A world in which Government, Economics (Industry) and Religion are separate from each other and perform their own specific function in society, would be my “Happy Place”. The interdependence of these three aspects has led to a world that is divided not only on grounds of religion but also on how businesses should operate in terms of maximizing profit yet maintaining stakeholder interests. Government and Politician’s role in society should be to make policies and decisions that target the social and economic well being of people and society as a whole. Decisions by people in office of power that impact only a very small section of the society in my view are not always the best decisions. A good example of such a decision was the proposal in 2004 to construct a bridge that was to connect Ketchikan, Alaska (pop. 14,500) to Gravina Island (pop. 50) at cost of $200 million. The proposal was put forth by Congressman Don Young who was the Republican member from Alaska and also the Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Sure, connecting a remote village in Alaska would help in economic growth and development of the village, but at what cost? $4 million per person! Could the $200 million not be utilized in other ways to promote tourism or trade in the area? Could the people be possibly relocated to the mainland at a lesser cost? Though answers to these questions may seem obvious at the surface, there is a convoluted relationship between the “Right thing to do” and what “Ends up being done”. In most countries, states or even in small towns, decisions by politicians are made to appease people, so that they elect the same person or party for the next term. The approach of “you scratch my back and I scratch yours” often leads to selective participation in welfare of society. People who do not have as much influence on policy making or determining who comes to power, often end up being sidelined. A simple fact that most organizations - religious and industrial; endorse candidates who have the same ideology as they do, means that people are seeking to satisfy their own motives by electing these candidates. In the ideal world, election or selection of people to office of power will be based on what they are capable of delivering to society and how they envision improving the overall level of existence of everyone.
Solomon, Norman. "New House Rules: Christianity, Economics, and Planetary Living."Subverting Greed: Religious Perspectives on the Global Economy. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2002. 96-117. Print.
xiii). Since the 1960s, when Lowi authored this text because he believed we were in a state of political crisis, interest groups have grown exponentially. This is due to growth in broad economic developments and growth and specific interests of citizens willing to take an active role in political processes. Interest group ideology has thrived on inadequate planning and overextension. Effective government requires formalities and moral legitimacy. Lowi argues that as long as well-moneyed interests do not grow to exercise an unjustly disproportionate amount of political capitol, interest groups should be welcomed in American politics as a means by which the average citizen can enjoy a greater amount of political efficacy. Lowi points out that nearly every area of government activity currently bears little relevance to the actual conditions they were designed for, and he calls for a return to older government that had consequences and held us responsible for consequences of political decisions because the current system does nothing to aid those who need government support the most, those one welfare and involved in those programs. Instead it is a power-grabbing money pool open for interest groups to take a hold of it,
However, seldom is this the case with American politics. There are far fewer politicians then there are low class workers or unemployed, and yet these politicians decide upon most all of the important decisions the country is faced with. The only time the rest of the people are involved is when these politicians spew out money and promises in an attempt to gain the p...
Democracy is rule by the people; the people elect governing officials based off of their personal values and beliefs. Different political parties rule the political scene and are serving to represent the people’s opinions in the best ways possible. Previously, I had a belief that my political view was essentially the only one possible and therefore it was the best. These views changed quickly once I learned the different political parties, their views, how they represent the people’s views, and how public opinion shapes politics. The government is formed around differentiating opinions on which policies should be in place and which social aspects need to be considered first. Not only is the government guided by opinion, but the people’s lives are guided by opinion as well. Each individual holds a different view, and each view can have an influence on society. Fortunately, after roughly eight weeks of studying American Government, I now have a better sense of complexity and the value of
The most important aspect to consider is why political parties split when it comes to religious battles in the first place. Glaeser (2005) starts this argument by explaining that when you attract the median-voter there is always a high voting turnout. If this is true, then why do politicians take both ends of the spectrum in most cases when it comes to issues like same-sex marriage and abortions? Glaeser (2005) contends that there are statistical evidence that supports the connection between religious attendance and religious extremism. Exit polls from the 2004 Presidential election show a strong rise in the correlation between religious attendance and party affiliation. This happens because religion as a whole becomes a medium for discussion, much like major news organizations. The only difference is that religion is singular in its method, as Glaeser (2005) points out, in that the people focus on one issue and decide politically based on the preferences shown. The political parties differ for two majo...
This paper attempts to examine York’s School of Social Work’s mission statement and how elements of the critical theory, values and history shape the framework that the school has adopted. The theory consists of six principles that help shape the profession and its core values. Each principle will be studied in detail through the use of history and values that defines what Canada is today, both in and out the profession. However, this paper will also consider the flaws of the critical theory in practice. Overall, the examination of history, values and critical theory will serve as guiding threads that construct York’s School of Social Work mission statement and the framework it dominates.
