Agency problem and corporate governance free essay sample

The concept of corporate governance in legal and economic terms is equivalent to â€Å"the defense of shareholders†. Corporate governance is the response to typical agency problems between investors and managers of the firm, who frequently have divergent interest. What constrains management to return profit to the suppliers of finance? For the investors â€Å"what will guarantee that their money is best exploited? † managers may use many techniques to pursue personal benefits at the expense of investors. For example they may spend money on unnecessary luxury items, make business decision with the primary intention of increasing their power, or improperly manage risk in a manner that does not maximize shareholders utility. The corporate governance framework consists of explicit and implicit contracts between the company and the stakeholders for distribution of responsibilities, rights, and rewards, procedures for reconciling the sometimes conflicting interests of stakeholders in accordance with their duties, privileges, and roles, and procedures for proper supervision, control, and information-flows to serve as a system of checks-and-balances. We will write a custom essay sample on Agency problem and corporate governance or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page i Corporate governance became a pressing issue following the 2002 introduction of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the U. S. , which was ushered in to restore public confidence in companies and markets after accounting fraud bankrupted high-profile companies such as Enron and WorldCom. Most companies strive to have a high level of corporate governance. These days, it is not enough for a company to merely be profitable; it also needs to demonstrate good corporate citizenship through environmental awareness, ethical behavior and sound corporate governance practices.ii II. Content F. Definitions of corporate governance Corporate governance refers generally to the legal and organizational framework within which, and the principles and processes by which, corporations are governed. It refers to the powers, accountability, and relationships of those who participate in the direction and control of a company. Chief among these participants are the board of directors, and management. There are aspec ts of the corporate governance regime that have an impact on the relationship between shareholders and the company. According to principles of good corporate governance and best practice recommendation: Corporate governance is the framework of rules, relationships, systems, and processes within and by which authority is exercised and controlled in corporations. It encompasses the mechanisms by which companies, and those in control, are held to account. Corporate governance influences how the objectives of the company are set and achieved, how risk is monitored and assessed, and how performance is optimized. Effective corporate governance structures encourage companies to create value, through entrepreneurialism, innovation, development and exploration, and provide accountability and control systems commensurate with the risk involved†iii. From The USA perspective, it can be defined as, â€Å" the implementation and execution of processes to ensure that those managing a company properly utilize the time, talents, and available resources in thebest interests of absent owners. These processes include all aspects of a companys performance including risk management, operational and marketing strategies, internal control, conformance with applicable laws and regulation, public relations, communication, and financial reporting. † In the broad sense corporate governance can be defined as the governance â€Å"dealing with problems that result from the separation of ownership and control†.iv Accordingly, corporate governance is concerned with the internal structure and rules o f the board of directors; the creation of independent audit committees; rules of disclosure of information to shareholders and creditors; and control of the management. Hence corporate governance focuses on the following : 1. Shareholders elect directors who represent them. 2. Directors vote on key matters and adopt the majority decision. 3. Decisions are made in a transparent manner so that shareholders and others can hold directors accountable. 4. The company adopts accounting standards to generate the information necessary for directors , investors and other stakeholders to make decisions 5. The company’s policies and practices adhere to applicable national, state and legal lawsv From the narrow sense , corporate governance as defined by Milton friedman is â€Å" to conduct the business in accordance with the owner’s or shareholders’ desires, which generally will be to make as much money as possible, while conforming to the basic rules of the society embodied in law and local customs†. The OECD also offers a broader sense â€Å" corporate governance refers to the private and public institutions, including laws, regulations and accepted business practices, which together govern the relationship in a market economy, between corporate managers and entrepreneurs ( corporate insiders) on one hand, and those who invest resources in corporations, on the other† Hence, corporate governance is the system of rules, practices and processes by which a company is directed and controlled. Corporate governance essentially involves balancing the interests of the many stakeholders in a company these include its shareholders, management, customers, suppliers, financiers, government and the community. Since corporate governance also provides the framework for attaining a companys objectives, it encompasses practically every sphere of management, from action plans and internal controls to performance measurement and corporate disclosure. G. Theories behind corporate governance : The theories that have affected the whole development of corporate governance should be viewed in conjunction with the legal system and capital market development. For example countries like UK and USA have a common law system that tends to give good protection to shareholders rights, while civil law countries, such as France, tend to have less effective legal protection for shareholders rights and more emphasis may be given to stake groups.

