Thursday, October 31, 2019

Dealing with Diverse People in the Workforce Case Study - 4

Dealing with Diverse People in the Workforce - Case Study Example As mentioned in the introduction, many people have already transferred from place to place and a lot of those people, the so-called immigrants, have already decided to stay and work on the foreign lands they have gone to. Hence, the main effect of this social move on achieving success in other places, the employment of the multicultural population has been the resort to supporting the lives of the said immigrants. Hence, the workforce of every company making up the business industries is at times having the same worries on how to face the challenge of dealing with and managing people who are widely different from each other. Understanding this particular factor suggests that Lael Matthews is indeed facing a particular management dilemma that practically subjects her to a decision that needs to be made abruptly and systematically understanding the fact that this particular decision would directly affect the organization as a whole. Having this responsibility established right upon her shoulder, it could be observed how important her decision is going to be in connection with the growth of the organization that she is standing for. To know how complex the matter is, the definition of the entire situation shall be presented below. There are three managers vying for the promotion that is to be given to only one particular candidate. Among the candidates included three major personnel which included Liz, Roy and Quang Yeh. All particular individuals have had their own chances of serving the organization for quite some time and had been able to find ways to improve the progress of the business for some certain ways in their own remarkable ways. Liz, for example, is a 34-year-old African American woman who has a child and has at least served the company for at least 4 years. She has been noted though to have a high energy level. Practically, the basic reason behind the nomination of Liz for the promotion is the fact that she is an African American woman and that her promotion would boost the confidence of the people working for the organization.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Critiques on Finance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critiques on Finance - Case Study Example Rising fuel costs forced cost cutting measures and hence necessary upgrades were put on the back burner. Flight and crew scheduling systems, reservation and call-center systems all need to be upgraded if the airline wants to retain its passenger share. Parallels are already being drawn to People Airline Express, another low cost carrier that sank without a trace in 1997 under similar constraints as are being faced by JetBlue today. JetBlue however, still has something going for it in the form of a healthy balance sheet, and $699 million in cash. It has also re-structured its ambitious growth plans as it tries to consolidate its operations. The problem JetBlue is facing is basically that, "rapid expansion [has] outstripped management's ability to keep everything together". Rough and ready methods, suitable for small, low-cost operations contribute to profitability. But these methods start falling apart when the size of the operations cross a certain optimum level. At this stage JetBlue risks having the same overheads and union problems, as do other larger carriers, thereby nullifying the advantage of being a low cost carrier. In October 2005, after six years of double-digit growth, Avon sales suddenly slumped all over the world as, "the global diversity that had long propped up the company's performance suddenly began to weigh it down".

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Schistosoma Mansoni Tegument Proteins

Schistosoma Mansoni Tegument Proteins Tran, M., Pearson, Bethony, J., Smyth, D., Jones, M., Duke, M., Don, T., McManus, D., Correa-Oliveira, R. and Loukas, A. (2006) Tetraspanins on the surface of Schistosoma mansoni are protective antigens against schistosomiasis, Nature medicine., 12(7), pp. 835-40.    Braschi, S., Borges, W. and Wilson, R. (2007) Proteomic analysis of the schistosome tegument and its surface membranes, Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz., 101, pp. 205-12. Tetraspanins are family found within the tegument that has shown to be accessible to host immunoglobulin by proteomic analysis (Braschi et al., 2006). The surface membrane of B cells has tetraspanins, it is also found on the suface of the schistosome tegument   Schulte et al. (2013). Function of both schistosome tetraspanins and mammalian tetraspanins   have similar function (Tran et al. (2013).   