Strength And Weaknesses Of Health Care Systems Essay

For over 50 years, the OECD has shown the strength and weaknesses of health care systems in developed and developing countries with the prospects of encouraging economic growth, prosperity and, sustainable development. The past decade, the United States trend highlight that their healthcare system is the most expensive yet ranks well below other counties within the OECD. With recent OECD studies comparing the US to other developed countries like Switzerland, the UK, France, Germany, Sweden and, four others with their unique health systems the US ranks last in most categories. With the comparative studies focused on quality, access, efficiency, equity and, healthy lives, the US must identify and adopt a health system that works best to care for the American population as others in the international communities. One country in particular that offers a good care model for the US to adopt is likely the United Kingdom’s government provided single payer systems, whereas the US healt h care is a federally funded service (source, 2016). Including the UK’s National Healthcare Service (NHS), that sets quality standards. The NHS works like (p. 25), where everyone pays in, and everyone has access to care. Comparing the US and the UK closely, we will see how well each country s medical care system performs and the impact it has on each of its citizens. To determine a country’s health status it is important to gauge how the county covers the cost of health care. The quality of patientShow MoreRelatedThe Strength and Weaknesses of Health Care Systems in Germany and the United States.739 Words   |  3 PagesWhat makes a health care system good? There is no such thing as a perfect system, but already some countries are pretty close. In this essay I will be writing about two of the leadings countries in health care, Germany and the United States . Given the complicated nature of the systems, I will narrow it down to the strength and weaknesses of both countries. In 1883, the first health care plan for Germany was created. The government was so impressed that it used this asRead MoreAmericas Healthcare: Change...But How? Essay843 Words   |  4 PagesThe idea of reforming the nation’s health care system was introduced as far back as the early 90’s. During this time ideas were created but action was never taken. In 2008 the idea that health care reform could actually happen, became a reality. After eight years under a predominantly republican run government, the Democratic Party once again became the majority. In addition to being the majority party in the House of Representatives and the Senate, a democratic president was elected to office. Read MorePhysician, Healthy Industry : Why Our Health Care Industry Should Not Be Run As A Business958 Words   |  4 Pages This week’s article by Liz Welch titled, Physician, Healthy Industry discusses why our health care industry should not be run as a business. The doctor interviewed by Welch is a Boston-based physician, Dr. Rushika Fernan dopulle who runs a company called Iora. He addresses the primary care experience including the coding, billing, and copays in our current health care industry. His argument is that the system should not make a physician do what they do not want to do. He states, â€Å"I’d seen 40 patientsRead MoreThe High Cost of Healthcare in the United States1167 Words   |  5 Pages When it comes to health care, cost is one of the biggest problems. Something needs to be done in order to make it possible for patients, families, and businesses to be able to afford health care. US does not always spend health care dollars in the most productive way. The cost of cancer treatments alone can cost up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the only way to pay for that is to raise the cost of the insurance to the patients. Cost is defined as the â€Å"price† of healthcare. The â€Å"price†Read More SWOT Analysis Essay1162 Words   |  5 Pages(Swayne, Duncan Ginther, 2008). Often the SWOT analysis is used to review internal and external areas in the four components; strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. The SWOT analysis indicates that the strengths and weakness are internal. Strengths are the organizational competitive advantages and distinguishing competencies (Houben, et.al, 1999). Weaknesses hinder the progress of the organization in a certain direction (Houben, et.al, 1999). Weakness can be considered areas of opportunitiesRead MoreUnique Problems Associated with Delivering Health Care to an Indigent Population1371 Words   |  5 Pagesassociated with delivering health care to an indigent population. As illustrated by the case, there were many unique problems associates with delivering health care to the indigent population. First, communication was an issue plaguing all parties involved. Difficulty in regards to understanding overall objectives and health care plans made operations inefficient and costly. Massive errors resulted from communication issues that ultimately hindered the access and quality