Abstract The question itself defines a conflict which pits, on the one side the welfare state as a thing that "prevents a permanent and possibly underclass." The other side demands the end of the Welfare state because, simply enough, it is too expensive and "undermines individual initiative." This paper takes up a third position; namely that even a very brief recollection of the history of the welfare state will show it is inevitable, not merely possible.
Abstract This paper discusses the Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway, known locally as "The Gardiner", which is an expressway that connects downtown Toronto to its suburbs in the west. The paper specifically discusses the economic, social and environmental effects that would exist if the expressway is dismantled according to various policy plans. The paper also looks at the reasons for the proposal, including the rejuvenation of the waterfront. The paper argues that dismantling the expressway would have negative economic, social, and environmental effects.
Table of Contents:
Problem Definition
Background and Policy Context
Policy Alternatives
Evaluation of Policy Alternatives
Recommendations
From the Paper "Another negative impact that burying of the Gardiner Expressway will have is its influence on the natural ecosystems that are around and under the city of Toronto. Under the city, there are buried creeks and waterways that traverse and go out into the lake that have their origins in the Oak Ridges Moraine north of the city (The Toronto Star, 2000). The process of "dewatering" the areas where the buried Gardiner would situate would be detrimental to these buried creeks and their natural flow into the lake. As a result, these waterways could back up over the years and the rising groundwater could pose severe damage to existing infrastructures to the north of the expressway (The Toronto Star, 2000). There are other problems that are associated with digging up the soils that lie beneath the Gardiner Expressway. Contaminants could be present in the soil, and as a result these contaminants could pose a threat to the ecosystems that they would be placed in while construction is undertaken. Some of the lands where the Gardiner is situated on used to be industrial sites, which means some may still contain contaminants. The soil would have to be treated to get rid of the harmfulness before it is put back, which would cost the city money."
This paper argues against the conclusions of Gary Orfield's book ?Dismantling Desegregation?, that segregation is slowly becoming the norm again in many communities.
Abstract This paper explains that Orfield is making an argument for entitlement: All students are entitled to the same educational opportunities and that measures must be taken to ensure that children, especially black children, are not forsaken these opportunities. The author feels that Orfield fails to make the distinction between racial segregation and the social or market forces that compel poor blacks to live in the same neighborhood. The author cites that in the two cases of Grutter vs. Bollinger and Gratz vs. Bollinger, the Supreme Court questioned the very notion that the government should allow state-funded institutions to maintain race-based methods of selection to insure the diversity of an applicant pool.
From the Paper "Orfield is quick to demonize Nixon, Reagan, and Bush, who are all coincidentally Republican conservatives, for trying to turn back the clock on desegregation. Orfield finally does refer to bussing in the context of the Green decision and the Keyes and Swann decision, he calls it ?student transportation as a means for integration.? (pg. 6) Because most students of this phenomenon know the process as ?bussing,? one can assume that his failure to use this term is deliberate. However, we are left unsure as to whether his deliberate omission of the term is due to a possible negative connotation of the word, or a general distaste for clich?s. To omit the word ?bussing,? given its negative connotation in the eyes of those that have live with and experienced it, would be to engage in a shrewd charade of semantic manipulation. We are inclined to argue in favor of objectivity in that he also eschews the phrase ?turn back the clock.? He cleverly sidesteps this one by naming the chapter ?Turning Back to Desegregation,? leaving out the beloved clock."
Abstract This paper examines how terrorism is a global problem that most Americans only vaguely recognized prior to September 11th. It looks at the changes in American policy regarding terrorism and what has become known as President Bush's "War on Terror." It examines initiatives undertaken such as freezing terrorist funding and "Operation Enduring Freedom" which dismantled the Al-Qaeda center of operations in Afghani capital city Kabul by expelling the Taliban and taking Qaeda combatants into custody. It evaluates the problems in dismantling international terrorist groups due to networking coordination and implication that the war on terror may be too big to fight in the fashion with which we have thus far pursued it.