Tran et al (2006) suggested that expression and purification of the extracellular loop 2 of both TSP- 1 and TSP-2 of S.mansoni with E.coli thioredexin as soluble proteins. This was done by a mice been immunised three times   with rTSP-1 which is a recombinant. The count of the worm burdens, liver egg burdens and faecal egg was controlled and reduction was found in the counts. Due to the reduction of faecal egg count, a vaccine for schistosomiasis is achievable in which reduction of all the eggs in the environment is attained thereby reducing re-infection in the society. If the number of burden of faecal egg is reduced, it suggest that the symptoms linked with build up eggs in host is reduced. As seen using recombinant (rTSP-1) showed 34% reduction in worm burden through vaccination. Also r(TSP-2) showed 57% reduction of worm burden with vaccination. Due to screeni ng of of specific antibodies against the recombinant proteins in individual exposed to S. mansoni , levels of IgG3 and IgG1 with TSP-2 showed increased resistance in the individual in which IGe wasnt recognised. IgE is shown to come into effect when there is parasitic infection; Tan et al. (2006) said that   IgG3 and IgG1 with TSP-2 posseses protective characteistics which indicate that it could be an effective vaccine for scistosomiasis. Aquaporin is another molecule found on the surface of schistosomes and there is a lot of the Aquaporin protein within the tegument of S. mansoni ( Castro- Borges et al., 2011). SmAQP is found in both male and female worms whereby it enables nutrient transportation, drug uptake and osmoregulation (Faghiri et al., 2010). This led to scientist studying SmAQP whereby it has a chaacteristics of protecting the mice (Figueiredo et al. 2014). A chimeric form of SmAQP which is cSmAQP was made to conduct immunisation studies, whereby there was a control and mice injected with cSmAQP. This led to no worm burden been reduce and there was no reduction in parasite burden (Figueiredo et al., 2014). Figueiredo et al. (2014) suggested that when binding SmAQP to antibodies it doesnt stop the protein protein from functioning. The efficacy of S.mansori vaccine candidate Sm-p80 were measured using two methods. A prime boost vaccination strategy and a recombinant protein method. Both methods were carried out in the presence of a synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN). ODN contains unmethylated CpG dinucleotides as an adjuvant. Firstly, C57BL/6 mice were immunised with a control prime-boost (100ug pcDNA3) and experimental prime boost (100 ug Sm-p80-pcDNA3).   Also, Experimental recombinant protein (25ug rSm-p80 mixed with 50ug ODN)   or the control recombinant protein (50ug ODN). The results showed a significant worm burden in both groups. Mice immunised with the prime boost strategy had a 57% reduction whilst mice immunised using the recombinant strategy combined with ODN had a 70% reduction. Ahmad et al discovered there was also a 71% reduction in egg production in mice immunised with the prime-boost strategy and 75% reduction in egg production in mice immunised with the recombinant protein and ODN strategy. Also,   cercarial radiation attenuated vaccines (RA) has high levels of protection and this has been set as the standard for inducing protein in animal models. Some parts of the S. mansori tegument have been found to induce partial protection against schistosome challenge in animal models. In a recent study conducted by Teixeira de Melo et al 2010, mice were immunised with the whole tegument of S. mantory, (Smteg). Freuds adjuvant was used to immunise C57BL/6 mice. The mice were challenged with cercariae thirsty days after the last injection. The results showed a significant reduction in the worm, liver egg and faecal egg burdens compared to the control group. Teixeira de Melo et al. (2010) collected worms from the immunised mice and concluded that the worms were physically impaired indicating that the teguments of schostosomes were damaged. Additionally, all the eggs collected from faeces were dead however, it is unclear as to which of the specific protein contributed towards this protective immunity characteristic. 3.2 In a study perfomed by Cao X. et al (2014), two independent group of BALB/c mice were immunised with recombinant SjPDI with Montanide ISA 206 VG adjuvant and challenged with cercariae. The protective efficacy was evaluated. The result found showed a reduction of 35.32% and 26.19% when compared with control groups. 33.17% and 31.7% decrease in egg counts were also noticed. The protein SjNPP-5 from the family of nucleotide phosphodiesterase family (NPPs) was studied as a vaccine target. This protein is responsible for various types of physiological processes. (Rofatto et all 2009). In further research, Zhang et al (2011) tested the efficiency of this protein as a vaccine target. This was achieved by immunising ten BALB/c mice with recombinant SjNPP-5. The mice were then challenged with cercariae. The result showed a reduction in worm of 29.9% and there was a 26.21% reduction of liver egg count. The test shows that the protein possesses good immunogenicity and an increased level of specific antibodies. Lv et al 2009 tested a calcium-binding protein from the tegument of S japonicum for its ability to protect mice against schistosomiasis infection. Eight mice were immunised with SJCa8 and was dissolved in PBS with Freuds adjuvant. The mice were also challenged with S.janonicum cercariae. Immunised mice were