Plot Summary Essays - Othello, Iago, Michael Cassio, Emilia

Plot Summary Iago is passed over for a promotion by his commander, Othello, a Moor and a general in the service of Venice, and vows revenge. Othello has just married Desdemona, the daughter of Brabantio, a Venetian Senator, and Iago enlists the aid of Roderigo, a rejected suitor, to tell Desdemona's father about the marriage. Brabantio goes to seize his daughter, but is interrupted by news of a Turkish attack on Cyprus. The Duke and the Senate convene, and after hearing Desdemona and Othello testify to their love for one another, they allow her to accompany him to Cyprus, which he will defend against the Turks. Iago, whom Othello regards as honest and trustworthy, is given charge of Desdemona on the journey. At Cyprus, Iago has Roderigo start a brawl, in which Cassio, Othello's lieutenant, wounds another man. Othello strips Cassio of his command, and Cassio goes to Desdemona to ask her to convince her husband to reinstate him. Iago, meanwhile, sets about convincing Othello that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him{with Cassio. Through innuendo and pretended hon- esty, Iago makes Othello almost mad with jealousy, until the Moor names him his lieutenant and makes Iago promise to help him kill Cassio and Des-demona. Desdemona has lost a handkerchief that Othello gave her as a love-token, and Emilia, Iago's wife, _nds it and gives it to her husband. Iago plants the handkerchief in Cassio's house, and then arranges for Othello to see Cassio give it to his mistress, Bianca. Othello is now convinced that Cassio has betrayed him with Desdemona, and that Cassio is aunting his sexual conquest by giving Desdemona's handkerchief to a common whore. Othello begins abusing his wife in front of messengers from Venice, who are amazed to see this change in a man they thought to be noble. That night, Othello tells his wife to wait for him in bed and goes out to walk about the city. Iago has convinced Roderigo that if he kills Cassio, Desdemona will sleep with him, so Roderigo attacks the former lieutenant. Cassio is saved by his mail shirt and wounds Roderigo; Iago ees, stabbing Cassio as he goes. Othello, passing, hears the cries and thinks that Cassio is killed, and so returns to the castle to kill Desdemona. Meanwhile, Iago and the Venetian messengers _nd the wounded men; Iago secretly kills Roderigo and sends Emilia to the castle with news of the brawl. Othello awakens Desdemona, tells her that she must die, and strangles her. Emilia returns and _nds her mistress; Desdemona revives for a moment and then dies, saying as she passes away that Othello is innocent of her death. Her husband, however, proclaims his own guilt, and as the others return, Emilia realizes her husband's plot and exposes it. Iago, furious, stabs her and ees; he is captured, and ordered to be tortured to death. Othello, heart-stricken, makes a _nal speech in which he passes sentence on himself, and then commits suicide. He falls beside Desdemona.

The Simpsons Movie Essays

The Simpsons Movie Essays The Simpsons Movie Paper The Simpsons Movie Paper Essay Topic: Film In The Simpsons Movie, director David Silverman and his team of producers: James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Mike Scully and Richard Sakai use humour to incorporate other relevant messages into the film. Three of the most important factors are environment, government and family relationships. At the beginning of the Simpsons Movie, David Silverman uses GreenDay to make the audience aware of the social issues surrounding the environment; not only because of their famous songs, but because the band name itself promotes the environment. When the band is shown singing off a barge on Lake Springfield, their main singer is just singing from a script saying Da Da again and again. David Silvermans use of humour sends a message mocking singers for singing off scripts and also implies crowds are easily pleased. However, the musical sensation is suddenly put off when he says: We have been playing for 3 and a half hours, now wed like to say something about the environment! ~Billy Joe Armstrong, GreenDay lead singer, the Simpsons Movie The crowd is then suddenly put off by the message and turns to violence. This is a cleverly made scene, due to the crowd reacting in the opposite way by throwing rubbish and pollutants at them; this makes it easier for the audience to see the contrast between both groups of society. The band then picks up violins and re-enacts the final moments of the Titanic before the barge corrodes and sinks; this humour is focused on nowadays ignorance to the environment, and makes the audience aware of not only the acidic water that is made by waste, but by the lives lost to the mistreated environment. The United States produces approximately 547 thousands of metric tonnes of household waste per annum. That is 22.2% of the worlds total emission of household waste per annum. Using the history of Titanic, the audience is also reminded of the icebergs and icecaps which are being melted due to pollution. Silverman used this scene to make the audience aware of the ignorance in American society for the environment considering the sad history of the Titanic and the terrible household waste statistics produced by America. In my opinion, this scene would have never been successful without the use of Greenday and the acidic lake, due to all the clever subconscious messages sent through the humour. Later in the movie, Lake Springfield gets so polluted that Lisa Simpson decides to take action. She runs a meeting at the town hall, where all adult members of society turn up. When she tries to describe the seriousness of the situation, people always brought up other things. Am I getting through to anyone? ~Lisa Simpson, the Simpsons Movie But someone in the audience suggests that a new scissor lift should be bought, and a vote is passed by the mayor. Silverman uses the humour in this scene to show how easily distracted society can be to the real problems. However, the mayor takes this seriously and makes everyone in the town clean up the lake. Initiate code black Mayor of Springfield, the Simpsons Movie Silverman uses the seriousness of the situation to add some humour into the scene: Black..thats the worst colour there isno offence Carl! Lenny, the Simpsons Movie This humour not only expresses the dreadful state of the environmental situation, it makes the audience aware of racism and the common use of it in everyday life, despite how sensitive the issue is not only in America, but worldwide. Using Carls cheerful attitude, Silverman turns the racism into a joke therefore not having a bad impact on the audience as it couldve. However hard the towns efforts are to restore the cleanliness of the lake, Homer Simpson dumps a silo of his pets waste in the lake in hurry for free donuts. Soon the government gets involved, and Springfield alerts the EPAs attention (environmental protection agency). Silverman uses this plot to introduce