Introduction to the Structure of U.S. Government

Introduction to the Structure of U.S. Government For all that it is and does, the United States federal government is based on a very simple system: Three functional branches with powers separated and limited by constitutionally declared checks and balances. The executive, legislative and judicial branches represent the constitutional framework envisioned by the Founding Fathers for our nations government. Together, they function to provide a system of lawmaking and enforcement based on checks and balances, and separation of powers intended to ensure that no individual or body of government ever becomes too powerful. For example: Congress (legislative branch) can pass laws, but the president (executive branch) can veto them.Congress can override the presidents veto.The Supreme Court (judicial branch) can declare a law approved by Congress and the president unconstitutional.The president can appoint judges to the Supreme Court, but Congress must approve them. Is the system perfect? Are powers ever abused? Of course, but as governments go, ours has been working quite well since Sept. 17, 1787. As Alexander Hamilton and James Madison remind us in Federalist 51, If men were angels, no government would be necessary. Recognizing the inherent moral paradox posed by a society in which mere mortals govern other mere mortals, Hamilton and Madison went on to write, In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place The Executive Branch The executive branch of the federal government ensures that the laws of the United States are obeyed. In carrying out this duty, the President of the United States is assisted by the Vice President, department heads – called Cabinet Secretaries – and the heads of the several independent agencies.   The executive branch consists of the president, the vice president and 15 Cabinet-level executive departments. The President The President of the United States is the elected leader of the country. As the head of state, the president is the leader of the federal government, and Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces. Elected according to the Electoral College process, the president serves a four-year term and is limited to serving no more than two terms. The Vice President The Vice President of the United States supports and advises the president. Under the process of presidential succession, the vice president becomes president if the president becomes unable to serve. The vice president can be elected and serve an unlimited number of four-year terms, even under multiple presidents. The Cabinet The members of the president’s cabinet serve as advisors to the president. The cabinet members include the vice president, heads or â€Å"secretaries† of the executive departments, and other high-ranking government officials. The heads of the executive departments are nominated by the president and must be confirmed by a simple majority vote of the Senate. Legislative Powers of the PresidentRequirements to Serve as PresidentPresidents Pay and Compensation The Legislative Branch The legislative branch, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate, has the sole constitutional authority to enact laws, declare war and conduct special investigations. In addition, the Senate has the right to confirm or reject many presidential appointments.   The Senate There are a total of 100 elected Senators- two from each of the 50 states. Senators may serve an unlimited number of six-year terms. The House of Representatives ï » ¿There are currently 435 elected Representatives, according to the constitutional process of apportionment, the 435 Representatives are divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population as reported by the most recent decennial U.S. Census. In addition, there are non-voting delegates who represent the District of Columbia and the territories in the House of Representatives. Representatives may serve an unlimited number of two-year terms. The Powers of CongressRequirements to be a U.S. RepresentativeRequirements to be a U.S. SenatorSalaries and Benefits of U.S. Congress MembersHow Bills Become LawsWhy We Have a House and SenateThe Great Compromise: How Congress was Created The Judicial Branch Composed of federal judges and courts, the judicial branch interprets the laws enacted by Congress and when required, decides actual cases in which someone has been harmed. Federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, are not elected. Instead, they are appointed by the president and must be confirmed by the Senate. Once confirmed, federal judges serve for life unless they resign, die, or are impeached. The U.S. Supreme Court sits atop the judicial branch and federal court hierarchy and has the final say on all cases appealed to it by the lower courts. There are currently nine members of the Supreme Court- a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. A quorum of six Justices is required to decide a case. In the event of tie vote by an even number of Justices, the decision of the lower court stands.   The 13 U.S. District Courts of Appeals sit just below the Supreme Court and hear cases appealed to them by the 94 regional U.S. District Courts which handle most federal cases.