of health care to the indigent populationRead MoreThe Health Care System Of The United States857 Words   |  4 Pages 1.) Briefly describe the US Health Care system. Identify the people, professionals and organizations that have something to say about how health care is delivered -- and paid for -- in the US. The Health Care System in the United States is provided by many organizations. The Healthcare facilities are largely owned by private sector businesses. A large part of community hospitals are non-profit and government owned, and only a small percent is for profit. The non-profit hospitals include 60 toRead MoreBusiness Environment, Innovation And Entrepreneurship : Health Care Industry Swot Analysis1695 Words   |  7 Pages Business Environment, Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Health Care Industry SWOT Analysis Laurene Foley Southern New Hampshire University  Partners Health Care is a non profit company made up of multiple top notch hospitals and organizations. Partners strives to provide patient first mentality which focuses on serving the community in Boston and suburbs the best quality of care. Partners Health Care was founded back in 1994 by two of the top hospitals in Boston: MassachusettsRead MoreStrengths And Weaknesses Of The Affordable Care Act1629 Words   |  7 PagesStrengths and Weaknesses of the Affordable Care Act What is the Affordable Care Act? The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law on March 23rd, 2010 by President Barack Obama. This radical health care law was a much-needed step in comprehensive health insurance reform. Three important features of the Affordable Care Act are 1. Improving quality and lowering health care costs 2. New consumer protections and 3. Increased access to healthcare. (Key Features. 2014). Under the umbrella of theseRead MoreEssay On The New York Presbyterian Hospital842 Words   |  4 Pageshealthcare networks, healthcare systems, Accountable Care Organizations etc. However, my venture capital group is focused on investing in a healthcare system with funds of more than $1million dollars. A healthcare system is the organization of multiple healthcare institutions, providers and resources that provide healthcare services for a targeted population. My firm is interested in the analyzation and an eventual investment into the New York-Presbyterian healthcare system. The New York-Presbyterian

Carbohydrates Essay examples - 576 Words

Carbohydrates and lipids/fats are a very important part of our lives. They have many similarities and differences among each other, which distinguish them from other macromolecules. Carbohydrates, which include sugar and their polymers, are used by organisms for fuel and building material. They come in many various forms going from simplicity to complexity. The simplest, monosaccharides, compose of single sugars whose parts are arranged around asymmetric carbons. They generally have a molecular formula that is a multiple of CH2O. Glucose, the most common monosaccharide, is of central importance in the chemistry of life. Energy is stored in glucose materials and extracts cells in the process of cellular respiration. When two†¦show more content†¦These strong cables help build walls for plants and humans. Chitin, conversely, mainly deals with strengthening the arthropods’ exoskeletons. The one thing all lipids have in common is the fact that they are hydrophobic. The three families of lipids are fats, phospholipids, steroids. Glycerol, a form of alcohol, constructs fats when it is mixed with fatty acids who consist of a carboxyl group on one end and hydrocarbon on the other. Three fatty acids linked to a glycerol make up triacylglyceral. If the carbon atoms composing the tail don’t form any double bonds then a unsaturated fat is made. Respectfully, if one or more bonds are formed, the fat becomes saturated. Phospholipids are related to these fats, but unlike triacylglyceral, they have only two fatty acids. These lipids make up bi-layers which form a boundary between a cell and its external environment. The result of this simply becomes the fact that phospholipids are important to cell membranes. When a carbon skeleton consists of four interconnected rings, the third type of lipid, steroid, is built. Cholesterol, a manufacturer of steroids, is one reason that sex hormones are present in vertebrates. Because of that, it has important functions even though a high amount in the blood can contribute towards atherosclerosis. Both carbohydrates and fats are an important part of our everyday diets. Almost everything you eat containsShow MoreRelatedThe Proteins Of Carbohydrates And Carbohydrates1091 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids are organic molecules found in every living organism. These macromolecules are large carbon based structures. The macromolecules are assembled by joining several smaller units, called monomers, together through a chemical reaction called dehydration synthesis. The resulting polymer can be disassembled through the complementary process called hydrolysis.Carbohydrates