Ethical argument Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical argument - Term Paper Example Discussion Basing our argument on Ethical reasoning in the environmental justice movement it is right to understand the fact that being knowledgeable on environmental justices important as it shows social engagement to surrounding. Recently theologians have developed the term eco-justice to reflect a universal religious aspiration for right relationship between humans and the earth, putting special attention on vulnerable people and the earth's creatures at risk of greed and destructive human activities. At this point, it is good to support the idea of not buying a SUV due to its following negative impacts as argued by ethical scholars on SUVs. They are threat to the environment as they are observed to use a lot of gas, more than most other cars, so there is more gas emissions which adds to the problem of global warming, (Bradsher 23). A case study findings is given of SUV owners who were fined almost $9 billion to $350 for gasoline in the year 2002 in the USA far much compared to if SUVs were as fuel-efficient as average car. Therefore it is not economically fit to buy a SUV. Apart from being harmful to owners, SUVS are also dangerous to other motorists as they are larger and heavier compared to many vehicles on the road. In the event a of a SUV crashing into a relatively smaller car, the passengers in the smaller vehicle would probably lose their lives or get very serious injuries contrary to if the accident involved two small vehicles. Observation have been made that SUVs are also a threat to their children and adult passengers as they likely to rollover crash than in other types of vehicle. A research shows that the currently increasing road accident is because of SUVs dominating car market. SUVs safety is in great multiple questioning and they are made with limited safety standard then cars because they count as a truck and trucks do not need to have certain specifications to protect the passengers, ((Bradsher 23); therefore, not only is it both unethical to buy or sell SUVs. However some reasons has been given as to why one should own a suv, they want the offloading capabilities and a car that is all weather drive and can help in moving around better when touring the area or carrying out business. Additionally, a vehicle that suits their cargo capacity requirement hence feels that SUV is much better for it holds more than a station wagon, and furthermore, people prefer SUV arguing that they are safer because it is larger and heavier built. Individuals like a vehicle with taller seating and want a combination of cargo carrying capacity and passenger seating. Therefore they would go for SUVs owing to the fact that many of them seat five passengers with others offering third row seating. Most people purchase SUV as they are cheap. It may not fully satisfy them but to an extent meets their needs. For example, Americans are in love with cars and appreciate good life which is currently met by affordable SUVs. Basing our argument on the ab ove discussed points on importance of SUVs and their negative impacts a recommendation would be given that people should prefer buying other cars rather than going for SUVs. When we look into the issue of health it has been observed that SUVs have negatively contributed to poor health to drivers, passengers and people in the world. Additionally diesel pollution by SUVs is known to be dangerous to human health, as it has led to increased

Macroeconomics Economics Commentary - patterns in Americas unemployment statistics Essay Example for Free

Macroeconomics Economics Commentary patterns in Americas unemployment statistics Essay Unemployment is defined as â€Å"individuals who are actively seeking for a job but cannot find one.† The rate of unemployment however is the number of employed individuals expressed as a proportion of the labour force. During the recent 2010 recession, the United States (US) faced an incredibly large unemployment rate. Despite the fact that America has mostly recovered from the recession, some sectors of the American economy have not yet left the ‘recessionary zone.’ In this article, the dilemma of American teenagers and blacks discrimination is discussed. The statistics given from the article demonstrate a decrease in the rate of unemployment within the American economy. This is illustrated in the graph below as we can see the aggregate supply of labour closing the gap between itself (in blue) and the aggregate demand in order to achieve market equilibrium. Statistically, this improvement can be seen by the drop in unemployment figures from 9.4% in December 2009 to 9.4% one year later in December 2010. Analysing the situation, numerous factors could have resulted in this dip. Primarily, gender discrepancy should be taken into respect. Females dominated industries have increased in size such as education and healthcare industries. Supporting my analysis, the rate of unemployment for women minimally fell by 0.1% unlike their male counterparts whom suffered greater losses. Males as a result saw a greater decrease in their unemployment percentages, falling by 0.8% in comparison to the female’s 0.1% probably due to discriminating reasons, academic motives or other social aspects. Another yet the most principle core dispute raised in the article is the fact that blacks and teenagers are being discriminated suffering from the highest rates of unemployment. Teens topped a high unemployment percentage of 25.4% whilst blacks a little lower tallied at 15.8%. Logically this makes sense for teenagers (assuming they are in the job searching range of 16 to 19 years old), in this age group most teenagers have had little professional experience as