Why Political Polarization Has Gone Wild Example

Why Political Polarization Has Gone Wild Example Why Political Polarization Has Gone Wild – Coursework Example Memorandum July 25, Daily Editor RE: Political Polarization in the Media Polarization from both sides of the political spectrum has reached what some believe is a critical mass of uncompromising purists. Fareed Zakaria cites a number of examples present both in the government and among activitists that support the observation of increasing polarization between liberals and conservatives1.One of these examples is non-partisan redistricting, which is a theory that if districts in the House are changed such that each party has safe seats, there will be less polarization between the parties on Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, political polarization happens moreso on radio waves and in town hall meetings.One might argue that we should all be disappointed without politicians for pandering, but ultimately, in a democracy, our politicians are representatives of the people. It is not the politicians who cause their supporters to be more extreme; rather, it is the other way around. There is a reas on why the people who elect Congressmen to their seats are called â€Å"the base.†Without 24-hour media, there would not be such an extreme response to certain policy discussions and, in turn, our politicians would not be driven to such extreme rhetoric on the House floor, if they knew no one was paying attention. But a constant attention to the activities and ideologies of our politicians encourages them, out of a desire to keep their jobs, to pander to their base.The media, including newspapers, play a key role in this. By focusing solely on the extreme elements in order to keep people reading and watching, the media feeds a consumer demand for polarized politics: a soap opera playing out on the evening news. This is what Fareed Zakaria refers to as â€Å"narrowcast†. Certain radio programs and news networks come to be read only by individuals with particular ideological dispositions. Instead of appealing to a general audience with objective information, media twists information in a way that they can sell the best.So, how does a media institution like a newspaper play a role in fixing excessively adversarial politics? It can start by taking the facts of reality and presenting them to the whole world in an objective and socially responsible way. Rather than focusing on the small dramas of political debates, a newspaper can present the whole picture and allow its readers to decide. The media plays a crucial role in keeping voters informed in our democracy. If the media defaults on its responsibility, then our system of governance will not be far behind.

The Alliance Defense Fund Essay

The Alliance Defense Fund Essay The Alliance Defense Fund Essay Those who are suing say that hours after the president's announcement, the rule was finalized in its original form. "The administration's so-called compromise is inadequate. Legally, it does not exist," said Gregory Baylor, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, who is representing Geneva. "If it happens, we will welcome it. But we are not optimistic." The lengthy rule says that the federal agencies "plan to initiate a rulemaking to require issuers to offer insurance without contraception coverage to such a [faith-based] employer ... and simultaneously offer contraceptive coverage directly to the employer's plan participants ... who desire it, with no cost-sharing." One outstanding concern has been the many religious agencies that already avoid state mandates through self-insurance. Speaking on background, an Obama administration official said "the administration will work with faith-based organizations, insurers and other interested parties to develop policies that respect religious liberty and ensure access to preventive services for women enrolled in self-insured group health plans sponsored by religious organizations. We will start in the upcoming days by convening a series of meetings with faith community leaders to explore solutions. ... so that the ultimate outcome works for religious employers, their workers and the public." The Alliance Defense Fund maintains that there is no such thing as free insurance, so that the religious employers would

Living in Dorms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Living in Dorms - Essay Example Just like a metropolitan city, the dorm has its own network of corridors, individual (single) rooms, a 125 seat theater, a 24 hour coffee station, a fitness centre and a dining room with open-air seating. The rooms have been specially designed to be properly ventilated and create a peasant environment in the room so that the student can comfortably focus his complete attention towards his studies without any disturbance. Dormitory is not only a place for students to live in but also a place to learn how to live. There are many activities such as sports, singing competition, celebration for festivals, and gatherings customized for dormitory students to learn as well as to enjoy their dormitory life. Not only is the dormitory a place where students stay and study, it is also a positive environment where students integrate their intellectual, social and emotional development and inspire one another in their learning and research through social activities. Students coming from all corners of the world, their life at MIT, including residential life, social life, extracurricular activities, et cetera, is as important a part of