Euthanasi An Ethical Way - 899 Words

Is physician assisted suicide an unethical way to end a life? Somebody suffering on their deathbed should not have to spend the last of their time and money on painful procedures and treatments. They should have the right to go out a more comforting way. This paper will use the background of euthanasia, and talk about many of the controversial viewpoints to support the thesis that euthanasia is an ethical way to end a life. Euthanasia is defined as the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. The most important word in the definition is that the act or omission was intentional. If the cause of death was unintentional then the act wasn’t in fact euthanasia. There are three types of euthanasia, voluntary, non-voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is when the person who is euthanized has requested to be. Non-voluntary is when the person didn’t ask to be euthanized. That leaves involuntary which is where the person who was euthanized asked not to be. Then there are also three ways of committing the euthanasia, assisted suicide, euthanasia by action and euthanasia by omission. Assisted suicide is when someone provides the individual with the information, guidance or means need to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for this purpose. When it’s a doctor who helps the person it†™s called physician assisted suicide. Another way of committing euthanasia is called euthanasia

The Bird Image in Yeats Poems - 2062 Words

20100110003 陈æ ¡â€šÃ¨Å  ³ è‹ ±Ã¥â€º ½Ã¨ ¯â€"æ ­Å' Jan. 30, 2011 The Symbol of Soul —The bird image in Yeats’ poetry The poetry of William Butler Yeats is permeated by symbolism and mysticism which are attributed to his manipulation of various images. The image of birds crowns among the imageries of his poetry and is endowed with the poets’ profound philosophies. The bird as the symbol of soul is a heritage of classical writings. In Golden Bough, Sir James Frazer comments on the subject, â€Å"Often the Soul is conceived as a bird ready to take flight. This conception has probably left traces in most languages, and it†¦show more content†¦(qtd. in Wikipedia) In the poem, he sees the swans attended by â€Å"passion or conquest† mount up into the sky while he himself is wearied with a sore heart because everything in his life has changed except the wild swans whose hearts â€Å"have not grown cold†. The poet lives in a heart-ache time of the First World War and the Irish civil war when he says â€Å"All’s changed†. The pain of personal memory of the speaker is in a stark contrast with the swans’ untainted spiritual integrity, which adds greater mystery of the birds. And then he wonders where these mysterious and beautiful birds go, where they will build their nests and by what lake’s edge or pool they will entertain people when he wakes up one morning only to find they have disappeared. Compared to his early poems, the mood of that poem written in Yeats’ middle age is gloomier and more melancholy with a tone of sadness and sorrow. The solemn serenity exhibited by the beautiful imagery of the swans in pairs â€Å"lover by lover† suggests the poet’s longing for eternity of love, the integrity of soul despite enduring the pain of memory. The speaker in the poem is a pessimistic observer watching the ever-lasting affectionate birds with a touch of jealousy. Besides, the appearance and disappearance of the birds is used to symbolize the human soul that emerges in and dies away from the worldly life. It corresponds with a later poem Coole Park and Ballylee, 1931, in which YeatsShow MoreRelatedWilliam Butler Yeats The Second Coming1011 Words   |  5 PagesIn William Butler Yeats The Second Coming, the poet makes phrases such as; â€Å"the best lack of conviction of stony sleep (19) and the falcon cannot hear the falconer (2). The phrases are useful in suggesting various thematic concerns of the poem as well asserting separation of ideas and events that occur during the time when Yeats is writing his work. Different interpretations of the stanzas may bring a connection of the antagonism of people and events that Yeats foresees. For instance, the falconRead MoreAnalysis Of W. B. Yeatss Sailing To Byzantium1235 Words   |  5 PagesW.B. Yeats’ poem â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† presents his concerned about the progression of time and how someone can become eternal. In this poem, Yeats thoroughly examined his personal struggle with the agony of old age. Yeats lived from 1865 to 1939; so this poem, got published in 1926 at age 60, which reflects his fear about aging and becoming immaterial. The main theme in the poem connects between Yeats ageing body and youthful mind, and his desire to achieve a permanency not possible in realityRead MoreWhy Byzantium, Yeats? Essay981 Words   |  4 PagesThe poem, Sailing to Byzantium, written by William Butler Yeats, depicts a poet’s internal struggle with his aging as he pursues for a sanctuary that allows him to become one with his soul. The poet, Yeats, is therefore sailing fro m his native land of Ireland to â€Å"the holy city of Byzantium,† because â€Å"that† country that he originally lived in belongs to the youth (Yeats 937). This escape from the natural world into a paradise represents the firmness and acceptance of Yeats’ monuments, which consistsRead MoreSailing to Byzantium by William Butler Yeats657 Words   |  3 PagesThe poem, Sailing to Byzantium by William Butler Yeats, is an in depth look at the journeys of one man who wishes to escape the confinements of old age by pursuing a society in which artistic beauty and expression reign supreme. The narrators goal is to become a part of Byzantine civilization where he can forever be immortalized within the magnificence of their art. Within this poem Yeats thoroughly examines his internal conflict with the agony of old age. Yeats detests old age because of threeRead MoreLeda And The Swan By William Butler Yeats1639 Words   |  7 Pagesconsequences of war and devastation. Y eats reflects on the actions described in the first eight lines of the poem, and challenges his audience to answer the questions he has crafted. The octave essentially describes the god Zeus’s forced impregnation of Leda and her hopeless human efforts at resisting the swan. However, the reader is left with the unanswered question, â€Å"Did she put on his knowledge