Poadcast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Poadcast - Essay Example Smith indicates that his organization is currently working in Honduras and has established a number of sustainable treatment facilities to aid the people in receiving drinking water. Smith indicates that the project originally began as an idea between himself and a Cornell professor. The technology itself is a community scale drinking water treatment plant. The plant, developed through community input, functions to provide clean water for a variety of functions, such as cleaning, drinking, and bathing. The cleansing process starts with coagulation, sedimentation, and disinfection through chlorine. The materials used in the process are all available locally. Smith notes that the program has been working in Honduras since 2006. He believes that technology will have continued potential, as long as the implementation of the project pays enough attention to the educational and operational costs. Indeed, he recognizes that a primary consideration is that the individual community members ar e educated about the technology. In terms of costs Smith notes that the costs are contingent with the size of the operation. For a small-scale community it costs $50,000, for a larger scale community it costs $150,000. In terms of future goals, the team notes that they hope to expand to future regions. Specifically, Nicaragua and El Salvador are areas that are going to be targeted next. One of the most pervasive considerations is the geographical terrain. Additionally, cultural institutions are an important input element, as the team must work directly with government or community leaders as a means of instituting these programs. Although the Aqua Clara project has seemingly achieved a mode of success, there seems to be a number of issues that must be more thoroughly considered. Perhaps most centrally is the organization’s approach to the social and political spectrum. One considers that the organization has

See the pix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

See the pix - Essay Example This is an indication that though I may exhibit charisma, I am not a highly charismatic person. To a far extent therefore, charisma is not entirely important to my leadership effectiveness. Rather, I would want to use other means such as being persuasive through actions and words to effect my leadership obligations. I would depend on charisma only when the going gets very though and it has to be used as a last resort. As far as my preferred type of power is concerned, I scored very high points on referent than rewards, which suggests that my power system is based on people’s desire to identify with me rather than getting them to deliver tasks in exchange for reward. Babou (2008) also notes that transactional leaders are those who relate power to reward, punishment and conditions to get their followers accomplishing task. Since this contrasts with my own description, there is every indication that my leadership skill is more transformational than transactional. Based on the five basis of power, I am more comfortable using legitimate type of power. The reasons that can be attributed to this in relation to my leadership style are enormous. Fundamentally, I am a person who deals with people rather than task. This means that I should be able to guide my actions and interactions with personal and empirically accepted legitimate principles. This would ensure that my day by day interactions with people do not fall out of order. In the absence of such principles, people who come around are clearly going to abuse the freedom around me. My conflict handling style is collaborative. This means that in the midst or event of a conflict, I would rather want to be seen present with all people and stakeholders involved in trying to resolve the issue. I would not want to delegate powers into the hands of third party mediators. Rather, I would want to be involved myself. In relation to my leadership style, I would

National Bank Essay Example for Free

National Bank Essay A research program is very important essential for acquiring experience through learning and spreading the scope of Knowledge. I have done my research program in National Bank Limited, Foreign Exchange Branch. This research report is aimed at providing a comprehensive picture to the areas of Foreign Exchange operation of National Bank Limited. The report has been divided into twelve parts. These are- Introduction, Brief History of Banking Sector of Bangladesh, Corporate review of NBL, Foreign Exchange, Documents Used in Foreign Exchange Business, Letter of Credit (L/C), Import, Export, Foreign Remittance, Findings and Analysis, References. National Bank Limited is one of the largest commercial Bank of Bangladesh. The main objective of the Bank is to provide all of banking services at the doorsteps of the people. The Bank also participates in various social and development programs and takes part in implementation of various policies and promises made by the Government. National Bank Limited plays a pioneering role in handling foreign trade and foreign exchange transactions. With wide network of branches at home and a large number of correspondent banks worldwide, it is handling the largest volume of export-import business including homebound remittances. For this reason, Foreign Exchange of the Bank is very much essential. But now a day’s banking sector of Bangladesh is suffering the disease of default culture which is the consequence or result of bad performance of most banks. There are three types of modes of foreign exchange market, which are- Export Financing, Import Financing and Foreign Remittance. Foreign Exchange Branch does these foreign exchange activities vastly. In this report, I mention the overall operating procedure of foreign exchange transaction of National Bank Limited. I also mention the findings of my report and describe the recommendation to overcome the limitation. I have taken all the reasonable care to ensure the accuracy and quality to make the report standard. And I believe that it has included all the necessary information to be relevant. INTRODUCTIOIN ORIGIN OF THE REPORT As a mandatory part the BBA Program, all the students of the faculty of  Business Studies, Premier University, Chittagong have to undergo a three month long research program with an objective of gaining practical knowledge about current business world. After this research program each and every students have to submit a research report mentioning their activities during the research program. I’ve started my research at the National Bank Limited, Foreign Exchange Branch. At the end of the research program I am submitting my research report focusing on the contribution of Foreign Exchange operation to the overall performance of bank especially on profitability perspective under the supervision of Tasnim Uddin Chowdhury, Lecturer, Department of Finance, in Premier University, Chittagong. