrete and virtuous woman (Van Doren 7). Ben was raised in a Puritan heritage household which they had left to avoid England's Restoration Era of 1683. Franklin had a blend of Puritan heritage, Enlightenment philosophy, and New World environment ideals. Ben Franklin had a fascination public and interpersonal life. Franklin's life consisted of his reflections of his own behaviors and embracing curiosities of the whole moral and physical world around him (Ford 60-64). Ben married in September 1st 1730 to a woman by the name of Deborah Read. Franklin was an apprentice under his brother and a printer of a Boston newspaper called the Pennsylvania Gazette, the Almanac of Poor Richard and a good share of printing in that era (Van Doren 69). Ben also a philosopher, who followed the secular world view of Sir Isaac Newton, John Locke and favorite author named Joseph Addison. Franklin was a civic leader starting in 1727 who helped in putting together the Organization of Junto, a club of tradesmen in Pennsylvania who helped with civic improvements of that city which were: a library, fire company, college, insurance company and hospital (Van Doren 63). Ben was also an inventor who discovered bifocals and the ability to harness electricity through a lightening bolt in 1746 (Phelps 485). These achievements were just a small fraction of what Franklin was capable of doing. Ben was also a politician... ...on of a new government. Benjamin Franklin would not have been best known today as one of the Great Founding Fathers of The New World known as North America. Along side with him were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Hancock. Without all seven of these true Americans, there would not be a free and independent nation called the United States of America. Bibliography Ford and Grillparzer. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Issaacson, Walter. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003. Phelps, Shirelle and Jeffrey Lehman, eds. West Encylopedia. New York: Gale, 2005. Rakove, Jack. The Beginnings of National Politics. Baltimore and London: John Hopkins U Press, 1979. Van Doren, Carl. Benjamin Franklin. New York: Garden City Publishing, 1941.

The Libyan Head of State, Muammar al Qaddafi :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Libyan Head of State, Muammar al Qaddafi Muammar al Qaddafi is a very dangerous man. He promotes terrorism, and radical causes. He is committed against the U.S, and will help almost anyone who is also against the U.S. He is very intelligent and crafty. In 1969 he led a coup against the Libyan government. He succeeded, and became head of state. He is a devoted Muslim. Qaddafi is a person to be read about and learned about. As I mentioned above, one of his greatest successes was leading a bloodless coup against the Libyan monarchy. He became head of state. Another success is that fact that most Libyans lead good lives. All Libyans have a house or an apartment, a car, and most have televisions, phones, and recording equipment. The young people are well dressed and fed. He has survived many coup attempts against him. His face and picture are in most buildings in Libya. He always was devoted to school as a kid. He would take a long hike from the desert to school. He would come home only every Thursday, the beginning of the Muslim weekend. Then he would go back to school. He was the first in his family to be well educated. One of his first goals when he was a child was to join the Libyan army. He slowly moved up in rank. It was surprising they even let him in the army; he had a long police record. He eventually joined the King's police. This was when the idea of a coup attempt came. He did succeed. Qaddafi was born in a tent in the desert 20 miles south of the sea. This is a desolate place- burning hot in the summer, and freezing cold in the winter. Most people would consider this place to be uninhabitable. His father was at the bottom of social level in this very poor country. The name of tribe Qaddadfa means in Arabic, " Spitter or vomiter of blood." In Qaddafi's early years, in the 1940's there were tank battles in the desert and thousands of bombing raids by Germans in Libya. Besides this, in the 1920's the Italians under Mussolini had conquered Libya for the second time and had killed large numbers of women, children and old people. They trampled on copies of the Koran, threw men out of airplanes and raped and disembowelled women. So the Libyans of Qaddafi generation grew up full of