emphasis is placed on completing their high school diploma, meaning that the labour force is fundamentally less productive as these teenagers would have no or relatively no real previous real work experience in comparison to an elder person making them less appealing to employers. A growing number of teenagers choose to work as servers/waiters as a consequence of preference and taste for the job yet more importantly, due to their lack in qualifications to work in offices and large firms. As laws enforcing compulsory education up to a certain age become stricter and a higher number of adolescent individuals choosing to complete their studies exists, these individuals are not counted in the ‘pool of unemployment’ as they do not wish to have a job at that moment in time. By estimating, blacks who seem to comprise largely of adults seem however to be facing discriminatory reasons resulting in their rather high unemployment rate. America could modify a few of its structural policies in order to circumvent such dramatic results if a recession were to occur again. Firstly, better and wider training programmes in all academic fields should be offered to students at schools. If the education became more flexible, offering courses in a wider range of subjects, the creation of a possibly more productive workforce is probable and more importantly, having acquired many skills and talents, these teenagers would be capable of finding new jobs in case of a structural change in the economy that demands different skills. Another policy could be to fundamentally ensure that every teenager is granted some type of access to good education/training programme. Lastly, as teenagers in school are not recorded as part of the unemployment rate, the rate of unemployment could be reduced if the government were to provide some type of incentive for teenagers to go back to/attend school. Not only would this reduce unemployment figures in the short run, it would mean that these same teenagers will be capable to offer society much more as they would have gained professional qualifications According to Alicia Robb,Asians are the most educated, so when you have the largest pool of workers, employers are going to pick the most qualified Robb’s statement explains the situation of the Asian race, having suffered the lowest increase in unemployment yet highest fall un unemployment figures from 8.4% in December 2009 to 7.2% a year later. Recently, a voluminous amount of Asians have flocked to the United States. Not only do they usually obtain higher qualified or greater work experience but Asian labour has been branded to be relatively cheap lowering a firm’s total costs, increasing profits. The later generation of these Asians (20 – 30 years old) are thus already qualified enough due to the development in America after 1980s and most of them are employed in good companies and are very well paid now. The young generation of Asians, which are contributed to the teenagers are now concentrating on education in America and most of them would go back to their countries after graduating.

Advancement Does Not Equal Destruction Essay -- Argumentative Persuasi

Advancement Does Not Equal Destruction It is 7:15 am on a Monday morning. You look outside and see 5 inches of snow on the ground and wonder â€Å"Do I have to go to school this morning?† You can’t waste time waiting for your school’s name to pop up on a TV news broadcast, so you quickly click onto the internet. Within moments, you have determined the status of your school, overjoyed that you can jump back into bed and sleep for a few more hours. Receiving information this quickly and easily is beneficial for everyone; it simplifies tasks and gives people more options for reading and writing information. With an internet connection, anyone can access the vast communications network known as the World Wide Web. People can do practically everything on the web: pay bills, check movie times, schedule classes, chat, email, read online newspapers, etc. One no longer needs to subscribe to a daily newspaper to get the latest local, national, and world news. At the click of a button, one can access numerous news sites that contain up-to-the-minute news from around the globe. This not only changes the way people read the news, but it also changes the way people write about the news. Online news is not presented in the same way as printed news. The operators of online news sites strive to attract visitors with bright graphics, eye-catching color schemes, and many helpful links. These work to help the user feel comfortable with the site, promoting the user’s return. The capabilities of multi-media also complement online sources, giving the user a more connected feel. There are so many news sites available on the web, but most share common designs. Most news sites have a similar layout, which includes a navigation frame at the top... ...ron, Dennis. â€Å"From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies.† Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age. Ed. Evelyn B. Tribble & Anne Trubek. New York, NY: Longman, 2003. 35-52. Birkerts, Sven. â€Å"Into the Electronic Millenium.† Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age. Ed. Evelyn B. Tribble & Anne Trubek. New York, NY: Longman, 2003. 62-73. Landow, George. â€Å"Twenty Minutes into the Future, or How Are We Moving Beyond the Book?† Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age. Ed. Evelyn B. Tribble & Anne Trubek. New York, NY: Longman, 2003. 214-226. New York Times on the Web. 5 Apr. 2004. http://www.nytimes.com. 5 Apr. 2004. â€Å"Woman with dwarfism brings comedy to UK.† BBC News: world edition. 5 Apr. 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/40005000/rm/_40005075_dwarfism09_davis_vi.ram 5 Apr. 2004.