are made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms in a 1:2:1 ratio. ThisRead MoreCarbohydrates Report1455 Words   |  6 PagesViviana Veber Bio 1510 Sec 21 Carbohydrates Introduction: The objective of this experiment was to identify the reaction of carbohydrates in Benedict’s test, Barfoed’s test and Iodine test. Carbohydrates are essential to living organisms, and the principal role of carbohydrates is the production of energy. Carbohydrates are groups of sugars that contain carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen in a 1:2:1 ratio. Three main units of carbohydrates are monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharidesRead MoreInvestigating Complex Carbohydrate Vs. Simple Carbohydrate Digestion1386 Words   |  6 Pages Investigating Complex Carbohydrate vs. Simple Carbohydrate Digestion in the Small Intestine. Graehem McCommons, Joey Bolduc 1st Hour Abstract: The primary objective of this lab was to investigate the process of carbohydrate digestion and absorption in the small intestine. The goal of this lab was to observe how the small intestine’s membrane allowed allowed only certain sized molecules to travel across/diffuse through the membrane, and how it broke down largerRead MoreEssay on Lipids and Carbohydrates466 Words   |  2 PagesLipids and Carbohydrates Lipids are a group of substances, which include fats, oils and waxes. Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, glycogen and cellulose. They are stored in plants as starches and in animals as glycogen. There are many differences between carbohydrates and lipids. For example lipids are insoluble in water whereas carbohydrates are soluble in water. This is because lipids contain non - polar hydrocarbon units whereas water contains polar hydrocarbonRead MoreCarbohydrates Case Study735 Words   |  3 Pagesmetformin can act to reduce fasting glucose by 50–70 mg/dL and the HbA1c from 1.3 to 2.0% (Villareal et al, 2005). 3.6.8. ÃŽ ±-Glucosidase inhibitors: ÃŽ ±-Glucosidase inhibitors slow the rate of absorption of carbohydrate by preventing gastrointestinal enzymes which convert complex polysaccharide carbohydrates into monosaccharides in a dose-dependent state. They also aid in the stimulation of secretion of the glucagon like peptide (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) (Feruze, 2001;Read MoreCarbohydrate and Points Essay612 Words   |  3 Pagesthe observance of a particular enzyme in a test performance. (3 points) 14.While working a part-time at a lab, the student is asked to grab a jar that contains carbohydrates. Two jars are on the counter, each labeled with their chemical formula. One is labeled C5H10O5, and the other is C3H9O3. (6 points) a.Which one is the carbohydrate? (1 point) b.What was the students decision based upon? (4 points) c.What type of sugar is it? (1 points) 15.Many commercial food products are sweetened withRead MoreInvestigating The Bonding Of A Carbohydrate1077 Words   |  5 Pages Carbohydrate Analysis Introduction and Purpose Carbohydrates are organic compounds that consist of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. There are four different ways that carbohydrates can be classified: monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides are the simplest sugars. They are aliphatic aldehydes or ketones and most have five or six carbon atoms. Oligosaccharides are two monosaccharides linked together by the elimination of a water molecule which allows the glycosidicRead MoreNutrition And Macronutrients : Carbohydrates1182 Words   |  5 PagesNutrition and Macronutrients: Carbohydrates: Carbohydrate, in the form of glucose, is the preferred fuel for working muscles. It is particularly important during high intensity activity but whatever exercise is performed some carbohydrate will be used. Glucose is stored in the muscles and liver as a substance known as glycogen and is rapidly converted back to glucose when is it required. The capacity for glycogen storage is limited - a 70kg individual has glycogen reserves of approximately 400gRead MoreEssay about Chemistry and Carbohydrates1082 Words   |  5 Pages The Chemistry of Carbohydrates The chemistry of carbohydrates most closely resembles that of alcohol, aldehyde, and ketone functional groups. As a result, the modern definition of a carbohydrate is that the compounds are polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones. The chemistry of carbohydrates is complicated by the fact that there is a functional group (alcohol) on almost every carbon. In addition, the carbohydrate may exist in either a straight chain or a ring structure. Ring structures incorporate twoRead MoreChemical And Physical Properties Of Carbohydrates963 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Carbohydrates are defined by the following classifications: polyalcohols with aldehyde (known as aldose) or ketone (known as a ketose) groups, reducing molecules and water soluble. Additionally, carbohydrates can be grouped in several ways, as either monosaccharides, disaccharides or polysaccharides. Monosaccharides have one carbohydrate unit. Disaccharides have two carbohydrate units. Polysaccharides have many carbohydrate units. An example for each includes: glucose (monosaccharides)

