The Truth Regarding Puppy Mills Free Essays

Page 2 Puppy mills have long been a problem in the United States, specifically the Midwest region. Puppy mill dogs live in cages 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The dogs’ only purpose in life is â€Å"to sit in a cage, constantly producing more puppies to make a profit for their owners† (Best Friends Network, 2007). We will write a custom essay sample on The Truth Regarding Puppy Mills or any similar topic only for you Order Now The dogs have little to no human interaction. Puppy mills are licensed facilities, which mass-produce puppies for pet stores and/or auctions, and should be banned due to the horrible conditions in which the animals live; they are bred repeatedly, and often killed when having outlived their usefulness. According to Pet Shop Puppies (n. d. ), Congress enacted the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The AWA was meant to protect the animals, but instead opened up the door for dog farms. This act changed the definition of dogs from pets to livestock. Today we have moved up from dog farms to puppy mills. Puppy mills breed dogs repeatedly and have turned breeding into a multi-million dollar industry. Best Friends Network states there is an estimated 6,000 licensed puppy mills breeding approximately 500,000 dogs each year with an unknown amount of unlicensed facilities (The Skinny On Puppy Mills section, final paragraph). Puppy mill owners breed dogs, sell the offspring to pet stores and auction houses. The puppies are sent to auction to be sold to the highest bidder in order for other puppy mills to be able to continue the breeding cycle. When puppy mills run out of new dogs to breed, they will begin breeding mother to son, daughter to father, etc. creating inbreeding. Inbreeding causes many genetic problems for any breed. Page 3 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires minimum standards for puppy mills, breeders, and rescues. According to Prisoners of Greed (n. ), the cages are required to be six inches longer, wider, and taller than the dog inside. The cages have to be made of coated wire. This coated wire cuts into the paws of the dogs causing severe infection, loss of limbs, and sometimes death. The USDA does not require dogs to be exercised. There is no requirement as to how clean the cages have to be kept. Often, the dog cages are stacked on top of one another to save space. The dog’s feces and urine drops through the coated wire bottom onto the dog(s) below. There are many differences between puppy mills and licensed rofessional breeders. A professional breeder only breeds to improve or sustain the breed. Puppy mills breed for purely profit. Professional breeders will only breed their dogs a maximum of once a year. Some breeders only breed their bitches every other year. Puppy mills breed their dogs repeatedly. When a person purchases a puppy from a professional breeder, the facilities, which the parent dogs live, is available for a tour. Puppy mills wholesale their puppies to stores and auction houses only. Puppy mills and private auctions are not licensed to sell directly to the public. This means the purchaser is unable to see the conditions of which the parent dogs live. Professional breeders will retire their dogs once they are too old to be used for reproduction. Retirement means these dogs get to live out their life as a family pet. Puppy mills kill the dogs, dump them on the side of the road, give them away, or send them to animal control once they are not able to reproduce. According to the USDA, animal control is not required to keep a surrendered dog for any length of time. Animal control is free to euthanize the animal when the owner brings them in. Page 4 The USDA has many responsibilities. The USDA is responsible for inspecting yearly all professional breeders, puppy mills, and rescues. When the USDA inspects the officer is required to enforce the federal AWA. The USDA does not always fine or shut down puppy mills when the officer discovers a violation. These facilities are allowed to continue to operate while the animals are kept in poor conditions. According to Prisoners of Greed (n. d. ) â€Å"there are over 4,000 federally licensed breeding kennels†. In Susan Montee’s report (2008), Missouri State Auditor, the USDA â€Å"failed to inspect 1,111 of 2,769 licensed animal care facilities in 2006. The same report states only 27% of licensed facilities were inspected in 2004. In Claire McCaskill’s report (2004), Missouri State Auditor, the USDA has received three negative reports in the last seven years. These reports inspections by the Missouri State Auditor happen every other year. The issue being the USDA is required annually to inspect every li censed animal care facility and is not even inspecting half. Puppy mills treat their dogs like livestock. The dogs live in small cages, stacked on top of each other, with a coated wire bottom cutting into their feet. The dogs breed repeatedly with no attention paid to genetic defects. Sick puppies are often produced and sold to pet stores. These pet stores in turn sell the sick puppies to the public (S. Rhoades, personal interview, June 7, 2009). There are people, which have the mindset of only buying from pet stores because they only want a purebred puppy, and do not want to pay the prices professional breeders charge. (S. Rhoades June 7, 2009) There are many pure bred dogs on death row at animal shelters all over the Midwest. (S. Rhoades, personal interview, June 7, 2009) It is important the general public knows the truth regarding where that cute puppy was born, and where its parents live. (S. Rhoades, personal interview, June 7, 2009) There are also breed specific rescues, which have Page 5 only purebred puppies and dogs for adoption. As long as we have dogs on death row do not breed or buy, adopt from the local animal shelter or rescue. (S. Rhoades, personal interview, June 7, 2009) Page 6 References Best Friends Network, The Skinny on Puppy Mills [A. Abern]. (October 20, 2007) http://network. estfriends. org/puppymillrescue/news/19928. html Pet Shop Puppies, Incorporated ( n. d. ). The Joy of a Puppy. Brochure distributed by Pet Shop Pet Shop Puppies, Incorporated [no author]. (2004-2009). The Truth Behind Pet Store Puppies. June 3, 2009, http://www. petshoppuppies. org/psppuppymills. htm Prisoners of Greed [no author]. (n. d. ). Puppymills Breed Misery. June 3, 2009, http://www. prisonersofgreed. org/Com mercial-kennel-facts. html Rhoades, S. (June 7, 2009). Personal interview with S. Rhoades, Follow Me Home Animal Rescue and Sanctuary, http://www. followmehome. org How to cite The Truth Regarding Puppy Mills, Papers

Essay on Elements of Management