compared to controlled mice. The results showed a reduction of 50.39%. this results could signify that the calcium-binding protein SjCa8 may make a suitable vaccine for the minimization of the pathogenesis of schistosome infection. * Yan et al (2005) used sera from M.fortis to screen and adult japonicum cDNA library for the identification of antigens that evoke protective response in M. fortis. Some of the clones identified by cDNA library screening partially encoded a member of the serine proteinase inhibitor. A full-length sequence encoding this protein was extracted. The S japonicum serpin (Sj serpin) was used to immunise C57BL/6 mice. The mice were also challenged with cercariae 3 weeks after the last boosting. Reduction of 34-36% in worm burdens was noticed. Also, Egg counts had a 39-40% reduction compared to the controlled group. Overall, the test for Sj serpin was lower than 40% therefore is not considered an effective protein antigen. Furthermore, Hong et al 2015 analysed proteins recognised by susceptible (mice) and resistant (M.fortis) antibodies before and after schistosome infection using comparative immunoproteomics. Hong proposed that proteins recognised by the resistant M.fortis sera would be effective vaccines on the other hand, proteins recognized by both resistant and susceptible would be suitable for diagnostic purposes. a heat shock protein known as   DnaJ was recognized by sera from the M. Fortis (resistant). Hong et la 2015 conducted a vaccination of mice with the recombinant form of Dnaj derived from schistosome japonicum. The results showed a reduction in worm burdens 34.5% and reduction of liver egg count 48.9% in the immunised mice. This illustrates that this molecule induce partial protection against S.japonicum. overall, it can be concluded that SjDna is not an effective protein antigen. 3.3 Schistosoma haematobium tegument proteins Research into schistosomiasis haematobium vaccine generally has been inconclusive. Moreover, recently, a 23kDa antigen from the member of a tetraspanin family has been analysed for its potential vaccine target in S.haematobium (inal and Bickle 1995). Mice in this study were immunised with large hydrophilic domain of Sh23 as a fusion with glutathione S-transferase. The mice were challenged with cercariae. After 8 weeks, the mice were infused. Evidence of worm burden reduction was not seen. Golden Syrian hamsters were vaccinated with recombinant Sm-p80. When challenged with schistosomiasis haematobium carcariae, there was a reduction of 48% in worm burden and 66% in liver egg burden. 63% reductions in intestinal egg retention were also discovered. Karmakar et al 2014, concluded that this was not a suitable model for studying the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis haematobium. The reason provided was due to the fact that there were no eggs detected in the urinary bladder of the vaccinated or control group. Similarly, baboons were used for immunisation experiments. The baboons were also immunised with the same combination of Sm-p80. The baboons displayed no reduction in urinary bladder egg load. There was a 40% reduction of faecal egg and a 53% reduction of urine egg. This result may indicate that Sm-p80 could be effective against both urinary and intestinal schistosomiasis. Karmakar et al 2014 Tran, M., Pearson, Bethony, J., Smyth, D., Jones, M., Duke, M., Don, T., McManus, D., Correa-Oliveira, R. and Loukas, A. (2006) Tetraspanins on the surface of Schistosoma mansoni are protective antigens against schistosomiasis, Nature medicine., 12(7), pp. 835-40. Braschi, S., Borges, W. and Wilson, R. (2007) Proteomic analysis of the schistosome tegument and its surface membranes, Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz., 101, pp. 205-12. Schulte L.  et al.  (2013) Tetraspanin-2 localisation in high pressure frozen and freeze-substituted Schistosoma mansoni adult males reveals its distribution in membranes of tegumentary vesicles, International Journal for Parasitology, 43(10), pp. 785-793. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.003. Castro-Borges, W., Simpson, D., Dowle, A., Curwen, R., Thomas-Oates, J., Beynon, R. and Wilson, R. (2011) Abundance of tegument surface proteins in the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni determined by QconCAT proteomics, Journal of proteomics., 74(9), pp. 1519-33. Faghiri, Z., Camargo, S.M.R., Huggel, K., Forster, I.C., Ndegwa, D., Verrey, F. and Skelly, P.J. (2010) The Tegument of the human parasitic worm Schistosoma mansoni as an excretory organ: The surface Aquaporin SmAQP is a lactate transporter, 5(5). Pinheiro, C.S., Ribeiro, A.P.D., Cardoso, F.C., Martins, V.P., Figueiredo, B.C.P., Assis, N.R.G., Morais, S.B., Caliari, M.V., Loukas, A. and Oliveira, S.C. (2014) A multivalent chimeric vaccine composed of Schistosoma mansoni SmTSP-2 and Sm29 was able to induce protection against infection in mice, Parasite Immunology, 36(7), pp. 303-312. doi: 10.1111/pim.12118. Ahmad, G., Zhang, W., Torben, W., Haskins, C., Diggs, S., Noor, Z., Le, L. and Siddiqui, A.A. (2009) Prime-boost and recombinant protein vaccination strategies using Sm-p80 protects against Schistosoma mansoni infection in the mouse model to levels previously attainable only by the irradiated cercarial vaccine, 105(6). TEIXEIRA de MELO, T., MICHEL de ARAUJO, J., Do VALLE DURÃÆ'ES, F., CALIARI, M.V., OLIVEIRA, S.C., COELHO, P.M.Z. and FONSECA, C.T. (2010) Immunization with newly transformed Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula tegument elicits tegument damage, reduction in egg and parasite burden, Parasite Immunology, 32(11-12), pp. 749-759. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2010.01244.x. Yan, Y., Liu, S., Song, G., Xu, Y. and Dissous, C. (2005) Characterization of a novel vaccine candidate and serine proteinase inhibitor from Schistosoma japonicum (Sj serpin), Veterinary parasitology., 131, pp. 53-60. Hong, Y., Han, Y., Fu, Z., Han, H., Qiu, C., Zhang, M., Yang, J., Shi, Y., Li, X. and Lin, J. (2013) CHARACTERIZATION AND EXPRESSION OF THE SCHISTOSOMA JAPONICUM THIOREDOXIN PEROXIDASE-2 GENE, The Journal of Parasitology, 99(1), pp. 68-76. doi: 10.2307/23355019. Hong et al., 2013 Hong . et. al. (2015) Screening diagnostic candidates for Schistosomiasis from Tegument proteins of adult Schistosoma japonicum using an Immunoproteomic approach, 9(2). Inal, J. and Bickle, Q. (1995) Sequence and immunogenicity of the 23-kDa transmembrane antigen of Schistosoma haematobium, Molecular and biochemical parasitology., 74(2), pp. 217-21. Karmakar, S., Zhang, W., Ahmad, G., Torben, W., Alam, M.U., Le, L., Damian, R.T., Wolf, R.F., White, G.L., Carey, D.W., Carter, D., Reed, S.G. and Siddiqui, A.A. (2014) Cross-species protection: Schistosoma mansoni Sm-p80 vaccine confers protection against Schistosoma haematobium in hamsters and baboons, 32(11).

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Awakening - Personality Developments :: essays research papers

PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT The idea that one can understand and comprehend the development of an individual is profound and abstruse, but very few people have actually had success dealing with such a topic. From obstacles such as proper test subjects to the whole stigma of taboo attached in trying to understand the human mind, researchers and psychologists have had success. One of the most notable successes is that of Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychology, as we know it. Freud’s in depth pioneering journey into the minds of people, and how the mind itself develops with the passing of time and events. Other modern psychologists have elaborated on Freud, including the psychologists Erik Erikson and Karen Horney. Their thoughts on the personality development of people relate directly to Kate Chopin’s book, The Awakening. In this book, the theories discussed by Freud and his successors are shown explicitly and implicitly. Obviously, Sigmund Freud’s work in the field of personality development was by far the most prolific and controversial. The father of modern psychology, Freud broke all barriers to expose what he thought to be the real reasons for human behavior. His theories of personality development can best start with the discussion of the conscious and the unconscious mind. The conscious mind—along with the lesser preconscious mind—is that part of the mind that one has control, or knowledge of. Ironically, this is the least part of the mind that one has control over. The so called "subconscious" mind is the part of the mind that lurks beneath the surface, filled with instincts, emotions, and unfulfilled desires (Shaffer 26). The total human mind is divided into the famous three parts of the Id, the ego, and the superego. The Id can be correlated directly to the subconscious, since it contains one’s innermost thoughts, feelings, and desires, or as Freud w ould call them, "wishes". The Id represents one’s innermost and primitive desires, such as food and reproduction, and it constantly drives one’s actions. The total antithesis of the Id is the superego. The superego in the case of personality development, comes directly from parents. This superego is consisted of the conscience (punishments and warnings) and the ego ideal (positive rewards and role models). Thus the superego can be defined as what keeps the Id in check, which leads to the ego. The ego is the rationalizing factor, it is the result of the superego and the Id, canceling each other out.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Biography of Narendra Modi: A Political Phenomenon Essay

