Abstract This paper presents both sides of the hurricane Katrina debate. It then provides a plethora of evidence to suggest that the federal government (rather than state and local government) is responsible for the delays in rescue and relief following hurricane Katrina. It cites the mistakes of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, FEMA and FEMA director Michael Brown and the President of the United States.
From the Paper "There is evidence to suggest that the federal government understood the serious threat hurricane Katrina posed on the low-lying Gulf region, and that they did make some effort to convey this danger and urge people out of harm's way. On Saturday August, 27th, President Bush declared a state of emergency in Louisiana and encouraged people to evacuate the New Orleans area before the storm made landfall. Prior to the storm, flood and storm surge predictions were made by the National Hurricane Center in Miami. At least 200 buses were sent to aid in evacuations before the event. The federal government did express concerns over the levee system's ability to weather the storm and operate under such difficult conditions."
From the Paper "Karl Marx, born in Germany in 1818, had tremendous influence throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The communist and socialist ideologies, the communist revolution in Russia, and the spread of communism throughout the world were all a result of Marx's social and economic theories. These theories were developed as a result of the situation of the working class in Europe during Marx's lifetime. .."
Tags: 19th, century, conditions, engels, european, history, labor, marxism, russia, soviet, union, unions, working
Abstract A review of "The Strange Career of Jim Crow" by C. Vann Woodward. The paper explains the Jim Crow laws of segregation during the 1890's. The author analyzes the race relations of the 1800's and the division that existed in society.
From the Paper "This book shows us the history of the Jim Crow laws and American race relations in general during the late 1800s up until the 1950s, and how they changed during these periods. Woodward convincingly shows that, even under slavery, the two races had not been divided as they were under the Jim Crow laws of the 1890s. In fact, during Reconstruction, there was considerable economic and political mixing of the races. The segregating of the races was relatively a new concept to the area. The time in our history when laws of segregation arose is referred to as the Jim Crow system and the laws, the Jim Crow laws. Thomas D. Rice wrote a song and dance in 1832 called 'Jim Crow,' and that is where the term originated."
Tags: history, reconstruction, slavery, woodward, division, society, north, south
This paper outlines the history of affirmative action starting in the 60s up to present; it is an unbiased argumentative paper on whether affirmative action is still needed.
1,557 words (approx. 6.2 pages), 6 sources, 2001, $ 51.95
Abstract This paper discusses discrimination and the history of affirmative action in combating it. The author mentions various presidents in American history and their attempts to make a difference in leveling the playing field for all races. Pros and cons for affirmative action are presented by the author.
From the Paper "For many years minorities were discriminated against in the job market. People in our country felt something must be done to fix this problem in our society. That solution was affirmative action. Affirmative action is a group of policies used by the United States to give minorities jobs and job advancement opportunities by favoring them (Encarta). This affirmative action is in place to make up for years of discrimination in the past, either by the country as a whole or specific companies. The history of affirmative action is a long and interesting one."
This essay discusses the Cherokee Indians, and the Trail of Tears they trekked across to reach the Indian Reservations that the United States government placed them in.
Abstract This paper talks about the background of the Cherokee Indians, the Indian Removal Act, the removal forts they were put into, and the trail of tears they trudged on, and symbols that symbolize the trail of tears and the pain the Cherokee Indians endured. The author includes several maps in the paper.
From the Paper 'In the 1800s, the Cherokee Indians were forced off their ancestral lands in Georgia and coerced to march the long, bitter journey to Oklahoma, where the government had decided they should live. This journey became known as the "Trail of Tears" for the grief it caused the Cherokee. It was called "Nunna dual Tsuny" by the tribe, which literally meant the "Trail Where They Cried". The Cherokee were a friendly tribe, but were stripped of justice as they were made to trudge hundreds of miles in bad weather; many were treated brutally, and many died either in concentration camps or on the trail itself."
An examination of the controversy which has swept across America since the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional.
Abstract This paper examines the trend in America to totally separate religion from the state in as many ways as possible. The writer presents arguments for and against the recent court ruling calling the phrase "under God" as unconstitutional. Critics argue that the reference to God infringes on their personal freedoms, while supporters argue that the reference is part of the greater American character, and that the Court's decision simply reflects the views of a small, vocal minority of Americans.
From the Paper "Supporters of the 9th Court's ruling argue that the phrase amounts to a government endorsement of a specific religion, and is in direct opposition to the constitution that guarantees religious freedom. Critics of the 9th Court's decision, argue that the religious content of the phrase "under God" is minimal, and that the Court's decision paves the way for the removal of all religious references from the Constitution, the Star Spangled Banner and other quintessentially American areas. Critics argue that the Court's decision is the worst kind of political correctness, and simply reflects the will of a small minority, imposed on the rights of the large majority of Americans who want the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance."
