The Great Gatsby An American Nightmare - 1226 Words

Alex Joo Mr. Shaffer ENG4U1 January 8th, 2015 The Great Gatsby: an American Nightmare At the end of the day everyone ends up in the same place—six feet under. By then, many end up having lived fulfilling lives and die with no regrets. Far too many do not. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, presents the issue in pursuing the impossible: the American Dream. A dream in which all are â€Å"able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable† (Adams 215). Unfortunately, the latter does not hold true. In Fitzgerald’s own endeavour to lead a successful life, his professional advances conflicted with his ability to maintain a healthy relationship with his wife. Regardless of his abilities, Fitzgerald would not have ever been able to realise his American Dream due to investing all his time in forcing a lifestyle that was seen as ideal. In the novel, Fitzgerald’s characters follow suit. Despite his tireless effort and sacrifice to maintain a life for which his wife could enjoy, Georg e Wilson loses her due to a lack of wealth and status. Similarly, Jay Gatsby’s dishonest attempt to create an ideal image to win over his former lover’s heart is in vain as he proceeded to do so by nefarious means—only to fail. Both Fitzgerald and his characters attempt to fulfill unrealistic dreams that society has subconsciously imposed on them, ultimately setting them up for failure. The American Dream is purely a facade utilised to justify the pursuit of endless desires by anyShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Great Gatsby: American Dream or American Nightmare?1739 Words   |  7 Pagesstare blankly.† ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby The American Dream, a long standing ideal embodies the hope that one can achieve financial success, political power, and everlasting love through dedication and hard work. During the Roaring 20s, people in America put up facades to mask who they truly were. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald conveys that the American Dream is simply an illusion, that is idealist and unreal. In the novel, Gatsby, a wealthy socialite pursues his dream, DaisyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1690 Words   |  7 Pages The original conception of the American dream is that there is equal opportunity in being able to achieve upward mobility. However, in the 1920’s that dream had deviated from its initial idea, and transformed to the achievement and flaunting of affluence and engrossing oneself in debauchery. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is not only a story about the death of the original American dream, but also sheds light on the American nightmare: the idea that on e caves into the corruptionRead MoreHistory of America Mirrored in American Literature751 Words   |  3 PagesThe history of America is mirrored in American Literature. The American dream, the idea of equality and being able to achieve anything you wanted, meant that millions of immigrants moved to America. America claims to be a country which enables everyone to have equality and freedom however in the texts we can see it is rather a Capitalist and individualist country. The paradox of America can be seen through the fact that the Statue called freedom was built by slaves. The inequality can also be seenRead MoreA False Image Of Freedom : The American Dream1515 Words   |  7 PagesA False Image of Freedom: The American Dream The American Dream has been a beacon of hope for people in the US for decades now, and has inspired them to seek a lifestyle that excels their current one. However, this idealistic belief possesses a biased and dishonest nature that is undetectable to those blinded by this idea . F. Scott Fitzgerald, through his novel The Great Gatsby, lifts the veil on this American Nightmare, and shows readers it’s true nature. Rooted directly to the Declaration ofRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1068 Words   |  5 PagesThe American dream is the idea that all people have the chance to prosper and succeeded in life. This idea inspires people to fight for something or someone. The American dream can be determined by love, wealth, power, success, etc. During the 1920’s, the idea of the American dream became corrupted and replaced with the idea of wealth and power describing America’s failures rather than America’s success. The main theme The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald is the American dream. In this novel, Frances ScottRead MoreConsequences Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby845 Words   |  4 PagesGatsby and The American Dream: Gatsby’s Downfall In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates, through the downfall of Jay Gatsby, that the American Dream can be a false promise. When first introduced to Jay Gatsby, he is immediately portrayed as having a very specific goal in life-- to be with Daisy. At the start of the novel, Gatsby â€Å"stretched his arms toward the dark water in a curious way† as he was reaching towards â€Å"a single green light, minute and far away† (Fitzgerald 21)Read MoreGatsby’s Unrealistic American Dream in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald960 Words   |  4 PagesThe term â€Å"American Dream† is defined as an idea which believes that all people have the possibility of prosperity and success. The idea first came from James Adams, a noted American writer and historian. He claimed, â€Å"Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement.† Therefore, the core concepts of the American Dream were closely linked to hard work and opportunity. However, this idea began to lose its value when people startedRead MoreThe Great Gatsby - Demise Of The American Dream883 Words   |  4 PagesThe Great Gatsby - Demise of the American Dream The Great Gatsby (1925) is a highly symbolic novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald on 1920 s America, an era of great prosperity and material excess. Its theme mainly deals with the disintegration of the American Dream due to decayed social and moral values. The American Dream is a set of ideals in which freedom includes the right for prosperity, success, and social upward mobility for all Americans which can be achieved through hard work and dedicationRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1239 Words   |  5 PagesCoco Bai Ms. Dettmar English III 15 October 2015 Luhramann’s Film – A Great Adaptation of The Great Gatsby Through Nick’s narration in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Gatsby’s possessive personality and his blind love for Daisy eventually lead to the failure of his American dream. When casting the movie of The Great Gatsby, Baz Luhramann may have changed some of the dialogue, but he does stay unflinchingly true to the spirit of the book and its morals, which I think is vastly more importantRead MoreThe Great Gatsby and the American Dream1401 Words   |  6 PagesThe Real American Dream Since its institution, the United States has been revered as the ultimate land of ceaseless opportunity. People all around the world immigrated to America to seek quick wealth, which was predominately seen in the new Modern era. Beginning in the late 1800s to the early 1900s, the period introduced progressive ideas into society and the arts. Accompanying these ideas was a loss of faith in the American Dream and the promise America once guaranteed, especially after World

“Drugs Take You To Hell Disguised As Heaven” 8 Simple Words

â€Å"Drugs take you to hell disguised as heaven† 8 simple words but they mean much more, drug therapist ,Donald Lynn Frost, said this. He’s talking about how the drugs have a person feeling like they’re in heaven, but they are really just putting deeper into a own personal hell. The people of the 70’s know this feeling, in their society drugs were everywhere were a normal part of life. The 70’s culture was something that dealt with rights, rebellion, and particularly women’s rights. Women’s rights were growing, advancing, and changing; instead of staying at home women were now in the workplace. In the workplace is where women’s rights came into play and they were fighting for things such as equal salary, equal job rank, and many more. While†¦show more content†¦He then revealed to everybody else this drug and encourage people to use it, declaring it could make them smarter, feel on top of the world, and better than ever before. Nobody knew the negative effects of drugs which is why they were so popular. Because nobody knew about the negative effects and only cared about having a good time, drugs came out everywhere in society. The media was a huge part, global superstars such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jimi Hendrix, all did drugs. People publicly knew about the drug use and simply did not care, because they did it everyone else believed it was okay to do them (Hanson 54). However after Elvis died in 1977 due to drug use, people soon began to open their eyes to the negatives. Teenagers were another influencer of drugs, they pushed these drugs on other teens. If one person did them the next would try it and so on, only because that is what they saw and it was looked upon as cool. If a student went out everyday after school and smoked marijuana he/she was cool, if the same student or someone else knew how to get heroin they were cool. The parents were the final people who pushed drugs, if the kids/teenagers see their parents doing drugs, once again it is seen as okay to do them . Studies have shown that if the child watches the parent do things theyShow MoreRelatedEssay on Fall of Asclepius95354 Words   |  382 Pagesabout fleeing from infested areas. Everywhere was infested. There was no where anyone could go without encountering the walking plague. You know that phrase War is Hell? Well... its dead wrong. War at least has some organization to it. What was faced in the last days... by last days I mean the last days of civilization not life; itself. What was faced was hell. Everyone went ape shit insane. Everyone was killing and raping each other into oblivion, because we were under attack by creatures thatRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesAttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. That is, you are free to share, copy, distribute, store, and transmit all or any part of the work under the following conditions: (1) Attribution You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author, namely by citing his name, the book title, and the relevant page numbers (but not in any way that suggests that the book Logical Reasoning or its author endorse you or your use of the work). (2) Noncommercial You may not use this work for commercial purposesRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pages2009 658.800973—dc22 2008040282 ISBN-13 978-0-470-16981-0 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 PREFACE Welcome to the 30th anniversary of Marketing Mistakes and Successes with this 11th edition. Who would have thought that interest in mistakes would be so enduring? Many of you are past users, a few even for decades. I hope you will find this new edition a worthy successor to earlier editions. I think this may even be my best book. TheRead MoreMonsanto: Better Living Through Genetic Engineering96204 Words   |  385 Pages14_Hanson_3ed_SB_3869_TXT.indd 441 8/29/07 1:09:33 PM 442 INTRODUCTION A SUMMARY OF THE CASE ANALYSIS PROCESS Case analysis is an essential part of a strategic management course and is also perhaps the most entertaining part of such a course. The ‘full story’ that follows this summary gives you considerable detail about how to go about a case analysis, but for now here is a brief account. Before we start, a word about attitude – make it a real exercise. You have a set of historical facts;

Consensual and Conflict Model of the Justice System free essay sample

The Consensus Model of Criminal Justice is a criminal Justice perspective that assumes that the systems components work together harmoniously to achieve the social product we call Justice. The other model,the Conflict Model, is a criminal Justice perspective that assumes that the systems components function primarily to serve their own interests. According to this theoretical framework, Justice is more a product of conflicts among agencies within the system than it is the result of cooperation among component agencies. Both of these models or beliefs, are evident in everyday of our society, whether found by watching the evening news, or spending the day in the courtroom The Consensus Model, summing up the quoted ext above from this weeks reading, is simply put the full cooperation and collaboration of all agencies stages of our Justice System and Government, providing a smooth, predictable, fair, and efficient experience for all. However this does not happen all the time, but unique examples of this model being utilized can perhaps be found after the 11 September 2001 attacks on our country. We will write a custom essay sample on Consensual and Conflict Model of the Justice System or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Shortly after, with the development of the Department of Homeland Security, agencies coordinated and centralized Information and Intelligence, In achieving one common goal. The Conflict Model, summarized, Is the basic concept that the Justice System Is not as fair as theorized, and law enforcement agencies act more over by their goals rather than that of the common Interest of the people In which they protect. An example of this model, which was found In Chapter 1 of this weeks reading, was when a law enforcement agency detained a suspected burglar.Once this Individual was found to have committed this robbery, police asked him to confess to a string of other burglaries, over 400, and In return the District Attorney and Detectives would go to bat for him per-say and speak on his favor In pursuit of a lighter sentence. This example shows the agencies desire to lower unsolved crime rates, perhaps a goal of the new administration, maybe stated as a political strategy. These two models are similar and yet different. The Consensus and Conflict Model both have the ultimate goal of solving crimes, and serving their constituents.Where they differ though Is pretty much their defining presence In todays systems, and our Justice System Interchanges everyday with the use of these models. Issues with the consensus model would definitely be all the channels that would have to be gone through with cooperation of law enforcement agencies. There are too many places to mess up when you Increase the size of a group. With the conflict model, the biggest Issue with that would be the assumption and possibly the premise that the goals of the agency would be more Important that the people and Issues the people they protect face every day.Consensual and Conflict Model of the Justice System By Predominant internalized information and intelligence, in achieving one common goal. The Conflict Model, summarized, is the basic concept that the Justice System is not as fair as that of the common interest of the people in which they protect. An example of this model, which was found in Chapter 1 of this weeks reading, was when a law enforcement agency detained a suspected burglar. Once this individual was found to burglaries, over 400, and in return the District Attorney and Detectives would go to bat for him per-say and speak on his favor in pursuit of a lighter sentence.

