Comparative Politics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparative Politics - Research Paper Example Democracy can be perceived as equality and liberty. A democratic nation is liberal thereby allowing its citizens to have the power to rule it, to be equal before the law and have equal access to the law. Elections are periodically held to choose representatives for the governmental body that will exercise its supreme power. The distinctive principles of democracy include freedom of speech, press and political expression. Sovereignty, on the other hand, refers to a body that has independent power over people. A sovereign state can be regarded as having absolute authority of lawmaking (Almond et al. 101-120). Russia for a long time had been ruled by the Soviet Union using communism which attained its downfall in 1991. Thereafter, the United Russia party led by Russian Executive President Vladimir Putin introduced sovereign democracy in the Russian regime. However, the "sovereign democracy" practiced in Russian does not emanate democratic principles, a fact that has placed Vladimir Putin's political program under constant criticism (Almond et al. 355). According to Economist Intelligent Unit, the United Russian presidential political party aims at increasing its power of the international exchange system. The party intends to strengthen its powers to control the economic, political and administrative structure. The Russian doctrine of "sovereign democracy" emanates principles that are in contrast with democratic principles such as restrictions in the mass media and citizen's freedom (Almond et al. 356). The Russian democracy can, therefore, be viewed as managed democracy because the Russian political system is strictly supervised and regulated thereby denying Russian citizens freedom of expressing their political will. Although this fact is highly denied by the Russian authority for instance Vladislav Surkov who is the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office and advisor of the president as he provides analytical and organizational information which is crucial to the president insists that the Russian political system is governed by sovereign democracy (Almond et al. 356). According to the Russian doctrine of Sovereign democracy, no one can make attest to owning or having power over the Russian nation as explained in the Russian constitution. However, critically looking at the idea imposed by the Russian constitution the concept behind sovereign democracy can be viewed as nationalism. Russia perceives its state to be more superior than other states, therefore, it is ready to impose radical political force over other states if it senses any signs of threat. This means that Russia is a powerful nation which is not ready to be influenced by global monopolies or dictatorship (Almond et al. 362-370).Therefore, Russia can be perceived as indirectly opposing worldwide globalization which is encouraged by the western countries especially the United States. However, according to Surkov, the doctrine of Russian sovereign democracy aims at first prioritizing the interests of the country. This can be depicted in the economic, social and cultural success that the country has gained in global politics. Russia has managed to restore its governance in the Chechen Republic.

European Union- Treaty of Lisbon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Union- Treaty of Lisbon - Essay Example The EU is simply a politico-economic union that comprises of 28 countries, primarily found in the continent of Europe. In its functioning, the union operates via systems that comprise of various supranatural and independent institutions as well as intergovernmental decisions that are negotiated by the member countries. Some of the institutions that facilitate the functioning of the European Union include the union’s parliament, EU council, the Union’s court of justice as well as the union’s central bank among others. It is important to note that the origin of the European can be traced back to the EEC (European Economic Community) and the ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community). These two unions were composed of six countries that were its founding members, between 1951 and 19581. The years that followed saw the union grow and increase in membership; this was also facilitated by the inclusion of several other treaties and policies. The members of the union as at 1993, created the current name of the EU after agreeing to the Maastricht treaty; this treaty was essential in establishment of the concept of European Citizenship2. The union stayed and functioned under the provisions of the Maastricht Treaty until in 2009, when the members states made some major amendments in the legal framework of the treaty. The treaty of Lisbon was signed in order to make amendments to the EU on basis of its constitution. This treaty is also referred to as the treaty of reform, according to the amendments and reforms in brought to the laws that created the European Union3. The treaty can simply be described as the international agreement that played a key role in the amendment of initial treaties that created the EU, forming the basis of its constitution. It is important to note that the Treaty of Lisbon came into effect after the member states signed into it in 2007, but was officially put into active use in 2009. The Lisbon treaty

