Selecting Leaders Essay Example for Free

Selecting Leaders Essay As you may already know leaders hold a vital role within a team and it takes certain skills and qualities to be a good leader. Different leaders can emerge through a group of people and stand out as having those skills required and others are select from groups of people who have all be looked at or applied for the same position. In this task I am going to looking into how leaders might emerge or be selected. A lot of people believe that leaders can emerge through groups by showing their natural abilities. I personally believe that this is true to a certain extent because all good, effective, respected leaders do seem to have a natural talent to lead a group of people to success. This natural talent consists of certain qualities that really so put them above other people who may be around them. These qualities could be: * Communication skills * Integrity * Problem solving * Courage * Quick thinking * Luck A number of people have looked at and researched the type of qualities that leaders have and have come up with Trait Theories. Psychologists such a Bird (1940), Warren Bennis (1998), Stogdill (1948) and Mann (1959) have all come up with similar theories. They all say that leaders are people who can express themselves fully. They are people that know what they want, why they want it and how to let people what they want to a team or people. In they receive the co-operation, respect and support of their team. They explain how good leaders, such as Margaret Thatcher, Nelson Mandella etc, have a number of general or individual qualities or traits. Early research into traits showed that these different characteristics that appear to separate the leaders from the followers. John Gardner looked at large number of organisations in the USA and the people in charge of them. He came to the conclusion that people who had the qualities are good leaders and have a high chance of getting tasks done effectively and quickly with the utmost success. The qualities that he found and studied were: * Physical vitality and stamina * Intelligence and action-oriented judgement * Eagerness to accept responsibility * Task competence * Understanding of followers and their needs * Skill in dealing with people * Need for achievement * Capacity to motivate people * Courage and resolution * Trustworthiness * Assertiveness * Decisiveness * Self-confidence * Adaptability/flexibility http://www.infed.org/leadership/traditional_leadership.htm The majority of Gardners qualities have certain aspects of a persons behaviour, skills and others to do character and mental ability. More recently studies have been made on people who have a mixture of traits that might be good for particular situations. The British Army is one of the public service organisations which has a huge emphasis on leadership and having good leaders. They have two separate levels of entry one for squadies and the other for officers. Before people join the Army the recruiters look for the trait qualities of a good leader within them and in their academic records and put them through the selection procedures for officer level. This branch of selection as well as being based on the general fitness required for Army life. They assess recruits on their ability to use their natural qualities and take a group of people and impose their own will on these people to get them to be and effective force for whatever situation gets thrown their way. During this time they look for high levels of confidence when instructing people, normally their peers, on what they have to do. As well as confidence they look for problem solving skills by setting command tasks. Here the assessors look for the for the ability to make and instant decision after being faced with a challenging situation and then being able to give clear orders on how they want the task to be completed in the quickest and most effective way. This will be done at a Regular Commission Board (RCB). It is designed to find out whether a person is capable of the Army Officers role. Every officer applicant must pass before proceeding to officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The RCB is carried out in Westminster and it lasts for four days. In the long run this is a good way of getting the right leaders in the Army who will lead their men to success. It is designed to take the raw natural talent of an individual and mould it into a great leader for the British Army through encouragement and expert training. This gives all potential officers the basic ideas on how to take charge of a large number of people but offers no real hands on experience until they have finished training and they are in the battlefield in a real life situation. The Armys two tear holds very good for those who want to take the officer route but these people may be young and unable to release their potential, without any real military experience behind them. On the other hand it holds no favours or advantages for those who took the squadie route. These people may be the people who didnt have the academic grades or signs of potential before they joined but have come up through the rank structure and shown that they can take a group of people and turn them into a good team. From here it seems obvious that a person with these qualities and some sort of military experience should be given the opportunity to be an officer. It isnt as easy as it sounds though and more often than not they will stay within the ranking structure of a squadie. In other public services, such as the Police, every person starts of at the same level, Police Constable. This allows everyone to develop qualities at the same rate and eventually the right leader will emerge through the job. When people have made themselves