the educational experience as class-work. ... The more people you interact with, and the more diverse that set of people is, the more you will learn. What the students wants is a lifestyle in which they can do their studies while carrying on their other activities simultaneously, else they loose focus on either of the fields. Recommendation regarding this aspect include that MIT should focus more of its resources towards supporting "community" housing, student life activities, social events, athletics, recreation; the types of things that allow people to interact and help make students and faculty feel that they are part of a larger community of scholars. It is within these informal settings that some of the best learning occurs at MIT. This required integrating the separate elements bringing together people from different living groups, and most importantly, bringing together faculty, students, and staff. That's why the 'Founders Group' of the dorm that was formed included both faculty as well as students. Residential life acti vities ideally should be controlled by the students who live in the dorm, using house taxes and elected governments to control their own programs. This teaches the students how to manage themselves, their expenses, events, activities and fellow-beings. The idea behind this was to encourage and measure students' ability to work together as a group, to make decisions for themselves, and to take leadership as a key element of the community education. Freshmen-on-campus decision was extremely opposed by many of the students, feeling that it was an attempt by the administration to take away students' very freedom and bring them under closer oversight and control by the administration. The student saw it

Capital Expenditure Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capital Expenditure Analysis - Research Paper Example Is this a good investment There are four calculations one could use to answer this question: (1) payback, (2) discounted cash flow, (3) internal rate of return, and (4) opportunity cost. But before one could make these calculations, two other sets of information are needed. First, the alternative financing schemes for the project are identified: (1) all equity, (2) all-debt, or (3) a combination of debt and equity. Second, the following variables need to be determined: (1) discount rate, (2) inflation rate, (3) risk-free rate of return, and (4) loan rate. An important set of assumptions can also be made: taxes, depreciation, and the costs of improvements and operations would be disregarded in this first stage of evaluating the alternatives. An all-equity purchase means the property will be paid for in cash from personal savings or investments. In this option, the buyer withdraws $360,000 from savings or puts together one or more investors (friends or relatives) to pay the property owner this amount. An all-debt purchase means borrowing the full amount of $360,000 from the bank at a certain loan interest rate. One problem is finding a bank willing to lend the full amount of the property, not impossible given the way property prices are rising, but neither easy. The other is getting a loan maturity of five years or more to coincide with the sale date for the property. The mixed option combines savings/investments and a loan. The buyer can combine $100,000 of his money with $100,000 from a friend and borrow $160,000 from the bank. Deciding the right equity-debt mix is tricky depending on the loan rate and whether the rate is fixed or adjustable (usually annually), because rising rates would affect the cash flow. Variables There are four variables to be inputted into the formulas for the investment analysis. The (1) discount rate, which reflects the time value of money, is needed for discounted cash flow calculations. The (2) risk-free and (3) inflation rates are needed for opportunity cost calculations. We also need the risk-free rate and the (4) loan rate for the discounted cash flow and internal rate of return analysis as these affect the cash flow. The risk-free rate is the rate of return of a risk-free investment such as a Treasury Note or Bond, and acts as the benchmark for banks and businessmen in determining whether a project is worth the risk of the investment. If a risky investment gives the same return as the risk-free rate, it would not be attractive as an investor would expect to be compensated for higher investment risk. Looking at the updated statistics in the latest issue of The Economist (2007: 105), the risk-free rate, using the return for five-year Treasury Notes, ranges from 4.9% to 6.4%. The inflation rate is important because it "eats up" the value of money. If an investment gives only a return equal to the risk-free rate, the investor ends up losing money due to inflation. Therefore, the inflation rate has to be included in calculating the discount rate to ensure that the calculations take inflation into account. The table shows inflation ranging from 2.4% to 2.7%. The loan rate is the annual interest a bank charges from borrowers and may differ for each bank depending on several factors that are complex to enumerate. However, the loan rate is normally close to or between the discount and risk-free rates because loans are risky for banks (so they expect higher returns) but should not be too high to discourage borrowing. Since banks get their funds from depositors willing to accept