with his power â€Å" (Yeats). In Ancient Greek mythology and in Yeast s poem, Leda s rape is taken as an indirectRead MoreYeats Through A Modernist Lens. The Modernist View Of Poetry1384 Words   |  6 PagesYeats through a Modernist Lens The modernist view of poetry is most often compounded through depictions of unparalleled chaos, fragmentation, and disjuncture from the poetic self and society as a whole. In William Butler Yeats’ poetry, he embodies these defining perspectives by his representation of society within concepts of decay. More specifically, Yeats’ poems â€Å"Leda and the Swan† and â€Å"The Second Coming† epitomize the poetic techniques that define modernist views of poetry. In essence, theseRead MoreDepiction of Time in Three Housman Poems Essay798 Words   |  4 Pages1. Illustrate how all three of the Housman poems assigned deal with time and the passing of time. In The Loveliest of Trees, Housman uses a cherry tree to relate the passage of time. He begins the poem in springtime when the cherry is in bloom, â€Å"wearing white for Eastertide.† The image of white and the blossoming tree give the reader of feeling of rejuvenation and rebirth, both feelings associated with spring. The next stanza uses clever word play to describe the passing of decades and scoresRead More Byzantium - Deep Desires that Transcend Time Essay911 Words   |  4 PagesByzantium   - Deep Desires that Transcend Time   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Butler Yeats wrote two poems which are together known as the Byzantium series. The first is Sailing to Byzantium, and its sequel is simply named Byzantium. The former is considered the easier of the two to understand. It contains multiple meanings and emotions, and the poet uses various literary devices to communicate them. Two of the most dominant themes of this poem are the desire for escape from the hardships of this world andRead MoreViolence And Violence In The Second Coming By William Butler Yeats1330 Words   |  6 PagesYeats wrote â€Å"The Second Coming† shortly after World War I devastated life on Earth in 1919. As Europe progressed to rebuild itself after the end of the war, the future of humanity hung in the balance as humans needed to learn from the mistakes of past generations, otherwise they would face the end of the human race. Throughout his lifetime, Yeats witnessed the degradation of the value of human life and manâ€℠¢s natural instincts of violence through the ferocious conflicts of World War I, the RussianRead MoreWhat is a king to a god? Even if that god has committed unspeakable acts? Leda and the Swan is a1000 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Swan is a poem that causes a lot controversy; some people feel that Zeus raped Leda where as others feel that she was seduced. William Butler Yeats officially published this poem in 1928. He was known as one of the world’s greatest authors of his time. Yeats was born in Sandymount, Republic of Ireland on June 13,1865 and lived to be 74 years old. He was very proud of his Irish nationality and â€Å"maintained his cultural roots, featuring Irish legends and heroes in many of his poems and plays.†

How Katherine Mansfield’s Writing Changed Through Free Essays

string(57) " of the travelling men knows her from previous journeys\." Katherine Mansfield was predominantly a short story writer born in New Zealand in 1888. Although she has often been quoted demonstrating a negative view on New Zealand, she â€Å"thanks God she was born in New Zealand†. Her father was a successful business man and her mother was a younger woman. We will write a custom essay sample on How Katherine Mansfield’s Writing Changed Through or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is widely acknowledged that her parents played a major role on her views of men and woman in society and the gender imbalance. She began writing from a very early age writing for her Wellington high school newsletter. One of her first novels and one which strongly represents her views on the gender imbalance in society was Frau Brechenmacher Attends a Wedding. This story represents the Frau very much as the subservient housewife to her more dominant and intimidating husband. The first instance of this is when Frau threatens her daughter with the wrath of her father, to which the daughter immediately responds to the request. This story was strongly based on what Mansfield had seen in her time living in Germany in the earlier stages of her career and the story is an undisguised satire of the German character, in particular the German housewife who Mansfield saw as unkind and somewhat shallow due to their displeasure of their role in society. The story of Frau Brechenmacher continues on and the Frau and her husband attend a wedding. Katherine Mansfield describes the bride as having the ‘appearance of an iced cake all ready to be cut and served in neat little pieces to the bridegroom beside her’. This is a very blatant and obvious piece of writing that outlines the woman’s role in a marriage. This shows that the bride is a mere object to the groom and her role in the marriage is to please her husband. Also, the story goes in to detail about the daughter being shown the role of a woman by her mother which is encouraging the cycle of woman’s servitude and therefore Mansfield puts a negative light on the subject, shown by the quote, â€Å"girls have a lot to learn† which carries a negative connotation. However, the Frau is aware of her situation and does not particularly enjoy it as â€Å"everybody laughed at his speech, except the Frau† and â€Å"She wanted to go home and never come out again†. Katherine Mansfield was opposed to the idea of the traditional role of woman in society and the gender imbalance that was so obvious to her as favourable to the man. Also, she saw and represented men as predatory. This is shown at the very end of Frau Brechenmacher Attends a Wedding when it is stated that she lay on her bed â€Å"who expected to get hurt as Herr Brechenmacher lurched in†. This is ot the first instance in the story where the Frau and even her daughter are shown to be intimidated by the dominant figure of the relationship in Herr Brechenmacher. This is why Katherine Mansfield intentionally chose to refer to him as ‘the father’ throughout the story as it is like a title. Titles are given to people who are important figures and by