An examination of the evolution in the 20th century including the role of the 1910 Revolution, politics, leadership, reform, unions, strikes, government opposition and the impact of NAFTA.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 10 sources, 1994, $ 63.95
From the Paper "The Mexican labor movement began 10 year before the Mexican Revolution of 1910. The Constitution of 1917 embodied the aims of the Revolution by revising land ownership, by drafting a labor code, and by curtailing the power of the Roman Catholic Church..
In its effort to modernize the country, the Diaz regime--the government in power before the Revolution--embarked on a radically new agrarian policy. Joining ranks with local hacendados, it launched a campaign of large-scale expropriation of village lands and political subordination.. The regions most affected by this new policy were central and southern Mexico, first, because increased market production and new railroads had caused land values there to increase, and second, because most free villages were concentrated there. Initially, the campaign proved successful to the government, for..."
An examination of the importance of well educated citizenry in promoting democratic principles and practices (equality, tolerance, individual freedom and political participation).
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 6 sources, 1994, $ 47.95
From the Paper "Ignorance is the enemy of democracy. Unlike autocratic societies, a democratic political order requires a stable political culture of an informed citizenry, capable of freely making intellectual choices, and reared in tolerance for the viewpoints of others. Without such a culture, democracy will eventually collapse. The most important social force contributing to such a stable political culture is education.
The purpose of this research is to examine the importance of quality education to democracy. It is argued here that a welleducated society not only helps a democratic order function more effectively, a well-educated society is a pillar necessary to the very survival of democratic institutions. In order to address this issue, the nature of democracy will first be defined, followed by a discussion of how education is an imperative for..."
From the Paper "Scope of Illegal Immigration
The United States has been unable to stem the tide of illegal aliens who are estimated to number more than 3.5 million (Yang, 1994, p. 34). California absorbs more than 50 percent of the nation's illegal immigrants (Wagar, 1994, p. 4). Because of the burden this places on the state economy, California has been leading the call for a close review of federal immigration laws. However, other states like Arizona, Florida and Texas are asking for more federal funding to reimburse them for services spent on illegal aliens, such as medical care, imprisonment and education.
History of Illegal Immigration
One of the reasons why the illegal aliens have become so difficult to stop is an ideological problem in the United States concerning immigration. The U.S. government cannot determine whether it wishes..."
Compares the early 19th century formulation of individualistic, laissez-faire philosophy now known as Classical Liberalism with the intrusive, big government version that appeared in the late 19th century alongside.
3,825 words (approx. 15.3 pages), 5 sources, 1995, $ 135.95
Classical Liberalism
Liberalism or liberal democracy emerged as the political, economic, and social orthodoxy in most European countries from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, and continues to function as a political cultural, social, and intellectual orthodoxy in the mid- and late 20th century. However, liberalism has not remained static in character during this period. Instead, it has evolved according to the circumstance and changing values of contemporary times. Historians of philosophy have separated the evolution of liberalism into two schools. The first or original school has been labeled classical liberalism and is characterized by concerns for the equal rights of ..."
An in depth examination of the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Analyzes the evidence and expert claims concerning both the One Bomb Theory and the Multiple Bomb Theory.
2,475 words (approx. 9.9 pages), 7 sources, 1995, $ 87.95
From the Paper "Purpose Statement
The purpose of this analysis is to present an alternative interpretation of what actually happened in Oklahoma City. This discussion draws together the evidence that two or more explosions took place in the Alfred P. Murrah federal building. If such evidence proves to be credible then the federal government's one-bomb theory is thrown into serious question, and this terrorist act would have to be completely re-examined.
On April, 19, 1995, powerful explosions destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. One hundred sixty-eight people died as a result of this terrorist attack (Quayle, 1995). Within hours the FBI had captured a suspect named Timothy McVeigh and within days they arrested an army friend of his, named Terry Nichols, as an alleged accomplice. The FBI and ..."
From the Paper "In the American system of government there is a division of power between the states and the federal government that is embodied in the United States Constitution. At different times in our history, relative levels of power may shift from one to the other, but at all times there are certain functions relegated to the states and certain functions that are handled in Washington, D.C. One of the themes in American political history is federalism as seen in various arguments over whether the balance of power has shifted too much one way or the other, with some believing that all power should devolve to the states, with the federal government performing only a few tasks, such as the national defense, while others see a much stronger role for the federal government based on ideas of fairness and equity so that a citizen can move from one state to another and find essentially ..."