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The general objective of the study is to gather practical knowledge regarding banking system and operation. The research gives us a chance to relate the four year long theoretical learning of BBA Program with the reserch experience. This consists the following: To get an overall idea about the Foreign exchange Business of National Bank Limited. To apply theoretical knowledge in the practical field. To describe the organizational structure, management, background, functions and objectives of the bank and its contribution to the national economy. To achieve overall understanding of National Bank Limited. To analyze the financing systems of the bank to find out any contributing field. To examine the profitability and productivity of the bank. To acquire knowledge about the everyday banking operation of National Bank Limited. To evaluate the effect of world recession on foreign exchange income of NBL, Foreign Exchange Branch. To understand the real management situation and try to recommend for improving existing problems. SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study provides those scopes of knowing are the following: History and performance of National Bank Limited. Terms used in foreign exchange operations Foreign exchange operations of National Bank Limited Literature review. Total concept of Foreign Exchange Operation. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY The report is prepared on the basic of foreign Exchange of National Bank Limited. To conduct the overall study, at first I explored the sources of Primary and Secondary information and data. Different files of the department and statement prepared by FED helped me to prepare this report. To present numerical data, I used the Annual Report of 2008 and monthly statement of January to October 2009 of National Bank Limited, Foreign Exchange Branch. For preparing this report I have used some graphical representation to find out different types of analytical and interpretation. SOURCES OF DATA As mentioned earlier, mainly primary and secondary data has been used. Sometimes the customers gave some important information regarding the services of the Bank: PRIMARY DATA Official records of National Bank Limited (NBL).. Expert opinion. SECONDARY DATA Monthly Statement of NBL. Annual Report of NBL. Official Files. Selected books. Other manual information. Websites. Various publications on the Bangladesh Bank. Newspaper reports in this concern. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Both quantitative and qualitative analysis will be performed on the findings. The quantitative analysis will be done on the trend of export- import, growth pattern of export-import, pre and post facilities provided for easing the export-import operations. Qualitative analyses will be based on the macroeconomic variables and foreign exchange policy provided by Bangladesh bank, the central bank of Bangladesh. Different statistical tools will be used for the analysis of the findings. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY To provide current information and to make the report read-worthy, support from various sources is essential. In spite of having my wholehearted effort, I could not collect some information required at the time of the study. So this study is not free from the following limitation: Due to unavailability of latest annual report (Annual report 2009), I have to prepare the report on the basis of annual report 2008. As a result, analysis, presentation of data may not show the existing position/present condition of National Bank Limited. For the whole research I had only 90 days, out of which I get 61 days because of late commencement of research program, which were totally insufficient. So I faced time shortage extremely. Lack of previous experience to prepare this type of report and it is totally new to me as an intern. Foreign exchange division follows Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCPDC), but within this short period, I was totally stunned to understand. Learning all the banking functions within just two months was really difficult. Sometimes the officers of National Bank Limited were very busy. For this reason the personal did not co-operate me. National Bank Limited did not give me any kind of monetary support for this research program Most of the working days in NBL, I have to work in cash department to help in IPO subscription collection, so I get limited time work in other departments to have practical knowledge Another limitation of  this report is Bank’s policy of not disclosing some data and information for obvious reason, which could be very much helpful. BRIEF HITORY OF BANKING SECTOR OF BD EVOLUTION OF THE WORD ‘BANK’ The word bank originated from Italian word â€Å"Banca†. Banca means long tool. In ancient time Italian Jews merchant used to do business of lending money by sitting on the tools. It is assumed that the word â€Å"bank† derived from the word Banca. To meet the expense of war of 1171 one type credit certificate was launched in Italy at an interest rate of 5% it was called as Monte in Italian language and Bank in German language then German language was widely used in Italy. As a result the word Bank gradually