Domestic Violence Is A Risk Factor For Child Maltreatment

Domestic Violence. Domestic violence is a risk factor for child maltreatment. When discussing domestic violence, it is not strictly pertaining to physical violence, it can also be emotional abuse, psychological abuse, etc. It is not ideal for a child to be living in a house where there is violence because not only is there a chance of the child being physically harmed, there is also a chance of the child being harmed psychologically. Due to this, domestic violence can be a form of child endangerment because a child is placed in a dangerous environment. (McCoy Keen, 2014, p. 103). Emotional Neglect. â€Å"This type of neglect is defined as the failure to meet the child’s emotional needs† (McCoy Keen, 2014, p. 105). This type of neglect is†¦show more content†¦(McCoy Keen, 2014, p. 111-112). Abandonment. This is probably the most extreme act of neglect. Abandonment is â€Å"desertion, severing ties with and failing to support one’s own child† (McCoy Keen, 2014, p. 112). Incidence Rates and Consequences. Not all children can or will be negatively affected by neglect – they are essentially resilient. Being resilient means â€Å"being able to recover easily from difficult circumstances, bounce back and persevere, able to adjust to misfortune, and are adaptable† (McCoy Keen, 2014, p. 230). Unfortunately, not every child can be resilient and the consequences can severely impact the child growing up. When determining whether a child will be resilient or not, it is important to look at the duration of the neglect as well as the severity (McCoy Keen, 2014, p. 114). â€Å"A child’s experience of abuse and neglect during their developmental years poses a negative effect, not only physically, but also psychologically†¦ (Gibb Abela, 2008; Stirling Amaya-Jackson, 2008)† (Ban, J., Oh, I., 2016). For starters, in infancy, â€Å"young children are at risk of being diagnosed with NFTT (nonorganic failure to thrive) and are likely to display psychomotor delays during infancy and are at risk for continued growth problems, school failure, and mental retardation† (McCoy Keen, 2014, p. 114-115). Other consequences in infancy include: poor attachment; poor muscle tone; flat, bald spot on back of the head; lack of smiling andShow MoreRelatedThe Long Term Effects Of Child Maltreatment On Adult Survivors898 Words   |  4 PagesOF CHILD MALTREATMENT ON ADULT SURVIVORS Child maltreatment is a term that covers a broad spectrum of child mistreatment including, child abuse (physical, sexual, and emotional) and child neglect (emotional and physical). Long term effects of child maltreat vary depending on the severity of the abuse or neglect and the length of time that the child is exposed to the abuse (i.e. if it is a onetime event or ongoing chronic exposure). As Greeson, et al. (2011), points out, child maltreatment experiencesRead MoreChild Maltreatment Is A Serious And Global Issue Essay1153 Words   |  5 PagesAlliance, 2014). However, child maltreatment is not prevalent exclusively in North America. It is estimated that worldwide, almost 13 percent of children are sexually abused, almost 22 percent physically abused, 16 percent physically neglected, and over 18 percent emotionally neglected (Stoltenborgh, 2015). Severe consequences, such as impaired brain development, heart disease, poor attachment, depression, and anxiety, can be the result o f child abuse and neglect (Child Welfare Information GatewayRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effect On Children1518 Words   |  7 PagesChild abuse is any sexual, physical or psychological mistreatment of a child. child abuse as any act or series of acts of omission or commission instituted by a parent or caregiver that directly results in harm or a threat of harm to the child in question. Child abuse can occur in a child s home, or in the organizations, schools or communities the child interacts with Child neglect is the failure, by a parent, guardian or caretaker, either intentionally or through negligence or inability, toRead More Child Maltreatment Essay2814 Words   |  12 PagesChild maltreatment is a widespread issue that affects thousands of children every year. There are four common types of child maltreatment; sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. All of these types of abuse are very serious and can have many consequences for the children and families. The most common consequence of severe child maltreatment is the removal of that child from their home (Benbenishty, Segev, Surkis, and Elias, 2002). Most social workers trying to determine theRead MoreSocial And Interpersonal Stressors Of The Immigrant Parent s Migration Experience Essay966 Words   |  4 Pagesto help create a greater sense of mutual support among the community members. Loss of social support can result in anxiety and isolation which combined with other social stressors can heighten parental stress and therefore increases the risk for chid maltreatment. Changing family roles. Acculturation also entails the changing of family roles which includes but is not limited to changes in family functioning, gender roles and how families respond to conflict (Sabina, Cuevas Zadnik, 2015; CaplanRead MoreYouth Crime And Domestic Violence Essay1599 Words   |  7 Pages Youth Crime and Domestic Violence Name: Institution: Youth Crime and Domestic Violence Introduction Youth Crime has increased in New Zealand and although the prosecution has decreased the issue has attracted the attention of the members of the public. According to data from the Ministry of Justice (2015) the numbers of children between the ages of ten to thirteen and young people between the ages of fourteen and sixteen who are charged in court is lowest in over two decades. NonethelessRead MoreDomestic Violence, Maternal Depression, And Home Environment969 Words   |  4 Pagesthe previous studies, children living in domestic violent homes not only have to face the direct violence that is happening at the moment, but also have to face the indirect change that is brought after the violence has occurred. Using a sample of 100 women and their children ages 3-5, the study conducted by Huth-Bocks, Levendosky, and Semel (2001) examined maternal psychological functioning and its impact of the quality of the home environment in a domestic violent household. After observing theseRead More Child Abuse Is A Common And Sad Fate For Many Children Essay1558 Words   |  7 PagesChild abuse is a common and sad fate for many children today, statistics show that more than four children die every day because of child abuse. Abused children not only experience the effects of the abuse in childhood, but in adulthood as well. There are ways to detect child abuse and how you can help these children. ChildHelp.org stated that â€Å"Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States.† Child abuse is a terrible epidemic that needs to be put to an endRead MoreEssay on Domestic Violence and the Effect It Has on Family1582 Words   |  7 PagesDomestic violence is a violent confrontation between family or household members involving physical harm, sexual assault, or fear of physical harm (Stewart Croudep, 1998-2012). In most places domestic violence is looked on as one of the higher priorities when trying to stop crime. Domestic Violence cases are thought to be influenced by the use of alcohol, drugs, stress or anger but in reality, they are just learned behaviors by the batterer. These habits can be stopped as long as one seeks helpRead MoreAnimal Cruelty Is A Crime Against Humanity1246 Words   |  5 Pagesanimal cruelty as a Crime Against Humanity we must prove that society is ignoring the violence towards them despite the research eviden ce, the government sanctions mass killings of them, and that this type of violence affects humans on a large scale (Plant, Schaik, Gullone, Flynn 2016). Although dispositional factors such as empathy and aggression may influence animal cruelty, we must look at the environmental factors that lead to the negative effects from a macro-level perspective. In this analysis

