Strategic Banking Issues Regulations and Profitability Essay

Strategic Banking Issues Regulations and Profitability - Essay Example There is a host of ideas about the probable cause of the financial crisis. The classical explanation is very clear. Financial crisis are the result of monetary excesses. Monetary excesses first create boom and then there is a bust. In the crisis of 2008, we had a housing boom and bust, and these in turn led to financial turmoil in the United States and rest of the world.The monetary policy was strategically loose. The interest rate setting based on macroeconomic variables had shifted significantly from the rates prescribed by the policy makers. The Federal Reserve said that the interest rates would be low for a considerable period and then would rise at a measured pace. These actions were irregular government interventions to reduce the fear of deflation that Japan had faced in the 1990s.There are a few competing explanations for the crisis. One of the arguments is called ‘Global Savings Glut.’ Proponents of this concept argue that the low interest rates in 2002-2004 wer e caused by global factors and thus monetary authorities have nothing to do. This alternative explanation focuses on global saving. It argues that there was an excess of world saving or a ‘global saving glut’ as they say and it pushed interest rates down in the United States and other countries. But the numbers from the International Monetary Fund says a different story. The numbers tells that the global savings rate as a percentage of world’s GDP in 2002-04 was very low compared to the 1970s and 1980s.... The Federal Reserve said that the interest rates would be low for a considerable period and then would rise at a measured pace. These actions were irregular government interventions to reduce the fear of deflation that Japan had faced in the 1990s (Taylor, 2009, pp. 3-4). There are a few competing explanations for the crisis. One of the arguments is called ‘Global Savings Glut.’ Proponents of this concept argue that the low interest rates in 2002-2004 were caused by global factors and thus monetary authorities have nothing to do. This alternative explanation focuses on global saving. It argues that there was an excess of world saving or a ‘global saving glut’ as they say and it pushed interest rates down in the United States and other countries. But the numbers from the International Monetary Fund says a different story. The numbers tells that the global savings rate as a percentage of world’s GDP in 2002-04 was very low compared to the 1970s and 1980 s (Taylor, 2009, pp. 5-6). The crisis started as the fall of subprime lending market. Here the monetary interaction with the subprime mortgage problem needs to be understood. In the summer of 2007, the United States first experienced a striking contraction in wealth. The risk spread increased, and the credit market deteriorated. The 2007 United States sub-prime crisis has its roots in falling housing prices and this led to higher default levels particularly among less credit-worthy borrowers. The impact of these defaults on the financial sector has been largely exaggerated due to the complex bundling of obligations that was thought to spread risk efficiently. Unfortunately, the ensuing tools were extremely

Management papers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management papers - Essay Example players in this fraud, the top management, preferred their own short-term fiscal profits and stakeholder deceit that destroyed not only their business, social and personal reputations and position. Being pressured by Enron’s senior management, Arthur Anderson and Vinson and Elkins aided it in its deceit. Thus the fundamental source of fraud was the neglect of organizational and individual integrity capacity. The top management boasted themselves as credible corporate citizens though swindling employees and investors, the executives of Enron were aware of such misconduct still they remained silent and supported the top management thus neglecting the process integrity capacity by neglecting moral awareness, moral deliberation, moral character as well as moral conduct (Petrick & Scherer 39). The Enron’s commitment to specific ethics theories, and deformed managerial judgments yielded poor outcomes in treating moral and behavioral complexity (Petrick and Quinn 4), thus neglecting the judgment integrity capacity. Moreover, the moral infrastructure at Enron lacked the system integrity capacity that’s why could not constrained the development of such a fraudulent, immoral and illegal activities. In order to avoid such frauds in future, the managerial legal duties scope should be enhanced to comprise the democratic participation of institutionalized stakeholder in corporate governance. All level employees and stakeholders should be made accountable for their immoral conduct. An ethical culture should be developed in the organization that is supported by all the member of organization. Such immoral acts should be firmly penalized at all levels and ensured that their reoccurrence is minimized. Employee survey should be taken periodically to ensure that such acts can be reported from all levels within the organization. Whistle blowers should be encouraged and

