...This feign of politics being a battle fought between those on either side, with the moderate middle becoming a no-man’s-land, is known by many to be political polarization. This polarization of politics creates countless inhibitions upon Americans seeking to be apart of the democratic process by inciting feelings of isolation if they hold a belief that does not cater to either extreme side of politics; in lieu of continuing to defend their beliefs not held by either side, individuals are more likely to denounce politics as a whole on account of feeling marginalized. This phenomenon betrays the cultural aspect of politics created by philosophers to empower the common man, by making him choose to subscribe to a set of ideals he may not entirely believe in. To mitigate someone’s voice into a contribution to a voting bloc is to dilute their humanity to the result on a ballot, further muddying political waters and causing peer pressure to support a certain party. This burden has slowly leaked into mainstream pop culture in America, extending the means by which Americans are being polarized. Pseudo-intellectual political talk show hosts will quip at the stupidity of their opposition, while the Parthenon of Twitter will tirelessly stream a fallacy of policy that demands support, leaving very little room for any set of ideals to exist on...
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...College of Law, jerryr@law.ufl.edu Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/facultypub Recommended Citation Robert H. Jerry, II, Leadership and Followership, 44 U. Tol. L. Rev. 345 (2013), available at http://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/facultypub/ 366 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Scholarship at UF Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of UF Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact outler@law.ufl.edu. LEADERSHIP AND FOLLOWERSHIP Robert H. Jerry, II* "[B]etter followers beget better leaders." I been fond of a set of expressions HROUGH use to underscore the importance of an idea or a cause I sometimes the years, I have believe important and worthy of personal or institutional investment, or both. The expressions fit together like this: our society has a particular problem that needs attention; our colleges and universities, being institutions broadly representative of our society, also have this problem (as we should expect): we need to work on this problem in our colleges and universities; if we cannot solve this problem in our institutions of higher learning, then I have little hope that our society will be able to solve it: our law school needs to set an example for the rest of the university as to how we can work together to solve the problem. When I articulate this message in a speech...
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...MARXISM Over 150 years ago Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote The Communist Manifesto. In The Communist Manifesto they were the first to give a thorough and scientific analysis of the laws and workings of capitalist society: why it results in the polarization of wealth and how it can be overthrown. In the last few years their ideas have been regaining popularity. At the end of 1999 Marx was voted the greatest thinker of the millennium in a BBC online poll. It is the economic crisis of capitalism internationally that has forced many to reassess their view of Marx. Capitalism is a cyclical system: crises can be caused by a number of factors, such as financial crashes or political unrest. Marx recognized that capitalism, despite all its abuses, played an important role in developing the productive forces and the world market. It was an advance from the feudal societies that preceded it. Today, capitalism has developed the world market and the wealth, science and technology have laid the foundations for a socialist society. Under capitalism, wealth and power have always been concentrated in the hands of the capitalists. And the development of technology is driven by the need for profit. The anarchy of the capitalist market always results in increasing wealth and power for a few but poverty for the many. Today the capitalists are a far wealthier and a far smaller class than they were in Marx's time. In the last 50 years the wealth gap between the richest 20% of humanity and...
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...The need for reform of the immigration system in the United States Introduction The lack of results from the Obama administration on the overall reform of the immigration system of the United States is due to the inability of the immigration system to regulate increasing legal admissions and growth of irregular immigration of a regional provenance. The political viability of the reform depends on the consent of the elected Republican opposition. This has contributes to organize structural blockage for reform for over fifteen years, evidencing the high degree of polarization of the immigration topic issue in American society. Given the circumstances, the likelihood of a reform in the next years is very uncertain. This paper aims to explain the lack of results from the Obama administration on the reform of the immigration system. It will analyze first, the main motivation for reform of the immigration system: it has become unable to properly regulate a rapidly growing immigration. It will then offer, a series of explanatory reasons for failure: the low priority given to the immigration issue, errors, but especially the structurally cleaving nature of the reform. Why is the reform of the immigration system a necessity? The Characteristics of the US Immigration System To understand the need for reform of the US immigration system, it is necessary to go back to first principles ensuring its operation. The United States regulates the admission of foreigners on their territory...