Pepsi Corporation History and Major Problems Essay Example

Pepsi Corporation History and Major Problems Essay I. PEPSI CORPORATION HISTORY The Pepsi-Cola story began in a drugstore in New Bern, North Carolina, USA in 1896. Caleb Davis Bradham, a pharmacist, owned a drugstore named Bradham Drug Company in downtown New Bern. Like many of the drug stores at the time, Bradham’s store also housed a soda fountain. Here, Bradham offered his own soda concoctions which attracted most of the small-town folks. On August 28, 1898, Bradham invented a new recipe, blending kola nut extract, vanilla and â€Å"rare oils. This soda drink, initially known as Brad’s Drink, gathered so much popularity not only for its delicious and refreshing taste but people believed it helped them by aiding digestion and boosting their energy. Bradham likened the effect to digestion to the enzyme pepsin, even though it was not used as an ingredient. By combining the terms pepsin and cola, Bradham renamed his recipe Pepsi-Cola. Pepsi’s early growth was less significant than that of Cokes, and its real stre ngth as a competitor to Coke began after became CEO in 1950, a time when Pepsi was nearly bankrupt. Bradham was expected to liquidate the Pepsi-Cola Co. Instead, he made it his goal to beat Coke (, 2003). Pepsi spread to Canada in 1906, and the year after that, it was registered in Mexico. By 1908, Pepsi had upgraded their transportation delivery services from horse-drawn carts to automobiles. Pepsi seemed to be becoming successful in such a short time. But there is still a problem. By the time Pepsi Cola came out, Coke had already made its mark among the public and the newcomer Pepsi found it hard to find a consumer base. In the 1920’s, the company released the ad Drink Pepsi. It will satisfy you. However, despite industrious efforts, the Pepsi Company still fell into bankruptcy due to the fall of the sugar market. After seventeen years of success, Caleb Bradham lost Pepsi Cola. He had gambled on the fluctuations of sugar prices during W. W. I, believing that sugar prices would continue to rise but they fell instead leaving Caleb Bradham with an overpriced sugar inventory. Pepsi Cola went bankrupt in 1923. We will write a custom essay sample on Pepsi Corporation History and Major Problems specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pepsi Corporation History and Major Problems specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pepsi Corporation History and Major Problems specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It suffered several years of losses before it was sold to Loft Inc. , a giant candy company. Loft was what Pepsi was waiting for. The company began to regain its former success. 1936 saw the formation of Pepsi Limited of London, and in 1938, the Pepsi logo was trademarked in the Soviet Union. The company sold the drink in 12 oz. bottles and launched the advertising campaign of Twice as Much for a Nickel. In 1993, Pepsi-Cola found itself in a crisis situation when a man in Tacoma, Washington claimed he had found a syringe inside a can of Diet Pepsi. Soon after the story hit the news, claims surfaced all over the country. People claimed to find objects from bullets to crack cocaine vials. Pepsi-Cola knew that the foreign objects had been inserted by people outside the company who had tampered with the product. Pepsi-Cola decided to use a defensive strategy, claiming its innocence in the matter. Proving the company’s innocence would be pivotal in protecting further damage to Pepsi-Cola’s brand name. Pepsi employed a variety of strategies to deal with the problem. PepsiCos India operations were met with substantial resistance in 2003 and again in 2006, when an environmental organization in New Delhi made the claim that, based on its research, it believed that the levels of pesticides in PepsiCo (along with those from rival Coca-Cola Company), exceeded a set of proposed safety standards on soft drink ingredients that had been developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards. PepsiCos usage of water was the subject of controversy in India in the early and mid 2000s in part because of the companys alleged impact on water usage in a country where water shortages are a perennial issue. In this setting, PepsiCo was perceived by India-based environmental organizations as a company that diverted water to manufacture a discretionary product, making it a target for critics at the time. Pepsi-Cola came to the Philippines through John Clarkin, a native of Minnesota, USA, who came with the American forces at the close of World War II. On October 16, 1946, Clarkin acquired a franchise to bottle Pepsi in the Philippines. He consequently founded the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of the Philippine Islands Ltd. and became its president and general manager. As of January 2012, 22 of PepsiCos product lines generated retail sales of more than $1 billion each,and the companys products were distributed across more than 200 countries, resulting in annual net revenues of $43. 3 billion. Based on net revenue, PepsiCo is the second largest food beverage business in the world. Within North America, PepsiCo is ranked (by net revenue) as the largest food and beverage business. II. MAJOR PROBLEMS 1. COMPETITORS â€Å"Pepsi’s early growth was less significant than that of Cokes, and its real strength as a competitor to Coke began after someone became CEO in 1950, a time when Pepsi was nearly bankrupt. Bradham was expected to liquidate the Pepsi-Cola Co. Instead, he made it his goal to beat Coke (, 2003). Pepsi spread to Canada in 1906, and the year after that, it was registered in Mexico. By 1908, Pepsi had upgraded their transportation delivery services from horse-drawn carts to automobiles. Pepsi seemed to be becoming successful in such a short time. But there is still a problem. By the time Pepsi Cola came out, Coke had already made its mark among the public and the newcomer Pepsi found it hard to find a consumer base. 2. FINANCIAL PROBLEM/BANKRUPTCY â€Å"In the 1920’s, the company released the ad Drink Pepsi. It will satisfy you. However, despite industrious efforts, the Pepsi Company still fell into bankruptcy due to the fall of the sugar market. After seventeen years of success, Caleb Bradham lost Pepsi Cola. He had gambled on the fluctuations of sugar prices during W. W. I, believing that sugar prices would continue to rise but they fell instead leaving Caleb Bradh am with an overpriced sugar inventory. Pepsi Cola went bankrupt in 1923. 3. PUBLIC RELATIONS CRISIS â€Å"In 1993, Pepsi-Cola found itself in a crisis situation when a man in Tacoma, Washington claimed he had found a syringe inside a can of Diet Pepsi. Soon after the story hit the news, claims surfaced all over the country. People claimed to find objects from bullets to crack cocaine vials. Pepsi-Cola knew that the foreign objects had been inserted by people outside the company who had tampered with the product. Pepsi-Cola decided to use a defensive strategy, claiming its innocence in the matter. Proving the company’s innocence would be pivotal in protecting further damage to Pepsi-Cola’s brand name. Pepsi employed a variety of strategies to deal with the problem. † 4. SAFETY STANDARDS â€Å"PepsiCos India operations were met with substantial resistance in 2003 and again in 2006, when an environmental organization in New Delhi made the claim that, based on its research, it believed that the levels of pesticides in PepsiCo (along with those from rival Coca-Cola Company), exceeded a set of proposed safety standards on soft drink ingredients that had been developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards. 5. WATER USAGE â€Å"PepsiCos usage of water was the subject of controversy in India in the early and mid 2000s in part because of the companys alleged impact on water usage in a country where water shortages are a perennial issue. In this setting, PepsiCo was perceived by India-based environmental organizations as a company that diverted water to manufacture a discretionary product, making it a target for critics at the time. †