giving him th is title and Herr Brechenmacher being referred to as the father by his wife and daughter show that they have a certain respect for him but also gives the sense of distance between the husband and his family. The idea of distance between the Frau and her husband is most prolifically represented when he ‘†lurches in† which implies the idea of forced sex on his behalf. This shows that even though they are husband and wife, they are extremely distanced and can potentially not even have consenting sex. This enhances Mansfield’s view of the woman as an object or accessory to the husband as purely for the pleasure of her partner. Frau Brechenmacher is also portrayed to be much more comfortable when she is in the house alone without her husband. Although she is often doing her duties for her husband, she is more relaxed in that environment without the oppressive Herr Brechenmacher. There is a sense of uneasiness when Herr Brechenmacher returns home as she sends her daughter into the bedroom and begins to rush to get everything ready and perfect for her husband. This gives the impression that the house is a sanctuary for all subservient women and that was how Katherine Mansfield viewed it and writes on the matter with such satirical influence. The short story, Frau Brechenmacher Attends a Wedding, is a story that does not carry many subliminal or hidden messages when dealing with the criticism of the women’s role in society. It is unlike some of her later works that hide the ideas that are intended to be portrayed. It is a very matter of fact piece of writing that was strongly scrutinized for the views and opinions that it was showcasing, which is potentially why Katherine Mansfield decided to write her later works that had similar themes with more discretion and subtlety. Another short story by Katherine Mansfield which deals with the same issues that are brought to light in Frua Brechenmacher Attends a Wedding is ‘The Woman at the Store’ written two years after Frau Brechenmacher in 1912. Similarly with Frau Brechenmacher, ‘The Woman at the Store’ deals with the issues of gender imbalance and the oppressive male figure in relationships in a very unsubtle and obvious way. However, unlike Frua Brechenmacher, Mansfield deals with these issues in a much more violent and twisted manner in ‘The Woman at the Store’ which ends in a melodramatic twist. This is similar to other short stories written in the same era of Mansfield including ‘Ole Underwood’ and ‘Millie’. ‘The Woman at the Store’ is a story of two men and a girl travelling by horseback through a desolate environment in the North Island of New Zealand. They come across a house in which lives a woman and her daughter and one of the travelling men knows her from previous journeys. You read "How Katherine Mansfield’s Writing Changed Through" in category "Essay examples" However, the woman is not what she used to be or how she is previously described to be â€Å"certainly her eyes were blue, and what hair she had was yellow, but ugly†. This comes to a surprise by all the travellers as they had been promised wondrous things by a character named Hin â€Å"Don’t forget theres a woman too, Jo, with blue eyes and yellow hair, who’ll promise you something else before she shakes hands with you†. It is revealed to us as the reader that the woman was once a beautiful woman and a barmaid but that had all changed once she became wed and bore children. This is also another common theme that is seen throughout Mansfield’s writings, particularly the ones that have a strong feminist base and represent men as oppressive and somewhat ruining their female counterparts. The idea of child-birth being the bane of a woman’s existence is shown in some of Mansfield’s works where she writes about the role of woman as objects for giving birth to children for the male in the relationships sake. This is shown in ‘The Woman at the Store’ when the woman is abusive to her only child, yelling her and speaking down to her. Also, later in the story when all the characters are drinking whiskey around a table, the woman becomes upset and starts to talk about her life when she says â€Å"It’s six years since I was married, and four miscarriages†. This quote has a negative tone to it and gives the impression that the woman is not happy about her situation that her husband has left her in. The woman is also extremely bitter towards her husband for the life that he has given to her which is the way that Mansfield represents her ideas of the female in relationships being unpleased by marriage and the new role they have had to take on as the generic housewife. The bitterness of the woman towards her husband is best shown by the quote â€Å"Over and over I tells ‘im – you’ve broken my spirit and ruined my looks, and wot for†. The idea of men as predatory which is so often used in Mansfield’s works is also briefly alluded to in ‘The Woman at the Store’, however, in this story it is much less obvious. Jo, the oldest of the three travellers is pleased to learn that the woman at the store has been left alone by her husband and uses this as a window of opportunity to potentially sleep with the woman. This is made known to the reader when Jo cleans himself up before returning to the house to spend the evening drinking with the woman and the three travellers. Also, it is noted that â€Å"they were kissing feet under the table†. Jo and the woman end up sleeping together that night and although it may not seem to be predatory on Jo’s behalf, it can be interpreted this way. The reasoning for this is because Jo showed more interest in the woman once learning that her husband goes away and often and how much she dislikes this. Also, Jo often encourages the woman to continue drinking whiskey which could be interpreted as him coaxing her in. The message that Katherine Mansfield is trying to convey in ‘The Woman at the Store’ is the criticism of women’s dependence on men during the time that the story was being written and it also criticises women for perpetuating the cycle of womanhood that they are subjected to. The fate of the woman’s husband is later revealed by her strange child who is known to draw everything she says instead of vocally delivering her messages. The child is also referred to by one of the travellers as having a â€Å"diseased mind†. This along with the repetition of the references to her