Effects of Technical Education on India

Effects of Technical Education on India India is well known for its large pool of technical manpower, a fair proportion of which finds employment in developed countries, especially in the West. As a happy sequel to the story, India has recently witnessed a big boom in the BPO/KPO sector. In order to sustain this trend, and to ensure that India does not throw away this key advantage, it is imperative that we continue to produce a critical mass of highly skilled manpower at an accelerated pace. An enabling academic and economic setting is a key factor determining the fate of our nation in the wake of the knowledge sector boom. Indias growth in recent years has been led by the services sector. The most noticeable aspect has been the recent big boom in the BPO/KPO sector. This off-shoring trend is certain to continue and India faces the challenge of generating an appropriate supply response to retain its existing advantage. It should be noted that Indians spend nearly $4 billion annually to send their children abroad for higher studies and technical training while there is no reason for India not emerging as a global hub for higher education and technical training. The real challenge therefore, is to expand capacities in higher education to keep ahead of the curve of rising domestic and global demand. UN Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commended that the technical education in India as the best in the world, and she also suggested her country and India should work together in the field to help bridge the gap between talent and opportunities. Technical education in India was the best in the world. We need to work together in the field of educational opportunities, she said at an interactive discussion on education organized by Teach India, a NGO on 19th July 2009. GLOBALISATION The term globalization means integration of economies and societies through cross country flows of information, ideas, technologies, goods, services, capital, finance and people. Cross border integration can have several dimensions cultural, social, political and economic. In fact, some people fear cultural and social integration even more than economic integration. Nothing is permanent, only change is permanent. Globalization is a feature of changing world. It is no more a recent phenomenon in the world and since India is major player of twenty first ** Lecturer, Department of Commerce, Loyola College, Chennai 34. century we are facing its socio economic impacts. Initial enthusiasm for globalization as a beneficial set of processes has yielded to an understanding that the phenomenon is largely associated with increasing social inequality within and between countries as well as instability and conflict. Globalization is impacting the institutional framework in both developing and industrial countries. It is changing the way in which governments perceive their role in the society. It has also far reaching implications for socio economic development and educational systems of countries all over the World. With abundance of natural resources India has huge young and skilled man power to excel in every walk of life. Globalization is a contemporary term that has attracted considerable attention of educators throughout most of the world. It is a set of processes to integrate the world into one economic space through increased international trade, the internationalization of production, and telecommunication system (Stromquist Monkman, 2000). Although this definition is made from an economic view, globalization is increasingly connected to political, cultural, and educational influences. Recently, its relationship to education and culture has become important issues because information and innovation are the basic momentum of globalization. GLOBALISATION AND HIGHER EDUCATION According to the results of a special survey Higher Education: Free degrees to fly , higher education is already a global business. The days when higher education was a matter of national policy and government regulation are rapidly fading. Higher Education provisioning is now globalised and in many ways, a commercialized affair and the way that the State had in the goings on is vastly diminished. According to Andreas Schleicher of OECD, a Paris based Think Tank the numbers studying abroad were statistically negligible two decades ago. (Cited in the same survey in the Economist). According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the growth is now soaring: 2 million university students-approaching 2% of the worlds total of around 100 million studying outside their home country in 2003 (cited in Higher Education in the same article in Economist). Since the late 1990s the higher education market is growing by 7 per cent a year. The Economist Survey on higher education further in dicates that annual fee income alone is estimated at $ 30 billion. While private profit seeking companies have entered the education business, even government-controlled universities are seeking independence from governmental authority. However, many countries including India, continue to control the fee structure of their universities causing financial stress to foreign students, who are generally made to pay much higher fees than local students. This has resulted in many universities openly soliciting entry of foreign students. To facilitate this process they have even tailored their courses to international requirements besides appointing agents abroad and publicizing the offers widely in the media. TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN INDIA The history of imparting formal technical education in India can be traced back to mid 19th century, although it got momentum in 20th century with the set up of Constitution of Technical Education Committee of the Central University Board of Education (CABE) in 1943; Preparation of Sergeant Report in 1944 and Formation of All India Council of technical Education (AICTE) in 1945. With the country gaining independence in 1947, the development of technical education had become a major concern for the government of India to face the new challenges and move the country forward. The set up of Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management and Indian Institutes of Science was a major step in the development of technical education in the country. The quality of education of these institutes have managed to change the outlook of India so much that this ancient country which was earlier known for yoga and mediation is now known for computer engineers. However, it does not mean that the challenge of making technical education accessible to the rural populace and other under developed sections of the society has been overcome. In order to maintain the standard of technical education, a statutory authority- The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)- was set up in 1945. AICTE is responsible for planning, formulation and maintenance of norms and standards, quality assurance through accreditation, funding in priority areas, monitoring and evaluation, maintaining parity of certification and awards and ensuring coordinated and integrated development and management of technical education in the country. GLOBALIZATION EDUCATION AND HR DEVELOPMENT Knowledge is the driving force in the rapidly changing globalised economy and society. Quantity and quality of specialized human resources determine their competence in the global market. Emergence of knowledge as driving factor results in both challenges and opportunities. It is well known that the growth of the global economy has increased opportunities for those countries with good levels of education. Globalization has a multi-dimensional impact on the system of education. It promotes new tools techniques in this area like E-learning, Flexible learning, Distance Education Programs and Overseas training. Globalization will mean many different things for education. In the near future, it will mean a more competitive and deregulated educational system modeled after free market but with more pressure on it to assure that the next generation of workers are prepared for some amorphous job market of 21st century. Since Life long jobs have been converted in to yearly contracts there is still possibility of even short duration jobs. Our education system should deliver such education and training so that professionals can adjust themselves as per market expectations. It has underlined the need for reforms in the educational system with particular reference to the wider utilization of information technology, giving productivity dimension to education and emphasis on its research and development activities. The benefits of globalization accrue to the countries with highly skilled human capital and it is a curse for the countries without such specialized human capital. Developing and transition countries are further challenged in a highly competitive world economy because their higher education systems are not adequately developed for the creation and use of knowledge. Converting the challenges into opportunities depend on the rapidity at which they adapt to the changing environment. India is also following the global phenomenon. As part of globalization, the economic reform packages were introduced in India in the beginning of 1991. These reform packages imposed a heavy compression on the public budgets on education sector, more specifically so on higher education. This has trickled down to public expenditure on education in general, and higher education in particular. Indian government and Indian corporate sector has recognized the importance of management education in the changing global scenario. Today under the reforming economic conditions, integration of the Indian economy with world economy presupposes efficiency and competitiveness in the domestic front as well as in the international arena. As the process of globalization is technology-driven, and knowledge-driven, the very success of economic reform policies critically depends upon the competence of human capital. But, what is observed is the reverse. Even within the education sector, relative priority assigned to higher education has been on the decline (Table 1 and Chart 1). It is to be realized that higher education institutions play an important role in setting the academic standard for primary and secondary education. They are also responsible for not only providing the specialized human capital in order to corner the gains from globalisation, but also for training inside the country, provide policy advice, etc. Globalization is expected to have a positive influence on the volume, quality and spread of knowledge through increased interaction among the various states. Today our educational system is strong enough but Central and state governments should change their roles within the education system, re-inventing themselves as facilitating and supervisory organizations. Teacher training, infrastructure and syllabuses need to be urgently upgraded. Industry should come forward to share experience with students and to offer more opportunities for live Projects. The free market philosophy has already entered the educational world in a big way. Commercialization of education is the order of the day. Commercial institutions offering specialized education have come up everywhere. In view of globalization, many corporate universities, both foreign and Indian, are encroaching upon our government institutions. Our Institutes like IIMS and IITS have produced world class professionals. These institutes imparts quality education as per industry expectations and give due importance to Institute Industry Interface. Under the new scenario, Government Private partnership is becoming important in Management Education. Now India is a transforming country. We are near to achieve status of developed nation. The demand for higher education has been growing rapidly with comparatively faster growth in enrolment in higher educational institutions than the growth in number of higher educational institutions . The growth rates are doubled among the students enrolled in post-graduate and research, while the number of institutions for post-graduate and research studies has grown at a slower rate in 1990s than in 1980s. CHALLENGES Globalization leads to challenges and threats also. The major concern is to deliver world class education with updated curriculum and practical exposure. This is possible only by attracting talented experienced persons in to academics. At present it is difficult to assess not only the nature and dimensions of globalization, but also what it means to the field of education. A few educational researchers have attempted to make connections between the several dimensions of globalization and the policies of education. India is witnessing new era in the field of Management Education. Many Corporate groups like Reliance, Nirma, Tata, Sterlite etc. have promoted Management Institutes. Some reputed foreign universities are also coming to India. But Government should issue some guidelines so that fees structure remains with in certain limit and those who are from economically poor background have same opportunity. RECENT TRENDS In the wake of globalization process and to cope up with the changing priorities of the people, the planners are bound to revise their strategies in the education sector. Thus, several specialist committees, involving the elites and captains of industry and education, constituted by the Union ministry are engaged in the process. Whereas, the public interest demands a wider domain for the national debate on syllabus and curriculum reform among other related aspects. As usual there are several viewpoints of conflicting nature expressed by the captains of industry and education like Azim Premji, Prof.N.S.Ramaswamy, Kabir Mustafa and others. While there is a broad consensus on some points, some are almost at variance with each other. The common educational reforms that were endorsed by some of the eminent industrialists and academics include: Liberalize and deregulate the education system to encourage promotion of new schools, colleges, vocational and other institutions of higher education. Diligence higher education, confer institutional autonomy and decentralize syllabus design. Central and state governments should change their roles within the education system, re-inventing themselves as facilitating and supervisory organisations. Teacher training, infrastructure and syllabuses need to be urgently upgraded. The rapid growth of the software development and electronic communications industries is one of the few achievements of Indian industry in post-independence India. Further, because of strong hold of the English language in MNCs and corporate circles, the divide between rural and urban is almost complete in the field of education. In consequence, this great reservoir of skills and expertise offers the opportunity to utilize them for the spread of quality education through several technologies. Obviously, F.C. Kohli, the vice chairman of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) recommended, Through the wider use of computers and technology, curriculums and faculties can be shared by schools and colleges across the country. Again the pace is set by a variety of private educational entrepreneurs, otherwise known as, Edupreneurs, who have promoted internationally recognized institutions of higher education such as the S.P. Jain Institute of Management in Mumbai; Amity University, Delhi; Indian Sch ool of Business and ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad; Mahavir Academy of Technical Sciences and Presidency College, Bangalore and the Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, among others. Besides, some Indian Edupreneur are venturing overseas. These are all certain recent trends that undermine the very social obligations of our governments. OUTCOME OF GLOBALISATION The ramifications of globalization in India have been uneven. Education, as a service industry, is a part of the globalization process under the umbrella of General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).Thus it is of now wonder that like in any other sector, globalization has bred inequality and dependence in the education system of the nation, especially higher education. Thus while a section of the population has benefited from globalization in their academic pursuits, the under privileged section has struggled to receive proper higher education due to excessive corporatization of education ,increasing fees and unavailability of opportunities in the lower strata of the society. India has some very bright spots of excellence in its technical education sector. The IITs and their alumni command great respect in the global market. Globalization has created a market based educational system in India. Thus there has been incredible growth of the number of technical colleges and universit ies providing technical education especially in fields like IT, Computer Science, electronics, architecture. As the job market in these sectors is flourishing, students after getting mere Bachelors degree hardly opt for higher education. Thus India over the years has produced some brilliant technicians but hardly any excellent educationist or a genius teacher. Moreover, as the cost of receiving such technical education is sky high, poor students have been out of the competition to receive higher education. CONCLUSION Given the importance of technical education in the further development of the nation, the Government of India is keen on developing some more institutes in the line of IITs, IIMs and IISCs. The Prime Minister of India has unleashed a plan to establish 8 IITs, 7 IIMs and 5 IISCs to improve the spread and quality of technical education in the country. These institutes along with various private institutes and foreign technical colleges have the potential of making technical education accessible to all sections of society in India without compromising on the quality of education. Education is an important investment in building human capital that is a driver for technological innovation and economic growth. It is only through improving the educational status of a society that the multi-faceted development of its people can be ensured. In the post-industrialized world, the advanced countries used to derive the major proportion of their national income not from agriculture and industry but from the service sector. Since the service sector is based on imparting skills or training to the students and youth, the education sector is the most sought after. It must provide gainful employment so that the sector is developed in a big way. It has also given rise to controversies relating to introducing changes in the inter-sectoral priorities in the allocation of resources leading to the misconceived policy of downsizing of higher education. It has also advocated privatization of higher education without realizing the danger of making the system a commercial enterprise.

Parties in Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essay -- essays research pape

Gatsby's house serves as a key symbol of aspiration, reflecting both Gatsby's success as an American self-made man and the mirage of an identity he has created to win Daisy's love. Gatsby follows his American dream as he buys the house to be across the bay from Daisy, and has parties to gain wide-spread recognition in order to impress her. In the beginning of the novel, Fitzgerald sets the scene describing how the party was prepared and when the entertainment arrived. At these parties, an extreme amount of preparation went into the food. According to the account of Nick Carraway, Jay's neighbor, the caterers rolled out numbers of tables with load upon load of every variety of food imaginable. Each table was delicately stacked with all different and exotic types of foods. Few of the guests know the host or are even invited at all. This chapter builds on the idea that there is something not only mysterious, but sinister, about Gatsby. As Nick makes his way to the party he sees "A whole pit full of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets?" Fitzgerald uses polysyndeton, the repetition of conjunctions. He chooses a technique to put emphases on how important Gatsby?s parties are to others, like Nick, who?s impressed by Gatsby?s turnouts but mostly everyone shows up to make a known appearance to put their name out in other industries of businesses. Cars are lined up "five deep in the drive" and everyone has on extravagant attire to impress one another. If there are masses of people trying to find a parking space just to get into the party, this shows that Gatsby is a well-known person and that he is very generous when it comes to public events. It also drew people's attention to come a check out what was going o... ...re stable.? This concludes that even though most women were intoxicated, it seems as if they did it on purpose to get more attention from themselves. While the married women weaving to and fro, the other women would look for their husbands to possibly find a new mate to support them through their hard times as well. Everyone at this party was corrupt and if you looked deep enough into their personal lives, you could see it was nothing but hollowness. The only thing that mattered to them was their appearance and how they can achieve their own American dream by climbing the social latter. This passage also relates to recklessness, ignorance and greed. All of these qualities represented to fake people who showed up to party jus to be seen. All in all, Fitzgerald gave a wonderful description on how Gatsby?s party scene affected him and others around him. Parties in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby Essay -- essays research pape Gatsby's house serves as a key symbol of aspiration, reflecting both Gatsby's success as an American self-made man and the mirage of an identity he has created to win Daisy's love. Gatsby follows his American dream as he buys the house to be across the bay from Daisy, and has parties to gain wide-spread recognition in order to impress her. In the beginning of the novel, Fitzgerald sets the scene describing how the party was prepared and when the entertainment arrived. At these parties, an extreme amount of preparation went into the food. According to the account of Nick Carraway, Jay's neighbor, the caterers rolled out numbers of tables with load upon load of every variety of food imaginable. Each table was delicately stacked with all different and exotic types of foods. Few of the guests know the host or are even invited at all. This chapter builds on the idea that there is something not only mysterious, but sinister, about Gatsby. As Nick makes his way to the party he sees "A whole pit full of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets?" Fitzgerald uses polysyndeton, the repetition of conjunctions. He chooses a technique to put emphases on how important Gatsby?s parties are to others, like Nick, who?s impressed by Gatsby?s turnouts but mostly everyone shows up to make a known appearance to put their name out in other industries of businesses. Cars are lined up "five deep in the drive" and everyone has on extravagant attire to impress one another. If there are masses of people trying to find a parking space just to get into the party, this shows that Gatsby is a well-known person and that he is very generous when it comes to public events. It also drew people's attention to come a check out what was going o... ...re stable.? This concludes that even though most women were intoxicated, it seems as if they did it on purpose to get more attention from themselves. While the married women weaving to and fro, the other women would look for their husbands to possibly find a new mate to support them through their hard times as well. Everyone at this party was corrupt and if you looked deep enough into their personal lives, you could see it was nothing but hollowness. The only thing that mattered to them was their appearance and how they can achieve their own American dream by climbing the social latter. This passage also relates to recklessness, ignorance and greed. All of these qualities represented to fake people who showed up to party jus to be seen. All in all, Fitzgerald gave a wonderful description on how Gatsby?s party scene affected him and others around him.

