Abstract This paper explains how the states have seen their powers decreased in recent years, as the American nationalgovernment has increased its power. In debating this issue, the writer discusses why it is important to look at the good and bad sides of this relationship. The writer discusses which spheres the powers have been increased - the federalization of criminal law, the control of dairy farming and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
From the Paper "The National Government has started to decrease states' powers concerning criminal law, while increasing its power in these matters. The ABA Task force recently issued The Federalization of Criminal Law report which stated that ?the federalization of crime distorts the Constitution's structure of powers in a least three respects.
The federalization of crime represents a usurping by the Congress of police powers, which the Constitution leaves in the states and withholds from the federal government."
This paper defines the origins of the modern nation-state as it is traced directly to the political developments in Europe at the beginning of the sixteenth century.
Abstract The writer uses the work of George A. Kourvetaris and his concepts of state, government, nation, and nation-state to build the essay. He states that these concepts are closely related, but not identical. Kourvetaris defines the nation as being sociological, but considers the state as more a political, legal, and territorial construct (Kourvetaris, p.58).
From the Paper "In contrast, a nation can exist without its having a formal government. The concept of "nation" is very closely linked to the existence of ethnic, cultural, religious, or social groupings. While it is most common for the nation and the state to be politically congruent, there are many examples of national groupings that do not have a state that exists independently. The concept of "nation-state" expresses the political ideal of each national group having its own state, recognized formally by other nation-states."
An examination of empowering communities through decentralization and enlisting participation for capacity building for sub-nationalgovernance in developing countries.
Abstract This paper explores critically and comprehensively strategies that enhance empowerment of communites within a framework of sub-nationalgovernance through some techniques of decentralization and quality participation. Developing countries are the main units of analysis. However, the role of the International Development Community is examined and the discourse is concerned with creating a special legal, economic, social, political, geographic and fiscal space for sub-national groups that act autonomously, though in association with the state, private sector and other factors in society.
From the Paper "Since the 1970s and 1980s, the character and form of public service delivery has extended far beyond provision through central government towards the empowerment of local governments, hence, sub-national groupings involving much decentralization for empowering particularly communities. The idea has been the growing focus on not only, political and economic development, but also, and more importantly, social and human development where it has been recognized that central government alone, within the vortex of globalization cannot promote development in all respects. The United Nations Development programme (1998) has noted that decades of development assistance have countenanced the notion that economic development alone will not bring about equitable and lasting development because there was much focus on the economy, which meant an exclusion of political, social, environmental and cultural factors. As the report noted, ?"in the face of continued and devastating poverty and rapid environmental deterioration, more and more policy-makers are acknowledging that development progress must be people-centered, equitably distributed and environmentally and socially sustainable" (UNDP, ibid, 1998, p. 1). Nevertheless, the implementation, activity and even the concept of sub-national governance have been problematic and have developed a distinct set of formidable concerns. This is so, as some of the very problems found with central governments that propelled the idea and practise of decentralization and empowerment for sub-national groups, in particular communities, have again and have continually resurfaced and in some ways just as and even more troubling. Problems relate in part to information asymmetry, institutional deficiencies, and problems of targeting technical, managerial, professional and otherwise resources in addition to problems of accountability and capacity generally, as some would argue (Turner and Hulme 1997 : World Bank Report, June 2001 )."
Abstract This paper looks at the nation of Singapore and provides information about its basic geography, exports, resources and imports. The paper also looks at the standard of living and general contentedness of Singaporeans. It then discusses whether or not tradition is valued in Singapore and how stable or unstable the nationalgovernment is. Finally, the paper analyzes whether or not Singapore is "in line" with U.S. foreign policy - and how Singapore is important to the United States' foreign policy and national defense - and what general strengths and weaknesses it possesses. Ultimately, the paper illustrates how even the tiniest of nations can have major international significance.