Basic US Naturalization Requirements

Basic US Naturalization Requirements Naturalization is the voluntary process by which the status of U.S. citizenship is granted to foreign citizens or nationals after they have fulfilled the requirements established by Congress. The naturalization process offers immigrants a path to the benefits of U.S. citizenship. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the power to make all laws regulating both the immigration and naturalization processes. No state can grant U.S citizenship to immigrants. Most people who legally enter the United States as immigrants are eligible to become naturalized U.S. citizens. In general, persons applying for naturalization must be at least 18 years old and must have lived in the United States for five years. During that five-year period, they must not have left the country for more than a total of 30 months or 12 consecutive months. Immigrants wishing to apply for U.S. citizenship are required to file a petition for naturalization and pass an examination demonstrating their ability to read, speak, and write simple English and that they have a basic knowledge of   American history, government, and the Constitution. In addition, two U.S. citizens who know the applicant personally must swear that the applicant will remain loyal to the United States. If the applicant successfully completes the requirements and examination for naturalization, he or she may take the Oath of Allegiance for Naturalized Citizens to become U.S. citizens. Except for the right to serve as president or vice president of the United States, naturalized citizens are entitled to all of the rights granted to natural-born citizens. While the exact process of naturalization can vary depending on each individuals situation, there are some basic requirements that all immigrants to the United States must meet before applying for naturalization. U.S. naturalization is administered by the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS), formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). According to the USCIS, the basic requirements for naturalization are: Be at least 18 years old at the time of filing Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. Be a permanent legal U.S. resident (have a green card) for at least 5 years. Have lived within the state or USCIS district with jurisdiction over your place of residence for at least 3 months prior to the date of filing Form N-400. Have continuous residence in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for at least 5 years immediately preceding the date of filing Form N-400. Be physically present in the United States for at least 30 months out of the 5 years immediately preceding the date of filing Form N-400. Be able to read, write, and speak basic English. Have a basic understanding of U.S. history and government (civics). Be a person of good moral character. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and ideals of the U.S. Constitution. Civics Test All applicants for naturalization are required to take a civics test to prove a basic understanding of U.S. history and government. There are 100 questions on the civics test. During the naturalization interview, applicants will be asked up to 10 questions from the list of 100 questions. Applicants must answer at least six (6) of the 10 questions correctly to pass the civics test. Applicants have two opportunities to take the English and civics tests per application. Applicants who fail any portion of the test during their first interview will be retested on the portion of the test they failed within 90 days. English Speaking Test The ability of applicants to speak English is determined by a USCIS Officer during an eligibility interview on Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. English Reading Test Applicants are required to read at least one out of three sentences correctly to demonstrate an ability to read in English. English Writing Test Applicants must write at least one out of three sentences correctly to demonstrate an ability to write in English. How Many Pass the Test? Nearly 2 million naturalization tests were administered nationwide from October 1, 2009, through June 30, 2012. According to the USCIS, the nationwide overall pass rate for all applicants taking both the English and civics tests was 92% in 2012. According to the report, the average annual pass rate for the overall naturalization test has improved from 87.1% in 2004 to 95.8% in 2010. The average annual pass rate for the English language test improved from 90.0% in 2004 to 97.0% in 2010, while the pass rate for the civics test improved from 94.2% to 97.5%. How Long Does the Process Take? The average total time required to process a successful application for U.S. naturalization – from applying to being sworn in as a citizen – was 4.8 months in 2012. This represents a vast improvement over the 10 to 12 months required in 2008. Oath of Citizenship All applicants who successfully complete the naturalization process are required to take an Oath of U.S. Citizenship and Allegiance to the U.S. Constitution before being issued an official Certificate of Naturalization.

Listening log Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Listening log - Essay Example With Stairway to Heaven, the lyrics are highly symbolic, so much so that it is possible that a great deal of the listeners really had no idea what all was being expressed. However, the music was so beautifully emotive that the lyrics came across on some level, making this song iconic in music history. Title: Hotel California Album: Hotel California Artist: The Eagles Year of Release: 1976 Rock Style: Hard Rock Musical Characteristics: This piece of music is also a hard rock ballad, but it is less sentimental and more dangerously exciting. There was a fascination with Satanism and the occult in the 1970s that came through in the lyrics. The lyrics tell a more straight forward story in which death and the afterlife is explored. The music is intoxicating, the beat seeming to be in 2/4 time, rather than the more common 4/4.The lyrics are the center of this ballad, as the story is highlighted by the use of the lead guitar. Comparison The two ballads are similar in that they slow down the overall play list of each individual artist in order to become more sentimentally expressive. The vocalists are at the center of the songs, even though the music is designed to echo the emotional renditions of the work. Both songs have similar themes of life and death. However, they are different in that they explore different kinds of sentiment.