Management Accounting Report of Emirates Airlines

Management Accounting Report of Emirates Airlines Introduction Accounting information is important to both external and internal users. Management uses the information for decision making. With appropriate information, companies make decisions which increase company’s competitiveness.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Management Accounting Report of Emirates Airlines specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Management accountants are responsible of advising an organization’s top management and policy makers on matters regarding finances to ensure there are effectiveness, efficiency and optimal use of resources. Airline industry, in the United States of America and the world is general, is highly competitive. There is an increased innovation of services and equipments. Customer needs have also changed. Emirates Airline company (mostly referred just as Emirates) is an international company which require decisions responsive to airline market today (Horngren, Srikant George, 2006). This paper looks into how management accounting can supply information for decision making. It will not get into deep analysis of the accounts but will touch on the important areas that management accountants have assisted the company. History of Emirate limited Emirate is the national carrier of Dubai, United States Emirates. It is rapidly diversifying to other countries and has over 100 destinations in over 60 countries. It is a sub-subsidiary of Dubai Investment Company, through The Emirates Group. Its head quarters are in Dubai. The company was incorporated in the year 1985 as an international flight company and made its first flight from DubaiKarachi on 25 October 1985. The company picked quite rapidly and in 1987, it had managed to secure eleven destinations. According to the company’s financial statement 2010, the company had a total of 36,652 employees distributed in different countries. The accounts also reported that in the year 2009/ 2010, t he load cargo increased by 12.2% to 1,580,000. Emirates face high competition from Virgin Atlantic, Qatar airways and Ethiopian Airways. In pricing its products, the company has three classes of passengers; business class, execute class and economy class. Economy class is the cheapest and execute class most expensive. The pricing depend on the services offered in a certain class and the level of comfort.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Policies are made after consultation with major parties likely to be affected by a certain policy. Parties consulted range from employees to competitor. Current top policy makers are, Maurice Flanagan (Executive Vice-Chairman), Tim Clark as the company’s President. The chief executive officer is Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (Emirates Airlines Company Corporate Website, 2010). Emirates Management accounting Financial and mon etary resources are limited. They require to be managed properly. It’s the mandate of management accountants to assists in managing such resources. Financial management is the major task of management accountants. They are mandated with the task of ensuring that financial decisions are made efficiently and timely for the benefit of the company. Financial management has two aspects; managing working capital and long-term financial decisions management. When a company’s working capital is well managed, it’s able to fulfill its short term financial obligations when they fall due. Long-term financial management is important to give a company a clear future goals attainment strategies and pathways. There is always a number of ventures that a business can make; however there is the best alternative, it is the management accountant which should advise on such issues. For example, management accountants should advise whether the company should invest in government bonds and bills which are certain and risk free but with low rate of return or invest in volatile shares which have a likelihood of offering high returns in the future but are highly risky. The decision of how to distribute the available fund can only be made more efficiently by the assistance of management accountant (Sullivan Sheffrin, 2003). Information contained in financial information is a summary of operations that have taking place in an organization. They cover a certain period of time. The main aim of a business is to make profits. Whether the company has a profit or a loss is shown by financial accounts.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Management Accounting Report of Emirates Airlines specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If the company is making a loss, it’s an alarm call to the management. Emirates, makes its end year accounts on 31st March. When the accounts are made they are discussed internally as well released to the public for their use by external users like shareholders. There are number of investments that the Emirates Airline Company is embarking on. They can be divided into human development (service investments) and infrastructure investments. Before a certain decision is made, management accountants must be involved. They are supposed to give information about the viability of a certain investment. When they are doing so they consider the returns likely to be received from an investment. When emirates want to make a merger or an acquisition, management accountant are involved in collecting of data and analyzing the prevailing condition to ensure that they make mergers with companies which will assist it attain its goals and objectives. When making airline mergers, the department looks into the countries that the other company can fly to. A merger should not be made to companies which fly the same route with Emirates. This information are fetched and provided by the management accountants. Acquisition is a tricky engagement; a company should calculate well. This is in determining the cost of acquisition to ensure that the company does not buy a company more expensive than it is actually worth. In modern businesses, there is an increase in social corporate accounting. This is where businesses are made accountable of their activities. What to invest in and how much to invest is a decision that management accountant of Emirate assists the company in. The department is responsible of going out, interacting with the people and recognizing need in the society that the company can assist (Dury, 2006). Different techniques in management accounting Budgeting Emirate management accountants are used in budgeting. Budgeting is making future financial decisions/plans; it uses past and current data of a business. It is a financial management tool that is crucial to ensure that the policy of going on concept in a business is adhered to. It lays a framework th at a company can work with in the future. Emirates management accountants analyzes past performance, present performance and predict the future operations. This assists the company to predict the future needs and make a budget.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Internal control Internal controls are check and balances in an organization aimed at maintaining integrity in the company’s process. It ensures that funds are not misappropriated and are managed for the good of the organization. This ensures that a company has better fund management. Management accountants are responsible of maintaining good working internal controls. Internal controls also assists external auditor in compiling their report. Working capital control Credit is almost inevitable in a company; there are debtors and creditors which the management must monitor and ensure they are operating well. In case of creditors, the company management accountant has the mandate of ensuring that creditors are paid according to the credit agreement. They should be paid in good time to create good relations with suppliers. With good relations, the company supply chain management is facilitated. In the case of debtors, the duration that they should keep the companies money should be stipulated by management accountants. Debtors are current assets which the business need to manage. Well managed debtor management system assists a company gets funds it requires for short term obligations. There are different sources of capital in an organization. They are generally divided into borrowed capital and owner’s capital. The choice of the financing method to adopt should be made with the assistance of management accountants. In Emirate, management accountants have the mandate of analyzing the available options of financing which include issuance of more share capital, taking a bank loan or selling some of its properties. Key management Accounting techniques recommended for Emirates Other than maintaining a robust management accounting system, the company should not ignore the need for knowledge management and business information tools as an addition of existing management accounting tools. When this information is made available in the company, it will assis t in making better and timely decisions. The quality and timeliness of a decision determines the competitive of a company. For example, there has been a move to low cost planes alongside the use of Jumbo planes. When the company maintains a pool of information on the market trends, it will be able to make decisions that are timely regarding what point they should engage in low cost planes and which routes should they use Jumbo planes. When a company maintains a rich knowledge and nurtures its intellectual assets, it gets a chance to orient and train new staffs more effectively. For example engineers maintained in the firm can use their pool of knowledge to show new employees on mechanical issues they can expect from a certain plane and how to handle it. Another example is in service delivery. Experienced hostesses are able to handle hostile passengers more effectively and thus the general service of the company increases (Weetman, 2010). Justification Knowledge management and busine ss intelligent strategies are new management methods which can offer supporting information to management accountants for better decisions. They will assist Emirates in overall improvement of its financial structure. Strength and weaknesses of the analysis The analysis was based on end year financial statements and notes to account. They are a summary of processes in Emirate Airline Company and thus when considered a total analysis of the company’s performance is undertaken. The weakness with this approach is that management accounting covers more than just the end year financial statements. For a deeper analysis, the research would have required the following; A framework of internal processes Working capital management structure Daily, weekly and monthly sales values The rate of management accountants staffs turn over Qualifications of management accountants. Branch accounts and Long-term liabilities agreements With the above a better analysis would have been made (Anthon y, Hawkins Merchant, 1999) Conclusion Management accounting offers crucial information for decision making. In Emirate, one of the world’s largest airline companies, management accountants are involved in almost all financial decisions to ensure that the company is effectively managed. The success of the company can be attributed to their team of management accountants. They however need to adopt knowledge and business intelligence tools in their accounting system. Reference list Anthony, R., Hawkins, D. Merchant, K. 1999 Accounting: text and cases. 10 the ed. Boston. McGraw Hill. Dury C. 2006. Management Accounting for business. London. Thomson Learning Emirates Airlines Company Corporate Website. 2010. Horngren, T., Srikant M., and George F.2006. Cost accounting: A managerial emphasis. Boston, MA. Pearson Prentice Hall. Sullivan, A. and Sheffrin, S. 2003. Economics: Principles in action. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey/ Pearson Prentice Hall. pp. 502. ISBN 0-13-063085-3 We etman, P. 2010. Financial and Management Accounting. New York.Wiley. ISBN13: 9780273718413

Financial Panics of the 19th Century

Financial Panics of the 19th Century The Great Depression of the 1930s was called great for a reason. It followed a long series of depressions which afflicted the American economy throughout the 19th century. Crop failures, drops in cotton prices, reckless railroad speculation, and sudden plunges in the stock market all came together at various times to send the growing American economy into chaos. The effects were often brutal, with millions of Americans losing jobs, farmers being forced off their land, and railroads, banks, and other businesses going under for good. Here are the basic facts on the major financial panics of the 19th century. Panic of 1819 The first major American depression, the Panic of 1819 was rooted to some extent in economic problems reaching back to the war of 1812.It was triggered by a collapse in cotton prices. A contraction in credit coincided with the problems in the cotton market, and the young American economy was severely affected.Banks were forced to call in loans, and foreclosures of farms and bank failures resulted.The Panic of 1819 lasted until 1821.The effects were felt most in the west and south. Bitterness about the economic hardships resonated for years and led to the resentment that helped Andrew Jackson solidify his political base throughout the 1820s.Besides exacerbating sectional animosity, the Panic of 1819 also made many Americans realize the importance of politics and government policy in their lives. Panic of 1837 The Panic of 1837 was triggered by a combination of factors including the failure of a wheat crop, a collapse in cotton prices, economic problems in Britain, rapid speculation in land, and problems resulting from the variety of currency in circulation.It was the second-longest American depression, with effects lasting roughly six years, until 1843.The panic had a devastating impact. A number of brokerage firms in New York failed, and at least one New York City bank president committed suicide. As the effect rippled across the nation, a number of state-chartered banks also failed. The nascent labor union movement was effectively stopped, as the price of labor plummeted.The depression caused the collapse of real estate prices. The price of food also collapsed, which was ruinous to farmers and planters who couldn’t get a decent price for their crops. People who lived through the depression following 1837 told stories that would be echoed a century later during The Great Depressio n.The aftermath of the panic of 1837 led to Martin Van Buren’s failure to secure a second term in the election of 1840. Many blamed the economic hardships on the policies of Andrew Jackson, and Van Buren, who had been Jackson’s vice president, paid the political price. Panic of 1857 The Panic of 1857 was triggered by the failure of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company, which actually did much of its business as a bank headquartered in New York City. Reckless speculation in railroads led the company into trouble, and the company’s collapse led to a literal panic in the financial district, as crowds of frantic investors clogged the streets around Wall Street.Stock prices plummeted, and more than 900 mercantile firms in New York had to cease operation. By the end of the year the American economy was a shambles.One victim of the Panic of 1857 was a future Civil War hero and US president, Ulysses S. Grant, who was bankrupted and had to pawn his gold watch to buy Christmas presents.Recovery from the depression began in early 1859. Panic of 1873 The investment firm of Jay Cooke and Company went bankrupt in September 1873 as a result of rampant speculation in railroads. The stock market dropped sharply and caused numerous businesses to fail.The depression caused approximately three million Americans to lose their jobs.The collapse in food prices impacted Americas farm economy, causing great poverty in rural America.The depression lasted for five years, until 1878.The Panic of 1873 led to a populist movement that saw the creation of the Greenback Party. The industrialist Peter Cooper ran for president on the Greenback Party ticket in 1876, but was unsuccessful. Panic of 1893 The depression set off by the Panic of 1893 was the greatest depression America had known, and was only surpassed by the Great Depression of the 1930s.In early May 1893 the New York stock market dropped sharply, and in late June panic selling caused the stock market to crash.A severe credit crisis resulted, and more than 16,000 businesses had failed by the end of 1893. Included in the failed businesses were 156 railroads and nearly 500 banks.Unemployment spread until one in six American men lost their jobs.The depression inspired Coxeys Army, a march on Washington of unemployed men. The protesters demanded that the government provide public works jobs. Their leader, Jacob Coxey, was imprisoned for 20 days.The depression caused by the Panic of 1893 lasted for about four years, ending in 1897. Legacy of 19th Century Financial Panics The economic problems of the 19th century periodically caused pain and misery and it often seemed that the federal and state governments were powerless to do anything. The rise of the progressive movement was, in many ways, a reaction to earlier financial panics. In the first decades of the 20th century financial reforms made economic collapses less likely, yet the Great Depression showed that the problems could not be easily avoided.