The Uk Constitution And The United States - 1557 Words

Often the UK constitution is asserted to be the most unique in the world, as its sources are a piece of historical significance as they come from great British heritage. From the case of Jackson and others v Her Majesty’s Attorney General, Lord Steyn stated that ‘We do not in the UK have an uncontrolled constitution’. In general terms a person may judge the UK constitution to be uncontrolled due to it being unwritten, as it is derived from a wide range of sources. Which vary from common law to international treaties. However on the other side of the spectre, a written constitution is one like the USA’s, embodied into a single document. Putting aside the fact that the UK constitution is from a variety of different sources, it must be verified that it has worked successfully to this date from 1689 when ‘the supremacy of parliament over the crown’ was introduced, following the glorious revolution. It can also be said that, why would the UK const itution be classed as uncontrolled, if it has worked for hundreds of years and it is still going strong. A constitution is generally there for one purpose, it ‘sets out the framework and principal functions of the organs of government’ and by setting out these functions the UK has been growing and adapting. We in other words have an evolutionary constitution. If it ever came to a time where a written constitution was enacted, it would indeed disrupt the infrastructure of the UK as they are inflexible. Clear inflexibility is shown byShow MoreRelatedThe Uk s Constitution And The United States1485 Words   |  6 Pagesother Nations with a codified constitution, the UK has no single constitutional document- this means, she has no single constitutional document but whose main sources are, Acts of Parliament, Judicial decisions and Constitutional conventions. This essay looks at the features of the UK’s constitution, what a written constitution entails and whether or not it would be desirable for UK to embrace codification being the only European state with an unwritten constitution. There has never been a ‘constitutionalRead MoreThe United States And Uk Constitution1913 Words   |  8 Pagesinstitutions of state should be functionally independent and that no individual should have powers that span these offices. The principal institutions are usually taken to be the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.† Therefore, the organs of state as described by Montesquieu should operate separately order to successfully implement law and order to the UK. Comparing both the US and UK constitution, there are some very obvious differences. For example, the US has a written constitution whereasRead MoreThe Legal System Of The United Kingdom1000 Words   |  4 PagesThe legal systems of the United Kingdom and the United States share a number of obvious resemblances which stem from the history of the countries. Today, throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland the primary legal system in place is still a Common Law system however the system in Scotland is a combination of both common law and civil law . A common law system will acquire the majority of its laws through past cases with inferior courts being bound by higher courts, in civil law systems thereRead MoreThe Constitutional System Within The United Kingdom1416 Words   |  6 Pagesand power of a government, but also state the relationship between government and individuals. Constitutionalism can be classified into two distinct categories: a codified written Constitutions (ie: United States), and an uncodified unwritten constitution (ie: United Kingdom). Some consider the UK constitution as a risk to the democratic society due to its flexibility and the chance of forming dictatorship. However, others believe that an uncodified constitution could be beneficial within a constantRead MoreThe Main Features Of The Uk1444 Words   |  6 Pagesquestion is whether or not the UK is in need of a codified constitution. The absence of a written constitution is peculiar in Europe , the UK is said to have a complex and comprehensive system of government which regulates the country. The purpose of this essay is to examine the present features of the UK s unwritten constitution in contrast with other European codified constitutions , an argument as to whether the United Kingdom is in need of a codified constitution will be formulated. This willRead MoreThe Constitution Of The United States Essay1455 Words   |  6 PagesThe constitution serves six purposes, by wh ich the people will attempt to: create a union, establish and maintain justice, maintain tranquility between our neighbors, provide for a common defense, promote the general welfare of the people and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity (Vile. 2015). The written constitution clearly limits the power of the government. Prohibiting the government from becoming dictators. The constitution of the United States clearly outlines howRead MoreEssay on Judicial Review980 Words   |  4 Pageschecks and balance step when concerning the government and the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Judicial review gives the court the power to review and change laws and government acts that violate the Constitution (Huq, n.d.). Allowing the court system this power helps prevent government officials from using the Constitution to illegally use their position in making laws and regulations in the United States. The judicial review was first used in an unusual way and under unusual circumstancesRead MoreComparative Law Report : United Kingdom And The United States1220 Words   |  5 PagesCOMPARATIVE LAW REPORT THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE UNITED STATES CTEC 1412 COMPUTER ETHICS, LAW and PORTFOLIO RAJAT RAJPUT BSc Computer Science P15222274 CONTENT PAGE 1. Introduction 1.1 United Kingdom Jurisdiction 1.2 United States Jurisdiction 2. Main Body (comparison) 2.1 The Constitution 2.2 Creating Laws 2.3 The Lawyers 2.4 The Jury 3. Conclusion 4. References 1. INTRODUCTION: 1.1 The United Kingdom Jurisdiction: The United Kingdom of Great Britain andRead MoreSeparation of Powers in the Uk Essay1464 Words   |  6 Pageswithin a constitution. Particular emphasis will be placed on identifying how this idea is incorporated into the United Kingdom’s (UK) constitution and the effect that recent developments of constitutional reform such as the introduction of the UK Supreme Court in place of the House of Lords has had. The doctrine of the separation of powers is an idea that can be seen in writings as far back as the time of Aristotle. This concept states that any constitution relies on the ‘three pillars of state’ whichRead MoreThe First Year Of The Magna783 Words   |  4 Pagesdebate of whether or not it is time for the UK to adopt a written constitution has resurfaced, paving way for contrasting arguments relating to the need for modernisation in the 21st century, against the need to retain tradition. It must be mentioned that for the purposes of this discussion the term ‘unwritten’ is in the context that the UK constitution is not recorded onto a single codified document. While not presented onto a single document the constitution is ’written’, and as appropriately stated

Modern and Ancient Interpretations of Xerxes free essay sample

It’s difficult to make a judgment of Xerxes character and effectiveness as a King since there is a bias in a majority of these sources. Ancient Persian Ancient Persian sources are mostly inscriptions and reliefs found in Persepolis though there are also inscriptions found in other parts of the Persian Empire. An example are the Daiva inscriptions â€Å"A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth †¦ who made Xerxes king, one king of many, one lord of many†. This states that Ahuramazda made Xerxes king and supports Xerxes. It emphasizes his right to rule through divine sanctions. In many bas-reliefs Xerxes is much larger than his counterparts. The size of the king, the robes he wears, his position, the number of servants, etc. are designed to emphasis his importance. Xerxes is always larger than the people around him, which aided his image as a capable ruler and great king. An example is the Apadana reliefs. Also, inscriptions found near Persepolis present Xerxes as the most capable of Darius’ sons: â€Å" While there were other sons of his Darius my father, after himself me he made great. Other reliefs portray Xerxes as a great hunter, hero and warrior. Its important to note that Xerxes used reliefs and inscriptions as propaganda tools and to maintain control of his empire as â€Å"King of Kings†, therefore, making ancient Persian sources biased and only portraying Xerxes in a positive light. Herodotus Herodotus was an ancient historian born just after the reign of Xerxes. In his book The Histories, Herodotus doesn’t attack Xerxes but describes him in two ways. Firstly, a typical King whose subjects feared him and secondly, a ruler punished by the gods for his arrogant use of power. Herodotus uses the bridging of Hellespont and destroying the Greek temples as examples of Xerxes arrogance. Herodotus also writes about instances of Xerxes being short tempered. Examples of this are: -A man named Pythius asks Xerxes to release his eldest son from the army and have his other four sons stay in the army. Xerxes gets angry and has Pythius’ eldest son cut in half and orders the army to march between the two halves. -Another example is Xerxes having the engineers of the Hellespont Bridge executed after the bridge was destroyed. This is contradicted by ancient Persian archaeological sources where Xerxes claims that he is â€Å"not hot tempered†¦I am ruling firmly over my own will† Aeschylus The Persians Aeschylus’ The Persians is an Athenian tragedy with a moral purpose designed to reaffirm the power of the Greek gods. In the play, Xerxes’ invasion of Greece is presented as an example of hubris or excessive pride, which must be punished by the gods. Xerxes actions lead to the downfall of his empire and the demoralization of Xerxes. The Persians was written for a Greek audience so naturally it is biased and inconsistent. Modern historians present Xerxes in a less biased light however; they share differing opinions on his success as a king and as a military commander. Olmsted states, â€Å"Against one military failure†¦must be placed a whole series of victories†. Victories include Xerxes extensive building programs and swift suppression of Egyptian and Babylonian revolts. Olmsted also presents a negative image of Xerxes toward the end of his reign, stating that his failed expansion into Greece carried â€Å"deadly consequences. † Olmsted presents Xerxes as a good king, planner and architect but a failed military commander. Callender Another modern historian is Callender who presents Xerxes in a very positive and favorable light. She states Xerxes was a â€Å"decisive leader† through the suppression of the Egyptian and Babylonian revolts and that Xerxes preparations for the invasion of Greece allowed him to â€Å"reveal himself as a superb and careful strategist and planner. † Although this may be true, Callender fails to take into account the outcome of the Persian wars and evidence from sources except ancient Persian. 300 300 is a 2006 American action film based on the battle of Thermopylae (show excerpt). In the film Xerxes has multiple piercings and jewelry, barely wearing any clothes, bald, above average height and is quite feminine. Obviously, this is inaccurate since according to ancient Persian archaeological sources and Herodotus Xerxes had hair, a beard, was average height and wore clothes. In 300, Xerxes is a demigod (half god), which is why he is bigger than Leonidas the Spartan king. 300 was banned in many middle-eastern countries one of the reasons being its portrayal of the Persians. There were monsters and demons fighting in the Persian army and some people interpreted the portrayal of Xerxes as homosexual. One night with the King – the story of Esther One night with the King is a 2006 film based on the biblical story of Esther, who risked her life by approaching the king to request that he save the Jewish people. (Show excerpt) In the film Xerxes is portrayed as being just and merciful, slow to anger. â€Å" Like a true Persian don’t judge a man before the good and all the bad have been weighed. † There isn’t a lot about Xerxes in the book of Esther but what is there portrays Xerxes in a positive light. While we were doing this assessment we did some research into whether Xerxes I was the same Xerxes from the book of Esther. The name ‘Xerxes’ was only recently used in newer editions of the bible, originally it was Ahasuerus. Ancient Persian kings had multiple names, which makes it difficult to know which king was known by the name ‘Ahasuerus’ because different sources state different names. 19th century bible commentaries say it was Xerxes. The Greek bible or Septuagint and ancient Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, says the book of Esther refers to Artaxerxes (Xerxes son). Other historians say it was Artaxerxes II while others believe it was someone completely different. Modern scholars are uncertain; so you have to make up your own mind about it.