From the Paper "To close briefly, Singapore is an important country for America insofar as it is a wealthy and fairly influential member of ASEAN and because an enemy of the United States that gained power in Singapore would be geographically positioned to gain considerable power in the entire Southeast Asian region. In military terms, an enemy of America's that gained control in Singapore could threaten US naval and military installations in the Pacific - as well as the security of Australia, another strong ally upon which America has depended in the past. As a few final points, Singapore's proximity to China and to habitually-unstable Thailand is a very real weakness while the nation's greatest strength lies in its political stability and the fact that it is a prosperous land with strong business ties to the United States - as have a number of other Asian lands (Ramsay 2003)."
This paper deals with the Canadian Confederation, along with the formation of a Council of Federation, and what this means to Quebec nationalism and autonomy.
Abstract This paper analyzes Canada as a nation divided into separate entities around issues of regionalism and provincialism. Canadians in general do not place their trust in the federal government but in the governments of the different provinces. The paper also talks about how regionalism became a force early in Canadian history and was then entrenched with the creation of the Confederation. The Canadian Confederation was an attempt to create a strong central government, seen by some as necessary to help the country develop economically. Furthermore, this Confederation was based on several principles intended to bring together the French-speaking and English-speaking worlds, and while this has been effective in setting in place an administration and a central government for Canada, it has not been successful enough to diminish separatist tendencies and inter-ethnic tensions. The paper asserts that a new effort to address these issues involves the creation of a Council of Federation, raising the question as to whether the newly formed Council of the Federation does or does not mean the end of Quebec Nationalism/Autonomy.
From the Paper "Cameron and Simeon (2002) cite the rise in collaborative federalism, and they note that co-determinism in this context involves the two levels of government working together as equals or having provincial and territorial governments take the initiative on their own to act collectively in the absence of the federal government (p. 49). The authors offer a history of intergovernmental relations in Canada, especially in the period since the end of World War II, noting the growing antipathy of the public to increased executive federalism. The 1970s saw a growing regionalism and more assertiveness on the part of English-speaking provinces, with provinces less and less inclined to defer to federal leadership. More recently, what the authors call 'collaborative federalism' has become the means by which national goals are achieved, with some or all of the eleven governments and territories acting collectively (p. 54)."
Tags: canada, regionalism, autonomy, tensions, efforts, government
Abstract This essay deals with four areas which are causing Canadian National Parks to disappear--extreme government cut-backs, identity crisis, improper management and ecosystem destruction. It also suggests ways in which the government can change its polices to save these parks.
From the Paper "Canadians look at the infamous National Park's landscape and see a vast and beautiful range of Canada at it's best. Unfortunately, what one sees is often deceiving. The truth is that the state of Canada's National Parks is alarming. Entire species are disappearing, vegetation is being destroyed by development and urbanization, and the pristine lakes and rivers are being contaminated by pollution. The Canadian Government has not been fulfilling its managerial role in protecting the essential resources that are comprised in Canada's National Parks. The problems that have generated in the Park's system have often dismissed due to their seemingly insignificant characteristics. Unfortunately, all of the insignificant problems joined together to create a devastating picture of dyfunctionality of the National Parks. There are four pivotal points that have caused the Park's disastrous spiral aimed at oblivion. Extreme cuts to the Parks Canada's budget has forced them to compromise their principles on how the parks should be run, and resorted to doing what they could. Parks Canada has found itself in an extreme identity crisis, as financial pressures are pitting conflicting philosophies against one another. The Canadian Government is the root which many, if not all of the posing threats the National Parks has emerged from. Their improper management and mentality has potentially shattered any chance of Canada's ecosystem to flourish. Until the Canadian Government stops seeing the nation's national Parks yet another way to generate a clever income for their institution, the parks will continue to lose their ecological integrity until they fade from man's sight completely."
Abstract The paper focuses on labor and public health governance in Mexico to demonstrate the correlation between failures in this area and an overall political divergence from the properties of democracy. The paper discusses the failure of the Mexican government to bring labor regulations and medical treatment standards up to par with those in other industrialized democratic nations. The paper therefore shows how democracy does not inherently take to those nations which open trade borders to western capitalism; there are various cultural and political obstacles that are not simple to overcome.