Tags: religion, court, state, united, minority, character, freedom, expression, infringement
The paper examines the way that the judiciary is empowered with the freedom to act in opposition to the wishes of the electorate using judicial activism, unlike the political branches who must follow the wishes of the voters.
Abstract The paper discusses how judicial activism is necessary because some issues are too difficult for the political branches of the government to confront. It examines how advocates of the opposing theory of "judicial restraint" hold that the judiciary should follow precedent carefully and defer to legislative decisions. It also analyzes the reasons the system of governmental checks and balances and judicial review was set up.
From the Paper "Another important principle implicit in the Framers' writings and actions was that no branch of the government is infallible and this must be seen to apply to the majority of voters, whose will is expressed through their elected representatives, as much as it applies to the un-kingly presidency and the nonpartisan judiciary. Thus the will of the majority in various states was that schools be segregated by race and the rules of these localities codified this expressed wish of the majority which resulted in a status quo in which white and black children were educated separately and, according to advocates of the system, equally. Strict adherence to the will of the majority and to the right of states to decide their own course of action would have meant that the Supreme Court could only decide in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that the majority's wishes must be respected. The decision to order desegregation, however, was based on no explicit Constitutional basis but on the finding that "government-supported racial discrimination violates the principle of equal justice under the law" (Patterson 425). Although this was widely perceived as a case in which the Constitutional principle could not be denied it should also be understood as a textbook case of the need for judicial review and the invalidating of laws that are unconstitutional."
Abstract This paper explores the book by James C. Curtis entitled "Andrew Jackson and the Search for Vindication". This book suggests that Jackson's presidency and the decisions made therein were done more to please as many people as possible rather than to ensure the good of the country.
Abstract This paper presents an argument in support of the right of civilians to bear arms in America. It states that misleading information is used to support gun control and refutes some of the common myths. It explains the historical evidence regarding unarmed citizens and looks at the importance of guns in self-defense.
From the Paper "It is not an eye opening fact; guns used by people kill more people than guns by themselves. Yet politicians want to ban guns that look as if they may be more dangerous than other guns, and even more radical, ban guns altogether. NRAILA.ORG quotes Josh Sugarman, leader of the radical Violence Policy Center as saying, ?The public's confusion over fully-automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons ? anthing that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun ? we can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons.? (n.p.) Guns have been an important tool in our country, both in the survival of early setters, and in our independence. In fact, without guns the United States of America would have probably continued to be held by the British. Militias during the establishment of our country are obviously the reasoning placed behind the Second Amendment. In the absence of an established military, it was the responsibility of a militia to defend the country. While the threat of an invasion by another country may not be as much of a concern in modern times, gun control overlooks too many of the benefits of an armed civilian."
Abstract This research paper argues that immigration in the U.S. has reached a crisis and we need to rethink our immigration policies. The paper briefly touches on the history of immigration, present immigration problems such as illegals, expert opinions, and ends with a call for an immigration moratorium.
Abstract A look at Martin Luther King Jr. A brief overview of his life and work in politics. The author gives a personal opinion about his impacts and contributions, and for his fight for freedom, equality and for the general understanding of justice.
From the Paper "I see King as a great visionary and a person who valued humanity and people for what they were worth. I admire his self-sacrifice and his courage to be controversial and be always outside comfort. As a journalist who must always step out of the comfort zone, I know how difficult that is. But I cannot comprehend what would it be like to be uncomfortable and constantly risk your life. I think there are very few people in history who put their beliefs and the interests of other people before their own, and there are only a few people who are willing to risk being unpopular and controversial while risking their well-being. Unfortunately, without those kinds of people big history cannot be made and changes are not possible."
Abstract An examination of the the Electoral College and the support and opposition that exists for it. The author discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the Electoral College arguing that the Electoral College is the best and most systematic and fair way to run elections. Included is a background to the Electoral College and a thorough description of its formation and duties.
) Why do we have the Electoral College?