the main evil character in the Simpsons Movie. I have made you 5 easy choices ~Russ Kargel, the Simpsons Movie I pick number 3 ~President Schwarzenegger, the Simpsons Movie You dont even want to read them sir? ~Russ Kargel, the Simpsons Movie I was elected to lead, not to read ~President Schwarzenegger, the Simpsons Movie In this conversation, Arnold Schwarzenegger shows he knows a lot about being a president; however he makes the wrong choice. Choice number three results in Springfield being sealed into a dome, and all the people who live there trapped. Silverman uses this ridiculous idea of being sealed into a dome as a governmental plot. This use of comedy makes the audience think of life being trapped in 1 area, and subconsciously makes the audience grateful to be able to explore around the world. In my opinion this scene is 1 of the main climaxes of the movie due to the whole of Springfield being trapped. This also makes the audience more aware of the evil governmental plots going on around the world. This scene made me think of all the attacks on other countries such as Iraq, and that maybe they were cover-ups and misunderstandings. We pay every resident $1000 so the government can ravage our states natural beauty ~ Man who greets the Simpsons into Alaska, the Simpsons Movie In this quote, the audience is reminded of this present time; the US government says it will offer exploration right for oil and gas in a north-western region of Alaska, but environmental groups fear the effects on wildlife in the region, including the polar bear population. In my opinion, this scene works well to inform the audience well and make them more aware of the events going on in Alaska. No Lisa, its not like the government is listening to our conversation ~Marge Simpson, the Simpsons Movie Silverman cleverly uses humour, when Lisa warns her mother to talk quietly because the government may be listening looking for them. This ends up being true; the train conductor is a robot that listens in to their conversation and a government employee in the NSA (National Security Agency) tracks them down. The government actually found someone! ~NSA employee, the Simpsons Movie This statement mocks the US government for their inadequacy of being unable to find people they are looking for. Silverman cunningly uses this humour to imply that the government is spying on everyones conversation. This is makes the audience more aware of the government tapping in on conversations. I think this scene adds great humour to the movie, and is a vital part of the movie to show the evil governmental schemes. It takes real courage and leadership to make choices without knowing them ~Russ Kargel, the Simpsons Movie In this quote, Silverman uses Russ Kargel to show how persuasion is easily used politically by fusing it with pride. However, president Schwarzenegger picks number 3 again. But Russ Kargel makes the president pick Number 4 by manipulating his answer. Silverman uses humour here to show how easy the presidents words can be manipulated. Soon after the plot to destroy Springfield is confirmed, the government hires Tom Hanks to create propaganda on TV so the people of the US support the government. The US ran out of credibility, so they borrowed mine ~Tom Hanks, the Simpsons Movie In this quote Tom Hanks admits that the government are just using him as propaganda. A boy then asks Tom hanks to tussle his hair. Silverman uses this humour to show how easily pleased people are. Silverman also shows the audience how corrupt the government can make society, just by using popular figures to their advantage. I think this scene is very important in telling the audience not to always trust political figures and famous people. While all these things in the movie are going on, Silverman uses humour to show family problems and relationships with modern Americans. The Simpsons family represents an average modern American family. And during the movie, Silverman makes the family go through hard times. At the start of the movie, the Simpsons are late for church and Homer starts saying things not knowing people inside are listening: Those pious morons probably arent listening anyway ~Homer Simpson, the Simpsons Movie Silverman always makes the opposite things happen to create humour. When inside the church Homer says praise Jeebus instead of Jesus. This humour is cleverly used to show how American families go to church but arent actually religious. Inside the church, Bart Simpson starts to play a handheld game, but Maggie takes it away from him. This furthermore stresses the point through humour that American families only believe in their religion for show. Then when his neighbour Ned Flanders wants to confess, Homer crosses his fingers hoping that he is gay. This shows that the relationship between American families is very bad, and that neighbours are always saying bad things behind each others backs. This humour implies that American families dont always have good relationships. This makes the audience more aware of the life of an American family. I think this scene is very important in the film, for Bart starts to take more of a liking to Flanders than his own father. Later when Homer is doing his chores, Silverman shows Homers relationship for Flanders, when he is told to dispose of a bee hive, he jams it into Flanderss mailbox. Although Flanders is a good hearted religious neighbour, Homer doesnt like him, and always tries to cause trouble for Flanders. Silverman tries to give off the message that Americans are always trying to cause trouble with their neighbours. In my opinion, this scene is also quite important to furthermore show Homers disaffection for Flanders. When Bart and Homer have a daring contest, Homer dares Bart to skate to Krustys burger bar and back naked. This results in him being handcuffed to a pole outside the shop by police officers while they went inside and ate. Silverman shows the American police officers dont care about the fugitives, and would rather have their lunch break. The audience is made aware of these dirty police officers, and they are subconsciously made more aware of this situation in America. We all dont want to wear our clothes sometimes ~Police officer outside Krustys Burger Bar, the Simpsons Movie A police officer says this to Bart to convince him to put his clothes back on. However the officer doesnt realise that Homer dared Bart to do this. Using humour Silverman shows that American parents dont accept the consequences in what they tell their children to do. I think this scene is very important, it shows the audience how Bart slowly starts to hate his father. If you know a greasier burger than this, youre in Mexico ~Krusty the clown in advertisement, the Simpsons Movie In this quote, Krusty states that Mexico has the greasiest burgers. America is known as the spiritual home of the super-sized meal, more than 119 million adults or 64.5% of the adult population are either overweight or obese. Silverman cleverly made this scene to make the audience