changed to the word Banca from which the word Bank originated. THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN BANKING The linguistics and etymologists suggests an interesting story about banking origins. Both the old French word â€Å"Banque† and the Italian word Banca were used centuries ago to mean a bench or moneychangers table. This describes quite well what historians have observed concerning the first bankers, who lived more than 2000 years ago. They were money changers, situated usually at table or in a small shop in the commercial district, aiding travelers who came to town by exchanging foreign coins for local money or discounting commercial notes for a fee in order to supply merchants with working capital. The first bankers probably used their own capital to fund their activities, but it was not long before the idea of attracting deposit and securing temporary loans from wealthy customers became a source of bank funding. Loans were then made to merchant’s shippers and landowners at rates of interests low as 6 percent per annum to as high as 48 percent a month for the riskiest ventures. Most of the early bank was Greek in origin. The banking industry gradually spread outward from the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome into northern and western Europe. The early bank in Europe was places for safe keeping of valuable items (such as gold and  silver bullion) as people came to fear loss of their asset due to war, theft, or expropriation by government. When colonies were established in North and South America, old world banking practice were transferred . DEVELOPMENT OF BANKING IN BANGLADESH Since early British rule, the history of banking in Bangladesh territory shows that the traditional trade-networks developed before the banks invaded rural areas. And the banking services have slowly flourished in Bangladesh territory. Even today, in many places, moneylenders provide credit services. Small shopkeepers and businessman use informal credit at high interest rate. Traditional mahjong’s money lending business gradually declined due to expansion of bank and the micro credit programs of NGOs, cooperative banks and government agencies. PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS During the liberation war in 1971, the economic, political, and social system including the banking system was severally damaged. At that time, all big and medium financial institutions except two small banks had their head office in the West Pakistan. The non-beagle owners and managers of the financial establishments that operated in East Pakistan had abandoned them. After independence in 1971, the new government had to take over management and ownership of all such institutions. The banks Nationalization Order 1972 was issued to nationalize banks and financial institutions (except those incorporated abroad) in order to control chaos in the field of ownership, party bureaucracy, the intelligentsia, and pressure group. By several orders the government of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh created- Six nationalized commercial banks (NCBs): 1. Sonali Bank 2. Agrani Bank 3. Janata Bank 4. Rupali Bank 5. Pubali Bank 6. Uttra Bank One industrial bank (BSB) One agricultural bank (BKB) One industrial development financial institution (BSRS) The bank and financial institutions which originated during the Pakistan period and were merged, and renamed and functioning after independence of Bangladesh. In the year 1983, the government allowed private sector to participate in the banking business. The Publi Bank and the Uttara Bank were denationalized in 1985, due to non profitability. This action reduced the number of NCBs to four. Such restructuring of public sector banks was in order to play their role in industry, agriculture, export, self –employment etc. PRIVATE COMMERCIAL BANKS Taking advantage of the liberalization policy of the government regarding participation of private sector in the banking business, a number of private banks were established in –and –after 1983. With the emergence of private banks in Bangladesh, a competitive situation in the sector has been created. Now there are 48 commercial banks in Bangladesh which are enlisted with Bangladesh Bank, among them four (4) are NCBs, five (5) are specialized banks, twenty nine (29) are private commercial banks and ten (10) are foreign commercial banks. The emergence of private banks has added a new dimension to the banking system in Bangladesh. The private commercial banks show a steady growth in terms of number of branches, deposit and advances. CORPORATE REVIEW OF NATIONAL BANK History of National Bank Limited National Bank Limited has its prosperous past, glorious present, prospective future and under processing projects and activities. Established as the first private sector Bank fully owned by Bangladeshi entrepreneurs, NBL has been flourishing as the largest private sector bank with the passage of time after facing many stress and strain. The member of the board of directors is creative businessman and international economist. For rendering all modern  services, NBL, as a financial institution automated all it’s branches with computer network in accordance with the competitive commercial demand of time. Moreover, considering it’s forth- coming future the infrastructure of the Bank has been much more to NBL. Keeping the target in mind NBL has taken preparation branches by the wear 2000-2001. The emergence of National Bank Limited in the private sector is an important event in the banking area of Bangladesh. When the national was in the grip of severe recession, Govt. too k the farsighted decision to allow in the private sector to revive the economy of the country. Several dynamic entrepreneurs came forward for establishing a bank with a motto to revitalize the economy of the country. National Bank Limited was born as the first hundred percent Bangladesh owned Bank in the private sector. From the very inception it is the firm determination of National Bank Limited to play a vital role in the national economy. We are determined to bring back the long