The Athenian and American Systems of Government :: essays research papers fc

Athens of ancient Greece had perhaps the most advanced system of government of the ancient world. The system of Athens was called a Democracy. That is, every citizen voted on everything. People have claimed that the United States is also a Democracy. This is not true. The government of the United States is a Constitutional Republic (Every). United States citizens vote for representatives, who then vote on the laws. They themselves are limited by a constitution. Democracy is a flawed government system. The Constitutional Republic is also flawed, however, it is better at safeguarding individual rights, when applied correctly. Therefore, a Constitutional Republic is a better system than a Democracy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Athens was one of the largest Greek city states. (Stockton, 4). It was about one thousand square miles (Stockton, 4). Athens was founded in the 8th century BC (Muller). It was at first ruled by the college of archons. (Muller). After a term of one year, the archons became members of the Council of Elders (Muller). The people had a voice in the popular assembly, the Ekklesia (Muller). However, it did not have real power until 600 BC. By then, it was an established institution of Athens (Muller). It became the central policy making body in the 5th century. There were two main governmental bodies, the Assembly and the Council. (Acropolis). The Assembly was responsible for policy making. (Acropolis) The Council was responsible for administration and implementing the Assembly’s policies. Not everyone could participate in Athenian politics. Slaves, resident aliens, and women were excluded.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main architect of Athenian law was Solon. It is unknown when Solon was born. He died in 559 BC. (Plutarch). Solon allowed everyone to participate in court (Stockton 19). He created a code of laws based on justice, balance, and good order (Muller). Solon abolished the practice of debt bondage (Muller). Solon created the Council of 400 (Boule), and a court called the Heliaia. (Muller) Solon divided Athenians into classes in accordance with their income (Plutarch). The lowest class, the thetes, was ineligible for election to office (Plutarch). However, they could still come into the assembly and act as jurors (Plutarch). The other classes, from lowest to highest, were zeugits, hippies, and pentakosiomedimnoi (Muller).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Solon’s laws were obscure and ambiguous (Plutarch). The court, therefore, and wide powers of interpretation. This gave a significant amount of power even to the thetes. Before a matter could be submitted to the public for vote, it had to be approved by the Council of 400 (Plutarch).

Education of Shelby Knox Essay

The education of Shelby Knox was a complete mind-blower for me. The video follows young Shelby Knox, from Lubbock, Texas, as she aspires to get sex education into schools in Lubbock. This town preaches abstinence, and the town’s people appear to be incredibly ignorant. Ignorant may be an understatement . The teen pregnancy rates here are twice the national average, as are the sexual transmitted disease rates. They don’t believe in teaching sex education because the town’s people believe very strongly in the idea that sex isn’t permitted until marriage. Shelby’s fight goes for naught as the town holds their ground. The video also shows Shelby’s unique relationship with her parent’s, and the resistance they even have with her and her fight for sex education in schools. The film also touches on gays and their fight for equal rights within the schools. Lubbock , Texas is a place I would never like to visit. The people there seem to be living in the 1800’s still. Shelby and the youth commission were fighting for a very good cause. Sex education is very important. It can teach the rewards, dangers, and consequences of having sex. As the old saying goes, knowledge is strength. If these kids don’t have the knowledge, how can they ever be expected to make smart decisions? Based on the bible and their commitment to the church? It is absolutely ridiculous that religion is even mentioned when this topic comes up. The town, as mentioned above, has earned twice the national average for teen pregnancy and std rates. The church angle clearly isn’t working. I agree with Shelby’s fight, it is very courageous of her. I disagree with the towns council, the residents , and the school boards stance on the issue. I do believe this film covered all perspectives and issues at hand. No, Shelby Knox’s fight didn’t turn out the way one would have hoped, but it did enlighten every viewer to the fact that Lubbock, Texas and the vast majority of their residents are incredibly naiive. I do not like the religious views, on the subject, shared by the vast majority of the people in this film. Religion should not even be mentioned when the issue of sex education in public schools comes up. Shelby maybe should have spoke up on that issue a little more. Coming from a family that has never preached religion, I never really realized how crazy some people can be over t. It all makes no sense to me. The video was about sex education. Religion has to be tied into it for whatever reason. I don’t understand the downside to teaching our countries teenagers the dangers and consequences of sex. It is in our nature to have sex. Suppressing teenagers from knowledge and their sexual urges based on religion is a complete joke. I learned that religion shouldn’t even be mentioned when it comes to such issues. I also learned that Mr. Ainsworth is a crazy person, and I need to keep my future kids as far away from that guy as possible. The society we live in today needs to wake up, and stop basing important decisions on religious beliefs. This video ties directly into all of our course material. Sex is a huge part of life, for all of us, beginning with puberty. America’s teenagers need to be educated on every aspect of sex and its consequences. As std rates, teen pregnancy rates and overall teenage sex rates continue to climb, it is more important than ever to educate them. This class, Psych 240, should literally be installed into every high school across the country. Teaching about every aspect of sex can only be beneficial to our country.