Optimization Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Question: Discuss about the Optimization for Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Answer: Introduction The complaint data has been obtained from the ERP of a company which deals in electronics industry. Owing to a lot of SKUs and wrong practices, a large number of customer complaints have been observed. Resolving these complaints is a key to reduce growing customer dissatisfaction Method Total number of complaints by customer: 719 Total number of complaint types: 10. They fall under the heads - Damaged Delivery Invoice Error Lost In Transit Other Packaging Poor Response Quality of workmanship Wrong Product Wrong Quantity Total number of customer complaints raised by Product Family: There are a total of 15 product families against which complaints have been registered. They are: PF1 47 PF2 54 PF3 48 PF4 47 PF5 44 PF6 41 PF7 48 PF8 49 PF9 43 PF10 55 PF11 46 PF12 60 PF13 42 PF14 48 PF15 47 Total number of complaints raised by CSR staffs: There are a total of 10 CSR staffs. P1 63 P2 81 P3 71 P4 96 P5 77 P6 78 P7 62 P8 74 P9 58 P10 59 Task 2 Problem Definition Top 3 problems in terms of complaint types: 1. Wrong Quality = 264 2. Wrong Product = 176 3. Poor Response = 76 Fig 1 Complaint Type wise count of complaints Top 3 problems in terms of product family: 1. PF 12 = 60 2. PF 10 = 55 3. PF 2 = 54 Fig 2 Product Family wise count of complaints (Srinivas, 2011) Top 3 problems in terms of customer: 1. C4 = 19 2. C3 = 8 3. C31 = C27 = 7 Fig 3 Customer Name wise count of complaints Top 3 problems in terms of CSR staff: 1. P4 = 96 2. P2 = 81 3. P6 = 78 Fig 4 CSR staff wise count of complaints Recommendations Task 3: Suggestions and Solutions The top 3 complaint types have been identified as Wrong Quantity, Wrong Product and Poor Response. A customer not receiving the quantity he/she ordered might feel cheated and this may also cause further delay to ship the order again. Since complaints very often would arise only when the quantity is less than ordered, it is important to note that quantity might have been delivered more than ordered to a few customers leading to further loss. Around 37% of the complaints registered fall in this category which makes it an important issue to handle. To tackle this, check-weighers or product counters need to be in place in the warehouse both in the inbound and outbound section. This will ensure receiving and dispatch of the correct quantity and eliminate complaints in this category. In case automation using check-weighers is not feasible due to capital or space constraints, additional labor needs to be trained/ employed to cross check the quantity being received/dispatched by the inbound and outbound supervisors. By analyzing the data of customer complaints, it can be seen that major f ocus should be on product families PF 12, PF 10, PF 4 and PF 11 where the complaint count is quite high. (Christopher, 2011) Not receiving the product the customer ordered will lead to disappointment on the customer side and this badly reflects on the service offered by the company. To add to this, it leads to further delay in processing the orders. Wrong product complaints are often a result of poorly organized warehouse. It must be noted that the warehouse keeps 30,000 stock keeping units (SKUs) which can easily create confusion if mismanaged. To tackle this problem, the layout of the warehouse should be such that proper sections should be allotted to products of different types where products are stored in pallets. (Ridler, 2016). Further, to identify products, bar codes may be used and scanning systems might be installed which will reduce dependency on manpower to do such tasks of product identification. Processes should be in place to allocate sections/pallet positions to new products which must be checked on a regular basis (weekly or fortnightly). Use of forklifts can help ease the process. (Suryava nshi, 2010). Forklift drivers should be trained and well guided to locate the correct product being asked for. Major focus should be on product families PF 15 and PF 10 where the complaint count for this type is quite high. The response time for every complaint is 7 days as can be inferred from the given data. Moreover, it takes additional 3 to 13 days to close the complaint. For a customer this implies a total lag of 10 to 20 days. Implementing the above solutions should reduce the no. of complaints received. This in turn should be utilized to reduce the response time. With lesser complaints registered now, response time should be brought down to 2-3 days. (Anholcer, 2012). The second issue with respect to poor response might be due to the inability of the responder while dealing with domestic and international customers. This should be dealt with by training the responder to enhance his/her communication skills. A workshop regarding the