Individuality: Ellen Degeneres and Sexual Preference

Stay True to Yourself SaRaya V. Woolridge Towson University Abstract In order to be successful in any aspect of life you must be an advocate. As stated by dictionary. com, an advocate is to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly. Everyone by nature is an advocate for something whether it is being something as minimal as being an advocate for a promotion from your job or an increase in your allowance from your parents. There’s at least one topic that you feel strongly about and you feel should change.For me that topic is individualism. I believe that being your own person and staying true to yourself in any situation will lead you to ultimate success. Often in society people who are â€Å"different† from the norm are deemed weird and often looked down on. Straying from the norm doesn’t make you weird or any less good than the next person. A man who wears hair down to his ankles and shorts all year round with hoodies or someone who is homosexual and decided not to hide their sexual preference just to fit in with what society accepts.Every single person is different from the next no matter their race, age, background or even physical appearance. No two people are the exact same. And with this being said I never understood exactly why everyone is so hell bent on â€Å"Fitting In†. I believe that everyone should embrace every little thing that makes them special and use it to their advantage and become successful. There are many famous people right now that are successful right now that only were able to reach their full potential by embracing the very thing that made them unique and â€Å"different†.Ellen Degeneres revealed she was a lesbian, a rap group out to Brooklyn, NY by the name of â€Å"Flatbush Zombies† embraces their â€Å"weirdness† in rapping and sense of style and the good girl gone bad Rihanna expresses herself through body art and hairstyles. All three used made the m special to get where they are in life. Homosexuality is very common in our society today, so common that the rights for gays are a big campaign topic. There was once upon a time that the people in the limelight whom we often look up to would hide their sexual preference to gain and maintain social acceptance.But more recently there have been more and more people â€Å"coming out the closet†. Ellen Degeneres, Rosie O’Donnel, Lance Bass of N’Sync and Ricky Martin to name a few all are celebrities who have over the years embraced their sexuality. Most of the stars who revealed their sexual preference didn’t come as a surprise. But all can conclude that it made their life much easier and contributed to their career’s success. Ellen Degeneres said in an interview â€Å"†I never wanted to be ‘the lesbian actress. ‘ I never wanted to be the spokesperson for the gay community. Ever. I did it for my own truth. Ellen also went on to find love and marry a woman.This also caused a big stir because of the ongoing debates of same sex marriage. A lot of people do not agree with this and being a talk show host this could have easily harmed her ratings. But she did not let any of this stop her from being one of the top talk show hosts and gaining endorsements from companies such as cover girl. Also on the same website Elton John was quoted saying â€Å"[Coming out] gave me the freedom to be who I was for the rest of my life. I don't have to hide around corners. The worse thing is to be afraid of who you are — it's horrible. They both concluded that ever since revealing their sexuality their life has been easier. And when your life is stress free your success comes with ease because all your focus is on you and not hiding who you are. Another person who has gained much success through being an advocate for individualism is pop star Rihanna. Starting out with a good girl island girl image with her debut song â€Å" pon de replay†, no one would ever think she would be the hardcore, slick mouthed tattooed girl she is today. Often tweeting and posting pictures smoking weed and cursing at critics.Some people think that this is all a mechanism to cope with the domestic violence dispute she was involved in but Rihanna is very adamant about this being exactly who she’s been all along. Now that she’s made her mark and established a very loyal following, she’s able to really embrace her wild side without the concern that she will not be socially accepted. Rihanna has showed her â€Å"I Don’t Care† attitude through vulgar tweeting, tattoos and wild hairstyles. Over the years she’s chopped her hair all off, shaved her sides and dyed her hair outrageous colors such as fire engine red. She has also gotten tattoos f miniature guns and a quote on her knuckles that say â€Å"Thug Life†. Tattoos often communicate something negative in the public eye especi ally when it is in a spot that is very visible. (Doss and Ebesu-Hubbard, 2009) Most people would think her blatant disrespect and good girl gone bad persona would make her lose fans but ever since she’s done this her fan base has grown and her record sales have sky rocketed. She’s since been labeled a style icon and been making #1 hit records. Last but not least, there is the demonic crazily dressed duo Flatbush Zombies out of Brooklyn, New York.This group is compiled of two underground rappers with a theme and a dream. Piggy backing off of what the media named the â€Å"Zombie Attack† the duo has made quite a name for themselves, particularly for their style of dress and rap. They usually dress in loud non matching colors, mixing up