Question: Write about theEssay on Elements of Management. Answer: Introduction Organizations formulate ways and strategies that aim at improving their overall performance. Analyzing their human and material resources is an essential step to achieving their goals and objectives. However, the management of some organizations fails to formulate policies and measures that control the behavioral patterns of individuals (Abadi, et al. 2011, 157-169). Thus, they are unable to manage their employees effectively. Therefore, it is important to determine the various elements of management that influence the behavior of supervisors, subordinates, and our peers. Maintaining a shared workforce that focuses on improving the performance is a must do the task, although personality factor brings conflict between individual and organization behavior. In this report, motivation, individual differences, conflict and change management are the key elements discussed to evaluate their influence on employees effort and behavior (Abadi, et al. 2011, 157-169). Understanding the different styles and skills of people helps management in getting the right people to a particular job title and at the end improve work performance and achievement of the set goals and objectives. The report has provided an in-depth analysis and evaluation of motivation, conflicts, individual differences and change as elements of management. Motivation Motivation is a key determinant of the behavior in a given organization. Employees should be motivated to arouse them towards certain goal directors, but the question remains, how the management reinforce such an action. Various definitions and theories of motivation have been developed by different scholars such as Maslow, who established the need hierarchy theory (Abadi, et al. 2011, p.157-169). Such approaches provide detailed explanations on how to motivate the employee to improve the performance of organizations, but their practical applications in real life of a business environment become cumbersome. Use of intrinsic motivations by management gives personal satisfaction, hence leading to individual recognition, trust, empowerment, and good relations among the employees in various departments. However, intrinsic motivations are applicable when employees take their tasks and duties to be routine and bureaucratic and where there they perceive that it is paramount to comply with r ules and procedures. Extrinsic motivations such as bonuses, salary raise, gifts, and promotions also play a significant role in inspiring the firms workforce (Slocum and Hellriegel, 2007). People always put more effort to improve their performance when they are sure of material rewards. The management of an organization should ensure that they motivate their employees in a hierarchical order as described by Maslows theory. The employees behavior is influenced by the ability to satisfy basic needs first before moving to a different level (Khan, et al. 2010, p.37-52). A persons paycheck can be used to meet the psychological needs, but it is crucial to ensure that such pay meets safety and esteem need as well. However, this theory may be challenging to apply in real life situations because what one perceives to be a basic need may be a luxury to another person. Therefore, not all categories of the members can be fully satisfied. Individual needs cannot be the only motivators as several elements can encourage a person to work efficiently to improve the performance of the firm. The two-factor theory of Fredrick Herzberg has approached motivation in two perspectives, motivators and hygiene. Its hard to classify since people attribute the causes of satisfaction to themselves and blaming a given situation that occurs to be the cause of dissatisfaction (Josse Robert, 2007, p.605-624.) Although the theory has various limitations, managers can use its concepts to improve the working environment so as to motivate their employees. They should not solely focus on only hygiene factors look at other ways of enriching the jobs such as greater responsibilities and challenging work. Life experiences have led to individuals acquiring a need for achievement, affiliation, and power. This argument is as per the acquired needs theory of McClellands (Greguras Diefendorff, 2009, p.465-477). Such combination of requirements influences the behavior of employees in an organization. Individuals with high need of achievement always prefer doing tasks for themselves and not delegating them to subordinates. Therefore it is not simple for them to perform the managerial activities that involve coaching and holding meetings. The outcomes of a person regarding rewards should be proportional to inputs. When there is the perception of inequity among the working staff, they will tend to reduce their inputs and quality of their duties. This explanation is derived from Adams equity theory which specifies that people with same qualifications and efforts should be rewarded equally (Chowdhury, 2007, p.238-243). Individual Differences Individual differences affect all the areas of an organization including behaviors, perceptions and interactions and influence how people respond to change and productivity in the organization Gully, S., Chen, 2010, p.3-22). Diversity, perceptions, emotions, attitudes, personality, abilities and skills are the elements of individual differences that impact workplace behavior either negatively or positively. If management wants to improve the performance, they have to understand and take into consideration peoples drives, and desires operate (Bauer, et al. 2007, p.707-721). Therefore it is not easy to motivate two different people using the same methods. The values a person accumulates throughout the life experiences affect how he/she makes decisions regarding assigned duties and responsibilities in an organization and their actual behaviors. Value attainment leads to satisfaction and as a result motivate people to work efficiently to achieve the set goals and objectives (Fritzche, 2 007, p.335-343). Although, it is difficult for managers to select which personal values should be sacrificed to achieve consistent values among employees. Understanding employees personalities such as openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism help a manager to effectively manage organizational behavior. Encouraging openness among people in the workplace leads to high adaptability to change and team experience (Suar Khuntia, 2010). Management should be cautious of the extent of openness as it can result in poor performance. Employees can end up spending much of their time with their friends and fail to perform their tasks and duties (Blader, 2007, p.108-126). Highly conscious personnel tend to focus on improving their performance. It is complex for managers to correctly maintain a lasting between personality and behavior of individuals since personality traits are inborn. Additionally, it is difficult to predict job performance using a character as one may portray to be open and extravagant, but as time goes, such behavior diminishes and ends a being a cause of conflicts in an organization. Effective application of the abilities and skills of individuals contribute to the success of a firm. They influence how one feels concerning an assigned task (Borghans, et al. 2008, p.972-1059). In the selection of employees, personality traits of a person help in predicting the work behavior of the individual and how he/she can influence other staff in bringing either positive or negative outcome. It is hard to manage employees with low self-esteem as a negative feedback by managers aimed at improving their performance can be viewed as underestimating their worth as subordinates. Self-monitoring is also a personality trait should be encouraged among employees. Despite the vital role self-monitoring plays, it has limitations too. How can a person monitor the actions at the same time focus on avoiding confrontations from the authority due to either underperformance or misrepresentations? It is quite difficult, and therefore self-monitored people may use a certain situation as a stepp ing stone to move to a different level or organization. Conflict Conflict is an element that is inevitable by the managers of an organization. The various types of conflicts that occur may result in either negative or positive outcome. It can lead to maladjusted behavior among the employees of the organization (Cropanzano, et al. 2007, p.34-38). Various strategies have been established