Narendra Damodardas Modi, popularly known as Narendra Modi is the current Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat and the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections. He was selected by L.K Advani, the leader of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in 2001 to give a direction to the election campaign in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Mr. Modi was elected as Chief Minister of Gujarat on October 7th, 2001 and is the longest serving Chief Minister of the state. In the 2012 Gujarat legislative assembly election he won his fourth constituency term as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. A career that started as an errand runner for the RSS (Hindu Right wing group) is now perhaps on the way to reaching its zenith. Yes, Mr. Narendra Damodardas Modi has walked quite a distance wearing unflinching confidence on his sleeves. The Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate is a fascinating case study as the man opens up equal number of avenues for his critics as well as admirers. The man is admired for his economic policies and growth scenario in Gujarat, but he also bears flak for the dismal state of the Human Development Index in Gujarat. As the pendulum of the verdict sways to and fro for him, let’s have a deeper look into Narendra Modi’s biography. Humble Beginnings The idea of struggle was never very distant for Modi. He used to run a tea stall till the time RSS inducted him as a full-time member. With whatever minimal training he received from the party’s associates, he surged ahead and exhibited enough capability to be given the charge of the ABVP (the student wing of RSS). His diligence and dedication towards the party hardly ebbed despite the fact that he was simultaneously pursuing a Master’s degree in Political Science. This ‘average student’ from Vadnagar tutored himself to take greater steps on a national level. Family Although there isn’t enough about Modi’s personal life in the public domain,  the political discourse sometimes throws up bits of facts and stories. He was born into a middle class family of six in Vadnagar in Mehsana District (then Bombay state) to Damodardas Mulchand Modi and Heeradben Modi. He was bethrothed when quite young, but chose to walk away from the marriage and has remained a bachelor. Early days in Politics Narendra Modi was drawn to politics in his early teens and was a member of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). During the 1960’s India-Pakistan war, even though he was only a young boy, he volunteered to serve soldiers traveling through railway stations. As a youth, he became a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, a student body involved in anti-corruption. After having worked full time with them, he was then nominated as its representative in the BJP. Modi was also a campaigner in the RSS during his years in college and took on the task of encouraging the party members. Partnering with Shankersingh Vaghela, Modi began a strong cadre base in Gujarat. Narendra Modi has come from a humble background and is known for his simple lifestyle. He has a reputation of being a workaholic and introvert. Mr. Modi has tried to change his image from that of a Hindu Nationalist politician to that of a sincere administrator. The party began getting political attention and formed a coalition government in April 1990. After this, the BJP came to power in Gujarat in 1995. During this period, Modi was responsible for the Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra and a similar trek from Kanyakumari in Southern India all the way up to Kashmir in the north. A careful observation of his rise to the national podium would evince how he remained glued to his fundamentals – continuing agitations during the nationwide Emergency, organizing Murli Manohar Joshi’s Ekta yatra (journey for unity), and impressing everyone with electoral strategy ahead of the 1995 state elections. As BJP tasted victory, Modi relished his newly ordained post of the party’s General Secretary. The workaholic and loyal ‘sevak’ moved to New Delhi to take up the new responsibility of managing the  party’s activities in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Three summers whizzed past and Modi already had the post of National Secretary of the BJP under his kitty. First Stint as Chief Minister of Gujarat Times were turbulent in Gujarat with allegations of corruption and poor governance doing the rounds. After Shankarsingh Vaghela left the BJP, Keshubhai Patel was made Chief Minister of Gujarat and Modi became General Secretary of the party in Delhi. Weak handling of the effects of the Bhuj Earthquake in 2001 prompted the BJP’s national leaders to seek a new candidate as chief minister, after the removal of Keshubhai Patel. In October 2001, Modi was brought in to fill the vacuum and made Chief Minister of Gujarat despite his lack of experience in governance. Initially, the BJP was not very keen on having him at the forefront and the party was contemplating the position of deputy CM for him, which he refused. He wrote to Advani, and the then Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, stating that he was either â€Å"going to be fully responsible for Gujarat or not at all†. In July 2007, he became the longest-serving Chief Minister in Gujarat’s political history. In the Gujarat legislative assembly elections of 2012, Narendra Modi won the constituency of Maninagar over the Indian National Congress, with a majority of 86,373 votes. The BJP won 115 out of the 182 seats and formed its government in Gujarat. This was Narendra Modi’s fourth term as the Chief Minister. The following year in