Individual’s values and the corporate values

Value AlignmentIn the following paragraphs team A will provide a brief analysis in regard to the origins and evolution of values at a personal level and in the workplace. The team will explain throughout the paper how an individual’s values can drive actions and behaviors, and the alignment between values, actions and behaviors. The team will include in the mentioned analysis the degree of alignment between Wal-Mart’s stated values, and the company’s plans, and actions. Last the team will explain the differences, between personal values and Wal-Mart’s values as reflected by Wal-Mart’s plans and actions.Origin and EvolutionAccording to sociologists, values are formed during the early years of a person’s life. One sociologist’s research suggested values are formed during four periods. This sociologist, Morris Massey, believed these values originate at pre-birth and continue to the age of approximately 21. The first period begins at pre-b irth and continues through four years, and is considered the basic programming period. During this time, a child is not capable of differentiating between important and not important information so all experiences are absorbed and values are formed. Subsequently, a person’s first job experience, which is usually at about the age of 16 to 18 years, plays a large role in forming workplace values. Without any previous exposure to workplace ethics, his or her first experiences are absorbed without differentiation (Squidoo, 2010).The second stage is the imprint period that takes place up to the about the age of seven. Children continue to absorb information from experiences. They become aware of their environment and culture from family and people they are exposed to and begin  to store this information.This information is imprinted in their minds and begins to form their values from their experiences, which are reflected later in a person’s individual behaviors and actio ns. Similar to the basic period, a person’s first job experiences are absorbed in his or her mind forming their workplace values and behaviors. For example, if a teenager witnesses a manager skimming money from the cash register without remorse, this memory is imprinted in his or her mind. Unless his or her individual values are in place correctly, the unethical behavior displayed to them at an impressionable stage may be carried into future workplace ethics.The next period of forming values happens between the ages of 13 to 18. Labeled the modeling period, a person begins to mirror or model behaviors of other people. A person’s constant exposure to ethical or unethical behavior during this time is often mimicked. According to the Squidoo (2010) website, â€Å"from Massey’s research he suggests that our major values about life are picked up during this period at about age 10† (How Values Are Formed, para. 6).Further, he infers that world happenings and wh ere a person was at the time is a basis for forming values. With the recent state of the United States’ economy over the past few years, it leaves one to wonder the repercussions to workplace ethics. Individual ethics may improve because people will appreciate their jobs and decide to make better decisions in the workplace. Conversely, people may believe they are trapped in their current position and may make poor ethical decisions.Massey’s last period of developing values is the socialization period, which takes place between the ages of 14 to 21. A person develops relationship and social values during this time, and these values are the formation of a person’s core values that usually stays with him or her throughout his or her life. As a person develops these core values individually, a person may develop his or her core workplace values as well, which may stay for a lifetime. People experience many events up to 21, which are pivotal to shaping their values. As people formed their values, the foundation of how they perform as an individual and in the workplace became aligned. During childhood, for example, parents often tell children to do their best in school.That value is imprinted into their personalities and is carried  into the workplace; those children become adults who do their best at work every day. Throughout the periods suggested by Massey, the experiences form our values and become a compass to our actions, decisions, and behaviors, both personally, and professionally. Wal-Mart’s stated values versus Wal-Mart’s plans and actions The authors’ employer shares some basic values with those of Wal-Mart. The employer values the respect of coworkers, diversity, inclusion, providing exceptional customer service, and offering a variety of quality products for a reasonable price. Wal-Mart focuses on being a diverse organization, providing excellent customer service, and providing a variety of good quality produc ts for a reasonable price as well. The organization also shares the valued of volunteering in the community.The focus of the organization is to make the customers happy, so they continue to come back. The degree of alignment between Wal-Mart’s stated values plans and actions show that the company has balanced the two to some extent. Wal-Mart values its customers, and its number one priority is putting the customer first by offering low prices. Wal-Mart also matches its competitor’s prices for customers. Wal-Mart employees are valued and offered career development so they have the opportunity to move to higher positions within the organization. Most of the employees at each level are treated with respect and receive suitable benefits, but sometimes the company loses sight of its stated values’ therefore, its plans and actions do not always follow suit.DifferencesThe differences between an individual’s values and the corporate values depend on the individua l. Corporations design the strategy to align with the culture’s values. For instance, Wal-Mart’s vision â€Å"to become the world’s largest retailer,† so the company has to reflect the values all the time. Developing one vision helps employees to adhere to the corporate values regardless of the local values. Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart says â€Å"Personal and moral integrity is one of our basic fundamentals and it has to start with each of us.† An example is the use of the whistleblowers form available to employees and customers alike. If an employee is found to be violating the corporate policies, another employee may report the  incident without fear of reprisal.Wal-Mart encourages every employee to use Wal-Mart’s Statement of Ethics, introduces the associates to the types of attitudes and conduct that create an honest, fair, and legal workplace (Wal-Mart, 2010). They learn how to recognize situations that may come up on their jo b that could be a violation of Wal-Mart’s ethics, also what to do if they have any questions or concerns about what is correct and ethical conduct. As an individual, knowing what the company will allow should make the job easier to comply with policy. Clear and concise writing allows very little interpretation on expectations of the company. To conclude, team A as provided the readers with a brief analysis of the basic origins and evolution of values at a personal level and workplace values.Team A also explained how an individual’s values can drive actions and behaviors, along with the alignment between ones values, actions, and behaviors. The team was able to briefly analyze the degree of alignment between Wal-Mart’s stated values and the company’s plans, and actions. Last, the team explained the differences, and the degree of alignment between personal values, and Wal-Mart’s values as the values were reflected by Wal-Mart’s plan, and actio ns.ReferencesSquidoo. (2010). Going For Gold-Goal Setting That Really Works. Retrieved from http://www.squidoo.com/GoForGold-GoalSettingThatWorks http://ethics.walmartstores.com/StatementofEthics/MSGfromCEO.aspx

