Extraordinary economic growth has been part of the East Asian scene in Essay

Extraordinary economic growth has been part of the East Asian scene in the post WWII era - Essay Example Today South Korea is one of the wealthiest countries in Asia a major economic power in the world. Another name given to South Korea is ‘Miracle of Han River,’ its fast growing economy was mainly due to the export of high-tech goods. South Korea has one of the highest industrial and export production rate in the world. South Korea strongest industries include biotechnology, automobiles, construction, electronics, robotics, semiconductors, steel and ship building. Social and economic development of a country always goes hand in hand. A country’s economic development is linked to its social welfare and development. South Korea showed that a good understanding of economic facts and organizations usually involves a deeper interest in maintaining a sound society. The socio-economic development model used by South Korea made it enter the OECD in 1996 and become one of the worlds leading economic powers. Social development was prevalent in South Korea as it witnessed tremendous economic development. It went from ruins to riches. South Korea’s social development concentrated on the family, state and market. The South Korean model of social development is based on a type of society that is marked by strong inter-generational family solidarity, quasi full employment and poor participation of women. However, South Korea’s infrastructure, education system, lifestyle of the people, and the like improved tremendously over the years. The relationship between the United States and South Korea began since the formation of South Korea in after the Korean War. This has been one of the most intense and extensive relationship between countries. As South Korea grew economically its dependence on the United States began to reduce. Today South Korea does not depend much on the U.S., economically, politically and even in its military growth. By the late 1980s and early 1990s South

Moral Permissibility of Deriving Stem Cells from Surplus Embryos Essay

Moral Permissibility of Deriving Stem Cells from Surplus Embryos - Essay Example One way to cure this disease is by transplantation of the pancreatic islet cell, the availability of the donated organs is very less for transplant. The stem cells if are induced to differentiate into functional islet cells in the lab, they may form a renewable source for transplantation, allowing this cell-based treatment to become available on a practical scale. (Mastroieni, n.d.) "Recent reports suggest that one of the most promising potential treatments may come from the use of stem cells, undifferentiated cells that can be coaxed into becoming insulin-producing islet-like cells that reduce diabetes symptoms in mice." (Mastroieni, n.d.) Spare embryos, the principal source of embryonic stem cells, are the unavoidably surplus unions of sperm and egg produced in fertility clinics. The embryos are often stored for years and ultimately discarded (Wade, 1999). Then it should not be a problem to use these spare embryos as they will ultimately be discarded anyways. One of the basic arguments for the moral permissibility of the use of these embryos are that the cost of destroying them is far less than the cost of the personal, social and economic costs of the diseases that these stem cells can cure. They can not be equaled to human life, even though they are living things. Some embryos do not even implant after conceived. In some countries it is legal to have an abortion; here the embryo is anyways going to waste. It would be better to utilize these embryos for research and cures rather than just throwing them. Embryonic stem cells can treat a larger number of diseases because they have greater plasticity, and divide more rapidly than adult stem cells. The embryo is taken before the primitive streak is formed. Until then it can be one individual which can separate into two and become twins, or it can be two embryos which can combine and form into one. Thus taking an embryo at this time does not account it as a human being. The number of people affected by diabetes alone is 190 million people around the world. This disease can lead to death and serious complications are common. These stem cells have the ability to cure many diseases not just diabetes. Another thing to keep in mind is that if it were so wrong, the government would never allow research to happen on such things in the first place. Women who give their surplus embryos are not forced into doing so. Rules can be introduced to control the process so that misuse of these embryos does not take place. One such law suggested by Louis M. Guenin is, "The government shall support biomedical research using human embryos that, before or after formation, have been donated to medicine under donor instructions forbidding intrauterine transfer." This way the donor has full control over what happens with the embryos even after it is implanted into another human being. The arguments against the moral permissibility of deriving stem cells from surplus embryos are that some of these embryos may be helpful during research but when used on actual human beings could be dangerous. Apart from this there may be genetic side effects because of manipulation. An example is the recent successes in reprogramming skin cells by fusing them with embryonic stem cells leave scientists wondering whether the genome of the original somatic cell might be 'contaminated' by the embryonic stem cel

Our aim is to investigate how much quicker Essay Example for Free