The Good Corn Essay Example For Students

The Good Corn Essay In 1974, shortly after the publication of his last novel he passed away. I will now explain the two stories in more detail. Turned is about a rich, childless family called the Marrroners. Mr Marroner appears loving and friendly Mr. Marroner had frankly admired her but is driven by social pressure and is held to his conservative constraints. When his wife left him without his knowledge he could not bear to ask, do you know where my wife is? Mrs Marroner, his wife, is intelligent and well educated but not really content living an oppressed lifestyle. She suffers through social class; the main point in the story is that of Mr Marroners emotional progression and the change of her opinions, ignoring her feelings now as she had before ignored her thoughts. The structure of the stories, Turned and The Good Corn is very similar. Both involve what appears to be a happy, strong relationship; Mr Marroner is quoted to send- long, loving, frequent letters. Mr Mortimer is supportive of his wifes mental discrepancies, in conversation to a doctor, he appears caring, stating: It upsets me to see her break her heart like that and such. We will write a custom essay on The Good Corn specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now It becomes apparent that this is not the case. The male impregnates the family servant or labourer and a resolve is met. The most important difference between the two short stories is the resolve. Paragraph Four: The Good Corn is set on a farm in rural England. Throughout the story the author utilises the backdrop as a theme, using metaphors about the family farm. The relationship between Mr. Marroner and Elsie and the eventual pregnancy is reflected by imagery of nature. The state of pregnancy is constantly shown through natural images. The theme of nature is also very important to the story line of the story. Pregnancy is considered the most natural event to occur in ones life and for Elsie this is very true. For Mrs Marroner however, getting pregnant is not easy, this is unnatural and her psychological state reflects this. Turned is set in a rich American household, the opposite to The Good Corn, urban people. The story challenges the clichi of success and money results in happiness. (more) Both stories are very different structurally. The Good Corn utilises a chronological system whereas Turned is portrayed through flashbacks. The themes of the stories have great relevance to the structural devices used. The apparent reason behind the structure of The Good Corn is the recurring theme of nature. The rhythm of the piece is natural and thus the simple structure. Turned appears to be more emotionally complex and this again is reflected by the structure. (Turned-flashbacks, change, emotions, forgotten past) Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a strong feminist; she believed in emancipation and rights for women. The characters and resolve used in Turned reflect her left-wing conceptions. Mr Marroner is a strong willed and independent women, these traits are both very similar Charlotte Perkins Gilmans own and are that of a role model, the character also relates to the authors opinion on womens relationship in society, she believes they deserve more provenance. (quote). Elsie is vulnerable and naive but needs understanding; this understanding is provided by the strong female figure, Mrs Marroner. Again, it is a left wing obligation to care for others in spite of their position and their past. Mr Marroner is selfish and arrogant; this is the view of males that Charlotte believes and has chosen to present. The authors reasons for all of these characters are quite obvious (explain). (Women stay together) H. E Bates however,(research than do) Turned ends without a clear resolve, it is left open ended. The Good Corn reaches a positive, traditional resolve. 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EssayTom Foot Yr 11 english 30/04/07 \\Classlink\TFOOT$\My Documents\My Work\turned. doc.

Gender Arguments Essays

Gender Arguments Essays Gender Arguments Essays Ashley Kenar Ellyn Lem English 102 May 11, 2015 Paper 5 Gender Wrongs What makes a boy a traditional boy or what makes a girl a traditional girl? Genetics are what classifies male and female. That pesky little Y chromosome has shaped the way gender has been perceived. What if everyone live in an alternate universe where feminine articles were manly and manly articles were feminine? To some people this makes their blood boil, or even leave an uneasy feeling in their stomach. Fashion scholar Valerie Steele who is the director of the museum at the Fashion Institute Technology states that â€Å"in the 18th century, it was perfectly masculine for a man to wear a pink silk suit with floral embroidery [†¦] it was considered slightly masculine as a diminutive of red, which was thought to be a ‘warlike’ color.† Overtime colors have switched so now blue is masculine while pink is geared towards women. People have clung to a specific gender, but in reality, not everyone feels the need to abide to the classification of male or female. Afte r researching this topic objectively for the last two months, there have been many arguments that support people following gender norms. Let’s break that norm. Who doesn’t like a little deviance? We have been a country that has valued the idea of freedom and individuality. What happens when people get their rights taken away? They revolt, riot, petition, or go out of their way to get their freedoms back. So since many people have forced individuals to

Energy Infrastructure and Security U.S.