aware of obesity in the US. Later on, Homer grows attached to a pig he rescues, and starts to forget about his family. Silverman uses this stereotype to show how forgetful fathers can be of their own family. As Homers bond with this animal starts to strengthen, he starts to forget about the rest of his family. Silverman uses this humour to tell the audience how parents can start to forget, and favour other children/things more. Come on guys it will be really great fun, and Ive really come to like you guys ~Homer Simpson, the Simpsons Movie In this quote, it shows Homer doesnt take his family serious. In this scene Homer wants to go to Alaska, but Silverman makes it as if Homer has maybe already had a family before this, and doesnt take families serious. Also, in this scene Homer convinces them to come to Alaska by going over their wedding vows. Through this is a funny statement, Silverman informs the audience of fathers in America abandoning there families. Near the end of the movie, Homer apologises to Bart for being a bad father. Bart doesnt want to accept his apology, but when Homer mentions that he could hold the bomb, Bart forgives him. Silverman uses this humour to show how father and son are both simpleminded and alike. What a great mistake you turned out to be Maggie ~Homer Simpson In this quote, Homer confesses that Maggie was a mistake. Silverman uses this humour to show how a lot of families in general are started of as mistakes. In my opinion, this humour was very informative for the audience, but subliminally made them to think about the consequences of sex. At the end of the movie, Homer and Marge kiss in the woods riding on a motorbike. After kissing Marge says that was the best kiss of her life. But after learning many thing in his quest to save Springfield, Homer alters her words to say it was the best kiss of her life so far. Silvermans uses this moment to sum up the movie and show how Homer progresses throughout the movie. This message tells the audience to cherish what they have, and look forward to the future. Using all these different techniques such as subliminal messaging and sarcasm, this is how Silverman of the Simpsons uses humour to incorporate other relevant messages into the film. But did he mean all the messages? Or were some just a coincidence?

Cognative Development Theroy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cognative Development Theroy - Essay Example 153). These theories are mostly concerned with deciphering the manner in which individuals think as opposed to psychological theories which are concerned with assessing what they think. These theories posit that human development takes place in a pre-decided sequence, and hence is highly predictable in nature. This sequence can neither be changed nor reversed and that once the individuals reach a certain stage in their lives, the learning process doesn't regress since the process of development is described as cumulative by cognitive developmental theorists (Newman and Newman, 2011). The definition and meaning of the terms learning and development, as well as their contribution to the theories of cognitive developmental psychology have been widely debated by scholars and educational theorists over the years (Kuhn, 1995; Strauss, 1993). However, it has been established through research that the notions of learning and development as perceived by cognitive developmental theorists, are neither predetermined nor ascertained but are in fact defined and described differently based on the thoughts and perceptions of each individual theorist. B. Address two of the following major cognitive development theorists: Piaget, Vygotsky, Bruner, or Thelen. ... Piaget strongly proposed the hypothesis that children are not naturally born with innate ideas about reality, as claimed by some, nor are they taught about things and situations around them by their elders. He in fact believed that the children actively observe, participate and construct meaning about things and situations around them and understand the world around them based on their experiences. He further stated that children are curious by nature and hence seek answers to their questions by generating own ideas based on their experiences, to solve problems encountered by them in their daily lives (Sigelman and Rider, 2011). Vygotsky: Lev Vygotsky, endorsed similar views as Piaget with regard to the manner in which children learn about their surroundings. Like Piaget, Vygotsky too believed that children learn about the world around them by actively participating in it and asking questions and ultimately constructing meaning and knowledge based on their experiences. However he dif fered in opinion about the manner in which children learn about complex situations, which he believed was learnt through constant interaction with the child's elders i.e. teachers or parents. His theory essentially focused on three key aspects namely; culture, language and zone of proximal development (Oakley, 2004). 1. Compare and contrast each theorist’s views on the nature or development of intelligence. According to Piaget, children learn to think in certain predetermined and recognizable stages which are dependent on natural maturation, while Vygotsky believed that the development of thinking processes in individuals is directly related to and dependent on the development of language and culture. Piaget believed that the role of external forces such

AutoCAD user guide Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

AutoCAD user guide - Assignment Example Analysis also contains how the report from the research was used to modify the document. There are statements both written and concluding, these talk about the results of the tests, lessons learnt from the study, what was yet to be learnt. And to conclude, weaknesses, shortcomings and possible application of the document is discussed. Introduction Automatic computer aided designs is a technique of producing technical engineering drawings which is typically done by the use of computers; computers are the drawing tools. AutoCAD is one of the computer software: it is an application software (off – the – shelf package) specially designed for drawing purpose. The use of AutoCAD is aimed at ensuring that the product is of high quality; neat, presentable, appealing to the observer’s eye. The drawing process should be efficient and smooth thus drawer should have easy time using his apparatus. This yields to the need for some guide for the AutoCAD user. An AutoCAD user gu ide is document which is used to document all the directives that may be required by the prospected user of AutoCAD. It therefore serves the purpose of marking the user is in a position to comfortably use the software without employing doubts in their operations. User guide, manual like document, directs the user on the steps to take during usage (Smith & Morse, 2001). Importance of a user guide is that it saves the user from employing doubts; trial and error in his operations. The user becomes