Our aim is to investigate how much quicker Essay Aim:- Our aim is to investigate how much quicker a reaction happens if the acid we uses strength goes up, and also to see if there is a pattern which could be carried on to higher strength acids. Background Science:- Chemical reactions play a very important part in our life, some even keep us alive (the process of our digestion system is a series of chemical reactions which convert food into chemicals which can be more easily used by our bodies), other circumstances where chemical reactions are used in our bodies that cut down the amount of acid in your stomach, there are also chemicals in washing powder for removing stains by using chemicals called enzymes which speed up the breakdown of the chemicals in stains. All chemical reactions happen at various speeds, such as chemicals in fireworks which react very fast, within seconds of the firework being lit the reaction is over. Slow chemical reactions could be such things as the ripening of cheese so it can mature over time. Some adhesives we use require two chemicals to be mixed depending on the amounts used it could make the glue harden quickly or slowly. Some reactions happen slowly whereas some happen very fast. The name in which we measure a speed of a reaction is called a Rate Of Reaction. It can be measured in two ways, either the rate in which one of the products is produced, one of the products that is produced is gas, you can measure gas in a syringe or in a upturned burette. Another method that can be used is recording mass of the reactant, (how much the mass has added to its weight of lost). The mass could be recorded every minute and could be written like this, 1. 0g/60secs. Variables:- We had four variables to choose from, Temperature, Concentration, Surface area/Pressure and Catalyst. If we were to use temperature we would measure how much quicker the reaction would go if the acid and calcium were heated together, but we would have to keep the temperature at a constant heat as it wouldnt be a fair test if the reactants were getting hotter and colder. If we were to use a catalyst it would be used to speed up the reaction, but this would be unfair because we wouldnt be able to measure how much extra speed is being put in by the catalyst. Or we could change the surface area of the reactant, this would give the acid more of a area to act on, to measure this we would have to weigh the calcium first then expose it to the acid for a certain time and then take it out and weigh it, making sure we use the same concentration of acid each time to make it a fair test. We decided to use Concentration, for this we would change the strength of concentration each time and take a volume of gas that is given off every ten seconds. From choosing the variable Concentration we can measure the rate of gas that is being given of, this could be useful because we could work out how much gas per minute is being given off, from that we can then predict how much gas is being given off for any time you need to find. Prediction:- I think that as the strength of the acid goes up the rate of reaction will go up. Collision Theory:- I think this will happen because the higher the strength of the solution the more particles there are in the solution, which means more collisions more frequently. The acid will hit the calcium carbonate, if there is enough energy in the acid the calcium and acid will react together to give off Carbon Dioxide. The more the particles collide the faster they react. I have made a predicted graph, showing what I think the graph will look like. I have drawn in the lines of best fit showing the steepness of the line. This diagram shows how the acid particles collide with the marble chip to give off a gas. Method:- Set up apparatus as shown above. 1. Measure out desired amount of marble chips. 2. Measure out desired amount of hydrochloric acid 0. 25 mole first, then when all experiments with 1 mole have been completed go onto 0. 5 mole then 1 mole then 1. 5 and finally 2 mole. 3. Fill up the water bowl. 4. Fill measuring cylinder with water up to 100 ml. 5. Holding hand over the top of the measuring cylinder quickly turn it upside down and place it under the water (as shown above). If the water comes out refill the cylinder and try again. 6. Place tube so one end is coming up in the cylinder under water. 7. Put the marbles in the chronicle flask. 8. Pour in the hydrochloric acid and quickly affix the top with the tube coming out of it into the chronicle flask. 9. Decide at what time you will measure how much gas is given off. We decided to take a reading every 10 seconds, we also decided to start taking the readings at 30 seconds. You measure how much gas is given off by the water dropping in the measuring cylinder. E. g. 10 mls given off in the first 30 seconds. 10. Take these readings for 100 seconds using a stop watch to be precise. I am going to take 3 repeats, I am doing 3 because I can get a fair average from these 3 results. From the averages I will plot a graph to compare the different strength acids. Analysis:- (Graphs). From my graphs I clearly show the variable of different strengths of acids. As I used higher strength acids, the time in which the gas was produced got much faster. As the acids get stronger the lines become more inline. Whereas the 0. 5 points were all over the place. From my results I can see that my prediction was correct I think that as the strength of the acid goes up the rate of reaction will go up. I could see that from my results the strength of acid went up and the speed it took to make the gas went down. This links to the collision theory, that is that as the strength of the acid went up there were more particles to collide on the marble, which meant that more gas was given of due to more particles in the small mixture. The higher the strength of acid the more accurate the results became, we can see this because the range bars get smaller as the strength of the acid gets stronger. From the predicted graph I can see a difference in the results graph. The 1 mole strength acid has taken longer than the 0. 5 mole acid to produce the gas. I will explain the possible reasons for this more in my evaluation. Evaluation:- The main difficulty we faced was with the 2 mole strength acid because it reacted so fast we barely had time to read the times precisely. This may have meant we had unfair results. The main anomalous results were the 1 mole results, because from the information we have (collision theory) it tells us that it is stronger than the 0. 5 mole which means it should be lower than on the graph than 0. 5. But it isnt. This may have been because the results were read wrong, the acid we used may have been slightly too strong or the marble chips we used may have been smaller which means it is easier for the acids to break down. To improve the accuracy we could use a burette, which are far more accurate than a measuring cylinder or a gas cylinder. Gas Syringe Burette Computer data collectors are a very accurate way of registering the time, also if you were to use a camera recorder so you could look back at it and pause it when it got to the times when you needed to record a time. The results would never be the same because sometimes the measurement of marble chips maybe slightly more or less, or the accuracy of reading the time would be slightly out etc. As I said earlier in my investigation the results seemed to become more reliable as the strength of acid went up. Although it should be less accurate to measure the time as the acid strength went up it seemed to be more accurate. James Lane 11N Rates Of Reaction Investigation.