From the Paper "After his expulsion from Saudi Arabia in the early 1980?s, bin Laden found a bastion for his views in the arms of the Taliban, hardcore Islamic governing body of Afghanistan. Bin Laden contributed largely to an Afghani resistance of Soviet incursion both from his own inheritance, an amount disputed to be anywhere between thirty and three hundred million, and with Reagan administration assistance, both in terms of finance and arms. Since that time, Al Qaeda has steadily grown in influence and economic strength. A rising Third-World disenfranchisement from and distaste for imperialist Western foreign policies has incited a healthy dose of international animosity, which in many ways is centered in the oft slighted Moslem populations of the world."
An overview of the history of the Jews in Russia, including the radical actions taken to stop the growth and existence of Jewish culture and its current resurgence.
Abstract This paper looks at how, during the past two decades, the former Soviet Union has gone through many different changes, with the biggest one being the dismantling of its very existence and government and the slow process of rebuilding it from the ground up. It examines how, in the former Soviet Union, there were many strict rules, and the heavy arm of Communism was felt throughout the state. One of the things that was heavily mandated was the freedom of religion. It explores how the Jewish faith encountered severe opposition in the Soviet Union for many years and how, with the dismantling of the Soviet Union, the question of religious freedom has again raised its head and how the Russian Jewish heritage is again taking a turn in the road. It shows how after a century of being attacked, ignored, oppressed, and punished, it is beginning to come alive and be recognized as a growing and active faith among the Russian residents who are Jewish.
From the Paper "By the early 1800's Nicholas was in control and decided he was going to handle the Jewish problem once and for all. He used suppression and cohesion to do his work and ordered thousands of Jewish youth into the army. The youths ranged from 12-25 years old. This move caused significant problems in the Jewish communities as it demoralized and angered those who were forced to give up their children for an army to defend a nation that treated them like second class citizens. It became a tug of war with the Jewish parents refusing to send their sons and the government sending in what were called "snatchers" to steal them away and make them join."
Abstract In this article, the writer explores several of the key factors that contributed to the era of the Soviet Union's control of Eastern Europe and discusses them. The writer points out that more than a decade ago, the Soviet Union made the decision to completely dismantle its government structure and begin rebuilding. The writer then describes how the world watched in awe as the initial steps began and for the past 10 years has watched the Soviet Union struggle as it tries to find its way in the unfamiliar world of democracy. The writer concludes that the Soviet Union realized that it could not maintain success nor could it properly care for its people if it maintained its communist regime. The writer looks at how it dismantled its structure and provided freedom to the nations that it occupied for so long and at the same time has been working toward a democratic way of life.
Outline:
Introduction
How the Soviet Union Maintained Control
Conclusion
References
From the Paper "The Soviet Union refused to allow any hope of independent political interests or parties. In addition, there was no criticism of the communist party allowed. To do so brought swift and severe punishment that could include prison or death.
Stalin also imposed his own ideals about economics. He created and designed a socialist economic model that the nations were expected to follow. All means of production and wealth were owned and controlled by the government. This meant that factories, farms, mines and any other method of making money was controlled by and owned by the government which was in turn ruled by the Soviet Union. This allowed the Soviet Union to maintain complete control over every aspect of those nations' economics."
Abstract The paper describes Sherman's vicious and destructive campaign to dismantle the forces of Confederate resistance along the 300 mile march to the sea. The paper shows how President Lincoln needed Sherman's march to be as effective and destructive as possible in order to dismantle the psychological and physical tie that kept the southern people and its army holding out against the Union forces. The paper illustrates the violence involved but concludes that Sherman's march was both militarily and psychologically necessary to bring about a close to the war.
Outline:
Introduction
The Need to Succeed
The March to the Sea
In Summary
From the Paper "In September, 1864, when Atlanta fell into the hands of the Union's General William T. Sherman, the march to the coast, especially the last five miles of that march, would prove the most difficult faced by Sherman's Union forces during their 300 mile long march through the south. "Sherman's march," or the "march to the sea," which has become historically synonymous with a 300 mile path of death and mindless destruction inflicted upon the Confederate Army, southern civilians, and refugee-slaves by the advancing Union Army under the direction of General Sherman; was in fact not just a strategic victory, but a psychological victory for the Union Army, and served as a turning point in the American Civil War."