Energy Infrastructure and Security U.S. Today, the U.S. is the largest energy consumer and importer in the world. According to Klare, three factors play significant role in U.S. foreign policy: energy, environment and the world economy (2009, p. 48). As the country addicted to oil, the U.S. has to develop the new ways of its production and supply from the different regions; therefore, the U.S. foreign and military policies are driven by the increasing needs for oil.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Energy Infrastructure and Security U.S. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The modern economy cannot develop without an appropriate supply of energy. Therefore, the international relations are directed by the problems of oil demands and its supply. According to Farrell et al., â€Å"the theme of energy infrastructure and security appears in more general studies of national security and warfare† (p. 3). The following steps had been taken by the U.S. gove rnment in order to secure energy facilities and supplies and global oil chokepoints around the world. An understanding of significance of energy supply caused the attempt to destroy the German and Japanese energy infrastructures during the World War II. As the country consumed about 1/3 of the total oil reserve during the World War II, the government had to find another sources. In 1945, President Roosevelt offered Saudi Arabia the help of the U.S. forces in return of the Saudi oil (Klare, 2008). During the Cold War, the major forces of the United States and the Soviet Union were focused on the nuclear energy system’s development. At the same period, both countries wanted to prevent a large-scale nuclear war. The government had to be ready to rebuild the economy after the possible damages. Thus, â€Å"many electricity generators were expected to survive an urban-focused strike, but transmission system were expected to be largely destroyed, as were petroleum refining and ship ping facilities† (Farrell et al., p. 3). In order to protect the energy infrastructure, the scientists developed measures which should be used in critical situation. Energy system as the most vulnerable sector had to be protected, including the protection of all infrastructural elements such as plants, storages, pipelines, etc. Production of the renewable energy sources and flexibility of energy shipment system had been considered as the most effective methods. According to Farrell et al., the energy security included the use of â€Å"cooling towers at electric power plants could conceivably be used in a deliberate attack as a means of dispersing biological or chemical agents† (p. 8). Besides, construction of the hydroelectric dams could help to store energy produces with the use of water power.Advertising Looking for term paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Possible damage of the use of large electromagnetic pulses (EMP) could â€Å"induce instantaneous voltages of hundreds of thousands of volts in conductors, creating very large disruptions in electric power systems and destroying electrical equipment components such as motors, backup generators, and microprocessors† (Farrell et al., p. 8). Clifton supposes that the danger of use of the electromagnetic pulses today and in the nearest future is significant (2011). Terrorists can use this method in order to destroy the facilities and energy infrastructure. EMP attack can include the detonation of a nuclear warhead; therefore, the US government develops the system of defence. However, it is obvious that the damage of use of the nuclear weapons cannot be predicted. In this situation, it is necessary to prevent and stop the possible creation and use of the nuclear energy as a weapon. Clifton cites the Center for Security Policy that indicates that â€Å"a dire warning that an EMP attack could kill nine out of ten Americans†. Obviously, such fears drive the foreign policy of the country. Today, as the world faces the problem of creation of the nuclear weapons by Iran, the US government claims about this danger in the United Nations. In order to prevent the large-scale conflict, the United States has to improve and strengthen its security infrastructure that was created in order to protect country during the Cold War. A member of Republican Party Cain says about such counter urgent threats as â€Å"stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, fix border security – for real, shield us against Cyber and Electro-magnetic Pulse (EMP) attacks† (Clifton, 2011). Such threats are the part of his Foreign Policy National Security Pillars. One can notice that the US foreign policy towards Iran has to be developed. This issue is complicated and has a number of particular aspects that should be carefully investigated. According to the US Department of Energy, the nationa l energy infrastructure requires the use of modern technologies that should improve the current position (2001). There are various areas that should be improved such as protection of pipelines, oil refineries and energy transportation infrastructure. Obviously, the United States is the oil-dependent country and its foreign policy in the Middle East is motivated by the needs of the access to the local oil reserves. After the end of the Cold War, the U.S. foreign policy became concentrated on the Persian Gulf with its huge oil reserves. The military presence of the U.S. army is important measure that should help improve the process of democratic changes and prevent the disruption of oil sources. In the film Blood and Oil by Michael Klare the U.S. foreign policy is present as a simple search for oil no matter of the price, including the human lives. Klare says that after 1945, the U.S. foreign policy had been concentrated on the search of the access to the energy reserves around the wo rld (2009).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Energy Infrastructure and Security U.S. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Obviously, the country had to provide an adequate energy supply to its industries and citizens; however, as the result, there was a problem of overvalue of fuels and underestimation of human life. The Middle East can be considered as the most important geographical region which, on one hand, can affect the U.S. security, as it happened on September 11, 2001, and, on the other hand, provides the possibility to get the energy reserves needed for the U.S. industries and daily life. When in 2003 the US government suspected Iraq of development of chemical weapons, the foreign policy consolidated its main forces in order to prevent possible threats and damage of use of this king of weapons. In fact, the main reason of this War was Iraqi oil reserves. According to Richardson, â€Å"most international t rade in goods – over 80% of the total – is carried by sea† (2007). US Department of Energy claimed that The Hormuz strait in the Middle East is the most important chokepoint. In order to protect national and commercial interests in this area, the US sends ships and naval forces to this region. In 2007, when the threats of Iran occurred, â€Å"US officials were seeking to tighten financial sanctions on Iran and were openly accusing Iranian paramilitary forces of siding with Shiite militia factions in Iraq to attack US troops† (Richardson, 2007). Two US aircrafts carriers and associated warships were sent to the region in order to control this area and prevent the danger of military conflict. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter claimed about the necessity to use the military forces in order to protect the access to Middle Eastern oil (Klare, 2009). In recent years, the foreign policy of the U.S. includes the revolutions and conflicts arisen in the Middle East. F or instance, after the revolution in Libya in 2011, the United States got an access to the Libyan oil reserves. The national Defense Council Foundation indicates that the overall money spent on oil-defence securities was 137 billion dollars in 2007, comparing to 50 billion dollars in 2002 (Klare, 2009). Man power is one of the steps that US takes in order to protect this territory. Today, the U.S. naval forces patrol and protect â€Å"about 2.5 million square miles of water, including the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean† (Richardson, 2007). Together with other countries such as Pakistan, Singapore, Japan and European nations, the US forces control the Middle East oil reserves and the ways of its transportation. Checkpoint insecurity in the Middle East can lead to the serious problems and economical loss, therefore, the U.S. wants to improve the democratic situation in this region. In order to promote democracy abroad, the US sold iers provide common training programs with local military groups in Afghanistan and Iraq. At the same time, the presence of the U.S. forces in the region can guarantee that the influence of the U.S policy on the other countries’ governments will increase. The U.S. forces help other countries and, as the result, the United States get their support and gain allies. Cross-cultural training programs can increase the level of understanding of the current problems between local military forces, citizens and the US forces.Advertising Looking for term paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In return of the military help, the United States can get not only access to the oil reserves, but also the allies who will support the US policy on the international level. Although the presidential candidates discusses about the necessity of bringing home the U.S. military forces in Iraq, this oil-rich area is still used as the oil supplier. Thereby, the U.S. military forces provide training programs for the Iraqi soldiers, helping the local citizens to improve the protection measures. The U.S. Army uses the light and swift forces and the communicational facilities which help in the coordination. Besides, they use hundreds of aircrafts and satellite-mounted sensors. Iraq increased the oil production after the U.S. forces arrived to the country. According to the statistics of International Energy Agency, â€Å"crude oil production capacity in Iraq is set to increase by 1.87 million barrels per day (mb/d) between 2010 and 2016† (2011). However, at the same time, â€Å"warns of potential risks to this production increase in Iraq, notably the withdrawal of US troops and fears of escalating instability as insurgency bombing increases† (International Energy Agency, 2011). According to Cummins, the U.S. government has already committed 277 million dollars for energy infrastructure protection (2007). In fact, such programs are driven by the desire to control the present area and to protect the special access to the oil reserves by the U.S. Reference List Clifton, E. (2011). Far-Fetched EMP Doomsday Part of Cain And Gingrich Foreign Policy Platforms. Retrieved from lobelog.com/far-fetched-emp-doomsday-part-of-cain-and-gingrich-foreign-policy-platforms/ Cummins, C. (17 November, 2007). U.S. Digs In to Guard Iraq Oil Exports, Wall Street Journal, p. 7. Farrell, A. E., Zerriffi, H. Dowlatabadi, H. (2004). Energy Infrastructure and Security. Ann. Rev. Environ. Resour., vol. 29. Retrieved from green-erg.com/documents/Energy_Infra_security.pdf International Energy Agency. (2011). Iraq’s oil production capacity is forecast to increase sharply over next five years. Retrieved from iea.org/index_info.asp?ID=2335 Klare, M. T. (2008). Blood and Oil. Retrieved from bloodandoilmovie.com/download/Blood_and_Oil_EPK.pdf Klare, M. T. (2009). The New Foreign Policy Agenda: Energy, the Environment, and the Global Economy. In R. M. Lloyd (Ed.), William B. Ruger Chair of national Security Economics Papers, Number 4: American Foreign Policy: Regional Perspectives (pp. 47-54). US, Newport: Naval War College. Richardson, M. (2007). Asia’s Middle East Oil Dependence: Chokepoints on a Vital Maritime Supply Line. Retrieved from iseas.edu.sg/tr12007.pdf US Department of Energy. (2001). America’s Energy Infrastructure: A Comprehensive Delivery System. Retrieved from netl.doe.gov/publications/press/2001/nep/chapter7.pdf

A Historical Analysis of Ibne Sinas Life and Contributions to Modern Essay

A Historical Analysis of Ibne Sinas Life and Contributions to Modern Science - Essay Example As a physical, Avicenna is well-known for his book the Canon (al-Qanun fi’l-Tibb). This book had played a crucial role in pre-modern medical education in both Europe and in Medieval Islamic Empire. Also Avicenna’s philosophical book â€Å"summa the Cure† (al-Shifa’) was also influential in European scholasticism. It is believed that â€Å"Summa the Cure† once heavily influenced the famous western philosopher Thomas Aquinas. As a philosopher, Avicenna’s success lies in the fact that he had been able to find out an interrelation between one’s belief in God and man’s existential being. So, Avicenna can be assumed to be the foremost Islamic philosophic thinker. The theoretical space that he provides for God as the Essential Being necessarily builds up the groundwork for his â€Å"theories of the soul, intellect and cosmos† (Goodman 43). Indeed, he successfully articulated that God is necessarily the foundation or origin of al l the tangible and intangible existence of this universe. Avicenna, the famous Muslim philosopher and physician, was born in a village named Qishlak Afshona in Uzbekistan (which was then called Bukhara) in 980 AD. His mother Setareh was a traditional housewife fro Bukhara and his father, Abdullah was a well-honored Islamic scholar who came to Bukhara from Balkh which was a famous city of the Samanid Empire.

Advisory role of the Supreme Court of Canada - Patriation reference Essay

Advisory role of the Supreme Court of Canada - Patriation reference and Quebec Veto Reference - Essay Example of reference question under Section 53 of the Supreme Court Act was addressed under the ‘Reference re Secession of Quebec’, where the Supreme Court held the legality of the reference questions referred to the Supreme Court for an advisory opinion2. Thus, in consideration of both the Patriation reference and Quebec Veto Reference, this discussion seeks to argue for the application of the advisory mechanism of the Supreme Court of Canada, in the determination of important legal questions of national importance. While arguing for the application of the advisory mechanism of the Supreme Court, the discussion will first seek to demystify the assumption that there exists a correct and certain answer to any reference question that is raised through this mechanism. In doing so, the discussion will therefore find the application of the advisory mechanism of the Supreme Court of Canada, as provided under Section 53 as essential. The provisions of Section 53 of the Supreme Court Act allows for the government to seek an advisory opinion regarding questions deemed important for the nation, and which may have an important legal bearing on the country3. The ruling given by the Supreme Court during the answer to the reference question also takes the form of a judicial ruling. However, the most important aspect of the application of the mechanism of the advisory opinion as a means of determining a legal question is that, the decision offered is simply in form of an advice, as opposed to a legally binding decision of the court4. In this respect, the parties interested in the reference question can therefore take further legal courses of action, to determine the fate of the legal issue, since the parties are at liberty to agree or to disagree with the advisory opinion granted in the ruling5. Thus, considering that no party is bound by the decision issued during an advisory opinion ruling, it is therefore important that the advisory mechanism of the Supreme Court of Canada is