very certain upon following of the given procedures and instructions and as a result he can speculate the time he needs to use or get used to the software. User guide uses graphics and symbols to pass across information and instructions. In giving directives, these graphics and symbols help create a vivid picture in the user’s mind. When properly interpreted they enhances the understanding of the user (Seidler, 2012). Therefore, user guide applies the engineering understanding of graph ics in passing across information these help summarize an idea and create visual impression. Apart from just using graphics and symbols to give directives, it also aids the understanding of such graphics and symbols through some explanations which often follow the symbols and graphs. This user guide specializes on the components of the AutoCAD and their uses and applications. All the components mentioned are discussed and their uses explained. The limitation of this document is that not all the instructions could be demonstrated through literature, graphics or even with the use of symbols. History of AutoCAD AutoCAD is software which was derived from Interact; an early version which operated on the Marinchip Systems owned by the Autodesk founders Dan Drake and John Walker. It was first released in 1982 December after John Walker had purchased the previous form of the software. In 1986, AutoCAD became the world’s most ubiquitous program for design using the microcomputers. It utilised lines and curve fittings. Today AutoCAD is used in many industries by

Federal programs Essay Example for Free

Federal programs Essay Throughout the twentieth century, Congress has established a great number of federal programs administered by agencies within the Executive Branch. Through this process of a wide-ranging allocation of authority to the executive Branch, Congress has assisted in creating a massive Federal Bureaucracy. The relationship of Congress to the Executive Branch today must therefore be seen in terms of its relation to this Bureaucracy, as well as its relation to the Presidency. In order to gain some control over the operations of the various agencies which had been established within the Executive Branch, in 1946 congress began to develop a sequence of configurations and procedures designed to manage the Administration. This process was also known as congressional oversight. There are several methods through which congressional misunderstanding operations take place: the committee process, congressional administrative offices, casework, as well as a number of administrative practices. Where the congressional oversight functions take place, there are three types of committees: authorizations committees, appropriations committees, and governmental operations committees. The first type of committee is the functional committee which initially establishes or authorizes the program or agency. In the case of a military program, this would be the Armed Services Committees in both chambers. ‘In the case of an urban program, this would be the Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee in the House and the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee in the Senate. Similarly, each program area within the Federal Bureaucracy is related to at least one specific substantive standing committee in each chamber of Congress. ’ (Issa, 2011) In attempting to follow the oversight activities through these authorization committees, a number of complications are often encountered. One of these is the result from the fact that a particular governmental agency may fall within the authority of several different practical committees or subcommittees. As a result, the agency may play ‘one committee or subcommittee against the other in order to achieve those results in Congress which tend to benefit the agency the most. (Office of The Law Revision Counsel, 2012) Another problem is that a committee which establishes a program is often too involved with the outcome of its own efforts to be willing to investigate adequately the operations of the program it has initiated. One of the most substantial places where an amount of oversight activity takes place is in the appropriations process. The budget for an agency must be approved anew each year. ’ One might assume that this yearly appropriations process would lead to a careful annual inspection of the budgets of all the various governmental agencies. (Issa, 2011) This is not the case. The federal budget is so great and compound that it is impossible to consider carefully the budget of each agency and program on a year-to-year basis. What happens instead is that budgets are often routinely approved from year to year with general reviews only occurring sporadically. In addition, many agencies develop quite close relationships with the subcommittees of the Appropriations Committees which spe cifically deal with their agency. These agencies are therefore often able to abstract some special favors from these particular appropriations subcommittees. The Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Governmental Reform were initially established to manage congressional concern over governmental processes. Thus, many see these committees as an ideal place for maintaining congressional observation over the activities of the vast Bureaucracy located within the Executive Branch. However, because of jurisdictional differences and because of the hesitancy of most representatives and senators to provide for satisfactory independent oversight activities, the efforts of these governmental operations committees have been quite restricted. The three administrative offices within Congress are used to some extent in the congressional oversight process. The General Accounting Office, The GAO has the accountability, not simply for performing accounting audits, but also for judging how various programs are being managed. In other words, the GAO often performs the task of program assessment. The GAO plays a significant role in congressional oversight. The Congressional Research Service, while preparing reports and studies to assist members of Congress, the CRS sometimes includes some information on the activities and routines of various governmental agencies. This is another important source of oversight information for members of Congress. The Congressional Budget Office gathers information on the budgets of the various governmental agencies and to report on new budgetary requirements and propositions that are made through the Executive Branchs Office of Management and Budget. Budgetary information is an extremely important source of data upon which the various congressional committees can judge the effectiveness of specific governmental programs. Granting, the information gathered by the CBO may seem to permit for substantial congressional oversight, the fact is that it is the agencies that often use this informational link for their own purposes in pursuing their requests for additional funding directly to the congressional