How to Write a Term Paper Thesis

How to Write a Term Paper Thesis How to Write a Term Paper Thesis There are many tips a student needs to keep in mind while writing a term paper thesis. A student needs to put in as much effort as possible in order to secure a decent grade. First of all, it is imperative that the student starts early and makes sure that their topic is chosen within first seven days, during the next week the student should study the research articles. If the student becomes lazy and does not follow such a schedule, it will create problems for the student. It is important that students take into consideration what interests them when selecting a topic. Students should also make sure that sufficient discussion has taken place with the professor before the topic has been finalized. Regular meetings should continue to take place with the professor to ensure that the student is on the right track, while making sure that the selected topic is neither too narrow, nor too broad. It is always a good idea to see your professor on a regular basis, since the professor will see you are working hard and you will also extract information, regarding proper indexes and catalogs, from the instructor. You should also make a complete list of potential key words that might be used to collect research material for the research topic. It will be best if you try to use mostly primary sources for your research material. Meanwhile, remember tips such as noting down ideas in a separate journal so that you do not forget them, and you can make use of them later. Clearly identify the notes on research material, and point out the areas which are to be directly quoted, and which are to be rephrased. One must be careful to avoid plagiarism since it is still considered a crime if it is detected. Ensure that your paper is checked for plagiarism and corrected before it is submitted. Note taking is also very crucial in order to maintain the progress you have made while making sure that the notes are clear and not vague. If you consider making the notes on a computer then you can easily retrieve them whenever they are required. However, it could complicate things since you will not be able to view all the notes at the same time, so this could cancel out the benefit of ease of access that computer note taking brings. Moreover, it is important that a very good outline for the paper is created before starting to write the paper. This will ensure that the structure of the paper is well managed and systematic, while also making sure that you have covered all the points. You need to ensure that a proper and clear thesis has been stated and that the whole study revolves around that thesis statement. Meanwhile, stating facts and figures is a very crucial element of a research paper. Ensure that the statistics that have been stated on the paper are accurate by checking them several times. Finally, the sources used for the research should be mentioned carefully, and after concluding the essay, there should be sufficient time for the student to proofread the document several times, to ensure the grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the document is flawless. will gladly help with term paper writing on any topic and discipline. Our writers are willing to write high-quality custom term papers from scratch!

Operating (income) statement, statement of cash flow and balance sheet Personal

Operating (income) , of cash flow and balance sheet - Personal Statement Example A ratio of more than 1 indicates that the firm is not efficient in generating revenues. The working capital position of the hospital is not good. The current ratio is 0.21 in 2004 and 0.32 in 2003. The ideal current ratio is 2:1. The current ratio of the hospital signifies that it will not be able to pay off its obligations at this point of time. The company’s financial health is not at all good and is heading towards bankruptcy. If the hospital is unable to meet its current obligations then the operations will come to a standstill or halt (Troy, 2008, p xviii). The biggest concern is the hospital’s ability to continue as a going concern. There are no adjustments made to the financial statements which could reflect the possible recovery or revival of the hospital. The working capital deficiency and recurring operating losses has created doubts on the existence of the entity. In its present form the hospital requires additional financing to meet its working capital requirements but it will take them into more of a debt trap if they take loans for that additional financing. Sustainable profits are dependent on the increase in the utilization of Hospital’s services for which the hospital has to increase awareness among consumers and this will again call for incurring cost on advertisements and promotion of their services. The working capital position of the hospital is such due to the uncollectible accounts and the unwanted loan burden. The recurring losses can be reduced by taking some strict cost cutting measures. I would recommend you to reduce contractual allowances, take some measures to curb uncollectible accounts and free care, and reduce unwanted expenses which would enhance the profitability of the hospital. If uncollectible accounts are collected and the loans are curbed then the working capital position will improve and therefore will lead to revival of the