drawings subconsciously prepares the reader for what is to come. The daughter, in spite of her mother, draws a picture of woman shooting a man and digging a hole to bury him in. Katherine Mansfield chose this ending to the story because it carries a shock-factor. Throughout the story, negative references had been made about the father of the child by the woman and how she despised him for what he had done to her. By ending the story like this, Mansfield has demonstrated that murder is the only answer to oppression and subjection imposed by the male role in society. However, this is only a satirical view by Mansfield. She uses such little sophistication in this story and ends it with such a melodramatic ending so that the idea woman do not have to put up with such degrading behaviour from their husbands becomes so clear and obvious. Another reference to the lack of sophistication in ‘The Woman at the Store’, one of Mansfield’s earlier short stories, is the juxtaposition of the weather and the tone or mood of the story. For example, when the weather is sunny, the mood of the story is light-hearted and as the weather turns more unpleasant, the mood of the story becomes more sinister. Between her short stories from the collection ‘A German Pension’ which included Frau Brechenmacher and ‘The Woman at the Store’ and her short story ‘The Garden Party’, many things had changed in the life of Katherine Mansfield. She had continued to write solidly through this time period but she had since moved from Germany and moved to London where she would meet her future husband, John Middleton Murray. They had spent some time in Paris and she also spent a few months in Paris, behind enemy lines, once war had broken out. Her brother had died in the war which was a huge blow to Katherine, and during this time her health had also declined and she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. All these events in Mansfield’s life had altered the way in which she wrote, with her stories having more focus on characters and inter-character relations. It brought about a whole new sophistication to Mansfield’s works; however her views on men had still not changed, even after having a somewhat contented marriage and other relations with men. This is shown in a letter to John Middleton Murray in 1919 – â€Å"Someone came to me and said Forget, forget that you’ve been wed. Who’s your man to leave you be Ill and cold in a far country? Who’s the husband – who’s the stone Could leave a child like you alone† This letter or poem if you will, shows that Mansfield has turned in to the women who is dependent on her male counterpart which she had prolifically wrote against in her earlier stories. However, she later acknowledged this and wrote about it in resentment. Also, during the time between her ‘German Pension’ collection and her later stories, including ‘The Garden Party’ she had developed her characters, often reflecting her own life and life experiences in them. This is what is seen to be her sophistication in her later works. Mansfield’s later works such as the ‘Garden Party’ have been known to focus less on the plotline of the story and more on specific events in the story, and more importantly, the relationships between her characters. It is through these relationships that her motives for writing he stories come through. For example, the way Laura in ‘The Garden Party’ tries to imitate her mother’s actions ‘â€Å"Good morning,† she said copying her mother’s voice. ’ This is a perfect example of Mansfield’s view on woman allowing the cycle of domestication to continue and when looked at in greater depth shows how the older woman influen ce their daughters to do so. Again, this is just one of Katherine Mansfield’s views on the role of woman in society that is shown throughout her short stories, but this time it is alluded to in a more subtle way. The Garden Party’ was written in 1922, more than 10 years after ‘The Woman at the Store’ and ‘Frau Brechenmacher’ but her views had not changed in this time. However, some of the ways in which she presents her views in ‘The Garden Party’ are much more sophisticated than previous stories. For example, workmen are preparing to set up a marquee for the garden party and suggest that it should go in front of some karaka trees. Laura contemplates whether this should be done and comments on the beauty of the trees and how solitary they were. But in the end she decides that ‘they must’ be covered by the marquee. This could be seen as a metaphor for the beauty of woman being covered and hidden by men, being the marquee. And the fact that Laura uses the words ‘they must’ shows how she has been brought up to think that woman should be squandered by men. Laura from ‘The Garden Party’ is also often left admiring the workmen in the story and commenting on how wonderful they were. At first glance, any reader may take it at face value. But with prior knowledge of Mansfield’s other stories and her views, you would be able to pick up on the underlying satire that is rampant throughout the story. Satire is one of the ways in which Mansfield expresses her views and opinions on different matters, quite often concerning gender imbalance. The idea of the woman being the domestic person around the house and the father being the oppressive figure just like in ‘Frau Brechenmacher Attends a Wedding’ is also evident in ‘The Garden Party. In the lead up to the party, Mrs Sheridan orders her children to do all different tasks while she does her own, and the children respond immediately as they look up to their mother. But however in one instance where she is in a rush she threatens them, â€Å"Do you hear me, children, or shall I have to tell your father when he comes home to-night? † â€Å"The Garden Party’ is very closely related to Katherine Mansfield herself, with the story being set in a grand house in New Zealand. When she was younger she lived in lavish houses with her parents and siblings just like in the story. Also, the main character Laura, can possibly be seen as Mansfield herself or having aspects and qualities like her. This is why this story is often regarded as her best short story as it incorporates many themes and because she is writing somewhat from her own life experiences, she is able to portray these themes and ideas extremely well. For example, Laura is the one character who shows respect for their neighbours who had just had a death in the family and she is shown as a character with a set of morals, just like Mansfield herself. The ways in which Mansfield relates herself directly to her situations and characters in her later works such as The Garden Party’ are what are seen as to be her sophistication and maturing in her writing style. She moved away from very obvious and simplistic ways of getting her ideas across to her audience, to a more subtle and underlying way of getting the ideas through to her readers. And because of her maturing in her writing and her skill in her craft, she has become to be known as New Zealand’s, and one of the worlds, best short story writers of her time. 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What is the policy-making process Essay Example