Developing Corporate Culture within an organisation

Developing Corporate Culture within an organisation As defined in Assignment 1, culture is a set values, beliefs, common understanding, thinking and norms for behavior that are shared by all members of a society. Organizational climate, on the other hand, is the process of quantifying the culture of an organization. It is a set of properties of the work environment, perceived directly or indirectly by the employees, that is assumed to be a major force in influencing employee behavior. In laymens terms, it is the employees opinion of the workplace environment that could have a direct bearing on their performance. For instance, a high performance climate will encourage individuals to do what is needed to meet goals, satisfy customers, and exceed expectations. Likewise, a poor climate will result in loss of confidence in the organization, lower commitment and mediocre performance from employees. There are six factors to evaluation climate, and they are: Clarity Everyone knows what is expected of them. Standards Challenged with reasonable goals. Responsibility Employees given authority to accomplish tasks without checking for approval. Flexibility Employees are recognized and rewarded for good performance. Rewards Employees are recognized and rewarded for good performance. Commitment People are proud to belong to the organization. Using these six factors to assess the climate at the School Employee Retirements System of Ohio (SERS), we can evaluate SERS existing climate from their scores in the Denison Organization Culture Survey. Climate Factors Denison Organizational Culture Survey Score Clarity Vision: 81% Goals Objectives: 82% Strategic Direction Intent: 78% Standards Coordination Integration: 87% Agreement: 73% Core Values: 73% Responsibility Customer Focus: 79% Flexibility Creating Change: 77% Empowerment: n/a Rewards Launch a rewards and recognition programme such as their standardized merit system to recognize those that go above and beyond. Commitment Capability Development: n/a Organizational Learning: 82% Team Orientation: n/a SERS has definitely taken on board the feedback from their initial Denison Organizational Culture Survey scores in 2006 and progressed significantly using the Culture Change Monitor. In a mere three years, it has realized remarkable improvements across many areas of the Denison model and transformed into an organization with balanced top-down and bottom-up team work and involvement. Task 2 Recommend ways to improve corporate climate in an organization. SERSs effort and accomplishment in their transformation is indeed an incredible feat. It would be wise for them to keep at their efforts in establishing an open communicative environment and aim towards creating an inclusive and meritocratic culture. American marathon runner, Joan Benoit Samuelson, was once quoted saying, I look at victory as milestone on a very long highway. Likewise, the journey to victory for SERS is a long road ahead. Thus it is important for SERS to consistency review the data to ascertain the details to progress forward and achieve organizational success. SERS could perhaps make improvements in their efforts for diversity and inclusion, which would ultimately lend in creating a strong future for SERS. This can be attained through addressing the factors of difference and fully capitalizing on the potential contribution of all employees. Embedding diversity and inclusion will give SERS the competitive advantage and help cultivate a competitive culture. For example, SERS could launch a global diversity drive and arrange networking events for affinity groups whereby particularly sub-sets of employees can network and exchange experience. Here, members can come together to discuss key issues and learn from each other, very much similar to their existing leadership development programme. On the employee development front, the SERS University is a good development to embed a learning culture within the organization. With this platform, employees are given the resources of a university to help them advance their careers, realize personal enrichment and achieve success. Additionally, the employee culture of SERS could be weaved into employee development course to inculcate a culture that focuses high engagement. Last but not least, it is recommended that SERS launch their own sustainability campaign to formulate a culture that is part of life and spirit of the communities it serves. It could be accomplished by involving volunteers across the company to donate time, money and resources to help those in need. Furthermore, SERS could offer educational resources such as books, classrooms, teachers to children in need. Task 3 Proposed a framework of organizational values that meet the specific strategic and operational needs of an organization The Competing Values Framework (CVF) developed by Quinn, Rohrbaugh could be proposed to conduct organizational analysis of the existing organizational values. The CVF was initially developed from the research on major indicators of effective organizations. Based on statistical analysis of a comprehensive list of effective indicators, Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1983) discovered two major dimension underlying conceptions of effectiveness. The first dimension is related to organizational focus, from an internal emphasis on the well-being and development of people