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Project management - Essay Example This research shows that the project had clear goals but unclear requirements and the frequent changes required rescheduling and resulted in budget overruns. Although the project had budget overruns, it however met the desired outcomes. This study has shown that the key elements of project management are critically important in meeting the objectives and goals of project and giving the desired outcomes. Project management is an art and a science that involves organizing, securing, planning and managing of resources with an aim to accomplish specified goals. A project can be defined as a short-term or temporary endeavor whose beginning and the end is clearly defined. Project management plays a significant role in facilitating execution of projects such as new software development, installation of new hardware or building a facility. As mentioned by Wessels, project management helps in selecting, managing and supporting of projects that are of significant importance in accomplishment o f an organization’s objectives, making it vibrant at marketplace and maximizing shareholders wealth. In an organization set up, various divisions and departments compete for scarce human and financial resources; project management plays an important role in rational decision framework enabling people to make the appropriate project investment decisions. Project management plays a critical role in management of outcomes mainly the cost, time and performance of the project. Projects are selected based on cost and benefit analysis where their return on investment is evaluated against cost of implementation. Role of project manager According to Lewis (2004, p. 19), project manager has the total responsibility to ensure that all project details are handled properly, this requires them to be highly proactive and not reactive. Project manager should follow up on things ordered or scheduled ensuring that things like requisition and purchasing are effectively running, project manager helps in project planning, controlling, monitoring and organization of project resources. Project manager plays a significant role in giving a project economic approach by determining its (ROI) return on investment. Project manager is also responsible for project risk management; he must identify risks, monitor and design effective response. He is also responsible for project reporting to the management of the organization. Key elements in project management Key elements in project management include managing and controlling project scope through clearly established aims, objectives and goals, managing cost element, managing risks, managing human resources, managing time planning, control and scheduling, and managing quality to meet the desired standards (Lock, 2007, p. 78). Project integration, management communications, procurement processes, and quality are also key element in project management. Managing the project scope Project management plays a critical role in ensuring that the aims, goals and objectives of the project are clearly and articulately established. Many projects fail due to wrong or unclear goals and requirements. With unclear goals, project experiences problems, however, with wrong goals, projects fail spectacularly (Rusell 2007, p. 45). Scottish Parliament has clear and articulate goals and objectives but had no clear requirements. Scottish parliament changed requirements of that projects several times, for instance they increased functions of the building demanding for more size and space, these changes caused various difficulties to the project team causing budget

Employment Laws and HRM Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employment Laws and HRM Strategy - Essay Example HRM strategy refers to a particular approach that is used in the management of human resources with the aim of providing a strategic framework to support short and long term strategies of an organization (Dessler, 2010). Employment law is one of the essential functional areas that provide organizations with the foundation for effective development of workforce that will support the organizational goals and objectives (Moran, 2007). In order to have a better understanding of the subject of employment laws and HRM strategy, this essay will apply the employment laws of the Virginia State to one of the HRM strategy problems. In particular, the essay will apply the employment laws of the Virginia State on the HRM strategy problem of introduction of new technology for employees who may experience physical limitations. The subject of physical limitations of employees is one of the most comprehensive in the employment laws in the United Constitution. This issue is covered under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), as well as under the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Act (EEOA) (Walsh, 2012). The ADA is designed to protect the rights of people with physical limitations including in the employment environment. This Act provides framework within which people with physical limitations can fully access and participate in all aspects of employment. It requires that employers should provide facilities and means through which employees with disability can access and participate in activities with as little difficulty as possible. The Act requires that the employer should do enough to remove the barriers that might deny people with disability with equal opportunity in accessing and using the facilities and services within an employment set up (Dessler, 2010). The provisions of the ADA are enforced by t he U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The employment laws related to this subject prohibits employers against discrimination of any kind to

The Great African Americans Migration 1910 to 1920s Essay Example for Free

The Great African Americans Migration 1910 to 1920s Essay By the turn of the nineteenth century, the number of African Americans living in the living in the United States was approximated at almost nine million. Of the estimated figures, ninety percent of the African Americans lived in the South where they constituted almost a third of the total population of the region. Around a fifth of them were said to live in the urban areas while four out of every five African Americans lived in the rural areas. At this point, they could be said to have been very much a closed population. They had not been significantly affected by either in or out migration but this status was soon to change from around 1910 when they embarked on a South to North (and West) migration, starting with a very slow place but steadily gaining speed as the years advanced 5. During the years of the First World War, the out- migration of African Americans from the South became increasingly apparent. Between 1910 and 1920, more than 800, 000 African Americans living on the South migrated to the north. This pace of outward migration was to slow down but still continue way into the 1930s and 1940s. Thus in a span of just three decades, from the 1910s to the 1930s, an estimated 1. 8 million African Americans living in the south migrated from the region to other areas. However, the South is said to have retained a sizable percentage of its native population of African Americans as almost eight out of ten African Americans still remained southerners by place of residence. All in all, the percentage of African Americans occupying the southern states and the entire region began to shrink steadily. This decline was estimated to be from thirty percent to twenty-four percent within a span of forty years (1910-1940). The individual states which suffered the biggest decline in African American population percentages were Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia. Those which registered the least number of declines were Mississippi and Alabama 5. Thus the closed African American population became more open with the out migrations towards the North and West. By the 1940s, the South had lost around 1. 5 million of African Americanss inhabiting the region; one of the most significant net migrations ever 5. This movement of African Americanss to the north from the 1910s to around the 1920s and 30s has been referred to as the Great African Americans migration. Most of the African Americans who were looking for a way to improve their life moved to the cities in the Northern states as well as the West. The migration patterns created by these movements were highly complex. Some of the rural southerners did not move to the North but looked for greater opportunities within the Southern region’s agriculture which was tenancy- dominated. Others moved to the urban regions of the South while still others migrated to the Northern states such as New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Philadelphia so as to escape the ‘barbarism’ of the southern states. The following section analyzes the factors leading to this great migration of the African Americanss 6. CAUSES OF THE GREAT AFRICAN AMERICANS MIGRATION Social reasons In 1914, approximately 90 percent of African Americans Southerners lived in the states that had been part of the former Confederacy. These states had legalized the Jim Crow statutes which allowed for racial segregation. In the 1890s, the Supreme Court had made a series of rulings which validated these statutes, thereby leading to the ‘separate but equal’ doctrine of 1896 by Plessy v. Ferguson which in effect, legalized segregation in the United States 3. Segregation had existed before though it was not systematically applied until the late part of the nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century. What brought about such systematic discrimination was the blur in the line separating the African Americans and the Whites. The Whites were particularly irked by the fact that a certain generation of African Americans who had grown up as free people were demanding respect and competing for the same jobs and public space as the Whites. The increasing African Americans’ independence made the Whites feel that the only way to put African Americans’ â€Å"back in their place† was through maintaining clear racial boundaries, hence the rise of the Jim Crow laws 4. African Americans were obviously on the loosing end from the legalization of these statues. They were treated unfairly and considered inferior to the White race which made them lose their dignity. The segregation was deeply entrenched in public institutions such as schools, restaurants, hotels and even in hospitals. African Americans were not supposed to be seen in areas frequented by Whites and were restricted to the African American dominated areas. They had their own institutions such as schools and hospitals built for them but these did not match in quality to those of the Whites. As a result of this outright and dehumanizing discrimination, many of them left the South in the hope that they would find better treatment in the North 1. Other than being discriminated against and segregated by the White populace, the African Americans also experienced open hostility and violence from the Whites, often times leading to death. There were widespread beatings of African Americans and in some cases, mutilation of various forms such as castrations. African Americans were frequently attacked by White mobs and murder of African Americans became a common occurrence. With time, lynching became the preferred means of killing African Americans and a popular means of racial control. The incidences of lynching became more and more regular mostly as a result of anxieties by the Whites over changes in the political, social as well as economic landscapes. In the 1890s, approximately two African Americans were lynched per week. However, there were some Whites who did not support it though all felt that it was a necessary means of maintaining racial order 4. From 1900 to 1914 alone, more than 1000 African Americans were killed by Whites, thereby necessitating a movement to the relatively safer North 1. Political reasons for migration In 1867, African Americans people were allowed to vote but they did not really get to practice their voting rights as the White southerners devised several methods to prevent them from exercising their rights. For instance, they made it a requirement for anyone wishing to exercise his voting right to pass a test on literacy before he or she could be allowed to vote. This was targeted at disenfranchising the African Americans since many of them were illiterate as they had been given no education at all. The White southerners also introduced a poll tax which meant that those wishing to vote would have to pay money first. This was also another move to disenfranchise the African American southerners since most of them were extremely poor and therefore could not manage to pay a voting fee each time they wanted to vote. Another move taken to bar African Americans from voting was the introduction of the ‘grandfather clause’ into many constitutions of the Southern States. The grandfather clause stated that people who were allowed to vote on or before the first of January 1867, or whose father or grandfather had voting rights were not subject to the literacy test as well as poll tax payment. This clause therefore successfully barred African Americans from voting and the Whites enjoyed the voting privilege by themselves. Generally, Whites had more civil as well as legal rights compared to the African Americans and were accorded more superiority. This led the African Americans to look for other places where they could be heard 1. Economic reasons Before the period of the great African Americans migration, African Americans practiced agricultural production as their means of earning their livelihood. This agriculture was based on tenancy, where the freedmen, having no ownership of land, would rent it and work as tenants; exercising complete control over the produce of the farmlands and the profits subsequently earned. The tenancy of the land was to be renewed every year. The most prevalent form of farming however, was sharecropping. Under this practice, the owners of the land subdivided it into smaller farms of about thirty acres or so which were then allocated to single families. In return, the resident families paid the land owners through a share of the crop, usually half by half. The terms of this agreement depended on a variety of things such as whether the tenant was known or if the owner of the farm provided tools and other farming requirements to the tenant. In this manner, the African Americans returned to the fields and provided labor to the land owners 4. In the 1910s, there was a major agricultural depression due to natural occurrences and the farmers, both African Americans and white, suffered greatly. The cotton fields in particular, were invaded by the boll weevil which devoured the crop in the entire African Americans belt. Another natural phenomenon which devastated the farmlands was flooding in the south. The summer of 1915 saw massive floods which destroyed the crops in the farms and left the African Americans destitute as well as homeless 2. As a result, the prices paid for agricultural products fell and the small farms such as the ones rented to the African Americans yielded negligible profits. The African Americans therefore sank further into poverty and led a very precarious existence 1. The wages paid to the farm laborers reduced significantly and life for the African Americans was once again hard. Ironically, the North at this time, were experiencing significant increases in production and were therefore in dire need of labor. This can be attributed to the First World War which increased demand for goods produced in the North but restricted immigrations into the U. S yet it is the immigrants who provided the biggest share of labor to the Northern cities. The laborers in the North were also increasingly taking part in Union activities as they demanded for an increase in wages as well as better conditions for working. Northern industrialists therefore looked to the South for new labor supply and recruited the displaced African Americans as well as white workers into their industries. African Americans saw this as an opportunity to improve their livelihoods and migrated to the North in search of greener pastures 2. Testimonies of African Americans living in the North Appalled by the living conditions of their people in the South, African Americans living in the North especially those who owned newspapers or operated them started editorial campaigns that were aimed at convincing the African American southerners to move to the North where life would be better for them. Examples of newspapers involved in such campaigns were the Chicago defender as well as the Christian Recorder. These editorial campaigns tended to portray the North as the Biblical ‘Promised Land’ and convinced the African Americans that there they would have better opportunities. Thus due to interplay of the social political and economic reasons for migration as well as urgings from the African Americans living in the North, the African Americans left the South in their droves for real or perceived better opportunities in the North and the West 2. CONCLUSION Some of the African Americans who migrated to the North were able to find better opportunities and improve their livelihood. They were able to secure employment in the Northern industries dealing with various production processes. However, most of the migrants soon found that life in the North was not too different from life in the South. They still faced racial prejudice and were discriminated against by the Whites. Where they were employed, they were paid less than Whites employed in the same positions and most found that they were given jobs that involved manual labor. The public facilities in the North were open to both races but housing remained segregated as Whites remained unwilling to share their space with the African Americans. All in all, the great migration did manage to somewhat improve the living conditions of African Americans 2. REFERENCES 1. â€Å"At Home with Art Industry: 1890-1920: The economic, political and social reasons behind the Great Migration†. Illinois State Museum, 31 Dec 2006 http://www. museum. state. il. us/exhibits/athome/1890/TeachR/south. htm 2. Baskerville, John D. â€Å"The rural to urban African Americans â€Å"Great migration†: A brief history http://ci. coe. uni. edu/facstaff/zeitz/museum/migrate. html (accessed Feb 20, 2009) 3. Great Migration, 1910-1920, Gale Encyclopedia of U. S Economic History 01 Jan 1999 http://www. accessmylibrary. com/coms2/summary_0193-13024_ITM (accessed 20 Feb 2009) 4. Harrell, David Edwin Jr, Gaustad Edwin S. , Boles, John B. , Griffith, Sally Foreman, Miller, Randall M. , Randall B. Woods. Unto a good land: A history of the American people Volume 1: To 1900. Eerdmans Publishing, 2005 5. Harrison, Alferdteen. African Americans Exodus: The Great Migration from the American South. Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 1992. 6. Hurt, Douglas. African American Life in the Rural South, 1900-1950. Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2003