prints and even dying their hair outrageous colors. One member of the group by the name os Juice had his hair dyed red at the top and gold on the sides. This was following the previous cheetah spotted hair. They take their â€Å"we irdness† and use it to their advantage.They dress weird, they dye their hair, they do drugs and rap and they don’t care who has a problem with it and it has only contributed to their rising success from underground rappers to mainstream. These are just a few examples of the â€Å"weird† and â€Å"different† people in the world that I admire for staying true to what makes them different. I personally have always had a very different style and I know people stare at me and talk about me but at the end of the day I’ve made a lot of networking connections being exactly who I am.As have many other famous people. This may sound cliche but I never want to be the girl who is trying to fit in when I was born to stand out, because when you try to fit in with the norm you’ll be washed away and blended in with everyone else. All in all, I believe that being an advocate for individuality is very crucial to success. All of the people in my paper as well as in the world who are successful Work Cited De Boer, S. (February 2009). Stars who came out of the closet, Wonderwall. Retrieved September 23, 2012 from

Macroeconomic Aims of a Government Essay

The government and policymakers of a country intervenes in the economy in order to achieve economic growth, price stability, and low rate of unemployment. First and foremost, economic growth can be defined as an increase in the country’s output over a period of time. This means there is an increment in her productive capacity hence a rise in national income. A high economic growth is desirable as it represents an improvement in the material standard of living of the society. A rising real income per head brings about more and better quality goods and services, which are available for consumptions of individuals. However, an improvement in the case of consumer welfare due to economic growth is highly doubtful if the growth is accompanied by undesirable side effects such as negative externalities, leisure time forgone or even a dilution in the society’s tradition & custom. Through redistribution of income, economic growth can eliminate poverty. A higher output allows households to enjoy more goods and services thus generating higher income and through the multiplier effect increases national income by folds. Besides that, the government’s tax revenue will rise too, leading to more benefits for the poor such as education and training. This may even help curb the problem of poverty. The authority also highly regards sustaining a stable price level as a primary objective of economic policy. This is because inflation, defined as a sustained and inordinate increase in the general price level, could have harmful effects both socially and economically. A rising price level creates uncertainties and complicates decision-making, thus may hamper economic growth. Fluctuations in the level of prices makes information conveyed by prices harder to interpret. Consumer, firms, and the government may face a tough time in allocating funds or resources for the future in an inflationary environment. Furthermore, as the society strives to maintain its real value of income by keeping up with rising price level and competing with other social classes, the country’s social fabric could be severely strained. The mere existence of inflation means that the real value of money is falling. Thus, it will be necessary for the government to intervene in  the economy in order to prevent hyperinflation from happening. The countries that experienced the most extreme examples of trotting inflation are Argentine, Brazil and Russia. The slow growth brought about eventually crippled virtually the entire economic system. Every government places a low rate of unemployment at the top of its priority. The percentage of total labor force unemployed makes up the rate of unemployment. Economic costs of unemployment can be devastating, as it could mean a lower Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to loss of potential income to factors of production, whilst social costs such as increased poverty, personal hardships to individuals, decay of unused skills, raise in crime rates and family disputes prove the worthiness of the goal of achieving high employment. On the other hand, stability of a country’s exchange rate in the foreign exchange market (FOREX) is vital, as fluctuations of the exchange rate create adverse effects to the economy. There are mainly two cases which are prevalent in most economies. Firstly, an appreciation of the exchange rate may cause exports to become relatively dearer, and lead to loss of competitiveness (comparative advantage) to a country. Secondly, a depreciation of the exchange rate brings about serious domestic inflation, encourages exodus of capital and thus puts the country under stress of lack of investment and unemployment. On the external aspect, the government aims to achieve equilibrium in the balance of payment, especially the current account. A deficit in the current account drains the savings and reserve of a country significantly, leading to a chain effect of higher national debt and burden to future generations. In view of the above objectives, the government is needed to regulate and rectify situations. Therefore, the conclusion can be arrived that government intervention is fundamental to every economies in the world.