that management team can use to neutralize the conflict that may exist with their employees. They include; when wages are paid on a regular basis, workers are expected to perform duties more efficiently. However, delay of payments cause strikes and lack of devotion. According to Skinners theory of motivation, rewarding individuals basing on spectacular performance encourages excellent performance and doing it more exceptionally and repeatedly without causing conflicts (Danish Usman, 2010, p.159-167). Provision of free training and participation in decision making motivates employees to be more productive and develop a behavior that enhances the image of an organization. Establishing conflict resolution techniques such as negotiation and arbitration can enhance peaceful coexistence among the workforce and thus improve their morale in job performance (Bauer, et al. 2007, p.707-721). Such resolution methods should be accompanied by other measures or else they will not have any impact on the overall performance. The measures may include; establishment of an enabling working environment, recreation facilities and canteen services and computerized communication networks. Therefore, managers need to analyze the various sources, causes, and consequences of disagreements so as to establish an enriching and conflict free working environment. Understanding the basics of human recognition will enhance their management of employees (Cropanzano, et al. 2007, p. 34-38). The values and personality traits need to be aligned with the organization vision and mission so as to establish a behavior that encourages efficient work performance. Change Management Managing change is a significant part of the tasks of managers. Therefore, when implementing changes, such advanced methods of production ensure that all people including employees are involved in the process. Participation of employees can lead efficient utilization of resources and efficiency on duties given as they shall respond positively to the change (Bauer, et al. 2007, p.707-721). Besides, there is reduced labor reductions, willingness to contribute, and reduced staff turnover. The rapid changes in the workplaces call for employee satisfaction. However, this function of management is more complex as employees motivations change from time to time. Moreover, also, various researches have made assumptions that as income of employees increase, money cannot continue motivating them to work more. Also, as they become older their interest to work is the motivator (Beier, Kanfer 2010, p.65-98). However, one person may treat a given change to be unfair while the other one perceives it to be fair, as a result contradicting opinions arise within the work environment. The management uses concepts from reinforcement theory by Skinners to either reward or punishes employees behavior that gives positive or negative outcomes respectively. However, how can one be sure that after rewarding a certain behavior the person will repeat it? It is not an excellent way of encouraging positive behaviors that lead to improvement in overall performance. Task performance is linked to goal setting. Establishment of new targets and the appropriate changes required gives employees direction on what should be done to improve performance. They help in developing a desirable behavior of employees who focus on attaining the set goals and objectives. However, when people set their goals, they may end up conflicting with management goal, according to Lockes goal setting theory (Mani, 2010, p.129-139). Change management helps to determine challenging task and hence, fit with the social environment in which they operate (Bauer, et al. 2007, p.707-721). When managing it is good to put in mind Katters steps to successful changes, which include, increasing the urgency, empowering actions, make the change to stick, getting the vision right and creating short-term wins. However, before applying such techniques try to understand how they people will respond to the change. How a person communicates the recommended changes to the affected individuals substantially determines the feedback in the long run. Conclusion In summary, to improve performance level in the organization, the management should motivate their employees, try to neutralize individual differences and conflicts. Motivated workforce focus on creativity, innovation and zeal components that aim at pushing the firm to a higher level. Satisfied employees tend to portray behaviors that enhance the image of the enterprise and as a result attracting more labor force and reducing personnel turnover and strikes due to various conflicts emanating from individual indifferences. References Abadi, F. E., Jalilvand, M. R., Sharif, M., Salimi, G. A., Khanzadeh, S. A. (2011). A Study of Influential Factors on Employees Motivation for Participating in the In-Service Training Courses Based on Modified Expectancy Theory. International Business and Management, 2(1), 157-169. Slocum J.W., and Hellriegel, D. (2007). Fundamentals of organizational behavior; Thomson south Western publishers; Printed in China Bauer, T. N., Bodner, T., Erdogan, B., Truxillo, D. M., Tucker, J. S. (2007). Newcomer adjustment during organizational socialization: A meta-analytic review of antecedents, outcomes, and methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 707721 Beier, M. E., Kanfer, R. (2010). Motivation in training and development: A phase perspective. In S. W. J. Kozlowski E. Salas (Eds.), Learning, training, and development in organizations (pp. 65-98). New York: Routledge. Blader, S. L. (2007). What leads organizational members to collectivize? Injustice and identification as precursors of union certification. Organization Science, 18, 108126. Borghans,L., Duckworth, A.L.,Heckman, J.j., ter Weel,B.(2008).The economics and psychology of personality traits. Journal of Human Resources, 43,972?1059. Chowdhury, M. S., (2007). Enhancing Motivation and Work Performance of the Salespeople: The Impact of Supervisors Behavior. African Journal of Business Management, 1(9), 238-243. Cropanzano, R., Bowen, D. E., Gilliland, S. W. (2007). The management of organizational justice. Academy of Management Perspectives, 21, 3448 Danish, R. Q., Usman, A., (2010). Impact of Reward and Recognition on job Satisfaction and Motivation: An Empirical Study from Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Management, 5(2), 159-167 Fritzche, D. J. (2007). Personal values influence on the ethical dimension of decision making. Journal of Business Ethics, 75, 335-343. Greguras, G. J., Diefendorff, J. M. (2009). Different fits satisfy different needs: Linking person-environment fit to employee commitment and performance using self-determination theory. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 465-477. Gully, S., Chen, G. (2010). Individual differences, attribute-treatment interactions, and training outcomes. In S. W. J. Kozlowski E. Salas (Eds.), Learning, training, and development in organizations (pp. 3-22). New York: Routledge. Josse, D., Robert, D. (2007). Signaling and screening of workers motivation. Journal of Economic Behaviour Organization., 62: 605624. Khan, K. U., Farooq, S. U., Ullah, M. I., (2010). The Relationship between Rewards and Employee Motivation in Commercial Banks of Pakistan. Research Journal of International Studies, 14, 37-52 Mani, V., (2010). Development of Employee Satisfaction Index Scorecard. European Journal of Social Sciences, 15(1), 129-139 Suar, D., Khuntia, R. (2010). Influence of personal values and value congruence on unethical practices and work behavior.