same will be very handy. (Herder, 2013) Other prominent complaints come in the heads of delivery, packaging and damaged goods. Delivery time should be notified to the customer well in time. Further, follow ups need to be taken to ensure timely delivery. (iSight, 2016). Secondly, delivery address need to properly noted from the customer (example, PIN code should be asked) and communicated to the goods delivery service provider. For proper packaging and ensuring there are no damaged goods, proper sampling should be done during inbound to check the goods. Goods which fall below the set specification should be rejected. Further, forklift drivers should be trained so that goods are not damaged while handling them. Stacking norms in the warehouse should always be followed. Packaging should also be done properly so that goods are not damaged while in transit. (Myerson, 2012) References Christopher, M 2011, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, FT Press. Myerson,P 2012, Lean Supply Chain and Logistics Management, McGraw Hill Educations Anholcer, M 2012, Optimization of Supply Chain via Reduction of Complaints Ratio, viewed on 19 August, 2016 from https://kbo.ue.poznan.pl/anholcer/publ/201201supply_chain_optimization.pdf Suryavanshi, P 2010, Customer Complaint Handling, viewed on 19 August, 2016 from https://pradipsuryavanshi.blogspot.in/2010/03/customer-complaint-handling-customer-of.html Srinivas, M 2011, Building Lean Supply Chains with the Theory of Constraints. McGraw Hill Educations Ridler, B 2016, Six Steps to Dealing with Customer Complaints, viewed on 19 August, 2016 from https://www.eonetwork.org/octane-magazine/special-features/sixstepstodealingwithcustomercomplaints Herder, A 2013, How to handle customer complaints, viewed on 19 August, 2016 from https://trainingmag.com/content/how-handle-customer-complaints iSight 2016, A Practical Guide to Handling Consumer Complaints, viewed on 19 August, 2016 from https://www.customerexpressions.com/CEx/cexweb.nsf/(GetPages2)/A_Practical_Guide_to_Handling_Consumer_Complaints

Sleepwalk in Life

Table of Contents Introduction Discussion Conclusion Works Cited Introduction The idea that most people are sleepwalking through life is a very important aspect in our society. Therefore, it is undeniable that most people who are sleepwalking through life are always unaware of what they are doing. This means that a sleepwalker will not be aware that he is engaging himself in such behavior.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sleepwalk in Life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It should be known that there have been a lot of arguments in relation to sleepwalking which needs to be understood. As a matter of fact, some people have treated individuals who are sleepwalking differently yet they need to be understood and supported for the society’s well being. Most of us are sleepwalking in life which is undisputable. As much as most people are unaware that they are sleepwalking, this is caused by various reasons and aspects. The pressures of modern life have made people to sleepwalk in life which is set to continue as time goes by (Charlie 12). Discussion I think that most people are sleepwalking through their life because they are midway their organizational lives. Sleepwalking can be done in different dimensions depending on the activity that an individual is engaged in. When people are asked if they are sleepwalking, they will always say no yet this is not the case. It should be known that there are various symptoms of sleepwalking that can be exhibited by individuals like having no goals and ambitions. Most things that people do are the ones that are making them to sleepwalk like constant watching of TV, surfing on the internet and others. I think that we are sleepwalking in life because we engage in unproductive activities. This is because of shutting off their brains as a result of these activities (Nowak 16). People who are living their lives in a state of unconsciousness can also be said to be sleepwalking. This should not be assumed to be physically awake because we might think that we are okay. There are individuals who are not aware of whom they are in the society which is a reason for sleepwalking through life. In this case, there is a large context of life that people can be part of which should be understood. It is not easy to tell an individual who is sleepwalking in life because they are just like any one of us. We always sleepwalk because we do not have any clarity in our lives. In the long run, we end up being physical shells that are just there. As earlier noted, sleepwalking can be manifested in different ways and this is as far as people who are not thinking about their future are concerned (Culebras 15). Our life should always be about the bigger picture and when we lack it we are also sleepwalking.