Pricing policies Essay Example for Free

Pricing policies Essay 1. In making promises that are not guaranteed by third parties and in imposing penalties that are not enforced by third parties, all of the following are credibility-enhancing mechanisms except 2. Essential components of a game include all of the following except: 3. A key to analyzing subgame perfect equilibrium strategy in sequential games is 4. When airlines post prices on an electronic bulletin board at 8:00 a.m. each morning, the decision-makers are engaged in 5. Credible promises and hostage mechanisms can support a continuous stream of cooperative exchanges except when 6. Firms that have a cover charge for their customers and charge for each item they purchase as well are exhibiting 7. The segmenting of customers into several small groups such as household, institutional, commercial, and industrial users, and establishing a different rate schedule for each group is known as: 8. Vacation tours to Europe invariably package visits to disparate regions: cities, mountains, and the seaside. Bundling, a type of second degree price discrimination, is most profitable when: 9. Which of the following pricing policies best identifies when a product should be expanded, maintained, or discontinued? 10. ____ is a new product pricing strategy which results in a high initial product price. This price is reduced over time as demand at the higher price is satisfied. 11. Which of the following is not among the functions of contract? 12. Mac trucks and their dealers would likely have an organizational form of 13. Contracts are distinguished from tactical alliances by which of the following characteristics: 14. Which of the following are not approaches to resolving the principal-agent problem? 15. When retail bicycle dealers advertise and perform warranty repairs but do not deliver the personal selling message that Schwinn has designed as part of the marketing plan but cannot observe at less than prohibitive cost, the manufacturer has encountered a problem of ____. 16. ____ occurs whenever a third party receives or bears costs arising from an economic transaction in which the individual (or group) is not a direct participant. 17. The antitrust laws regulate all of the following business decisions except ____. 18. The sentiment for increased deregulation in the late 1970s and early 1980s has been felt most significantly in the price regulation of 19. The Herfindahl-Hirschman index (also shortened to just the Herfindahl index) is a measure of 20. The lower the barriers to entry and exit, the more nearly a market structure fits the ____ market model. 21. If the acceptance of Project A makes it impossible to accept Project B, these projects are: 22. Cost-benefit analysis is the public sector counterpart to ____ used in private, profit-oriented firms. 23. The weights used in calculating the firms weighted-average cost of capital are equal to the proportion of debt and equity ____. 24. In order to help assure that all relevant factors will be considered, the capital-expenditure selection process should include the following steps except: 25. The social rate of discount is best approximated by: 1. Theoretically, in a long-run cost function: 2. The degree of operating leverage is equal to the ____ change in ____ divided by the ____ change in ____. 3. Which of the following is not an assumption of the linear breakeven model: 4. In the linear breakeven model, the breakeven sales volume (in dollars) can be found by multiplying the breakeven sales volume (in units) by: 5. In the linear breakeven model, the difference between selling price per unit and variable cost per unit is referred to as: 6. The short-run cost function is: 7. The problems of asymmetric information exchange arise ultimately because 8. A firm in pure competition would shut down when: 9. An experience good is one that: 10. In the purely competitive case, marginal revenue (MR) is equal to: 11. If price exceeds average costs under pure competition, ____ firms will enter the industry, supply will ____, and price will be driven ____. 12. Buyers anticipate that the temporary warehouse seller of unbranded computer equipment will 13. What is the profit maximization point for a firm in a purely competitive environment? 14. The practice by telephone companies of charging lower long-distance rates at night than during the day is an example of: 15. The demand curve facing the firm in ____ is the same as the industry demand curve. 16. Declining cost industries 17. Of the following, which is not an economic rationale for public utility regulation? 18. When the cross elasticity of demand between one product and all other products is low, one is generally referring to a(n) ____ situation. 19. Regulatory agencies engage in all of the following activities except _______. 20. Barometric price leadership exists when 21. A cartel is a situation where firms in the industry 22. The existence of a kinked demand curve under oligopoly conditions may result in 23. Some industries that have rigid prices. In those industries, we tend to 24. If a cartel seeks to maximize profits, the market share (or quota) for each firm should be set at a level such that the ____ of all firms is identical. 25. A(n) ____ is characterized by a relatively small number of firms producing a product.

Irony in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodman Brown

Irony in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is replete, is saturated, with irony. This essay will amply illustrate the validity of this statement. At the outset of the story a young Puritan husband departs at sunset from his young Puritan wife, â€Å"And Faith, as the wife was aptly named, thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap, while she called to Goodman Brown.† The author says that Faith is â€Å"aptly named,† an ironic statement since she, later in the evening, is being received into the assembly of devil-worshippers as a new convert to the evil group. Not only is her name ironic, but also the description of her as â€Å"pretty,† and as wearing â€Å"pink ribbons† (an indication of youthful innocence and a cheerful outlook on life). In a futile attempt to persuade Goodman to remain home, Faith says: â€Å"A lone woman is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts, that she's afeard of herself, sometimes. Pray, tarry with me this night, dear husband, of all nights in the year!" Her self-description as â€Å"afeard of herself† see ms ironic since she is not afraid later in the evening to venture into the darkest depth of the forest to indulge in satanic practices.    Goodman is just as ironic in his speech as his wife. He trys to assuage Faith’s troubled feelings by saying:    "My love and my Faith," replied young Goodman Brown, "of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee. My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done 'twixt now and sunrise. What, my sweet, pretty wife, dost thou doubt me already, and we but three months married!"    Goodman’s affectionate appelation â€Å"my ... ...d a master of this literary device.    WORKS CITED       Benoit, Raymond.   "'Young Goodman Brown': The Second Time Around."   The Nathaniel Hawthorne Review 19 (Spring 1993): 18-21.    Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Complete Short Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Doubleday and Co., Inc.,1959.    Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† 1835. http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~daniel/amlit/goodman/goodmantext.html    The Holy Bible, King James Version-Old and New Testaments, with the Apocrypha http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/kjv.browse.html    James, Henry. Hawthorne. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997.    Martin, Terence. Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Twayne Publishers Inc., 1965.    Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989.

Monologue About Crimes

What are the most often commited crimes in Lithuania? Which types of crimes are considered the worst? Why? If you were the Minister of Justice, what actions would you take to make people feel safer? What sentences should be given for serious crimes? Nowadays our life isn’t safe. It seems that neither police, nor government can guarantee safety. Statistics shows that violent crimes at present have increased. So no one can live in peace and feel safe even in his own home. There are some of usually commited crimes in Lithuania such as drug trafficking, killing people, theft, alcoholism. All of this commited crimes mostly repeating actions is stealing of wealth. The light-fingered steals all, from flowers of windows to luxurious cars. Talking about vandalism, vandals usually are youngers. They broke small trees, windows and street’s lamps. I think that killing people is the worst type of crimes. Because when you kill people, you take out a life, and a big paint of victim familiar. If I were the Minister of Justice, I would take some actions that people feel more safer. Firstly, the only way to reduce the amount of crime is to give more money to the street lighting, to install closed circuit television, improve security and let more officers on the beat. If we want to protect our property, we must install burglar-alarm to our cars and especially to our homes, or even build in where an armoured doors. I think that for serious crimes such as murder, should be given sentence in prison till death penalty. All things considered, crime is very big problem existing all over the world. We must beware criminals. Nobody will protect you, unless yourself. Similar essay: Snatch Theft Essay