The ministry of Spiritual Direction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The ministry of Spiritual Direction - Essay Example to pay attention to their own religious experiences and to respond accordingly to what God communicates to them in their own personal experiences. In my own experiences, I have realized that good spiritual direction should be based on religious experience. Before I was helped by my spiritual director to listen to the voice of God through my own experiences, I was a practising member of the apostolic church, but as a matter of fact, I did not have a live and a vibrant relationship with my God. This is because, although, I was a practising Christian and I used to attend the church regularly to pray, I however, felt aloof and alienated from God. I had expressed this problem to my previous spiritual directors, but my spiritual directors kept on lecturing me on how I should abandon sin, be more prayerful, and align my life to the will of God. I had tried in vain to adhere to the advice of my spiritual directors. Later, I choose another spiritual director who started directing me to engage in silent and contemplative prayers as a way of listening to God as He communicated to me. My new spiritual director also advised me to take time each day at least 15 minutes per day, to reflect on my personal experiences and to focus on the religious dimensions of those experiences, i.e. to pay attention to how God was communicating to me through those daily experiences. Through this new method of spiritual direction, I was able to discern, in a very clear manner, how God was constantly communicating with me. Through the silent prayers and reflections, I was also able to respond to God as He communicated with me, and to express my feelings, my hopes, my fears, my frustrations, and my gratitude to him. Ultimately, my prayer life improved substantially and my relationship with God became stronger and stronger. This experience, therefore, made me to believe that the best form of spiritual direction should be based on

Majority-Minority Question in the Writings of Gandhi and Jinnah Essay Example for Free

Majority-Minority Question in the Writings of Gandhi and Jinnah Essay Two major political leaders stand out in early twentieth century history of India. These two men are Mahatma Gandhi and Mohammed Ali Jinnah. In the lead up to the demand of Indian political leaders for independence from British colonial rule, a major political party was formed, and named ‘The Indian Congress Party’. All areas of British colonial India was represented in the Congress party. British colonial India was made up of people of many religions; the two major ones being Hinduism and Islam. Hindus were in the majority, while Muslims were in the minority, though a sizable minority. Both Gandhi and Jinnah were members of Congress Party. The initial push for independence from British colonialism was supported by people of all religions and from all regions. Of the main actors in the Indian independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi advocated a single united India composed of people of all religions in a secular constitutional democracy. Mohammad Ali Jinnah on the other hand, wanted an India made up of two states of equal parity, Pakistan and Hindustan. Hindustan would be ruled by the majority Hindus while Pakistan would be ruled by the minority Muslims, not as a democracy, but as an Islamic state. His difference of opinion with other Congress Party leaders like Gandhi, led Jinnah to leave Congress Party and to join ‘The Muslim League’. The inability of the two different and extreme positions to reach a consensus, eventually led to the division of British colonial India into two different countries at independence in 1947: India and Pakistan. Gandhi’s Position on Indian Independence Mahatma Gandhi was first and foremost a Hindu. When Gandhi entered Indian politics by joining the Indian Congress Party, he had three major objectives in view. The first was to unite all the people from diverse regions and religions into one united, indivisible India. The second was to awaken in all Indians a sense of nationalism and moral rearmament. The third was to use non-violent civil disobedience to force the British colonialists to grant India both political and economic independence. His speeches and writings were tailored towards these three objectives. Prior to Gandhi’s entry into Indian politics, there had been agitations for political autonomy by Indians. Many of these agitations had turned violent. The British on their part forcefully put down these violent protests, with consequent heavy loss of life of protesting Indians. Gandhi institutionalized non-violent protests as an effective method of forcing British colonialists to grant, first economic concessions and later political self determination to Indians. One of Gandhi’s most quoted famous speeches is one address to all Britons and given in 1942. Leave India to God. If that is too much, then leave her to anarchy. (Gandhi, May 1942) ‘†During the struggle for freedom, Gandhi had written this speech as an appeal To Every Briton to free their possessions in Asia and Africa, especially India†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Philips and Wainwright, 567). In order for both Gandhi’s Indian Congress Party and the Muslim League to present a common front to the British for a unified Indian independence, Gandhi had meeting with Jinnah on many occasions. However, because of their diametrically opposed positions on the majority/minority issue, their talks yielded no positive results. While Gandhi and his Congress party wanted a unified India with a secular constitutional democracy, Jinnah and his Muslim League wanted a two state structure with the Muslim minority being granted political parity with the Hindu majority. Thus the stage was set for division of India into two separate political entities, one secular and the other religious. Jinnah’s Position on Hindu/Muslim Parity The stance of the Muslim minority of British colonial India was articulated by Jinnah in his speeches and talks with British colonial administrators and Gandhi. ‘In 1940 Jinnah said So far as I have understood Islam, it does not advocate a democracy which would allow the majority of non-Muslims to decide the fate of the Muslims’ (Quaid-e-Azam, Vol II) ‘†Also in 1940 Jinnah spoke of how the Muslims constituted not a mere minority, but a nation and must have their own homeland. (Gwyer and Appadorai, 1957) Hence from his speeches and writings, Ali Jinnah left no room for meaningful compromise with those like Gandhi, who wanted a unified independent India, with a secular democratic constitution. Jinnah and the Muslim minority in India feared that the Hindu majority would dominate them and subjugate them in reprisal for the way the Muslim rulers of pre-colonial India had subjugated the Hindu populace which they ruled. In the words of Burke, ‘†At best, Jinnah and his colleagues were apprehensive of the intentions of the Hindu-dominated Congress towards the Muslims, and its ability and willingness to provide for and facilitate the progress and well-being of the minorities. In short, they were seeking to â€Å"escape the yoke of the more numerous Hindus. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Burke, 1973) NOTES 1. Philips and Wainwright, eds. The Partition of India: Policies and Perspectives 1935-1947. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1970. 2. Speech delivered at Aligarh, March 6 1940, Speeches, Statements and Messages of the Quaid-e-Azam, Vol II, Khurshid Yusufi, Bazm-i-Iqbal, Lahore 3. Speech at Lahore Session of the All India Muslim League, March 22, 1940,Speeches and Documents on the Indian Constitution 1921-47,Vol II, Gwyer and Appadorai, 1957 4. Burke, S. M. Pakistan’s Foreign Policy: An Historical Analysis (London: Oxford University Press, 1973) p. 65. Bibliography 1. Burke, S. M. Pakistan’s Foreign Policy: An Historical Analysis (London: Oxford University Press, 1973) p.65. 2. Philips and Wainwright, eds. The Partition of India: Policies and Perspectives 1935-1947. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1970. 3. Speech delivered at Aligarh, March 6 1940, Speeches, Statements and Messages of the Quaid-e-Azam, Vol II, Khurshid Yusufi, Bazm-i-Iqbal, Lahore 4. Speech at Lahore Session of the All India Muslim League, March 22, 1940,Speeches and Documents on the Indian Constitution 1921-47,Vol II, Gwyer and Appadorai, 1957 Internet Sources 5. Gandhi, May 1942, quoted in â€Å"The Partition of India† http://www. english. emory. edu/Bahri/Part. html