committee, instead of directing all their communications through the OMB. This short circuits the use of the OMB as one of the Presidents management tools. Efficiency, from an overall standpoint, we can see that these three congressional offices. The General Accounting Office, the Congressional Research Services, and the Congressional Budget Office combined with the staffs of individual congresspersons and senators and the staffs of congressional committees are able to supply our national legislators with vast amounts of information and evaluations of governmental activities. ‘In fact, the United States Congress has available to it one of the most extensive research staffs of any national legislature in the world. ’ (Issa, 2011) Nevertheless, the availability of information and study alone is not sufficient for effective congressional oversight. The desire to follow through on this available information is another necessary ingredient and it is this ingredient which is often lacking. Many times congressional oversight is limited by the worries of various congressional committees and subcommittees over their particular jurisdictions and in a substantial number of instances, the burdens of organized special interests also interfere with the ability or wishes of members of Congress to significantly oversee governmental operations. Aside from these problems, there are also the boundaries of time. Congresspersons are loaded with extremely dense schedules. They have a large number of often conflicting responsibilities to perform. Representatives and senators must therefore place priorities on the use of their time. Often oversight activities lose in this shamble of priorities to legislative activities, to the creation of new programs to deal with current problems, and to casework concerns. Representatives and senators, themselves, do not usually become directly involved in much casework or fundamental services. It is their staff that deals with these matters. However, representatives and senators are usually informed by their staffs of many of these problems, and it is through these specific interactions that these legislators often get the most intense impression as to the effectiveness of many governmental programs. Casework thus provides an important source of direct, specific information which proves very useful in congressional oversight activities. Congress has also passed some major reforms and reconnoitered a number of major legislative techniques, many of which have had the effect of enlightening congressional oversight. Sunshine Laws. During the 1970s, Congress attempted to open up many facets of governmental operations to the general public. This was done through the Freedom of Information Act and the Government in Sunshine Act. By making information more broadly available to the public, these acts also increase the amount of information available to Congress. The Congressional Veto. Very often Congress passes rather broad pieces of legislation. It is then up to specific agencies to fill in the details of these laws, both with regard to the building of governmental agencies and the processes which they follow. One might note for example that while Congress passes general tax laws, the details of the regulations regarding the payment of federal taxes is to be found not in the tax law itself but rather in the Internal Revenue Code which is developed by the Internal Revenue Service, which is an executive agency. The problem that were presented by the executive agencies developing a great many regulations or codes is that the only way Congress is able to affect these details is through the passage of new legislative acts. As we have seen, this is often a burdensome and prolonged process. In order to avoid this, Congress now writes into some authorization bills requirements for a congressional veto. According to this procedure, when an agency disseminates rules filling in the details of congressional legislation, Congress automatically has the power within a specific time period to veto some of these rules and to demand that the agency fill in the details in a different way. The important thing is that Congress can do this without having to go through the process of passing a new law. Although this procedure is rarely used, it does offer the prospective for a far greater legislative control over the procedures by which the Bureaucracy operates. Sunset Legislation. In starting governmental programs or agencies, Congress usually sets no time limit on the functioning of the program or agency. Since the 1970s, a practice developed by which Congress authorizes the existence of a program or agency for only a inadequate amount of time. In other words, Congress specifies a date by which the agency or program will conclude to function. In order for the agency to continue its operations after that time, a new bill must be passed allowing its continued existence for another specified period of time. This practice is obviously intended to avert the continued existence of agencies or programs which no longer meet a legitimate need or which fail to meet a legitimate need effectively. A dissimilarity on sunset legislation is the procedure of annual authorization. According to this procedure, the continued existence of governmental agency must be approved on a year-to-year basis. While this practice obviously creates tremendous difficulties in the ability of such an agency to engage in long-term planning, it does suggestively increase the potential effectiveness of congressional control. ‘Zero Based Budgeting (ZBB). Zero Based Budgeting is a technique through which administrators must carefully justify their entire agencies budgets. Zero based budgeting requires a continual top-to-bottom assessment of all agencies programs designed to insure their cost effectiveness. ’ (Issa, 2011) We can see that many structures and techniques have been developed to allow Congress to be more effective in its oversight activities. However, jurisdictional disputes and pressures from various well organized special interests continue to prevent these new techniques and sources of information from being used effectively. In many occurrences, the actual nature and effect of government policy depends less on the actions of our elected officials than it does on the activities of non-elected bureaucrats who often remain totally immune from the pressures of the general publicalthough not necessarily from those of well-organized special interests. One of the major political issues determining our national future is the question of how well our government is able to represent effectively the needs and desires of the American people. As we have noted, the role of Congress as a representative of the people was one of the most important functions of this first branch of government envisioned by the Founders when they drafted the Constitution. However, the many new needs which our national government has had to meet in this century have placed this role of representation under great stress.

