Brand Case Study Essay

1. After having read the formal definition of customer-based-brand-equity (p. 41) and the ensuing chapter discussion, think of a product category offering that you are familiar with. How do consumers make decisions whether or not to buy the product, and how do they arrive at their final brand decision? Do you agree with the three â€Å"ingredients† that are the basis for the definition of C.B.B.E? What are the implications for brand equity management for the brands in the category? For me, the most familiar brand is Nike. I think the consumers will consider the price of the products and they will consider the product is fit for them or not when they buy the products. Mostly, the consumers will choose the brand which they used before because they used this brand before, they know this brand and they will have more trust for this brand. Sometime, the consumers could choose the brand which they knew or heard before when they buy some new products because the famous brand product can bring more trust for the consumers. I agree with these three ingredients. In fact, I believe most customers, include me, follow these three key ingredients when we choose the brand. I think better brand equity management can improve the brand value and image. It can also better promote the brand and let more customers know your brand. This can help your brand stay in the top area of the congeneric products. 2.Take the coffee product category basically dominated by the two main brands Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts. Evaluate the positioning of each brand in terms of the four components of brand positioning. Who are their target markets? What are their main points-of-parity and points-of-difference? Have they defined their positioning correctly and effectively? How might their positioning be improved? I think the major target markets of Starbucks are the collage students, the white collar employees. For Dunkin’ Donuts, the target markets consumers are the customers who just want to drink coffee and these customers want to take away their coffee immediately and do not want to cost much money on coffee. The main points of parity for Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are that the product of them is coffee and both of them also sell some fast food. The main points of difference for them are the price and store layout. I think they define their positioning correctly and effectively. For Starbucks, they define their brand as a high-end coffee brand. Now, this brand is famous around the world. For Dunkin’ Donuts, they define thier brand as a quickly service coffee. Now, they are also success. I think the positioning of Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are correctly. Both of them choose to focus and develop on one area. This can help they have enough competitiveness and help them improve their brand value. 3. Upon reading the chapter discussion of points-of-parity vs. and points-of-difference an you think of any negatively correlated attributes and benefits other than those listed in Figure 2-6 at the bottom of p. 56.? Can you think of any other strategies to deal with negatively correlated attributes and benefits? For example, in the product of shampoo field, anti-dandruff shampoo vs. Hair care shampoo. I think we can create some sub-brand to avoid these negatively. For example, the shampoo product, we can produce two kinds of shampoo, anti-dandruff shampoo and hair care shampoo to reduce the negatively correlated attributes and benefits. This strategy will give the option to the customers. They will choose any product of our brand and we will avoid the negatively correlated attributes and benefits. 4.After finishing the chapter take a few minutes and review the following youtube.com video titled â€Å"No Logo: Brands, Globalization & Resistance.† http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI0itS3gQFU What do you think of Naomi Klein’s positions as espoused in (her book) No Logos? How would you respond to her propositions? Do you agree or disagree about her beliefs on the growth of corporate power and why? I think no logo is amazing. Brand help the customer choose the products quickly. Especially now, most people do not too much time to choose the products one by one. They like choose products from the brand which they know. If no logo and no brand, I think most customer will be in confusion when they buy somethings. In addition, I think globalization is the trend. I don’t think no logo can prevent the existence of the exploitation. However, I agree with her beliefs on the growth of corporate power. Because most global corporate are worthy. Sometime they can impact the policies of the government, especially in those underdeveloped nations.