Examine the use of the dramatic monologue Essay

â€Å"Examine the use of the dramatic monologue in the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy† Unlike the soliloquy, the dramatic monologue speaks directly to the reader and voices a single character or persona’s thoughts, this offers a better understanding of the ideas and message the poet is trying to express. The dramatic monologue is used to form a bond or relationship between the speaker and the reader, taking the poem to a personal level, and in turn more effective in conveying a certain message. This essay will explore the way the dramatic monologue is used in both Demeter and Mrs. Midas by Carol Ann Duffy, taken from her collection of poems The World’s Wife. The phrase, ‘Behind every great man there is said to be a great woman’ comes to mind when reading The World’s Wife. The title of this collection reveals much about it’s content and Duffy’s intentions. The World’s Wife places emphasis on the wife, giving the woman the centre stage and allowing her the chance to speak through the medium of the dramatic monologue. From Mrs. Midas to Mrs. Beast, Duffy explores the thoughts and feelings of the women behind famous men, be it through history or through myth or fairytale, Duffy makes it very clear that every woman has a tale to tell. Mrs. Midas tells the untold story of the well-known Greek myth King Midas, who is miraculously, granted the wish of turning everything he touches into gold. As with all the poems in The World’s Wife, the title is a clear giveaway of what the poem is about to entail, and this is no different. Mrs. Midas, the wife of King Midas is the persona of this particular monologue and here she voices her thoughts on her husband’s newfound ability. â€Å"The kitchen filled with the smell of itself. † This personification continues through the first stanza of Mrs. Midas. â€Å"It’s steamy breath† and â€Å"†¦ wiped the other’s glass like a brow†, personifies the kitchen Mrs. Midas is in to help you relate to the familiar homely setting that surrounds her. The effect of this is that you feel how she feels at that time, safe, happy and without a care in the world. The lines â€Å"begun to unwind† and the imagery of her relaxing to a â€Å"glass of wine† enforce this feeling. The use of dramatic monologue helps to dramatise the final line of the stanza, â€Å"He was standing under the pear tree snapping a twig†, the descriptive lines before this contrasts with the abrupt change of topic, this prepares you for the turning point in her story, where the twist to her tale begins. Within the next few stanza’s Mrs. Midas’s tone dramatically changes from feeling relaxed and happy to shocked and horrified at what her husband has done. â€Å"He came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed. He drew the blinds. † The short sentences evoke a feeling of everything happening too fast, supporting the shocked and horrified mood, which continues to the next stanzas. The first point of the poem in which you hear of her husband’s reaction is where he laughs in reply to her question, â€Å"What in the name of God is going on? † Duffy has intended his initial reaction to be laughter instead of explaining himself to portray the stereotypical man that doesn’t show consideration or take the situation or his wife seriously when she clearly needs it. The poem is set out in a structure of eleven stanzas consisting of six lines where only two exceptions of this rule is made. â€Å"He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks. † The word â€Å"forks† takes a line by itself to help you imagine the way in which Mrs. Midas is speaking to you, she is clearly still in a state of shock and this new line marks a short pause in her speech where she is struggling to stay calm. â€Å"You see, we were passionate then†, where â€Å"then† is on a line by itself it is as though Mrs. Midas has taken a short moment to imagine those happy times when they were passionate, appreciating them as those days are now long gone. â€Å"I locked the cat in the cellar†, â€Å"The toilet I didn’t mind. † Like in much of her work, Duffy implements short spouts of humour throughout the poem, the effect of this is that the colloquial language engages the reader and helps to support the idea that Mrs. Midas is actually voicing her tale to the reader personally. Mrs. Midas speaks bitterly about the fatal consequences her husband has bought to their marriage, â€Å"Separate beds. In fact, I put a chair against my door, near petrified†, she also reminisces of the days when they were happy and uses words such as â€Å"unwrapping† which connotes the excitement she once felt. Contrasting the good times they had together with the breakdowns of their marriage they are experiencing now highlights the selfishness and lack of thought her husband had for their relationship. The poem ends with Mrs. Midas being forced to separate from her husband. He is left secluded on his own â€Å"in the wilds† away from people he can potentially harm. The irony of this is that he had hoped the power of ‘the golden touch’ would win him prosperity, popularity and love and respect by all, and yet it has forced him to live alone for the rest of his life, unable to ever be intimate with his wife again, and unable to enjoy the things he had hoped money would buy him. â€Å"†¦ but the lack of thought for me. Pure selfishness. â€Å"

Belfast Confetti Essay

The poem ‘Belfast Confetti illustrates the aftermath of a bomb during the troubles that people in Belfast experienced. The title ‘Belfast Confetti’ is a heading that has a dual meaning. On one had the homemade bombs that the IRA used are referred to as Belfast confetti due to the nuts and bolts they put in the shrapnel. The second is more complicated. Confetti is usually used in times of celebration such as weddings, which is strange as the poem is about something completely different to a celebration. It is usually thrown over the heads of the bride and the groom, so it rains down on them. Carson may be using that title to create a metaphor; the nuts and bolts flew over the head of people just like confetti does. Carson presents the poem with widespread references to punctuation marks using words such as ‘Exclamation Marks’ and ‘Sentence’. â€Å"It was raining exclamation marks† this is trying to represent the noises made by fallin g shrapnel. Generally, exclamation marks are used when someone is shouting or when words need to be emphasised. As you can imagine, the noise of the bombs and chaos it caused must have had a huge effect on the noises that were being heard, people screaming, sirens sounding and huge fires blazing. To understand the poem you have to delve deeper into the meaning of the way in which the title of the poem is worded. This poem is very chaotic which matches this experience. The poet also does not present any type of metre or rhythm, this could be because he wanted the poem to be seen and read with the confusion which the people felt after the bomb was detonated. This gives the poem more reality than it would do if there was a clear structure to it. Analysing the lines in the poem, I can see a trend of contradictions and dual meanings. For example â€Å"All the alleyways and side streets blocked with stops and colons† on the outside this line tells us that the escape what blocked and there was n o way out of the chaos. Although looking at the line with more depth, that what is discoverable is that what is trying to be said is that there is no escape because of the violence in general. Using the word â€Å"stops† and â€Å"colons† could refer to the writers own beliefs. Carson may be trying to get a message across that all is being done to try and stop the attacks is through the Governments use of meetings and laws. Ironically, I think the author is trying to say we need to urgently tackle this violence with  actions rather than letters and meetings, hence the quote â€Å"Alleyways and side streets blocked by stops and colons† meaning by lack of action there is no escape. Furthermore, another example of these contradictions is the line â€Å"I know this labyrinth so well – Balaklava, Raglan, Inkerman, Odessa Street† This quote tells us that the author has a connection with these streets and knows his way round them. Carson compares the streets to a labyrinth, meaning the place where a man eating Minotaur lived and was said to be built like a maze, derived from Greek Mythology. This tells us that the streets were like a maze, probably due to the chaos and that there were dead people around. A bomb could be associated with the Minotaur as it was the cause of the deaths and streets to be its home as it is the place he kills. The overall message of the poem is to educate the readers of what it was like to be involved in a bombing. I also believe that the poem is trying to portray a message of invasion. His hometown was getting destroyed in front of him and the only way he believed he could teach people about this was through poetry. The fact that he chose to express his emotions through poetry is a really interesting way of getting his point across. The whole poem is an extended metaphor which shows the conflict and how chaotic the poem is.