What is the policy-making process Paper Policy-making process involves a linked series of actions or events1. It focuses on the way in which policy is made (process), rather than on the substance of policy itself and its consequences (product)2. In general, there are four main stages of the policy-making process, which are initiation, formulation, implementation and evaluation. The institutions or participants of policy-making process include political leadership, citizen participation or interest groups, legislature and legislators, bureaucracy and judiciary. In this essay, I will use the government policy to overcome traffic congestion in Singapore as a case study to illustrate the different stages. In my view, the implementation process is the most important stage in the policy process. Central to understanding policy-making process is the understanding of how decisions are made. Decision-making is a process that focuses on the people involved in the policy process and on the part of the process that deals with choosing among alternative course of action. This led us to the different theories of decision-making process: the Rational Actor Model (Rationality), the Incremental Model (Incrementalism), Bureaucratic Organization Models and the Belief System Model. The Rational Actor Model occurs in a very methodological, neat, problem solving process. Its features include the appraisal of problem, to identify the goals and rank order them, to canvass the possible alternatives, to consider the consequences of each alternative and finally to select the alternative that most closely matches the referred goals. We will write a custom essay sample on What is the policy-making process specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What is the policy-making process specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What is the policy-making process specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the Incremental Model, decisions are made through small or incremental moves on particular problems rather than through a comprehensive reform program. It is also endless because it takes the form of an indefinite sequence of policy moves. It focuses on making necessary changes and sees policy as variations of the past. In this model, the decisions are the product of bargaining. It implies that policy-making is a messy or untidy process of muddling through. The Bureaucratic Organization Models basically means getting into the Black Box. The organizational process model looks at values, assumptions and regular pattern of behavior in the organization. The policy itself is placed within the context of the organizations objectives, overall strategy and structures. The bureaucratic politics model involves bargaining between personnel and agencies. Lastly, there is the Belief System Model where the role of beliefs and ideologies and political values held by political parties and politicians determine what is to be done. Such ideologies often have the effect of excluding ideas, information and empirical evidence when they fail to support the political partys core beliefs3. The first stage of the policy-making process is initiation or agenda setting process. Agenda setting is the process by which problems and alternative solutions gain or lose public and elite attention4. It means getting problems to government. The participants of this process include governmental and non-governmental actors. The first component of initiation gets at the recognition of the problem with agenda setting. Without the perception of a problem, there is no incentive for the organization to disturb the status quo or to expend organizational energy initiating the policy process. A condition becomes a problem when we come to believe we should do something about them. A problem can be formally defined as a condition or situation that produces needs or dissatisfactions on the part of people for which relief or redress is sought5. Using the case study to illustrate this stage, traffic congestion (initially a condition) becomes a problem because it causes car owners to miss their appointments or be late for work. Traffic congestion is really a matter of time and money. Government or authorities need to solve the problem as it would save a lot of time and money and this would improve the welfare of the population as a whole. Government authorities like the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and academics suggest that traffic congestion may develop due to the size of vehicle population or limited amount of road space. The second stage of the policy-making process is formulation. According to Charles Jones, Formulation is a derivative of formula and means simply to develop a plan, a method, a prescription for acting on a problem6. In other words, formulation is a process of developing a plan or action to resolve a problem identified in stage one. It is about deciding what should be done, considering the alternatives and the actual drafting of legislation. In the case of the traffic congestion problem, the Chief Ministers, Cabinet and the Civil Servants are involved in the policy formulation. The roles of civil servants include information gathering, analyzing advising. They advise the Ministers the Cabinet for example on the cause of the problem, what options should be chosen how the policy should be developed. It thus gives them significant influences over policy formulation. The Ministers lack the expertise and time to perform many of these functions and are therefore dependent upon these Civil Servants. Next, the available