To what Extent has the 'War on Terror' Undermined the Human Rights Essay

To what Extent has the 'War on Terror' Undermined the Human Rights Agenda in World Politics - Essay Example However, the ‘revenge’ was directed against Muslims in general because the aforementioned event, which was insignificant in comparison to the routine onslaughts in other countries, paved the way for incursions into specific Muslim territories. Under this pretext, the US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 and invaded Iraq in 2003 to further its geopolitical interests. The War on Terror is an implementation of Manichaeism, as it allowed the USA to make a new enemy after the collapse of the USSR. It is serving its imperialistic ambitions by painting the Muslim World as a new axis of evil and a threat to modern Western civilization. However, this enemy is more abstract than real and the situation is only leading to widespread irrational fear and unnecessary destruction. This war would therefore be more aptly described as a ‘War by Terror’ because the US is the real terrorist on its last vestiges of being a superpower. This paper shows how true this is and the e xtent to which this fake war is undermining the human rights agenda in world politics. It also examines how the US has managed to perpetrate these crimes and its aggression despite the existence of international laws to prevent abuse and what can be done to control the real evil which now poses a threat to the entire world. A cornerstone of the US actions post 9/11 has been its application of the doctrine of ‘pre-emptive military strike’. The US asserts that it has the right to take unilateral military action against other states and organisations if it perceives a threat. However, this is a dangerous trend that effectively makes the UN redundant and is out of conformity with international laws, conventions and resolutions (Gupta, 2008). America’s actions even transgress its own and international laws. Its leadership and military have committed serious crimes against humanity. The attempted moralization of the use of the military force, transgresses the norms of humanity (Schmitt, 2008). This situation hearkens back to the era before the UN existed and it could set a dangerous precedent for other nations which would then reverse decades of globalisation efforts to prevent wars. One of the biggest victims of this is human rights; the global agenda to protect human rights and guarantee human dignity and respect. This agenda at the international level began after World War II. In its new phase this century, the effort was to liberalise international relations to that they â€Å"conform to the liberal prescription for the good society† (Forsythe, 2006: 3). Numerous known and hidden human rights abuses have taken place by the US this century. Those that are known include kidnapping of innocent people and their torture and abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and elsewhere. On a more widespread scale, the US invaded two sovereign countries (Afghanistan and Iraq) and has long been intimidating a third, namely Pakis tan. The US accused former honourable president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, of harbouring weapons of mass destruction. Fortunately, this baseless accusation was found to be just that when no such weapons were ever found, even by their own admission (Beaumont et al., 2004). This only showed the hypocrisy of the US because it itself possesses weapons of mass destruction yet it accuses others in the same way that it is the world’

How Homeostasis affects the Interaction of Physiological Processes Essay

How Homeostasis affects the Interaction of Physiological Processes - Essay Example Due to its distinguishing features and the crucial role that it plays in performing different processes, it has acquired a significant position in physiology. The internal mechanisms of human body are controlled by the constancy of the overall environment called homeostasis. In broader terms it can be said that the different mechanisms of human body perform their functions with the help of constant PH, concentrations of electrolyte and internal body temperature. Homeostasis is basically a controlling system of all the mechanisms which facilitates their smooth activity while maintaining a suitable environment for different functions of brain. Human brain is the most sensitive area of human body which is easily and frequently affected by the fluctuations in the external environment. However, due to the unique characteristics of homeostasis it remains protected from the external adverse impacts. Recent researchers have identified astonishing factors about homeostasis which further stren gthens its position as a key system supporting the brain activities. The internal functions of brain, for instance, transfer of messages through neurons and performance of various other tasks are subject to hypo or hyperactivity if not protected by a supporting and regulating system. This function of regulating the internal environment and protecting neural circuits from stepping in to a hypo or hyperactive state is actually performed by homeostasis. This substantiates that homeostasis is crucially required for the normal and performance of physiological processes in addition to maintaining an internal body environment which is significantly suitable for all other brain functions (GINA G. TURRIGIANO et al., 2004). Physiological Processes It refer to all the physical processes which supports and guards various activities of living organisms including all the unicellular and multi cellular organisms from their birth to the end of their life. There are different physiological processes going on simultaneously in the human body including growth and development, bacterial shedding, nutrition