Being given the opportunity to intern with the staff at the Family Resource Center in the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) has been a tremendous learning experience thus far. The opportunity has truly surpassed my expectation of what I imagined the journey of internship would be like and how it would help me to evolve into the professional arena as a social worker. I see myself transforming and viewing the community in which I live, the clients served, those deprived, and the tremendous job that we as social workers are tasked with to advocate for those in need from a more open-minded perspective. By enhancing and developing my personal and professional skills, such as active listening, observation, and professional comportment, I will be
The political incentives that spawned parties are transparent. In any system where collective choices are made by voting, organization pays. When action requires winning majorities on a continuing basis in multiple settings, organization is absolutely essential. The Constitution’s provisions for enacting laws and electing leaders therefore put a huge premium on building majority alliances across institutions and electoral units. Parties grew out of the efforts of political entrepreneurs to build such alliances and to coordinate the collective activity necessary to gain control of and use machinery of government. One of the incentives for building political parties is to build stable legislative and electoral alliances. To control policy consistently, then,
Businesses should strive to come up with economic activities that satisfy the needs of all human beings. Most followers of the Catholic Church believe economic activities should not merely be...
The want for acceptance and the need to be liked are natural desires within human nature, especially within political context. Politicians are often criticized for bending their beliefs and making different promises to different groups, often even contrasting in their ultimate goal, but is there really another option? In order to win an election and maintain power, one must win the support of the majority of the constituent. In order to do so, he must sacrifice some of his own goals and thoughts to become what the people want, what the median voter wants; he must become who they want to represent them, who they want in office, and, most immediately, for whom they want to vote. Only by taking on this median voter approach on some scale, can a candidate even hope to become more than a candidate.
and by doing so, give each of them priority over other desires and organize. them into one system from which the ideal legislator tries to maximize. satisfaction for all citizens by manipulating and adjusting the policy for that society. The.
Like political parties, pressure groups can be considered another system that connects the citizen more directly to government. However, at the same instant there are marked differences in both composition and function that define interest groups as different entities from larger political parties. According to V.O. Key Jr. in a composition appropriately entitled Pressure Groups; pressure groups “Ordinarily… concern themselves with only a narrow range of policies;” and unlike the goals of political parties, their intentions are to “influence the content of public policy rather than the results of elections.” Nevertheless, it is a realized fact that special interest groups with a mass membership are considered to be congregations with enough power to affect election results and “pressure party leaders, legislators, and others in official position to act in accord with their wishes…”
Politics is the means for attaining valued things. Although, valued things are different in every society, the means of securing those things has never changed. The competition for power, authority and influence will always be the backbone of politics. Applying power, authority and influence to the valued things that support the public good, will produce the quality of life a society desires. In the present day, citizens in the United States demand certain valued things such as welfare, education, safe streets and healthcare. Through politics, citizens can apply their power in many different ways to get the things they want. Power is the ability to get someone to do something they may or may not want to do. Through the use of or the application of coercion, persuasion, manipulation and negotiation, power is used to influence the system.
The role of religion in politics is a topic that has long been argued, and has contributed to the start of wars, schisms (both political and religious), and other forms of inter and intra-state conflict. This topic, as a result of its checkered past, has become quite controversial, with many different viewpoints. One argument, put forth by many people throughout history, is that religion and the government should remain separate to avoid any conflicting interests. This view also typically suggests that there is one, or several, large and organized religions like the Roman Catholic Church, which would be able to use their “divine” authority to sway the politics of a given state by promising or threatening some form of godly approval or disapproval. By leveraging their divine power, individual figures within a religion, as well as the religion as a whole, could gain secular power for themselves, or over others. A second view, which was developed by many theologians through history, suggests that that without religion there would be a general lack of morality in the people and leaders of a given state, which would give way to poor political decisions that would not be in the interest of the people and perhaps even God (or the gods). This argument, however, does not address the fact that morality can exist without religion. In sociology, it is commonly accepted that social norms, which include morality, can result from any number of things. Religion, laws, or the basic desire of survival can all create these norms, so it suffices to say that as a society, our morals reflect our desire to live in relative peace through the creation of laws that serve to help us to survive. The argument of whether or not religion and politics should mix...
Mission Statement: As an educator I will provide for students the opportunity to make a positive difference in their lives to help them accomplish unexpected goals. I will enhance learning to support my students in achieving their highest potential by integrating technology into the curriculum. I will integrate conceptual technology learning techniques that will implement concrete knowledge of technology that will emphasize mastery of understanding. Through committed support from educators, faculty, staff, parents, and the community, I will advance learning to support my students. This will allow students to become confident, creative, motivated, technology-ready students. I will provide leadership to achieve these standards of excellence each student deserves for a technology driven society.