Labor Unions and Employee Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Labor Unions and Employee Management - Essay Example ed thousand workers had already acquired a labour union membership but because of the subsequent economic depression during this time the number previously mention went down to fifty thousand members only. However, in 1886, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was formed and its formation helped to raise the number of people in the labour unions. This increase in number of labour union membership rose because workers became aware of the fact that labor unions benefit their members by giving them a higher pay of even up to 27% more than non-unionised workers get. However, union members are required to pay 2% of their salaries to the union but nevertheless, that percentage does not compare to all the benefits they receive. ei: Health care (Milkman and Voss, 2004). With reference to the studies conducted by Early (2011), there are two legislations, which include the Railway Labor Act of 1926 and the Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1935 that were brought about by the aftermath of a series of strikes and lockouts that interrupted the rail transportation. The Rail Labor Act (RLA) was passed in 1926, and it brought about a peaceful way for railway companies and their employees to resolve their problems. It is beneficial to note that the RLA applies to common carrier rail service and commercial airline employees. This act allows employees to join only major strikes, and participate in the use of lockouts. According to the writings by Milkman and Voss (2004), this act helped employees an easier access to engage in union organization activities, this is because before this act, companies had a total control on how workers were treated. The act allowed workers the right for collective bargaining and stated â€Å"that neither officers of the union, nor the un ion itself would be held liable for unlawful activities of its members that could not be proven to have been instigated or approved by the union. After the Norris-LaGuardia Act, relations between the workforce and the management

Johnson & Johnson Diversity Plan Essay Example for Free

Johnson Johnson Diversity Plan Essay Johnson Johnson was formed in 1885 in Brunswick, New Jersey, after two brothers, James Wood and Edward Mead Johnson saw a need to develop sterile supplies for surgical procedures. During that time, doctors operated without gloves, sterile equipment and used unclean cotton from textile mills to pack the wounds so the mortality rate for surgical patients was very high. One of the first products Johnson Johnson developed was ready to use surgical dressings which to led to large reduction in surgical mortality rates. Johnson Johnson continued developing and expanding their product line and their company. In 1919, Johnson Johnson began their first international expansion. The brothers first expanded into Canada and after an around the world trip in 1923 began to develop business in many more countries. They expanded into Australia in 1931, Sweden in 1956 and Japan in 1961 (Johnson Johnson, 1997-2007). Over the next 60 years, Johnson Johnson had established companies in over 50 countries. During their international expansion, Johnson Johnson also diversified their product line. They eventually organized their operations into three main divisions; pharmaceutical, medical devices and diagnostics, and consumer products (Answers Corporation, 2007). They became well known for the talcum powder, band-aids and the pain reliever, Tylenol. In 1932, Robert Wood Johnson II, known as General Johnson succeeded his uncle to take over running Johnson Johnson. The General believed strongly in decentralization within the entire organization and all the divisions both in the United States and internationally were given authority to make their own decisions. The General was also responsible for developing the Johnson Johnson credo in 1943 and it is still in force today. The credo is defines the four primary responsibilities of the organization in their order of their importance. Johnson Johnsons first responsibility is to its customers, then to its employees, then to the community, and finally to its shareholders (Lukas, 2003). Believing and enforcing in this credo is what has made this organization what it is today and helped Johnson Johnson overcome one of the most critical times in its history when it dealt with  the Tylenol poisonings. The first priority of Johnson Johnson was then and is still today the safety of its consumers. Johnson Johnson believes in diversity of its organization, its product line and its vendors. The organization has both an Office of Global Diversity as well as a supplier diversity program (Johnson Johnson, 1997-2007). They believe encouraging diversity increases both their economic prosperity as well as benefiting each social community where they are located. By encouraging diversity throughout its entire organization, Johnson Johnson has become one of the largest global health care leaders in the world. William C. Weldon, Chairman, Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer for Johnson and Johnson sets a clear course for the diversity action plan for the company. He states in his Chairmans Message on the JJ website, how the company interacts with a diverse group of stakeholders daily and how both internal and external partnerships allow the company to more than it could on its own. With that in mind the company must create a Diversity Action Plan that allows employees to grow, develop and assume more responsibility, creating extraordinary leaders in the business sectors around the world (JJ.com). Cultural NormsJJ is committed to having its own operating companies purchase goods and services from a diverse supplier base that contributes to the economic vitality of the communities in which we live and work. To achieve this goal JJ has created a Supplier Diversity Program in 1998. The intent of this program is to provide value to the company and to enhance the companys role as a health care leader throughout the world. The included in the program are: †¢Certified minority-owned businesses, small and large †¢Certified woman-owned businesses, small and large†¢Certified Small Disadvantaged Businesses†¢Small veteran-owned and service disabled veteran-owned businesses†¢Small, certified HUBZone businessesThe HUBZone Empowerment Contracting program provides federal contracting opportunities for qualified small businesses located in distressed areas. Fostering the growth of these federal contractors as viable businesses, for the long term, helps to empower communities, create jobs, and attract private investment  (SBA.gov). Another area the company attempts to enhance its image both in the US and around the world is through the development of Standards for Responsible External Manufacturing. These were developed to ensure the companies who do business with the company meet the same high standards of ethical behavior, product quality, and social responsibility practiced by JJ. There has to be common commitment to:†¢comply with applicable legal requirements,†¢behave ethically and with integrity,†¢integrate quality into business processes,†¢treat people with dignity and respect,†¢promote the safety, health and well-being of employees,†¢operate in an environmentally responsible manner, and†¢implement management systems to ensure ongoing performance and continual improvement (JJ, 2006) These values and practices are determined through a vigorous benchmarking process for which any potential manufacturing partner must meet before becoming associated with the JJ Family of Companies. There is a two-fold advantage to this process. The first is it allows potential partners the opportunity to understand the values that drive the organization as well as providing them with a template for the sustainability the JJ Company has demonstrated. In addition, the high standards set by the company are not compromised by external manufacturing partners that could damage the JJ image. To maximize their diverse workforce, the company has a vision statement in place that allows the company to maximize the benefits. The following is the companys vision statement:The Johnson Johnson Family of Companies will realize this vision by:†¢Fostering inclusive cultures that embrace our differences and drive innovation to accelerate growth;†¢Achieving skilled, high performance workforces that are reflective of the diverse global marketplace;†¢Working with business leaders to identify and establish targeted market opportunities for consumers across diverse demographic segments; and†¢Cultivating external relationships with professional, patient and civic groups to support business priorities. The statement allows the diverse workforce by utilizing the vision statement by including the companys belief (Credo). The credo, Latin for I believe,  guides the company to the responsibilities as they relate to customers, employees, community and shareholders. The responsibilities are as follows:To our customers: we will embrace diversity in order to respect, understand and meet their varying health care needs. To our employees: we will ensure a diverse and inclusive workplace, offer merit-based opportunities for employment and advancement and provide the necessary resources to develop our next generation of leaders. To our communities: we will recognize opportunities to improve economic and human health care in the areas in which we live and work. To our shareholders: we will oppose acts of intolerance and be mindful of the positive impact that diversity and inclusion have on our businesses. JJ over the years has continuously looked toward technology to play key role in JJs strategic initiatives. The different approaches to productivity have varied throughout the years. Many factors contribute to the productivity and success of the JJ Company. Technology has played an important role in JJs ability to remain competitive and to continuously innovate. It is through technology that JJs management team is able to refine processes, collaborate, innovate, and increase the productivity of the organization in todays dynamic business environment that is changing continuously. The success of these companies is attributed to all the successful mergers and acquisitions that have taken place throughout JJ history. Many of these companies were opened due to successful mergers that allowed JJ to develop new products and offer them in different markets throughout the world. The successful organization of the products JJ offers allows JJ to successfully merge with other companies to gain additional control over the industry. The result of this Credo is a healthy bottom line that is socially responsible. JJ history of philanthropy through partnering with other  companies from around the world has created programs dedicated to providing needed services over the long term. JJ does not have a mission statement because the ethical principals listed in the Credo drive the company. The customer first philosophy insures the needs of the customer are met. Another principal outlined in the Credo is the dedication to producing a high quality product. Through