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If you can not f ind enough time to do the things that you want to do in life then you are literally sleepwalking. This is mainly caused by being preoccupied with things that do not matter in life. As a matter of fact, it has been argued that sleepwalkers are always busy and they will wait for another next time to accomplish their goals. Lack of motivation or ambition has been cited as one of the reasons behind sleepwalking. It should be known that most people are not driven in their lives because of various things which should be evaluated. This is based on the pretext that we are just there to live which is not good at all (Mackay 23). There is no need to live other people’s expectations because we will not be able to define our direction. People should not be made to stash away their goals and desires which might revolve around sleepwalking. The society has a lot of sleepwalkers because of our preoccupation with making money where we forget what we stand for. This means that there is somet hing that can be done to stop or reduce sleepwalking in the society (De Bruxelles 9). In this case, this is as far as how we can break out of such a situation is concerned. It is undeniable that everybody has his dream that he/she wishes to accomplish in life and they should be supported for long term sustainability. This means that there is a solution to everything so long as a good approach is given. To break out of this, we should engage ourselves in value added activities. This should not revolve around filling our lives with random activities but with things that will better our lives. There is no need for a passive approach to life because most people live on a day to day basis. Conclusion Because all of us sleepwalk in life, we should pay more attention to time allocation. This will enable us to do things that matter most because it is not good to wait for next time (Charlie 27). In conclusion, we can say that most of us are sleepwalking in life because of our environment and society. This is because we need to be on the move to make money which has been considered as the measure of success. All this activities have made people to be preoccupied with a lot of things that wear them down leading to sleepwalking. There is a lot of competition in the society today which has complicated everything because there is nobody who wants to be left behind. All in all, there is a lot that can be done to ensure that people are focused in life based on proper identification of goals.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sleepwalk in Life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Works Cited Charlie Parish. Sleep Walking Through Life. 2011. Web. Culebras, Antonio. Somnambulism: Clinical Handbook of Sleep Disorders. Massachusetts: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1996. Print. De Bruxelles, Simon. Sleepwalker Brian Thomas admits killing wife while fighting intruders in nightmare. London: The Times, 2009. Print. Mackay, Iren e. The Sleepwalker is not insane. New York: Routledge, 1992. Print. Nowak, Rachel. Sleepwalking woman had sex with strangers. New York: New Scientist, 2004. Print. This essay on Sleepwalk in Life was written and submitted by user Vivienne Barrera to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Difference Between Totalitarianism, Authoritarianism, Fascism

Difference Between Totalitarianism, Authoritarianism, Fascism Totalitarianism, authoritarianism, and fascism are all forms of government. And defining different forms of government isnt as easy as it might seem.   The governments of all nations have an official form as designated in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook. However, a nation’s own description of its form of government can often be less than objective. For example, while the former Soviet Union declared itself a democracy, its elections were not â€Å"free and fair† as only one party with state-approved candidates were represented. The USSR was more correctly classified as a socialist republic. In addition, the boundaries between various forms of government can be fluid or poorly-defined, often with overlapping characteristics. Such is the case with totalitarianism, authoritarianism, and fascism. What is Totalitarianism? Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler in Munich, Germany September 1937. Fox Photos/Getty Images Totalitarianism is a form of government in which the state’s power is unlimited and is used to control virtually all aspects of public and private life. This control extends to all political and financial matters, as well as the attitudes, morals, and beliefs of the people. The concept of totalitarianism was developed in the 1920s by Italian fascists who attempted to put a positive spin on it by referring to what they considered totalitarianism’s â€Å"positive goals† for society. However, most Western civilizations and governments quickly rejected the concept of totalitarianism and continue to do so today. One distinctive feature of totalitarian governments is the existence of an explicit or implied national ideology, a set of beliefs intended to give meaning and direction to the entire society. According to Russian history expert and author Richard Pipes, Fascist Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini once summarized the basis of totalitarianism as, â€Å"Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.