Behavioural Skills in Business free essay sample

Role of managers Report By Caroline McNaught Role of managers Report By Caroline McNaught CONTENTS * Analyse Jess’s role as manager of the Customer Engagement team using appropriate management and leadership theories. * Analyse how assertiveness, influencing and negotiating techniques could be used with reference to specific team members and show why the techniques proposed might be effective in this situation. * Identify potential sources of conflict within her team and the effects of these conflicts. Provide techniques to assist Jess in the management of these conflicts. Consider approaches to managing meetings and make suggestions that may help Jess in her management and conduct of team meetings. * Outline techniques that may help Jess manage her time. * Identify and deal with the stress that Jess currently faces. * Provide approaches that may assist Jess in managing problems and enhance her decision making skills. * References Introduction My name is Caroline McNaught and currently I am a mentor for Jess Green who is a newly appointed manager for the New Customer Engagement team of Balance Banking PLC. We will write a custom essay sample on Behavioural Skills in Business or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I have been asked to write a report regarding Jess’s role as manager and some of the obstacles that have been getting in the way of her being able to do her job efficiently. These include lifting team morale, managing conflicts within her team, approaches to managing meetings, time management and dealing with stress. The aim of this report is to inform Jess of some techniques that can be used effectively to help her in her new position. Analyse Jess’s role as manager of the Customer Engagement team using appropriate management and leadership theories. Jess’s role as manager is to ensure that the performance of her team is geared towards achieving the strategic objectives of the organisation. These are: * To achieve financial security and return to profit. * To become a place of choice for employees. * To create an open and transparent management style. * To focus on customer and shareholder needs. * To focus on long-term quality profitability. * To create a new business mix and manage the business risk. Unfortunately for Jess, not all of her team are performing very well. Some of them are reluctant to embrace the changes that have occurred since the restructuring of the organisation. For Jess to be able to achieve the goals of the organisation then she must look at the alternate ways of managing her team. In reality, Jess’s role of manager changes every day into many different roles. Some of these roles include being a planner, organiser, negotiator, leader and representing her team at board meetings. As tasks and situations change Jess has to be able to keep up with these changes herself. In today’s society being a manager has many more obstacles to overcome than earlier years. With new technology, globalisation and the changing marketplace being just a few of these obstacles faced today. Many theorists have different views on the role of manager. In 1916, Henri Fayols book Administration Industrielle et Generale was first published. From Fayols observations of managers he concluded that every managerial job contained the same five elements. These elements are: * Planning * Organising * Commanding * Co-ordinating * Controlling ( H. Fayol, 1916) Fayols framework for looking at what a manager does is still valid today. By planning, organising, co-ordinating and commanding then Jess may be able to take control of her team in a more productive way. Henry Mintzberg is another theorist who studied the activities of managers and identified 10 roles common to the work of all managers. Mintzberg published his book, â€Å"Mintzberg on Management: Inside our Strange World of Organisations,† in 1990. The ten roles are: 1. Figurehead. 2. Leader. 3. Liaison. 4. Monitor. 5. Disseminator. 6. Spokesperson.