seen for having the qualities they hold and the potential to be promoted to the next stage up. To reach this next stage they have to take part in a promotion board with and exam at the end to be promoted, to Sergeant from PC in the Police force. This system unlike the Army gives everyone the opportunity to show their qualities and ability to be a leader. Unfortunately its a very long process and is subject to job availability. Just recently though the Police have introduced a high potential development system. Like the Armies officer training route it is a system set to spot potential early and offer a fast track to promotion with people who have the right characteristics. Similarly to the Army a weakness of this process is that candidates my lack experience and possible respect from their team. Leaders can also emerge as leaders due being faced with a challenge i.e. conflict, operation or even a major disaster. These situations can sometime bring the best out of some people where they need to take the situation by the scruff of the neck and get the team through it successfully. Sometime this can be good when you are faced with situations like this regularly but when it comes to a day to day basis and there is nothing to give the adrenaline rush that may trigger this kind of reaction are they able to give the same type of control. Task 6b Within the public services there are a number of selection processes that evaluate and make the most of leadership shills and qualities. I am now going to look at the RCB I mentioned before and evaluate how good it is and how effective it is to turn out good leaders. The RCB is made up of two parts the briefing and main board. All candidates have to do the two day Briefing process which assesses the candidates suitability to go on to the Main Board. It also provides information on the structure and role of the Army and also candidates will be informed on what they can expect and what is expected of them on the main board. During this briefing there are a number of different tasks to be carried out by the candidates. One of these tasks being a computer based assessment known as an ACMAP, Army Commission Mental Aptitude Profile. This gives the assessors information on the candidate verbal, numerical and abstract abilities. A long side this there are a number of other activities which bring individuals up to the same standard so that candidates can give of their best when attending the Main Board. Throughout the process various Military Officers will assess the candidates. After this each candidate sits a debrief interview. During the interview the Officer will explain to the candidate how well they did and give them their results. Selection for the Main Board is based upon the potential shown by candidates at the Briefing. Prior to selection, candidates will be required to meet our physical selection standards. The briefing before the main RCB is designed to asses all candidates on their potential before taking part in the RCB which then leads on to officer training and entry into the Army at officer level. If this didnt take place some people who werent capable of leading a group of people into war or like situations. From this they can select people with high potential to take part in the RCB and be very effective officer within the Army structure. The Main Board forms the second component of the assessment and selection process for entry to RMAS and lasts four days. The Board selects from the field of suitably qualified candidates, those with the potential qualities of character, ability and leadership who should, after training, be able to command a sub-unit (platoon or troop) in the performance of common military tasks in peace and war. Arriving mid-morning of day one, candidates complete the battery of physical assessments then go on to complete an essay and undertake the computer based assessments: Army Commission Mental Aptitude Profile (ACMAP) Multiple Choice Assessments (MCTA). Day two gets under way with an Opening Discussion followed by a number of interviews designed to show the Army what you have to offer. Remember, sell yourself, make us want to buy. The remainder of day two is given over to outdoor activities including Opening Tasks and the Opening Race. Day Three commences with the written Planning Exercise leading into the discussion element where you are expected to answer some questions relating to your chosen plan. It is the one part of the Main Board that candidates never forget. After being inside for the morning, attentions once again turn to your performance outside in the Command Tasks and Individual Obstacles. The day culminates in a formal dinner in the Mess, this is a chance for candidates to sample life as a young officer. The last day of the Board is the last chance to show us what you have to offer. This is done in the form of the Closing Race where candidates must complete a number of objectives in a given time. After the race the Brigadier gives candidates a closing address before departing RCB. Over the assessment phase you will have shown the Board members your potential and it is this that the Boarding conferences are based upon. Board members discuss the evidence that they have collected and use this to reach the Boards decision. Candidates dont compete against each other at RCB, they compete against a standard; above the line and you pass, below the line and you fail. If selected, candidates will have demonstrated that they have the potential to be an Army Officer. Candidates will have rightly earned themselves a place at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (provided you pass the Army medical). We aim to dispatch the result letter to candidates on a Friday afternoon so that all candidates know their result by Monday.