in the organization to an external focus on the well-being and development of the organization itself. The second dimension differentiates organizational preference for structure and represents the contrast between stability and control and flexibility and change. Plotting this to illustrate, we get a spatial model that forms four quadrants, each with its own set of distinct indicators. Graphically, the CVF can be illustrated as the following: Each quadrant represents one of the four dimensions as depicted in the Denision Organizational Culture survey. These are the four major modes of organization and management theory. In the first quadrant on the upper left corner, we have the Human Relations Model which stresses on flexibility and internal focus. Here, cohesion, morale and human resources development are regarded as a criteria for effectiveness. On the upper right corner, we have the Open System Model. In this quadrant, emphasis is placed on flexibility and external focus, and the primary concerns are the readiness, growth, resource acquisition and external support. Moving on to the lower section of the diagram, the left quadrant is the Internal Process Model, while the right quadrant is the Rational Goal Model. The former emphasizes on control and internal focus and stresses the role of information management, communication, stability and control. The latter emphasizes on control and external focus, and looks upon pla nning, goal setting, productivity and efficiency as effective tools. Using the similar methodology, an alternative model of the CVF demonstrates the applicability towards leadership. Here, eight categories of leadership behaviors emerge, and can be illustrated as the following: Within each quadrant in this alternative model, each represents two roles that aligned with the four modes of organization and management theory. Human Relation Model Mentor is helpful and approachable, and is responsible for the personal development. Facilitator promotes teamwork, cohesiveness and manages interpersonal conflict. Open System Model Innovator possesses the creative and out-of-the box thinking skills, whereas broker possesses the political astute, persuasive, influential and powerful. Internal Process Model Monitor role checks on the performance and handles the paperwork, while coordinator facilitates the structure, schedules and the coordination efforts. Producer Role Model Producer role is responsible for the tasks and work, and motivate employees to attain stated goals, while director role engages in planning and goal setting, sets objectives and establishes clear expectations. This Competing Value Framework (CVF) can be a useful framework of organizational value that meets the specific strategic and operational needs of an organization. Management should take into account all of these eight roles and achieve a balance in competing demands and expectations. As such, this tool could help diagnose their existing and desired culture, and identify organizational gaps. Furthermore, it could be used as a tool for teaching and provide help in better understanding the similarities and differences of managerial leadership roles. Task 4 Identify internal and external stakeholders of an organization. Stakeholders in an organization are simply individuals or group that has an interest in the outcome of your objective. Internal stakeholders are defined as the people who are already committed in their responsibilities as board members, staff, volunteers, and/or donors. External stakeholders, on the other hand, are the people who are impacted by your work as clients/constituents, community, partners, and others. Internal Stakeholders can be represented by the following groups: Board members: Responsible for appointment of management in an organization, take accountability of management for their use of resources and the results of the stewardship of management. This stakeholder may engage in economic decisions which include whether to buy or sell an investment or whether to reappoint or replace the management. Staff members: Employees and their representative groups are interested in the well-being such as the stability and profitability of their employers. They are interested in information which enables them to assess the ability of the enterprise to provide remuneration, retirement benefits and employment opportunities. Donors: The investors of the organizations that provides the risk capital. They are concerned with the risk taken, and return on equity from their investments. They need information to make informed decision of either buying, holding or selling. Shareholders are also interested in financial metrics to discern the ability of the organization to meet dividend payments. External Stakeholders can be represented by the following groups: Clients: Clients or customers are the source of revenue for the business. Community Partners: These are the association boards, regulatory bodies that are concern with the business codes of conduct that the organization follows. Others: Could range from their Corporate Social Responsibility partners, group alliances, the charities that are in partnership with, and the environment. Using NHS as a case study, we can identify the following list of internal and external stakeholders: Internal Stakeholders External Stakeholders Director of Public Health Head of Health Intelligence and Information Procurement Director of Nursing Public Health Strategists Public Health Management Analyst Director of Programmes and Services Research Scientist Communications Environmental Health Intelligence Analyst Public Health Manager Trustees Board committee members Local Authority/council Providers Acute trusts Patients Service users Customers Suppliers Funders Quality assessors LINk group Special interest groups Health visitors/school nurses Wider public health workforce Media Task 5 Evaluate the effectiveness of an organizations existing communication strategies. Communication is one of the basic functions in an organization and its importance can hardly be overemphasized. It is the process of transmitting information, ideas, thoughts, opinions and plans between various parts of an organization. In other words, it is an active two way