forgotten taste of banking services and flavors. We want to serve each one promptly and with a sense of dedication and dignity. The President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Justice Ahsanuddin Chowdhury inaugurated the bank formally on March 28, 1983 but the first branch at 48, Dilkusha Commercial Area, Dhaka started functioning on March 23, 1983. The 2nd Branch was opened on 11th May 1983 at Khatungonj, Chittagong. Today we have total 103 Branches all over Bangladesh. A representative office was established in Yangon, Myanmar in October, 1996 by our bank and obtained permission from t he government of Bangladesh to handle border trade with Myanmar .opportunities is being explored for further business avenues there. Now NBL is on line to establish trade and communication with the prime international banking companies of the world. As a result NBL will be able to build a strong root in international banking horizon .Bank has been drawing arrangement with well conversant money transfer service agency â€Å"Western union†. It has full time arrangement for speedy transfer of money all over the world. Banking is not only a profit – oriented commercial institution but it has a public bas and social commitment admitting this true NBL is going on with its diversified banking activities NBL introduced monthly Savings Scheme, special Deposit Scheme, and Consumers. Credit Scheme and savings Insurance scheme etc. To combine the people of lower and middle income group. A team of highly qualified and experiment professional headed by the managing Director of the  bank who has vast banking experience operates bank and at the top three is an efficient Board of Directors for making policies. Vision of National Bank Limited Establishing as a top grade efficient bank through best application of modern information technology and business activities, offering high standard client services and Proper coordination of foreign trade business in the core of their vision. Mission of national bank Limited With a view to achieving commercial objective of the bank, their sincere and all out efforts stay put unabated. Respected client and shareholders are attracted to us for our transparency, accountability, social communities, and high quality of clientele services. Objective of national Bank Limited Bring modern banking facilities to the doorsteps of general public through diversification of services, thereby arousing saving propensity among the people. Foreign a cordial, deep rooted and farm banker customer relationship by dispensing prompt and improved clientele services. Taking part in the development of the national economy through productive development of the banks resources as well as patronizing different social activities. Connecting clients to modern banking practices by the best application of improved information technology, so that they get encouraged to continue and feel proud of banking with NBL. Responding to the need of the time by participating in the syndicated large loan financing with like-minded banks of the country, thereby expanding the area of investment Elevating the image of the bank at home and abroad by sustained expansion of its activities. Strategies of National Bank Limited To manage and operate the bank in the most efficient manner to enhance financial performance and to control cost of fund. To strive for customer satisfaction through quality control and delivery of timely services. To identify customer credit and other banking needs and monitor their perception towards our performance in meeting those and update requirement. To review and update policies procedures and practices to enhance the ability to extend better services to customer. To train and develop all employs and provide them adequate resources so that customer needs can responsibility addressed. To promote organizational effectiveness by openly communicating company plans, policies, practices and procedures to all employers in a timely fashion To cultivate a working environment that fosters positive motivation for improved performance To diversify portfolio both in the retail and whole sale market. To increase direct contact with customer in order o cultivate a closer relationship Busin ess Goal To patronize, sponsor and encouraged games and sports, entertainment and other socio-economic activities alongside providing the best services to the client. The Future thrust Full duplex on-line Banking Introducing more innovative products and services Opening new branches Expansion of business network at home and abroad SMS Banking Introduction of new liability / Asset products Corporate Culture Employees of NBL share certain common values, which helps to create a NBL culture. The client comes first Search for professional excellence Openness to new ideas new methods to encourage creativity Quick decision making Flexibility and prompt response A sense of professional ethics Growth and Development of NBL The NBL carries out all traditional functions, which a commercial bank performs such as mobilization of the deposit, investment of funds, financing export and import business, trade and commerce and industry. The banking sector in the country faced different problems thought the year. Even through the board and management never stopped its effort to maximize wealth, which is reflected by 143.97percent profit growth in 2007, highest ever in the last 15 years. The bank earned the 676.45 core revenue in 2007 as interest, income from investment and commission exchange earning, which who Tk. 530:69 corer in the provision year. As a result the total operating profit rode to Tk. 221.51 corer in 2007 from Tk.114.68 corer in the previous year. Branches of NBL NBL, which was started at Dilkusha Branch on March 23rd, 1983, was the first major commercial Bank. In Bangladesh operating throughout the country as well as the age of the bank is only 25 years .During this period it has established total 112 branches over the country and made smooth network inside the country as well as thought the world. The number of branches as well as territory wise is mentioned in the table.