Analytical Essay: Riddle Of Inequality :: essays research papers

Analytical Essay: "The Riddle of Inequality" The riddle of inequality, as Tillich explains, "...Cannot be solved." This inequality is the divider of people, of the have's and have-nots. It seems that this riddle has confused people since the beginning of time and was even discussed in the bible. People always wonder why some have more than others do; they wonder why this happens and how it can change. I believe that this riddle is natural and cannot be changed despite he best efforts of people. Tillich attributes this mystery of have's and have-nots to many factors. First is that if you were granted with inherited talents then you should use them in life to the best of your ability. But if you let them go to waste, then these talents will ultimately be taken away. It is unfair when things are taken away that we might have taken for granted due to lack of attention, such as, "...[the] intense joy and the presence of the mystery of life through the freshness of the young day or the glory of the dying day..." These things are only taken away because we do not pay enough attention to the simple beauty in life and in nature. Although all of these are examples of inequality, I do not agree with Tillich when he claims that this is due to the presence of the divine, by the choice of God. I believe inequality comes from ourselves. We may embrace, or else let it slip away. It is through our lack of conscientiousness that life becomes unequal. I attribute the basic inequalities in nature as an effect of true nature, almost as far as survival of the fittest. Inequality is unfair but it is an aspect of life that people must deal with without an answer, without justification. When looking to God or any religious aspect for an answer you can only possibly answer the question yourself. When you pray or ask God a question you propose this question clearly to yourself. When you finally find an answer or solution it is not through the light of God, but through yourself and through your own learning and understanding of the world. Analytical Essay: Riddle Of Inequality :: essays research papers Analytical Essay: "The Riddle of Inequality" The riddle of inequality, as Tillich explains, "...Cannot be solved." This inequality is the divider of people, of the have's and have-nots. It seems that this riddle has confused people since the beginning of time and was even discussed in the bible. People always wonder why some have more than others do; they wonder why this happens and how it can change. I believe that this riddle is natural and cannot be changed despite he best efforts of people. Tillich attributes this mystery of have's and have-nots to many factors. First is that if you were granted with inherited talents then you should use them in life to the best of your ability. But if you let them go to waste, then these talents will ultimately be taken away. It is unfair when things are taken away that we might have taken for granted due to lack of attention, such as, "...[the] intense joy and the presence of the mystery of life through the freshness of the young day or the glory of the dying day..." These things are only taken away because we do not pay enough attention to the simple beauty in life and in nature. Although all of these are examples of inequality, I do not agree with Tillich when he claims that this is due to the presence of the divine, by the choice of God. I believe inequality comes from ourselves. We may embrace, or else let it slip away. It is through our lack of conscientiousness that life becomes unequal. I attribute the basic inequalities in nature as an effect of true nature, almost as far as survival of the fittest. Inequality is unfair but it is an aspect of life that people must deal with without an answer, without justification. When looking to God or any religious aspect for an answer you can only possibly answer the question yourself. When you pray or ask God a question you propose this question clearly to yourself. When you finally find an answer or solution it is not through the light of God, but through yourself and through your own learning and understanding of the world.

Discretionary Use Of Police Authority

Police officers enjoy the much-envied monopoly of instruments of force. Only a state armed force has recognized legal rights to wage violence against the citizenry and employ all manner of force in the name of maintaining law and order. A look at a number of police actions leaves a doubt whether all might be provided for by the law. The police are permitted to use a certain level of force in enforcing the law and while making arrests and maintaining order.The force used in this case is supposed to be reasonable; this reasonableness is not measurable and is at the discretion of the police or to a large extent to the court of law. In their day to day activities, police follow scripted rules and guidelines, guided by the law and their professional ethics, but rarely is all that they do contained in the written codes. Majority of what they go through depends on their personal intuition and judgment of what is right.They are supposed to make a split judgment on the most appropriate decisi on in a certain situation, whereas such a provision may not be provided in the rules. The legality of such decisions sometimes is in question. It is not possible for the law to contain all the likely scenarios that the police can come across. The unpredictable nature of their work makes it hard to do that and it is only through effective training and a high level of discipline that proper judgment and sound decisions can be made; even in an extremely uncertain environment.This however is an ideal situation and most of the time police officers have been noted to go to the extreme ends and making unreasonable decisions that are inconsistent with the publics’ expectations. In carrying out their duties, the police sometimes seem to be following their own discreet codes, codes that cannot be fathomed by civilians. Their rules are paternalistic in nature and may not be in line with the spirit of democracy. This and more is what this paper hopes to look at. It will scrutinize the po lice use of discretionary authority and note whether sometimes this authority is extremely and unreasonably overstretched.Discretion can simply be referred to as that power or freedom accorded to individuals, or the police for that matter, to make judgment or decisions that they think are appropriate to a certain situation. It is the judgment of police on how to bridge the gap that exists between what the stipulations in the law contain and the challenges on the ground (Seumas M. , et al, 2006). The laws governing the police forces are not specific and should under no certain terms be specific. They leave gaps and spaces that can only be filled through individual intuition.Most of these laws are said to be ambiguous and clearly requiring the reasoning of a well trained police officer