March, he was appointed as member to the BJP Parliamentary Board which is the highest decision-making body of the party. He was also nominated as a member of the party’s Central Election Committee. Taking Tough Calls His rift with the VHP started to show after his much-criticized decision of demolishing 200 illegal temples in Gandhinagar. This was just the trailer. Modi was also vocal about PM Manmohan Singh’s reluctance to revive anti-terror laws. He called for invoking tougher laws in states following  the 2006 Mumbai blasts. Time and again, he has judiciously chosen issues to pontificate and attack the central government. In the wake of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, Modi brought up the issue of security along Gujarat’s coast. The UPA government acted upon this immediately and sanctioned construction of 30 high-speed surveillance boats. Recently, he came down heavily on the Central government for its weak approach towards Chinese incursions in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh and infiltration by Bangladeshis on the Indo-Bangladesh border. Criticisms The Modi government came under bitter criticism following the 2002 Gujarat riots that betrayed the prevailing communal harmony within the state. Investigations were ordered into alleged abetment of crime. Modi’s image suffered a quake as a common consensus was established that pointed fingers at the chief minister for allowing communal violence in the state. Some demanded his prosecution for promoting enmity among different communities during the riots. His way of functioning has also been the topic of much debate in the political arena with commentators and subject-matter experts lambasting him for carrying the DNA of fascist leadership. His critics call him a self-centered autocrat who doesn’t care a hoot about the BJP. The Gujarat chief minister finds himself in the bad books of analysts as he is also accused of twisting facts to suit political motives on more than one occasion. In June 2013, when Narendra Modi’s was appointed as the chairman of the national campaign committee, L K Advani submitted his resignation escalating his objection against Modi’s appointment. But the BJP leadership remained rigid on its choice to put Modi in front of 2014 campaign. A self-made man Besides being a revered orator and a prolific writer, he is also a caring son and a man with his brand of humour. Those who have associated with him for long are of the opinion that the idea of power is exciting to him. Next time you wonder how he could garner so much of national attention, think of this. He underwent a rigorous training in the US on public relations and image  management. When it comes to taking lessons on brand building, Modi says there’s no greater inspiration than Mahatma Gandhi. His eulogies about Gandhi come from the fact that â€Å"He spoke of Ahimsa but carried a stick. He never wore a cap but the world wears a Gandhi Topi.† Modi’s careful metamorphosis from a Hindutva party man to a pro-development leader and change maker speaks volumes for his image-building ability. His 2-year long escapade into the Himalayas and co-mingling with the yogic sadhus gave him a fair understanding of Hinduism. That partly explains why people listen to him in rapt attention when he talks of ideologies. Face of Development – Favorite among the leaders of India Inc. Modi frequently refers to his P2G2 (Pro-people good governance) formula to substantiate his claims on holistic development. Some observers are of the opinion that Gujarat has been able to improve its agricultural output despite being a semi-arid state. The credit is given to the Gujarat government’s measures to scale up groundwater projects and initiatives to increase the use of micro-irrigation. India Inc. is almost unanimous in their verdict. They want Narendra Modi as the next PM. Reason? They seek a strong leadership that has a clear roadmap and actionable plans ready for execution. Indian business leaders from Ratan Tata to Mukesh Ambani seem to be convinced that for India to come out of its Gross Domestic Paralysis, a visionary and decisive leadership is essential. Empirical evidence suggests that Gujarat has been able to position itself as a lucrative destination for investment. Under his aegis, according to a political commentator, the level of corruption receded and technology parks have seen the light of the day. His iconic call for â€Å"Minimum Government and Maximum Governance† has frequently struck the chord with the masses. With so many brand images of Narendra Modi existing in a juxtaposed manner, it is to be seen which one suits his greater agenda and helps him in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Athenian Democracy 4 Essay