Is The Role Of Political Parties In Decline Politics Essay

Is The Role Of Political Parties In Decline Politics Essay Before one speaks of a consolidated democracy, one must first ensure that the three minimal, but necessary, conditions are satisfied. Firstly, one can argue that there must be a state for democracy to exist. In other words, there must be the existence of a state which is a modern polity; which holds free elections; protects the peoples rights, and ensures the efficiency of the rule of law. Secondly, democratic transition must be complete before consolidation takes place, and it is deemed to a necessary condition to hold free elections which are rid of authoritarian control at this stage. Thirdly, for a regime to be called democratic the rulers must govern democratically, that is, governments must not infringe the constitution, or violate individual rights, and must rule within the bounds of a state of law. Hence, when one refers to a consolidated democracy one is not referring merely to liberal nondemocratic regimes, or hybrid democracies. Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan  [1]  assert that a consolidated democracy is a political regime in which democracy, as a complex system of institutions, rules, and patterned incentives and disincentives has become the only game in town. Moreover, democracy becomes the only game in town when no significant political group attempts to overthrow the democratic regime or to promote domestic or international violence in order to secede from the state.  [2]   Political Parties and Their Roles in Society Political parties have been deemed necessary since the early societal grouping of man. Men would find a pattern of the state that would subsume societal conflict and which would allow the rule of law to function and apply it to their state. Thus, one can argue that political systems deal with conflicts and the political institutions they create. Giovanni Sartori  [3]  defines a political party as any political group identified by an official label that presents at elections, and is capable of placing through elections candidates for public offices. It has been argued that political parties are necessary and cannot be replaced by civil society or by any other organized structure created to give representation to citizens because political parties have formed the cornerstone of democratic society and serve a function like no other institution. Hence, in a modern society, democracy cannot seem to function properly without political parties. The active support and collaboration of strong, inclusive political parties in partnership with an effective civil society is fast gaining acceptance as the correctly balanced formula to achieve a somewhat more transparent and participatory system of government. In strengthening democratic institutions in consolidated democracies, it is not a matter of having to choose between building a strong civil society or strengthening political parties and political institutions such as parliaments. The real challenge lies in balancing support for democratic institutions and organizations that are more a ccountable and inclusive, while at the same time continuing to foster and nurture the development of a broadly based and active civil society. In recent years, it emerged that the positions of political parties in the politics of consolidated democracies have decreased drastically. Many argue that the reason behind this decline is primarily the change in the roles of the parties, and in fact Hague and Harrop  [4]  argue that the question for the twenty-first century is whether political parties are undergoing a crisis or whether is merely a change in their role. It is important to emphasise that the parties have not declined in the sense that they have ceased to be important in government, but they have changed, and today perform rather different functions or perform traditional functions in a different manner. Declining role of political parties? Hague and Harrop  [5]  question whether parties are facing a crisis or whether they are declining into weak, decentralized organizations. Amongst other reasons, they argue that major parties no longer offer radically different visions of the good society, and electors party loyalties are weakening as traditional social divisions decay. Furthermore, they state that party members are older than the average person and are becoming less active; and party membership is falling at a fast pace and will continue to do so as older members leave the electorate; young people are more likely to join single-issue groups than parties, and parties have become charity cases, relying for funding on state handouts. Moreover, the trust in parties is lower than for other political institutions, and is declining. On the other hand, Crotty argues that the demands of society have changed, and thus parties change to meet them. Too often, models of what parties ought to be like are drawn from the narrow experience of Western Europe in the twentieth century. Today, it is rather unrealistic to expect the rebirth of traditional mass membership parties with thousands of working-class members and their supporting pillars of trade unions. In an era where mass media and electronic communication play an important role such an organisational format is gone for good. Instead, we have a rather new format of parties found in the consolidated democracies which are somewhat lean and flexible, with communication from leaders trough the broadcast media and the internet. Rather than relying on outdated notions of a permanent army of members, new-format parties mobilize volunteers for specific, short-term tasks, such as election campaigns. The form of parties will continue to evolve but their purpose of giving direction to government continues unchanged. According to Hague and Harrop  [6]  , political parties are said to perform four main functions: Directions are given to government by ruling parties and thus some political parties have the vital task of steering the ship of state; Political parties function as agents of political