process that involves listening, speaking, writing and reading. Effective communication in the workplace is essential to provide clear direction and expectations to employees. This will help promote higher productivity, improved performance and increased customer loyalty and profit. Communication strategy in an organization is defined as a management technique for determining the most effective method of communicating in an organization. It outlines the process for communicating and sharing information on project benefits and facts to target audiences and stakeholders. In order to evaluate the effectives of SERSs existing communication strategies, it important to analyze this with respect to its internal and external stakeholders. Communication among internal stakeholders Since 2006, SERS have come a long way in establishing increased communication and promote a culture of openness. One avenue of communication among employees is the daily newsletter publication that provides the latest updates on community information and events, new hires and other relevant organizational information. In addition to that, monthly publications are handed out to employees detailing highlights from monthly board meetings to keep employee abreast on major organizational decisions. This provided employees a structured platform to keep track of major changes and also foster inclusion by encouraging participation in meetings. The set up of cross-function teams was another initiative on the communication front. This enabled staff to work in teams to address key issues, set specific goals and milestone to ensure accountability for their team. Here, cross-functional teams were responsible in the evaluation of the existing performance management process and the creation of competency models for every job function. These models communicated the performance metrics by first defining SMART goals, thus giving employees a sense of empowerment and accountability for reaching their goals. Communication among external stakeholders On the communication initiatives among external stakeholders front, not much have been mentioned in this case study. Extending this with additional research, SERS is currently exploring new ways to communication with their strategic partners. This involve identify and delivering solutions that will bring the greatest impacts to their external stakeholders. Currently, SERS is looking at providing multiple service channels for their existing members to include face-to-face, electronic, web, multi-lingual, etcetera. They have also engaged in lobbying and public education to minimize the potential for detrimental legislation. Task 6 Develop new communication strategies of an organization that address differences in belief, values, customs and language. The ability to communicate is essential to organizational success. We have come into an age of knowledge, and the ability to communicate effectively is the key to harness that knowledge. A good communications strategy would allow for better control and help structure issues in perspective to ultimately address the difference in belief, values, customs and language. Today, SERS has clearly identified its new model in its mission statement affirming its dedication to communication and collaboration to help them identify, and deliver solutions for, the issues of greatest impact to their members and retirees. In the initial stages of the development of a new communications strategy, it would be ideal to make this a collective process and involve participation of all members. This will help facilitate the brainstorm session and pool the necessary skills and competencies to develop an appropriate communications strategy for SERS. This strategy can be structured in several stages: Phase 1 Preliminary outline prepared by the close collaborators. Phase 2 Outline submitted to various partners for comments and revisions. Comments are also received from individuals, groups, etc. Phase 3 Management meets to finalize the strategy, and input/feedback from a communications expert is prompted. Phase 4 Once established, the strategy must be communicated to partners, groups and all members in the organization. The ideal way through the development process is to hold regular team meeting to keep everyone up to date on the needs and to keep the dossier active. This ongoing process allows the strategy to be continually verified during meetings, and evolve to adapt its existing requirements. At SERS, there are a few suggestions to be included in this new communications strategy. SERS can introduce new technologies to facilitate communication among staff. This could be implemented by installation of instant messenger applications, video conferencing tools and email to allow internal stakeholders to communicate more efficiently. SERS could bring its daily newsletters and monthly publications through its intranet and allow members access this information remotely or in the free time. Embed diversity and inclusion by launching a global diversity drive and arranging networking events for affinity groups whereby particularly sub-sets of employees can network and exchange experience. Here, members can come together to discuss key issues and learn from each other, very much similar to their existing leadership development programme. Adopt an open door policy to create an open atmosphere and allow junior members to freely discuss ideas or views on various issues. Creation of special occasion like an SERS day to allow employees from different departments to get to know each other on a personal level and engage in team building activities. Establish a feedback system to ensure a two-way process in the evaluation of colleagues and managers. Anonymity can be enforced by allowing employees to post feedback through an opaque ballot box. Conduct periodic surveys with their internal and external stakeholders to monitor existing performance and seek out avenues for improvement. Taking into account these suggestions for SERS coupled with the 4 stage action communications strategy, SERS will be able to achieve better manager employee relations, bring about improvement in motivation and morale, and ultimately increased productivity and ensure organizational success.