From the Paper "The decision about whether to tighten or loosen restrictions on immigration should be based on economics. The key issue is the extent of immigrant contribution to the economy. In the past, U.S. policy on immigration has often been inconsistent and contradictory. Whereas, many Americans recognize the benefits of immigration, an increasing number do not. Consequently, immigration has been blamed for many of this country's ills ranging from the increased burden on social services to decreased employment opportunities for native-born Americans. As one social scientist puts it, "The conflicting views and attitudes about immigration explain America's inability to devise and execute a coherent immigration policy" (Reimers, 1985, p. 252). It is time for the United States to set forth clear policies regarding this hotly debated issue."
From the Paper "The so-called XYZ Affair occured at the end of the eighteenth century when the new American nation came into conflict with the French over a diplomatic scandal. The problem derived from the ascension to power of Talleyrand, whose methods of dealing with foreign nations included seeking bribes as a cost of doing business. This was a major ethical issue for the new nation, which was only developing its political culture and the structures within which its government would operate. The XYZ affair would nearly involve America in a war with France, so in no way was this a minor matter. President John Adams was much affected in his administration by this situation.
The basic details of the issue were not in dispute. President Adams sent three ministers to France in 1797 to negotiate a commercial agreement to protect U.S. shipping. The ..."
Abstract This paper is a biography which discusses the issue of whether politician Huey Long should be considered a genius or a monster. The paper gives examples of Long's praise and criticisms as well as describes Long's ability to connect with the common man and to manipulate the political system to get elected, to govern, and to hide his unsavory activities from the public eye.
From the Paper "Huey Long was a populist who rose rapidly in politics in Louisiana. He was the eighth of nine children born to Huey and Caledonia Tyson Long in 1893 on a farm near Winnfield, Louisiana. His childhood was notable, for he did not distinguish himself either academically or athletically. As he grew to adulthood, he emerged as an accomplished salesman, an ability which would hold him in good stead when the product he began selling was himself. He spent some time peddling cooking oil door"to"door through the backwoods of Louisiana. He married Rose McConnell at age nineteen and entered Tulane University's law school in New Orleans, and he passed the bar exam only seven?months after enrolling. He practiced law for three years in Winnfield, Long before he began his political career by running for a seat on the Louisiana Railroad Commission, which he won by tirelessly campaigning among the country people he had first visited as a salesman. By 1924, Huey was set to become governor. He was considered a "brilliant if somewhat rambling orator" and "again focused his campaign efforts on the country folk whose language and ways he understood so well."
Abstract The paper shows how the American women's right movements has developed into official gender equality since its beginnings in the eighteenth century. It traces the movement from the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 and discusses how women's struggle for suffrage finally resulted in the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in 1920 which gave women the right to vote. The paper follows an improvement in women's rights through the Great Depression and the Second World War and the emergence of the feminist movement in the 1960's. Finally, the paper looks at recent years, with the most notable achievement of the movement being the financial liberation of women.
From the Paper "In the 150 years since that first, landmark Women's Rights Convention, women have made clear progress in the areas addressed by Elizabeth Cady Stanton in her revolutionary Declaration of Sentiments. Not only have women won the right to vote; we are being elected to public office at all levels of government. In the world of work, large numbers of women have entered the professions, the trades, and businesses of every kind. We have opened the ranks of the clergy, the military, and the newsroom. More than three million women now work in occupations considered "nontraditional" until very recently (Hess 201). We have a lot to be proud of in this heroic legacy, and a great deal to celebrate on the 150th Anniversary of the founding of the Women's Rights Movement."
Abstract The paper shows that Machiavelli's famous treatise "The Prince" is essentially a how-to manual for those seeking to gain and maintain power. The paper discusses that while he is not without an appreciation of justice and virtue, Machiavelli doesn't give much consideration to the morality of taking power, but to the nuts and bolts that a leader must pay mind to if he is going to be an effective leader. The paper shows that while Machiavelli considers leaders, including tyrants, from the point of view of the leader, both Plato in his "Republic" and Aristotle in "Politics" looked at them more from a sociological point of view. For them, the question was not about the individual but about the society in which leaders would come and go.
From the Paper "For Plato, the Timarchy is produced by children who value themselves just for their honor along with their ability to apply force as necessary. On the other hand, an oligarchy is produced by greedy children who figure to use their force to become wealthy. A democracy, the most heinous of institutions to Plato, is created by those children who think being citizens gives them a right to wealth and power. Tyranny is produced by those controlled by their impulse and the resulting chaos is over only when power is consolidated in the hands of one. For Plato, a tyrant is one who by the use of forces takes whatever he wants and usually what he wants is more power."