Munich: A City of Sorrow, Politics, and Culture Essay

In 1923, Adolf Hitler and the National Socialists marched to Munich in an attempt to overthrow the Munich government. The Weimar government ordered the army to quell the revolt. Hitler was arrested and several high-ranking members of the Nazi Party were incarcerated. In 1933, Munich became once again the power center of the National Socialists after Hitler’s assumption to power. The Nazi Party established the first internment camp (usually for political prisoners) at Dachau, several kilometers north of the city. Because Munich was the power center of National Socialism, it was called ‘capital of the movement. ’ The Nazis built several monumental buildings south of the city to commemorate fallen comrades in the 1923 putsch. Westerners call Munich as ‘the city of political distress. ’ It was in Munich that Neville Chamberlain agreed to cede Czechoslovak territory to Hitler. And it was also the site where Hitler announced his desire to annex Austria into the German Reich. Indeed, in some instances, the city was referred to as the ‘city of sorrow. ’ But this generalization is unfounded. Munich was also the headquarters of the White Rose, the Nazi resistance movement. During the Second World War, the city was severely damaged by air raids. Several of the city’s heritage buildings were either damaged or destroyed. After the Allies occupied Munich in 1945, the city was rebuilt. General George Marshall allocated a staggering 100 million dollars for the reconstruction of Munich alone. However, the reconstruction of the city was a superficial break with tradition. The Allies saw an immediate need to eliminate the remnants of Nazism in the city. One such example was the proposed demolition of the monument Giesinger Berg, a stone monument of a naked figure â€Å"strangling a snake that symbolized ‘degeneration and decline’† (Rosenfeld, 112). Around the figure were emblems, symbols, and names of twenty-two Freikorps companies that participated in suppressing the communist revolt in 1919. The Allies ordered the demolition of the structure with the consent of the city council. Munich was the site of intense Denazification. Modernism and populism became the defining themes of the city after the 1972 Olympics. As Rosenfeld argued: The modernization in the city gave rise to inevitable countertendencies as its destructive potential became increasingly evident †¦ This destructive creativity was partially advanced by the modern movement, whose radical city planning principles and universal architectural aesthetic progressively effaced the particularist features of local urban identity. Beginning in the mid-1960s, this trend’s acceleration generated expressions of protests that eventually developed into the new populist historic preservation movement (147). Indeed, the city was being assimilated into mainstream European culture. The city became the center of modernity and classicism. Modernity aimed for the economic and physical reconstruction of the city while classicism focused on cultural revivalism. Both forces worked at ease for more than 50 years. As Rosenfeld correctly observed: The late 1950s marked the beginning of a period of rapid urban growth for Munich. In December 1957, the registration of the city’s one-millionth inhabitants demonstrated that Munich †¦ had now on the eve of its eight-hundred birthday, achieved the critical mass to become a legitimate metropolis. Accompanying this rapid urban development was the rapid advancement of innovation (148). To date, the city is considered to be the global centre for cutting-edge automotive technology. Many of Germany’s leading car manufacturers established their headquarters in Munich. The city is also known as the ‘Silicon Valley of the East. ’ It is also one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Financial and consulting firms listed the city among the top 20 cities with the highest quality of life. In addition, Munich has a strong, solid, and thriving economy motivated by information technology, and highly integrated public sector. From 1950 up to the present, Munich is home to many professional football teams. The Munich territory has three teams playing in the Bundestag system. Munich is one of the main European cultural centers and has been host to several prominent musicians and artists including Rubinstein, Heifetz, Mozart, Wagner, Strauss, and Reger. The National Theater was established by Ludwig II, ruler of Bavaria, and is home to the Bavarian State Opera. The so-called Residenz theatre was established before the outbreak of the Second World War. Other opera houses were founded decades before the construction of the Residenz. For example, the Gartnerplatz Theatre staged the first edition of Mozart ‘K-ballets. ’ From a historical perspective, the city has evolved from a base of radical ideology to a modern, industrialized, and cultural center. As Toynbee noted: I have seen a city which beheld all which is sorrowful. Yet, in reality, I have descended into a state of powerlessness. This is not the idea of Nazism or the defunct ideological history of the city. It is awe and admiration that a city so cursed has become a powerhouse of economics and culture (622). Works Cited Rosenfeld, Gavriel. Munich and Memory: Architecture, Monuments and the Legacy of the Third Reich. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 2007. Toynbee, Arnold. Post War Germany. London: London