options to solve the problem such as building more roads, widening existing roads or limiting vehicle use (by making it more expensive) are identified. Each of these options has benefits and costs. For example, building more roads involves financial costs, opportunity costs disruption to communities but provides more road space. After this, the option is finally chosen in this case study i. . to limit vehicle population by implementing the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system. The third stage is policy implementation. It involves those activities directed toward putting a program into effect7. Basically, it is concerned with putting the ideas of stage two into action. It is essentially a practical activity, as distinguished from policy formulation, which is essentially theoretical. The bureaucracy is the executive arm of this process. There are three sets of activities that the bureaucracy engages in order to execute a course of action over time. The top-level bureaucracy (Cabinet and Ministers) is involved in the interpretation activity i. e. the translation of program language into acceptable and feasible directives. The mid-level bureaucracy (Civil Servants) is involved in the organization activity i. e. the establishment of units and methods for putting a program into effect. The Street-level bureaucracy (Personnel of LTA) is involved in the application activity i. e. the routine provision of services, payments, or other agreed-upon program objectives or instruments. Returning to the case study, the Singapore government implemented the ERP system in 1999 to better manage road use. The Ministry of Transport, the LTA and the Subordinate Courts are involved in the implementation stage. Basically, the LTA sets the amount that motorists have to pay at different times of the day. Motorists who pass through an operational ERP gantry without a properly inserted Cash Card in the In-Vehicle Unit (IU), or with a Cash Card with insufficient balance to pay for the ERP charges, will have to pay an administrative surcharge plus the ERP charge within two weeks of the violation8. If the administrative charge and the ERP charge are not paid within this period, they will receive a Notice of Traffic Offence offering to compound the offence payable within 28 days9. Upon expiry of the Notice, the matter will be referred to the Court. There is also composition fine for passing through an ERP gantry without an IU. The final stage is policy evaluation. Given the imperfect nature of formulation and the contingent nature of implementation, a policy will meet with varying success. In the evaluation stage, analysts will return to evaluate the policy to determine whether it is producing the desired results, to recommend whether it ought to be modified, and even to determine whether resources should be shifted to other programs. The results of evaluation may suggest that the policy ought to be abolished or replaced with a new approach to the issue. This often-ongoing evaluation may well serve to set the agenda again, setting off another round through the policy process. Success itself has to be evaluated. For instance, the ERP system may be relatively effective in managing traffic conditions along major roads and within the central business district, but at the cost of reducing disposable income. This would in turn increase the cost of living the costs of businesses. The authorities might incur a backlash or criticism from the people. Therefore the costs and benefits need to be examined in every case. Side effects must be taken into account. The government can be seen to create its own problems, which then require new public policy to deal with them. The government may, for example, choose to cut down the steep prices of the ERP system or to widen existing roads. In my view, the implementation process is the most important stage in the policy process. It is an important but frequently overlooked step. Firstly, lacking proper implementation, policy innovation and selection may end up being little more than intellectual exercises. Indeed, faulty policy implementation can invalidate the earlier, carefully considered steps in the policy-making process and thereby intensify the original problem. This stage then, warrants our careful attention. Secondly, policy failures mostly occur at the implementation stage. This is because policy-makers have not paid enough attention to policy implementation. To identify the problems caused by implementation, one needs to first acknowledge the difference between non-implementation and unsuccessful implementation. Unsuccessful implementation is where the failure is in the policy or the theory it is based upon. This may happen due to insufficient resources, organizational complexity, inadequate planning, inflated aspirations and complex environments. Non-implementation is when a policy is not put into effect as it was intended. It could be that those involved in its execution are uncooperative or inefficient. Government influence on the interpretation and application of laws, rules and guidelines is seen to be diluted by the delegation of wide discretion to those actually carrying out the policies10. Besides, the government may leave it to the discretion of agencies and Civil Service departments. Hence, the problem of unclear objectives is noted. There is a need during the implementation stage for an understanding and agreement on clear objectives, which must persist throughout the implementation stage, for it to be successful. Thirdly, different implementing agencies may depend on other agencies for success. The smaller the number of relationships between agencies and the smaller their importance, chance of success would be greater. The more they depend on others the more inefficient they will become. In addition, administrators can face many obstacles outside their control, as they are external to the policy or the implementation process. Sometimes these can be put down to bad luck, like physical obstructions such as drought upsetting an agricultural program. Sometimes it may be political obstacles that get in the way, as with the public condemnation of the Poll Tax in Europe, leading to reforms in the policy cycle. However, this is not to say that the other stages of the policy-making process are unimportant. We still need to consider the relative importance of other