Econometrics Research Topic Ideas

Econometrics Research Topic Ideas One of the most difficult things about being an undergraduate student  in economics is that most schools require that students write an econometrics paper at some point in their studies. Econometrics is essentially the application of statistical and mathematical theories and perhaps some computer science to economic data. The objective is to develop empirical evidence for economics hypotheses and to predict future trends by testing economics models through statistical trials. Econometrics assists economists in analyzing large sets of data to unveil meaningful relationships among them. For instance, an econometrics scholar might attempt to find statistical evidence for answers to real-world economics questions like, does increased education spending lead to higher economic growth? with the help of econometrics methods. The Difficulty Behind Econometrics Projects While certainly important to the subject of economics, many students (and particularly those who do not particularly enjoy statistics)  find econometrics a necessary evil in their education. So when the moment arrives to find an econometrics research topic for a university term paper or project, they are at a loss. In my time as an economics professor, I have seen students  spend 90% of their time simply trying to come up with an econometrics research topic and then searching for the necessary data. But these steps need not be such a challenge. Econometrics Research Topic Ideas When it comes to your next econometrics  project, I have you covered. Ive come up with a few ideas for suitable undergraduate econometrics term papers and projects. All the data you will need to get started on your project is included, though you may choose to supplement with additional data. The data is available for download in Microsoft Excel format, but it can easily be converted to whatever format your course requires you to use. Here are two econometrics research topic ideas to consider. Within these links are paper topic prompts, research resources, important questions to consider, and data sets to work with. Okuns Law Use your econometrics term paper to test Okuns Law in the United States. Okuns Law is named for American economist Arthur Melvin Okun, who was the first to propose the existence of the relationship back in 1962. The relationship described by Okuns Law is between that of a countrys unemployment rate and that countrys production or gross national product (GNP). Spending on Imports and Disposable Income Use your econometrics term paper as an opportunity to answer questions about American spending behaviors. As incomes rise, how do households spend their new wealth and disposable income? Do they spend it on imported goods or domestic goods?

Communication and Meaning in the Crying of Lot 49 Essays

Communication and Meaning in the Crying of Lot 49 Essays Communication and Meaning in the Crying of Lot 49 Paper Communication and Meaning in the Crying of Lot 49 Paper Communication is a core necessity of humanity. It is the cornerstone of development for our society, and indeed for the world. It is the only way to transmit concepts, ideas, and inspirations from one persons mind to anothers. As sophisticated a race as humans are, there is always room for error, and difficulties in communication are quite abundant. There are also many opportunities for differing interpretations, which eventually leads to a struggle to find a single meaning. The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon is a novel entirely about communication and interpretation of language, whether there are multiple valid meanings or a single one. Pynchon writes about communication having a variety of mediums, and yet what is being said is insignificant. Therefore, the author suggests that the very act of communication is much more powerful than the content itself. Right from the beginning, Pynchon uses communication to confuse Oedipa, where Pierce is switching between voices, none of which are his own. Pierce uses multiple voices and accents, where he finally settles into a Lamont Cranston voice. So it was the last of his voices she ever heard. Lamont Cranston (Pynchon 3). Pierce no longer has his own identity, and therefore, his communication is transformed into random snippets of dialogue that have very little meaning. However, it is the act of Pierce (or Cranston) speaking that gives it meaning, no matter who he is. This concept is played upon many times throughout this book, as well as the idea of mixed interpretations and the perceived world. In Mexico, Oedipa views the painting Bordando el Manto Terrestre by Remedios Varo, and it triggers an intense emotional response within her. She could carry the sadness of the moment with her that way forever, see the world refracted through those tears, those specific tears (11). Oedipa feels such a strong connection to the women trapped in their tower, and she cries until she fills up her glasses with tears. She then takes this moment and chooses to perceive the rest of the world with this newfound information and emotions, hoping to find a new interpretation of life. Hence, all of Oedipas communication is influenced by this one almost religious experience she has with the Remedios Varo painting, and the reader is led to believe that she sees the world in a different way. In essence, the medium through which the painting communicates this concept to her is extremely significant because it is an uncensored view into Oedipas psyche. Overall, this is much more important than the actual painting itself. At The Scope, Oedipa and Metzger talk to the bartender about the live midnight Sinewave Session, where they will be playing electronic music for the entire bar. Live? Metzger said, electronic music, live? (34). He remarks on the irony of playing electronic music live, but the bartender responds in a serious tone. For him and the rest of the bar-goers, it does not matter how they listen to their music; the only thing that matters is that the music is there. While the content stays the same, the act of listening to this electronic music is an extremely powerful one. Oedipa walks into the ladies room at The Scope and sees a very influential message. On the latrine wall, among lipsticked obscenities, she noticed the following message, neatly indited in engineering lettering (38). The message then reveals to Oedipa the organization waste, and thus begins her journey and pursuit of truth. The intriguing aspect of this, however, is that this life-changing message is not written on parchment, nor on a legal document, but rather in a bathroom stall. Pynchon suggests that the communication between entities is the most important element here, regardless of how it is communicated. Moments later, Metzger receives a letter via waste that Oedipa finds curious. Dear Mike how are you? Just thought Id drop you a note. Hows your book coming? Guess thats all for now. See you at The Scope (39). Metzgers pen pal obviously has no point in writing this note, but the note seems to still say something. To the reader, it is meaningless, but to Mike and the people who write by waste, this note is key. It is a symbol that stands for the rebellion, the uprising against a society that scorns communication in all forms. The note, however rudimentary, is in itself extremely significant because it shows that humanity will always have the power of communication, and how important that skill is for human beings to live on. When Oedipa sees the play The Couriers Tragedy by Richard Wharfinger, she is left awestruck by the final couplet of the second to last act. Whos once been set his tryst with Trystero Trystero. The word hung in the air as the act ended and all lights were for a moment cut; hung in the dark to puzzle Oedipa Maas, but not yet to exert the power over her it was to (58). Oedipa is left extremely confused by this, and Pynchon notes that in the future, it will be even more prevailing. Theater experiences, in general, are all about the act of communicating and conveying a message to an audience. Here, Pynchon writes as if this message is solely intended for Oedipa. This theater-going experience and the art of communication is not wasted on her; it resounds within her, much like the Remedios Varo painting, and she now trudges through this mystery with more clues and information. Backstage, when Oedipa confronts the director Randolph Driblette, he leaves her with a few words of wisdom. Thats what Im for. To give the spirit flesh. The words, who cares? the reality is in this head. Mine. Im the projector at the planetarium (62). Driblette tells Oedipa that the content, or the words on the page, is irrelevant. Rather, the act of communication, or the meaning that the director gives the words is all that matters. The projector at the planetarium metaphor is significant because Driblette does not declare that he is the stars that make up the sky, nor does he say that he is the galaxy, central and omnipresent. Driblette says that he is the projector, the means of communication, the device that portrays mankinds interpretation of the world as we know it. Who cares what the universe looks like, if there is no universal truth? Clearly influenced by Driblettes mid-shower speech, Oedipa muses about communication and meaning. Under the symbol shed copied off the latrine wall of The Scope into her memo book, she wrote Shall I project a world? (64). This is a straight reference to the projector at the planetarium, and Pynchon implies that Oedipa sees the world in different way. The power of interpretation is now in her hands, as suggested by the fact that she has become the projector. Communication in all forms is more important than the content that is being communicating, because of the power of interpretation. A single sentence can be decoded in multiple ways, and therefore it is left to the communicator to relay the message in his/her own way. When Oedipa visits John Nefastiss residence, she tries to understand Maxwells Demon and the concept of the sensitive. Communication is the key, cried Nefastis. The Demon passes his data on to the sensitive, and the sensitive must reply in kind The sensitive must receive that staggering set of energies, and feed back something like the same quantity of information' (84-85). Oedipa becomes the sender of information in this closed system, and she must find a way to communicate, in whatever way possible, with this theoretical Demon. Furthermore, if she does succeed in transmitting this energy, she would have no idea if it the piston moved because she has to focus on the enigmatic picture of Clerk Maxwell. Therefore, it becomes a game of interpretation, and whether or not a person believes in this entropic idea. The simple act of communication between the sensitive and the Demon reveals that it does not matter what actually transpires between the two entities, only that they can somehow relate on an interpersonal scale. When Oedipa finds out that her husband, Wendell (Mucho) Maas has been taking LSD at the approval of Dr. Hilarius, she meets head-on with his visions. Youre an antenna, sending your pattern out across a million lives a night, and theyre your lives too The songs, its not just that they say something, they are something, in pure sound (118). For Mucho, the world has become much more significant because of the drugs. However, it also highlights some communication and hidden meaning motifs because of the hyperreal state that is drug-induced. Mucho begins to communicate in many different forms now, and somehow finds multiple hidden meanings within each passageway. The content, or the songs, are semi-significant, but the sound waves are much more fascinating to him. This distinction between the act of communication and the content is something that Pynchon utilizes to suggest that everything is open to interpretation, and that there is no universal truth or singular meaning. While raw communication is the cornerstone of humanity, it is also the only possible way to transfer ideas from one person to another. This capability provides human beings with new ways of interpretation, and new explanations to provide them with a more understandable view of the world they live in. For Oedipa, much of the communication and language she encounters appear to be meaningless, but it is incredibly symbolic. The very act of communication between two entities is much more critical than the actual content or meaning, and within the context of this novel, communication is the only thing that humanity can rely on.