Bill Evanss Effects on Modern Jazz Essay -- musicology, musicians, his

The term modern jazz generally referred to the musical period after bebop, when musicians begun to approached harmony in different aspect. Modern jazz was often overlooked, often defined as jazz derivation or hybrid and was influenced by variety of musicians; among them was Bill Evans. He was one of the most important jazz pianists, and remained to be one of the most influential musicians of post-bebop jazz, due to his prominent sound that made him recognizable to everyone. According to Bert Konowitz, â€Å"Bill Evans Sound is created by using chords in the left hand that often do not have the root of the chord on the bottom, as well as voicing chords with tone clusters† (198). Bill Evan’s sound was distinct and involved unique technique like chord cluster and block chord. Bill Evans was an important figure that influenced the development of modern jazz, including the progress of modal jazz technique, the re-harmonization by chord voicing and the expressivity of jazz. Bill Evans was an impressionist piano player, influenced by his earlier age of classical music. He learned piano when he was a child and also attended Southeastern Louisiana University majoring in music (Pettinger 14). His educational background on classical music allowed him to improvised and explored the depth of jazz. As Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz suggested, "The most personal characteristics of his work were his uniquely delicate articulation, his oblique harmonic approaches and manner of voicing chords, his occasional use of the left hand in rhythmic duplication of the right-hand line, and the ability to create a warm, beautiful mood within the framework of a popular song, a jazz standard or an original work". According to Professor Harrison’s lectur... ...to jazz with modal jazz and chord voicing was extremely influential to the modern jazz scene. These new technique brought variations to new musicians, influencing their personal style yet also pushing them to strive for their own freedom of improvisation. Bill Evan’s contribution to the jazz world is vast and he still continued to influence the jazz pianists until this day. Works Cited Israels, Chuck. "Bill Evans (1929–1980): A Musical Memoir." The Musical Quarterly LXXI.2 (1985): 109-15. Web. . Konowitz, Bert. Blues & Jazz Complete: Book & 2 CDs. Alfred Music Publishing, 1999. Larson, Tom. History and Tradition of Jazz. Kendall Hunt, 2002. Nisenson, Eric. The making of Kind of blue: Miles Davis and his masterpiece. Macmillan, 2001. Pettinger, Peter. Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings. Yale University Press, 1998.