this set of values the company has developed a trust with the consumers of their products. Trust develops into a reputation of integrity that in turn provides the company with a basis for business strategies. This ethical high road approach is a proven winner in this function. Problem solving involves many departments and many steps. Technology plays an integral part in JJs ability to innovate, perform research and development, and manage the logistics associated with the distribution of a product during the products lifecycle. JJ defines diversity as a variety of similar and different characteristics among people, including age, gender, race, religion, national origin, physical ability, sexual orientation, thinking style, background and all other attributes that make each person unique. Although some differences may not be obvious as others, Johnson Johnson strives to understand and remove barriers that one may face due to these differences. Johnson Johnson utilizes these differences to create a working environment where their employees can thrive. JJ believes that diversity helps the interaction between people as well as inspiring innovation. JJ is committed to the practice of their global diversity vision which they use to identify their key, future objectives while guiding the fulfillment of their commitments to their customers, employees, the global community and their shareholders. Johnson Johnson supports various educational opportunities such as Diversity University and Affinity Groups. JJs Diversity University provides an internal, full range of Diversity e-learning courses, diversity best practice information, and is a comprehensive diversity resource and database for employees. Affinity Groups are voluntary, employee-driven groups that are organized around a particular  shared interest or dimension. These groups have been initiated by employees and usually focus on a shared interest or characteristic, such as race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. Each groups main intent is to create an open forum for idea exchange and to strengthen the linkage to and within diverse communities. The successful leadership of the workers and the quick safety decisions that have had to be made, for example the recall of 264,000 bottles of Tylenol in 1982 and then a second recall in 1986, have made JJ a reputable name that many have grown to know and trust. References Answers Corporations. 2007. Johnson Johnson. Retrieved June 27, 2007 from http://www.answers.com/topic/johnson-johnson?cat=biz-finJohnson Johnson. Global Diversity Its All of Us. Retrieved June 30, 2007 fromhttp://www.jnj.com/our_company/diversity/index.htm;jsessionid=EGT3V0ZLGAFE0CQPCCFWU2YKB2IIWTT1Johnson Johnson (2007). Supplier Diversity Program. Retrieved July 2, 2007 from http:www.jnj.comJohnson Johnson (2006). Sustainability Report. Retrieved July 4, 2007 from http:www.jnj.comJohnson Johnson. 1997-2007. Our Company. Retrieved June 26, 2007 fromhttp://www.jnj.com/our_company/index.htmLeading with Diversity The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2007 fromwww.nytimes.com/marketing/jobmarket/diversity/jandj.htmlLukas, P. (2003, April). Johnson Johnson. FSB: Fortune Small Business. Vol.13, Iss. 3; pg. 91. Retrieved June 26, 2007 from ProQuest database. SBA.gov (2007). HUBZone Empowerment Contracting program. Retrieved July 5, 2007 from https://eweb1.sba.gov/hubzone/internet/general/whoweare.cfm#3The Diversity Vision Statement, Retrieved 06/29/07 fromhttp://www.jnj.com/our_company/diversity/diversity_vision/index.htmThe company Credo, Retrieved on 06/29/07 fromhttp://www.jnj.com/our_company/diversity/credo/index.htm

The Treaty of Versailles Questions and Answers

The Treaty of Versailles Questions and Answers Core Assessment 2 1. What did Wilson hope to achieve from the Peace Settlement of 1919-1920? (4) Woodrow Wilson was an idealist and hoped to achieve the 14 points at the peace settlement of 1919-1920. One point that he wanted to achieve was self-determination for all nations but specifically for smaller Eastern states. Another thing in which he wanted was to set up the league of nations and, among other things wanted Alsace-Lorraine returned to France and freedom of the seas. He also wanted to stop any more secret treaties from being made, and disarmament across all countries.   A big thing that Wilson wanted was not to treat Germany too harshly as he did not want any future wars. 2. Why did Clemenceau and Lloyd George disagree over how to treat Germany? (6) One reason why Lloyd George and Clemenceau disagreed over how to treat Germany was because of how their countries had been affected economically. Lloyd George did not want to treat Germany too harshly as he wanted to resume trade with Germany as soon as possible mainly because Germany had been its 2nd largest trading partner. Lloyd George wanted to use the money that Britain made from trading with Germany to fund the growth of the British Empire.   