Comparing the ways Edgar Allen Poe and Bram Stoker convey horror through writing Essay

Through this essay you will see how although the writing style of Edgar Allen Poe in ‘The Black Cat’ and the style of Bram stoker in ‘The Judges House’ is completely different, they both manage to achieve the same effect – leaving the reader anxious, excited, mystified and scared. Both these authors stories were written before the nineteen hundreds, a time when people were just understanding the ways the world works. In this time horror stories were very popular. The perspective of both Poems is different. In The black cat Poe writes in a first person perspective: â€Å"Today I die and tomorrow I would unburden my soul†. Where as Stoker writes in a third person perspective: â€Å"Malcolm Malcolmson made up his mind†. The use of third person in this story displays the feelings of more than one character and you can build up more fear than first person by using devices such as rhetorical questions by other characters for example when Mrs Cranford cries â€Å"not the Judges house!† it creates the feeling of horror and helplessness. First person perspective makes you feel sorrow for the character. If Edgar Allen Poe had written the black cat in Third person perspective You wouldn’t get the emphasis of his emotions, how he feels regret of what he has done, fear of this new animal and superstitious about the strange imprint on the wall. For example, when he writes â€Å"gradually, very gradually I came to look up on it with unutterable loathing†. This really emphasises the hated of the animal, an emotion that would not have been able to have been shown to that extent in third person. It is also more believable as it is through the eyes of the beholder. At the start of the black cat Poe starts off very secretively, he writes of something horrible that has happened to him, but he will not expand on what this occurrence is: These events have terrified, tortured and destroyed me†. This suspense adds to the mystery of the first scene. Poe writes, â€Å"tomorrow I die† showing something horrible has happened to him. The fact that this is not in chronological order keep you wondering throughout the story what is going to happen and keeps you in suspense. It also keeps you trying to link the current storyline to death, for example, when it says about the new cat: â€Å"It was a black cat – a very large cat-fully as large as Pluto and closely resembling him† you are thinking how this new cat could be linked to his death. Stoker, however has a very different approach to build up mystery. He uses setting whereas Poe does not. When he describes the lodgings he describes it as a gothic residence: â€Å"with heavy gables and small windows set higher than was customary in such houses†. Gothic residences have always been associated with death and fear in horror movies. He describes the village as empty: â€Å"desolation was the only term for conveying a suitable idea of its isolation† the idea of a desolate empty place is the perfect setting for a horror story. The fact that the house has been empty for so long indicates something dreadful has happened there. The locals all seem to know something dreadful about the house. It seems that Malcolm is the only person who doesn’t know what’s going on there. When Mrs Cranford cries at him â€Å"not the judges house!† it creates a feeling of dread for what is going to happen to Mr Malcolmson. Poe uses superstition to add to the mystery. The first little bit of superstition is when he reveals that his wife believes that all black cats are witches in disguise. This brief, initial introduction of superstition creates mystery in your head, and it makes you think, ‘what if black cats are really witches in disguise.’ When the cat imprint appears on the wall, the character tries to dismiss the supernatural happening with a far fetched logical explanation. He tries to say that someone tossed the hanging corpse of the cat in through the window to try and wake him up. He then tried to say that because the wall was freshly spread plaster, it did not fall down. He said that the ammonia from the carcass had made the impression on the wall. Edgar Allen Poe had purposely made this string of events unbelievable so that the reader would know that there was something strange going on. I think that the imprint was a symbol that the cat was not dead and that it was an omen that it was going to come back to haunt him. The new cat was very suspicious, the fact that it looked a lot like Pluto made you think that it was a demonic symbol of Pluto. The cat gets more and more attached to him but he is reluctant to interact with it because he feels the supernatural element of this situation. He begins to hate the cat and the fact that it is always around him: â€Å"Its evident fondness for myself rather disgusted and annoyed me† but he wont harm the cat for fear of what will happen and regret of his previous crime: â€Å"at times although I longed to destroy it with a blow I was withheld from doing so partly by memory of my former crime but chiefly – let me confess it at once – by absolute dread of the beast†. The fact that it wont leave him alone, and that drives him madder and more angry makes it seem like the new cat is testing his willpower to leave it alone. His fear grows as the cat follows his every step. The only difference between Pluto and the new cat was a white splodge on its belly. It turns out later that this splodge is actually a image of gallows. The image grows in size until the character can clearly make out the image. his realisation of what this means is clearly shown in this quote â€Å"Gallows! – oh mournful and terrible engine of horror and crime – of agony and of death.