The Country Husband

Literally Essay The Country Husband We all make choices in our lives. We choose who we will be, what we will believe and what social norms or values will guide our everyday lives. In making these choices, particularly about our value system , we do not question whether these choices (our value system)will be tested and found faulty because of our ever changing circumstance. In the story The Country Husband, Francis Weed found himself questioning his value system as dictated by his suburban living. Francis Weed, after a traumatic life event, became temporarily dissatisfied with his superficial world of social clubs and high society (suburbia) and acted to rebel against it. However in his fight, he realized that he needed the very thing he hated and resolved this conflict with distractions, unrequited love and woodworking. We all belong in a community in which our membership should mean we agree with the values/standards of that community and our participation is a choice. In this story, Mr. Weeds participation in his community appears to be forced After an alleged emergency plane landing, Mr. Weeds returns home to his family and community where his ordeal is ignored. He attempts to share this ordeal with his wife in stating, â€Å" [I] was nearly killed in an airplane crash, and [I[ don’t like to come home every night to a battlefield. † (Cheever, pg 65) Instead of inquiring about the accident or showing some degree of sympathy about his accident, Mrs. Weeds responds by stating that â€Å"He doesn’t come home every night to a battlefield. † (Cheever, pg 65) Mr. Weeds ordeal is ignored because it does not have a place in his suburban life in the community of Shady Hill. It neither adds to nor takes away from the values of this community and therefore it has no relevance. It appears that Mr. Weeds begins to question the values his community places on him and the consequence endured if they are violated. Thus, he recalled the war in Vessey, a day in which a woman who was socially humiliated for some apparent indiscretion for which her head was shaved and she was made to walk the street naked. He believes that woman who serves him dinner is the oman â€Å"punished at the crossroads, (Cheever, pg 67) but he know it would have been â€Å"a social as well as human error† to share this story at the dinner table because talk of war and trouble of the world was â€Å"unseemly and impolite† (Cheever, pg 67) in Shady Hill. Mr. Weeds understood the tenuous nature of his standing in his community/family but he no longer wanted to be a part of it. Mr. Weeds saw how pretentious his life had become and in his first act of rebellion was to fall in love with the baby sitter, Ann, which was an awesome slap in the face to the norms and values of his community. As he stated, there was no history for Shady Hill of such â€Å"turpitude†¦they had not even been a breath of scandal. † (Cheever, pg 71). But, Mr. Weeds imagined loving the babysitter and the ruckus it would cause, if he were caught taking advantage of the baby sitter. The mere thought however filled Mr. Weeds with so much energy/life that as a result of this newfound freedom, he impulsively purchased a bracelet for the baby sitter who seems to regard him only as an employer. Further, his escape from the pressure of conforming leads him to kiss this girl in the presence of the social misfit. In this new state of mind, Mr. Weeks finds courage and is finally able to say what is on his mind. He is temporarily able to free himself from the constraint of civility and express his innermost thought to the leading member of the Shady Hill society by stating to her that she should paint her windows curtain black and shut up. The feeling of being â€Å"deliberately impolite† made Mr. Weeds feel wonderful. (Cheever, pg 70) Francis has arrived another moment of truth when his wife Julia decides she is going to leave him because she cannot stand by and watch him destroy their social position that she has worked so hard to gain within Shady Hill. He confesses to her by saying Julia, I do love you, and I would like to be as we were-sweet and bawdy and dark-but now there are so many people. (Cheever, pg77) It seems at this moment with everything he has gone through that he has accepted his life and realizes his wife needs him and he needs her. He makes an appointment to see a psychiatrist where he is advised that he should take up woodwork as a hobby. Perhaps this is an outlet where there are no boundaries and he is free to create whatever he likes without having to fit into a standard. There comes a point in everybody’s life where we reflect on the values we adopt in becoming a member of a community and sometimes we are not satisfied with the decisions we make. I am sure for that when we initially decide to become a member of a community we do so with the hope that as we grow and our needs change, our community will reflect our new needs and growth. Mr. Weed’s community did not foster change and could not allow him to grow. He found himself trapped in the values of his community and his only escape was within his imagination.