From the Paper "Mexico is a deeply embattled nation. Though today it is a member nation of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and thus aligned with the goals of pairing economic development with social and political refinement, Mexico is nonetheless a nation subject to deep poverty, widespread governmental cooperation and a serious shortfall in regulatory or enforcement capacities as concern the improvement of democratic standards. Indeed, amongst those nations identified as rich member countries comprised on an economic scale sufficient for global trade, Mexico is one of the more problematic and reputedly long-suffering."
Abstract This paper argues that government support for the arts can have a negative impact on artists, audiences and market sectors. It discusses the problem of the government considering artistic merit based on the artist's ideology. The author also mentions the role of the National Endowment for the Arts.
From the Paper "Should governments control public funding in order to shape the arts world addressing diverse audiences and determining not only what art events are offered but also who should attend. Opinion on this issue is divided ..."
Tags: Arts, Government support, National Endowment for the Arts
Abstract This paper discusses the fierce battle waged between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists over the ratification of the US Constitution.
In order to explain this battle, the paper highlights the differences between the Articles of Confederation, supported by the Anti-Federalists and the proposed Constitution, supported by the Federalists. The paper then explains that the Federalists believed a nationalgovernment had to be strong in order to function properly while the Anti-Federalists argued that a strong nationalgovernment threatened the rights of common people.
From the Paper "Leaders of the United States realized the Articles of Confederation needed to be revised. The replacement document would be the Constitution of the United States. In the process of formulating this plan for the country, two major parties developed: Federalists and Anti-Federalists, each believing the nation should operate under their plan. While each group proposed completely different roles for the government, a consensus was necessary to ratify the Constitution."
Tags: Articles, of, Confederation, national, government, power, control
Abstract This paper compares the highly centralized government planning system in the UK as compared to the control of development in the USA. It shows how the US has a stronger localized tradition, with more layers of government that understand local planning matters, while the UK reserves the right to become involved in conflicts where 'the national interest' is concerned. Ultimately, the author contends, the differences between the two countries' constitutions can be detected in their planning systems.
From the Paper "The ownership of property, at first glance, appears to confer certain rights to the owner in respect of the development of that land. But in reality the situation is more complicated, especially within the British planning system. In this country the ownership of land rights does not bring with it the right to develop that land. The government at both a local and national level ultimately decide whether or not development can go ahead. However, the government itself is not constrained by specific regulations or constitutional considerations. The state in Britain has significant discretion in the control of development. Here I shall discuss the advantages and limitations of giving a central role to governmental discretion in the control of development. For comparative analysis, planing practice in the USA shall also be discussed".
Tags: comparative, planning, spatial, town, urban, usa, uk, united, states, america, britain, british, united, kingdom, local, national, government, constitution
Abstract This paper examines the dimension of Kenya's national debt. It describes the enormity of the debt in human terms, as the author writes that the cost of paying just the interest alone on the debt is far larger than what the government spends on healthcare. The paper investigates the true motives of the Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Poverty Reduction Strategy
Purpose of the Poverty Reduction Strategy
Political Consequences
Political pressure by IMF
Internal violence
Conclusion
In Text Citations
From the Paper "Africa spends four times more on interest on her loans than on healthcare.
"The issue of Third World debt is one that cannot be ignored or wished away. In just 10 years, it escalated from a little over $400 billion in 1980 to a staggering $1.3 trillion in 1990. Kenya's eternal debt is more than $7 billion". Nairobi (The Nation, October 13, 1998) ""
Abstract This is a short paper addressing government modes of accounting, comparing defense spending and budgetary extremism (as demonstrated by the "Gingrich revolution" of the late 1990s) to traditional accounting models: the fund model, and the business model, neither of which accurately describe the US government's accounting policy.