Who really made our type of government? We surely didn’t. It was amazingly the people of Athens. It started in 508 BC and is still around as we use it. It remains a unique and intriguing experiment in direct democracy where the people do not elect representatives to vote on their behalf but vote on legislation and executive bills in their own right Participation was not at all open, but the in-group of participants was constituted with no reference to economic class and they participated on a scale that was truly phenomenal. The public opinion of voters was remarkably influenced by the political satire performed by the comic poets at the theaters. Only adult male Athenian citizens who had completed their military training as ephebes had the right to vote in Athens. We have had that and many other laws changed around the government. In our government every few years the people vote on new people to represent them, hence the name â€Å"Representative† Democracy. However the Athenian people also voted on some of their leaders but that was done in the Agora, which is where every male land owner who is over the age of twenty would meet. This meeting was called the assembly. The assembly could be best related to our State Representatives. Then just above them was the council of 500, who monitored the assembly and gave them topics to discuss, as well as bills to vote on. Above the council of 500 come the Magistrates. The Magistrates job can be best described as the â€Å"Police in the Government. † Their job is to ensure that all the laws are being followed and act accordingly when they are not. The Magistrates, despite the amount of power that they hold, are still not the highest government official in the Athenian democracy, after them comes the Council of the 10 Generals. The Council of 10 Generals was in charge of the military. The Athens didn’t start by being a democratic city. It was started by Cleisthenes whose reforms turned Athens from an oligarchy (government by the few) to a democracy (government of the people). The key to Athenian democracy was Cleisthenes redrawing of the social-political landscape of Athens and Attica. The chief magistrate of the city was often called the Archon eponymous or ruler. His responsibilities included conducting investigations of legal cases, in particular those that involved the state. He was responsible for protecting the orphans and heiresses with no family and to appoint the choregos who was in charge of organizing the religious festivals. The move towards democracy reflects other changes in society. In the prehistoric period, throughout Greece, aristocratic families have provided the main fighting force, as cavalry. In the seventh century the Greek city-states develop the new military idea of the heavily armed soldier, the hoplite. A remorseless phalanx of hoplites becomes as effective on the battlefield as the tank in modern times. These soldiers provide their own weapons and armor, but this is expensive. Several of the Greek oligarchies, including that of Athens in the sixth century, reflect the power of this middle class of citizens. A strategic change of direction by Athens, early in the fifth century, gives these poorer citizens a new power. The military effort is diverted into building up an Athenian navy. Triremes, the fast warships of the time, need men to row them. Suddenly every citizen has a part to play, and the crews of a fleet of warships have a self-evident political strength. A more radical democracy, introduced by Pericles in 462, is almost an inevitable result. Approximately one hundred officials out of a thousand were elected rather than chosen by lot. There were two main categories in this group: those required to handle large sums of money, and the 10 generals, the strategy. One reason that financial officials were elected was that any money embezzled could be recovered from their estates; election in general strongly favored the rich, but in this case wealth was virtually a prerequisite. Generals were elected not only because their role required expert knowledge but also because they needed to be people with experience and contacts in the wider Greek world where wars were fought. In the fifth century BC, principally as seen through the figure of Pericles, the generals could be among the most powerful people in the polis. Yet in the case of Pericles, it is wrong to see his power as coming from his long series of annual generalships (each year along with nine others). His office holding was rather an expression and a result of the influence he wielded. That influence was based on his relation with the assembly, a relation that first lay simply in the right of any citizen to stand and speak before the people. Under the fourth century version of democracy the roles of general and of key political speaker in the assembly tended to be filled by different persons. In part this was a consequence of the increasingly specialized forms of warfare practiced in the later period. Elected officials too were subject to review before holding office and scrutiny after office. They too could be removed from office any time the assembly met. In one case from the fifth century BC the 10 treasurers of the Delian league (the Hellenotamiai) were accused at their scrutinies of misappropriation of funds. Put on trial, they were condemned and executed one by one until before the trial of the tenth and last an error of accounting was discovered, allowing him to go free.