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...Outline and assess deliberative democracy as alternative to representative democracy 1. Introduction Democracy can be defined as a government system in which the main power in making every government level decision is made by investing the power in public. There are many types of democracies. The main and important form of democracy which has dominated more than half of the world is the representative democracy (TORRES, 2006). However, there are other types of democracies as well which have been found by researchers to be of vital importance. Deliberative democracy is that form of democracy which has started taking its place. There are many difference and similarities between representative and deliberative democracy. This essay comprises of the detailed discussion on how deliberative democracy can be utilized in place of representative democracy. The importance of deliberative democracy is also mentioned along the conclusions in the end. 2. Representative democracy Representative democracy is one of the oldest forms of democracies. In a representative democracy, all the eligible citizens are allowed to elect their official representative. That official representative is selected on the basis of the area, domination or any other basis. It varies from one country to another. The definition of “eligible” citizen also varies from one country to other. These elected representatives of the public then represent that specific group of people in government (Stasavage, 2007)...
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...Language is the most common, powerful, and preferred medium of communication. However, it becomes a source of barriers due to inappropriate use. Language, further, is extremely flexible- that is what makes it so versatile to use. Ironically, this can create problems of comprehension when handled ineffectively. Regardless of culture, a kind of verbal sparring occurs when strangers meet, each seeking to determine which topics are acceptable and noncontroversial. Additionally the tone of voice of one’s initial words can influence your initial perception of whether the meeting is positive or negative. If you traveled abroad or flew on flight airlines, you may have been surprised at the volume level of some person’s speech. What to us is loud and raucous, perhaps sounding like a fight, is considered normal and accepted by Arabs. Some Japanese use little volume, again accepted and part of a cultural heritage. Tonal languages, such as Cantonese, demand more volume to suggest changes in word meanings, English less so. Language/Semantic Barriers. Lack of Common Language: A very basic problem, this occurs when two people do not share a common language at all. In the modern multi-state, multi-nation business world, this can become a major barrier. The only way this barrier can be resolved is to have an open mind and show respect to other languages. One should also try to get familiar to those languages, which are absolutely necessary for day-to-day function. Faulty Translations: Unfortunately...
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...Additional services and information for Critical Social Policy can be found at: Email Alerts: http://csp.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://csp.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Citations: http://csp.sagepub.com/content/30/4/472.refs.html >> Version of Record - Nov 1, 2010 What is This? Downloaded from csp.sagepub.com by guest on May 2, 2012 E S L I E S K L A I R L London School of Economics D A V I D M I L L E R University of Strathclyde Capitalist globalization, corporate social responsibility and social policy Abstract This article outlines how the twin crises of capitalist globalization – of class polarization and ecological unsustainability – combine to produce the need for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to attempt to bridge the gap between the rhetoric and reality of corporate conduct. The first section outlines how CSR relates to capitalist globalization and how it is integrated into the activities of the Transnational Capitalist Class (TCC). The role of CSR in relation to social policy is examined next leading on to an account of the uses to which CSR is put in policy discourse, particularly its strategic use in lobbying and the advance of corporate power. Key words: class, corporate social responsibility, globalization, lobbying, transnationalism Introduction Researchers working in and across the fields of social policy have...
