Abstract An analysis of how weapons have developed in the 20th century and the affect that they have had on the many wars fought in this century. It gives examples of different types of explosives, firearms, tanks, aeroplanes, submarines etc and explains how each of these has changed the character of war and battles.
From the Paper "Wars have always varied from one era to another, and one major reason for that variance is the weaponry of that time. Strategies and weapons revolve around the technology of the time. In the Twentieth Century there were many new weapons invented, which significantly changed the ways wars that were fought. These weapons range from handheld grenades, to nuclear warheads. They also include new transportation modes such as submarines or airplanes. Each weapon affected wars, some more profoundly than others. "
Abstract In the following essay the writer reviews research articles and discusses how affirmative action affects those who go to college. This paper focuses on the African American college population.
From the Paper "When the economy is booming there are jobs everywhere we look and the employers are so desperate to hire help that they barely glance at the resume before making an offer. However as soon as the economy begins to slow as it has been lately, the education of the applicants becomes the deciding factor in many cases."
Tags: jobs, resume, economy, affirmative, action, minority, community, prestigious, professional
Abstract This paper seeks to reduce some of the issues that are peripherally associated with gun control to look more directly at the issue itself and to argue that while there are certainly legitimate arguments to be made for limiting the ways in which governments can limit gun control, there are far more important and compelling arguments on the side of the importance to all citizens of limiting access to weaponry.
From the Paper "Gun control either has everything to do with the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution or nothing at all. There is very little common ground on the issue and it may be the most politically divisive issue other than abortion rights and capital punishment in American politics. Like one's stand on abortion, one's beliefs on gun control are seen as a litmus test for an entire constellation of other political issues for both those people running for office and for private citizens. And while this view is in some ways simplistic, it is also fairly accurate, for the more tightly a person wants guns controlled, the more progressive she or he is likely to be in all other political matters, while those favoring liberality in terms of gun control tend to be politically conservative. However it is also true that this link between beliefs about gun control and beliefs about other issues makes it difficult for people with differing ideas on gun control to find any common ground."
Abstract This paper describes the need for fighting drug use in America. It details the facts on different drugs, illegal drug use. It also details drug addiction and the effects it has on people. The paper studies the three basic categories of health risk of Drug Abuse: simple side effects, overdose, and the ability to react correctly to danger. It describes the efforts America has made to render drugs illegal. It discusses the comparison of drugs to alcohol and the necessity of rendering all drugs illegal.
From the Paper "The South is no longer trying to secede. The Germans aren?t going to bomb us; the Great Depression has been relieved; the "Japs" have been bombed; and the communist scare is over. Cuba is just an island nation now, and only threatens us with prepubescent refugees. However, no nation can keep its citizens happy for long without some kind of external threat -- something to explain the high taxes and low public services. So it is that at the dawn of the new millennium, America finds itself facing one of the greatest dangers known to mankind: mind altering drugs. To protect itself, the nation is waging an expensive, high-profile, and full-out war on drugs. "
Tags: Drugs, America, Addiction, DEA, legal, illegal, Abuse, health
Abstract A look at some programs of change that have been implemented in schools recently. The writer focuses on the trend of School Improvement Teams (SIT's) which have began taking the improvement of the school into their own hands and which is comprised of locals and staff of the specific school. This paper follows the team's work step by step.
From the Paper "Between federal, state, and popular mandates, schools have overwhelming heard a demand for change. Society is both more technologically advanced, and more sociologically varied than it was 50 or even 20 years ago when most of the programs in use today were being conceived. Many reforms have been talked about, and many schools have been ordered to implement them. Some have even tried. Despite all this, the effects of change are neither widespread nor readily visible. To the contrary, the number of at-risk students "now constitute thirty percent of the school population" (Hord, 1990). It appears that all the best intentions in the world have left school with much the same teaching styles and failings that were in practice decades ago. The main problem, however, does not seem to be with the programs themselves, but rather with their application."
Abstract The author describes how privatization can help reduce taxes. Concerns of privatization are addressed such as cost, improving benefit to citizens, reducing paperwork and red tape within the agency, and creating job opportunities in the region. The paper also addresses the controversy surrounding privatization including debate over security federalization and efforts to privatize as well as the involvement of politics. The author finds that the issue of the success of privatization is still questionable and it depends on the government's implementation.