processes, movement etc. (PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES, 2009). Homeostasis is yet another type of physiological process which actually maintains a suitable working environment for other physiological processes. The working pattern of homeostasis is further divided into different procedures. For instance, it maintains the acid-base equilibrium and regulates the body temperature through a process called thermogenesis. Furthermore, it gets the feedback on different body movements through the active involvement of sensory nerves while maintaining a sound water-electrolyte balance through the kallikrein-kinin system (HOMEOSTASIS, 2013). There are various physiological changes which are directly affiliated with homeostasis. For instance, consider an example of aging which is experienced by every individual. It is a physiological change accompanied by other changes as well including increa sed blood pressure, decreased cardiac activity, etc. Physiological changes which are particularly related to the mechanism of nervous system include temporary stress and tension, excitement etc. In addition to this other physiological changes which show up as human age increases includes low transference of messages, poor memory, loss of neurons, etc. Homeostasis plays a

Political Issues In The Presidential Election Of 1960 History Essay

Political Issues In The Presidential Election Of 1960 History Essay In this paper, there will be an examination of the main political issues in the presidential election of 1960. This paper will also inform the reader of what influenced voters and factors such as the nations and the candidates past history, the image of the candidates and priming that took place during this campaign, and also how fraudulent voters had an effect on this election. To begin, the 1960s are known as the era of youth. Seventy million children from the post-war baby boom became teens and young adults. There was movement away from the conservative 1950s to a more revolutionary way of thinking. This was a time of change in lifestyles, entertainment, education and laws. The Supreme Court decided that prayer in public schools was unconstitutional. Political arenas and social issue out breaks formed over the chaos of race and a push for equality and black unity. College campuses became the center of debates and protest, from the civil rights movement supporting black activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr. with peaceful protest to Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael representing Black Nationalism and the Black Panther Party. The number of Hispanic Americans tripled during this period to become recognized as the oppressed minority, and the American Indian population who were unemployed formed violent riots. The Cold War had no definite start date, though it began as WWII was ending in Europe. When the United States dropped atomic bombs on two cities of Japan, it forced the Japanese government to surrender, signifying the end of conflict in the Pacific. The ending of WWII led to United States and the Soviet Union (Russia) engaging in an arms race. The Soviets were unhappy with the United States as their former allies and were unwilling to share atomic technology, thus leaving the United States to use information-gathering techniques otherwise known as spy planes. The 1960s shadowed one of the great embarrassments to the United States that encouraged a marked relapse in its relations with the Soviet Union, the U-2 spy plane episode. An American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. The United States was forced to admit the planes role as a secret surveillance aircraft when the Soviet government beared its remains and surviving pilot. Along with spy, planes there were many oth er issues the United States had been involved in during this time with other countries (Goldman, Lillian). At the end of World War II, fears of a communist subversion also heightened as Fidel Castro led the transformation of Cuba into a one party socialist republic and Cubas revolutionary government became economically and militarily dependent on the Soviet Union. The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred between the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba during the Cold War. In September 1962, the Cuban and Soviet governments placed nuclear missiles in Cuba. When United States military intelligence discovered the weapons, the U.S. government did all it could to ensure the removal of the missiles. The Space Race was a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union in the exploration of outer space. It involved revolutionary efforts to launch artificial satellites, send man into space, and land him on the moon. The Space Race took place during the Cold War and had its start in the missile-based arms race between the two nations. It effectively began with the Soviet launch of the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957 (Goldman, Lillian). Moreover, the election of 1960 began. The United States presidential election of 1960 marked the end of Dwight D. Eisenhowers two terms as President. Eisenhowers Vice President was Richard Nixon, who was now running himself for the Republican nomination, along with New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, while the Democrats nominated Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy, Texas Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson, Missouri Senator Stuart Symington, Former governor of Illinois Adlai Stevenson, and Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey. The electoral vote was the closest since the election between T. Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey and Charles Hughes of New York in 1916 where Wilson edged out Hughes by a margin of 277 to 254. The electoral vote totals in the election of 1960 were not as close with Kennedys 303 to Nixons 219 (Carney, Francis M). In the popular vote, Kennedys victory was among the closest ever in American history. Kennedy garnered 49.7% of the popular vote while Nixon held 49.6% . However, an election is not based on the popular vote but the electoral vote. The electors actually cast the vote, meaning a president without the popular vote can be elected president. The 1960 election is still of great debate historically among many people as to whether voter fraud in selected states benefited Kennedys victory, which was one of the major issues within this election. The election consisted of 531 electoral votes plus the addition of 2 U.S. Senators votes and 1 U.S. Representatives vote from both Alaska and Hawaii. On January 3 and August 21 of 1959, Alaska and Hawaii were granted statehood allowing the states to participate in their first presidential election. This was merely only one of the firsts during the election. This was also the first election where a candidate carried more than half the states (Nixon with 26) but lost the presidency, and it was the first election in which the four debates were nationally televised which is another major factor resulting to Kennedys victory. Accepting the nomination before a crowd of 75,000 people in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Senator Kennedy introduced (4President Corporation). The New Frontier of the 60s. We stand today on the edge of a new frontier the frontier of the 1960s a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats. This resulted in the Democratic slogan, And so, my fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country(4President Corporation). Kennedys campaign promises amounted to many as he recognized the nation as having fallen behind the Soviet Union in the Cold War militarily and economically and promised to get America moving again. He recognized the fear of becoming a communist country and promised to fight against it. He identified himself with the liberal form tradition of the Democratic Party of Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman and promised a new surge of legislative innovation in an attempt to win the vote of conservative Catholics and to show he encouraged the civil rights movement. Kennedy supported a higher minimum wage, increased unemployment compensation, a broader federal housing program, and safer working conditions. He assured farmers of a fair share of national income; his surplus food distribution and food-for-peace bills received wide support from both urban and rural organizations. As Senator, Kennedy drafted a 10-point plan to provide older people with housing, medical care, and recreational faci lities. He also sponsored a bill to provide for hospital, nursing, and medical care for older citizens (4President Corporation). In addition, as Chairman of the Government Operations Subcommittee, Kennedy guided The Hoover Commission bill, which estimated to ultimately save the taxpayers $4 billion annually (4President Corporation). Aside from his promises, Kennedy was a member of the Senate Rackets Committee. This committee battled relentlessly to free American labour and management from racketeers, hoodlums, and union busters. Senator Kennedy also spent four years in the military services and fourteen years in Congressional service, thus familiarizing himself with several branches of the U.S. Government (4President Corporation). Kennedys candidacy was controversial because no Roman Catholic had ever been elected president. However, Kennedy was aware of the dangers of mixing religious and political organizations. He strongly promoted the separation of church and state: It is my firm belief that there should be separation of church and state as we understand it in the United States that is, that both church and state should be free to operate, without interference from each other in their respective areas of jurisdiction (letter to Glenn L. Archer, 23 February 1959). Also initially criticized by some Democratic Party elders, including former President Harry Truman, Kennedy was viewed as too youthful and inexperienced to be President; these critics suggested that he should agree to be the running mate for a more experienced Democrat. Despite the criticism, Kennedy continued his run for presidency and selected Lyndon Johnson to be his running mate. In contrast, Kennedys opponent Richard Nixons campaign promised to campaign in all fifty states; he also pledged to keep the federal government from dominating the free market economy in the lives of the American people. He promised he was not going to join the parade of those who promise to spend more while ignoring the reality of the present situations. He acknowledged that the cost of living was rising and more government spending would only add to inflation, hurting those people it was meant to help. He indicated a budget cut, not increase, and suggested it would be an act of total irresponsibility to promise additional federal billions that were simply not available. Nixon promoted and encouraged tax cuts and presented a plan for economic growth and deficit reduction that appealed to many. Nixon also wanted to make considerable progress toward balancing the federal budget so that millions of Americans could make possible balancing their family budgets and promised to not neglect education (4President Corporation). Like Kennedy, Nixon had military time. Nixon joined the Navy to serve in World War II, rising to become a lieutenant commander and resigning in 1946. In 1947, he was elected a U.S. Representative. In addition, in 1950 he became a U.S. Senator, where he worked until being selected as Eisenhowers running mate in 1953, becoming one of the