Poverty and Voter Participation

Poverty and Voter Participation Free Online Research Papers A democratic form of government is unique in that all citizens have an equal vote or voice in shaping policy or electing government officials. The population participates effectively in the determination of their lives for themselves either directly or through their elected representatives. Equal opportunity is a central component of democracy. Each individual, whether rich or poor, strong or weak, has the same chance to participate and influence governmental action. Without this participation, a democracy is neither representative, nor efficient. When considering democratic participation, one cannot help but wonder if all people truly do have the same opportunity to contribute. Equality in democracy appears to be a concept that has been buried by the seemingly more important attributes such as wealth, power, and influence. Have the poor become so disenfranchised that they no longer care to play a part in democratic processes? This leads me to my research question: how does poverty affect democratic participation? In searching for the answer to this query, I will examine possible factors that could explain why the poor may not be as capable or willing as the rich to shape public policy or elect officials. A review of the voting trends of poorer peoples as compared to those of the wealthy in various democratic nations throughout the world will help me to understand which economic group is more likely to show up and contribute on Election Day. It is my hypothesis that poverty results in decreased engagement in democratic p rocesses. Certain unfulfilled needs of the poor put them at a disadvantage as compared to the affluent when it comes to democratic participation. Whether it concerns the human body’s most basic needs such as food and shelter or more developed needs such as education, the well-off clearly are steps ahead of the less fortunate. I will spend the next several paragraphs explaining how such essentials impact the political input of those stricken by poverty. Human beings have certain basic needs. Until these are fulfilled, all other needs are not of importance. Food is one such necessity. The poor may not always have ready access to nourishment and thus are less concerned with more distant matters such as elections and policy choice. Without the energy that is provided by food, individuals cannot hope to function effectively. It is in the face of such dire straits that democratic participation is not of great concern. What is worse is the fact that the little access to food the poor have is insecure. The underprivileged must rely on charity, handouts, or begging for their sustenance (Sibanda, 2006, p.7). The constant threat of starvation will draw anyone’s attention away from democratic contribution. The wealthy, on the other hand, have no need to worry about where their next meal will come from and thus can focus their attention towards matters of political importance. On the same level of importance of food is the matter of shelter. â€Å"Not shelter for its own sake, but adequate shelter conducive to a healthy and comfortable pursuit of life. Many people in Africa are living in the most shocking conditions† (Sibanda, 2006, p.7). Poor living conditions do not assist in any way to a desire to participate in any kind of political activity. A disadvantaged man or woman living in the Democratic Republic of Congo is unlikely to travel to the voting station when his or her home is in constant danger of falling apart. An education is vital to any person who wishes to make beneficial political decisions. Being educated not only increases one’s chances of gaining access to all kinds of resources, it allows one to avoid exclusion from the governmental processes of one’s country. If one wishes to exercise one’s rights, one must be educated about those rights. â€Å"It is not enough to teach people how to vote and remind them every so often of their basic rights as relates to the election process, people need to be educated about the entire political system† (Putnam, 2006, p.1). Often times the poor are not privileged to have access to a meaningful education. Consequently, they frequently do not comprehend where they stand in the political system beyond the vote. It is in formal educational structures that this kind of information is made available, resulting in a better informed upper class. This leads one to believe that the wealthy are more likely to engage in democratic participation. It is an unfortunate fact that many of the democratic nations in Africa spend more on defense than they do education. Fortunately, efforts are being made to remedy this problem. In South Africa, for example, there is an ongoing campaign with the goal of informing the public of their rights and how they can actively participate in the democratic processes. (Sowman. 2006. p.6) Health and medical needs are other factors that could lead to less governmental contribution by the poor. The poor in many democratic nations throughout the world are not provided with adequate health services. Issues of distance and cost result in the exclusion of provisions for the financially disadvantaged. Additionally, public hospitals are unable to give necessary treatment to those unable to afford private care. (Abelson. 2002. p. 27) Clearly, people suffering from an ailment or who have questionable health are not likely to take part in democratic functions. Mothers and fathers do not wish to leave their sick and dying children so that they may vote in an election. â€Å"Even as people recognize the failing of their political institutions in providing for their needs and even if they are fully aware of their rights and how to exercise them, they are disinclined to do so if they are sick or their families are sick all the time† (Sibanda. 