Abstract This paper analyzes and then compares and contrasts the Australian and American national identities. The author examines the factors that have shaped those identities, including similar histories as British colonies, democratic systems of government, natural resources and culture. The author concludes that Australia and the United States have forged their national identities based upon similar idealized beliefs tied to the land. Australia, however, appears to be a "little brother" to the United States; always just a few steps behind, yet always following in the footsteps.
From the Paper "The national identity or image a country presents has an impact on how the citizens of the country perceive themselves and how the rest of the world views them. Several different cultural factors influence and shape this image, and the identity can change with the passage of time. Language, religion, music, and ethnic interactions help to shape the character and perception of a country and its culture. Heritage, beliefs, and traditions all contribute to how a country's people look at themselves and the country they call home. Australia and the United States have journeyed through time along a very similar course. In both of these countries, the perception of land, frontier, and wide-open spaces have combined with the cultural influences to shape this national identity."
Abstract This paper describes South Africa's government, which is based upon a system of proportional representation and has sixteen registered political parties, spanning a variety of political points of view with a variety of regional affiliations. The paper examines the role of the South African President and relates that South Africa has the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to give voice to the many diverse interests in a peaceful and democratic manner. The paper shows how the structure of the South African government strives to represent all possible minority and majority interests, in an effort to quell provincial and political tensions.
From the Paper "South Africa's government is a constitutional democracy based upon a system of proportional representation. In other words, its national legislature is a parliament, with two houses, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). The parliament called the National Assembly awards seats to each political party based upon that party's proportionate support in the national election. Elections for the National Assembly are held every five years. The second general democratic post-apartheid election in 1999 in yielded a majority for the African National Congress (ANC) Party, the party famously lead by the imprisoned Nelson Mandela during the years of apartheid that disenfranchised most of South Africa's majority black population ("Government in South Africa," SouthAfricainfo, 2008)."
Abstract This paper argues that ,while environmental treaties are justified in their interference with issues traditionally related to state sovereignty, such interference allows nations to challenge environmental treaties. It explains that this was very clear in the case of the Convention on Climate Change when several nations, such as the United States and China, refused to abide by the treaty, and even more, did not follow its terms even after agreeing to them. The writer points out that one of the most noticeable factors here is that it is mainly the industrialized or developed nations that have the power and strength to openly defy these treaties, while the Third World countries cannot for the simply reason that financial aid is, to some degree, partly dependant upon their national environmental laws. In this sense, an imbalance develops whereby the developed world has the choice to either reject or accept those treaties, and the Third World largely does not. From an analysis of this imbalance, and after proving it with reference to a number of global environmental treaties, this paper argues that the only solution lies in the creation of an international body for global environmental governance in which nations, regardless of their economic and political status, are equally represented. The aim of such a body would be to ensure respect for environmental treaties, eliminate imbalance,s and respond to one basic truth: the environment is a shared space, and one nation's abuse of it affects the lives of all people across the world. Thus, state sovereignty is an irrelevant issue here, as no nation has sovereignty over the environment.
From the Paper "The concept of national sovereignty has, since the emergence of nation-states, been regarded as sacred. At least, citizens and national governments have regarded their nation's sovereignty as sacred. That attitude was eventually transferred into law. Thereby, international law and treaties currently acknowledge and protect the principle of national sovereignty, conceding to a nation's rights to self determination and to resistance of external interventions in internal or national policies and decision making processes. However, while sovereignty is a popularly acknowledged and jealously protected political principle, sovereignty is not absolute and has its limitations. These limitations are defined by the interests of other nations and the collective welfare of all people and countries. Hence, no nation is absolutely sovereign and no government has the authority to act as it wishes within its national borders, arguing that it is protected by the principle of sovereignty. The simple fact of the matter is that in various international issues, most especially those relating to environmental policies, no country should have absolute sovereignty since, as emphasized by Robert Goodland and Herman Daly, the environment is not national but international or "universal" (1002-1003). Consequently, as relates to the environment, the concept of national sovereignty is a contentious issue."