Caltex in South Africa Essay

A South African Investment American oil companies Texaco and SoCal (Caltex) were refining oil in South Africa. They planned to expand their refining capacity. However there was numerous discrimination issues pertaining to the status and treatment of the black citizens. At the time, the South African government maintained an apartheid system of governing their nation. Caltex was under scrutiny by American political parties and its stockholders for the way African workers were treated. Whites ruled South Africa’s apartheid government, blacks could not vote, and had no political rights. They also had little freedom, were forced to live in segregated areas and were paid a low salary compared to whites. They were not allowed to own their own land or homes. (Velasquez 2006 pg. 59). By Caltex doing business in South Africa, their long-term intent was to eventually change the apartheid government to a more equality based one, such as that of the American government. From a business standpoint, the benefits of Caltex being in South Africa outweighed the issues of violating human rights and moral ethics. Caltex assumed that if they pulled out of South Africa it would be a detriment to the African government and economy. By Caltex doing business there, they offered jobs to the poor and needy, they would also increase the economic and political growth. Even though the African government was harsh and unfair to the black people, Caltex presumed they would influence them in a positive way. If Caltex were to pull out of South Africa the effects would be more detrimental to the government and people. The poor and middle-class would no longer have jobs and the blacks would be forced to live on the streets rather than the segregated communities they currently lived in. Caltex claimed they complied with the Code of Conduct established by Reverend Dr. Leon Sullivan. The code incorporated six principles that corporations were to abide by. The principles were based on equality and fairness for all workers, non-segregation for all races and equal pay for equal work. The principles also included training and education that would provide promotions of blacks and non-whites into supervisory and secretarial positions. By improving and educating the people, the improvement of their lives would be exponentially greater. (Smith 1977 pg. 59-60) Caltex’s decision to stay in South Africa was fueled by its desire to influence and ultimately change the racist government. They lead by example by applying the six principles to their own corporation. Caltex hired black workers and valued the relationships they had established with them. (Velasquez 2006 pg. 58). They also emphasized the care of all races. This act is known as â€Å"ethics of care† and being concerned for the well being of others. (Velasquez 2006 pg. 60). If Caltex were to pull their business out of South Africa the blacks would be the affected the most. Therefore Caltex strived to convince the South African government and stockholders of the benefits of doing business there. As a stockholder an individual could assume that (1) Caltex should in fact leave South Africa due to the injustices and inequality of the citizens. Caltex treated their workers fairly, however they had no control over the way the government treated the blacks when they were not working. Oftentimes they were imprisoned and killed for a variety of reasons. (2) Although Caltex played a role in liberating the citizens of South Africa, they also played a monetary role in supporting the government by selling oil to the African government and military. This in turn supported the utilitarian apartheid system of governing the citizens. (3) Asking Caltex to support the Tutu rules does not resolve the issue of the government. Caltex provided jobs and equal pay however after hours the police and government subjected the blacks to abuse. According to Tutu’s beliefs the racist regime of the South African Government needed to be eradicated other wise companies are just â€Å"Attempting to polish my chains and make them more comfortable. † (Velasquez 2006 pg. 59). Caltex helped the blacks to have better working conditions, pay and housing. However the apartheid government had the ultimate control. The importance of American companies doing business in South Africa grew. Attempts at resolving issues between citizens, government, companies and shareholders grew. Several resolutions were proposed however some were defeated. Stockholders of Caltex defended the principal of equal liberty â€Å"The claim that each citizen’s liberties must be protected from invasion by others and must be equal to those of others. † (Velasquez 2006 pg. 96). Caltex provided wealth to South Africa and its citizens however when the situation turned for the worse they should have withdrew their business. They helped the country and the government in a monetary way, which in turn helped and also hindered its citizens. Caltex used the difference principal in the claim that a productive society will incorporate inequalities, by improving the most needy members of society, which were the blacks. (Velasquez 2006 pg. 97). The resolution indicated that the South African government was to take action of dismantling the apartheid and the influx of control laws. When this did not take place, the American companies were to start the process of withdrawing their business from South Africa. Several attempts to rectify the issues went unresolved. Even though there was a high vote from shareholders the problems worsened. Companies are not solely responsible for a high return on investors’ money. Although they want the best for their clients they do not control nor time the markets. Managers constantly have to make choices between comparative alternatives and the governing of state and federal laws. Their purpose is to make money for their clients and for the business. Often times they have to choose the best rate of return for the stockholder. The rate of return is the ratio of money gained or lost on an investment. This determines how well a stock is doing and if shareholders want to either buy more stock or sell. Managers are required by law to document and monitor their investment process. All mangers must comply with SEC regulations, investment policies and guidelines. They are also obligated to comply with bank policies and private companies.