stages as well because any policy failure may be due to the problems arising from these stages. Policy initiation is crucial in that it sets the political agenda by both defining certain problems as issues and by determining how those issues are to be addressed. Problem definition and policy formulation have contingent or dependent relationships. Problems need to be defined first before policy formulation on a particular course of action is made. As Charles Lindblom says Policy-makers are not faced with a given problem11. Policy-makers are constantly probing, searching and redefining problems and issues. Basically, how one diagnoses a problem would determine ones prescription. Formulation is also important because it includes a number of analytical steps such as the decision about how to decide, assessing the various options and selecting the best, and the actual drafting of legislation. It is the decision-making stage of the policy process. It is the most overtly political stage insofar as the many potential solutions to a given problem must somehow be winnowed down to one or a few picked and readied for use. Obviously, most possible choices will not be realized. Moreover, the policy-makers might get it wrong at this stage by choosing the wrong approach and this can result in policy failures which subsequently occur at the implementation stage. Policy success does require that policy be formulated upon a valid theory of cause and effect. Formulation should be based on adequate understanding of the problem; otherwise it can lead to reasoning of its effects which are very different from the eventual actuality. If policy does fail, it might be this underlying theory that is at fault. Undoubtedly, the evaluation stage is also important. This process is required as our understanding of social issues and the effect of government intervention is imperfect. We cannot be certain of the results a policy will bring or of the efficiency and success of implementing it. Therefore there is a need for evaluation in the policy-making process. It must be decided whether the policy meet the objectives it was designed for. Even when a policy has enjoyed some level of success it is unlikely that it will act as maintaining this level of improvement. It is more likely to lead to a continuation or modification of the existing policy. In conclusion, policy-making process is a long-term matter starting with the establishing of goals and moving through the selection of alternatives and to the implementation and evaluation of the solution. Nonetheless, policy-making is instead a complexly interactive process without beginning or end12. This process model is criticized as being too ordered, predictable and rational. In actuality, policy does not follow this sequential order of approach. Moreover, the boundaries between the different stages are blurred. For instance, policy implementation may lead to problem definition and policy evaluation is a constant activity. They are not restricted to a stipulated stage or time. In my view, the implementation process is the most important stage in the policy process, as a policy will remain as an idea if it is not implemented.

Knights of Labor Union Pioneered Labor Reforms

Knights of Labor Union Pioneered Labor Reforms The Knights of Labor was the first major American labor union. It was first formed in 1869 as a secret society of garment cutters in Philadelphia. The organization, under its full name, Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor, grew throughout the 1870s, and by the mid-1880s it had a membership of more than 700,000. The union organized strikes and was able to secure negotiated settlements from hundreds of employers across the United States. Its eventual leader, Terence Vincent Powderly, was for a time the most famous labor leader in America. Under Powderlys leadership, the Knights of Labor transformed from its secretive roots to a much more prominent organization. The Haymarket Riot in Chicago on May 4, 1886, was blamed on the Knights of Labor, and the union was unfairly discredited in the eyes of the public. The American labor movement coalesced around a new organization, the American Federation of Labor, which was formed in December 1886. Membership of the Knights of Labor plummeted, and by the mid-1890s it had lost all its former influence and had less than 50,000 members. Origins of the Knights of Labor The Knights of Labor was organized at a meeting in Philadelphia on Thanksgiving Day, 1869. As some of the organizers had been members of fraternal organizations, the new union took on a number of trappings such as obscure rituals and a fixation on secrecy. The organization used the motto An injury to one is the concern of all. The union recruited workers in all fields, skilled and unskilled, which was an innovation.  Up to that point, labor organizations tended to focus on particularly skilled trades, thus leaving common workers with virtually no organized representation. The organization grew throughout the 1870s, and in 1882, under the influence of its new leader, Terence Vincent Powderly, an Irish Catholic machinist, the union did away with the rituals and ceased to be a secretive organization. Powderly had been active in local politics in Pennsylvania and had even served as the mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania. With his grounding in practical politics, he was able to move the once-secretive organization into a growing movement. The membership nationwide grew to about 700,000 by 1886, though it plummeted after the suspected connection to the Haymarket Riot. By the 1890s Powderly was forced out as the organizations president, and the union lost most of its force. Powderly eventually wound up working for the federal government, working on immigration issues. In time the role of the Knights of Labor was essentially taken over by other organizations, most notably the newer American Federation of Labor. The legacy of the Knights of Labor is mixed. It ultimately failed to deliver on its early promise, however, it did prove that a nationwide labor organization could be practical. And by including unskilled workers in its membership, the Knights of Labor pioneered a widespread labor movement. Later labor activists were inspired by the egalitarian nature of the Knights of Labor while also learning from the organizations mistakes.