recruitment, and serve as the major mechanism for preparing and recruiting candidates for the legislature and executive; Political parties serve as devices of interest aggregation, filtering a multitude of specific demands into more manageable packages of proposals. Thus, parties select, reduce and combine policies; and Political parties also serve as a brand for their supporters and voters, giving people a lens through which to interpret and participate in a complicated political world. The decline in the role of political parties has been identified mainly in terms of a constant erosion of the above listed functions. In what is already a highly fragmented political system, the decline of these functions has very often led to inefficient government and the wearing away of the legitimacy of institutions. The parties have the task of bridging the link between parliament and the government, sine the party which gets an overall majority in parliament then forms the government. The parties also provide for the scrutiny and control of the government since the party which does not win the election and becomes the Opposition then has the job of constantly attacking and criticizing the government and exposing its failings to the public as well as putting forward alternative ideas of its own. However, in recent years amid the entire furore over the decline of traditional parties, not a single third party has emerged with even the slightest appearance of electoral strength. Third-party candidates have sometimes done very well, but they very often represent more of a protest vote than some distinct social movement. Weaker party identification is producing a more inconsistent electorate prone to sudden shifts in loyalty, to vote splitting and to voting for individual candidates or issues rather than according to traditional party ties. Generally, over the past few years these activists have become more candidate- and issue-oriented, one of their main motivations being to promote a particular candidate or to support just one special issue. Critics argue that these trends have weakened party organization and coherence even further. Parties are the main means through which democratic leaders are recruited and fed into the political system since parties provide us with the personnel who govern that state. There has been a dramatic decline in the membership of the major parties people (especially young people) appear to be less willing to get actively involved in party organisations. Parties are said to provide the most important way in which people become involved in politics. This can be done on a number of levels. However, established political parties have experienced a declining membership that is ageing. Young people are hesitating to join or become associated with political parties. At the same time, support has risen for independent candidates, and interest parties. There has been a dramatic decline in party membership between the 1960s and the 1990s. In Scandinavia, Sundberg  [7]  argues, since the 1970s and the 1980s, membership decline has set in at an unprecedented rate. Denmark is a particularly extreme case, with membership falling from one in every five people in the 1960s to one in twenty by the 1990s. By voting for a party, people are able to express their political opinion and help choose the government. It is parties which give people the choice at elections between alternative views and policies. The parties also provide the voters with a choice in elections by presenting programmes and taking stands on issues parties allow the voters to choose between rival policy packages. Parties produce policies or ideas which they hope will win them power so these ideas have to appeal to a large enough section of the electorate. The parties have to produce policies on a whole range of issues covering all aspects of politics if they are to be taken seriously as a potential government. This gives the voters a genuine choice of alternative packages to choose from. Policy formulation is another role of the parties since they come up with the policy proposals which the voters can choose from and then put those policies into motion if they win the election. Hence, parties initiate the policies / ideas which then govern the nation in a wide variety of areas e.g. foreign policy, environment, health, education etc. In recent years, the parties have become less attached to a fixed set of ideas and are more willing to shape their beliefs and policies to respond to public opinion rather than leading people to follow them, and it can also be argued that parties now also deliberately keep their ideas and policies very vague and refuse to go into detail because this might antagonize voters and also open them to attack about the details. Nowadays, the number of programmatic parties has decreased, and they are in turn becoming catch-all parties. Programmatic parties tend to have definite and fixed set of ideas and beliefs which they firmly believe in and wh ich they can apply in all circumstances. However, parties have now become pragmatic that is they are willing to change ideas to suit changing circumstances. While the former were more interested in transforming society to bring it in line with their ideas over a long period of time, the latters policies are designed to win the next elections and to deal only with current and short term issues. The programmatic parties aim to bring the people around to their way of thinking and to agree with their principles, while the latter seek to find out what the people want and then fit their ideas and policies to match so that they can gain popularity and elect candidates. Catch-all parties tend to change their policies on a regular basis to match changing circumstances and public opinion, while the programmatic parties tend to stick to long held policies and not change them. Representation is also of the main functions of political parties in a democracy. They are to serve the interests of their people as party representatives, and they are also supposed to represent the nation as a whole. Through representation, parties help to link the government to the people because they attempt to match their policies to public opinion as much as possible and then if they win the election they can carry out those policies hence, translating what the public wants into action. However, recently it has been argued that the parties are not representing those who elect them properly because many MPs are elected by a minority of their constituents, for instance, in Britain, the first past the post system means that MPs do not have to be chosen by a majority of the voters in their area. E.g. some Scottish seats the MP were elected with only 1/3 of the vote. Furthermore, the government itself can be elected to rule with minority of the vote. Conclusion Therefore, one can say that the roles of political parties have declined, and this is evident if we compare