How Checks and Balances Work in the US Government

How Checks and Balances Work in the US Government SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’ve tuned into the news lately, you’ve seen the checks and balances system of government at work. Whether it’s courts striking down executive orders or governors vetoing legislation, checks and balances are constantly working to keep the United States government functioning. But what are checks and balances, exactly? And how do they help make democracy work? Although it’s important for everyone to understand the checks and balances system, it’s especially critical for you to understand if you’re taking a government course. Additionally, since a system of checks and balances plays an essential role in the U.S. federal government, the concept will also be a heavy contender for an AP exam free response question. That’s a lot to cover, huh? Not to worry, though! By the end of this guide, you’ll have all the information you need to Answer the question, â€Å"What are checks and balances?† Write your own checks and balances definition Identify pros and cons of a checks and balances government Explain various checks and balances examples Analyze real-life examples of checks and balances Let’s get going! What Are Checks and Balances? Definition and History A system of checks and balances places limitations and controls on the power and responsibility of each branch of government. You probably already know that the United States government isn’t the only government in the world that depends on a system of checks and balances to function properly, but for our purposes, we’re going to focus on how the system of checks and balances functions in the United States’ form of government. To really understand why checks and balances are such a big deal in the United States government, we need to start with the following: Where the idea of checks and balances comes from How checks and balances fit into the United States’ form of government Understanding the history and background of our checks and balances government will lay the foundation for a checks and balances definition that you can use on the AP exam. Where the Idea of Checks and Balances Comes From Two key influences shaped the Founders’ decision to build a system of checks and balances into the United States Constitution: The Founders’ experiences with the government of Great Britain The writings of the eighteenth century French political philosopher, Baron de Montesquieu The overbearing behavior of the English monarchy inspired the thirteen colonies to declare independence and influenced the Founders to form a government system that was built on the ideas of liberty and freedom. They wanted to form a government in the United States that guarded against the kind of overreach they’d witnessed in the English government. That’s where the writings of Baron de Montesquieu came in. Montesquieu originated the political doctrine of separation of powers within a government. (Spoiler alert: checks and balances are the result of this idea!) In his The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu argued for a constitutional government comprised of three separate branches. And these separate branches, Montesquieu argued, should have specific abilities to check the powers of the other branches. In other words, Montesquieu imagined a balanced government where no one branch was more powerful than the other. Montesquieu’s philosophy heavily influenced the writing of the U.S. Constitution and the Founders’ establishment of the three branches: the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. The Founding Fathers believed that implementing a system like this in the United States would help keep government power in check and allow citizens to have more freedom. A Constitutional Democracy: The Vehicle for a System of Checks and Balances The Founders’ vision for a government that separated powers took the form of a constitutional democracy. A constitutional democracy is a political system in which the federal government gets its authority to govern from the people. (Actually, you can learn tons more about it means to be a democracy in this article!) But in general, constitutional democracies like the United States are designed to do two things. First, their primary job is to protect the fundamental rights of every citizen, regardless of economic status, race, or class. Second, constitutional democracies limit the amount of government power through a series of limits established by the United States Constitution, which are more commonly referred to as â€Å"checks and balances.† These checks and balances include things like: Separation and sharing of powers among the different branches of government Giving adequate power to different branches to check the powers of other branches Protection of individual rights by due process of law. Elections at frequent intervals that enable changes in leadership and transfer of governmental authority. So what’s important for you to remember about this description of a constitutional democracy? The big takeaway is that the system of checks and balances was written into the U.S. Constitution because the Founders knew it would be essential to the proper functioning of the United States’ form of government. But implementing a system of checks and balances doesn’t end with writing it into the Constitutionthat’s just the beginning. The Constitution holds the three branches of the U.S. federal government responsible for adhering to the system of checks and balances. To add to your working checks and balances definition, we’ll explain the three branches of the federal government and how they work within the system of checks and balances next. The 3 Branches of the United States Federal Government Checks and balances can work in many different ways and hold varying levels of importance in a government that employs such a system. In the U.S. Constitution, the three branches of the federal government were designed to operate separately and independently, but to be equal. In other words, no single branch should have more power than either of the others. Here’s how the system of checks and balances works in practice in the United States: one branch is given the power to take a given action, and another branch (or branches) is given the responsibility to confirm the legality and appropriateness of that action. That’s just a fancy way of saying that every time one branch makes a decision, it’s the responsibility of the other branches to evaluate it. The system of checks and balances facilitates a reciprocal relationship between the different branches of the U.S. federal government. The three branches need each other- under the Constitution, the federal government couldn’t fulfill its duties to the people without the proper function of each individual branch. To understand how the three individual branches work independently and together in a system of checks and balances, let’s define and examine each branch next. The U.S. Capitolbuilding The Legislative Branch The legislative branch of the federal government is established by Article One of the Constitution and is known as the United States Congress. Congress is in charge of creating laws and is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The legislative branch is big: there are 100 members of the Senate, called Senators, and 435 members of the House of Representatives, called U.S. Representatives or Congresspersons. As the biggest branch of the federal government, Congress has a lot of responsibilities, which include: Passing bills Broad taxing and spending power Regulating interstate commerce Controlling the federal budget Borrowing money on the credit of the United States Sole power to declare war and to support and regulate the military Overseeing and making rules for the government and its officers to follow Defining the jurisdiction of the federal judiciary by law in cases not specified by the Constitution Ratifying treaties Sole power of impeachment and trial of impeachments You might be gathering from the list of responsibilities above that the legislative branch’s overarching responsibility is creating, providing for, and controlling: they draft laws, pass bills, make rules, declare things, and make sure that the other branches are following the rules. In other words, they legislate. The U.S. White House The Executive Branch, Defined The executive branch of the federal government is established by Article Two of the Constitution and is made up of the president, the vice president, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, and other boards, commissions, and committees. When we hear the word â€Å"executive,† a powerful individual in a well-tailored suit might pop into our minds. Just because the President of the United States is the head of the executive branch doesn’t mean they’re a lone wolf, though. All of the other members of the executive branch support and advise the president, and actually do a lot of the work in the executive branch. The Cabinet is comprised of the vice president and the heads of the fifteen executive departments. These department heads have titles like â€Å"secretary,† â€Å"director,† or â€Å"administrator,† and they’re in charge of everything from the Department of Homeland Security, to the Department of Transportation, to the Department of Education. For example, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury are both heads of their respective departments and members of the president’s Cabinet. The Secretary of State advises the president on foreign affairs, and the Secretary of the Treasury advises the president on economic affairs. The Cabinet may also be asked to advise the president on responsibilities or decisions that pertain to executive checks on the other two branches, or the executive branch’s response to checks initiated by the other two branches on the executive branch. This is one key way that the president receives both support and accountability in carrying out the duties of the executive branch. Now that you know who makes up the executive branch, let’s look at the executive branch’s key responsibilities: The President is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces Executes the instructions of Congress May veto bills passed by Congress Executes the spending authorized by Congress Declares states of emergency, publishes regulations and executive orders Makes executive agreements and signs treaties Makes appointments to the federal judiciary, federal executive departments, and other posts Can grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. You’re probably gathering from this list that the executive branch’s main role is to implement and enforce federal laws. It’s called the â€Å"executive† branch for a reason, right? The executive branch executes: it makes sure that the right stuff gets done. It puts plans into action and carries out different laws and orders. The U.S. Supreme Court building The Judicial Branch, Defined The judicial branch is established by Article Three of the Constitution, and it’s the judicial branch’s job to evaluate, interpret, and apply laws. The judicial branch is made up of three different courts: the Supreme Court, the Appellate Courts, and the District Courts. Let’s look at what each of the three courts within the judicial branch can do. The Supreme Court The Supreme Court is the highest federal court in the United States and is the head of the judicial branch. It’s made up of one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. Appointments to the Supreme Court are made for life, so when the President nominates justices and the Senate approves them, it’s a really big deal. The Appellate Courts The Appellate Courtsalso called courts of appealsare the intermediate courts of the U.S. federal court system. There are thirteen of them, and they serve as a sort of go-between for the Supreme Court and the more numerous District Courts. The Appellate Courts hear appeals from the District Courts and, when appropriate, appeals court decisions to the Supreme Court. The District Courts The District Courts are the final component of the judicial branch. The District Courts are where federal trials happen, which is a big responsibility, as there are 94 juridical districts in the United States. Their jurisdiction covers both civil and criminal federal cases. The Judicial Branch’s Responsibilities Now that you know about the different courts that make up the judicial branch, here are the primary responsibilities of the judicial branch: Determining which laws Congress intended to apply to any given case Determining how Congress meant the law to apply to disputes Determining how a law acts to determine the disposition of prisoners Determining how a law acts to compel testimony and the production of evidence Determining how laws should be interpreted to assure uniform policies through the appeals process Reviewing the constitutionality of laws through judicial review You can probably tell from the language used in the list of responsibilities above that the Judicial branch’s primary responsibility is dealing with interpretation: the Judicial branch interprets laws, policies, cases, testimony and evidence through the Constitution. The system of checks and balances works like gears in a machine. It takes the work of all three branches of government in unison to keep the country running. How Does the Checks and Balances System Work in the United States? Now you know about the three branches of government: who the key players are, what they do, and why they do it. Examining the checks and balances that are assigned to each individual branch is the next step to getting you better acquainted with how each branch works. When we described the responsibilities of each branch in the previous sections, we were simultaneously describing how they check the other branches of the federal government. But we think it might be easier to envision how those responsibilities function explicitly as checks and balances if we place them side by side in a table. If you’re a visual learner, this is for you! Looking at all of the checks and balances in one place can also help you think critically about the reciprocal relationship between the different branches and the specific ways that they work together on different topics, issues, and areas of the federal government. To give you a better idea of how the branches work together to check each other, we’ve laid out the different checks and balances in a table below. Each row explains how the branches of government check and balance each other around a specific topic. Let’stake a look: Checks and Balances of the 3 Branches of Government Legislative Branch Powers Executive Branch Powers Judicial Branch Powers Creating Laws Writes and enacts laws May override presidential vetoes by a two-thirds majority in each house May veto laws Determines whether a law is unconstitutional Determines how laws should be interpreted to assure uniform policies in a top-down fashion via the appeals process Foreign Treaties Must approve foreign treaties Can make foreign treaties Determines the legal meaning of treaties Implementing and Interpreting Laws Can limit the power to review the constitutionality of laws May propose amendments to overturn judicial decisions Can set the jurisdiction of the judiciary May veto laws Can petition Congress to approve laws Determines whether a law is unconstitutional Determines which laws Congress intended to apply to any given case Determines how a law acts to determine the disposition of prisoners Determines how a law acts to compel testimony and the production of evidence Official Role Appointments Confirms presidential appointments of federal judges, executive department heads, ambassadors, and many other officers Has impeachment powers over federal officers Appoints federal judges, executive department heads, ambassadors, and various other officers Polices its own members Supreme Court justices and federal judges have lifetime appointments War Has sole power to declare war, and makes the rules for the military Wages war at the direction of Congress Appointing Judges and Justices Creates federal courts except for the Supreme Court Sets the number of justices on the Supreme Court Nominates Supreme Court justices Appoints federal justices Creates conduct rules for judges Can remove judges from their positions in rare instances Executive Branch Actions May investigate actions of the executive branch Rules on whether specific actions of the executive branch are legal and/or Constitutional Whew! That’s a lot of checks and balances and political jargon. Let’s make sense of all this info by identifying some pros and cons of how the powers and responsibilities are distributed in the U.S.’s version of the system of checks and balances. 