2) The Founding Fathers disputed how the president would be chosen
i) By direct vote of the people
ii) By Congress
b) Compromised with the Electoral College
c) Thesis Statement
3) Description of the Electoral College
a) How many there are
b) How they are chosen
c) How the people vote for them
d) How the President is voted for
4) The Electoral College has opposition
a) Electors don"t have to vote the way they pledged
b) There can be a tie in the Electoral College
b) The popular vote winner may lose the election
5) There can be a tie
a) How there can be a tie
b) Why it could be a problem
6) Electors don"t have to vote the way they pledged
a) The states and their penalties
b) An Example of an elector changing his mind
c) Why it could be a problem
7) The popular vote winner may be the loser
a) How it is happening in this election
b) A past example
c) Hillary's promise to abolish the Electoral College
d) What would happen without the Electoral College
8) Oppositions solution is to abolish the Electoral College
a) Why it should be abolished
i) A possible tie
ii) Electors can change their vote
iii) The popular vote winner losing the election
b) Why the Electoral College should not be abolished
i) One problem can be fixed
ii) Another has a solution
iii) The last is not really a problem
9) A possible tie
a) Unlikely because each state would have to go a specific way
b) The solution that is already made
10) Electors can change their minds
a) Only 9 of over 18,000 have
b) It is hard to get an elector to change his or her mind
c) The solution is to pass a law
11) The minority may win the election
a) The Electoral College forces candidates to include more people than if there is no Electoral College.
b) Without it, the election would be decided by people that lived in the large cities
c) Small communities would?t be significant enough for candidates to use their campaign money
d) The majority of the US would be left out
e) Why every vote counts in the Electoral College
12) The Electoral College is the best way to run an election
a) The elector flaw can be fixed
b) There is already a solution to the tie problem
c) The majority losing is better than only letting big cities have a say in the election
From the Paper "You don"t know? What do you mean you don"t know"? Gore has already won the popular vote! Three weeks later, and the US doesn"t know who the 43rd president will be! Each candidate is still scrambling to get the 270 Electoral votes needed to win. But, if Gore has the most votes, why is there still a race" What are these Electoral votes? When our Founding Fathers were setting the policies for the elections, there was a debate. Some said the election of the President should come directly from the people; others said the people could not handle the responsibility, and Congress should do it. They compromised, and came up with the Electoral College. A couple hundred years later, the Electoral College is still in use, and there is support and opposition for it."
This paper delves into those attributes of a society that define our stations in life. The author points out that society is cut up into divisions created by wealth and/or social class.
1,085 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 2 sources, 1999, $ 37.95
Abstract This paper delves into those attributes of a society that define our stations in life. The author points out that society is cut up into divisions created by wealth and/or social class. The divisions create stratifications, or inequalities.
From the Paper "In all societies there will always be differences in wealth and power among people. These people can be divided into groups based on these differences. This division is called stratification, and because of this, different members of the groups of people will have access to different resources and opportunities. These groups are arranged in what is called a hierarchy, in which one or sometimes several of these groups considers themselves better than the other groups (Hunt and Colander 211). This is important to the society because some roles can only be played by a certain type of class member. Two of the most common ways people are divided into stratifications are by their economic class or their social class."
Abstract This paper details the roots and causes of the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 90's. The author discusses some of the economic conditions responsible for the crisis and the various countries involved.
From the Paper "Some economic analysts have described the Asian financial crisis as one of the worst financial disasters to occur in history. These same economists argue that the Asian financial crisis was far worse than the Latin American debt crisis and could be likened to the great depression of the 1930?s. While not any one specific cause can attempt to explain the reason for the crisis, a number of factors during this time frame existed that helped to facilitate the collapse of the Asian economy. Each country affected by the crisis had different impending circumstances for being vulnerable to this predicament during that time period. The crisis began in a few concentrated countries in southeastern Asia and by the end had propagated throughout many of the countries located in Asia bringing devastating affects."
Abstract This paper discusses some of the many issues that have been raised in the debate between the protection of civil liberties and national security that has arisen since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. The paper looks at how and why the framers of the U.S. Constitution made the protection of civil liberties such an important part of the moral fabric of the country and how this may have in some way contributed to the difficulties in preventing such a devastating attack. The question of what needs to be done in order to prevent this from happening again, including discussion that may require changes in this basic tenet in American society, is also discussed. The author looks at some proposals for increased national security including profiling, that may, because of the nature of the Constitution, become impossible to enact. The paper also discusses why these changes must become necessary in order to protect the population against forces in society that were not in existence at the time the framers wrote the Constitution.
From the Paper "With the attacks of the World Trade Center the society saw the government investigators beginning to randomly eavesdrop on phone calls. They began to read mails that had before remained confidential; suspects were rounded up in thousands and detained without warrants and without any charges being made against them. New rules have since been established that claim that the administration has the right to monitor the communication that is considered with "reasonable suspicion". Racial profiling is being done as the FBI questions foreign nations within US soil on different visa statuses. Lists are drawn up and any person with even a remote link to the nations of the terrorist network al-Qaida is being rounded up. Justice officials say the men, all age 18 to 33 and with nonimmigrant visas, are not suspects but are wanted for voluntary interviews."