Twelve Who Ruled and Robert Roswell Palmer Essay Example for Free

Twelve Who Ruled and Robert Roswell Palmer Essay The book, Twelve Who Ruled, covers a very complex period, the French Revolution. Robert Roswell Palmer; author of the book, brings our attention of twelve men who have a chance to change society, institutions, and political beliefs. Palmer takes our thoughts drawn to the brutality and dictatorship of this time period and shares with us how idealism can conrupt and damage a nation as a whole. Oppression is the sense and theme of emotion I feel when reading this book. How can a man like Robert Roswell Palmer be an author of a well-written masterpiece? Robert Roswell Palmer or professionally known as R. R. Palmer, was born on January 11, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois. In high school, he accelerated in his academics. Motivated by his teachers, Palmer competed for a citywide â€Å"Latin prize† and earned a full ride scholarship to the University of Chicago. He received his PHD from Cornell University in 1934, specializing in 18th-century France. Palmers talents brought him an instructorship at Princeton University in 1936. Palmer spent World War II in Washington, D.C., where he put his intellectual skills to work for the War Department. Palmer married Esther Howard in 1942 and had three children. After the war and progressing in his marriage, he was a proud supervisor and contributor of a project that resulted in the postwar publication of two volumes, Organization of Ground Combat Troops (1947) and Procurement and Training of Ground Combat Troops (1948). After the war he returned to Princeton where he taught for three decades and authored seven of his books, Catholics and Unbelievers in 18th-Century France; published in 1939, Twelve Who Ruled; published in 1941, and The Improvement of Humanity: Education and the French Revolution; published in 1985, Rand McNally Atlas of World History, first published in 1957 and still used today by many college professors. At age 43 he was named Princetons Dodge Professor of History from 1952 to 1963 and he began the latter part of his academic career by assuming administrative duties as Dean of Arts and Sciences at Washington University, St. Louis from 1963 to 1966. Later on he returned to his first passion, writing and teaching. At the age of 60, he accepted a professorship at Yale University, from which he retired in 1977. Palmer returned to Princeton where he was a guest scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study. For the last several years, Palmer and his family lived at Newtown, Pennsylvania and where he would pass away on June 11, 2002. Palmers career earned him many honors. This includes service as president of the Society for French Historical Studies in 1961 and the American Historical Association in 1970. He was an active member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts Sciences. He held visiting professorships at the Universities of Chicago, Colorado, and Michigan, and at the University of Califomia at Berkeley. He was the recipient of several honorary degrees in the United States as well as in Europe. Italys Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei awarded him the Feltrenelli Prize in 1990 in recognition of his lifetime scholarly achievements. R. R. Palmer is a valid source of wanting to know the French Revolution. From knowing his academic background and his well high positive representation, he is a healthy source. Reading his book, Twelve who ruled, seems as if he personally knows the twelve individuals. He brings this time period of great oppression during the French Revolution to life as you progress reading into his book. This book is a great book and a well written masterpiece that will open your eyes.

Impact of Poverty on Economic and Social Issues

Impact of Poverty on Economic and Social Issues Inequality is a matter for concern for every society. Using this statement discuss the uneven spatial access of resources to alleviate poverty Introduction Inequality is a topic that has been increasingly dismissed by many in power for a substantial period of time. Jones (2012) talks of how it has been thought of as an ‘airy- fairy irrelevance’: all that matters is that the living standards of all were improving; this has not been the case though, especially in Britain. This essay will focus on Britain arguing that unless inequality is urgently addressed, it will lead to a large range of economic and social issues. From this the uneven spatial access of resources shall be looked at with a specific focus on opportunity and trust, two issues which are in vital need of attention if poverty is to be alleviated. Politicians need to take a central role in attempting to eradicate inequality; Jackson and Segal (2004) argue that many people, including some on the Left express doubts about whether economic inequality matters to public policy. Wilkinson and Pickett (2009) in their book, The Spirit Level: Why Equal Societies Almost Alw ays Do Better, highlight that less equal societies tend to do worse when it comes to health, education and general well-being. This has been echoed by many others (Brandolini, 2007; Jackson and Segal, 2004; Jones, 2012; Smeeding, 2004, 2005, 2006) yet the government has done very little resulting in inequality in Britain being the fourth highest in the developing world (Wilkinson and Pickett, 2009). Opponents of inequality will argue that if most of us are better off than we used to be, does it matter if some are much, much better off than most? This is a question that shall be addressed as it is central to promoting the argument that inequality is a matter of concern for us all. Defining Poverty Before continuing it is important to define what poverty is. The Oxford Handbook of Economic Inequality (2009) definition is: ‘Living in poverty shall be taken to mean persons, families and groups of persons whose resources (material, cultural and social) are so limited as to exclude them from the minimum acceptable way of life in the Member State in which they live.’ The second definition is from Townsend (1997): ‘The definition of poverty most commonly applied in economically advanced societies is the exclusion from the life of the society due to lack of resources’ Two definitions from different time periods have been used as it is important to get a perspective from different years to see if the definition has changed. As you can see both definition are similar with the exception that the Oxford Handbook (2009) definition is far broader that Townsends’ (1997) definition which focuses on economically developed countries. These two definitions shall be used as the platform when discussing poverty further into this essay and so as such inclusion and exclusion as a form of poverty are the main focus of this essay. Why we should Care about Inequality Since the Coalition came into power in 2010, they have promoted their key phrase of ‘We’re all in it together.’ Jones (2012) sees this as a ludicrous statement because while the average Briton faces the most protracted squeeze in living standards since the 1920s, the Sunday Times Rich List reveals an ever-booming elite. In the developed world there is an obsession with gazing upon those richer than us, peering into their ludicrously privileged lives to see how they function. This can be seen with the rising popularity of shows such as Channel 4’s Made in Chelsea, the show capturing the lives of London’s elite living in Chelsea. Wollaston (2013) describes the show and its main characters very well: ‘these are ghastly, ghastly people – vacuous, petty, dull, and offensive. But there is kind of open-mouthed fascination in watching Made in Chelsea. Its about incredulity more than anything else, tinged with just a hint of jealousy and lechery. Well, they are rather splendid to look at.’ Made in Chelsea is a fitting example to use when looking at how people think about inequality. The vast majority of viewers for the show will look enviously at the characters but would take little if any time at all to consider how and why they are so wealthy considering they seem to do so little. They just want to live their lavish lifestyles; Krugman (2007) notes how this pattern of the wealthy spending more leads to others attempting to do the same. This has led to household debt and inequality rising in both the USA and UK, especially in the run up to the financial crisis in 2008. Krugman (2007) highlights that there is a link between inequality and the financial crises that occurred in 1929 and 2008- both coincided with historic levels of inequality. It should not take financial meltdown to get people talking and thinking about inequality. Shows like Made in Chelsea act as tools to make the general population forget about ineq uality when in fact they should be highlighting it; when this begins to happen inequality will be taken far more seriously by both those in power and the general population. In the introduction the question was posed that if most of us are better off than we used to be, does it matter if some are much, much better off than most? Mandelson (1998) said that the New Labour government was, â€Å"Intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich.† With politicians having so much power it is imperative that inequality is a matter of concern for them as they can attempt to implement changes needed. This has not and still is not the case though, Jackson and Segal (2004) argue that governments could fix inequality but chose not to and put the recent growth in inequality down to policy decisions taken by the government in the 1980’s and 90’s. During this period Labour ideology and policy was revised, inequality became a taboo subject, something that members of the Labour party seemed to be almost embarrassed about as they potentially thought it may revert back to Old Labour ideals. Jackson and Segal (2004) talk of how the anti-egalitarian thr ust of Thatcherism and the enthusiasm of members to secure the support of affluent floating voters meant that the Labour leadership was transformed. Hattersley (1997) notes the party leadership believed the pursuit of greater equality was an objective that put an arbitrary cap on individuals’ aspirations. Equality does not cap individuals’ aspirations; it just gives everyone a fair platform on which to start. This point was outlined by Kinnock (1987) where he attacked the ‘savage unfairness of the Conservative policy,’ and talked of how if people had a platform on which to stand and build their business or reputation they would flourish. From this point we can move on to talk about opportunity, a resource that must be utilised to move forward as a country and alleviate poverty. The Uneven Access of Opportunity â€Å"For me, the goal of social democracy is to create the sort of society in which the daughter of a Hartlepool shop assistant has as much chance of becoming a High Court judge as the daughter of a Harley Street doctor.