to enforce (M. L. Dantzker, 2005. ). While it is prudent to say that almost all state or public departments and agencies use discretionary powers, it is in the policing agencies that they are most often applied and with major consequences. It is the legislature that determines the nature of laws that exist in a certain region, but it is up to the people on the ground, who are the police officers, that determine how those legislations are to be enforced and in what manner.The law sometimes is strict on certain issues but it is up to the law enforcement agents in touch with the public to make it more flexible while at the same time making it less or more punitive depending on the situation. Question stands on whether such discretion cannot be abused. For example whereas the law categorically prohibits the arresting of individual on mere suspicion with no form of evidence, the police in most case will arrest people and claim it is on ‘reasonable grounds of suspicion’. This suspicion is based on subjective judgments of a person’s behavior at the moment.Some officers are trained to believe that if one moves away hastily after seeing the police, he or she is likely t o be guilty of something. This is what some would call ‘behaving in a suspicious manner’. This might not be true as there is no law against hastening ones pace upon coming across the police officers, but the forces discretionary powers allow them to hold such person and search him or her. â€Å"Reasonable suspicion† becomes an ambiguous term that is hard to define or quantify. It is not measurable and at the same time not disputable.Interestingly though, contrary to what one would expect, discretionary powers in the police force decrease as one goes up the ladder while increasing down the cadre and hierarchy. This is because the officers up in hierarchy rarely come face to face with the public. Theirs is mostly limited to the boardroom meetings, strategy laying and maybe dealing with the ever-inquisitive media. This is not to mean that they top chiefs do not possess discretionary powers. On the contrary they do, but it is the lower ranking officers that have more opportunities of exercising this authority due to their daily contacts with the pubic.This discretionary authority turns them into policy makers, only this time it is at the ground or street level. This is because the most important decisions are made at the point of contact or encounter. It is here that the police officers make the most vital decisions regarding the step to take after a wrong has been committed. Depending on the weight of the crime, the officer on the ground will know what action to take. He might decide to warn, book or jail depending on the gravity of the situation. This may not be what the law has provided for.It is these powers to make such discretions that raise tension and discontent from the public, as they lead to discriminate and disproportionate application of laws. The general characteristic of discretionary authority is that in one way or another it has to be applied selectively. The prejudices that are held by the society have also been imported into the police force and must in a way impede upon the judgment of the police officers especially when they are exercising their discretionary authority.To most people in today’s world, where vehicles are prevalently used as the single most preferred means of mobility. Peoples’ contact with the government is through the police. Interactions with the citizenry is most likely to be with the traffic police officers, and it is them that are likely to make decisions based on their own judgments. This most likely emanates from the fact that most of the traffic offenses committed by motorists are but of small consequence, they are minor and one can escape with a verbal warning.The traffic laws prohibit over speeding or any other reckless driving that might be injurious or inconveniencing to other motorists. The patrol officers are always on the look out for such characters and can flag down any motorist they suspect is under the influence of alcohol. Police here use their discret ionary authority in making the kind of decision to be taken upon a motorist who commits such an offense. A traffic offense that is not serious would carry a number of penalties ranging from citing, booking or ticketing in accordance with the dominant traffic policy.Most people would like the law enforcement officers make lenient decisions in regard to such minor offenses and make hard stances on the major crimes such as kidnappings and bank robberies. More police discretionary powers should be extended towards passing lenient judgments on traffic offences rather than creating friction on their relationship with the motorists (Peak, K. J. , 2006). Most police agents have strict laws and policies in relation to traffic rules and tend to have punitive attitudes towards these offenses.Most traffic officers end up citing motorists rather than letting them go off with verbal warnings. This is the ethical and professional dilemma facing most police officers, their discretionary authority n ot withstanding, even where the law is very clear on traffic offenses and the nature of penalties imposed. This how the law is, it is supposed to be comprehensive and touching on almost everything. However, the scarce resources allocated may not cater for this. The meager financial resources cannot facilitate the strict following of the law to the letter.If all the provisions of the law are strictly adhered to, the courts would be clogged with cases and jails would be overcrowded. It is hence important that the police officers use their discretionary powers to sort these people out (Seumas M. , et al, 2006). As mentioned before, due to the subjective nature of the police duties, selective application of discretionary powers is probable and very common. Racial, religious, gender and ethnic profiling becomes real. For the traffic police officers, it is very likely to let of an elderly person off with over speeding than with a teenager or a middle age.This is because it is not common t o see aged people over speeding; the officers will tend to believe that there has to be a reason for such an action. The provisions of the law on over speeding not withstanding, most police officers are bound to make the same decision. A study of police application of discretionary powers also would reveal that it all depends on the behaviors and attitude of the subject under consideration. For those who are very confrontational and rude when addressed by police officers over their mistakes, they might not enjoy any leniency.Those who are orderly and remorseful of their actions are likely to receive a lighter treatment. Police discretionary powers are likely to be applied favorably mostly when the subject displays a sign of respect. These powers may also be extended to the unpopular laws in the society. Police would shun taking action against offenders of some minor offences. This is if there has been a