Tags: Confederacy, atrocities, violence, Lincoln, Ebeneezer, Creek
Abstract This paper discusses the need for intervention in the social security program. It explains that failure to address the issues surrounding the changes within the American society might result in the collapse of the retirement fund. The writer advocates that economists need to focus on the macroeconomic issues within the society and devise an optimizing plan that efficiently allocates scarce resources. The writer also looks at policy makers who want to dismantle the program, and others who speculate that the program can be reformed without dismantling and remarks that a change is necessary.
Outline:
Introduction
The Social Security Crisis
Saving Social Security: Recommendations From Economists
Conclusion
From the Paper "According to Carson et al, "social security is an ongoing intergenerational transfer mechanism" (page, 161), where the working age population is taxed to support retirees, that is, a pay-as-you-go system. However, America is facing a generational crisis that posits to the demise of the system. The American population is aging and life expectancy is increasing. It is projected that there will be a point where the aging post-employed population will have higher proportions in relation to the younger working population."
How the French Revolution disrupted and dismantled a long established international system by manifesting the philosophies of liberalism and nationalism that had been fermenting in the minds of European political thinkers.
1,456 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 1 source, 1998, $ 48.95
From the Paper "For hundreds of years, Europe had been ruled by feudal and dynastic systems that placed power in a minority ruling elite and subjugated the lower classes. France established itself as a dominant power and other European countries admired the stability and legitimacy of the French Old Regime. The expansion of Louis XIV (1643-1715) supplied France with the respect of all countries. The divine right of kings was sternly instilled upon the European community as the only legitimate system of governing. The radical change that the Revolution promulgated was not recognized as an actual and sincere change, but rather a temporary political and economic instability. The French Revolution disrupted and dismantled a long established international system by manifesting the philosophies of liberalism and nationalism that had been fermenting in the minds of European political thinkers. The abrupt and catastrophic destruction of the dynastic system was meet with disbelief by European contemporaries who prolonged a focused response to the dangers that the ideals posed to the political atmosphere of Europe."
Tags: austria, britain, europe, france, great, legitimacy, liberalism, louis, monarch, napoleon, nationalism, old, politics, power, prussia, regime, russia, xiv
Abstract This paper examines how society's perceptions of women affect feminist theory: The author discusses the feminist belief that there is a social division between men and women, in terms of representation and that this division is caused by the perception of an inherent difference between the sexes. This paper discusses this point of view from the works of: Audry Lourde's essay, "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House", Donna Haraway's essay, "A Cyborg Manifesto", and Henry Hwang's adaptation of the classic "M. Butterfly".
From the Paper "How society perceives women is the root of feminism. There is a social division between men and women, and this division is caused by the perception of an inherent difference between the sexes. As feminists do not believe that a perception of difference should act as a classification for men and women, it is the representation and presentation of this sense of difference that is the target of feminist actions."
Abstract This paper starts by defining group dynamics and examines the popular TV series "Survivor" exemplifies this concept. It states that TV viewers experience a taste of reality when watching the show as it "stars" real people. The essence of the series is forming a solid group and thereafter dismantling it.
From the paper:
"Television, like most media forms, is intended to show, rather than simply tell, something about the human condition. As a viewer, television has the capacity to act as a mirror into our own lives, or the lives of people we know. Current television shows allow viewers to leave the stresses of their own lives, and become a part of the lives of characters we relate to, or who are so far from our own experiences that we forget about our own problems, anxieties and worries, to participate in the often tranquil or happily exciting lives of another person."
Abstract An examination of the development of Queer Legal Theory in the 21st Century. This paper considers the benefit of forming alliances with previously well established theories such as: Critical Race Theory and Feminist Legal Theory. The recent development of gay and lesbian communities within mainstream society has contributed to the dismantling of invisibility and isolation. Within these communities, gays and lesbians have begun to seek legal reform in attempts to end the discrimination and oppression aimed at their communities. While QLT provides great promise independently, the potential exists for even greater reform through the joint efforts of Feminist, Critical Race and Queer Legal Theories working together to acknowledge their common oppressors and achieve their common goals.