Why Marijuana Should Be Illegal

Tyler Wyrick Ms. Russo English 165. 25W 11 May 2010 E1 Why Marijuana should be Illegal In society today, many people are looking for a feeling of freedom. Some go on vacation and spend money while others look to drugs. The sense of high that results from using marijuana acts as an escape from the stresses of everyday life. As a result, a tremendous number of Americans participate in the illicit use of marijuana. Our American society is facing a tremendous drug problem that will increase exponentially by the legalization of this drug.Marijuana should be illegal because it will cause an increase in drug users and drug related crimes, the short term and long term effects of marijuana on the body, and the effect it will have on the country. One of the consequences of legalization would be a tremendous increase in marijuana users. Right now with the use of illicit drugs comes the fear of law enforcement agents and punishment causes individuals to be too scared to try marijuana. However, i f weed become legalized, the fear becomes nonexistent and the number of users skyrockets.Legalized marijuana provides an ease of access to the drug, which in turn, promotes an increase in sales and use. An increase in marijuana use will also result in an increase in drug related crimes. Supporters of the legalization of weed believe that crime and violence would decrease if the drug is legal. Statistics show that forty percent of those arrested for committing a crime tested positive for the use of drugs at the time of their arrest. Making drugs more readily available could potentially propel more individuals into a life of crime and violence.Many marijuana users turn to crime to pay for their habit. They are stimulated by drugs and therefore act violently. Sold legally, marijuana will become easy for users to buy it around the corner, which would increase the already existing problem of crime. It is mentioned by Forbes that every year drug lords make billions of dollars from marijua na business, and those promoting legalization believe it will wipe out their major sources of funds. Drug use is a matter of supply and demand. As long as demand exists, someone is going to supply it either legally or illegally.Supporters of legalization believe that if the government regulates drugs such as marijuana by imposing taxes, then the black market will be eliminated. Not many users can afford to buy high priced drugs such as marijuana. As a result, people will be forced to go to drug gangs who sell marijuana under the market price. In addition, children and teenagers will obviously be banned from purchasing marijuana, just as they are prohibited from buying beer and liquor. Nevertheless, there will be drug pushers who will continue to encourage the youth and try to get them hooked to marijuana.Hence, legalization of marijuana will encourage a growing criminal black market. Marijuana is also very bad for ones overall health. Persistent use will damage lungs and airways and raise the risk of cancer. There is just as much exposure to cancer-causing chemicals from smoking one marijuana joint as smoking five tobacco cigarettes. There is evidence that marijuana may limit the ability of the immune system to fight infection and disease. This drug also causes severe side effects to the brain and body.Smoking marijuana can cause a person to lose their memory. Marijuana also has many short-term psychological and physical effects. These reactions usually last for three to five hours after a person has smoked marijuana. The psychological reaction, known as a high, consists of changes in the user’s feelings and thoughts. Mainly THC causes such changes. Many people usually smoke marijuana in cigarettes or pipes, but it also can be mixed with food and beverages. The concentration of the marijuana can affect how a person reacts to using the drug.The effects of a marijuana high vary from person to person and from one time to another in the same individual. In most cases, the high consists of a dreamy relaxed state in which users seem more aware of their senses and feel that time is moving slowly. Sometimes however, marijuana produces a feeling of panic and dread. The different reactions result partly from the concentration of THC in the marijuana. Other factors such as the setting in which marijuana is used, the user’s expectations, personality, and mood also affect a person’s reaction to the drug.Long-term effects of marijuana are not completely known, but studies have shown that some people who have used marijuana regularly for several months or longer have developed serious long-term problems. Among males, marijuana use can reduce the production of sperm and