From the Paper "In the past two decades increasing bureaucracy and bloated budgets have prompted some governmental groups to look for solutions to keep spending on target and to better serve citizens. One of the solutions tried numerous times and in numerous ways is the privatization of various services. Although privatization has been around in some form for centuries, it's only been in recent years that it's picked up so much popularity -- and so much controversy. From golf courses to schools, prisons to water authorities, there isn't an area that the government hasn't attempted to fix through the involvement of private companies."
Tags: Privatization, politics, federalization, taxes, budget, bureaucracy, government
Abstract This paper looks at standards for emergency service workers in the United States. It focuses on two organizations and their work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which regulates standards for emergency service workers in the United States and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Some of the safety issues of concern to firefighters, paramedics and health workers include respirator use, needlestick safety, safety codes for buildings containing hazardous materials, training methods and the monitoring of new technologies.
From the Paper "To make the OSHA standards on respirators even more effective, the agency has also suggested a number of accompanying procedures, including a written plan with worksite-specific procedures to tailor program to each worksite; hazard evaluation to characterize respiratory hazards and conditions of work to assist in selecting appropriate respirators; medical evaluation to determine ability of workers to wear respirators; fit testing of tight-fitting respirators required to reduce faceseal leakage and ensure that the respirators provide adequate protection; training required to ensure that employees use respirators safely and periodic program evaluation required to ensure that respirator use continues to be effective (www.osha.gov). It should be clear from these OSHA regulations that while a great deal of the risks must be dealt with while actually fighting fires, a good deal of this risk can be reduced through thoughtful and thorough training procedures."
Abstract This paper takes an exploratory journey through the topic of immigration to the U.S. and focuses on Charlotte, North Carolina. The reader is given an foundation on understanding the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Services) and how it operates as well as information about immigrants in the Charlotte area, both documented and non-documented.
From the Paper "The letters INS stand for Immigration and Naturalization Services. Its purpose is to document and legalize immigrants who come migrate to other nations to live and to work. The INS started in the 1800's when the government decided that America had a policy of immigration that was to free and to open.
"After certain states passed immigration laws following the Civil War, the Supreme Court in 1875 declared that regulation of immigration is a Federal responsibility. Thus, as the number of immigrants rose in the 1880s and economic conditions in some areas worsened, Congress began to issue immigration legislation. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and Alien Contract Labor laws of 1885 and 1887 prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to the United States. The more general Immigration Act of 1882 levied a head tax of fifty cents on each immigrant and blocked (or excluded) the entry of idiots, lunatics, convicts, and persons likely to become a public charge. These national immigration laws created the need for a Federal enforcement agency .""
Abstract This paper examines what life is like for the average person in Russia from a social, economic and cultural point of view since the collapse of the Communist rule. It shows how the potential small business market has been booming due to holes left in the economy. The paper also discusses health care and education and moves on to the state of the government and their move to democracy.
From the Paper "What kind of life you have in present day Russia will depend on your source of income. Since Glasnost (which means "openness"), one is reminded of the Chinese character for ?crisis,? which consists of the characters for "danger" and ?opportunity.? Russia has experienced both positives and negatives since Glasnost that have impacted on the everyday life of Russian citizens. How Glasnost affects any one citizen, however, depends on how he or she fits into the new economy. Those who are tied to the Russian government, such as military people, have suffered under Glasnost. The government does not have enough money to pay military salaries, and both officers and enlisted men have gone without salaries for months at a time."
Abstract An examination on how human rights are violated in Russian prisons from the time of interrogation, to pre-trial detainment, to the time of post-trial detainment. Problems include devastating overcrowding, rampant spread of diseases, lack of medical treatment, lack of adequate nutrition and exercise and horrible physical abuse.
From the Paper "Although Russia had made noticeable progress in human rights over the past few years, it must do more to improve prison conditions. Human rights are violated from the time of interrogation, to pre-trial detainment, to the time of post-trial detainment. The immense size of the Russian prison population and the lack of adequate funding from the Russian government lead to all sorts of horrible conditions in prisons. Devastating overcrowding, rampant spread of diseases, lack of medical treatment, lack of adequate nutrition and exercise, and horrible physical abuse are just some of the problems that the Russian government needs to work on."
Tags: abuse, brutality, guard, health, police, prisoner, problems, rights
Abstract This paper takes a look at the problem of homeless people in Florida. It provides a thorough outline of numbers and locations of the homeless and analyzes trends of increased figures in certain areas. It then discusses the causes of this phenomena and examines what resources are available in order to help alleviate this problem. It looks at sources available from the state, charities and federal reserves.