Dreams websites evaluation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dreams websites evaluation - Term Paper Example Dreams are part of a human being’s life.It is said to be products of the subconscious mind, defined and described in numerous ways by experts and those who subjectively experience the dream itself.So much is the impact of dreams to man, that he struggles to remember and find the meaning of such reverie as he awakens. Many have tried to interpret dreams, as these illusions are surprisingly connected between individuals through common objects and events. Two different websites, visited on March 22, 2011, regarding dreams will be tackled in the present paper, evaluating them according to several factors. Websites on dreams As mentioned, the websites visited concern things as dreams and nightmares, finding their meanings and interpreting them. The first site can be found at http://dreamsleep.net/, Dream Meanings - Interpreting the Hidden Meaning of Dreams, created and maintained by Craig Hamilton-Parker T/A Q.K.E. Ltd. The website is full of materials and multimedia that would aid the Internet user in analyzing his or her dreams. In addition, they have live psychic readings, where the dreamer can choose a specific psychic through the profiles given in a particular section of the website. The other website, Dreams & Nightmares, can be found at http://www.dreamsnightmares.com/index.html. No name of the individual or corporation who or that established it is found, but it is hosted by Theorem.ca. It also has several sections emphasizing on dream analysis, symbols, common instances, et cetera. The author(s) of the text written in the site answer certain dream situations with the emphasis of the dreamer’s â€Å"personal touch,† reminding that the interpretation of each reverie is subjective and relative. It gives links to books that may be purchased if the Internet user wants to read more on a certain topic. Appraisal Dream Meanings has several sections that are easily located. The main page also has a video of Craig Hamilton-Parker, who orients the website visitors of the community he and his team have prepared to help dreamers in finding meanings and interpreting their visions psychologically or spiritually, whether they be common or unusual dreams. Links to several dream videos and articles can be found on the right side of the page, and other resources are also accessible by merely clicking on topics which you want to browse. When opening a specific section, one can see that there are other sets of resources and multimedia available. There are visible ads and psychic reading numbers as well. The website is overall â€Å"visitor-friendly,† with easy to read fonts, font sizes and appropriate colored layout that would not visually strain the visitor. Dreams & Nightmares has less resources compared to the previous site. Sections that deal with interpretation, symbols, et cetera, are also available. The main page is bare compared to the other, comprising only of text explaining dreams and nightmares, with small pictures. The font and font size make the text readable, but its fineness placed on a white background may make it hard to read among website visitors who have visual problems. Promotions of certain books and reading materials that could be purchased online can also be found there. As noticed, the style in the sections are usually the same, where someone expresses his or her dream and the author answers the concern and how the dream could be interpreted according to the context of the dreamer. Generally speaking though, it is not hard to go through the site, but an individual trying to dig the most information he or she can about a certain dream may not be satisfied with the content of the website. Comparison In comparing both sites, I would personally recommend Dream Meanings over Dreams & Nightmares. At first glance, the former appears to be more â€Å"visitor-friendly† than the latter. To those who are deeply bothered by their dreams, Dream Meanings somehow flaunts that it can cate r to their needs. For instance, there are videos that can be watched to help the

How you have experienced social change in Qatar over the last 5 years Essay

How you have experienced social change in Qatar over the last 5 years or so - Essay Example The above changes are largely because Qatar has been hosting numerous sporting events. Mubarak Al Mana, who is the head of the country’s women’s sport committee, has played an important role in supporting women’s involvement in sports. Apart from the increase in the number of women participating in the country’s labor force, most of them tend to focus in certain occupations, particularly teaching and clerical jobs. As the Qatar society started the complex process of implementing social change decade ago, the imbalanced status of women became prominent. It also became a difficult obstacle. Nevertheless, the country has taken vital recognizable steps in the past five years to ensure that women have similar privileges as men. For instance, women have the privilege to vote and contend for any political position during their parliamentary elections (Great Britain, 2004). In 2010, Sheikha Maha Mansour was appointed as the first woman judge in the country. This greatly indicated how Qatar was experiencing a speedy social change. The situation also created an important example to other women who are currently studying different courses previously meant for men. Another recognizable social change is the organization of the family laws. Formerly, resolutions of family problems were dependent on the judge’s understanding of Islamic law. However, this has changed since 2003 when women were given th e privilege to participate in public life and business. In addition, they also have the privilege to travel alone because laws requiring a guardian’s authority for a woman to be given a passport were withdrawn during this

Moral Obligation by Bentham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Moral Obligation by Bentham - Essay Example According to Bentham, "Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as determine what we shall do." (Moore, "Moral and Political Philosophy", p. 282). How a person perceives such obligations to be accepted or rejected, depends upon the conditions it describes make it fair to adopt the stance or not. Moral obligations can be referred to those errands, which one considers to be an essential instance of personality to be adopted. It depends upon as to what extent one feels him socially responsible to be answerable to those instances. These instances show the extent of how much a person is humanistic in behaviour and shows that the conditions of rational power satisfy this constraint: that it is fair to hold people morally responsible if they possess the rational power to grasp and apply moral reasons, and to control their behavior by the light of those reasons. As far as my opinion is concerned I believe every individual in this society has a right to live and let live and not only live but live happily and contentedly which can only possible if one is aware as how to justify morality whatever be the circumstances, this morality teaches us as to how to least expect from the society and giving the society the best we possess in moral notions. When it comes to 'expectations', episodes of guilt, resentment, and indignation are the outcomes of our justifications. Once this interpretation of the reactive emotions is in place, we can draw on it to account for the stance of holding people morally responsible. That stance is characterized by the responses of blame and moral sanction; to understand the stance, we therefore need an interpretation of blame and morals. We should consider those facts that we believe society expects from us, rather than what we expect from society. Only in this case we would be able to fulfil our moral obligation toward s society, our country and above all, ourselves. Â  Euthanasia - Is it immoral to allow Euthanasia to a patient "Euthanasia is the deliberate production of the death of a human being on the grounds that in his situation it is considered that it is better that he should be dead than that he should continue to live". (Wilkinson, 1990, p. 10) Many thinkers and philosophers believe that Euthanasia is immoral. According to Rachels, "thinkers oppose killing patients in any circumstances whatever. However, they think it is all right, in some special circumstances, to allow patients to die by withholding treatment". If we view 'Euthanasia' in the light of philosophical rationalizations, we would come to know what Epicurus has tried to explain, "death is nothing to us. For all good and evil consists in sensation, but death is deprivation of sensation. And therefore a right understanding that death is nothing to us makes the mortality of life enjoyable, not because it adds to it an infinite span of time, but because it takes away the craving for immortality". (Moore, "Moral and Political Philosophy", p . 291) As said by Epictetus, "Some things are under our control, while others are not under our control". (Moore, "Moral and Political Philosophy", p. 293)