† Peter Mandelson, 1998. The statement above from Peter Mandelson is a point which the UK should strive to work towards. Jackson and Segal (2004) note that the richer you are the greater ability you have to do as you want without interference from others. Using the example from above, the daughter of a Harley Street doctor would most likely get a good education and progress onto university if she wanted. The daughter of a Hartlepool shop assistant could have the exact same wants but economically it may not be possible to do as she wants. Table showing correlation between father’s quartile and son’s quartile Source: Dearden, Machin and Reed, 1997, p62 The table above strengthens the argument that there is a connection between class origins and destinations and truly highlights how levels of opportunity are very low for a child born into the lowest level. Britain has to improve the figures shown above to stop the prospect of there being a generation of children born into poverty with no hope, few aspirations and no platform on which to start. Rawls (1999) notes that while a meritocratic might argue that an individual deserves to be able to eat in fine restaurants or own a new car as a result of her superior productive contribution, it is harder to claim that an individual deserves to be healthier or to be better educated simply as a result of his/her (or his/her parents’) talents. Being born into a poorer family should not impact your opportunities, but unfortunately this seems to be the case in many places. This essay has argued that equality in opportunity needs to be achieved in the attempt to alleviate poverty. Brooks (2008) has argued though that what people really need is neither material equality nor equality of opportunity but simply good access to economic opportunity. This point of view is one that many would see as a better solution, if everyone had better access to money then surely the playing field would be a more level one? Wilkinson and Pickett (2009) use the example of London, one of the most unequal cities on Earth, where the top 10% receive 273 times more than the bottom 10% (IFS, 2010). This essay would argue that although economic opportunity is an important factor, on its own it would solve nothing. Increasing economic opportunity would do very little in such an unequal place; improving equality of opportunity would allow people to truly strive towards their goals without being stopped due to lack of money ,being born in the wrong part of the country or being born i nto a lower class family. Wilkinson and Pickett (2009) highlight that in London there are those who feel excluded and can see what they are denied on an almost daily basis. This was the main reasons for the summer riots in 2011. Jackson and Segal (2004) note that beyond a certain point money does not improve the quality of life in a society but greater equality and opportunity does. Reducing this gap in Britain would facilitate a happier, healthier and more successful population. The most unequal countries, the US, the UK, Portugal and Singapore have much worse social problems than the most equal countries of Japan, Sweden and Norway (Wilkinson and Pickett, 2009). Effects of Low Levels of Trust Another significant factor in trying to alleviate poverty is increasing the levels of trust in Britain. Uslaner (2002) argues that to maintain trust between members of a community, ‘what matters is not how rich a country is, but how equitable the dispersion of income is.’ In unequal communities members trust one another less; Hsieh and Pugh (1993) highlight that these more unequal societies suffer from higher crime rates, health and education issues and, in particular higher homicide rates. Putnam (2000) argues that growing inequality has coincided with a decline in social cohesion and goes on to say how more detailed empirical studies have shown that tangible social fragmentation is indeed associated with rising inequality. Jackson and Segal (2004) note that in more unequal societies people trust each other less. Inequality undermines the sense of community- as a result of people’s lives being so different the feeling of common citizenship becomes more and more d ifficult. Lansley (2011) talks of how, ‘greater inequality increases status competition and provides fertile soil for the growth of mistrust and isolation.’ These factors aren’t a good platform for a country to grow from and attempt to create a society that tries to include people who want to work. Kawachi (1997) notes how economic efficiency can be enhanced if there is greater interpersonal trust among communities, this would mean a greater number of people being prepared to work with one another creating the potential for a variety of new products and services. Continuing on the subject of trust levels decreasing in Britain, residential segregation depending on social class has increased as people move away from less desirable areas partly as a consequence of spiralling inequality. Hutton (1996) describes residential segregation as, ‘the drawbridge community for the rich and the decaying housing estates locked in viscous circles of depopulation and poverty for the poor.’ With the rich increasingly excluding themselves from others it has serious consequences for attempts to guarantee adequate funding for public services which could then fall into decline leading to those at the bottom losing out. Jackson and Segal (2004) note that shared public services have an important role in social democratic thought: certain goods essential to the health and well-being of citizens are decommodified in order to equalise access of such goods relative to market distribution. These services should be in a space, in which all members of the comm unity are welcome equally, Hutton (1999) highlights that this mixing together of individuals from different backgrounds who would never usually meet is the end goal and helps to keep the services running. However, in a country where levels of inequality are high and trust is low, the wealthy can buy their way out of these services. If the rich are not included in the public system they are likely to be far less supportive of efforts to improve them, and very unhappy at the prospect of having to pay higher taxes needed to fund them. Titmuss (1968) argued that, ‘services for poor people have always tended to be poor quality services.’ If trust was higher the different social classes would mix and we would not have services labelled as rich or poor; services for those at the bottom are so poor it is incredibly difficult for them to get themselves out of poverty and engage with the economy. Britain has the lowest life expectancy out of the 23 most developed countries (Wilki nson and Pickett, 2009) despite spending vast sums of money on healthcare. This is because large amounts of money are going to the wealthy while those at the bottom struggle to survive on what little they are given. Following on from the previous section, we can look at how inequality and trust have led to services for the least well of declining. Schwabish, Smeeding and Osberg (2003) found that countries such as Britain with large levels of economic inequality had lower levels of spending on public programmes that provide goods or income and services to households. This occurs because the rich become more distant from the other classes leading to them finding it easy to opt out of public programmes and convert to private services. This may not seem like a problem at first, but because the rich exert a greater influence over decision and policy making than the other groups political support for these goods and services is eroded. People not only at the bottom, but also in the middle therefore have services that could be far better. Conclusion â€Å"If you are born poor in a more equal society like Finland, Norway or Denmark then you have a better chance of moving into a good job than if you are born in the United States. If you want the American dream – go to Finland.† Ed Miliband, speech to the Sutton Trust 21 May 2012 This essay has shown how two untraditional resources of opportunity and trust can have a huge impact on how we can deal with poverty in Britain. The current and future governments have a huge task ahead of them if they are to reduce poverty and to promote social mobility. Jackson and Segal (2004) highlight the need for policy changes and public attitude changes. For policy changes there is no set rule on how to tackle inequality and poverty, which we have seen throughout this essay are linked very closely. It is clear that policy- makers need to think creatively and broaden their ambitions to forge a strategy for Britain. For public attitude changes Jackson and Segal Jones (2012) note that, ‘a large majority agree with the proposition that the gap between the rich and the poor is too large.’ A large majority agree that the gap between rich and poor is too large, with over 80% agreeing with this statement from the early 1990’s onwards (Hills, 2001). Most will recog nise that the low paid make a huge contribution to society and the economy and thus deserve more than they are getting at present. Once policy and attitudes have changed, as it has been shown in this essay the economy will prosper, society will function more efficiently and this should reduce poverty levels in Britain. References Brooks, A (2008). Gross National Happiness. Why Happiness Matters for America – and How We Can get More of It. New York: Basic Books. Dearden, L, Machin, S and Reed, H, (1997) ‘Intergenerational Mobility in Britain’, Economic Journal, 107, pp47-66. Greenspan, A (2007), The Age of Turbulence, Penguin. Hattersley, R, (1997) ‘Why I’m No Longer Loyal to Labour’, The Guardian, 26 July; Brown, G, (1997) ‘Why Labour is Still Loyal to the Poor’, The Guardian, 2 August Hills, J. (2001) ‘Poverty and Social Security: What Rights? Whose Responsibilities?’ in Park, Curtice, Thompson, Jarvis and Bromley (eds), (2001) British Social Attitudes: The 18th Report – Public Policy, Social Ties, London, Sage, pp8-9; Hsieh, C and Pugh, M, (1993) ‘Poverty, Income Inequality, and Violent Crime: a Meta-analysis of Recent Aggregate Data Studies’, Criminal Justice Review, 18, pp182-202. Hutton, W, (1999) ‘Real Cost of the Property Boom’, The Observer, 15 August. Marshall, TH, (1950) Andersen, G, (1990) Citizenship and Social Class, Cambridge, CUP; Esping- The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, Cambridge, Polity, pp35-54. Jackson, B and Segal, P. (2004). Why Inequality Matters. Catalyst Working Paper. Jones, O. (2012). Why Inequality Matters. Centre of Labour and Social Studies Kawachi, I, Kennedy, B, Lochner, K and Prothrow-Stith, D, (1997) ‘Social capital, Income Inequality and Mortality’, American Journal of Public Health, 87, pp1493-4 Kinnock, N, (1987) The Biography, London, Little, Brown Co., p406. Krugman, P. 2003 The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century Krugman, P. 2007. The Conscience of a Liberal Lansley, S (2011) The Costs of Inequality Three Decades of the Super Rich and the Economy, Gibson Square. London Institute for Fiscal Studies (2010). Poverty and Inequality in the UK: 2010. Available at: http://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/4877.11 Mandelson, P. (1998) ‘New Labour: The Challenge of Becoming New Labour’, at http://www.petermandelson.com/newlabour.shtml. Mandelson, P.1998. Report for the Financial Times by David Wighton on 23 October 1998 Miliband,E. (2012) Speech to the Sutton Trust 21 May 2012 Putnam, R, (2000) Bowling Alone, New York, Simon Schuster, pp358-9 Rawls, J, (1999) [1971] A Theory of Justice, Oxford, OUP, pp63-4. See also Dworkin, R, (2000) Sovereign Virtue: The Theory and Practice of Equality, Cambridge MA, Harvard UP Salverda, W, Nolan, B and Smeeding, T. (2009) The Oxford Handbook of Economic Inequality. Oxford University Press Schwabish, J, Smeeding, T and Osberg, L, (2003) ‘Income Distribution and Social Expenditures: A Cross-National Perspective’, Luxembourg Income Series Working Paper No. 350, Syracuse University, p35. Townsend, P, 1979. Poverty in the United Kingdom. Harmondsworth: Penguin Titmuss, RM, (1968) Commitment to Welfare, London, Allen Unwin, p134. Uslaner, E M, (2002) The Moral Foundations of Trust, Cambridge, CUP, pp230- 42, p181. We are grateful to Patti Lenard for guiding us through the literature on trust and inequality. Wilkinson, R and Pickett, K (2009). The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better. London: Allen Lane. Wilkinson (2009), op.cit., p. 23 Wollaston, S. 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2013/apr/09/made-in-chelsea-tv-review