Dynamic Character vs. Static Character How Are They Different

Dynamic Character vs. Static Character How Are They Different Dynamic Character vs. Static Character: How Are They Different? A common piece of criticism you'll hear in fiction is that characters are "too static." Modern audiences can tell when a character isn’t interesting or realistic, based on their own lack of emotional investment in that character’s journey. As a result, authors feel compelled to ensure that their protagonist is a dynamic character - and that many of their other characters are, too.And we want to help them out! Which is why in this article, we'll take a look at the different types of dynamic characters and how authors can write them into their books. We'll also examine static characters and why authors should avoid them most (but not all) of the time.As a fun bonus, we've created an exciting new infographic that illustrates three common narratives associated with these characters. To jump straight to the infographic, click on Infographic: "The Book Deal" in the table of contents to your left! You can also watch our video on how to create dynamic characters below. Otherwi se, let's dive in. What is a dynamic character?A dynamic character  is a character who undergoes substantial internal change - in personality, attitude, or worldview - over the course of the narrative. This change usually happens gradually, though sometimes a character will have a revelation that changes everything about them very suddenly.Most well-developed characters are naturally dynamic. After all, characters who don't change at all typically don't have book-worthy adventures. And no matter what the story, readers almost always prefer reading about dynamic characters over static ones. That's why some of the most classic tales of all time feature distinctively dynamic protagonists: Ebenezer Scrooge, Elizabeth Bennet, Don Quixote, the list goes on and on.Keep in mind that protagonists, antagonists, and minor characters can all be dynamic. For the sake of focus, this article deals with main characters. However, everything we cover re: how to write a dynamic protagonist can also apply to supportin g characters. Ebenezer Scrooge - one of the most famous dynamic protagonists ever. (Image: Walt Disney Studios)The difference between "dynamic" and "well-rounded"Many people mistakenly believe that a dynamic character is exactly the same as a well-rounded character. But "dynamic" simply means that the character changes, while "well-rounded" means that they're fleshed out with a backstory, motivations, strengths, weaknesses, etc.There's a great deal of overlap, and most well-written protagonists are both dynamic and well-rounded. However, it's possible to have a character that changes throughout the story, but otherwise lacks substantial development (though this is a pretty unusual occurrence).You'll more commonly see well-rounded characters who change very little (if at all) in a story - usually to serve as a constant for another character. For example, in To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is clearly well-rounded. But that doesn't mean he's dynamic; indeed, his attitude and views remain the s ame through the story. His steadfast morality serves to teach his daughter, Scout, about right and wrong. Consequently, she is the dynamic protagonist, while he facilitates that change. Dynamic character = well-rounded character: true or false? Find out here! What is a static character?As you might expect, a static character does not develop or change throughout a narrative. Their beliefs do not evolve, their personalities remain the same, and their worldview does not expand or adapt whatsoever.So why do static characters even exist? The answer is twofold. Firstly, static characters exist because not all authors know how to write a good character arc. Particularly in shorter pieces of fiction, you'll often see a character who seems  like they should undergo some kind of development or change, but ultimately doesn't.But secondly, sometimes static characters are written that way intentionally, to make a point or poke fun at a certain type of person. For example, Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice is a static character. However, he acts as an example of a silly society man, and his foolishness and pomposity contrast humorously with Lizzy's perceptive wit.Static characters may be used as foils or even enemies to the dynamic protagonist, such as the Dursleys in Harry Potter, or just about every Disney villain ever. Finally, static characters can sometimes be positively symbolic or instructive, as in the TKAM example above. But this is relatively rare compared to the other types of static characters, who tend to be stupid and/or malevolent.The important thing to remember about static characters is that they should almost always be accompanied by dynamic characters. Dynamic characters give static characters purpose; without them, our static friends would just be languishing in a plotless wasteland. The sole exception to this rule is satire - if the entire story functions as a critique, all the characters may be unchanging in order to demonstrate their unintelligence or weakness. The wicked stepsisters are static character "foils" to the sweet, kind Cinderella. (Image: RKO Radio Pictures)How to write a dynamic characterIn a creative writing course, you could spend weeks learning different approaches for writing dynamic characters. This guide won't provide you with "the key" to creating a dynamic protagonist, but it will offer questions and considerations to guide you toward that goal.We also won't talk about how to write static characters, as you want to avoid them most of the time. However, if you're hoping to create a static character to serve some significant purpose in your story, know that most of the steps are basically the same - you'll just stop short of actually setting them on a journey.We recommend downloading this free character profile template before you start. Then read on for some helpful tips!Character creationThe first step to writing  any  character, but especially a dynamic one, is to get their essentials down first. For this, many au thors find it useful to create a character sheet. This is  a little dossier that answers some basic questions about each individual in your story, both physically and personality-wise.So let's say your protagonist is a doctor. Her character sheet might answer these questions:What kind of medical school did she go to, and what kind of student was she?How is her relationship with her family? Does she currently have a partner?What is her religious faith and how does it affect her work (if at all)?Does she have any bad habits  or strange quirks?How self-conscious or confident is she?How frugal is she with her money?And so on. The answers to these questions might not always make it onto the page, but knowing even seemingly inconsequential details about your characters can have a big impact on your story. These kinds of character development exercises really help build believable people to populate your book - characters who readers want to follow, even before they begin to change.Ch aracter motivationAnother critical component of dynamic character creation is  motivation.  In order for a protagonist to go on a journey of self-discovery, they have to pursue something that they want, need, or are otherwise compelled toward.For instance, your main character might be a jet-setting career man who wants romance and a family; an army medic who wants to survive the war; or a retired gunslinger who wants to be left alone. This desire don’t have to be grand and philosophical! There have been great stories told about no more than a young boy who wants a new pair of shoes. There's that retired gunslinger. (Image: Warner Bros)A protagonist’s desires will become a driving force in the story. How close or far a character comes to achieving a goal creates tension and moves their journey along. Typically, in order to change, a character must either A) reach their goal, or B) fail to do so, but realize something greater in the process.Here are a few questions to help you determine your characters' motivations and trajectories:Will the character get what they  want, but at a dear cost?What personal obstacle(s) must they overcome before the desire is reached/obtained?How will securing this goal - or failing to do so - alter them as a character?What if your protagonist’s greatest desire is simply impossible?Internal character conflictWhile conflict is often interpreted as "protagonist vs. antagonist," it’s far more important to consider a character’s internal conflict. When telling the story of your character’s personal jo urney, it's important for them to encounter conflict, as they  themselves  hinder their own success. Here are a few examples of dynamic characters' inner conflicts to show you what we mean:Dumbo is a story about fighting fears and self-doubt. Dumbo’s buddy, Timothy Mouse, gives him a "magic feather" to help him fly. He loses this feather in the final scene, and must overcome his internal fear and self-doubt to save the circus.In Great Expectations, it is only when Pip realizes his worldview has been wrong - that Miss Havisham is not his benefactor, that Estella has not been promised to him, and that he has treated his closest friends and family terribly in order to "become a gentleman" - that he can start to make things right.Elizabeth Bennet has feelings for Darcy, but before she can find happiness, she must overcome her own wounded pride. Likewise, Darcy must grapple with his class-bred prejudices before he can successfully woo Ms. Bennet. These internal conflicts are the essence of Pride and Prejudice.Before you write your first draft, consider how your protagonist’s flaws or specific worldview will work as an obstacle between them and their goal. Likewise, consider how the resolution of these issues will bring your protagonist closer to their desires - and ultimately to a different state of being.Use external conflict to show internal strugglesMost novels can’t unfold in an entirely internal, psychic landscape. Authors need to find ways to move their protagonists through time and space as they undergo internal changes. In other words, you have to show character development via external conflict, instead of just letting characters sit around thinking about self-improvement 24/7.Jay Gatsby’s extravagant parties and upper-class affectations show his desire to rewrite his history and transcend the American class system. If Gatsby’s fatal flaw is his refusal to accept that the past is past, the external conflict that re flects plays out in his pursuit of and affair with Daisy, and the fatal repercussions it has.Fitzgerald more extensively shows this conflict by putting Gatsby at odds with Tom Buchanan. A cruel, unlikable figure, Tom is nonetheless everything Gatsby aspires to: an old-money WASP married to Daisy, Gatsby’s childhood crush. But because Gatsby cannot turn this desire into a change he can actually make - i.e., he can't go back in time and change the circumstances of his birth - he becomes increasingly desperate, careless, and ultimately meets his karmic maker. Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, and Tom Buchanan from The Great Gatsby (Image: Warner Bros)Can they change for the worse?Growth is subjective, as is morality. Characters sometimes fall to the "dark side" over the course of a story, like Walter White in TV’s Breaking Bad. Walter White is a family man and high school chemistry teacher with terminal cancer. To make money before his death, he starts manufacturing drugs and becomes involved with the criminal underworld.Over the course of the series, Walter White's morality is put to the test in ever more extreme ways. Each external conflict Walter faces has an internal result, and throughout the series we watch him toe the line between good and evil. His original intentions - to protect his family even after his death - are noble, but his means to this end are nefarious. As a result, Walter must â€Å"break bad† in what has become a modern exemplar of character evolution.But what if the protagonist doesn’t really change ?If the mark of an interesting lead character is their personal growth, then their story will chart a journey from the person they were in chapter one to the person they are on the final page. But surely there are plenty of compelling characters who encounter conflict, yet do not change all that much over the course of a narrative?As we've discussed previously, it's definitely possible for a character to be well-rounded without changing very much. But what about a main character? Let's look at a few examples here.From the outside, Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games wouldn’t be your first example of a dynamic character. She starts out courageous, resourceful, and principled, and stays that way throughout the story. Even after the Games put her ideals to the ultimate test, it's only through her selflessness and resourcefulness can she beat the system and leave with them intact.In Andy Weir’s The Martian, supremely chill botanist Mark Watney is trapped on Mars. He quick ly realizes that only his ingenuity and knowledge of science can save him. He encounters a chain of disasters that threaten to break his resolve. Instead of finding some internal flaw that needs resolving, it’s only by maintaining his trademark cool and returning time and again to science, that Watney is able to escape the Red Planet. Matt Damon as Mark Watney in The Martian (20th Century Fox)Don't worry: they're still dynamicBoth Katniss and Mark Watney find the strength to survive by sticking to their guns and having faith in their beliefs. But this doesn't mean they haven't changed at all - it's just that the primary change they've undergone is a strengthening of their core beliefs, rather than a fundamental alteration. They also experience smaller, more subtle changes, such as becoming more hardened to their surroundings and wary of danger.In other words, Katniss and Watney aren't what you'd call "exemplary" dynamic characters, but they're not static characters either. And clearly their journeys were compelling enough to engage readers, since both The Hunger Games  and  The Martian  became mega-hit bestsellers and blockbuster movies!Speaking of which, let's take a look at this awesome infographic (featuring some of your favorite characters) to really nail down the arc of a dynamic character.Infographic: "The Book Deal" Infographic: What does a dynamic character's arc look like? To see how a protagonist's wants, strengths, and flaws will  influence  how a story plays out, we took three familiar characters and placed them in an unfamiliar setting. Let's see how they develop over the course of a  narrative: Failure to change results in tragedyWhen your protagonist grapples with inner and outer conflict,  but fails to adapt, they are almost always punished - by themselves, another person, or the universe. This is what we call  tragedy.In Cyrano de Bergerac,  the titular character is in love with Roxane. However, his self-doubt prevents him from revealing that he has written the words that have won her heart. Cyrano does not overcome this doubt in time, and becomes mortally injured before Roxane realizes that she loves him.And in an example we've already covered, Jay Gatsby learns too late that â€Å"there are no second acts in American lives.† He wants to force his way into the upper classes, but he’s unable to see that this world will not allow him in. He refuses to divert his course so, in the end, we find him bleeding out, alone, in his swimming pool.Both of these characters encounter conflict and grapple with their flaws in a fascinating way. But in the end, thei r failure to change themselves results in their tragic deaths.How much change is too much?Assuming you want your book to remain within the realm of believability, your character’s change should be relatively small. Human beings are capable of great change, but only a bit a time.Again, Ebenezer Scrooge is perhaps the most classic example of a dynamic protagonist. But if we’re being honest, the man at the end who buys 300-pound turkeys for the poor does not remotely resemble the penny-pinching miser in the first scene. However, nobody questions the psychological truth of Scrooge’s overnight transformation because A Christmas Carol is a moralist fable. It's not meant to be realistic, only to instruct.That said, if you’re writing a modern series, you should also be conscious of changing your characters too quickly or drastically. Let’s say that your breakout character is an irreverent, womanizing highwayman. You can have him confronted by a victim of h is crime or philandering - something that forces him to reassess his lifestyle choices.Yet you don’t want him to learn too much. Otherwise you run the risk of turning your series into the ongoing narrative of a former highwayman, who now very much respects property rights and does not flirt with women quite so aggressively. The key is balance: don't stray too far from your character's original personality, but allow them to change in an organic way, at a reasonable pace.Remember: there's no formula for great charactersShould your story not follow one of these common patterns, you may find it’s harder to nail down exactly how internal flaws and external conflicts play out over the course of your book. But even in unconventional narratives, always remember to think of the basics: What does your character want? What’s stopping them from getting it? And will they find the strength to change? These questions will help you - and your characters - find the right way .If you have any questions, thoughts or observations, please share them in the comments below.

Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing - Research Paper Example Average consumers Another attribute that I would use to segment the market is by the level of the consumption by the consumers. Most particularly I would focus at needs of the teenagers who are key part that forms average consumers. In this regard, I will undertake an intensive advertisement especially via the social sites such as face book and twitter in order to capture the attention of the average consumers. Benefits One of the key aspects that I would consider in the product segmentation is the benefits provided by the product. TM new products will create a strong positive relationship with our consumers thus enhancing the sales and profitability of the company. Additionally, the new product will be a favorite brand for young people in colleges especially during social occasions. Usage Based on the usage of the brands, consumers of the soft drink can be classified into light, medium and heavy consumers. Task 2. Major segments of the soft drink product Based on the psychographic a spects described in task 1, this section identifies key segments that I will focus at in order to maximize the sales and the consumption of the TM new product. Fashionable brand conscious customers This is one of the major soft drink segments that include young people in colleges and universities. ... Average consumers are mostly pressurized to buy due to advertisement and intensive promotions. The major group under this category is the teenagers. Additionally, this group of consumers looks for quality and the ingredients that make up the brands that are useful in making them strong and energetic. In this regard, I will undertake an intensive advertisement especially via the social sites such as face book and twitter in order to capture the attention of the average consumers. Benefits As mentioned earlier, consumers are attracted by products that offer them maximum benefits. By ensuring that TM new product is effectively packaged and that customers will easily carry the products, a positive product-brand relationship will improve the profitability and the sales of the company. To ensure that our consumers are aware of the benefits of the new product, an extensive advertisement and adequate training of new and existing consumers will be carried out. Usage The new product will be di rected to average consumers. This is based on the fact that by ensuring the loyalty of the average consumers, the product will be highly demanded when the average consumers changes to heavy consumers. Task 3. Profile of each of the major segments Market segment Profile Fashionable brand conscious customers The new products needs to look attractive thus attracting the attention of the young consumers. Additionally, it will portray a feeling of coolness. Average consumers Consumers are teenagers who will be attracted by advertisement and promotions through social media including face book and twitter. More advertisement will be conducted before evening prime news in major TV channels. Benefits

CSR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

CSR - Essay Example This report explores corporate social responsibility in different organizational and national contexts focusing on its six core characteristics, theoretical avenues and the diversity of theoretical concepts in CSR. With a firm foundation and understanding of CSR, the final section focuses on Nike’s current strategic approaches to fulfilling their responsibility to the public. Upon evaluating this, there are recommendations on how Nike could develop their overall CSR strategy for better results. Corporate Social Responsibility, Core Characteristics and Theoretical Avenues Today Due to multiple advancements in technology and the corporate world, CSR is an important facilitator of attaining organizational objectives, and vision for the stakeholders. Nonetheless, there are factors that companies still neglect such as improvement of workers, the public and the external settings of the organization. Definitely, these factors require extended attention since they are among the core determinants of the CSR policies and programs’ success according to the multiple stakeholder orientation and internalizing or managing externalities characteristics. The CSR concept helps an organization have an impact on the external environments and the community overcoming segregation and focusing on the economic bodies; however, the concept works when the societal and virtuous aspects of the corporation are not among the core determinants of CSR development (Agarwal, 2013). Initially, corporations used CSR as a tool for competition with the core objectives revolving around market dominance, extended financial gains and survival over the rest of the competition as opposed to the alignment of social and economic responsibilities concept that integrates profitability and corporate social responsibility. However, through vast studies and debate on the CSR topic, the corporate world has developed with most of the companies focusing on how their business can have significance in the

High risk pregnacy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

High risk pregnacy - Research Paper Example First, she is overage. The risks of complications in pregnancy increase with age. Mrs. K is already past the safe age of 35 years. Secondly, she is obese. This complicates further her pregnancy due to the risks of conditions such as hypertension. In fact, she has already developed gestational diabetes and has to depend on insulin. It is also worth noting that her social history does not adequately support her health needs. This is clearly demonstrated by her inability to afford insulin, glucometer and glucometer strips. Besides, she cannot effectively maintain adequate bed-rest prescribed. Currently, the patient is out of hospital. She has been monitored for 37 weeks at what time her cerclage is released and delivery conducted. She delivers a six-pound, two-ounce baby spontaneously without many problems. The puerperium is normal with the mother and child discharged home after only 48 hours after delivery in good condition. The management has successfully controlled not only the risk of pregnancy but also helped retain the mothers’ hobby, knitting. This assists the mother to save money on the baby’s blanket and also keep her busy and away from junk foods. The patient is diabetic and obese. She has to depend on insulin injections to control her blood sugars. She also has a bad obstetric history, having lost seven of her last pregnancies. She has only one surviving child, 18 years old. She has had cramping and false signs of pregnancy which could be the cause of previous loss of pregnancy. For this, she requires close monitoring in a high-risk obstetric clinic to ensure that this pregnancy matures to term. During the early third trimester, the patient was diagnosed with urinary tract infection and placed on antibiotics in consultation with the physician. This case was handled by qualified community obstetrician. The case manager was able to identify and handle all the client’s health problems throughout the period of

Ethical and legal debate and implications of stem cell research Essay

Ethical and legal debate and implications of stem cell research - Essay Example certain that various solutions in terms of knowledge, skills, and awareness of long standing diseases will be found, as research done by Sandel (2004) reveals. Goals of stem cell research are highly acceptable in the biomedical field since it is very prolific and realistic using scientific based knowledge to enhance the medical field. The International Society for Stem cell Research (ISSCR) accepts and cultures ideas and proposals from stem cell scientists in an attempt to promote scientific research, knowledge development, and further education in this broad field. Besides encouraging use of accurate and precise use of stem cell research terminologies, the ISSCR actively takes part in educating researchers and the general population in appropriate usage of terms and meanings to avoid conflicting use of certain terms (Sugarman 2008). It also evaluates the importance of conducting stem cell research for a specific reason in the medical field. In an effort to streamline, the optimistic practice there must be several ethical and legal considerations otherwise the whole practice can be detrimental and demeaning to human life and rights (Doerflinger 2010). Ethics remains in connection to scientific and therapeutic importance as well as integrity while laws are concerned with patient’s accessibility to the services and safety; it is more of governmental responsibility to enact laws. Stem cell research has limited practice in most countries in the world with a few exceptions that meet the requirements and standards of undertaking the research. In United Kingdom for instance, stem cell research is crucial and the practice governing is via various legislations and ethical considerations. It has an elaborate and well-build regulatory scheme for stem cell research (Daley et al. 2007). Several reasons justify stem cell research in the UK, the Human Fertilization, and Embryology Act formed in 1990 and the recently formed Human Fertilization and Embryology