Table of Contents
Introduction and Demographics
Causes
Resources ?Federal, State, Local
Needs
Closing
From the Paper "The state of Florida is faced with a serious crisis in which there is no easy solution. The state is currently failing to provide adequate shelter and affordable housing for its rapidly increasing homeless population.
According to the Department of Children and Families' most recent Florida Annual Report on Homeless Conditions in Florida, approximately 67,600 people are homeless on the streets of Florida on any given night. The same report reveals that there are 228 shelters throughout Florida that have a total of 8,561 available beds for homeless people, and an additional 11,122 beds are provided by transitional housing facilities. This means that the state of Florida is currently able to serve less than 30 percent of its homeless on a temporary basis. Permanent housing opportunities are even harder to come by."
Abstract A review of public policy issues surrounding homelessness, including history, Internet research and interviews with homeless people in a shelter in Cambridge, MA. It also discusses the lessons that can be learned from the moderately successful Massachusetts programs of the early eighties, and the lack of public interest in this issue, especially elite public interest.
From the Paper "Homelessness was first addressed in the early 1980's in reaction to the visibly increased homeless population, but interest has steadily decreased since government action was initially taken over a decade ago. In reevaluating public policy options, it is important to examine the causes of the problem and delegate authority to those best suited to solving it. Lessons can be learned from the moderately successful Massachusetts programs of the early eighties, but in order for that pluralistic model to work, public interest must be created by an elite source."
Tags: boston, cambridge, homeless, homelessness, interviews, massachussets, policy, public
Abstract This paper focuses on privatization of policing and corrections, providing a history of privatization. Particular attention is given to bounty hunter abuses and the state of privatized correctional facilities, which is supported by research and an interview with a consultant to a California state senator.
From the Paper "Privatization is the opposite of going public, which is the direction that many of our criminal justice agencies are heading toward. Privatization of policing and corrections are particular areas that have been experimenting with going private. Public agencies have been relying on private policing and correctional corporations to cut costs for services that state and federal agencies feel they cannot handle. There is an economic tug of war between politicians who are out to save money and eliminate state and federal spending abuses, while state and federal employees, particularly unions, are opposed. They believe that this cannot be achieved without reducing the quality of service and the elimination of much needed state and federal jobs. While these private companies are sometimes able to save money for state and federal agencies who are not able to provide these services in a way that is economically feasible, the officers who are losing jobs are up in arms."
Tags: corrections, policing, privatization, police, violence, crime, incarcination, prison, federal
An examination of a variety of restructuring plans that could prevent the current Social Security system to experience funding shortfalls in the next decade
Abstract The following paper discusses projections that the changing demographics of the American population will cause the current social security system to experience funding shortfalls in approximately a decade. This paper discusses the expected changes to the population and various solutions and opinions proposed by current economists, writers and politicians to stave off a threatened funding disaster.
From the Paper ?Social Security is a popular program; it has consistently pumped out millions of monthly checks for 44 million beneficiaries, has reduced poverty among seniors by two thirds over the last 40 years and has allowed people with disabilities to make ends meet (Consumer Reports, 2000).Social Security is a genuine contributor to the sturdiness of the economic system. It's a promise to pay, secured by Treasury securities, which in turn are secured by taxpayers. The government has to use the money currently pledged for whatever the citizens decide Social Security benefits should be (Quinn and Ehrenfeld, 2000).However, the system is not a large bank account in which taxpayers contributions are set aside to pay them back their own money when they retire, as many Americans incorrectly assume. Although 145 million Americans pay part of every paycheck into the Social Security system, the money becomes part of a social insurance program that collects money today and uses it to pay benefits today. Economists call that "pay as you go", but it is very similar to a Ponzi scheme. Ponzi was a swindler who represented that he had a way to make money by utilizing international postal coupons to take advantage of changes in currency exchange rates.?
Abstract This paper examines what has lead to a stable population growth in the United States. It looks at steps and programs taken by the government to ensure this trend continues and also looks at other factors beyond the government's control which could prove problematic in the future - immigration, longevity. The paper addresses the issues of sex education, quality of life and birth control.
From the Paper "The United States has managed to achieve a stable reproductive rate. That is, as of 1999, our fertility rate is 2.0, meaning that for each two adults we are having two children. (Carter, 1999) This has no doubt been accomplished because we have learned about how to apply population control within our families. However, it does not mean the United States will never have any problems with population growth in the future. The fertility rate doesn?t take immigration into consideration or the fact that many people are living many more years than they used to. It makes sense, then, to continue to concern ourselves about population growth."