youngest Vice Presidents in American history. This contributed to Nixons presidential campaign in 1960, when he chose Henry Cabot Lodge to run as his Vice President (4President Corporation). Candidates tend to focus their electoral campaigns either on policy issues or on personal images. Social psychologists idea of priming stresses a notionally conceivable campaign strategy for treating image and issues as interconnected strategic concerns. Evidence suggests that Kennedy deliberately used these popular strategies to shape the electorates standards for evaluating his personal attributes rather than to win over helpful maximizing voters (The Structure of Electoral Politics 362). Sneaky unclear policy positions and attractive personal images of strength, boldness, competitiveness, honesty, and trustworthiness, project a favourable personal attribute and image. How ever, this is a risky strategy for holding together a party base and attracting wavering voters. Priming is a way to understand the unification of image and issues in campaign strategies. This process suggests that candidates use popular policy issues to influence the electorates standards for evaluating their personal attributes. Priming focuses public attention on certain topics and provides the main basis for evaluation. Because mass media provides individuals with much information, it can be considered a priming stimulus. The message communicated through and by the media during an election significantly influences the attitudes and information that are likely to be retrieved and incorporated into voters judgments (Issues, Candidate Image, and Priming 528). During the Kennedy campaigns, Louis Harris, polling engineer and conductor serving on the Kennedy strategy committee, used inventive public opinion surveys to heighten the interest and skill in using position taking to shape the candidates image taking limited information about voters policy preferences. Harris devoted a section of his surveys to tracking and analysing the publics image of Kennedys personality and his job performance. Kennedys aides carefully tracked their candidates image and attempted to identify his perceived personal characteristics that were considered unfavourable. The campaign wanted to identify issues that both appealed to party activists and responded to the concerns of the centrist voters (Issues, Candidate Image, and Priming 529). The campaign introduced major innovations in terms of number, structure, and political use of opinion polls. Campaigns draw on analysis of individual perceptions and distinctions between availability and accessibility of public information and attitudes. Kennedys campaign objective was to use priming to construct an image that would be noticeably different from Nixons. They decided to fashion a move- ahead image for Kennedy to demonstrate a large difference between the Republican and Democratic candidates. The campaign used popular policy issues as part of a priming strategy, along with salient accessible issues in order to construct an appealing image of the candidate as competent and caring. Priming is supported in evidence found in records and interviews, as well as in a combination of both interpretive and quantitative analysis (Identifying the Persuasive Effects of Presidential Advertising 960). His campaign polls were based on personal interviews with large representative sampl es in separate states. Many of the states were polled at multiple occasions. There were sixty-six polls during the primary and general election campaign; twenty-six of them were between September and November, meaning that the polls were bunched into six weeks. The questions what is the most important problem? and what do you think can be done? measure the importance of an issue, which tells how a particular policy area is ranked compared to other issues (Issues, Candidate Image, and Priming 530). Kennedy cautiously reacted to the area divisions and the public opinion; in terms of the Democratic Party, Kennedy was thoroughly guided by polling on voters concerns. His success in using this strategy confirms the role of competitive elections and leadership selection. Public opinion became more influential during and after the nationally televised debates. The first debate was over domestic issues. Questions were asked of both Nixon and Kennedy to address their position on farm surpluses, expanding welfare programs for schools, teacher salaries, medical care, reducing the federal debt, and their opinion on communist threats to our national security. An estimated 80 million viewers watched the first debate. TV viewers believed Kennedy had won; he was well rested before the first debate and appeared tanned, confident, and relaxed during the debate. In contrast, Nixon insisted on campaigning until just a few hours before the first debate and had not completely recovered from his hospital stay for his knee injury, thus looking pale and sickly, as well as underweight and tired. Resulting from his refusal to wear makeup for the first debate, his beard stubble showed particularly on the eras black-and-white TV screens. Radio listeners believed Nixon had won. However, after the debate had ended, polls showed Kennedy moving from a slight shortfall into a slight lead over Nixon (Vancil, David L., and Sue D. Pendell). The second debate addressed issues dealing with the defence of two small islands off the Chinese mainland named Quemoy and Matsu, civil rights, and the U-2 flight incident. Political observers at the time believed that Nixon had won this debate as well as the third debate, which was also based on the Quemoy and Matsu island problem and questions over the US economy. The fourth debate was considered the strongest of the four debates by both candidates but was still seen as a draw. This debate focused on nuclear weapon testing and foreign policies (Kraus, Sidney). On October 2, 1960, during a sit-in in Atlanta, Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested and sentenced to a four-month term in prison. He was taken to the state prison at Reidsville, Georgia. Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy called Coretta Scott King to express sympathy. Kennedy then contacted Georgias Governor Ernest Van diver seeking Kings release from Reidsville Prison. King was released after eight days in jail. This ultimately resulted in Kennedy receiving more black votes and more votes from northern/Midwestern cities. On the contrary, Nixon remained uninvolved in this issue. Eisenhower was a strong supporter of Nixon throughout the election. He made strong campaigns for Nixon and began a tour on behalf of the Republican candidate over the last ten days before elections, which lead to a boost leaving Nixon and Kennedy at a tie. The support of Eisenhower resulted in rural suburban areas in the Midwest favouring Nixon. Although, when President Eisenhower was asked to give one example of a major idea of Nixons that he adopted, his reply was, If you give me a week I might think of one. I dont remember,(Eleanor Roosevelt, John Kennedy, and the Election of 1960). which ended up damaging Nixons campaign. When regarding fraud in this election, the first issue addressed are the claims made that mobster Giancana had connections with the Kennedy family and is believed to have influenced the election in Illinois and assisted in Kennedys defeat of Nixon. Giancana and Kennedy also were believed to be sharing the same mistresses and passing information to each other through her. At the end of the election, Kennedy was also accused of voter fraud in states and counties including Fannin County and Angelina County, Texas, where more votes were casted then registered. Fraudulent voters were accused in Cook County, and Chicago, Illinois, as well. Kennedy won Hawaii and Illinois; he carried twelve states total, including all northeast and southern states except for North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas. Kennedy also carried California; however, he lost the state to Nixon. Nixon won California and carried six states, all but three western states including California, and Ohio, which was his biggest victory. Nixon also carried Hawaii, although he ended up losing the state to Kennedy after absentee ballots were counted. Nixons campaign staff encouraged a recount in Illinois, Missouri, and New Jersey, but Nixon declined. Eventually Nixons chairman challenged eleven stated to be recounted, but the only overturned state was Hawaii. Respectfully, Richard Nixon refused to call for any recounts or investigations, under the sham that such an action might cause a constitutional crisis. Moreover, influences in the presidential election of 1960 that affected the electoral behaviour consisted of the issues shadowing from World War II, the issues ahead leading into the Cold War and political movements within the nation, the use of priming, and the suspicion of fraud during the election.

Self-imposed Estrangement in Pauls Case Essay -- Willa Cather

Self-imposed Estrangement in "Paul's Case," by Willa Cather Many times, we try to separate ourselves from the world around us; we distance ourselves from society that gives us life. What is worse, we are voluntarily subjected to the lonesomeness which precedes wallowing in our own self pity. "Paul's Case," in which the theme of the fatal progression of deliberate seclusion presents the major conflict, centers around a young man, in his alienation, suppressing his need for attention and satisfying himself through his own world established through his seclusion. The author, Willa Cather, renders this main theme by her insinuations of the character, by the point of view she chooses to illuminate Paul"'"s characteristics, and by key symbols that contribute to the overall work. The character presented by Cather through Paul, withdraws himself from his environment creating the base for the theme of his progressively intensifying need for distinct separation. The reasons Paul acts the way he does seems two fold. First, the sequence of events could be caused by psychological damage or some mental condition, possibly stemming from his mothers death, which was only alluded to in the story. Paul was a teenager who displayed certain signs of a mental illness. According to The Medical Advisor#, Paul suffers from many of similar symptoms of a narcissist. Although the personality disorder was not diagnosed until 1977, and was not perfected until 1987 and expanded upon in 1994, Cather"'"s character of 1904 embodies many of the symptoms listed. Of those Paul qualifies for are: highly developed sense of self importance, preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, belief that he or she is special, feeling he has the envy of peers... ...in a connection with his mother. This bond further alienates him with the world by association with the departed; his mother is separated by death, thus by professing to the world his connection with his mother brings him one step further from sanity. As he comes to realize that the mere emotional connection with his mother is not enough to isolate him, the flower becomes submersed into a sea of white as it is buried in the snow, and Paul achieves his ultimate escape and suicide creates the desired connection with his mother. Willa Cather, carefully weaving together a deep character to which understanding is complex, an interesting and enlightening twist on the point of view, and multi-dimensional use of symbolic motifs that describe the character"'"s personality and dreams, has created a universal theme of the grave progression of self-imposed estrangement.