Nixon and the Watergate Scandal free essay sample

Watergate Scandal Victoria Daniele Constitutional History May 19, 2013 The Watergate Scandal involved a number of illegal activities that were designed to help President Richard Nixon win re-election. The scandal involved burglary, wiretapping, campaign financing violations, and the use of government agencies to harm political opponents. A major part of the scandal was also the cover-up of all these illegal actions. The Watergate Scandal got its name from the Watergate office complex in Washington, D. C. This large office building was the home of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters, and the site of the break-in that began the largest scandal in American politics. However, even before the break-in, President Nixon had begun illegal operations. In January 1972, G. Gordon Liddy[-gt;0], general counsel to the Committee for the Re-Election of the President[-gt;1] (CRP), presented a campaign intelligence plan to CRPs Acting Chairman Jeb Stuart Magruder[-gt;2], Attorney General John Mitchell[-gt;3], and Presidential Counsel John Dean[-gt;4], that involved extensive illegal activities against the Democratic Party[-gt;5]. We will write a custom essay sample on Nixon and the Watergate Scandal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mitchell viewed the plan as unrealistic, but two months later was alleged to have approved a reduced version of the plan which involved burgling the Democratic National Committees (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate Complex[-gt;6] in Washington, D. C. The ostensible purpose of this was to photograph documents and install listening devices. Liddy was nominally in charge of the operation, but has since insisted that he was duped by Dean and at least two of his subordinates. These included former CIA officers E. Howard Hunt[-gt;7] and James McCord[-gt;8], then CRP-Security Coordinator; John Mitchell had by then resigned as Attorney General to become chairman of the CRP. WATERGATE RETROSPECTIVE: THE DECLINE AND FALL[-gt;9], Time Magazine, August 19, 1974 After two attempts to break into the Watergate Complex failed to yield information of value, the order for yet another break-in was given to Liddy by Jeb Magruder, either acting on his own or on orders from Dean. Shortly after midnight on June 17, 1972, Frank Wills[-gt;10], a security guard at the Watergate Complex, noticed tape overing the latches on doors in the complex (allowing the doors to close but remain unlocked). He removed the tape and thought nothing of it. Wills returned an hour later and discovered that someone had re-taped the locks, which he then called the police. Five men were discovered and arrested inside the DNCs office. WATERGATE RETROSPECTIVE: THE DECLINE AND FALL[-gt;11], Time Magazine, August 19, 1974 The five men were Virgilio Gonzalez, Bernard Barker[-gt;12], James McCord, Eugenio Martinez[-gt;13], and Frank Sturgis[-gt;14], who were charged with attempted burglary and attempted interception of telephone and other communications. On September 15, a grand jury[-gt;15] indicted them, as well as Hunt and Liddy,Watergate: chronology of a crisis 1. Washington D. C. : Congressional Quarterly Inc. p. 4. ISBN[-gt;16] 0-87187-059-2[-gt;17]. OCLC[-gt;18] 20974031[-gt;19] for conspiracy, burglary, and violation of federal wiretapping laws. The five burglars who broke into the office were tried by Judge John Sirica[-gt;20] and convicted on January 30, 1973. Throughout the next few months this minor break-in turned into a full blown political scandal. When first questioned about the situation in early 1973, Nixon denied all allegations that either he or any White House official was linked to the break-in. Later that year evidence was uncovered that linked several White House officials to the break-in, and/or the cover-up and concealment of the evidence. This information indicated that White House officials had attempted to involve the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the cover-up. The FBI connected cash found on the burglars to a slush fund[-gt;21] used by the Committee for the Re-Election of the President[-gt;22], the official organization of Nixons campaign. Watergate: chronology of a crisis 1. Washington D. C. : Congressional Quarterly Inc. pp. 8 133 140 180 188. ISBN[-gt;23] 0-87187-059-2[-gt;24]. OCLC[-gt;25] 20974031[-gt;26]. This book is volume one of a two-volume set. Both volumes share the same ISBN and Library of Congress call number, E859 . C62 1973The Smoking Gun Tape[-gt;27] (Transcript of the recording of a meeting between President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman). Watergate. info website. June 23, 1972. Retrieved 2013-05-03. In July 1973, as evidence mounted against the presidents staff, including testimony provided by former staff members in an investigation conducted by the Senate Watergate Committee[-gt;28], it was revealed that President Nixon had a tape-recording system in his offices and he had recorded[-gt;29] many conversations. The Watergate hearings: break-in and cover-up; proceedings. New York: Viking Press. ISBN[-gt;30] 0-670-75152-9[-gt;31]. The White House Transcripts. New York: Viking Press. ISBN[-gt;32] 0-670-76324-1[-gt;33]. OCLC[-gt;34] 1095702[-gt;35] Recordings from these tapes implicated the president, revealing he had attempted to cover up the questionable (and illegal) events that had taken place after the break-in. The Smoking Gun Tape[-gt;36] (Transcript of the recording of a meeting between President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman). Watergate. info website. June 23, 1972. Retrieved 2013-04-18. Breach of Faith: The Fall of Richard Nixon. New York: Atheneum Publishers. pp. 7. ISBN[-gt;37] 0-689-10658-0[-gt;38]. In April of 1973, special prosecutor Archibald Cox was appointed to handle the case. Presidential Council, John W. Dean III became the chief witness against President Nixon in the court hearings. In the trial Dean admitted that he was a major part of the scandal and that Nixon did in fact know of the illegal activities being committed by his administration. Dean also testified that Nixon’s Administration had planned to use the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other government agencies to punish people who the White House had placed on a so-called enemies-lists. Dean served four months in prison for his part in the Watergate Scandal, but through his testimony a new door was opened into the scandal. Through further investigation it was discovered by Alexander P. Butterfield that President Nixon had made tape recordings of conversations with White House officials. When