† He has realised his fate – death. He feels remorse for what he had done to Pluto. He knows that this ‘beast’ is an image of Pluto. A symbol of god: â€Å"a brute beast to work out for me-for me, a man fashioned in the image of the high god – oh insufferable woe! He believes its is god in disguise of a cat† Stoker also uses supernatural elements. Every night the rats come out and make a lot of noise. They run up and down the alarm bell. They all stop suddenly a run away as a giant rat comes down the alarm bell. The rats are scared of this larger rat indicating that this rat is evil. Stokers description of the rat makes it sound evil: It showed its great white teeth and its cruel eyes shone in the lamplight. When Malcolmson throws a book at the creature to try and scare it, but it does not flinch. But when he throws a bible at the rat it scampers away. This indication of good/evil shows that the rat is evil. It is well known that Satanic beings such as this rat fear holy objects such as a bible and a cross. When Malcolmson realises that the rats eyes are identical to the picture of the Judge the figure of the judge disappears. He then turns round and sees the judge. The judge smiled in a cruel way: With his baleful eyes glaring vindictively, and a smile of triumph on his face† The judge does not say much in this last scene, I think this is important. Stoker did this so his character was not totally revealed. He remained a mysterious character. The descriptions of horror in The Black cat are very in depth: â€Å"I grasped the poor beast by its throat and purposely cut out one of its eyes from its socket.†. He doesn’t linger on this for long. These shock tactics really build up the horror in this story by making you feel horrified and shocked. Another example of this is when he kills his wife: â€Å"I withdrew my arm from her grasp, and buried the axe in her brain.† This again shows the shock tactics used when describing the horror scenes. His violence gets gradually worse. All his violence is triggered by anger or drink: â€Å"Through the instrumentality of the fiend intemperance had (I blush to confess it)experiences a radical alteration for the worst. I grew day by day more moody, more irritable regardless for the feeling of others. First he verbally abuses his wife, this turns to physical violence towards his wife and animals – except Pluto: â€Å"I suffered myself to use intemperate language towards my wife. At length I even offered her personal violence. My pets of course were made to feel the change in my disposition. I not only neglected, but ill-used them.† Then he cut out Pluto’s eye when he scrammed him on the face. This again is due to him drinking. Poe writes â€Å"one night, returning home much intoxicated†. The guilt of doing this to Pluto and the sadness that it once had loved him got to him and he hung the cat in cold blood: â€Å"I hung it with tears streaming from my eyes† this shows his remorse when hanging him. The guilt of what he had done prevented him from hurting the new cat, until one day when the cat nearly tripped him up in the cellar he grabbed and axe, but his wife prevented him from killing by grabbing the axe. He then split her head open with the axe. The violence gradually gets worse and worse, building up the horror as it goes along. Stoker uses less graphic description, but instead uses reactions of characters to create the fear: â€Å"not the judges house†. This, I think is one of the main advantages of introducing characters into the plot. A disadvantage is that it can take the focus of the main character. They both use pattering to create fear in their stories. In the Judges house the same thing happens every night. He drinks too much tea, then out came the rats making all the noise and finally they all stopped when the large rat emerged. This also happens in the black cat. His violent acts are all triggered by alcohol. Pattering creates suspense, which in turn makes you wonder how does this link with what is happening in the story. The two writers both use logical explanations to try and explain why these things are happening. In the black cat, The character makes up a ludicrous explanation to explain why there was an imprint on the wall. He tries to say that someone must have thrown the cat through the window in an attempt to wake him up. He says that the wall didn’t fall down because it had just been plastered and that the ammonia from the carcass has made the imprint on the wall. In The Judges house Malcolmson’s explanation for all the events that are happening is that he was drinking too much tea and it was making him delusional. Both of these are deliberately far fetched so that the reader knows that something super natural is going on. Stoker uses a more descriptive style in his writing. He describes the scene, the weather and the people in far more depth than Poe: â€Å"The carving of the oak on the panels of the wainscot was fine, and on and round the windows and doors it was beautiful and of rare merit†. I prefer the descriptive writing of Stoker because it creates an image in your mind. Especially with the weather. Stoker uses the weather to great effect. When the thunder was lashing down toy could tell something bad was going to happen. This effect is used in a lot of horror stories. In my opinion, I prefer Stokers method of creating horror. I think the introduction of characters brings in a new element to the story. It creates an atmosphere of bewilderment and isolation. I say isolation because everyone seemed to know what was going on but Mr Malcolmson. However, as a whole I think I preferred The Black cat by Edgar Allen Poe. I think this is because I am used to modern stories, and this storyline is a bit more advanced and modernised than The Judges House. As I am used to modern horror stories I can relate to this story better. I think that the plot has some realism to it, more so that Stoker’s story. I don’t think Stokers story was linked together very well and it all seemed a bit distant.