10 Words for Categories of Words

10 Words for Categories of Words 10 Words for Categories of Words 10 Words for Categories of Words By Mark Nichol Antonym, homonym, pseudonym. Do nyms make you numb? Here’s a handy guide to words, familiar or unfamiliar, for classes of words: Acronym: An abbreviation, pronounced as a word, consisting of the initial letters of a multiword name or expression. It can consist entirely of uppercase letters (NASA) –thought British English has adopted an initial-cap style, which is employed in American English for longer acronyms like Nasdaq or lowercase letters (radar); the latter are also known as anacronyms. Anepronym: A trademarked brand name now used generically, such as aspirin or kleenex. Antonym: A word distinguished from another with an opposite meaning, such as large, as compared to small. There’s also a class of words called autoantonyms, contranyms, or contronyms, single words with contrasting meanings, like oversight, which can mean either â€Å"responsibility for† or â€Å"failure to be responsible for.† Eponym: A proper or common name deriving from another name, as San Francisco (in honor of St. Francis) or many scientific terms, such as watt (named after James Watt) and volt (from Allesandro Volta). Heteronym: A word spelled the same way for different meanings, such as wear (to clothe oneself) as opposed to wear (to atrophy); sometimes, as in this case, however, they have the same origin. A heteronym can be pronounced differently depending on meaning, such as bass, the musical instrument, and bass, the fish; this type of word is also called a heterophone. Homonym: A word pronounced or spelled the same but different in meaning, like hi and high (also called homophones). Bass, referred to above, is both a heteronym and a homonym. (Does that make it a binym or a duonym?) The homonym sow, which can mean a female animal such as a pig or can refer to planting seeds, is also a homograph, meaning that not only its pronunciation but also its origin and definition can differ. Metonym: A term that identifies something by its association: Articles about Microsoft often used to refer to the company metonymically as Redmond, the city in Washington State where its headquarters are located, just as Washington stands in for the U.S. government. Pseudonym: A name adopted by an author, such as Charles Lutwidge Dodgson’s use of Lewis Carroll. In a literary context, this is often referred to as a nom de plume (â€Å"name of the pen†). A related term is nom de guerre (â€Å"name of war†), originally in reference to French Foreign Legion enlistees who masked their identities but since then employed by guerrilla fighters to avoid reprisals against their families. Other examples of pseudonyms include stage names (performing arts), ring names (professional wrestling), and handles (computer hacking, or CB or ham radio operation). Synonym: A word with the same meaning as another, such as small, as compared to little. Toponym: A place name, whether it retains capitalization, or is lowercased in generic usage, such as burgundy. Dozens of other -nym words exist many for, as you might imagine, obscure classes of words. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Is She a "Lady" or a "Woman"?Rules for Capitalization in TitlesParticular vs. Specific

Making Choices English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Making Choices English - Essay Example Here I am happy with him and make the most of every moment as I have made perfect choices of time without chances for regrets. In this new life, it is still a lot of hard work that makes me cope up with the conditions and requirements of the city life. The culture and trendy life styles of American people inspires me a lot to work out plans for the betterment of my life here. My early life itself had taught me enough lessons to choose wisely and that may be the reason why I manage to live better; and that may be the reason why I chose to come to America and get married to the man I loved. I know the fact that for many people, life teaches lessons of life with severe experimental exposure to hard and bitter experiences. As you complete one of your courses of your studies, you feel potentially able to handle the situations related to the subject. However, there is another thing you will love to learn either for excellence or for mere enthusiasm. The process of choosing something goes o n everlasting as long as we are to live on, yet some of them are very important in our life. I may case, the choice to live in America is the most important one I have taken so far. There was a time when I feared the dreads of migrating to a new country in search of opportunities to support my studies and find a job to happily move on my life. From the conservatory life I used to live in my community, it was always a dream to live in this land of opportunities. Most of my classmates preferred to study in the Philippines itself who did not think beyond their limitations to travel abroad. Sometimes I felt I should follow their path and continue my higher studies there and settle my life doing some job locally obtained. As I remember those day now, and when I compare my present life with the past days, I remember the quote â€Å"I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference† from the famous poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost. It was a ll very important for me to take one way from those left before me; and I chose the rare one – travel beyond the seas in search of a beautiful life. The confidence of a moment I had brought me up until this day; and I am sure, I have made the correct choice as I have a happy life now with all the grace of the job I do now alongside my studies. It was a tough choice, of course, since I was confused as the poet says, â€Å"Oh, I marked the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads to way I doubted If I should ever come back† (Frost). Every beginner feels puzzled at a condition when he needs to take a path to move on and the confusion remains dreadful till certain point of consistency. In my personal experience, I had no option other than to choose a job to earn the bread; therefore, I decided to I am proud to say I have fallen out well and met the challenges of my life which I would have had if I had continued to live in my home country. When it comes to my job an d the management of time I need to apply for maintaining the smoothness of the family life, I really need to work hard. Meeting the needs of a happy life in America demands much of you sweat; most of the time, you forget your hunger in the rush for punctuality, but it is rewarding to be busy in a city. The basic element of living in a city far away from your homeland with a different culture is always associated with our meritorious effort for excellence at work field. One will have to ignore values and self-made principles to some extend