How Will Genetic Engineering Impact Our Lives? :: Expository Essays Research Papers

How will our lives change in the future? Are we as a society going to live longer because we have better medical treatments? The answer is most likely, yes, but will our genetic manipulation/sequencing take us to a new level. Instead of living to one hundred, will we be able to live to two hundred? More importantly, is this ethically correct to create a â€Å"fountain of youth† through genetic correction? An article I read recently helped me to draw some understanding. Thus far, researchers have had minimal success in using gene therapy to correct most genetic conditions and no researcher has used gene therapy to correct genetic impairments in a fetus (Parens). Although it is impossible to correct genetic flaws, we have discovered how to test for over 400 conditions, from those viewed as severe, such as Tay Sachs, to those that many might describe as relatively minor, such as polydactyly (a trait involving an extra little finger) (Parens). As it gets easier to test for these genetic disorders, so does the perception within both the medical and broader communities that prenatal testing is a logical extension of good prenatal care. On the other hand, as long as in-utero interventions remain relatively rare, and as long as the number or people seeking prenatal genetic information to prepare for the birth of a child with a disability remains small, prospective parents will use positive prenatal test results primarily as the basis of a decision to abort fetuses that carry mutations associated with disease or disability (Parens). â€Å"†¦There is a sense in which prenatal testing is simply a logical extension of the idea of good prenatal care† (Parens). Whether it is a logical extension or not, using prenatal tests to prevent the birth of babies with disabilities seems to be a good decision to many people (Parens). Even if the testing will not help bring a healthy baby to term this time, it gives prospective parents a chance to try and conceive again (Parens). â€Å"To others, however, prenatal testing looks rather different. If one thinks to appreciate why people identified with the disability rights movement might regard such testing as dangerous. For the members of this movement, including people with and without disabilities and both issue-focused and disability-focused groups, living with disabling traits need not be detrimental either to an individual's prospects of leading a worthwhile life, or to the families in which they grow up, or to society at large† (Parens). How Will Genetic Engineering Impact Our Lives? :: Expository Essays Research Papers How will our lives change in the future? Are we as a society going to live longer because we have better medical treatments? The answer is most likely, yes, but will our genetic manipulation/sequencing take us to a new level. Instead of living to one hundred, will we be able to live to two hundred? More importantly, is this ethically correct to create a â€Å"fountain of youth† through genetic correction? An article I read recently helped me to draw some understanding. Thus far, researchers have had minimal success in using gene therapy to correct most genetic conditions and no researcher has used gene therapy to correct genetic impairments in a fetus (Parens). Although it is impossible to correct genetic flaws, we have discovered how to test for over 400 conditions, from those viewed as severe, such as Tay Sachs, to those that many might describe as relatively minor, such as polydactyly (a trait involving an extra little finger) (Parens). As it gets easier to test for these genetic disorders, so does the perception within both the medical and broader communities that prenatal testing is a logical extension of good prenatal care. On the other hand, as long as in-utero interventions remain relatively rare, and as long as the number or people seeking prenatal genetic information to prepare for the birth of a child with a disability remains small, prospective parents will use positive prenatal test results primarily as the basis of a decision to abort fetuses that carry mutations associated with disease or disability (Parens). â€Å"†¦There is a sense in which prenatal testing is simply a logical extension of the idea of good prenatal care† (Parens). Whether it is a logical extension or not, using prenatal tests to prevent the birth of babies with disabilities seems to be a good decision to many people (Parens). Even if the testing will not help bring a healthy baby to term this time, it gives prospective parents a chance to try and conceive again (Parens). â€Å"To others, however, prenatal testing looks rather different. If one thinks to appreciate why people identified with the disability rights movement might regard such testing as dangerous. For the members of this movement, including people with and without disabilities and both issue-focused and disability-focused groups, living with disabling traits need not be detrimental either to an individual's prospects of leading a worthwhile life, or to the families in which they grow up, or to society at large† (Parens).