Capital Punishment Essay - True Justice Through Application of the Deat

True Justice Through Application of the Death Penalty      Ã‚  Ã‚   The death penalty, as administered by states based on their individual laws, is considered capital punishment, the purpose of which is to penalize criminals convicted of murder or other heinous crimes (Fabian).   The death penalty issue has been the focus of much controversy in recent years, even though capital punishment has been a part of our country's history since the beginning.   Crimes in colonial times, such as murder and theft of livestock were dealt with swiftly and decisively ("The Death Penalty...").   Criminals were hanged shortly after their trial, in public executions. This practice was then considered just punishment for those crimes.   Recently though, the focus of the death penalty debate has been on moral and legal issues.   The murderers of today's society can be assured of a much longer life even after conviction, with the constraints of the appeals process slowing the implementation of their death sentence.   In most cases, the appeal pro cess lasts several years, during which time criminals enjoy comfortable lives.   They have television, gym facilities, and the leisure time to attend free college-level classes that most American citizens must struggle to afford.   Foremost, these murderers have the luxury of time, something their victims ran out of the moment their paths crossed.   It is time this country realized the only true justice for these criminals is in the form of the death penalty.   The death penalty should be administered for particularly heinous crimes.    Opponents of capital punishment are outspoken and vehement in their arguments.   They believe the death penalty does not does not deter crime.   They also hold the opinion that endin... ...l Punishment:   Give It a Chance."   Pro-Death Penalty.    http://www.clas.virginia.edu/~fdc4k/brinkers.html   (7 Apr. 00) "The Death Penalty - An Eye for an Eye"   ACLU.   http://www.aclu.org/library/pbp8.html   (17 Apr. 00) Fabian, Nicholas   "A Review of Capital Punishment:   Is the Death Penalty a Deterrent Against Crime?"   Pro-Death Penalty.   http://webcom.net/~nfhome/capital.htm  Ã‚  Ã‚   (20 Apr. 00) "Issues and Controversies:   The Death Penalty"   Issues and Controversies on File. http://www.facts.com/cd/i00015.htm#100015_b   (20 Apr. 00)    Sharp, Dudley   "Death Penalty and Sentencing Information in the United States"   Pro-   Death Penalty.   http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/DP.html   (17 Apr. 00) Snell, Tracy   "Capital Punishment 1995"   U. S. Department of Justice.   http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/cp95.pdf   (20 Apr. 00)

January, 1968: Keh Sanh, The Tet Offensive, and the Unraveling of an A

When President Johnson delivered his State of the Union Address to Congress on January 17, 1968 he spoke of the war in Vietnam with optimism. He listed the many military accomplishments to date, mentioned the word â€Å"progress† five times, discussed a â€Å"fruitful† visit with the pope, and spoke with a tone and tenor that suggested an imminent, peaceful resolution (â€Å"Johnson’s Annual Message†). Not three months later – in a similarly important speech to the American people – Johnson stoically announced that he would not be seeking reelection (â€Å"Johnson’s Address to the Nation†). What had seemed like an impending certainty dissolved into a distant dream. Public support for the war, and of Johnson, had deteriorated so swiftly in the winter of 1968 that he had no choice but to disband his efforts to seek a second term. What happened in the months between Johnson’s confident State of the Union and his more su llen speech in March of 1968 is no mystery. The Battle of Khe Sanh, combined with the more lastingly impactful Tet Offensive in late January, were devastating blows to American efforts in Vietnam. In hindsight, these events may have been militarily ineffective, yet the cultural ricochets they created throughout America can be seen as nothing short of a major victory for the North Vietnamese. These events were instrumental in turning the tides of the war. General Westmoreland’s hope, that superior American firepower would end the war with the North Vietnamese in the winter of 1968 was quickly foiled when U.S. Marines were bombarded with a rocket and mortar attack at their isolated base in Khe Sanh. The 76-day battle at Khe Sanh ended with both sides claiming victory, raising the question of why anyone found it strategic to engag... ...ent Lyndon B. Johnson's Address to the Nation Announcing Steps To Limit the War in Vietnam and Reporting His Decision Not To Seek Reelection: March 31, 1968.† LBJ Library and Musuem: National Archives and Records Aministration. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union: January 17, 1968,† LBJ Library and Museum: National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 6 Apr. 2012 . â€Å"Shock and Awe of the Tet Offensive Shattered U.S. Illusions.† James H. Willbanks. U.S News. 29 Jan. 2009. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. â€Å"The Battle of Khe Sanh, 1968,† The Tet Offensive, Marc J. Gilbert and William Head, eds., Westport, CT: Praeger, 1996, ch. 12, pp. 191-213. Willibanks, James H. The Tet Offensive. New York: Columbia U P, 2007.