the male sex hormone testosterone. Among females, marijuana can cause menstrual irregularity and reduced fertility. Extended use of marijuana also has a long-term psychological effect on many people. These individuals lose interest in everything. They become unmotiva ted and detached. Another impact on health is that marijuana is a gateway drug.People that smoke marijuana for the first time feel that bringing themselves to actually try pot is the hardest part. Once an individual’s nerves are now calm about trying marijuana, they will now find that trying harder drugs won’t be as difficult to think about. Once their attitude on drug use is changed people will not hesitate to experiment with new harder drugs just as they did with marijuana. The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found adolescents who smoke pot 85 times more likely to use cocaine than their non–pot smoking peers. 0 percent of young people who use marijuana before they turn 15 later go on to use cocaine. A user of marijuana will eventually want to feel a new or better high causing them to resort to drugs that have much more of a negative effect on the body. Not all drug users will immediately begin using heroin, but once they are taki ng drugs it is very difficult for them to quit. For some, it will begin with simple painkillers and then possibly cocaine. With each step further into the world of drugs the user will find it harder to return. The high becomes an escape from reality.It becomes a release from the pressures of everyday life. With time, the period between highs becomes shortened due to the inability for users to face daily tasks. Soon, they become addicts living for the next high. Why? Because marijuana, a â€Å"harmless, organic drug,† opened the door to more possibilities. Next, legalization is neither a reasonable nor rational policy for this country. One of the biggest concerns about the legalization argument is the mixed message it sends to our young people. The legalization will imply a nonjudgmental attitude about drugs.The public’s attitude must change toward drugs and focus on prevention and treatment of drug abuse while maintaining the laws that make the drugs illegal. By focusi ng time and resources on the dangers of marijuana use, we are setting ourselves up for a better society as a whole. Reducing societal acceptance of weed use would allow Americans to raise a generation that could make a healthy contribution to the country. Then, the thought of job opportunities could be an issue. Think about the hundreds of thousands of others who are daily and heroically involved in the continuous war on drugs.Police officers, who are constantly meeting their quota by busting marijuana related crimes, would now have to sit back and watch the future of America get high on the streets hoping they wont continue on in to the drug world. Marijuana is illegal for many reasons. Most of the people that are pro-legalization will not use it for medical use or are at all interested in this nations economy. The ugly truth is that most want it legal merely because they want to use it. The drug problem America faces now would severely increase if marijuana were legalized.Health b ills would go up due to medical issues involving weed, drug related crimes would increase, and legalizing the drug would change America’s attitude on drugs completely and open the door to drugs far worse than weed. The war on drugs would just be getting started.

Stanley Milgram Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stanley Milgram - Essay Example The respondents ("teachers") should switch on electric shocks of different voltage if "learners" (persons recruited by Milgram) made mistakes in their responses. The experiment showed that "65% of his subjects, ordinary residents of New Haven, were willing to give apparently harmful electric shocks-up to 450 volts-to a pitifully protesting victim, simply because a scientific authority commanded them to" (Milgram Basics). So, there is a question: is it possible that an ordinary person (e.g. the teacher) will obey authority so blindly that they will harm another (e.g. the learner) As the experiment shows, it is rather possible, and this possibility is determined by our attitude to authority and the features of human nature. In the experiment the respondents were said that the experimenter was responsible for the punishment results, and "teachers" decided to punish the "learners" having taken into account this fact. But in addition to that, the "teachers" were less willing to punish in the following cases: when the experimenter communicated with them via telephone, and when the "teachers" should held the "learner's" hand on the shock plate.