How I Learned to Drive Analysis Essay

In Paula Vogel’s â€Å"How I Learned to Drive†, we follow our protagonist nicknamed â€Å"Lil Bit† on a gut wrenching, and downright disturbing journey through her adolescence, told as a series of narrations, monologues, and flashbacks with the occasional interjection of a PSA like voice over. The play recounts the physical and emotional abuse Lil Bit encountered from the ages of eleven to eighteen at the hands of her uncle Peck, while he teaches her to drive. The main flaw I saw in Lil Bit was that she is too smart for her own good. You see this characteristic throughout the play as she manipulates Peck. For example, it was most obvious for me when their roles of adult and child are reversed, and Peck is explaining to Lil Bit what a good boy he has been for not drinking. Knowing how much Peck lusts after her she offers him a reward for his good behavior in the form of undoing her bra. Another great example is when prior to her and peck going on a road trip and Lil Bit’s mother indicates that she has a sense of what Peck has on his mind, she responds by saying â€Å"I can take care of myself. And I can certainly handle uncle Peck.† At this point in the story she is only eleven. It’s hard to imagine a child of that age so grown up emotionally. Overall, most of the characters had likeable qualities, with the exception of the grandmother. I didn’t really like the way she meddled in the Parenting of Lil Bit. I liked â€Å"Big Papa† the best. He’s a crabby old timer who speaks anything that comes into his head with reckless abandon. It brought me some levity in an otherwise melancholy play. The climax of the play occurs on Lil Bit’s eighteenth birthday. She and Peck are in a hotel room, and she’s been ignoring peck for some time leading up to this meeting as he’s been sending her cards counting down to her birthday. Lil Bit is obviously conflicted about their relationship now that she has gotten older, but Peck is looking forward to a time when it’s not illegal for them to be together. This is creepy enough on its own, but when Peck drops the marriage bomb, the creep factor skyrockets. I was honestly disgusted at the idea of a man leaving his wife to be with his niece whom he has known since birth, blood related or not. Prior to the climax, one major event occurs and that is in the monologue that Aunt Mary delivers indicating that she knows what’s going on between Peck and Lil bit. The words used during this monologue, indicate to me a couple of key points about this character. First of all she is very intelligent. Her thoughts are well put together and the words she uses indicates to me that she has some sort of education. She is also very intuitive, she picks up on the subtle, non-verbal signals that peck gives off when he’s got something on his mind and presumably when he’s around Lil Bit. Also, the words used by Lil Bit in her different flashbacks have a direct correlation to her age. It’s obvious as you read them, that during the later ones she is forming more complex thoughts and emotions, which is indicative of growth. For the music in this play, Paula Vogel suggested period correct music spanning two generations. She mentions Motown several times, as well as Roy Orbison and the Beach Boys. Most of this music is romantic and happy with little hints of sexuality and sometimes-pedophilic references. For some weird reason the voice of the announcer in my head was played by the Moviephone guy. The car in the play was described as a Buick Riviera, but in my mind it was more like a Camaro or GTO. The main reason for this is the obvious relationship between Peck and his car. The way he describes the way the aggressive way men are taught to drive and the feeling of a cars’ response to your touch, just makes me think of those fast nimble sports cars. Taking place in the 1960’s, the costumes in my mind were bell-bottoms and flowered shirts, polyester leisure suits, and fringes all over the place. This was your typical 1960’s attire. I believe the overall theme of this play is about the effect of time on relationships. The relationship between Peck and Lil Bit starts out strong, for her and fragile for him. She has a strong male figure giving her attention while he is nurturing a relationship that he knows is illegal and immoral. As time progresses, the roles ultimately reverse leaving Peck with much confidence in the relationship while Lil Bit comes to realize the truth about it which leads to its demise. It just goes to show that time will always change relationships, jus not always in the way you imagined.