asked to release the tapes Nixon refused saying that he had a Constitutional right to keep the tapes confidential. He was later ordered by the court to hand the tapes over. Nixon offered to provide summaries of all the tapes but his idea was rejected and he was again ordered to hand over the original tapes. Infuriated by the court’s decision he ordered his Attorney General and his Deputy Attorney General to fire Cox. For their refusal to dismiss Cox, both Attorney General, Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General, William Ruckelshaus were fired. This series of dismissals by Nixon became known as the Saturday Night Massacre. When Cox was fired, Leon Jaworski was appointed to take his place. The firing of Cox however, did not work to Nixon’s advantage. In April of 1974, Jaworski ordered Nixon to release the tape recordings and documents of sixty-four White House conversations. By the end of April, Nixon had released 1,254 pages of transcripts from White House conversations. Jaworski however, was not satisfied; he wanted the original tapes. After a protracted series of bitter court battles, the U. S. Supreme Court[-gt;39] unanimously ruled that the president had to hand over the tapes to government investigators; and Nixon he ultimately complied. With the tapes at hand, Jaworski began the Watergate trial. In March of 1974, seven of Nixon’s former members of his administration and re-election committee were charged with conspiracy in the cover-up of the Watergate break-in. Among the seven were John D. Echrlichman, H. R. Haldeman, and John N. Mitchell. They were all found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury. They were sentenced to two and a half to eight years in prison. Their prison terms were later reduced to just one to four years. G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt were also indicted for their involvement as plumbers and for their involvement in the break-in and cover-up of the scandal. They too were sentenced to one to four years in prison. In July 1974, the House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach President Nixon. They adopted three articles of impeachment: obstruction of justice, abusing presidential powers, and illegally withholding evidence from the judiciary committee. On August 5, 1974 Nixon released the final three transcripts of the White House conversations. These final three transcripts dated back to six days after the break-in. They revealed that Nixon had ordered the FBI to abandon its investigation of the break-in. Nixon ordered them to close the investigation for he feared that the FBI would discover the involvement of his campaign committee. After the release of the final three tapes Nixon lost nearly all his support in Congress and Nixon’s top aides advised him to resign the presidency. On August 9, 1974 President Richard M. Nixon followed their advice and resigned from the presidency to avoid being removed from office. Vice President Gerald R. Ford was sworn into office the same day. On September 8, 1974 President Ford pardoned Nixon of all federal crimes that he had committed while serving as the President of the United States. With President Nixons resignation, Congress dropped its impeachment proceedings. Criminal prosecution was still a possibility both on the Federal and State level. The Legal Aftermath Citizen Nixon and the Law[-gt;40]. TIME. August 19, 1974. Retrieved 2013-05-03. Nixon was succeeded[-gt;41] by Vice President Gerald Ford[-gt;42] as President, who on September 8, 1974, issued a full and unconditional pardon[-gt;43] of Nixon, immunizing him from prosecution for any crimes he had †¦committed or may have committed or taken part in†¦ as president. Gerald Fords Proclamation Granting a Pardon to Richard Nixon[-gt;44]. Ford. utexas. edu. Retrieved 2013-04-18. In a televised broadcast to the nation, Ford explained that he felt the pardon was in the best interest of the country. Ford also said that the Nixon familys situation †¦is an American tragedy in which we all have played a part. It could go on and on and on, or someone must write the end to it. I have concluded that only I can do that, and if I can, I must. Gerald R. Ford Pardoning Richard Nixon. Great Speeches Collection. The History Place. Retrieved 2013-05-03. Nixon proclaimed his innocence until his death in 1994. In his official response to the pardon, he said that he was wrong in not acting more decisively in dealing with Watergate, particularly when it reached the stage of judicial proceedings and grew from a political scandal into a national tragedy. Some commentators have argued that pardoning Nixon contributed to President Fords loss of the presidential election of 1976[-gt;45]. ( Shane, Scott. For Ford, Pardon Decision Was Always Clear-Cut. The New York Times. p. A1. ) Allegations of a secret deal made with Ford, promising a pardon in return for Nixons resignation, led Ford to testify before the House Judiciary Committee[-gt;46] on October 17, 1974. Silent coup: the removal of a president. New York: St. Martins Press. p. 420. ISBN[-gt;47] 0-312-05156-5[-gt;48]. OCLC[-gt;49] 22493143[-gt;50]. A time to heal: the autobiography of Gerald R. Ford. San Francisco: Harper Row. pp. 196–199. ISBN 0-06-011297-2[-gt;51]. In his autobiography A Time to Heal, Ford wrote about a meeting he had with Nixons Chief of Staff, Alexander Haig[-gt;52]. Haig was explaining what he and Nixons staff thought were Nixons only options. He could try to ride out the impeachment and fight against conviction in the Senate, or he could resign. Nixon’s options for resigning were to delay his resignation until further along in the impeachment process to try and settle for a censure vote in Congress, or to pardon himself and then resign. Haig told Ford that some of Nixons staff suggested that Nixon could agree to resign in return for an agreement that Ford would pardon him. The effect on the 1974 Senate election[-gt;53] and House election[-gt;54] three months later was significant[-gt;55]. The Democrats gained five seats in the Senate and forty-nine in the House. Watergate led to Congress passing legislation making changes in rules for campaign financing. The scandal contributed to Congress amending the Freedom of Information Act[-gt;56] in 1974, as well as to laws requiring new financial disclosures by key government officials, such as the Ethics in Government Act[-gt;57]. While not legally required, other types of personal disclosure, such as releasing recent income tax forms, became expected. Presidents since Franklin D. Roosevelt[-gt;58] had recorded many of their conversations, but after Watergate, this practice purportedly ended.