E-Commerce in East Africa

Table of Contents Definition and background2 Reasons for growth of e-commerce in East Africa. 4 Influence of e-commerce on trading practices in East Africa. 5 Types of e-commerce8 Challenges facing the growth of e-commerce in East Africa. 9 1. Poor infrastructure9 Computer illiteracy9 Lack of proper regulation9 Inadequate capital10 Inadequate personnel10 Conclusion10 References11 Definition and backgroundE-commerce refers to business conducted through the use of computers, telephones, fax machines, barcode readers, credit cards, automated teller machines (ATM) or other electronic appliances (whether or not using the internet) without the exchange of paper-based documents. It includes activities such as procurement, order entry, transaction processing, payment, authentication and non-repudiation, inventory control, order fulfillment, and customer support. When a buyer pays with a bank card swiped through a magnetic-stripe-reader, he or she is participating in e-commerce. |It mainly in volves the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. Electronic commerce draws on such technologies as electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at one point in the transaction's life-cycle, although it may encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail, mobile devices and telephones as well.Originally, electronic commerce was identified as the facilitation of commercial transactions electronically, using technology such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). These were both introduced in the late 1970s, allowing businesses to send commercial documents like purchase orders or invoices electronically. The growth and acceptance of credit cards, automated teller machines (ATM) and telephone banking in the 1980s were also forms of electronic commerce. Another form of e-commerce was the airline reservation system typified by Sabre in the USA and Travicom in the UK.Electronic commerce or ecommerce is a term for any type of business, or commercial transaction that involves the transfer of information across the Internet. It covers a range of different types of businesses, from consumer based retail sites, through auction or music sites, to business exchanges trading goods and services between corporations. It is currently one of the most important aspects of the Internet to emerge. Ecommerce allows consumers to electronically exchange goods and services with no barriers of time or distance.Electronic commerce has expanded rapidly over the past five years and is predicted to continue at this rate, or even accelerate. In the near future the boundaries between â€Å"conventional† and â€Å"electronic† commerce will become increasingly blurred as more and more businesses move sections of their operations onto the Internet. Business to Business or B2B refers to electronic commerce between businesses rather than between a business and a consumer. B2B businesses often deal with hundreds or even thousands of other businesses, either as customers or suppliers.Carrying out these transactions electronically provides vast competitive advantages over traditional methods. When implemented properly, ecommerce is often faster, cheaper and more convenient than the traditional methods of bartering goods and services. Electronic transactions have been around for quite some time in the form of Electronic Data Interchange or EDI. EDI requires each supplier and customer to set up a dedicated data link (between them), where ecommerce provides a cost-effective method for companies to set up multiple, and ad-hoc links.Electronic commerce has also led to the development of electronic marketplaces where supplie rs and potential customers are brought together to conduct mutually beneficial trade. Just like the rest of the world, East Africa hasn’t been left behind in adopting e-commerce as a way of doing business. Many individuals, corporations and even governments have resolved to using e-commerce in consummating their business transactions, albeit on a smaller margin as compared to western countries or the more developed world economies.Countries in east Africa, that is Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have all been taking steps in the recent past to ensure that trade among them grows as a way of boosting the economic growth of these countries. One of the steps has clearly been adopting the use of e-commerce. Relevant infrastructure has been or is being established to back up this adoption. Since e-commerce ideally is all about the internet, most of the infrastructure I am referring to involves it in way or another.Most notably has been the laying of the fiber optic cable from the coast of Kenya towards the inland that allows for high speed internet access. Reasons for growth of e-commerce in East Africa. The rapid growth of e-commerce since 1995 is due to the unique features of the Internet and the Web as a commercial medium: * Ubiquity: Internet/Web technology is everywhere, at work, home, and elsewhere, and anytime, providing a ubiquitous market space, a marketplace removed from a temporal and geographical location. * Global reach: The technology reaches across national boundaries. Universal standards: There is one set of Internet technology standards, which greatly lower market entry costs (the costs to bring goods to market) and reduce search costs (the effort to find products) for the consumer. * Richness: Information richness refers to the complexity and content of a message. Internet technology allows for rich video, audio, and text messages to be delivered to large numbers of people. * Interactivity: The technology works through interaction with the user. * Information density: Information density is the total amount and quality of information available to all market participants.Internet technology reduces information costs and raises quality of information, enabling price transparency (the ease for consumers of finding