Constitutional Paideia :: Hegel Constitutionalism Papers

Constitutional Paideia Constitutional paideia designates a form of constitutionalism that construes a nation’s constitution essentially in terms of ongoing processes of collective self-formation. This paper explores the notion of constitutional paideia as formulated by Hegel, who explicitly defines constitutionalism with categories of Bildung. The paper’s strategy is to present Hegel’ position in light of questions that can be raised about it. The paper advances three central theses: (1) in spite (and perhaps because) of his historico-culturist approach to law, Hegel is a theoretician of constitutional paideia; (2) despite construing constitutionalism in terms of ongoing processes of popular self-interpretation, Hegel does not vitiate the distinction between law and politics deemed so central to constitutional theory; and (3) despite construing constitutionalism in terms of self-formative processes of a particular culture, Hegel does not jettison the normativity and trans-contextualism long associated with modern constitutional theory. The paper concludes with some observations on the contemporary significance of Hegelian constitutionalism. Constitutional paideia is a term I shall use to designate a form of constitutionalism that construes a nation's constitution essentially in terms of ongoing processes of collective self-formation.(1) As such, it is markedly distinct from competing models. It is distinct from liberal models, notably represented today by John Rawls, for whom a constitution must "guarantee certain basic political rights and liberties and establish democratic procedures for moderating the political rivalry, and for determining issues of social policy."(2) While constitutional paideia is not chary of liberal concern for legal and moral constraints, it rejects the latter's commitment to entrenched rights and a fixed sense of a nation's legal-political identity. It is likewise distinct from communitarian models, represented however ambiguously by Frank Michelman. While sharing with such models a focus on communal identity, its commitment to processes of self-formation renders constitutional inhospitable to a theory keyed to a set of preexisting cultural values—that "more encompassing common life, bearing the imprint of a common past."(3) Constitutional paideia is distinct further from republican models, represented equally ambiguously by Hannah Arendt. Although it shares with republicanism the notion that constitutionalism must be sensitive to principles of public virtue, collective power, and civic commitment to a shared enterprise, it places special emphasis on the conditions for constituting collective identity and nationhood itself.(4) Constitutional paideia is also distinct from deliberative models, represented notably by JÃ ¼rgen Habermas, for whom "the constitution establishes political procedures according to which citizens, in the exercise of their right to self-determination, successfully pursue the cooperative project of establishing just (or more just) conditions of life.

Modern Energy Crisis Cause by Oil Companies Essay -- Gas Oil

Works Cited Since the September 11th incident it seems that energy prices have skyrocketed. Not long ago gas prices were a dollar seventy-five, but now it is almost four dollars a gallon. These days gas and energy prices seem to be a weekly topic on local and national news. Every time there is some type of fluctuation, it causes chaos, because it is probably a difference of ten cents and sometimes more. So that raise you received, just throw it right out the window because it is not doing anything for you except paying your energy bills and putting a petite more amount gas in your tank. People point fingers in every direction searching for a scapegoat of this epidemic. Who is truly to blame? Oil companies are to blame for the rising of energy prices. Energy consists of more than just fuel. It is your hot water, electricity, heat, as well as gas. All of these factors are considered energy sources, and the prices of them have significantly increased. "Energy supplies and prices are major economic factors in the U.S. and energy markets are volatile and unpredictable." (Glover and Behrens, Energy: selected facts and numbers) This just shows how important energy is to the United States, which makes sense that oil companies would attempt to overcharge and swindle us because the U.S. is dependent on it. Like the spoiled Americans that most of us are we use energy every day, and if all of a sudden we couldn?t access it things would be chaotic, for instance, the California blackout. Like most issues there is always two sides, just as in this one, and while oil companies ?observe? the energy price crisis, they blame the consumers. This epidemic is a strong battle between the consumers and oil companies. Oil companies think that the... ... bringing in record profits almost every year. This only proves how much of a scandal this epidemic is. The whole issue is solely based on oil companies? exploitation of a situation. The rising of energy prices lie only in the hands of oil companies?not consumers. ?Each quarter of a year, oil companies see record profits.?(We Need Energy Independence, 19A) So every year oil companies are rich and getting richer at the expense of thinning wallets and shrinking bank accounts of consumers, who apparently, according to oil companies, are at fault for this situation. ?Exxon Mobil?s 2nd quarter earnings jumped 35% over last year, Royal Dutch(Shell gas) rose 34%, and Conoco Phillips 51%.?(Oil Companies Profiteering) It is obvious that if oil companies are making all this money at our expense, it only makes sense for them to be at fault because the consumers are not blame.