Abstract The paper explores how cutting taxes may ultimately be an important strategy in reducing the federal debt of the United States. The federal debt has been a long standing concern of American citizens, politicians and economists. Today, the federal government faces a projected gross federal debt of $6,118,364 million in 2005. The paper shows how governments have traditionally taken the stance of increasing taxes or cutting spending in order to reduce the deficit. These attempts have largely failed due to unanticipated budget concerns. It explores how, in traditional attempts to reduce the debt, cutting taxes was thought to be a way to decrease national revenues, thus potentially increasing the debt. However, many economists are now considering that cutting taxes may help to stimulate the economy, paradoxically resulting in increased taxation revenue through higher employment and better wages. The paper examines how tax cuts may prove to be a way to increase revenues, thus potentially providing a means to reduce the federal debt. It also examines President Bush's Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA, designed to cut taxes, reduce the debt, and stimulate the national economy.
From the Paper "Critics however, argue that EGTRRA will ultimately fail. They note that misrepresentations in federal budgeting overestimate budget surpluses, including mistakes in long term costs of retirement programs from a budgeted $5.6 trillion to a mere 1.6 trillion. Further, they note that EGTRRA will reduce revenues through tax cuts. Ultimately, the critics argue that the combination of a decreased budget surplus and tax cuts will sink the EGTRRA (Gale and Potter).
If the critics are correct, and the EGTRRA fails, the government will be forced to increase taxes, reduce spending, or increase the public debt. As such, plans to reduce taxes may once again result in increased federal debt."
Abstract In this paper the writer examines the work of Kant and Mill. Kant is presented as one the great philosophers of the enlightenment period and the focus is on his two works, "The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals" and "The Critique of Practical Reason". The paper also explores Mill's "On Liberty and Utilitarianism". Mill was a British philosopher associated with the Utilitarian school of thought. The paper discusses the position of each philosopher in regards to ethics and morality. It highlights their similarities and differences.
From the Paper "Immanuel Kant was perhaps the most influential philosopher after Aristotle. Like Aristotle he made a significant impact on different areas of philosophy. Considering the fact that it is rare for a philosopher in any period to make great impact in any one subject, Kant was perhaps the greatest philosopher of the Enlightenment period. The influence of Kant's ethical theory is perhaps more than his work in epistemology and metaphysics and it is still debated in the academics and scholarly circles around the world".
Abstract This paper examines the use of negative campaigning mentioning how Abraham Lincoln, one of the most respected politicians in history, resorted to mudslinging, the most popular form of negative campaigning. The author defines negative campaigning, gives examples, gives various views of negative campaigning, looks at its different aspects, illustrates how it works, and looks at its negative effects.
From the Paper "The United States has a history of negative campaigning that is hard to shake. Abraham Lincoln, who is considered one of the most respected politicians in history, resorted to mudslinging, the most popular from of negative campaigning, during his career (Swint, 1998). Lincoln often mocked and mimicked his opponent's appearance, speech and mannerisms during campaigns.
But the politicians are simply giving their audience what consultants and some researchers say is most effective.
To date, there is inconclusive evidence that negative campaigning will lead to backlash from voters. In fact, many researchers say that negative campaigning makes voters feel more secure in their decisions about candidates. Additional research shows that the use of negative campaigning provides candidates with a larger audience and creates more of an impact on voters."
Abstract This paper explores the history of the American political system. The paper outlines the major shift made by American politics in the era after the war of 1812 and before the onset of the Civil War. The change from a political system of deference to one with two political parties fighting hard for the spoils of every election, is illustrated. The paper discusses the constitutional constraints and institutional reforms that have produced a weak party system in the United States.
From the Paper "It was not inevitable that America develop a two-party political system, though political parties today do serve a number of important roles in the political and social structure of the nation. The Republicans and the Democrats have been the two parties for more than a century, though these were not the first political parties in the nation. In truth, the Founding Fathers did not want political parties and so excluded them from the Constitution. They did believe that factions would develop, and avoiding the damage factions could do was one reason political parties were not included in the Constitution. Madison wrote about the near-inevitability of factions in The Federalist Papers, and he said that the causes of faction are part of the nature of the human being. Political parties did indeed develop in the new country, and it appears that this was easily predicted given the tendency of the individual to seek others of like mind and to attempt concerted action where possible. The nature of parties changed over time--in the beginning they were loose alliances among compatible members of congress in support of or in opposition to the president (Reiter 52-53). Later, they would become stronger and more institutionalized."