Independence and Constitutions Practice Assignment Essay

Focus on how the Constitution provides liberty for American citizens. Use quotations from the Constitution to support your points. If you choose, you can compare or contrast the U.S. Constitution with the Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace (the Iroquois Constitution). Your essay should use a basic three-paragraph structure (introductory paragraph with a hook and a thesis, a supporting paragraph, and a concluding paragraph) and should be written in 12-point font with one-inch page margins. For extra help on completing your assignment, click your practice guide. Read more: How does the constitution guard against tyranny dbq essay Tips for Success When you analyze something, you’re trying to figure out how its different parts work together. In this assignment, you want to figure out how the parts of the Constitution work together to create liberty for American citizens. You may want to consider the following: What major parts of the Constitution are there? How do they function? What liberties does this document provide? For whom did this document actually provide liberty? Was anyone left out? How was this document similar to or different from the Iroquois Constitution? Remember, as you craft your essay, it should be built on a strong thesis statement, one that is debatable, not just a fact. And don’t forget to support your position with strong evidence from the Constitution itself!  Without evidence, an analysis essay is nothing. Self-Assessment Checklist Read each question and evaluate your short response. If the answer to the question is yes, check the box to the left. If the answer is no, go back and revise your work. Your teacher will use these same guiding questions to score your short response. Quality of Ideas Did I demonstrate an understanding of the assignment by: Focusing on how the Constitution provides liberty for American citizens? Following the basic structure of an analysis essay (introduction with hook and thesis, body with quotations to support my points, conclusion)? Did I demonstrate the ability to think critically and creatively by: Using my language or ideas in a creative way? Going beyond basic information to make connections between ideas? Did I demonstrate the ability to write a thesis statement by: Making a claim that requires support? Did I demonstrate the ability to support my ideas by: Referring directly or indirectly to the reading or readings? Addressing all parts of the writing topic? Connecting each supporting sentence to the claim in the thesis statement? Did I demonstrate the ability to conclude by: Summarizing the ideas and/or restating the thesis statement? Did I demonstrate the ability to organize my writing by: Using transitions? Ordering ideas logically? Form and Presentation Did I follow presentation requirements (12-point font, standard margins, length requirements)? Did I properly cite all quotations? Style Did I use a variety of sentence types (simple, compound, and complex)? Did I avoid run-on sentences and fragments? Did I check for spelling and grammar errors? Did I use an appropriate tone? In creating the Constitution, the states had several different reactions, including a rather defensive reaction, but also an understanding reaction. As a document that provided the laws of the land and the rights of its people. It directs its attention to the many problems in this country; it offered quite a challenge because the document lent itself to several views and interpretations, depending upon the individual reading it. It is clear that the founders’ perspectives as white, wealthy or elite class, American citizens would play a role in the creation and implementation of The Constitution. On further analysis, most of the issues within the document were due to vast cultural, racial, and economic lifestyles that our country did and will continue to support, as unintentional as it may be. This document lessened some of those issues and attempted to accommodate the requests of all states. However, Elitist framers manipulated the idea of a constitution in order to protect their economic interests and the interests of their fellow white land and slave owning men’ by restricting the voices of women, slaves, indentured servants and others. The Constitution that was created had a strong central government and weaker state governments. Under the Constitution, Congress was given the power to levy taxes, regulate trade between the states, raise an army, control interstate commerce, and more. A three-branch government was established in  which a judicial branch handled disputes in a federal court system, a President headed an executive branch, and a legislative branch. Conversely, the anti-federalists believed in weak