The Role Of The Learner In His Development Education Essay

In this essay I will be comparing two different theories and looking at how they contrast against each other when studied and applied towards the function of the scholar. The country we will be looking at in peculiar is development, and how these theories create two opposing political orientations that suggest separate waies the scholar takes. The first theory I will discourse is Behaviourism which views the function of the scholar as a inactive and ductile signifier that is the consequence of the environments input ( Bee, H. & A ; Boyd, D. , 2010 ) . Behaviourism classifies most actions as behavior, such as feeling or thought, therefore opening them up to observation of alteration. Behaviorists believe we learn through a rewarding procedure that emphasises our behavior and whether or non it was right ( Bee, H. & A ; Boyd, D. , 2010 ) . Not needfully opposing the first theory but my 2nd theory of Constructivism takes a different stance on how it perceives the scholar. Alternatively o f being a inactive being, constructivists feel the scholar plays an active function in his/her ‘s development. This is possible, as the theory suggests that we create different systems to get the better of day-to-day experiences and thenceforth an understanding upon contemplation ( Woolfolk, A. , Hughes, M. , 2008 ) . It is besides implied that we learn through a more synergistic attack, which includes job resolution ( Woolfolk, A. , Hughes, M. , 2008 ) . From both of these theories I will pull out the thoughts that form either a inactive or active attack and use those properties to compare the two. Within Behaviourism there are two immediate different types of conditioning. There is Classical conditioning and Operant conditioning. Classical conditioning believes larning takes topographic point between a stimulation and a response. This is a automatic response which in bend topographic points the environment in control – rendering the scholar as inactive, whereas operant conditioning expressions at behavior specifically and its links between different results. This means that through variable behaviors the scholar can derive different results – leting the scholar a grade of pick, but still inactive to the fact that the scholar can merely move upon an event driven by his/her ‘s environment ( Bee, H. & A ; Boyd, D. , 2010 ) . This is non a split within the theory, but instead it is two different signifiers of behaviorism. Even though we have these two separate thoughts, we can still see a big similarity that bonds them together, due to the environment itself st ill keeping a certain sum of control in the scholar ‘s development. This theory utilises the thought that human existences are an 'empty vas ‘ or in the words of John Locke â€Å" Tabula Rasa † ( A Blank Slate ) that is waiting to be filled by experience and cognition ( Woolfolk, A. , Hughes, M. , 2008 ) . Although, behaviorism does non concentrate on cognition as being the key to the scholar ‘s development, it observes alteration of behavior as the true key ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . This is interesting as it therefore can merely analyze discernible events – including those that are unwilled. By unwilled I refer to the thought of being incognizant during the procedure of development and attainment of cognition or experience. This brings me onto another factor in the scholar ‘s function as inactive. Due to how random these events can happen, the scholar has little or no clip to be after in front and hence, as Classical conditioning suggests, has to move instinctively ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . The lone clip contemplation occurs is when the scholar realises they have been developing. This can be a slow procedure and is the ground it is referred to every bit conditioning as it is physically and mentally exciting the physiological reaction system to be able to run better with the input and end product. Operant conditioning uses several different supports to distinguish between the acquisition processes. The three conspicuously used results can be ; positive support, negative support and penalty ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . Using these, it is observed and so ready to be broken down into events on a simple flow chart to see the input, procedure, behavior and end product. This peculiar thought can be seen in the experiment ‘The Skinner Box ‘ ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . Merely as the carnal receives positive support in the signifier of nutrient for executing the right action, such as pressing a button to let go of it, or finishing a ma ze – as does the scholar in a similar manner through footings of working within their environment. If the scholar carries out an action and receives a enjoyable result, the scholar is most likely traveling to execute the same action once more, in hopes of the same consequence. This once more adds to the inactive function of the scholar as he is still at the clemency of the environments boundaries and restrictions. Now that I have outlined the rudimentss of Behaviourism, I shall travel onto constructivism which believes the scholar is born with basic, natural and cardinal accomplishments. Therefore through geographic expedition of the environment and by manner of different phases in each person ‘s development, the scholar begins to get the better of the challenges that present themselves by utilizing experience and cognition ( Schaffer, H. R. , 2008 ) . It is through this that the scholar begins to besides understand his/her function as active, and acts suitably. A term used here is Adaptation – this refers to the ability that worlds have to alter and accommodate harmonizing to the environment through use of it ( Schaffer, H. R. , 2008 ) . By this I mean the scholar is able to use what it has around him and do it better. This is a large phenomenon as it challenges the behaviorists ‘ thought of the scholar being inactive to the environment, and alternatively the environment is the ductile signifier used by the active function of the scholar. Through ripening the scholar is able to develop through different phases that are set out in the constructivist theory – this is based on the cognitive theory that was designed by Piadget. It is really elaborate and distinguishes between different ages and different abilities. Sensory-motor ( 0-2 ) , Pre-Operational ( 2-7 ) , Concrete operational ( 7-12 ) and Formal operations ( 12+ ) ( Schaffer, H. R. , 2008 ) . Harmonizing to Piadget, merely like a design at birth, this is all preset and we can non travel frontward to another phase until we are at the right age and have completed the anterior phase. For illustration we can non get down to run before we begin to walk. This may look like a restriction, but in existent fact it ‘s still analogous to our input to the environment and how we choose to research our universe through sing it. To further reflect the thought that the function of the scholar is act ive, we can get down to look at how constructivism breaks down larning into scheme ( which is an internal representation of actions we can execute ) and utilize it to explicate assimilation. Schemas are either a group or individual action that compile together to execute an overall action, and the scheme refers to them as a whole ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . The thought of assimilation is that with scheme that we already possess we are able to research different objects and obtain different experiences. The scholar is invariably constructing upon what we know and seting together a different method for each possible state of affairs ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . An illustration of this is the sucking action performed when suckling. This scheme can subsequently be adapted to a bottle as the kid needs to imbibe. The possibilities are infinite and we develop more complex scheme as we grow and develop through life. This once more puts the scholar in a function th at is active and invariably moving upon his/her environment. Aside from Piadget ‘s theory of constructivism is Vygotsky ‘s theory of Social Constructivism. This takes into history the societal context of the development. The scholar is non merely challenged by his environment physically but besides intellectually in society. He viewed civilization as a major portion in the scholar ‘s development such as the linguistic communication they use, the history and societal context ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . A construct that relates to the function of the scholar that once more shows how active they are is the construct of the Zone of Proximal Development. This concept positions instructors as the accelerator in the development of the kid. If the kid is in their comfort zone and is pushed farther than usual – the result is eventual scheme building to get the better of the challenge ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . This construct causes the sc holar to be seen as far more dimensional character other than an object at the clemency of his/her environment. I will now get down to contrast between the two theories get downing with their differences and traveling onto the little similarities. As we saw, the two chief differences are that both take a strong side with the function of the scholar. In Behaviourism the scholar can merely be inactive ( albeit with little pick operant conditioning ) , and Constructivism views the scholar as an active participant in his pursuit for cognition. This spread is non merely caused by the function of the scholar, but merely as important is how the theory places the environment. It seems that the environment is the key to understanding the function of the scholar. In behaviorism the environment is seen as the active member that through doing different events forces the scholar to have and react through physiological reactions. In constructivism it is close plenty opposite with its theory on the function of the environment. Alternatively the environment is seen as a governable variable that the scholar us es to their advantage. It besides ties in with the construct of ripening and that as we develop we obtain several different schemes that we use to get the better of challenges in life. This can be every bit simple as larning the alphabet to every bit hard as larning a new linguistic communication. The chief function of the scheme that we develop is to help us in sing and researching our universe exhaustively. On the other manus, Behaviourism takes a different attack. The theory suggests that we use our physiological reactions to cover with state of affairss we meet twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours. This can alter with clip and finally operant conditioning takes topographic point where we use our experience to derive preferred results. This may look to suggest that the function of the scholar is slightly active, but in existent fact it is still dependable on the environment to derive the experience and even put the scholar in a state of affairs that requires them to construct upon what they already know. Both theories are at either side of the spectrum and go on to stand as cardinal constructs for looking at the function of the scholar and their development. As we discussed, Behaviourism is more interested in detecting events that can be seen. The alteration in behavior is seen as the lone variable that is utile when analyzing development of the scholar. This may look like an uneven attack as human existences are believing animals, but we are besides natural. It is these physiological reactions that we unconsciously condition suitably to our environment. However on the other side is the theory of constructivism which looks at the ability of version and ripening. Through these two thoughts there is a platform created for analyzing development non merely physically but mentally. Using scheme it brings out an even more active function, as it shows us that we ever researching and larning to get the better of anything we face. I believe by utilizing a in-between land there could be infini te to larn more about natural physiological reactions alongside those that are constructed. Furthermore I would besides wish to raise a inquiry as to the importance of cognition and behavior between the two. It seems behaviorism is far excessively focused on detecting what can be seen, and yet most of our development, aside from obvious alterations in behavior, happens internally. Can it genuinely observe every alteration internally as an discernible event? Constructivism ‘s return on cognition and assimilation besides leaves a batch left to be desired. Schemas are one manner of depicting things, but I believe there should besides be consideration for anomalousnesss and that some people wo n't follow the same ripening form. Is this still natural, even though it goes against the cognitive attack adopted within constructivism? Both these theories are every bit of import in the perusal of what function the scholar takes and should be treated as such, side by side.

Effects of modern gadgets to high school students Essay

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ANGELS & DEMONS- DAN BROWN essays

ANGELS & DEMONS- DAN BROWN essays The novel Angels and Demons written by Dan Brown is a thriller, an exiting discovery of histories deepest secrets. An old rival of religion, the Illuminati, arrives to the present to destroy what gets in the way- thats what it makes you think. Theres an invention that mankind invented that can destroy a whole city, like a nuclear bomb, is called the anti material. This bomb is stolen and taken to the Vatican, there is taken place the Il Conclave, a celebration were they choose a new Pope. The inventor of the bomb is killed with a fire burn in his chest, saying Illuminati. With this clue the director of the Conseil Europen pour la Recherche Nuclaire-CERN- calls an expert on the subject, a Professor from Harvard that had made investigations of this antique group. This Professor with accompany of the dead scientist daughter has to stop the assassin from killing and the Vatican from exploding. In their mission they find a lot of surprises as they go deep inside in the mysterious Rome. T he novel brings the history of the never ending battle between religion and science. The Illuminati, representing the science group, has managed to survive with their way of keeping secrets and making symbols only they could know the meaning. They did that to fool the Catholic Church, representing religion, so they could never find their hiding place. Also, like most people say, when theres hate theres also love, and here the novel shows love and affection between a father to his child, the developing love of a man and a woman, also the obsessing love between a man and his beliefs. But like most novels theres also the bad guy, and here is when the person you least suspect is the one betraying everyone around them. Since the beginning of history there has been a battle between science and religion. Scientist without hair in their tongs like Copernicus, were murder by the churches for revealing scien...