Culture of American Indians Essay

In Against the Grain, environmental journalist Richard Manning (2004) argues that notions of class and property are a direct result of the emergence of agricultural civilizations beginning 10,000 years ago. This is because of the social necessities demanded by distribution and storage of surplus. Conversely, he points out the contrastingly egalitarian nature of the hunter-gatherer lifestyles and the deeper social ties which result from cooperative food acquisition. Consider for example, the Plains Indians of North America prior to the arrival of European settlers, who would utilize their knowledge of buffalo movement patterns to haze and herd them, towards a cliff. By diverting the stampede of a large number of animals to their sudden vertical death, they would obtain a caloric pay-off through minimal effort, but â€Å"required social organization and sharing, both of the labor and of the proceeds.† (Manning, 2004; South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit, 2008) Yet despite this element of uncertainty in hunting and gathering, Richard Steckel notes that towards the end of the 19th century, the Plains Indians were among the tallest people in the world and argues despite the numerous technological and agricultural advances they did not have, they were surprisingly well-nourished compared to whites, indicating that agriculture should not be taken for granted as the sign of social advancement it is purported be, Manning notes that, in the absence of storage means and preservation technologies, it was impossible for the Plains Indians to hoard bison meat. Therefore wealth accumulation was impossible. As such, â€Å"communal feasting became the payoff for social organization,† argues Manning Agriculture on the hand, created social stratification in the form of governance, hierarchy and other institutions necessary for the management of food surplus. Although there is certain room for question to be made about the true egalitarianism of the hunter gatherer cultures of the Plains Indians, they certainly lacked some of the rigidly defined political structures which characterized those belonging to the cultures of Europeans at the point of first contact. Comanche leadership was rather informal, usually identifiable by consensus rather than by any formal nomination to the position and the longevity of a war chiefs authority lasted only as long as they were at war. (Bial, 2000) The Blackfoot people maintained a flexible social structure, a band, which was in constant flux. As such, social relationships were not determined solely by kinship but by residence. In modern times, the case for the difference between hunter-gatherer Native Americans such as the Plains Indians of pre-modern times and the agricultural Native Americans can be observed in the difference between the Inuit peoples, who live a predominantly hunter-gatherer lifestyle out in the Arctic regions (Snow, 1996) and the peoples of the Cherokee and Lakota. The Inuit are noted for their strong sense of community and flexible division of labor among gender lines. The Cherokee and the Lakota, however, have now long been agricultural societies characterized by their class and gender divisions, as well as their contentious disposition towards identity and blood quantum laws. REFERENCES Bial, R. (2000) Lifeways: The Comanche. New York: Benchmark Books. Manning, R. (2004) Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization. New York: North Point Press. â€Å"Buffalo and the Plains Indians.† (2008, April 4) South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit. Retrieved July 3, 2008 from: http://www.sdhistory.org/mus/ed/Buffalo%20Kit%20Activiteis/Teacher%20Resource.pdf Snow, D. R.. (1996) â€Å"The first Americans and the differentiation of hunter-gatherer cultures.† North America. Eds. Bruce G. Trigger and Wilcomb E. Washburn. Cambridge University Press, 1996.