5 Pros and Cons of a Checks and Balances System Now you have a visual for how checks and balances are assigned and distributed among the three different branches of the U.S. federal government. But what does this all mean? First, it’s important to recognize that the different branches of the federal government aren’t in some kind of antagonistic relationship because of the system of checks and balances. They don’t act like rival sports teams (usually)! Instead, the powers and responsibilities assigned to each branch were intricately coordinated by the writers of the Constitution so the government would operate collectively in the best interest of the people. But it’s a fact of political life that no government system is perfect in practice. On the AP exam, you might be asked to explain or analyze an instance in which the system of checks and balances didn’t do its job, or perhaps to analyze a situation when the system of checks and balances worked to the advantage of U.S. citizens. In order to do this, you’ll need to understand some of the pros and cons of the U.S.’s checks and balances system so you can give a stellar checks and balances definition and analyze and explain checks and balances examples on your own. Check out our list of 5 pros and cons of checks and balances below to help grow your understanding of how the system can work in action. Pro: They Keep a Single Group From Grabbing too Much Power We’re bringing this one up again because it’s the main concept behind implementation of a system of checks and balances: checks and balances guard against tyranny and abuse of power by preventing an individual or small group within the government from seizing too much power. We see this exemplified best in the relationship between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches where creating and passing laws is concerned. The legislative branch can propose bills or laws, the executive branch can veto them, the legislative branch can override the executive veto through a two-thirds vote, and the judicial branch can declare laws unconstitutional. In the process of passing legislation, then, no one individual or branch can grab an undue amount of power, and that’s one of the things that the system of checks and balances does best. It distributes power as evenly as it can among the different branches of the government. Pro: They Get the Government to Self-Regulate What’s key in thinking about checks and balances as an important way to prevent tyranny is that they make the government to check itself and limit its own influence. Though it isn’t fun to think about the possibility of our government becoming tyrannical, the system of checks and balances prevents any self-interested minority within the government from grabbing too much power and acting only in the interests of its group. On the flip side, smaller factions or groups in the minority within the government are always going to keep a close eye on the group that’s in the majority. They’ll be eager to make sure the majority group aren’t getting up to any funny business. If there are corrupt practices going on in the majority, the minority groups in the government will certainly call those out. Political parties are a classic example of how self-regulation can occur in the government. For instance, when the Republican party holds the majority in the House or the Senate, the Democrats in the House and the Senate are extra vigilant about keeping the Republican majority in check. Loyalty to political parties presents plenty of challenges to the system of checks and balances, but the inherent competition between the different political parties represented within the legislative branch can often serve to check the power of self-interested groups. Pro: They Provide Constitutional Support for Disagreements Between the Branches Checks and balances enable the three branches of government to disagree. In a system that separates power among different institutions comprised of many different people, multiple minds work to interpret the Constitution. And when multiple minds are doing that interpreting, disagreements about what is and is not constitutional can arise. That might seem antagonistic and counterproductive to getting things done in the government, but the ability for the different branches to disagree is in the interest of the liberty of the people. When the different branches of the government have the opportunity to work through disagreements about various decisions that affect the people, decisions are made more deliberatively. And the government has the power to make huge decisions, so the slower pace of decision-making enabled by the system of checks and balances can help ensure that these decisions are the best ones. Con: They Can Complicate Policymaking The flip side of constitutional support for disagreements among the different branches is that policymaking can be much more time consuming. One branch can propose a law, another can veto it, and another can say that that law violates the Constitution, and so on. Sometimes the three branches won’t agree and a stalemate will ensue . . . meaning no policy changes occur, or they’re put off for a long time. This can be a good thing in some cases, especially when there is a majority in the House and the Senate who only have the interests of one political party or ideology in mind in policymaking. But sometimes the people want change, and the main thing standing in the way of changes occurring is the different branches’ uses of the system of checks and balances. Con: The System Doesn’t Always Work as Originally Intended Interpreting the Constitution has proven tricky as the United States has grown and changed. For example, the writers of the Constitution couldn’t have predicted the United States’ massively expanding population, the technological revolution, or global conflicts like World War I and World War II.. All of these changes affect the way the Constitution is interpretedwhich includes how checks and balances are understood and implemented. This has led to internal conflicts within the three branches of government. There have been points in history where different branches have tried to expand their power beyond what was originally outlined in the Constitution, and sometimes, the branches have succeeded. For example, to defend the U.S. and its economy against fascist foreign powers, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal restructured the federal government and greatly expanded executive powers. So why is this a â€Å"con,† exactly? Remember: the system of checks and balances exists to make sure that no one branch of government is stronger than the other. When one branch tries to expand its power, it runs the risk of throwing the â€Å"balance† part of the â€Å"checks and balances† process out of equilibrium. That opens up a chance for an overreach of power, which can potentially put citizens’ freedoms at risk. Former President Bill Clinton, who was the President of the United States from 1993–2001 What Are Checks and Balances Like in Action? To really hone your understanding of checks and balances, examples are essential! Checks and balances can play out in interesting ways in real-life situations, so we’re going to summarize and break down one example for you to reference here. The example we’re going to look at is the Line Item Veto Act of 1996, which led to a Supreme Court case involving President Bill Clinton in 1998. This example is kind of a doozy- the checks and balances enacted by all three branches in this situation played out over a decade . . . and the Line Item Veto Act still failed to win approval in Congress and become law. Let’s get into the details of the Act and the case and see what it can teach us about checks and balances. The Line Item Veto Act of 1996: Background The Line Item Veto Act of 1996 allowed the president- Bill Clinton, at that time- to veto parts of bills selectively, rather than vetoing bills in their entirety. The main purpose of this Act was to give the president more control over the details of the federal budgeta power that was constitutionally reserved for Congress. Congress successfully passed this legislation in 1996. How did that happen? Well, in the federal midterm elections of 1994, Republicans took over the House and the Senate from Democrats. This was seen as a pretty big upheaval. It’s even been called the â€Å"Republican Revolution!† The Republicans also succeeded in taking the majority in Congress by making a pretty hefty campaign promise to the American people in the form of the â€Å"Contract with America.† The Contract with America was basically a long list of actions the Republican candidates promised to take if they gained control of Congress. The Line Item Veto Act was a key piece of the Contract with America. The American people liked this Act because it promised to ensure congressional fiscal conservatism. In fact, they had that in common with then-President Clinton: the only provision in the Contract with America that he was willing to support was the Line Item Veto Act. Since Republicans controlled Congress, and since the president supported the Line Item Veto Act, it passed both the legislative and executive branches without being vetoed or rejected. And then things started to get a bit ugly. The Judicial Branch Acts In the time that the Line Item Veto Act was law, President Clinton did a lot of line item vetoing. In fact, he applied the line-item veto to the federal budget 82 times. Does that sound like a lot? It did to the people who were affected by the president’s line-item vetoes, and that’s where the checks and balances started coming into play. When the Act was passed in 1996, lots of Democrats broke with President Clinton to oppose it. A congressman even sued to prevent use of the line-item veto. At the time, the Supreme Court held that the congressman’s case lacked standing because he couldn’t give any specific examples of how the Line Item Veto Act was causing harm to people. But when President Clinton began using the line-item veto a little more liberally, more people filed suit. Since Clinton was making ample use of his new power, this time, the plaintiffs had specific examples of how the line-item veto was causing harm. The City of New York itself and several other healthcare organizations alleged fiscal injury from President Clinton’s cancellation of various provisions from Acts that were passed in 1997. The case- Clinton v. City of New York- went before the District Court, and the Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. This time, the Court held that the Line Item Veto Act was unconstitutional. The District Court then used its power to appeal to the Supreme Court. The case was headed to the highest federal court in the United States. In 1998, the Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the Line Item Veto Act violated the Presentment Clause of the Constitution, which outlines a specific practice for enacting a statute that the Act did not follow. The Supreme Court used their power of interpretation to rule that the Constitution expressly prohibited the actions that the Act enabled the President to take. The majority of the Supreme Court, in other words, believed that the Act violated principles of the separation of powers and threatened individual liberty by giving the President the power to reward or favor certain groups and punish others. Former President George W. Bush, who was President of the United States from 2001–2009 The Legislative Branch Acts In 2006, the Line Item Veto Act came up again. That year, President George W. Bush asked Congress to enact legislation that would return the line item veto power to the executive branch, and announced his intent to make this request in his State of the Union Address. In March 2006, President Bush sent a legislative proposal to Congress and urged its prompt passage. Anticipating dissent from some members of Congress and the Supreme Court, members of President Bush’s Cabinet argued that his version of the Act was different from the Line Item Veto of Act of 1996 because the new proposal would seek congressional approval of all line-item vetoes, instead of giving the executive unilateral authority for such vetoes. Many members of Congress didn’t buy this argument. Some still believed that the legislation would take away parts of Congress’s constitutional power and give it to the executive branch instead. After hearing arguments from constitutional law experts about the constitutionality of the bill, the House Budget Committee approved the proposed Act through a majority vote. The full House of Representatives voted and approved the same bill soon after, but it failed to win approval in the Senate. But because the Act didn’t win full approval by Congress, the Legislative Line Item Veto Act of 2006 didn’t become law. Summary of the 4 Checks and Balances Involved in This Example If you were paying attention, you may have picked out some of the checks and balances that were involved in the whole scenario surrounding the Line Item Veto Act. To help you out, here’s a list of the checks and balances that we found playing a role in this legislation: The legislative branch wrote and enacted a law: the Line-Item Veto Act of 1996. The judicial branch determined whether that law was unconstitutional in 1998. The executive branch influenced the legislative branch with its proposed agenda in the State of the Union address in 2006, when President Bush announced his plan to attempt to pass the Legislative Line Item Veto Act. The legislative branch rejected the Legislative Line Item Veto Act by a vote in 2006. The Line-Item Veto Act of 1996 is a great example of how we can understand the federal government’s powers as being both divided and shared. In some aspects of this case, branches used their powers to work together to keep another branch from doing something that was not constitutional and that potentially threatened the liberty of the people. By checking each other in this case, the different branches also defended their own constitutional powers by preventing the executive branch from claiming powers that the Constitution assigned to the legislative branch. This example shows how real-world cases of checks and balances in action have a lot of layers: there’s a lot to analyze and unpack, and sometimes who’s right and who’s wrong isn’t easily defined. That’s why it’s important to look at both the big picture situation and all of the details, which is key to making sense of checks and balances in action! What's Next? This is just an overview of how checks and balances work within the United States government. (We know...it’s a lot!) There’s a lot more to learn about how each individual branch checks the other. A good place to start is learning more about how the Executive branch checks the Judicial branch. The AP U.S. Government exam is about more than just how the federal government works, though. That’s why we’ve developed the best 5-step guide to help you prepare. Once you’ve worked your way through that, it’s time to drill deeper into the material you need to know to ace the exam. Here’s a list of the best AP U.S. Government notes on the internet, and here’s a step-by-step guide to acing the AP U.S. Government’s FRQs. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Ashley Robinson About the Author Ashley Sufflà © Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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