central and strong state governments, as the way it was in The Articles of Confederation and believed in strict adherence to the writings of the constitution. Furthermore, the creation of The Constitution caused much debate between the elite and democratic states because they thought that if the Government got all of the power, they would lose their rights. The conflict between the North and South played a major role in the development of this document. The North felt that representation in Congress should be based on the number of total people and South felt that it should be based on number of whites. However, The Three Fifths Compromise settled this when it was said a slave will count as 3/5 of a free person of representatives and taxation. Article one section two of the Constitution defines how the population will be counted, obviously there was a strong opposition to this by Southern states like Virginia because their economy was based on slave labor and they had a bigger population because of it. Additionally, In Young’s’ article he mentions â€Å"four ghosts† (Young 3) the first being Thomas Paine, Abraham Yates, Daniel Shays and Thomas Peters who â€Å"haunted† (young 3) the minds of elites as they were making the constitution. These â€Å"ghosts† were representations of the resistance the elites encountered during the revolution; as a result, accommodations were made in order to avoid conflicts such as the ones they had previously faced such as Shays Rebellion. Secondly, another issue would arise with the Article 4. Section 1 declares that all states will honor the laws of all other states; this ensures, for example, if someone was declared a slave in one state they couldn’t be freed in another state. Also, section two, serves as the comprise between the founders and citizens to section one by guarantying that citizens of one state be treated equally and fairly like all citizens of another. It also says that if a person accused of a crime in one state flees to another, they will be returned to the state they fled from. The slave states could lose  more slave labor by other owners claiming slaves that weren’t theirs. Those people like William Byrd feared that the Constitution wouldn’t work because it was completely opposite from The Articles of Confederation. Consequently, the majority of the states had to accept the constitution the law and abide by it. The Anti-Federalist viewed the federal judicial system as a threat to individual liberties and state’s independence. How far could the judges expand their role? They feared they would be ruled by Kings. There was nothing in the Constitution to guarantee civil trial by jury and judges could take over matters that had been the jurisdiction of lower courts. They worried that the jurisdiction of the federal courts was too broad and not clearly defined. To resolve this issue the framers detailed what powers the judicial system would have, for instance, (Article 3, Section 1) Congress establishes inferior courts to the Supreme Court. It was a part of the system of checks and balances designed to ensure that one branch of the government wouldn’t dominate the others and each had limitations of power. (Constitution 4) Another fear of the anti federalists was the cost of the constitution, some feared that it would cost too much to change the laws in their states and this would greatly impact their lifestyle especially the planters and slave owners. Article I, Section 8: â€Å"To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States† (Constitution 2). This gave states the power to collect taxes, by providing this section those elites would have more protection against economic loss. Some delegates feared democracy itself. They believed that unfit people would control the government as a result more checks and balances were put into place, for example, The Electoral College was implemented to ensure that the uneducated masses didn’t elect someone unsuitable for the presidency. They also created guidelines for the selection of the president, the guidelines are that the candidate is at least age 35, a natural-born citizen, and has a residency of at least 14 years. Another major concern could have been the connection between the national government and its people. To combat this each state would have their government and representatives. The government would also have a bill of rights that protected the natural rights of the citizens. So, in conclusion, the Constitution began by using the Articles of Confederation to create a stronger centralized government. Each state had their own interpretation of the document and the varying lifestyles of the framers and citizens delayed ratification time after time. However, due to the malleability of the document and much debate a standard was finally created. Copyright  © 2014 Apex Learning Inc. Use of this material is subject to Apex Learning’s Terms of Use . Any unauthorized copying, reuse, or redistribution is prohibited. Apex Learning  ® and the Apex Learning Logo are registered trademarks of Apex Learning Inc.