2006. p. 8) The poor suffer another setback as they may not have access to information on the actions and processes of their government. Government headquarters are typically in urban areas which may be a great distance from the rural poor. For those living in shacks many miles away from major cities, the democratic government may be viewed as a distant entity that does not pertain to their simple lives. This could decrease any and all motivation to make their presence felt on the government. Meanwhile, the wealthy living in or around these urban areas are likely to participate as they feel more directly impacted by elections, decisions, policies, etc. A final setback experienced by those living in poverty that could hinder their democratic participation is a language barrier. In numerous African democratic nations, â€Å"language continues to be the most important vehicle of exclusion in democratic participation in Africa. A significant proportion of the African population does not use the colonial language as a means of communication† (Sibanda. 2006. p.10) This limits participation to those sufficiently fluent in the colonial language. This group tends to be the more affluent members of society. The poor are unable to take an active part in the democratic system as the system is based on a language unknown to the needy. This is a sad truth as these people are excluded from the political process despite being the ones most affected by the governmental actions. All of these setbacks would lead one to believe that the poor in most democratic nations throughout the world participate significantly less than the wealthy in governmental affairs. Nevertheless, this has proven not to be the case. It is true that the poor demonstrate less desire to engage in democratic participation in some nations. In the United States, for example, only 55 to 60 percent of eligible voters visit the voting stations to do perform their democratic duty. (Arnold. 2004. p.1) Of these eligible voters that participate, less than five percent are below the poverty line. (Arnold. 2004. p. 1) This confirms that in the United States of America, the economically wealthy are more active participants in democratic processes. However, this finding does not apply to all democracies on Earth. An example of this is demonstrated by the Philippines, where those classified as lower class comprise 60 percent of all voters. (Coronel. 2004. p. 1) Beginning in 1998, the poor Filipino vote played a significant role in the outcome of the presidential elections. A poll determined that, â€Å"class, rather than age, gender, or geography determined the vote† (Coronel. 2004. p. 1) Why is it that in the Philippines the poor are so eager to participate democratically while those of the same class level in America and African democracies seem to care so little? In the Philippines, elections are viewed as games of chance. Voters can either win or lose. Because they have so little opportunity to win in other facets of life, the poor in this nation choose to take advantage of democratic systems to make their voices heard. (Coronel. 2004. p. 5) Elections to them are the only legitimate means to choose a leader; thus, they passionately engage in the process. â€Å"The voter turnout among the poor in the Philippines has historically been higher than among the more affluent classes† (Coronel. 2004. p. 5). The election game of chance results in both a valid system as well as a source of entertainment. For the poor that do engage in democratic participation, one must wonder what values they embrace, how they are influenced, and what they look for in government and leadership. When it comes to choosing candidates, the poor seek an individual who is educated, has experience, a good track record, and an effective political platform. Wealth and power are not necessarily attractive qualities of candidates. Rather, honesty, responsibility, willingness to help, and an overall goodness of character are desired leadership traits. (Chua. 2004. p. 6) What influences the economically misfortunate in their democratic participation? â€Å"The most important sources of influence of the poor are, in declining order: the media, the family, the church, and political parties. Surveys come last on the list† (Chua. 2004. p. 6) There is a general distrust of surveys and a belief that one’s vote should be based on the qualifications and history of the candidate. The media holds the most influence as it provides information about the candidates on a mass scale. The media allows the poor to observe the behavior, manner of speaking, and get an overall sense of the personality of those running for office. It is typically a trait of poor families to agree on election choices. Hence, the family is of great influence when it comes to democratic participation. Why do the poor in some democratic nations take such an active role in government while the poor in other such countries remain idle? The degree of poverty can provide an explanation. South Africa, a democratic nation, millions of citizens live in conditions unfit for even the lowliest of creatures. All of the factors discussed earlier that could hinder democratic participation combine in such an environment to make it impossible to go protest a policy or listen to a political debate. Thus, democratic participation is particularly unlikely to take place among the poor in such a region. (Everatt. 