Comparing Journey of the Magi by Eliot and Pygmalion by Shaw Essays

T. S. Eliot’s poem ‘Journey of the Magi’ is rich in content, imagery, symbolism and above all Biblical References. The poem throws some powerful questions to all the readers and seeks answers from them. This poem is very deep and hard to understand at the very first reading. Its charm lies in its complexity and ambiguity. Here the poet talks about journey of three wise men from East and their struggle. Their journey starts at a very tough time of the atmosphere – â€Å"the worst time of the year† and that makes the task altogether more difficult. The very first step proved hard and unbearable for them. They know from the beginning that the journey is too long and will be tough to accomplish. The very weather was sharp and it was bone chilling, â€Å"very dead of winter†. On the other hand, in ‘Pygmalion’ G. B. Shaw speaks something very similar. In the preface itself he makes his purpose very clear and tells that as a phonetician one can change the life of a layman. The reformation of the inner soul is possible if proper and systematic training could be provided to the countrymen. A planned rigorous linguistic training can bring a sea-change in the character of the person. He tells that English language can uplift the status of the person in the society. In the first act he introduces a Notetaker who is interested in noting down the speech of different class of people in the throng. The Notetaker feels that these people are not correct users of English language and in a way they are insulting the whole country. He is aware of all the hurdles in making them fluent speakers but as a humanitarian he never looses his hope. Hoping against hope he lives in the expectation that one day the change will come. The Flower Girl is also someone wh o ... ...ns or Pickering. She realizes her own strengths and power and decides to opt for Freddy. In a way like a powerful woman she makes her mind to support Freddy life long. Finally the poem takes so many references from Bible and it revolves around the events in Bible. On the other hand the play is based on a Greek Myth of Pygmalion and Galatea. But unlike the Myth here the heroine of the play rejects her trainer – creator – sculptor , Prof. Henry Higgins and leads her own destiny. In the poem – ‘Journey of the Magi’ the transformation is well decided and not induced but in the play – ‘Pygmalion’ the transformation comes from someone else. Eliza wants to end up as a Lady in a Flower Shop and that is why she takes lessons from Higgins. In poem the magi are not satisfied with the change and same way in the play also Eliza is not satisfied with the transformation.

Fossil Fuels and the Environment: :: Envrionmental Pollution Essays

Fossil Fuels and the Environment Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been watching cartoon shows like Captain Planet, which talked about pollution and the earth. I didn’t really understand what they were talking about then and its sad to say that only recently have a grasped the true message of the show. As kids and adolescents were mostly told to recycle, it wasn’t until college that I acquired a broader perspective on the subject of preserving the environment. Fossil fuels are an indispensable part of human survival. However, from beginning to end this process leaves many scars on the planet. In the process of extracting coal for example, we destroy the top soil of the earth. Before the environmental acts, the holes where the excavation was performed were left uncovered, creating acid lakes from the iron pyrite left behind. End use produces pollutants from combustion, such as sulfur and nitrogen oxide (SOX and NOX), particulate matter (ROX), and carbon monoxide (CO) and un-burnt hydrocarbons (UHC). These pollutants, either separately or in combination with one another, are responsible for smog in the ozone, acid rain, and The Greenhouse Effect. Now comes the interesting part. The earth gets the majority of its heat from the radiation of the sun. Most of this heat should be radiated into space, yet this process is being obstructed by the amount of CO2 and other gases. While researching for this subject I also came across the problem of deforestation. Scientists say, since temperature changes could affect major climate patterns, alter species’ habitats, and have other unknown consequences. The melting of the polar Ice caps is the biggest cause for worry at the moment. Rising temperatures have a dramatic impact on Arctic ice, which serves as a kind of "air conditioner" at the top of the world. Since 1978 Arctic sea ice area has shrunk by some 9 percent per decade, and thinned as well. Climate models suggest that global warming could cause more frequent extreme weather conditions. Intense hurricanes and storm surges could threaten coastal communities, while heat waves, fires and drought could also become more common. Reading this information causes trepidation particularly because of the abnormal amount of Hurricanes that we suffered through this year. This only proves that global warming is real and a bigger threat than we might have envision ed. As mentioned before the earth receives most of it heat form the sun, at least 32% of it is reflected back by the ice caps.