European Trade Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

European Trade Policy - Essay Example Art. 113 lists a number of measures included in the CCP: tariff rates, conclusion of tariff and trade agreements, uniformity in measures of liberation, export policy and measures to protect trade. Art. 113 is not exclusive, just a list of examples. The EU has interpreted that the CCP "includes the same elements as the external trade policy of a state", meaning that the CCP may include trade regulation, as well as trade liberalization measures and defensive measures against unfair commercial practices. As examples of defensive measures we can mention Anti-dumping Regulation, Illicit Practices Regulation and Counterfeit Regulation. EU's Common Commercial Policy covers all the main measures affecting trade in goods and services and almost all trade-related issues, Trade-related areas partially covered by the common trade policy include: company law, indirect taxation, standards and other technical regulations, and enforcement of intellectual property rights. The Community policy on imports is determined in the following way: "imports into the Community are free from quantitative restrictions but only where more restrictive rules are not applicable". Restrictive rules apply for textiles and agricultural products. (Aarkog, 2005) B. In December 2005, the EU Commission announced that it would be phasing-out all export subsidies currentyl granted to exporters in the European Union. Critically discuss the likely implications for EU exports of the phasing-out of export subsidies. 60% World Trade Organization (WTO) members, which includes the European Union, are engaged in trade negotiations referred to as the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). The main aim of the negotiations is to minimize barriers to internal trade in agriculture, manufactured... On the basis of Article 133 of the European Community (EC) Treaty, the European Commission negotiates on behalf of the Member States in consultation with a special committee- the so-called "133 Committee". The 133 Committee is composed of representatives from the 25 Member States and the European Commission. Its main function is to coordinate the trade policy of the EU. The 133 Committee discusses the full range of trade policy issues affecting the EU, from the strategic issues surrounding the launch of rounds of trade negotiations at the WTO to specific difficulties with the export of individual products, such as textiles, and considers the trade aspects of wider EU policies in order to ensure consistency of policy. In this Committee, the European Commission secures endorsement of the Member States on all trade policy issues. The major formal decisions (for example agreement to launch or conclude negotiations) are then confirmed by the Council of the European Union. World Trade Organization (WTO) members, which includes the European Union, are engaged in trade negotiations referred to as the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). The main aim of the negotiations is to minimize barriers to internal trade in agriculture, manufactured products and services. One of the significant calls by the 2001 Doha declaration was the â€Å"reduction, in view to phase out, all forms of export subsidies†. This call was renewed again in 2004 during the negotiation for the â€Å"Framework for Establishing Modalities in Agriculture†.

Intimate Partner Violence Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Intimate Partner Violence - Thesis Example Intimate partner violence has become one of the major issues causing women to develop significant unfavorable effects observed with the physical, mental, emotional, and psychological well-being of these women. For health workers who are often called to manage the health of these abused partners, knowledge and skills are very much needed in order to assist these abused partners. According to the Centers for Disease Control, intimate partner violence (IPV) is violence which usually â€Å"occurs between two people in a close relationship†. Intimate partner in this case includes current and former spouses as well as dating partners. This type of violence is observed as a single and as continuing episodes of violence. It also covers different types of behavior including physical violence, sexual violence, threats, and emotional abuse. Physical violence occurs when one partner hurts or tries to hurt his or her partner by hitting, kicking, slapping, or inflicting other types of physical injuries on the partner. Threats include physical or sexual violence with the use of words, weapons, gestures or other tools of communication. Finally, emotional abuse involves threatening a partner or his or her possessions or loved ones or harming them and their self-worth. Examples may include stalking, intimidation, or preventing one from contacting or seeing his or her family and/or friends. This violence may later escalate to physical or sexual assaults, sometimes with growing frequency and severity.

European Trade Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

European Trade Policy - Essay Example Art. 113 lists a number of measures included in the CCP: tariff rates, conclusion of tariff and trade agreements, uniformity in measures of liberation, export policy and measures to protect trade. Art. 113 is not exclusive, just a list of examples. The EU has interpreted that the CCP "includes the same elements as the external trade policy of a state", meaning that the CCP may include trade regulation, as well as trade liberalization measures and defensive measures against unfair commercial practices. As examples of defensive measures we can mention Anti-dumping Regulation, Illicit Practices Regulation and Counterfeit Regulation. EU's Common Commercial Policy covers all the main measures affecting trade in goods and services and almost all trade-related issues, Trade-related areas partially covered by the common trade policy include: company law, indirect taxation, standards and other technical regulations, and enforcement of intellectual property rights. The Community policy on imports is determined in the following way: "imports into the Community are free from quantitative restrictions but only where more restrictive rules are not applicable". Restrictive rules apply for textiles and agricultural products. (Aarkog, 2005) B. In December 2005, the EU Commission announced that it would be phasing-out all export subsidies currentyl granted to exporters in the European Union. Critically discuss the likely implications for EU exports of the phasing-out of export subsidies. 60% World Trade Organization (WTO) members, which includes the European Union, are engaged in trade negotiations referred to as the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). The main aim of the negotiations is to minimize barriers to internal trade in agriculture, manufactured... On the basis of Article 133 of the European Community (EC) Treaty, the European Commission negotiates on behalf of the Member States in consultation with a special committee- the so-called "133 Committee". The 133 Committee is composed of representatives from the 25 Member States and the European Commission. Its main function is to coordinate the trade policy of the EU. The 133 Committee discusses the full range of trade policy issues affecting the EU, from the strategic issues surrounding the launch of rounds of trade negotiations at the WTO to specific difficulties with the export of individual products, such as textiles, and considers the trade aspects of wider EU policies in order to ensure consistency of policy. In this Committee, the European Commission secures endorsement of the Member States on all trade policy issues. The major formal decisions (for example agreement to launch or conclude negotiations) are then confirmed by the Council of the European Union. World Trade Organization (WTO) members, which includes the European Union, are engaged in trade negotiations referred to as the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). The main aim of the negotiations is to minimize barriers to internal trade in agriculture, manufactured products and services. One of the significant calls by the 2001 Doha declaration was the â€Å"reduction, in view to phase out, all forms of export subsidies†. This call was renewed again in 2004 during the negotiation for the â€Å"Framework for Establishing Modalities in Agriculture†.

Blown to Bits Essay Example for Free

Blown to Bits Essay Technology has rapidly advanced, affecting standards on privacy, telecommunications, and criminal law. Every day, we encounter unexpected consequences of data flows that could not have happened a few years ago. Due to the bits explosion, the world changed very suddenly. Almost everything is stored in a computer somewhere. Court records, grocery purchases, precious family photos, radio programs†¦ It is all being reduced to zeroes and ones – â€Å"bits.† The bits are stashed on disks of home computers and in the data centers of big corporations and government agencies. The disks can hold so many bits that there is no need to pick and choose what gets remembered. So much disk storage is being produced every year that it could be used to record a page of information, every minute or two, about you and every other human being on earth. Once something is on a computer, it can replicate and move around the world in a heartbeat. Making a million perfect copies takes but an instant – copy of things we want everyone in the world to see, and also copies of things that weren’t meant to be copied at all. Due to instantaneous transfers, some data leak. Credit card records are supposed to stay locked up in a data warehouse, but escape into the hands of identity thieves. And we sometimes give information away just because we get something back for doing so. A company will give you free phone calls to anywhere in the world—if you don’t mind watching ads for the products its computers hear you talking about. The book presents 7 ‘koans’ or principles regarding the bits and the effect of it on humanity. Koan 1: Even though your computer seems to present pictures, texts, songs, and videos, they are all composed of bits. Everything that’s digital are ruled by bits. Even as we speak, bits are flying through the airwaves by our phones. Koan 2: Every copy made by a computer is perfect. The era of books  being handwritten oftentimes resulting to mistakes, has now been closed by digital explosion. And even though these machines do fail as long as the bits have been communicated, the probability of error of the bits is so slim. Koan 3: Vast as world-wide data storage is today, five years from now it will be ten times as large. Yet the information explosion means, paradoxically, the loss of information that is not online. Outdated software and information not stored in the computer are usually assumed as inexistent. Koan 4: The speed of a computer is usually measured by the number of basic operations, such as additions, that can be performed in one second. The fastest computers available in the early 1940s could perform about five operations per second. The fastest today can perform about a trillion. Koan 5: Exponential growth is actually smooth and steady; it just takes very little time to pass from unnoticeable change to highly visible. In the rapidly changing world of bits, it pays to notice even small changes, and to do something about them. Koan 6: Data stored will all be kept forever, unless there are policies to get rid of it. The Internet consists of millions of interconnected computers; once data gets out, there is no getting it back. Victims of identity theft experience daily the distress of having to remove misinformation from the record. It seems never to go away. Koan 7: In the bits world, in which messages flow instantaneously, it sometimes seems that distance doesn’t matter at all. The instantaneous communication of massive amounts of information has created the misimpression that there is a place called â€Å"Cyberspace,† a land without frontiers where all the world’s people can be interconnected as though they were residents of the same small town. The book introduces two basic morals. The first is that information technology is inherently neither good nor bad—it can be used for good or ill, to free us or to shackle us. Second, new technology brings social change, and change comes with both risks and opportunities. Any technology can be used for good or ill. Nuclear reactions create electric power and weapons of mass destruction. The same encryption technology that makes it possible for you to email your friends with confidence that no eavesdropper will be able to decipher your message also makes it possible for terrorists to plan their attacks undiscovered. The key to managing the ethical and moral consequences of technology while nourishing economic growth is to regulate the use of technology without  banning or restricting its creation.

Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S.

Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S. Li Luo Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S.:  The Fight for Equal Rights and Equal Citizenship Intro and Thesis â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.† Declaration of Independence, 1776 When we look back at American history, this well-known statement that was written in the Declaration of Independence has been constantly brought up by different groups of people to defend their equal rights and freedom in the society: America’s founding fathers used it to light up American’s spirit to fight for their freedom and rights from the oppression of Britain; African-Americans borrowed it to fight against their same rights as white people that has been denied by the laws for a long time. And right now, in our generation, we are witnessing a new battle for equality Same-sex marriage. The fight for same-sex marriage has a deep historical origin. Ever since the beginning of human civilization, marital and family relations have always been the foundation of human society. Marriage creates intimacy and family among individuals, it also provides order, stability and consistency which are essential to the survival and prosperity of human society. Based on those principles, people build up traditional family values, provide legal recognition and all sorts of privileges/rights through public institutions to reinforce this social norm. However, as the traditional marital relations and social order are rooted in heterosexuality, many people consider the legalization of same-sex marriage as a threat to this social norm, and refuse to give LGBT people the full rights and citizenship. In this paper, I will analyze the battle of same-sex marriage from three different perspective: rights and obligations; separation of powers and federalism; factions and democratic consensus. In the last section, I will conclude that as LGBT people constantly fighting for their equal right of marriage, and the fact that more and more American people are willing to accept gay people, the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage looks promising and the boundary of citizenship in American society is being refined. Rights and obligations: the unequal citizenship in terms of LGBT groups’ right of marriage. Citizenship has different meaning in different perspective. Citizenship can be used to describe someone’s legal identity, it also can mean people’s engagement in politics and community. In the article â€Å"The Meaning of Citizenship†, Kerber offered a different way to think about the definition of citizenship – a formal legal status with the possession of guaranteed rights as well as obligations. She believes that rights and obligations should be equal: If a person wants to enjoy the privileges and freedom his or her state provides, he or she must fulfill their obligations as a citizen. However, in some cases, certain groups of people are not being offered equal rights even though they meet their responsibilities. Specifically speaking, in some states, LGBT people are refused to be given the same rights as heterosexual people to marry the ones they love even the same amount of obligations are fulfilled. Besides, since marital and family relations are the foundation of human society, without legal marriage status, same-sex couples usually face many more economic and legal disadvantages compared to opposite-sex married couples, including medical care, inheritance, income tax, etc. Should government provides equal right of marriage to LGBT people? The debates over this topic have lasted for more than four decades. In 1970, two students from University of Minnesota, Richard Baker and James Michael McConnell became the first gay couple to apply for a marriage license (Rimmerman, 101). Unsurprisingly, their application was denied by the local county, and in their appeal case Baker v. Nelson, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld a state law that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples (Rimmerman, 101). In the following two decades, many other states successively received similar suits, however, they all ended up in the same fate as the first one being rejected to give the right of marriage for gay couples. It wasn’t until early 1990s that the debates over same-sex marriage emerge to the national level. In 1991, in the case of Baehr v. Lewin, Hawaii Supreme Court rules that denial of same marriage right for same-sex couple violate the state constitution (Rimmerman, 103). This judgment raised a lot of concerns of people who oppose same-sex marriage. They fear that this result might lead to final approval of same-sex marriage in Hawaii and the U.S. nationwide (Rimmerman, 103). Therefore, with the purpose of preventing legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Hawaii, in 1996, conservatives introduced and pushed the pass of The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Under the provisions of the DOMA, the word â€Å"marriage† is strictly define as the legal union between a man and a woman. Furthermore, DOMA permits states to refuse recognition of same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states. I will consider the debates over this federal law in terms of Equal Protection Clause and Full Faith and Credit Clause. The LGBT people have long been tried to fight for their equal rights of marriage, even though they have faced many impediments from conservatives. There are a series of struggles in court, including Lawrence v. Texas, United States v. Windsor, etc that can proves LGBT people’s struggles. I will analyze some of the most important cases in detail to examine how LGBT groups use their judicial power to challenge DOMA and secure their rights. How separation of powers within government and federalism apply to the same-sex marriage issue. Madison argues that creating â€Å"checks and balances† within government can prevent abuse of power. This idea can be applied to the same-sex marriage issue. In United States v. Windsor, the Federal Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of DOMA that defined â€Å"marriage† and â€Å"spouse† to apply only to heterosexual people. This is an example that Judicial branch checking the Legislative branch. I will also describe other cases including Baker v. Vermont, Hollingsworth v. Perry. In Federalist No. 51, Madison’s argument that a separation of powers can create a balance of interests can be extended to the idea of federalism. Federalism gives states the freedom to make their own policy that suits local circumstances. When different states make different laws and take different attitudes towards the same-sex marriage issue, this is the practice of federalism. To break this inequality across states and local areas, LGBT groups are now working hard to promote the legalization of same-sex marriage on the federal level. The Supremacy Clause and 10th Amendment will also be mentioned to illustrate its principle. Competing factions in the same-sex marriage issue. Federalist No. 10 discussed about how to break and control factions to avoid tyranny of the majority. In terms of the same-sex marriage issue, American society was divided by different groups that either support it or are against it or take neutral stance. I will list some major political and social groups and illustrate their attitudes towards the same-sex marriage issue, including Democratic and Republican Parties, Churches/Religious institutions, and human rights Organizations. Since LGBT group are pushing national legalization of same-sex marriage, is this a tyranny of the majority? I will discuss about this question in detail and give my answer that it’s a majority rule rather than tyranny of the majority. Conclusion Summarize key arguments. Add current data: Marriage between same-sex couples has been recognized on the federal level. As the Supreme Court decided to let stand rulings that allow same-sex marriage in late 2014, now 37 states have legalized same-sex marriage with more states to join them. The road of marriage equality looks more promising than before, and we can see that citizenship is being redefined to provide equal rights to LGBT people. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY COURSE TEXTS Kerber, Linda K. The Meanings of Citizenship. The Journal of American History 84.3 (1997): 833. Print. In this article, Kerber offers several ways to interpret citizenship, including formal legal status, possession of guaranteed rights and bearing of obligations. She believes that the meaning of citizenship is constantly changing and proposes a new way to look at citizenship: â€Å"A braided citizenship†. Different groups of people from different genders, races, classes and nations of origin have been fighting for their equal citizenship in the U.S. Kerber analyzes each group of people’s struggle in detail to illustrate how the boundaries of citizenship have been changing overtime to support her statement. I will use Kerber’s idea of citizenship in terms of the relations of rights and obligations to help me analyze the legitimacy of gay rights, more specifically, same-sex marriage. And by using all kinds of evidence of LGBT people’s fight for equal rights as part of the braided citizenship to justify how same-sex marriage redefines the boundaries of citizenship. Madison, James. Federalist No. 10: The Same Subject Continued: The Union as a Safeguard against Domestic Faction and Insurrection.New York Daily Advertiser, November 22, 1787. Print. In this work, Madison states that people are diverse by nature and self-interested, so that factions are formed inside every society. He argues about the need to break and control factions which he identifies as a threat to popular governments that may lead to tyranny of the majority. He believes that in a large republic government is run by representatives chosen by its people. With so many different interests and groups, it would be more difficult to form a majority faction, thus it can better guard against the dangers of tyranny of the majority and protect the rights of all its people. I will use this resource to illustrate different groups/factions’ stances in terms of same-sex marriage, and to argue about the question: Is legalization of same-sex marriage a tyranny of the majority? Madison, James. Federalist No. 51: The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments. New York Packet, February 8, 1788. Print. In Federalist No. 51, James Madison addresses how the separation of powers within the government can be created under the new constitution. He believes that people are not â€Å"angels†, which means that if there isn’t any form of control over government, leaders will abuse their power. However, â€Å"Ambition must be made to counteract ambition†. By creating a system of â€Å"checks and balances†, in which the government is divided into different branches, the overlapping power between those three branches would put restrictions on government, thus preventing the misuse of powers, and protect the rights of the people. I will draw on Madison’s idea of checks and balances inside government to argue about how different branches work to protect LGBT people’s rights. I will further consider separation of powers in terms of federalism to examine same-sex marriage court cases. ADDITIONAL AND SUPPLEMENTARY SOURCES Rimmerman, Craig A. The Lesbian and Gay Movements: Assimilation or Liberation? Boulder, CO: Westview, 2008. Print. This book gives people an historical perspective to understand lesbian and gay movements. Rimmerman tackles the challenging issue of what constitutes movement effectiveness and how effective the assimilationist and liberationist strategies have been in three contentious policy arenas: the military ban, same-sex marriage, and AIDS. I will focus on the same-sex marriage policy part of this book, using those detailed analyses of important courts cases in history to examine LGBT groups’ efforts to fight for their equal right of marriage. â€Å"So Far, so Fast.†The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 11 Oct. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. This article gives a brief introduction of the progress in terms of the same-sex marriage agenda since the early 2000s, and it gives some explanations of why this agenda has changed so fast in such a short time, including the change in moral judgment and transformation of LGBT people, too. I will use this resource in the conclusion to show why the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage is promising.