A Beginners Guide to the Enlightenment

A Beginners Guide to the Enlightenment The Enlightenment has been defined in many different ways, but at its broadest was a philosophical, intellectual and cultural movement of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It stressed reason, logic, criticism, and freedom of thought over dogma, blind faith, and superstition. Logic wasn’t a new invention, having been used by the ancient Greeks, but it was now included in a worldview which argued that empirical observation and the examination of human life could reveal the truth behind human society and self, as well as the universe. All were deemed to be rational and understandable. The Enlightenment held that there could be a science of man  and that the history of mankind was one of progress, which could be continued with the right thinking. Consequently, the Enlightenment also argued that human life and character could be improved through the use of education and reason. The mechanistic universe – that is to say, the universe when considered to be a functioning machine – could also be altered. The Enlightenment thus brought interested thinkers into direct conflict with the political and religious establishment; these thinkers have even been described as intellectual â€Å"terrorists† against the norm. They challenged religion with the scientific method, often instead favoring deism. The Enlightenment thinkers wanted to do more than understand, they wanted to change for, as they believed, the better: they thought reason and science would improve lives. When Was the Enlightenment? There is no definitive starting or ending point for the Enlightenment, which leads many works to simply say it was a seventeenth and eighteenth-century phenomena. Certainly, the key era was the second half of the seventeenth century and almost all of the eighteenth. When historians have given dates, the English Civil wars and revolutions are sometimes given as the start, as they influenced Thomas Hobbes and one of the Enlightenment’s (and indeed Europe’s) key political works, Leviathan. Hobbes felt that the old political system had contributed to the bloody civil wars and searched for a new one, based on the rationality of scientific inquiry. The end is usually given as either the death of Voltaire, one of the key Enlightenment figures, or the start of the French Revolution. This is often claimed to have marked the downfall of the Enlightenment, as attempts to rework Europe into a more logical and egalitarian system collapsed into bloodshed which killed leading writers. Its possible to say that we are still in the Enlightenment, as we still have many of the benefits of their development, but Ive also seen it said were in a post-Enlightenment age. These dates do not, in themselves, constitute a value judgment. Variations and Self-Consciousness One problem in defining the Enlightenment is that there was a great deal of divergence in the leading thinkers views, and it is important to recognize that they argued and debated with each other over the correct ways to think and proceed. Enlightenment views also varied geographically, with thinkers in different countries going in slightly different ways. For instance, the search for a â€Å"science of man† led some thinkers to search for the physiology of a body without a soul, while others searched for answers to how humanity thought. Still, others tried to map humanity’s development from a primitive state, and others still looked at the economics and politics behind social interaction. This might have led to some historians wishing to drop the label Enlightenment were it not for the fact that the Enlightenment thinkers actually called their era one of Enlightenment. The thinkers believed that they were intellectually better off than many of their peers, who were still in a superstitious darkness, and they wished to literally ‘lighten’ them and their views. Kant’s key essay of the era, â€Å"Was ist Aufklrung† literally means â€Å"What is Enlightenment?†, and was one of a number of responses to a journal which had been trying to pin down a definition. Variations in thought are still seen as part of the general movement. Who Was Enlightened? The spearhead of the Enlightenment was a body of well-connected writers and thinkers from across Europe and North America who became known as the philosophes, which is the French for philosophers. These leading thinkers formulated, spread and debated the Enlightenment in works including, arguably the dominant text of the period, the Encyclopà ©die. Where historians once believed that the philosophes were the sole carriers of Enlightenment thought, they now generally accept that they were merely the vocal tip of a much more widespread intellectual awakening among the middle and upper classes, turning them into a new social force. These were professionals such as lawyers and administrators, office holders, higher clergy and landed aristocracy, and it was these who read the many volumes of Enlightenment writing, including the Encyclopà ©die and soaked up their thinking. Origins of the Enlightenment The scientific revolution of the seventeenth century shattered old systems of thinking  and allowed new ones to emerge. The teachings of the church and Bible, as well as the works of classical antiquity so beloved of the Renaissance, were suddenly found lacking when dealing with scientific developments. It became both necessary and possible for philosophes (Enlightenment thinkers) to begin applying the new scientific methods - where empirical observation was first applied to the physical universe - to the study of humanity itself to create a â€Å"science of man†. There was not a total break, as the Enlightenment thinkers still owed a lot to Renaissance humanists, but they believed they were undergoing a radical change from past thought. Historian Roy Porter has argued that what in effect happened during the Enlightenment was that the overarching Christian myths were replaced by new scientific ones. There is a lot to be said for this conclusion, and an examination of how science is being used by commentators does seem to greatly support it, although thats a highly controversial conclusion. Politics and Religion In general, Enlightenment thinkers argued for freedom of thought, religion, and politics. The philosophes were largely critical of Europe’s absolutist rulers, especially of the French government, but there was little consistency: Voltaire, critic of the French crown, spent some time at the court of Frederick II of Prussia, while Diderot traveled to Russia to work with Catherine the Great; both left disillusioned. Rousseau has attracted criticism, especially since World War 2, for appearing to call for authoritarian rule. On the other hand, liberty was widely espoused by Enlightenment thinkers, who were also largely against nationalism and more in favor of international and cosmopolitan thinking. The philosophes were deeply critical, indeed even openly hostile, to the organized religions of Europe, especially the Catholic Church whose priests, pope, and practices came in for severe criticism. The philosophes were not, with perhaps some exceptions like Voltaire at the end of his life, atheists, for many still believed in a god behind the mechanisms of the universe, but they railed against the perceived excesses and constraints of a church they attacked for using magic and superstition. Few Enlightenment thinkers attacked personal piety and many believed religion performed useful services. Indeed some, like Rousseau, were deeply religious, and others, like Locke, worked out a new form of rational Christianity; others became deists. It was not religion which irked them, but the forms and corruption of those religions. Effects of the Enlightenment The Enlightenment affected many areas of human existence, including politics; perhaps the most famous examples of the latter are the US Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. Parts of the French Revolution are often attributed to the Enlightenment, either as recognition or as a way to attack the philosophes by pointing to violence such as the Terror as something they unwittingly unleashed. There is also debate about whether the Enlightenment actually transformed popular society to match it, or whether it was itself transformed by society. The Enlightenment era saw a general turn away from the dominance of the church and the supernatural, with a reduction in belief in the occult, literal interpretations of the Bible and the emergence of a largely secular public culture, and a secular â€Å"intelligentsia† able to challenge the previously dominant clergy. The Enlightenment of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries era was followed by that of a reaction, Romanticism, a turn back to the emotional instead of the rational, and a counter-Enlightenment. For a while, in the nineteenth century, it was common for the Enlightenment to be attacked as the liberal work of utopian fantasists, with critics pointing out there were plenty of good things about humanity not based on reason. Enlightenment thought was also attacked for not criticizing the emerging capitalist systems. There is now a growing trend to arguing that the results of the Enlightenment are still with us, in science, politics and increasingly in western views of religion, and that we are still in an Enlightenment, or heavily influenced post-Enlightenment, age. More on the effects of the Enlightenment. There has been a lean away from calling anything progress when it comes to history, but youll find the Enlightenment easily attracts people willing to call it a great step forward.