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...Cultural Awareness Standing outside waiting for the bus to pick her up for school, Mary Mejie said she remembers the constant teasing of kids taunting her to play kung fu with them as they pulled and tugged on her long jet-black hair. “The kids would speak in some made up language and call me Chinese,” Mary said. Mary’s father is Japanese and her mother is Filipino. “I grew up in the Philippines, but my early schooling was in the city of Baltimore,” Mary noted. Reluctant to admit initially that the teasing came from kids of other cultural backgrounds, Mary later admitted it primarily came from African- American kids. According to an article on the Democrat and Chronicle website, a newspaper in Rochester, N.Y., studies show that children exposed to different cultures at a young age have enhanced social and emotional development. According to the study, children learn about differences and similarities and increase their sense of self. In addition, this understanding prevents aggressive and self-controlling behaviors in children, the study explained and helps them adapt better to a changing environment. Now an adult, Mary says she realizes that, as children in school, they were not taught to understand or care about the differences or similarities of other cultures. “We were just happy to have friends that looked like we did to play with,” Mary noted. As a young adult, Suzette Hampton, an African-American mother of four and...
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...ISI Transformation: political changes: Wage increase Improved working conditions Political inclusion in the … Negative of ISI: (characterized by two different stages) Agricultural becomes uncompetitive -exchange rate: money is over-value, the price will be higher than the other countries. Keep the domestic currency strong relative to foreign currencies Need to import capital goods (machinery) to produce consumer goods Overvalued exchange rate made commodity exports artificially expensive and therefore less competitive in the international market - agricultural production and its social consequencs: agricultural production stagnated rural wages declined –migration to the cities migrants resided in urban slums increase in the size of the informal sector Exhaustion of the first stage - limited dynamism 1st stage: production stage : substitution industrialization light industries- the easy phase required little technologies most financed by domestic business 2nd stage: deepening of industrialization required more sophisticated technology and know-how domestic business (main loser) could not finance the second stage multinational corporations were invited to invest in Latin American tensions within populist multi-class coalition Inflation Erodes the purchasing power of currency Affects the poor, who can’t store their wealth in assets that do not lose their value (property) A highly organized and politically mobilized working class demands wage...
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...(Thucydides in the Modern World). While his history of the Peloponnesian War dates back to fifth century BC, Thucydides had a great impact on American diplomacy during the Cold War. More specifically, the conflict between the two superpowers. Many connections can be made between the Athenians and Spartans and the Soviet-American rivalry (Thucydides in the Modern World). America was similar to Athens in that it possessed a powerful navy, was democratic and wealthy. Also it was supported by NATO, like Athens was supported by the Delian League. The USSR was similar to Sparta in that it was communist with a powerful army. The USSR was also supported by smaller states through the Warsaw Pact like Sparta was supported by the Peloponnesian League. While the actual outcome of the Cold War was not exactly the same as the outcome in the Peloponnesian War, there are still many striking similarities that makes Thucydides’ work extremely relevant. Even more important, policy makers during the Cold War commonly referenced the Cold War (Tufts.edu). The relationship between Athens and Sparta can be related to the polarization that occurred during the Cold War. In 1947 the Secretary of State referenced the Peloponnesian War to try to explain the events that were taking place in the current world. He stated "I doubt seriously whether a man can think with full wisdom and with deep convictions regarding certain of the basic issues today who has not at least reviewed in his mind the period of the...
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...The fight against illegal drug production and consumption, as well as the war against terrorism has plagued the world for more than a decade. In particular, the United States has faced multiple terrorist attacks and the issues of drugs continues to put a damper on society within the country. The nations of Latin America are greatly affected by the tragic effects that occur within their powerful and influential neighbor. History shows that the nation of Colombia has had relatively friendly and cooperative relations with the United States. In result of the events that have occurred globally and within the U.S., the country of Colombia has vowed itself in alliance to the superpower. The cooperation when it comes to the war on terror and drugs...