a variety of prices) and cost transparency (the ability of consumers to determine the actual costs of products). Information density allows merchants to engage in price discrimination (selling goods to targeted groups at different prices). * Personalization/customization: E-commerce technologies permit personalization (targeting personal messages to consumers) and customization (changing a product or service based on consumer preference or history.Influence of e-commerce on trading practices in East Africa. As it has already been established, e-commerce is being used, even though not so widely in East Africa. The firms or organizations that have decided to employ e-commerce are benefiting from it in the following way s: 1. Exploitation of New Business Broadly speaking, electronic commerce emphasizes the generation and exploitation of new . business opportunities and to use popular phrases: â€Å"generate business value† or â€Å"do more with less† Safaricom, mobile service provider has the m-pesa service that captured so many customers and helped many people establish new businesses.There is also the m-kesho service which is a joint venture between Safaricom and Equity Bank that has enabled many small business owners and individuals to access banking services. 2. Enabling the Customers Electronic Commerce is enabling the customer to have an increasing say in what products are made, how products are made and how services are delivered (movement from a slow order fulfillment process with little understanding of what is taking place inside the firm, to a faster and rt1ore open process with customers having greater control. . Improvement of Business Transaction Electronic Commerce ende avors to improve the execution of business transaction over various networks. 4. Effective Performance It leads to more effective performance i. e. better quality, greater customer satisfaction and better corporate decision making. 5. Greater Economic Efficiency We may achieve greater economic efficiency (lower cost) and more rapid exchange (high speed, accelerated, or real-time interaction) with the help of electronic commerce. 6. Execution of InformationIt enables the execution of information-laden transactions between two ore more parties using inter connected networks. These networks can be a combination of ‘plain old telephone system’ (POTS), Cable TV, leased lines and wireless. Information based transactions are creating new ways of doing business and even new types of business. 7. Incorporating Transaction Electronic Commerce also inco11'orates transaction management, which organizes, routes, processes and tracks transactions. It also includes consumers making el ectronic payments and funds transfers. 8.Increasing of Revenue Firm use technology to either lower operating costs or increase revenue. Electronic Commerce has the Potential to increase revenue by creating new markets for old products, creating new information-based products, and establishing new service delivery channels to better serve and interact with customers. The transaction management aspect of electronic commerce can also enable firms to reduce operating costs by enabling better coordination in the sales, production and distribution processes and to consolidate operations arid reduce overhead. . Reduction of Friction Electronic Commerce research and its associated implementations is to reduce the â€Å"friction† in on line transactions frictions is often described in economics as transaction cost. It can arise from inefficient market structures and inefficient combinations of the technological activities required to make a transaction. Ultimately, the reduction of fr iction in online commerce will enable smoother transaction between buyers, intermediaries and sellers. 10. Facilitating of Network Form Electronic Commerce is also impacting business . o business interactions. It facilitates the network form of organization where small flexible firms rely on other partner, companies for component supplies and product distribution to meet changing customer demand more effectively. Hence, an end to end relationship management solution is a desirable goal that is needed to manage the chain of networks linking customers, workers, suppliers, distributors and even competitors. The management of â€Å"online transactions† in the supply chain assumes a central roll. 11. Facilitating for Organizational ModelIt is facilitating an organizational model that is fundamentally different from the past. It is a control organization to the information based organization. The emerging forms of techno-organizational structure involve changes in managerial respon sibilities, communication and information flows and work group structure. Types of e-commerce Business-to-business (B2B) Business that sells products or provides services to other businesses. Business-to-consumer (B2C) Business that sells products or provides services to end-user consumers.Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) Consumers sell directly to other consumers. Business-to-government (B2G) Government buys or provides goods, services or information to/from businesses or individual citizens. Business-to-employee (B2E) Information and services made available to employees online. Mobile commerce (m-commerce) E-commerce transactions and activities conducted in a wireless environment. Collaborative commerce (c-commerce) Individuals or groups communicate or collaborate online. Challenges facing the growth of e-commerce in East Africa. . Poor infrastructure. Many consumers and businesses in the east African region are not able to access internet services due to poor access of the internet and online services in general. This makes it difficult for them to transact through the internet and hence e-commerce has not been able to grow at a reasonable rate. This poor internet access can be attributed to the poor infrastructure currently being used in the region. Modern high