Argument Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Argument Paper - Essay Example Dry weather caused the bad droughts and the wildfires. When people have enough water they do not think about water. But when people do not have water they suffer. When people do not have water they do not have a good life. In some countries business is in charge of water. Privatization is when a business is in charge of the water in a community. Public water management is when the government has control of the water in a community. Some communities have a combination of business and government in charge of water management. Governments cannot control climate change but they should manage water because then water will not be too expensive, it will be easy for people to find, and people will be healthier. This paper argues for government management of the water industry. the paper identifies the need for affordability, hygiene, and equitable distribution as the major reasons why government should manage the industry because the private sector cannot guarantee the factors. Argument for public water management One of the arguments in favor of public water management is that with public management, water will be cheaper to the consumer. Shah Anup argues that water is the most fundamental of all human rights and should not be treated as a commodity. Private companies should not manage water because they have self-interest in making profits than fulfilling the public’s interest. ... Essie Solomon from Environment Probe shares the opinion that water is essential and is a fundamental right. The author explains that water is one of the â€Å"inalienable rights†; and â€Å"do not come from a government† but must be protected by the government (Solomon 1). Consequently, the government must take the responsibility of water management to ensure that people’s right to access water is protected. Such protection ensures availability and a subsequent affordability of water to all economic classes of people (Solomon 1). Macdonald Nancy argues that it has a great success story, with increased efficiency, quality, reliability, and affordability. She explains that â€Å"privatizing water services is bad for the poor, bad for the environment, and leads to inequitable distribution of water† (Macdonald 1). This is because the poor becomes the most vulnerable due to the profit orientation of the private sector that focuses on delivering quality services to the rich who can promote the sector’s profit motive. According to industry’s track levels, privatization has often led to private companies’ violation of operational standards of water services. These have resulted in high prize fixations which often lead to the poor people consuming contaminated water. In Britain, for example, after privatization, water and sewage bills increased by 67% and water disconnection because of lack of payment rose by 177%. A report by the French government showes that consumer fees increased by a whopping 150% after privatization (Shah 1). Currently, 90 per cent of the world’s water distributions are controlled by the state and records indicate that they are well managed. The

Art History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art History - Essay Example The statue of seated Khafre, was built near the Great Sphinx for the Pharaoh’s valley. During the reign of Khafre Egypt was a peaceful country with no military attacks and full of prosperity. Khafre kept the title â€Å"Son of Re† which was started by his father. Menkaure and Khamerernebty are shown with perfect bosy and faces. Care was taken to show the Queen looked very feminine and the King as masculine. It shows that they represent a class that is prosperous and rich in culture and walth. A group of islands that form a circle in the south of Aegean Sea is called as Cyclades. Cycladic art is considered as prehistoric as no scriptures were found. Most of these are figures of nude females whose arms are folded across the chest. The male cycladical idols are cylindrical in shape. Palace of Knossos (Crete) 1700-14—B.C.E. was the home for the tyrant King Minos. He was the son of Zeus and the mortal woman named Europa. The palace has low cilings, all the columns wer e made of wood, has stone masonry walls. Small chapels were used for worship and religious activities. The palace was not just for royal purposes, evidence shows that they used for administration also. Bull Leaping (Toreador) fresco, from Knossos.was one of the best-known wall paintings of Knossos. The painting depicts a charging bull, two girls and a boy. One girl holds the horns of the bull, the jumps on to the back of the bull and other girl is ready to catch the bull. This bullfight might be a ritual in which the bull were sacrificed.or the fighters or both were sacrificed. 9. It is situated at Akrotiri and one of the best preserved mural paintings. Most of the painting used to depict people but this one was drawn on a landscape. Its full of flowers and colored rocks and tourists title was "the Spring Fresco". 10. The important structures that were reconstructed by the archeologists that form the defensive elements, one used for regal gatherings and the royal reception hall. It is a large set of rooms that's connected to a portico to the open yard and a great hearth at the center and a throne to one side. 11. Lion Gate of Mycenae is a cyclopean masonry that introduces a refine element to the monumental entrance. The structure so made that it keeps enemy soldiers off guard and vulnerable. The bastion is on the hillside, much taller and inaccessible height. Lions at the entrance give a resemblance of guardian that is there to protect. 12. The Greek paintings used to depict humans and animals and lately full Geometric style was developed. The paintings contain different geometric shapes like triangles, circles, square, etc., to depict torsos, long legs and many more. 13. Exekias: Ajax and Achilles playing a dice game, 540-530 B.C.E. was a part of painting known as black figure. Exekias was panel and vase painter and depicts the rivalry between the two Trojan heroes into a board game. His vision of the painting was telling a story where both the warriors were locking horns to fight. 14. Euphronios: Herakles Wrestling Antaios, 510 B.C.E., natural red from the pottery was used to paint.