He also wanted to keep Germany politically stable so that extremist groups would not form in Germany, take control and start another war. No one wanted any further conflict as the war was so devastating. However, Clemenceau wanted to punish Germany very harshly through forcing them to pay reparations to France in money and if they dont have that then they would take land from Germany. The reason for Clemenceau wanting such a strong punishment was because France had suffered very high civilian casualties which were far higher than what th e UK had suffered. This was because most of the war had been fought on Frances land and this had made France loathe Germany and want revenge on it, this had also greatly lowered the morale of the French people. Also, France had suffered particularly large economic and industrial problems and so it wanted to use the reparations provided by Germany to resolve these problems and improve the morale of the French people. Another reason why Lloyd George and Clemenceau disagreed over how to treat Germany was because France saw Germany as a hostile and powerful threat to their country. This was because most of World War 1 had been fought on French soil and in 1871 in the Franco-Prussian war Germany took Alsace-Lorraine away from France. France had 1.7 million casualties by the end of World War 1 which was 2/3 of all the men that had fought for it in the war, this meant that the public of France wanted Germany to pay as they had all lost someone special and they held Germany responsible for this. Clemenceau wanted to cripple Germany so that it no longer posed a threat to France. On the other hand, Britain had sustained far less physical damage and so it was not seeking to cripple Germany for revenge. Lloyd George still wanted to make Germany pay but he did not want to be too harsh on it.   This may have been because France shared a border with Germany whereas Britain was only connected to Germany via t he sea and so the threat was much greater and nearer to home for France than it was in Britain. Therefore, this was why Clemenceau and Lloyd George disagreed over how to treat Germany. 3. The Treaty of Versailles was a fair settlement. How far do you agree? (10) Some people think that the Treaty of Versailles was a fair settlement and there is evidence to support both sides. Many of these people think that the Treaty of Versailles was a fair settlement because Germany was blamed for starting the war. This meant that as they were responsible for causing the destruction of land, buildings, economies and peoples lives, they should have to be the ones who paid compensation to the allied countries in the form of reparations. The Treaty of Versailles also formed a demilitarised zone in the Rhineland and Alsace Loraine was given to France. To many people, this was seen to be fair as it prevented Germany from being aggressive towards France again like it had been in the past such as in 1871 in the Franco-Prussian war when Germany took Alsace-Lorraine away from France. The Rhineland is the German part of land between itself and France and so by not being allowed to have any military in this area it provided France with some reassurance that Germany would no longer pose a threat. The restrictions in Germanys army, navy and air force was also seen by many to be fai r as it reduced the threat of war and made other countries such as Britain feel slightly safer as Germany was limited to only 6 battleships which would mean that Germany would not have the strength to attack Britain through the seas. Finally, lots of people believe that the Treaty of Versailles was a fair settlement as when Russia decided to pull out of the war, Germany punished it very harshly through the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and so it was only fair that Germany have the same level of punishment. All of these reasons make many people believe that the Treaty of Versailles was a fair settlement. However, other people may not think that the Treaty of Versailles was a fair settlement because of Article 231, which placed all of the blame for starting the war onto Germany. They argue that the war had actually started because of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand leading to Austria-Hungary going to war with Russia and that Germany was only defending her ally Austria-Hungary. These people also think that the reparations in which Germany was made to pay were very unfair. This is because if it were not for the young plan of 1929, Germany would not have finished paying off its reparations until 1984. This was 66 years after World War 1 had ended! Other people also feel that the limitations on Germanys army, navy and air force were very unfair as they had been Germanys pride and joy and by losing this she felt weak, humiliated and vulnerable to other countries surrounding her which had not been forced to limit its army. By having its navy limited to only 6 battleships, Germany fe lt that this left its waters un-defendable especially to Britain which had the largest navy in the world which was mainly due to the fact that it is an island. Furthermore, some people feel that stripping Germany of its raw materials and industry was very unfair because of the long term effects in which it would have on its economy. The Treaty of Versailles made Germany lose 12.5% of its population which meant that it lost a lot of its workers and it lost the Saar coalfields to France. This had provided Germany with 16% of its coal and so it was no wonder that some people, particularly Germany, felt that the Treaty of Versailles was a very unfair settlement. In conclusion, it could be argued that the Treaty of Versailles was a fair or unfair settlement, however, the above arguments suggest that the Treaty of Versailles was overall unfair towards Germany. This is proven by history as the young plan had to be formed in 1929 due to Germany not being able to otherwise pay off the reparations demanded by the allies until 1984 and the fact that in 1945 there was a second world war and so it is hardly surprising that many people believe that the Treaty of Versailles was an unfair settlement.