From the Paper "Within the realm of social sciences there exists a multitude of theories concerning nearly every aspect of human life and interaction. The purpose of these often conflicting or overlapping theories is to provide guidelines for critically examining specific issues of interest. Theories serve to organize and simply information and to guide our perceptions through the process of investigation. Within the domain of law and society, theories help to identify the roots of social conditions, define common goals, and to aid in the understanding of how the law impacts specific social groups and vice versa. Often minority groups develop theories that aim to explain their social condition and which propose methods of law reform targeted at improving their condition. Historically these groups have been isolated, oppressed and discriminated against in both the social and legal spheres. Over time the walls of isolation break down allowing individuals to join others and form sub-cultures and communities. It is with the development of such communities that minority groups begin their uphill battles against oppression and discrimination. The most well known theories originating in this manner are Feminist Theory and Critical Race Theory."
This paper compares the presidencies of Lazaro Cardenas and Carlos Salinas de Gortari in an effort to describe how the traditional ruling party of Mexico lost in the election of 2000.
Abstract This paper is primarily a study of democratization. Its subject matter is Mexico and it traces how the Institutional Revolutionary Party consolidated its power over Mexican politics and how it lost this power in July 2000 with the election of Vicente Fox. It does this by examining the presidencies of Lazaro Cardenas and Carlos Salinas de Gortari. Both of these men wielded their power in such a way as to effect massive change in Mexico.
From the Paper "On July 2, 2000 an event unprecedented in Mexico's 20th century electoral history occurred. The benign authoritarian rule of the Institutional Revolutionary Party ended when the candidate of the opposition PAN became Mexico's garnered 43.4% of the vote. Francisco Labastida of the PRI won 36.8% of the vote. After a century of one-party rule, the PRI became a victim of its own reforms. The evolution of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, from the primary political player in Mexico to a vector for a reform and democratization is the result of the maneuverings of an extensive and eclectic succession of jefe maximos. These presidents have traditionally wielded the majority of power in Mexico. Whether or not a Mexican president will utilize his substantive powers to improve the lives of the Mexican populace depends on a rational political calculation. They must take into account the mood of the masses, the state of the economy, and international factors. Notably the two presidents who did the most to change the landscape of the Mexican polity did so not so much out of their own convictions, although in the case of Lazaro Cardenas that certainly played a part, but because of societal pressure. This paper will seek to answer two questions; how the PRI was able to remain in power for most of the last century and how democratization became a consequence of this power. In order to examine these questions fully, this analysis will focus on the sexenios, or six-year terms, of Lazaro Cardenas and Carlos Salinas de Gortari."
A critical review of this work on Cold War economic problems, the impact of the arms race on the U.S. industry and opportunities for post-Cold War conversion.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, 1995, $ 47.95
From the Paper "This study will examine Dismantling the Cold War Economy, by Ann Markusen and Joel Yudken, considering the chief problems associated with the Cold War economy, the impact of the Cold War on U.S. industry, and the possibility and opportunities of economic conversion from Cold War imperatives, as well as the obstacles to that conversion. The argument herein will be that despite the fact that the military domination of the Cold War economy created serious obstacles to post-Cold War conversion, and despite the fact that those obstacles are deeply entrenched despite the end of the Cold War, such conversion is possible. Perhaps the authors are overly optimistic in this regard, but it would still be going too far to argue that conversion is impossible. After all, the conversion to a military-industrial-dominated economy (which had its origins not in the Cold War but ..."
Abstract The paper explores several aspects of affirmative action and outlines the debate surrounding its use. It presents a literature review, discusses its findings and questions its phasing out. In conclusion the writer argues that the results of the study show that dismantling affirmative action is premature.
From the Paper "Affirmative action was put in place to protect the rights of minorities. For years it stood guard in the hallways of employers, universities and other organizations to remind those with decision-making authority to be fair. Affirmative action was something that was supposed to level the playing field for minorities after many years of being passed over because they are minority. In recent years many states have been dismantling their affirmative action with the belief that society has evolved to a point where it is no longer needed."