Morality in Politics Essay

Civic virtue is the formation of habits of personal living that are claimed to be important for the success of the community. This term was important to Aristotle’s theories on politics. He felt that all humans should take pleasure in civic virtue and that it was essential for living â€Å"the good life†. Today, our democratic government is well-suited to promote civic virtue and participation of all people in the country. Although times have changed since Aristotle’s days, this ideology can be seen actively in our society. One of the main ideas in Aristotle’s philosophy was teleos, or the purpose or goal of something. To fully understand something, we must also understand its teleos. For example, I have an apple. I know that it is red, kind of round, and grows on a tree, but the real purpose or teleos of that apple to me is food. As far as humans go, Aristotle says that humans are meant to be happy. To be happy, humans must live a life of virtue, which means they always choose what is morally good. Humans have the abilities to think and speak, and therefore decide what is good and bad, right and wrong, etc. People that may think they are living a good life but are not making moral decisions are not truly happy in Aristotle’s eyes. Politics provides a place for people to interact with each other, talk about what is right and wrong, just or unjust, and to make laws reflecting these things. It allows people to participate in their lives, make ethical decisions, and fulfill their happiness potential. Politics is dynamic, unlike math or science that are concrete and unchanging. People can work with each other in politics and work for the greater good. The development of civic virtue allows for a person to relate to their community. It helps them understand their ties to the community and responsibility within it. It helps them see beyond their own personal interests. Some examples of civic virtue would be voting, volunteering, or going to a town meeting. Today, anyone can participate in these things, but Aristotle believed differently. He held that women and slaves were not eligible to participate in politics, and very young men were not ready to participate because they did not understand how the society worked yet. Because of this, a small number of people in his time actually participated in politics compared to today. The American democratic government is well suited for civic virtue. The first reason is that everyone can participate, which means that everyone has the opportunity to become happy people living their life to the fullest. Anyone, provided they are 18 and a citizen, can vote. They can vote for the candidate they feel will represent their moral views and put them into action. People can run for office and put their views to work. Another reason is freedom of speech. Americans have the opportunity to speak freely about issues and share their opinions with others. This helps them create those habits of morality that become a part of their civic virtue. A third reason is the freedom to assemble. Any person can start a club or a group to meet with others. Active participation in public life is essential to civic virtue. A group may be a philanthropy group aimed at helping others. Reciprocity or giving back to the community is another key element of civic virtue. Virtue is closely related to free will. Through active participation, people develop their moral compass and they develop their ideas of what is right and wrong, and their habits of how to react in situations accordingly. People develop their own morality. How can one legislate free will? You cannot. But the legal system can shape morality. By setting laws in certain ways, people will develop their moral views around them. Laws can shape habits by reducing the frequency of certain acts. Giving prison time, fines, probation, and so on can help people learn that they do not want to do the things that caused those punishments. Laws can shape morality as well because people naturally draw influence from other sources. Some may create their moral background on the basis of religion or their family, but the law can be one of those influences as well. The legal system is important for developing morality in society and promoting civic virtue. Civic virtue is important in society. By actively participating in the community, Aristotle believes that people will be ultimately happy. The true purpose of humans is to be happy, and civic virtue is the pathway to this happiness. The American government gives many opportunities for people to participate in both politics and the community, which promotes civic virtue.