public uproar against such laws. They would not want to be dragged into a row, a nd hence opt to turn a blind away to such offenders.There are exceptions however to this; no matter how unpopular some of these laws might be, discretionary powers might have applied harshly. The issue of police discretionary powers is dogged with controversy. There are those who claim that these powers are okay as they give the police an opportunity to apply their own judgment in meting out justice rather than waiting for the strenuous and elaborate process of the law. It gives the law a human face and gives the police a chance to act with compassion. The police sometimes are faced with situations where if they strictly adhere to the laws, catastrophes might happen.A police arresting a driver for over speeding might result to a implication if for example such a driver was rushing a patient to hospital. It is important that discretionary powers be extended to allow police officers make decisions that are appropriate to a specific situation at hand rather than blanket application of the law just because the stipulations state so. This leniency in the discretionary powers is also a kind of public relations. As afore mentioned, contact of the public and the police in today’s world is mostly limited to the traffic.Most people’s attitudes and perceptions of the police might to a great extent be shaped by this limited interaction. Any harshness towards motorists may be interpreted to mean that the police are all harsh and inconsiderate. The law contains a mesh of provisions that cannot all be applied, as most likely they would turn the citizens into slaves of rules. Discretionary powers are hence important to sort these laws out and enable the police to make the best decisions possible at that instance depending on the prevailing circumstances (John Blackler, Seumas Miller, 2005).However, opposition to discretion emanates to the discriminate application of justice. As said before, it is a highly subjective practice that embodies the incorporation of pe rsonal and emotional values. Issues such as racism, ethnics and other discrimination based on creed, socio-economic statues and gender will come into play. Personal prejudices might have an upper hand when a police officer is making the decision in regard to who will get what punishment, who will get a booking and who is to be released. A motorist may get away with over speeding, or driving under the influence just because he or she looks innocent or is remorseful.Police have been known to apply leniency to people who look remorseful after giving them a stern warning and arresting those that they think are disrespectful and self-righteous. This however should not be a criterion to be used while deciding who is to booked and who is to be let go. The law is clear on this and should be applied non-selectively. Allowing the use of discretionary powers by police officers is jut but breeding ground for corruption and bribery. Police officers are likely to take in bribes from criminals or petty offenders so that they may look the other way and apply discretionary powers.It may also lead to a breeding ground for more hardened offenders. A motorist who has escaped once with an over speeding offense may make it a habit of repeating the same mistake and preying on officer’s leniency. People might not be vigilant enough in regard to the petty offenses because there will be a likelihood of them getting away with such mistakes. A high number of people would be in favor of controlling the use of police discretionary authority, mostly as it is likely to be abused by police officers.This emanates from the image that most people have of the police; an image imparted through their interactions with the police, who most of the time are found to hostile and unreasonable. The police are not trained in psychiatry and should not base an individual’s guilt on ones behavior, remorse or lack of it thereof. It should be left to the court or tribunals to pass a verdict. If t he law states that a certain offense is finable then be it and this fine should be applied across the board and not selectively. The police are governed and bound by the law and all its comprehensive principles.The law is dynamic but it is also very clear on many issues. It is predictable and outcomes in many cases are certain. The same case should apply to the police force; their decisions should be predictable and consistent. The police force is in the executive arm of the government, its function is to implement the laws passed by the legislature, allowing it to make decision regarding the law is superseding the authority and can be a recipe for chaos. Unlimited use of police discretionary powers can to a greater extent be said to be undermining democracy.Laws under the tenets of democracy are a preserve of the legislature which is just but a of group of individuals representing the citizenry, who are democratically elected. The police represent the executive and in most cases wi ll be furthering the sitting government’s interests. They do not consult before passing the extra judicial pronouncements. The public has no room to scrutinize these decisions. Had there been an opportunity to review some of these discretionary powers, the system could work out efficiently (John Kleinig, 1996).However, as much as the public may wish to demonize the use of discretionary authority by the police, they are more than necessary. The law, despite being broad, is not comprehensive; it does not provide solutions to all the possible case scenarios likely to be faced by the police. Discretionary powers by the police come into play to bridge the gap between what the stipulations contain and what the situation on the ground is. The bone of contention is the likelihood of these powers being abused and applied selectively to favor a certain group of individuals over others. There is no provision in the law on how these powers are to be utilized.They are mainly subjective an d depend on a specific officer’s personality and orientation towards many issues in life. It would also depend on the nature of the mood of an officer at the time of the incident. It is unpredictable and lacks in consistency. It is apparent though that these discretionary powers cannot be done away with completely, effort hence should be geared towards curtailing them to a level that is acceptable to the public. Police should be well trained to ensure that their use of discretionary authority does not deviate from the law and is not applied discriminately. References John Kleinig, 1996. The ethics of policing. Cambridge University Press. John Blackler, Seumas Miller, 2005. Ethical issues in policing. Ash gate publishing Ltd. Seumas Miller, John Blackler, Andrew Alexandra, 2006. Police ethics. Waterside Press. Peak, K.J., 2006. Policing America: Methods, Issues, and Challenges. 5th Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ. M.L. Dantzker, 2005.Understanding today’s Police. Criminal Justice Press.