2003. p. 14) On the other hand, Mexico, another democratic nation experiences higher participation among the poor in terms of voting and seeking policy reform. Although those living in poverty in this country still must endure atrocious living conditions and are in dire need, the state of poverty is not quite as bad compared to a country like South Africa. The average household income in Mexico is greater than that of South Africa and the nation also enjoys a lower percentage of its total population living in poverty as compared to its African cousin. (UNICEF. 2006) The resources that a democratic government provides to its constituency is another possible explanation for the difference in democratic participation among the poor in various nations. Public health, education, and welfare services are all likely to affect the poor’s ability or willingness to contribute to their government. With regards to health, a nation’s life expectancy, infant mortality rate, accessibility to drinking water, and government financed vaccines and immunizations are clear indicators of the services provided to the public. Germany enjoys greater democratic participation among the poor than a nation such as Guatemala. (UNICEF. 2006) Germany also shows a higher life expectancy, lower infant mortality rate, greater access to drinking water, and more government financed health care. Thus, Guatemalans are more concerned about the health status of themselves and their families, reducing their opportunity to participate democratically. The provision of education by democratic governments also seems to influence the poor’s desire or ability to chip in with regards to politics. With a higher literacy rate, school enrollment ratio, and access to internet, it is no wonder Iceland has greater democratic participation among the poor than the nation of Jamaica. (UNICEF. 2006) The Icelandic government’s provision of more efficient public schooling puts this country at a clear advantage when it comes to the ability or desire of the economically disadvantaged to vote, protest, or decide policy. The Jamaicans, with a smaller number of educated poor, experience less democratic participation as a result. I have reached the conclusion that poverty, for the most part, does place individuals at a disadvantage when it comes to participating in democratic processes. Lack of adequate food, shelter, education, and access to information, in addition to language barriers, all act as hindrances to one’s ability to contribute to democracy. There are nations in which the voting turnout and participation of the poor are greater than that of the affluent, but these are rate. The severity of poverty as well as the provision of public services and goods by democratic governments are factors that explain why some democracies experience greater participation among the poor. The more severe the poverty, the less likely the poor are to make their impact felt on government. The more a democracy provides public needs such as education and health care, the more likely the poor are to contribute. It is my opinion that a nation can claim to be a democracy, but until the poor population is equally as capable as the wealthy to participate, the democracy is false. The poor have a voice that deserves to be heard. Research Papers on Poverty and Voter Participation19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoPETSTEL analysis of IndiaAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBringing Democracy to AfricaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesQuebec and CanadaThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseResearch Process Part One

Ellen essays

Ellen essays Ellen was born on December 11, 1849, and died on April 25, 1926. Born into a wealthy family, Ellen Key enjoyed the benefits of a good education. When her father became a liberal member of the Swedish parliament, Ellen gained a solid political foundation. She began teaching in Stockholm in the late 1870s and soon after began lecturing on social issues. Ellen's views were decidedly pro-woman, although some early feminists bridled against the great value Ellen attached to motherhood and to issues such as legal protection of women and children. In many ways, Ellen idealized the role of women as mothers. In her view, women had great potential as advocates of peace as they raised and educated the next generation. Believing motherhood to be a fundamental pillar of society, she argued that women should stay at home to bring up their children. Women without children, however, should enter the political arena in the role of peacemakers and peacekeepers. In 1900, Ellen published a ground-breaking book, The Century of the Child that explained her views on education and family. Key promoted a "new school" that would really prepare children for life, by adapting to the children's own world and creating a learning experience through their own activity. An important aspect of The Century of the Child was the book's plea for a more active role of the parents. In Key's view, the school ought not to do what parents could easily do themselves: she argued that in some respects, home education might be preferred to school education. In general, she urged parents to give more attention to their children. In this respect, her views fitted in a long tradition of pedagogical criticism of parents' behavior. The great value she attached to motherhood, and consequently to issues such as legal protection of women and children, brought her in conflict with some other early-1900s feminists, although in fact she shared many feminist ideals such as w...