Maori essays

Maori essays Its called the land of the long white cloud and scientists say that this beautiful place was created millions of years ago by a huge, nearly unimaginable earthquake caused by the movement of large plates of the Earths crust. The Maoris, who represent the original inhabitants, in contrast are convinced that this was the heroic deed of a fish. New Zealand seems to be a country where not only continental-plates but also whole worlds and cultures collide. New Zealand was the largest country of Polynesia before it was annexed by the British in 1840. By the 1920s the British still controlled internal and external policies of the country, although it didnt become fully independent until 1947. So far New Zealand is still an independent member of the Commonwealth. Behind New Zealand's spectacular landscape lies an issue unresolved for 160 years. About 95% of the land is owned by the descendants of white settlers while the native people have become rare. New Zealand has always prided itself on good race relations but the battle for equal rights for the minority (Maoris) is steadily heating up.The following text will give an overview of New Zealands history. Furthermore the difficult situation of the Maoris within New Zealands society will be mentioned. No precise archaeological records exist of when and from where the first human inhabitants of New Zealand came, but it is generally agreed that Polynesians from eastern Polynesia in the central Pacific reached New Zealand more than 1,000 years ago. Bergmann, P. (1993). New Zealand. In The new encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 24, pp. 916-930). Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica. Others believed that the Polynesian navigator Kupe was the first man to sight New Zealand around AD 950 and then returned home to tell his tribe of the findings. About 400 years later seven great migratory canoes sailed from Hawaiki to New Zealand. They called the island Aotearoa ...

Dos and Donts for How to Win at Missing Work

Dos and Donts for How to Win at Missing Work Whether you have some personal days in your arsenal to play hooky or need to scrounge some legitimate reasons to miss work because faking a cold isn’t going to cut it, you can probably get some mileage about of this list of Dos and Don’ts.   DoI’ve earned it.This option requires some prep work and some sweat equity. Come in early and stay late for a few days a week, then by the time you go to your boss with a request for some flex time or a day off you will have earned it. You’ll feel better about the time away, and your coworkers will appreciate you didn’t just leave them in the lurch.I’m [Doing Professional Activity] with a client.This only works if your workplace routinely has to entertain clients or meet with them outside the office. Do not say you are playing golf with a client if you are a publisher and your client is an author or if you are an administrative assistant and your client is Staples. You will also have to actually meet up with a client for some reason!I have a doctor’s appointment.The savvy timing of doctor’s appointments is one of the best, least-arguable routes to a free afternoon for Netflix and snooze. Schedule a check-up or a physical or a cleaning for 2:30 or 3:00 in the afternoon and you’ll be on your way right after lunch.I have cramps.Honestly I would be way too embarrassed to use this one- and I actually do get bodacious cramps and occasional accompanying migraines. But, if you’ve got an easily flustered male boss and are a female employee with some moxie, this could have you stopping by the drug store for ice cream and some Red Box DVDs before you know it.I’m working from home.My husband is the most honest Work-From-Homer on the planet. He applies all that extra time he saves by not commuting to the work he gets done, and then we both get to knock off together around dinnertime. This requires you to stay near your email for any pressing questions, but wi ll definitely carve the edges of your work day when you need a breather.  Noooooo. Just DONT!I’ve had a death in the family.My students are still trying this one occasionally, along with car accidents, family engagement parties that ran late, and last-minute flights back from Australia. Clichà ©s are clichà © and there’s no going back.I’m too sleepy.At my first job out of school we had an intern who fell asleep at his desk every day for at least an hour. It was baffling. It was distracting. His internship did not last longer than a month. If you can’t get enough sleep, definitely get enough caffeine.I can’t get my car out of the garage. (See also: The L train isn’t running.)Getting your car out, or taking the L, is something you have to do often enough to know how long it takes (or how to work around any common delays or obstacles).I can’t find my polling place.Apparently this is a real thing that happened and not just a sit-in pr otest for a national election holiday. Find out where you have to vote ahead of time; taking a whole day to do it is weird.I have a personal emergency.This nonspecific all-purpose band-aid for just not wanting to go to work doesn’t score you any points or make you look responsible. I know someone who uses â€Å"plumbing emergency† every month or so just so he can go in late. It’s fine if you actually have terrible plumbing (or a real emergency you can appropriately disclose later).Whatever you do or say to get the mental health days you need, don’t lie to get it, and be responsive to your coworkers when you can! I hope you and your snooze-button will be very happy together.