Sydney White 2007 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sydney White 2007 - Essay Example It is in this condition that she thinks of how she can plead the sorority of her parents. The young girl works exceptionally hard in school until she secures herself a scholarship. The scholarship lands her into a college where she can follow the footsteps of her mother. Her mother was a woman of dignity and hard work since she had education. In college, Sydney has the assurance that she must go back to where her mother comes from and ask to be taken as one of them. The movie triggers different emotions to different viewers. Some argue that the movie is just one of the must-have because of the way it flows (White). This is true because the plot of the movie has flow and one can be able to track what Sydney does after she is faced with these predicaments. The other thing that the viewers like about the movies is the way it takes to explain different times. This is evident in the way Sydney is goes back to her mothers home to claim that she is her daughter . Her going makes her realize just how times have moved since even the sisters of her mother show no concern to her. The movie is again set in a great scene by the way Sydney keeps changing her location. I agree with the reviewers because the movie revolves around home, campus and the neighborhoods. By watching the movie in this location I agree with the writers that one can never get bored. The movie seeks to explain the different ways in which a young girl has to fight for her rights and reach to the finishing line. It is because of this reason that the viewers say that the movie is not only moving but also thrilling. The other thing that makes the viewers appreciate the movie is the way in which the young girl incorporates comedy into the movie. The main character is talented in that she can be able to act serious issues and yet thrill the crowd. I affirm that the movie is the kind that every person would stay tuned to the end. The movie has credit for being not too short or too long for the viewers. The rev iewers insist that the movie is just the right length and covers all the areas without leaving the viewers in suspense. Other viewers though have different views concerning the movie. The movie has been criticized for not incorporating all the aspects in it. This means that the movie is lacking in such areas as suspense and action (White). In my own opinion, the movie is okay because there is absolutely no movie that can trigger all emotions within a viewer. Different people have different views concerning things and people see things in different perspectives. Other people criticize the movie at a personal level by saying that the main actor does not know how to act. However, this is based on personal interests and opinions and I think that the viewers are just malicious. This explains that different people see things differently and that is okay. Others argue that the movie is just a fairy tale and that it is built on fiction only. This is because it shows actions that are controv ersial to the viewers. Such actions include such things as the young girl living in the community of construction of workers . The critiques argue that this is not just obvious and she cannot live with freshmen as a girl. This is because all this are men and her life would not be in safe hands. The movie revolves around the story of the young girl to the end without deviating. The main character again plays her role with a lot of prowess and tact.  

Assignment 1 Reflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assignment 1 Reflective Report - Essay Example One approach that employees use to fight for their rights is the formation of unions that advocate for the rights of the people within a specific industry. In this regard, the contemporary society has witnessed the formation of powerful trade unions that advocate for the rights of the people that they represent in order to obtain better working conditions and remuneration. The empowerment of employees, by these trade unions and other measures such as legislations that protect them from their employers, has been partly due to the current systems of governance that underlines the need of rebelling against ruling bodies that commit offences. Therefore, these power-related organisations are a way of the employees asserting their authority. Through the activities of trade unions, in organisations, employees assert their power by maintaining checks on their employer’s activities and ensure that the employer did not infringe on their rights. For example, most organisational policy on improvement of the working conditions and remuneration are not consistent with the law. ... Ward (2010) identifies Locke’s central idea of freedom based on the ability of individuals to intellectualize phenomena based on ideas. In this case, organisations and people in the contemporary society identify power as contestable. Consequently, this has been the reason why employees in organisations have the ability to contest decisions made by their bosses following down the laid down procedures by using courts or other legal avenues. On the other hand, various stakeholders contest for power in the contemporary societies especially in instances whereby they felt that the organisation was not being managed in the right away. Therefore, these power-related struggles between various stakeholders in an organisation are a result of the view that power can be contested with the rebellion replicating Locke’s view that people who are in authority may be deposed if they offended the natural law. In effect, this makes Locke’s theory of power the most relevant to explai n power-related phenomena in the modern world. Question 2 In the contemporary society, it is evident that the ruled rely on their rulers to make decisions that affect their daily lives. In this regard, the subjects identify the ruling class as the people who are responsible for provision of important resources in their lives. In fact, this supports Weber’s contention that the ruling elite make decisions that affect the people, which is against the premise that power is exercised by the people (â€Å"Elite Theories† 2013). It is a common occurrence for the ruling class to ask for power from the people they ruled while making promises on what they are going to accomplish to these people. In this case, the ruling elite