Practice †Theory Analysis Essay

During internship, I was able to witness some incidents in the educational system which is relatively important with regards to the questions of equity and fairness in schools. These reflect various policy issues that I have learned throughout the course. The most evident issue that I have encountered was regarding various forms of discrimination. Despite efforts to promote equality, some people still have their biases, and that is the common root of discrimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In one class that I have observed, I noticed that this certain white instructor has a bias towards his white students. This is not obvious because he is not vocal about his preferences, but it can be noticed when he asks questions to the class. As a keen observer, I noticed that he gives the easier questions to his white students, but when it comes to the hard, tricky questions, the ones which usually require analysis and in-depth knowledge, he would call on his black and Asian students. Well, it could have been okay even though they’re called to answer the hard questions, but the problem is, he would usually have his side comments when they are not able to answer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not a big deal if a student wasn’t able to answer a teacher’s question or a class problem. This usually happens in any class with any race or gender. But real issue would be the comments being given by the professor. For some, it could be just a joke, but for the students, it could cause them to lose their confidence, thus affect their performance in the class. The whole class would laugh at the student, who gave an incorrect answer, thus lowering his self-esteem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In my observation, this is a form of discrimination, as his biases towards a certain race would lead to degrading other people. His black and Asian students might loose their confidence and would feel inferior compared to their white counterparts. For me, directing the harder questions to these students would mean that they’re being unfairly treated, even though it is their responsibility to study. Also, giving side jokes and comments by the professor should not be tolerated, as it only strengthens the assumption that he is biased in his profession as a teacher.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main issue that must be addressed in this case is about discrimination. The teacher in this case can be accused of discrimination by the students who he has allegedly discriminated. There are various forms of discrimination, but the concern in here is racial discrimination. Because of the instructor’s bias towards some of his students, he unknowingly discriminates other students. This is the issue that must be immediately resolved for this case. Another issue that must be addressed is whether or not the instructor is allowed to give side jokes about his or her students’ racial or social status. In the point of view of the involved instructor, he could be unaware that he is already discriminating other races because of his actions. It can be viewed as a joke of some sort as a sign of humor in the class. But for the students involved, they could take it as an insult or something that cold degrade their morale and self-esteem, thus greatly affecting their performance in the class. For other students, it could be seen as something humorous but would truly have an impact on how they would perceive their classmate the joke was directed upon.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are several rules that apply in this case of racial discrimination. According to the Equality Rights, under the Constitution Act of 1982, subsection (1) states that â€Å"Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular without discrimination based on race, national or ethic origin, color, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability† (â€Å"Legal Digest for Ontario Educators,† 2007-2008, p.4). This clearly states that what the instructor has been doing was a violation of the constitutional act of these students, as it discriminates them of their race o their ethnic origin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In relation to the said equality rights, it is as if the instructor is denying the black and Asian students of the right to equal protection of the law. On my observations, most of his jokes and side comments are directed towards these people whenever they give incorrect answers. He is fond of doing this, which is usually taken by other students as a regular classroom humor. But if the white student incorrectly answers the relatively easy question given to them, the instructor would not make a joke or any reaction to it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Part I Freedom from Discrimination of the Human Rights Code under services, it is stated that â€Å"Every person has the right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, color, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, or disability† (â€Å"Legal Digest for Ontario Educators,† 2007-2008, p.28). In relation to this, the instructor has clearly deviated from this, as he didn’t acknowledge the black and Asian student’s right to equal treatment with respect to the services being given. As a teacher, the service that he offers is teaching these students lessons and new information on various concerns. Because of his bias towards the white students, he is denying other students of an equal treatment in terms of the services that he offers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to address this problem, we should look at it in an unbiased perspective. The concern would be on how to take care of the problem of discrimination. Every student has the right to be accommodated and to be served, and this is according to the Part IV, Boards, Duties and Powers under no.6 provide instruction and accommodation (â€Å"Legal Digest for Ontario Educators,† 2007-2008, p.27) The first move is to deal with how the instructor treats his students and how he would be able to fairly give out the hard and easy questions. He needs to devise a way which he could randomly pick a student to answer a question regardless of their color or race. This could be done by drawing note cards containing the names of the students. Drawing lots would lessen the need to directly pinpoint which student answers what question.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If a legal action is to be made against the instructor, then the student should be given the support they need from the parents, and has to be given proper representation in the court of law. If he or she is under 18 years of age, he is still entitled to what should be given to a person more than 18 years old (â€Å"Legal Digest for Ontario Educators,† 2007-2008, p.28). This is according to the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accommodation of person under eighteen of the Human Rights Code.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The instructor also has to work on his habit of joking about his students, regardless of the race or class they came from. This could lead to complications like lack of interest in the subject, as well as poor performance in the class. Instead of joking about his students, he could think of similar situations and imaginary names of people to be used when he feels the need to give a joke to the class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this exercise, I’ve learned that people view things differently. Their perspectives could be affected by their color or race, so commenting or joking about this matter could directly affect their feelings. Because of this, we must be careful of what we say or do, as we don’t know how others might perceive our actions or statements. References: Legal Digest for Ontario Educators, 2007-2008. (2007).  Ã‚   Retrieved February 9, 2008, from www.e-laws.gov.on.ca