Industrial revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Industrial revolution - Essay Example The revolution took place around the end of 18th century and early 19th century. The overall economic outlook of England’s society saw a turn and twist in the manner in which it operated previously, and this was formally coined in by Arnold Toynbee (Williams, 2011, 138) who gave it the name of revolution and since then the term has been referred to as revolution in form of modernization of society across the world. Apart from the form of practices, it had its effect on the different styles of leadership and ruling over individuals in society as well. Keywords: Development, steel, economic development Characteristics of revolution: It brought about change in the life styles. Prior to it people relied on agriculture and lived a simple life style that was restricted to the rural part of the countries. With the advent of the industrial revolution, industries were developed; machinery came about into usage, people started adopting the new means. Although the revolution was of total ly different pattern as compared to the previous revolutions yet it had an impact on the social sphere, economic sphere and political sphere within different societies. The countries with greater economic development were in position to dominate the situation and enforce their conditions and political systems upon other nations. Imperialism was a sequence of the entire event that took place as a result of dominant and stronger economic states against the weaker ones (Kesselmae et.al, 2011, 51). In the social sphere, it allowed for jobs creation and overall rise in the income level. The ultimate impact was that of improvement of the economy. Per capita incomes (Sng, 2010), G.D.Ps, annual budgets and other social and economic factors saw progress up to multiple folds which was completely unprecedented. Countries with more progress in the industrial sector ended up becoming developed states and those with little access and advantages extraction from the industrial means and mechanism r emained underprivileged and under developed. The impact was directly visible upon the people within those societies and the overall standards of life were of little attractive outlook with regard to income and prosperity level. The earliest traces of Industrial revolution can be traced back in to the English society where people started using the tools and devices at domestic level, although the term came into force and knowledge in France first(Clark, 2000, 5) . This in turn gave rise to the industry at local level and people started progressing with the overall prospect of various professions. Machine, tools, automation, iron, steel were few of the terms that were trade mark of the concept of industrial development that took place in Europe. The spread of development in form of concepts of industrialization did not stop in the social spheres of England only ,rather it made inroads into other societies of Europe as well and later on extended beyond the European continent and United States of America got engulfed into the overall developmental process. The benefits and modifications that resulted from industrial development were not only limited to manufacturing industries or heavy machinery usage, rather they enabled the communication advancements in form of the building of roads, and covering these roads with automobiles of all kinds.

Lunar Science Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Lunar Science - Research Proposal Example Cameron concluded that the "angular momentum" or the rotation or orbital movement of the Moon was caused by the size of Mars, which is about 10% of the Earth and sometimes referred to as the Theia. The giant impact created a ring of very hot molten debris in orbit around the very young Earth in 10 years or less. Taylor illustrated that the young Earth was spinning faster, throwing out a huge blob forming the Moon ("Moon Beams and Elements" 6). The moon is now surrounded by an ocean of magma as it formed in orbit around the Earth. Hartmann concluded that the Earth must have been hit strong enough to send off sufficient materials into orbit and form the Moon because of the large impact craters, ten or more times bigger than 150 km projectiles. The Apollo Moon Landing Program was an American lunar spaceflight program carried out by the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) during the years 1961 to 1975 (MSN Encarta, par. 1-3). It aims to conduct manned moon landing missions and overtake Soviet Union in space exploration as well. President John F. Kennedy initiated the first astronauts to send to the moon in 1961, inspired by the first American astronaut in space, Alan Sheperd (NASA, par. 2). Portraying the years of effort and expense, NASA employed 36, 000 civil servants and 376, 700 contractor employees on the peak of the program in 1965 and spent $25.4 billion between 1961 and 1973 for the Apollo missions. The first Apollo mission was delayed due to a tragedy caused by a destructive fire inside the capsule ("Apollo Mission Landing," par. 3-17). The astronauts Roger Chaffee, Edward H. White II and Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom all died in the tragic accident on the launch pad. In April 4, 1968, Apollo 6 was lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to accomplish a revolution around the Earth's orbit, followed by Apollo 7 and 9. The first ones to orbit the Moon were the Apollo 8 and 10 missions. In 1969, Neil Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11 and the first human to walk on the Moon along with Michael Collins, commander module pilot and Edwin "Buzz" E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. Apollo 12 and 14 successfully landed on the Moon also except for Apollo 13 which left the astronauts in a deadly situation when they were about to return to Earth without a scheduled landing though they used the lunar module as a lifeboat in order to survive. Apollo 15, 16, and 17 conducted lunar explorat ions missions that are much longer and involved more in-depth scientific exploration. Apollo's Analysis on their Discoveries There was a broad range of over 60 experiments done on the lunar surface and 30 experiments of the lunar orbit of the Moon (MSN Encarta 5). Six unique and scientifically significant lunar locations collected a total of 381.7 kg (841 lb) of lunar material. In the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong and his companions brought to Earth samples from another planetary body-basalts and dark-colored igneous rocks that were about 3.7 billion years old. After every mission, they brought back more lunar rocks and soil