Plato's The Republic Criticism of Democracy Essay

Plato's The Republic Criticism of Democracy - Essay Example Instead, Plato favored the Republic as the best form of government. His depiction of a Republic was one where it was ruled by the lovers of wisdom and/or the lovers of honor. This is quite contrary to today's belief that democracy is the best and the only fully justifiable political system. Today's concept of democracy has been popularized specifically with the American view of democracy as a government of the people by the people and for the people. As much as it may seem surprising, Plato found inherent flaws in democracy as a political system and as a form of government. More surprising is the fact that although Plato's thoughts may seem to be outdated and ancient, his criticisms of democracy are quite in certain modern democratic societies. Plato's criticism of democracy is hinged on his belief that democracy has the tendency to degenerate into anarchy. This, he believes, is democracy's greatest weakness. Although such a belief may not seem as apparent in today's democratic societies, a deeper analysis of certain democracies today may reveal that there is indeed some truth to Plato's assertions. However, one must not be mistaken in thinking that the flaws of democracy that may be applicable to the modern form of democracy predominant in today's world cannot be changed. These flaws are not fundamental to all democracies today. There are but certain democratic societies that need to alter their political system because of cert ain flaws that are contrary to the fundamental principles of modern democracy. Plato views democracy as the second worst form of government. In his work, The Republic, he points out that the biggest weakness of a democracy is that it can easily lead to anarchy. Moreover, because of its essential features coupled with certain attributes of man, a democracy can lead to tyranny. His rationale behind his dislike for democracy is that democracy tends to lead to excessive freedom. Although Plato believes in the significance and true value of freedom, he asserts that with the form that democracy takes, it is not unlikely for people to exercise excessive freedom. When people have the freedom to do as they please, there is that tendency to lead to anarchy. Democracy is hinged on the ideology that every person has the equal right and equal capacity to lead. However, in Plato's point of view, he sees this as an avenue which may lead to a government that is ruled by individuals in pursuit of personal gains rather than for public good. In The Republic, Plato wrote; ....Is it not the excess and greed of this and the neglect of all other things that revolutionizes this constitution too and prepares the way for the necessity of a dictatorship... ...When a democratic city athirst for liberty gets bad cupbearers for its leaders and is intoxicated by drinking too deep of that unmixed wine, and then, if its so-called governors are not extremely mild and gentle with it and do not dispense the liberty unstintedly, it chastises them and accuses them of being accursed oligarch. In this sense, democracy is indeed highly corruptible. Democracy, viewed from this light, opens gates to demagogues, potential dictators, and can thus lead to tyranny. Before, one judges Plato's view, it must be noted that his conception of democracy is based on what he saw in Athenian democracy. In certain respects, not all of his thoughts and ideas may be applicable to

Critical tussle between Democrats and Republicans Essay

Critical tussle between Democrats and Republicans - Essay Example In the recent past, the U.S government found itself in a shutdown status. The government shutdown, as Weisman and Jeremy describe, was caused by a critical tussle between democrats and republicans in the congress. This article essentially fits into the critical thinking field of deductive reasoning and/or argument. To start with, deductive arguments begin at a generalized platform, after which valid and logical conclusions are made from the premises of the argument. This critical thinking approach is applicable to Weisman and Jeremy’s article.The two authors make a claim that links government shutdown to the budget impasse. The presentation of the claim occurs in a general setting, thus requiring the deduction of what exactly caused the shutdown with regard to the budget impasse. In this respect, the article explores diverse aspects of the matter, with an aim to show that the government shutdown due to an impasse that was primarily budget-based. The standoff between democrats and republicans is discussed and subsequently linked to the issue in question.In light of the argument made in the article, the premise validly and logically informs the conclusion. The cause of the government shutdown was purely budgetary. On the same note, both democrats and republicans were the primary parties in the premise of the argument. Moving from a generalized statement to the valid and logical conclusion of what exactly happened, the article is fundamentally informed by critical thinking concepts.