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...will also be a couple of essay questions. For best results in preparing for the upcoming exam, focus your studies on the following historical items, events and individuals. Your textbook may help with some of the things listed, but this exam is more so drawn from class lectures and power point presentations. Embargo of 1807-Britian and France imposed trade restriction in order to weaken each other’s economies. Resulting in testing the Americas Neutrality and hurting their trading. Jefferson passed this document restricting neutral trade to the U.S. docs Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists (1780). Stronger central government, state representation from states each 2 representatives, no Bill of Rights, Articles of Confederation useless, because states had more power, wanted larger public, and they believed in large farming and industrialization,.. antif federalist, wanted state rights, wanted add the House of Represeantives, Bill of Rights, they thought the aritcles needed to be ratified not taken away completely, smaller public, believed Americas future is small farming Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans (1790s) – Hamiltonians (known as federalist party) vs. the Jeffersonians (Democratic Party) Differences between Federalist stances (1780s) vs. Federalist Party stances (1790s)- Federalist of 1780-Stronger central government, state representation from states each 2 representatives, no Bill of Rights, Articles of Confederation useless, because states had more power, wanted...
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...JS 5/1/2013 POLS 3315-001 Party Issue Valuations and Reassessments Why do political parties in the United States abandon or revisit specific issues? Moreover, what is the driving force behind a party making an issue politically salient? Some examples that could be correlated with these questions could be why the Republican Party has stayed silent on issues that many old-guard Democrats feel is contentious in the current administration, why the sudden recent ideological transformation of conservative party, or why many politicians steer clear from Wall-Street related subjects (even though lashing out against bankers these days is sure to garner some attention, and most likely support from the general public). All of these examples and more will be discussed in order to provide a sufficient answer as to why issues are left behind in the dust or put out prominently on display. There are numerous factors and variables to consider when trying answering such a question, one of which could be racial factors. It’s been largely documented that Latinos have been an increasingly growing electorate, going from 1 percent of voters from the 1950s to over 11% in the twenty-first century (Abramowitz 27). With this information in mind, it would make sense that the Democratic establishment is today trying to initiate immigration reform in the United States Senate, knowing that they’ll have an increasing amount of support from their Latino electorate. It should also be noted that although...
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...patterns over the past decades. I shall first address the classic question of secular transformation of employment structure that underlies theories of post-industrialism, by analyzing its evolution in the main capitalist countries between 1 920 and 2005. Next, to reach beyond the borders of OEeD countries, I shall consider the arguments on the emergence of a global labor force. I shall then turn to analyze the specific impact of new information technologies on the process of work itself, and on the level of employment, trying to assess the widespread fear of a jobless society. Finally, I shall treat the potential impacts of the transformation of work and employment on the social structure by focusing on processes of social polarization that have been associated with the emergence of the informational para- digm. In fact, I shall suggest an alternative hypothesis that, while acknowledging these trends, will place them in the broader framework of a more fundamental transformation: the individualization of work and the fragmentation of societies.2 Along such an intellectual itinerary, I shall use data and research findings from a flurry of monographs, simulation models, and standard statistics that have treated these questions with minute attention over many years in many countries. Yet the purpose of my inquiry, as for this book in general, is analytical:...
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...1. Communication technologies are far from equivalent. A recent study comparing honesty across a range of different media revealed that people were twice likely to tell lies when using the phone than when communicating via e-mail. It had previously been assumed that people would be more inclined to fabricate the truth when using e-mail, due to the remoteness of the interaction making people more comfortable about deceiving others. On the contrary, it seems that anxiety over the accountability afforded by the recording of e-mail exchanges induces greater truthfulness. However, the research also noted that people are much more likely to be rude or insulting over e-mail, outweighing any benefits of increased honesty! An implication of the study is that if telephone conversations are recorded and people are aware of this fact, they are likely to be more truthful over the phone. T People are unconcerned about the repercussion of e-mail untruths. F It had been assumed that people would communicate more honestly when using e-mail than when using the telephone. F 2. There is often considerable scientific disagreement both about available reserves of natural resources and about the extent of environmental damage caused by particular pollutants. Even where the scientific evidence is incontrovertible. There may be political conflict, based on different vested interests, over the degree to which particular environmental controls should be accepted. Governments may, for example...
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