† Examples of characteristics that might be present in a totalitarian state include: Rule enforced by a single dictatorThe presence of a single ruling political partyStrict censorship, if not total control of the pressConstant dissemination of pro-government propagandaMandatory service in the military for all citizensMandatory population control practicesProhibition of certain religious or political groups and practicesProhibition of any form of public criticism of the governmentLaws enforced by secret police forces or the military Typically, the characteristics of a totalitarian state tend to cause people to fear their government. Rather than trying to allay that fear, totalitarian rulers tend to encourage and use it to ensure the people’s cooperation. Early examples of totalitarian states include Germany under Adolf Hitler and Italy under Benito Mussolini. More recent examples of totalitarian states include Iraq under Saddam Hussein and North Korea under Kim Jong-un. What is Authoritarianism? Fidel Castro circa 1977. David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images   An authoritarian state is characterized by a strong central government that allows people a limited degree of political freedom. However, the political process, as well as all individual freedoms, is controlled by the government without any constitutional accountability In 1964, Juan Josà © Linz, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Political Science at Yale University, described the four most recognizable characteristics of authoritarian state as: Limited political freedom with strict government controls imposed on political institutions and groups like legislatures, political parties, and interest groupsA controlling regime that justifies itself to the people as a â€Å"necessary evil† uniquely capable of coping with â€Å"easily recognizable societal problems† such as hunger, poverty, or violent insurgencyStrict government-imposed constraints on social freedoms such as suppression of political opponents and anti-regime activityThe presence of a ruling executive with vague, loosely defined and shifting powers Modern dictatorships, such as Venezuela under Hugo Chvez, or Cuba under Fidel Castro, typify authoritarian governments.   While the People’s Republic of China under Chairman Mao Zedong was considered a totalitarian state, modern-day China is more accurately described as an authoritarian state, because its citizens are now allowed some limited personal freedoms. It is important to summarize the main differences between totalitarianism and authoritarian governments. In a totalitarian state, the government’s range of control over the people is virtually unlimited. The government controls nearly all aspects of the economy, politics, culture, and society. Education, religion, the arts and sciences, even morality and reproductive rights are controlled by totalitarian governments. While all power in an authoritarian government is held by a single dictator or group, the people are allowed a limited degree of political freedom. What is Fascism? Rarely employed since the end of World War II in 1945, fascism is a form of government combining the most extreme aspects of both totalitarianism and authoritarianism. Even when compared to extreme nationalistic ideologies like Marxism and anarchism, fascism is typically considered to be at the far-right end of the political spectrum. Fascism is characterized by the imposition of dictatorial power, government control of industry and commerce, and the forcible suppression of opposition, often at the hands of the military or a secret police force. Fascism was first seen in Italy during World War I, later spreading to Germany and other European countries during World War II. Historically, the primary function of fascist regimes has been to maintain the nation in a constant state of readiness for war. Fascists observed how rapid, mass military mobilizations during World War I had blurred the lines between the roles of civilians and combatants. Drawing on those experiences, fascist rulers strive to create a rabidly nationalistic culture of â€Å"military citizenship† in which all citizens are willing and prepared to take on some military duties during times of war, including actual combat. In addition, fascists view democracy and the electoral process as an obsolete and unnecessary obstacle to maintaining constant military readiness and consider a totalitarian one-party state as the key to preparing the nation for war and its resulting economic and social hardships. Today, few governments publicly described themselves as fascist. Instead, the term is more often used pejoratively by those critical of particular governments or leaders. The term â€Å"neo-fascist† is often used to describe governments or individuals espousing radical, far right political ideologies similar to those of the World War II fascist states.