Essay --

At this point in time, seniors at Mira Costa feel trapped, as if they can't get out of Mira Costa and Manhattan Beach soon enough. Imagine being physically trapped in their city, surrounded by nothing but a big concrete wall holding them hostage. The Berlin Wall kept half a city hidden behind, what was known as, the iron curtain. The wall was â€Å"...a symbol of oppressive and divisive government, not only to the East Germans it contained, but to the rest of the world as well.†("Transitional Justice.") The people of Germany were separated from their jobs, their loved ones, and were forced to live under communist rule. Before the wall was built, the city was split, given no notice on Sunday, and â€Å"overnight brutally severed streets† (Heilbrunn) became known as ‘Stacheldrahtsonntag’, barbed wire Sunday. Shortly after, the creation of the concrete wall began. During the construction of the wall, there was outrage in West Berlin over the new barbed wire wall that ran through their city. There was outrage in East Berlin as well but it was quickly controlled by their secret police who made many arrests for any who did not want to follow the communist rule and spoke out about it. Unlike other walls built around the world to keep enemies out, this wall was designed by communists to keep people in. 11-13 feet high and was a total of 28 miles long the wall encircled East Berlin. Surrounded by â€Å"towers, guards, and dogs stood watch over a barren no man's land. A pipe, too large in diameter for a climber's grip, ran along the top of the wall.†(â€Å"Newseum:Berlin Wallâ₠¬ ) Aside from the wall construction, there was other damage to East Berlin, â€Å"Buildings...were demolished, and the wide open area became known as "no man's land" or the "death strip," wh... ... the concrete prison. Soon after the wall fell, most of the East Berlin cabinet resigned and the remaining member were removed. East Berlin and West Berlin were finally reunited and renamed, The Federal Republic of Germany. â€Å"The world watched the celebrations on television. After 28 years, the Berlin Wall had fallen.† ("NEWSEUM: Berlin Wall.") The people of East Germany finally saw the light on the other side of the wall, and escaped the concrete nightmare. Imagine, literally being trapped inside of your hometown, behind the iron curtain of communism. Thousands of people lived that way for twenty-eight years, forced to live unseen and unheard. Some were born directly in the East side and some died, never to see the curtain lift from them. Life in the 1980’s in America was guided by the truth of real life, which real life was taken away from those trapped in Berlin.

The Mohawk Indians

For this project, i choose to write about the Mohawk Indians. These native americans are are group of fierce warriors, where both men and women had vital roles. They were orginally apart of Iroquois Confederation, which included various tribes in the north eastern territory of the United States. They are also one of the most famous and surviving native americans. They were unique and had different traditions. The Mohawks were located in the area, which, now we call New York. This in in the North eastren part of the United States. Altough other tribes resisded in the area, they took up most of the territorty. These Native Americans had many ways to live. There homes, were what we call today longhouses. They were extremely long in the back and were made up of berch and elm bark. To travel the Mohawks had two types of canoes, one made of elm bark which was fast and the other a dugout canoe which could carry many people but was much slower. They also relied on dogs as there pack animals, and in the snow they tied them to sleds to help them get around. The women of the tribe were known as â€Å"clan leaders† because they made all the descions about land and resouces. The men who were Mohawk chiefs made the miltary rulings such as engaging in war. They were only allowed to represent the tribe. There clothing was very tradional. The men wore breecloths with leggings, while woman wore wrap around dresses with shorter leggings. There name, is represented in there hairstyle displayed by men. They mostly had shaved heads except for there mohawks dressed up with feathers or roaches. The women only cut there hair when they were in mourning, and their daily hair was long and in a braid. Childrens roles in the tribes is very different then todays. They went hunting and fishing with there fathers and had plenty of chores. But on the other hand, they did have some time for fun. The girls usually played with there cornhusks dolls, while the boys either played the sport lacrosse or tried to throw a dart through a moving hoop. Mohawk music was based around mainly two insturments. The drums and the flute. The Drums were if not all the time filled with water , mostly to give it a different style and sound. The flutes were used to seduce the women in the tribe, while playing it, it would show he was thinking about a girl. There religion, or more so beliefs were of nature and of everyones sprirt. They belived in wind spirts, the three sisters ( corn, squash, and beans) to help with crops, the thunderer, and the creator twins. The Mohawks are also famous for the myth of the orgin of the rabbit dance, where the native americans used there drums and made a certain sound and all the rabbits came and danced around them. They also known also for there mask making and pottery, the masks they make were so important to them that outsiders may not be permitted to look at them. Just like many other native americans they used bow and arrows to hunt, in battle they used bows and arrows, and clubs and spears. To fish the men used spears and fishing poles. They are so skilled in steaming wood that they made knives and even today the survining members create lacrosse sticks. In conclusion, the Mohawks are a name we know them as, and also there enimies. They were belived to be cannibals but it is not certain. Its said they would eat the warriors there were up against if they won. But they called themselves the Kanienkehaka, or people of the flint. They were a truly restless group and by becoming apart of irqouis nation, they were allowed to thrive and continue there traditions.