Definition of American Lyceum Movement

Definition of American Lyceum Movement The American Lyceum Movement inspired a popular trend of adult education  in the 1800s as scholars, authors, and even local citizens, would give lectures to local chapters of the organization. Town lyceums became important gathering places for civically engaged Americans. Lyceum speakers came to include luminaries such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. A future president, Abraham Lincoln, gave his first public address at a Lyceum meeting in his adopted hometown of Springfield, Illinois, on a winter night in 1838. originated with Josiah Holbrook, a teacher and amateur scientist who became a passionate advocate for volunteer educational institutions in towns and villages. The name lyceum came from the Greek word for the public meeting space where Aristotle lectured. Holbrook began a lyceum in Millbury, Massachusetts in 1826. The organization would host educational lectures and programs, and with Holbrook’s encouragement the movement spread to other towns in New England. Within two years, approximately 100 lyceums had been started in New England and in the Middle Atlantic states. In 1829, Holbrook published a book, American Lyceum, which described his vision of a lyceum and gave practical advice for organizing and maintaining one. The opening of Holbrooks book stated: â€Å"A Town Lyceum is a voluntary association of individuals disposed to improve each other in useful knowledge, and to advance the interests of their schools. To gain the first object, they hold weekly or other stated meetings, for reading, conversation, discussion, illustrating the sciences, or other exercises designed for their mutual benefit; and, as it is found convenient, they collect a cabinet, consisting of apparatus for illustrating the sciences, books, minerals, plants, or other natural or artificial productions.† Holbrook listed some of the â€Å"advantages which have already arisen from the Lyceums,† which included: The improvement of conversation. Holbrook wrote: â€Å"Subjects of science, or other topics of useful knowledge, take the place of frivolous conversation, or petty scandal, frequently indulged, and uniformly deplored, in our country villages.†Directing amusements for children. In other words, providing activities that would be useful or educational.Calling into use neglected libraries. Holbrook noted that libraries in small communities often fell into disuse, and he believed the educational activity of a lyceum would encourage people to patronize libraries.Increasing the advantages, and raising the character of, district schools. At a time when public education was often haphazard and disorganized, Holbrook believed that community members involved in a lyceum would be a useful adjunct to local classrooms. In his book, Holbrook also advocated for a â€Å"National Society for the improvement of popular education.† In 1831 a National Lyceum organization was started and it specified a constitution for lyceums to follow. The Lyceum Movement Spread Widely Holbrook’s book and his ideas proved to be extremely popular. By the mid-1830s the Lyceum Movement had grown enormously. More than 3,000 lyceums were operating in the United States, a remarkable number considering the small size of the young nation. The most prominent lyceum was one organized in Boston, which was led by Daniel Webster, renowned lawyer, orator, and political figure. A particularly memorable lyceum was the one at Concord, Massachusetts, as it was regularly attended by authors Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Both men were known to deliver addresses at the lyceum that would later be published as essays. For instance, the Thoreau essay later titled â€Å"Civil Disobedience† was presented in its earliest form as a lecture at the Concord Lyceum in January 1848. Lyceums Were Influential in American Life The lyceums scattered throughout the nation were gathering places of local leaders, and many political figures of the day got their start by addressing a local lyceum. Abraham Lincoln, at the age of 28, gave a speech to the lyceum in Springfield, Illinois in 1838, ten years before he would be elected to Congress and 22 years before he would be elected president. By speaking at the Lyceum, Lincoln followed a familiar path of other young aspiring politicians. The Lyceum Movement gave them a chance to gain some respect in their local communities, and helped lead the way toward political careers. And in addition to homegrown speakers, lyceums were also known to host prominent traveling speakers. The records of the Concord Lyceum indicate that visiting speakers included the newspaper editor Horace Greeley, the minister Henry Ward Beecher, and the abolitionist Wendell Phillips. Ralph Waldo Emerson was in demand as a lyceum speaker, and made a living traveling and giving lectures at lyceums. Attending lyceum programs were a very popular form in entertainment in many communities, especially during winter nights. The Lyceum Movement peaked in the years before the Civil War, though it did have a revival in the decades after the war. Later Lyceum speakers included the author Mark Twain, and the great showman Phineas T. Barnum, who would give lectures on temperance. Sources: Josiah Holbrook. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 7, Gale, 2004, pp. 450-451. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Ljungquist, Kent P. Lyceums.  American History Through Literature 1820-1870, edited by Janet Gabler-Hover and Robert Sattelmeyer, vol. 2, Charles Scribners Sons, 2006, pp. 691-695.  Gale Virtual Reference Library. Holbrook, J. Josiah Holbrooks Letter on the Farmers Lyceum.  American Eras: Primary Sources, edited by Sara Constantakis, et al., vol. 4: Reform Era and Eastern U.S. Development, 1815-1850, Gale, 2014, pp. 130-134.  Gale Virtual Reference Library.

How Christianity shaped the colonization of the New World Research Paper

How Christianity shaped the colonization of the New World - Research Paper Example this concept is so wrapped around with the misconception, if not premeditated efforts to have it seem either less or more important to native people than it actually is, that getting it directly, even precisely expressed, seems to be a task nearly impossible to accomplish. People of European origin who harbor no exacting ill-will toward Native American have a tendency to over-emphasize the notion of the Great Spirit because it makes some people seem more Christians than others. Some even propose that it is but a little step from belief in a Great Spirit to faith in the one, true God of Judeo Christian custom. At the same time, individuals who still anchorage the hope of our ultimate annihilation point to the notion as one that proves we still persevere in worshipping the devil, an article they see as a Great Spirit with authority over a pack of evil spirit who intimidates the existence of a Christianized civilization itself. Neither situation can be said to conserve any truth whatsoe ver with regard to Native American culture. This tries to guide in understanding the thesis of this essay, which question Native Americans concept on Christianity (Beardsley, pgs 463). Spanish Conquistadors The famous Spanish conquistadors, who were tremendously active throughout the Age of Exploration to the new civilization, impacted the process of civilization in regards to Christianity. In fact, thy were so well skillful and victorious in their efforts that they were directly accountable for a large part of the eastern zest trade, as well as creating massive wealth for their state of Spain.   Gold and spices along with the unearthing of silver made Spain a powerful nation. The name conquistadors imply conquer, which is precisely what these men accomplished.   The Spanish conquistadors were faithful soldiers and explorers, dedicating their lives to the improvement of their favorite Spain.   The Muslim Moors lost charge of the Iberian Peninsula to these soldiers after 800 ye ars of conflict.   This particular victory, referred to as the reconquist, entailed of Holy War fighting.   The Spanish soldiers and explorers travelling the journey to the New World possessed the name of conquistador. In addition to the prosperities enjoyed by the gold, spice, and silver commercial activities the Spanish conquistadors had other motivations.   For example, they sought to grasp a position of power and prestige, key fundamentals to building the Spanish territory (Abler, pgs 1-2).   Additionally, the conquistadors needed to convert natives to the Catholic religion; Christianity, which is why ministers always traveled with the explorers. The Spanish conquistadors took the Indians as being savage.   The exploitation and oppression associated with the populace became recognized as the Encomienda System, which was alike to the Medieval Feudal structure.   In spite of, the objective was to penetrate the Indian communities with religion so they would transform.   However, while the conversion progression was taking place, the Spanish conqu

Focus group Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Focus group - Assignment Example This paper however used extensively qualitative data from primary sources. By definition, a focus group is a research in which qualitative data is obtained from a small group of people usually between 4 and 15 (Litosseliti, 69). The people in the group are asked about their opinions, attitudes, beliefs and perceptions towards a concept, a service or a product. Since the purpose of this research is to evaluate the Extra Gum with respect to why it is a popular gum and the peoples beliefs about chewing the gum, a focus group therefore appears to be the best way to go about the inquiry (Stewart, 51). This research used primary data from five participants from the engineering departments. The participants were conveniently selected to participate. All of them signed a consent form before engaging in the research. They were all above the age of 18 years with the range of their ages being between 23 years and 36 years. The results obtained from the focus group indicate that all the participants liked chewing gum. Further, all of them liked Extra Gum due to its many flavors (60%) and long smell time (40%). Regarding the shape of the gum, it’s simple and attractive shape was the most likable characteristic of the gum being indicated by 4 of the five participants. From the perspective of the focus group, all the participants indicate that Extra gum faces competition majorly from Mentos. Its major quality that keeps it competitive is the wide area of the breath smell when chewing the gum which was indicated by 4 of the 5 participants. Using wrap gum appeared to be less popular that using can gum with a 2:5 popularity ration between them. All the participant consumers did not mind the price of the gum, but the place of manufactured mattered to all the participants. With 4 of the 5 participants indicating that the gum need change, their advice is varied. Three of the participants suggest that providing wraps that can be used when getting

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Integrating business perspective - Essay Example Hence, the investor looks into certain factors with a keen eye before investing into something. First and foremost, it is important to know complete detail about the business that is about to start up, its complete assessment and the analysis of the risk involved in the business. Analysis of risk factor is very important thing to know when considering to invest in a small startup business since this risk is what actually defines how much money you will earn or how much money you will lose in the future. But in certain cases the loss is worthwhile since the profit gained after a certain time period is far from the losses. For this purpose it is important to look into the idea that the party is selling and whether it has potential to grow or not and whether it will go down the drain. Generally speaking those who want to invest in such type of business should have an open mind and should know that investing in such type of business always involves the factor of risk and the elimination of this factor is hardly ever possible. To be sure of the idea that the students are selling, w e should see the product sample being shown to us and various other factors which are all linked to ache other. Another important factor to look upon when investing in such small scale business is time. Time is one of the most important factors of such type of businesses because such startups may require more than average time to get a return i.e., there should be no expectations of getting any money out of this business for three to five years. In such a case, the investor can put in his money in the form of loan which can be returned to the investor within a specific time period but there will be no profit earned in such case. The team involved in the business should also be evaluated since they are the people who are going to run the business and these people will be responsible on giving you your money back in the form of profit or in case of losses. If the team is