The History of the Man-Made Invention of Money

The History of the Man-Made Invention of Money Money is anything that is commonly accepted by a group of people for the exchange of goods, services, or resources. Every country has its own exchange system of coins and paper money. Bartering and Commodity Money In the beginning, people bartered. Bartering is the exchange of a good or service for another good or service. For example, a bag of rice for a bag of beans. However, what if you couldnt agree what something was worth in exchange or you didnt want what the other person had?  To solve that problem, humans developed what is called commodity money. A commodity is a basic item used by almost everyone. In the past, items such as salt, tea, tobacco, cattle, and seeds were commodities and therefore were once used as money. However, using commodities as money had other problems. Carrying bags of salt and other commodities was hard and commodities were difficult to store or were perishable. Coins and Paper Money Metals objects were introduced as money around 5000 B.C. By 700 BC, the Lydians became the first in the western world to make coins. Countries were soon minting their own series of coins with specific values. Metal was used because it was readily available, easy to work with and could be recycled. Since coins were given a certain value, it became easier to compare the cost of items people wanted. Some of the earliest known paper money dates back to ancient China, where the issuing  of paper money became common from about AD 960 onwards. Representative Money With the introduction of paper currency and non-precious coinage, commodity money evolved into representative money. This meant that what money itself was made of no longer had to be very valuable. Representative money was backed by a government or banks promise to exchange it for a certain amount of silver or gold. For example, the old British Pound bill or Pound Sterling was once guaranteed to be redeemable for a pound of sterling silver. For most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the majority of currencies were based on representative money through the use of the gold standard. Fiat Money Representative money has now been replaced by fiat money. Fiat is the Latin word for let it be done. Money is now given value by a government fiat or decree.  In other words, enforceable legal tender laws were made. By law, the refusal of legal tender money in favor of some other form of payment is illegal. Origin of the Dollar Sign ($) The origin of the $ money sign is not certain. Many historians trace the $ money sign to either the Mexican or Spanish Ps for pesos, or piastres, or pieces of eight. The study of old manuscripts shows that the S gradually came to be written over the P and looking very much like the $ mark. U.S. Money Trivia On March 10, 1862, the first United States paper money was issued. The denominations at the time were $5, $10, and $20. They became legal tender by Act of March 17, 1862. The inclusion of In God We Trust on all currency was required by law in 1955. The national motto first appeared on paper money in 1957 on $1 Silver Certificates and on all Federal Reserve Notes beginning with Series 1963. Electronic Banking ERMA began as a project for the Bank of America in an effort to computerize the banking industry. MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) was part of ERMA. MICR allowed computers to read special numbers at the bottom of checks that allowed computerized tracking and accounting of check transactions.

Communicating across genders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communicating across genders - Essay Example However, I feel that even this is unnecessarily divisive. In my experience, Adler's findings that gender difference amounts to just 1% of the variance of speech (186) between any two people is more important. This paper will look at three conversations within and between two groups of people to show that shared experience and goals facilitate communication better than shared gender. It is necessarily difficult to give concrete examples of gender communication being more similar than different, because it is generally easier to disprove than prove something, but two personal conversations in which I took part are good examples of how shared experience facilitates communication better than shared gender – and that, equally, different experiences hinder communication. These two conversations involved separate groups of people, both composed of mixed genders but similar politics and ideology. Both conversations discussed the case of Representative Anthony Weiner, who recently resi gned after revelations that he had been attempting to engage numerous female political admirers in (usually unwanted) sexual conversation. In the first conversation, both men and women condemned Weiner unanimously for the sexual harassment of sending explicit photographs of his anatomy to non-consenting women who had merely expressed their support of his policies. Men and women used the same sentence structures and argumentative styles, appealing to reason and emotion equally: most sentences used personal pronouns (I, you, he), for example. One interjection in the conversation was taken badly by the other members, as it was a joke that was highly inappropriate, which had been made by a woman – not something that Adler would expect (184). In fact, this conversation happened online with most people using gender-neutral pseudonyms, and the only way I could figure out who was of which gender was by specifically asking them. The second conversation happened after someone made the assertion that Weiner was simply guilty of sexual harassment, and his resignation neither inappropriate nor adequate punishment for his crime. The communication style was similar to the previous group's in that most people used 'I' statements and littered their messages with pronouns; however, in this group most people were more skeptical of the idea that Weiner's behaviour was criminal. In one unusual exchange, a woman made the statement that â€Å"Flashing someone virtually is the same as flashing someone in person†, and a man responded â€Å"I think you meant to say that you 'think/feel' they are the same.† In this example, a woman used concrete language (or rather, a male conversational style [185]) to express an opinion and was told by a man that she should revert to female conversational style. The same man then said â€Å"the decisions we make in our lives brand us†, arguing that when considering Weiner's sexual harassment of Ms Ginger Lee, one should bea r her career choice (she is a former porn star) in mind. Clearly his usage of a male conversational style was acceptable. A different woman dismissed Lee's claims by saying â€Å"You know as well as I do that women are just as bad as men, when it comes to manipulation.† Her appeal to an emotional relationship is, Adler argues, typically feminine. It may be interesting to note that the first group do not believe that there is any material difference