Case Study On Federalism The Murray Darling Basin Politics Essay

Case Study On Federalism The Murray Darling Basin Politics Essay The long-term issues surrounding the Murray Darling Basin provide an excellent case study with which to review federalism in Australia. This paper will explore the history of the Murray Darling Basin management, the relationships it has fostered and examine why success has been achieved where other national issues have failed. Federalism in Australia To provide context for this case study it is useful to define and summarise federalism and how it has shaped modern Australia. Generally, federalism is the name given to a type of government that unites different political bodies or regions within a single national system whilst providing each its independence. In 1901 Australia created the Federal Parliament giving six states independence but also providing the Federal Government key national powers. Australian federalism can be broken down in a number of ways: The structure of the Senate. The chamber comprises of an equal number of senators from each State. Hence, Tasmania and New South Wales have the same number of Senators even though the populations vary enormously. The role of the senate is to approve legislation sought from the House of Representatives. The division of powers. The Australian Constitution of 1901 established the Commonwealth of Australia which vested legislative power in a Federal Parliament. The Constitution provides for a wide range of responsibilities for the Federal Government which are detailed in Section 51. Those powers not detailed in Section 51 are known as residual powers as they are the responsibility of the States. The term division of powers lies at the heart of federalism and describes the division of responsibilities and power between state and the Commonwealth. In reality there are huge crossovers between the two layers of Government. Competition between these two layers of Government is a formative element to the history of Australia and the federation. Individual State Constitutions. Every State has a defined local constitution and maintains its own Government managed by a Parliament. The Parliament may take any form afforded by the states constitution. Fiscal arrangements. From the very outset the Australian federation was characterised by fiscal imbalance which has worsened overtime (Griffiths and Saunders 2002). Vertical fiscal imbalance (VFI) describes when central governments collect more revenue than regional governments, with Australia having among the highest VFI of any federal nation in the world (Warren 2006 pxxi). The introduction of Special Purpose Payments (SPPs) in 1923 along with the Uniform Tax Case (1942) moved the Commonwealth to a strong centralist position, way beyond that described in the Constitution. VFI has generally brought about detrimental changes to the federation. Overtime VFI has led to a decrease in accountability and increased layers of administration. Further it has led to a dependency by smaller states for core funding creating irresponsibility and inefficiencies (Walsh 2005). The original framers of the Constitution would be pleased to see that federalism has allowed for: competition; regionalisation of policies; innovation; experimentation; choice and diversity (Twomey and Withers 2007). Federalism is at the heart of Australias resilience and vigour. However, in the years since the inception of the Australian Constitution in 1901, small but fundamental policy and legislative changes have altered the style of the federation. Overtime a federal system has developed that does not reflect current world realities or the changing dynamics of a modern society. It is often argued that the model has never adequately defined roles or responsibilities, that duplication and inefficiencies are inherent and that historic fiscal arrangements are damaging (Wilkins 2004). The Murray Darling Basin Management of the Murray Darling Basin (MDB) highlights how federalism can work over extended timescales and provides the first example of cooperative federalism in Australia. Discussions surrounding the MDB are far from new with the birth of federalism in Australia emerging in part due to disputes associated with the water catchment area. A 1902 Royal Commission notes: The Murray and its tributaries must be looked at as one. An administrative and technical response is needed for jurisdictional disputations, environmental challenges and economic opportunities within a maturing Federal system Corowa Water Conference and Interstate Royal Commission 1902 The large scale of the MDB is surprising in terms of geography, financial contribution to the economy and importance to water resource development. The MDB catchment area covers over one million square kilometres and accounts for 14% of the Australian landmass, an area larger than France and Spain combined: Source ABS 2008 The basin is of crucial importance not only to the region but to the entire nation as it accounts for around $4.8 billion or 39% of Australias total agricultural output. The importance of food production encompassed by the MDB is broken down at the highest level as follows: Agricultural Crop / Livestock Percentage of Total Australian Production Cereals 53% Oranges 95% Apples 54% Cattle 24% Sheep 45% Pigs 62% Source ABS 2008 Further the MDB is the major source of water for Adelaide and northern Spencer Gulf cities in addition to settlements along the rivers and in the watersheds that feed them (Hawke Research Unit 2008). Water irrigated from the MDB accounts for approximately 75% of all the water irrigated in Australia. As water has long played a crucial role in the formation of white Australia, there are many dates and events  through which inter-governmental management of the MDB evolved: Date Event 1855 NSW passed their Constitution Act 1855 which gave the state possession of River Murray waters from the Rivers headwater to the SA border. 1855 -1898 Political wrangles leading to conferences of the Colonies (1857 and 1863). Three separate Royal Commissions in VIC, NSW and SA. Corowa Conference on Trade beginnings of Federation and agreements on river management. Water management entwined with Federation. 1902 Corowa Community Conference sees local groups take over the debate. 1915 Establishment of the River Murray Waters Agreement. NSW and Vic agreed to limit their Constitutional powers to manage the waters of the River Murray as they saw fit, and to provide SA with a share of those resources.   The Commonwealth Government played a strong facilitation role in reaching this agreement. 1916 -1980 Collaboration between NSW, Vic, SA and the Commonwealth sees the construction of three major water storages and 16 weirs. The current value of these assets is around $2 billion. 1982 The first Murray-Darling Basin Agreement reached between four governments. 1986 Appointment of Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council 1988 Establishment of the Murray Darling Basin Commission 1993 Enactment of the Murray Darling Basin Act 1993 1995 Cap on water restrictions ratified by all members of Murray-Darling Basin Agreement 2003 Council of Australian Governments (COAG) noted a $500 million fund over five years to restore the health of the River Murray. 2006 Additional $500 million announced to support MDB regeneration. The Commonwealth flagged its intention to take a lead role in management of the MDB. 2007 Enactment of the Water Act 2007 and establishment of the Murray Darling Basin Authority. A further $10 billion investment promised by Commonwealth 2008 Agreement on Murray-Darling Basin Reform signed by all Basin States and the Commonwealth Government Changes to the Water Act 2007 transferred power to the Murray Darling Basin Authority 2010 Release of the Guide to the Proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Concerns from farmers and communities lead to a 12 month delay of the final release. Within the last 20 years the basin has been under enormous stress as a result of over-allocation, prolonged drought, natural climate variability and climate change. A lack of water has played havoc with rivers, wetlands, forests and floodplains with blame resting with State governments for allowing too much water to be taken out of the system. The Long Road to Cooperative Federalism The success of the MDB management is surprising given the resource joins four States, a territory government, a federal government and hundreds of water catchment boards and local governments. The majority of serious issues in managing the system have always reached resolution and as a showcase for water resource management the MDB is highly regarded internationally. So how has the MDB become a showcase for cooperative federalism and avoided stagnation with other national issues? One important reason for the success in the MDB lies in the types of relationships fostered through communities, local governments, states and the Commonwealth. The prevailing characteristics of Australian federalism are of rivalry and coercion leading to undesirable behaviour by governments (Walsh 2005). However management of the MDB has produced major reform across all levels of government resulting in a greater good approach by stakeholders. There are few examples since 1901 where a unified approach to a national issue, not enforceable by a Commonwealth government, has been so resolutely enacted with such cross-border respect. The strong identity invested by individuals, bureaucrats and politicians alike meant the evolution of a sense of bioregionalism and identification with the Murray-Darling Basin could develop over time (Powell 1993). Further, from 1916-1980 Vic, NSW, SA and the Commonwealth worked together in a fair and equitable way on the construction of major water infrastructure.    Facing considerable challenges and significant disputes  the 1982 River Murray Waters Agreement became the forerunner of the Murray Darling Basin Initiative and is sighted as the very first example of cooperative federalism (Freebairn 2005). The success of the River Murray Waters Agreement was due to the clarity of roles and responsibilities across three levels of government. As Australia still wrestles with its model of federalism and searches for a new and meaningful style of government (Twoomey and Withers 2007) the MDB is an excellent example of where cross border activities and regional priorities have been unified through a common approach. Facilitating the move towards cooperative federalism have been the fiscal arrangements surrounding the MDB. The Commonwealth, without having Constitutional control but plenty of cash, has incentivised reform via payments on performance. For example the introduction of the National Competition Policy in 1995 allowed a series of tranche payments to motivate States in achieving key water reform goals. In 2004, the National Water Initiative was introduced to overcome property rights issues, resulting in an agreed public-private cost-sharing arrangement if environmental flows were to be increased (Freebairn 2005). Investment by the Commonwealth has been substantial and, as Freebairn notes, is considered the glue holding together MDB reforms. Where national reforms to housing, education and health languish due to arguments on horizontal fiscal equalisation the MDB has neatly sidestepped such issues. It is reasonable to suggest that the fiscal arrangements have been the keystone in all refo rms to the MDB and that the cooperative nature of arrangements have been underpinned by the direct and indirect cash injections by the Commonwealth. The substantial public investment made from 1990-1996 also incurred criticism. Throughout this period there was limited empirical evidence of real improvements to the MDB system. The feel good perception of the general public may well have been misplaced in relation to tangible on the ground achievements (Ancev and Vervoort 2007). However data does not sell newspapers or create political careers. The high level political messages issued at the time brushed over realities and allowed for continued poor policy setting. It is interesting to note that during this period all parties remained committed to flawed policies which later exacerbated problems within the MDB. The success of MDB management is also attributed to the centralist strategy encapsulated in the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement. The Agreement of 1988 can be understood in light of the effective management of what is an enormously complex and pressing issue. The Commonwealth in this context acted as the broker between State interests, operating outside of particular jurisdictional claims and difficulties. It was a clever, pragmatic and subtle role, one which the original writers of the Constitution would have imagined the Commonwealth playing more frequently. Combined with the financial contributions previously described, the Commonwealth have been able to lead from behind and manoeuvre local and regional issues within a national context. A Trickle Becomes a River The role of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in assisting reform is not to be underestimated. Whilst COAG has been underutilised by some Governments, its ability to decide on matters of national importance has been crucial in advancing management of the MDB. For example the COAG endorsed reforms for water allocations and cross boarder trading provided clear direction and set deadlines for action that no single state could command. In addition the Water Management Partnerships agreed by COAG in 2008 provided national agreement at a crucial time in the basins history, with long-term drought reducing flows to their lowest levels on record. It was a critical time for leadership and decision making and one in which COAG was able to fully exercise its role and responsibility. The swearing in of the Labour Government of 2007 bought with it a wave of cooperative federalism supported by a political alignment of all States and Commonwealth for the first time since 1969. Almost immediately progress was made on revolutionising MDB management with a cash injection of $10bn and the creation of Murray Darling Basin Authority. The Authority replaced the previous Murray Darling Commission and provided the Commonwealth with a closer link to water reform for the region. In the history of the cooperative federalism in Australia this was another milestone. By creating an independent statutory authority the basin states were clear on the roles and responsibilities of water management for the region. The suggestions at the time that the Commonwealth should take total control over the Murray-Darling Basin were constitutionally impossible and environmentally short-sighted. Federalism cant make it rain. If the Commonwealth had been running the Murray-Darling before the drought the basin would still be in dire straits (Wanna 2009). However although the Murray Darling Basin Authority operates as a statutory authority it reports directly to the Commonwealth through the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. The relationship is another step toward Commonwealth control without Constitutional reform. From Now to Where? We have seen that through cooperative federalism MDB management has enabled significant long-term investment on a national scale. The MDB case study emphasises how cross boarder agreements can succeed in supporting the needs of three levels of government and local communities. We have also seen how the financial arrangements for MDB reform have sidestepped major federation fiscal issues that engulf national issues within education and health. Finally the case study has highlighted the importance of COAG and how, when performing at its best COAG can provide leadership, facilitate long-term national change and supporting varying regional priorities. Whilst the Australian federation has moved forward and in part failed to develop (Twoomey and Withers 2007) the MDB has remained a central focus for basin states, local governments and communities alike. Ongoing wrangling over water allocations will continue and serious droughts may well occur again, however, clearly defined roles and responsibilities provide a solid foundation upon which the Murray Darling Basin Authority now operates. Through cooperative federalism, pragmatic leadership and simplified investment the future of the Murray Darling Basin is more assured than at any time in its history.