performance network equipment has to be installed for e-commerce to grow as expected. Computer illiteracyMany individuals in the east African region do not have access to computers and those who might have access do not know how to use them. This has largely affected the growth of e-commerce since computers are an integral part of the online business. This is why many online transactions in the region are usually done by way of mobile phones which again aren’t that accessible to the common citizenry. Lack of proper regulation The internet is largely unregulated. Many businesses and individuals lose their money to unscrupulous and fraudulent business people who take advantage of the lack of proper r ules and regulations to play foul.The situation is even worse in east Africa and many businesses are losing money hindering their expansion and the industry in general. Inadequate capital Investment in the equipment and manpower required to run online business is very expensive and most firms cannot afford it. Computers, database managers, hard drives, software and software managers are all needed to keep on online system running. Administration of such systems is also very expensive and it needs regular updating and upgrading. Inadequate personnel Many firms in east Africa do not have the expertise needed to run these e-commerce systems.The curriculum in schools and higher learning institutions do not offer adequate skills. Expertise has to be imported from the rest of the world to complement the little that we have. This makes it so expensive to run online businesses. Conclusion Even though it has taken so long for e-commerce to be integrated into the business world in east Africa , it is finally here and it is being appreciated by those who are willing to adopt it. The governments of the countries in the region are doing a lot of investment in the required infrastructure to see to it that internet is accessed widely and cheaply.Investors from other countries have also realized that this east African region holds a lot of potential and are willing to invest their money to boost online trading establishments. There are still many challenges that need to be surmounted and e-commerce has gotten to its feet fully, but with the measures being taken by the governments, the private sector and many other stakeholders in the information technology sector, it is only a matter of time before e-commerce becomes fully operative in the region.This will present a lot of opportunities that will help improve the standards of living in the region. References * www. ecommerce-land. com * www. ihub. co. ke * The Economics of M-Pesa, William Jack and Tavneet Suri, 2nd Edition, Au gust 2010 * www. kcbbankgroup. com * www. imbank. com * The Smart Company, The Daily Nation, 17th July 2012 page 8-9

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 36

Case Study Example This is especially because part of this is to be completed at home and without proper assistance and instructions for him, this could prove very difficult. Billy has a language helplessness and has limited knowledge of sight words and therefore the short sentences are appropriate to ensure that Billy understands better. Sight words will enhance his language as these words are universally preferred. Using visual cues and tactile like objects and pictures in explaining the concept to help Billy understand the whole concept of earth’s water distribution. In addition, involve the instructor paying more attention to Billy and move at his pace to ensure that he fully comprehend what needs to be done. Use of short sentences when structuring the data will also assist a lot because Billy can understand them better. Using visual cues and tactile like objects and pictures in explaining the concept to help Billy understand the whole concept of earth’s water distribution. In addition involve the instructor paying more attention to Billy and move at his pace to ensure that he fully understand what needs to be done. Use of short sentences when structuring the data will also assist a lot because Billy can understand them better. By using the visual aids in explaining the concept will improve the math ability of Billy and the increased attention given by the instructor to Billy will ensure that he is not left behind by the rest of the class as far as understanding the concept is concerned. Billy has a language disability and also his written expression is correspondently low and therefore requiring him to indicate like the other students what he knows or what he would like to know about the Earth’s water will be very difficult for him. The use of diagrams and charts of the earth and the water cover will first of all spark some interest in Billy and it is also easy to

Hitler's table talk Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hitler's table talk - Term Paper Example Despite the almost evil and cynical conceptions that we might have of Hitler, it is still irrefutable that to be able to attain such status, one has to have the charisma and the mental faculties that exceeds normal standards. The book Hitler’s Table Talk offers a different side to Adolf Hitler confined throughout the most important years of his life. The book, derived as transcripts from Hitler’s conversations which extend to the Second World War focuses on the man that controlled Germany. It is divided into five parts, each with its encompassing dates and in reference to the private conversations that he had before his gruesome death of his subsequent fall. There are many controversies surrounding this book but there have been reliable people who have vouched for the authenticity of the recordings for which they are based. There is also the bigger issue of the translations of whether or not they were properly translated but in either case they are interesting for they offer a deeper insight into the mind of Adolf Hitler. What is interesting about Hitler is that he is not a man born into fame and fortune. He was someone who worked his way until an opportunity came for him. He was no even a German per se but an Austrian and his ideals were for a better country and a better future initially. He is as the most common progress of dictators goes someone who had a vision and who wanted for his vision to be a reality. But along the way one thing lead to another which leads to the next and gets off track. The Ideologies Part one begins with the distinction given between Russia and the Aryans. It is an attempt to differentiate the two and how the system proliferated by Bolsheviks and the Stalinists do not work as it is in direct contravention of the very nature of Russia. It is even not without a jab at degrading by referring to the Western distinction given to it as a ‘State.’ This is a clear indication of the second-class view of Russia in t he eyes of Hitler; in contrast, Aryans are portrayed in a very positive light. They are described as being very active in their work and that it does not stop there for they are intelligent beings as well who are not easily satisfied with what is happening in front of them lest there is manifest improvement. Even a positive attribute of being dedicated to work is exaggerated into one of a workaholic and this is instigated as a problem for the race. Analogies are given where Italians are like ants when it comes to diligence and Russia’s civilization is synonymous with vodka. The fascist movement simply is not most appropriate solution for Russia. Hitler’s contemplation on the nature of God and a supreme being is arguably the most interesting of the transcriptions. What we all know is that the genocide that happened in Auschwitz was a product of religious hate as it was bigotry of the utmost form. He does not offer insightful thoughts that are not altogether new nor are they any less refreshing. â€Å"I think the man who contemplates the universe with his eyes wide open is the man with the greatest amount of natural piety: not in the religious sense, but in the sense of an intimate harmony with things† (Cameron and Stevens, p.5). Taken into the weight of these words without any historical referencing, one cannot be denied of the idea that this is not something repulsive. On the contrary, it is a very logical and rather sensible. It is merely an affirmation of a very natural outlook that goes deep

Business Ethic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Ethic - Essay Example It is clear that the government puts up a consolidated fight to come up with the required type of legislations but it is without consultation of the main players in the industry. It is true that the fact that the people have to pay dearly when the cost of the products produced is priced higher than usually is targeted by the manufacturer. Here, Bowie is looking at the negativity of having a company produce goods at the expense of having people in the environment around them face the impact of the environmental degradation. This is what is referred to as a negative externality. Externality of an economic transaction is an impact on a party that is not directly involved in the said transaction. This is where by the prices do not reflect the full costs or the benefits that are to be accrued from the production or consumption of the produce or service that is in question. This implies that the producers and consumers in the market may either not bear all the cost or obtain the benefits expected from the economic activity. A positive impact in the business is commonly referred to as an external benefit while the negative one is referred to as an external cost. This implies that from these two, one can either create an environment conducive for producing external benefits or minimize the costs of external costs. In this case of Bowie, there are more external costs than external benefits given the case of people having to be affected by the environmental effects caused by the creation of more vehicles that produce environmentally poisonous gases (436). It is cle ar that the people in the legislation field have to look at the effects of effecting these legislations and involve the key stakeholders to come up with the required regulations for the industry. In a very competitive market though, the existence of externalities will cause either too much or too little of the goods produced or consumed in terms of the overall costs and the benefits it is supposed

Revenue Management in the Airline Industry Thesis

Revenue Management in the Airline Industry - Thesis Example The law of supply and demand has always been institutional in the business literature and practice. Even as commerce started to flourish, merchants already had to make demand-management decisions specifically in terms of structure, pricing, and quantity in the hope of maximizing profit and avoiding loss (Talluri and van Ryzin 4). However the old idea of RM as businesspeople perceive it three decades ago until now is different in the sense that revenue management focuses on the way decisions are made through a technology-based system (not theoretical therefore) which should be more responsive to the uncontrollable and hardly predictable variables and constraints in a certain industry (Talluri and van Ryzin 4). The airline services sector was the first to employ the principle of revenue management. The efficiency of reservation control systems was based on quantitative researches which centered on â€Å"controlled overbooking† (McGill and van Ryzin 233). Overbooking depended on the probability of the number of passengers who shows up during boarding time (McGill and van Ryzin 233); and which is technically necessary in effort to replenish the could-be lost in revenues in case of cancellations or no-shows among passengers (Belobaba et al. 93). In an industry with low marginal costs, fixed capacity, perishable product, irregular demand, and varied market segments such as the aviation industry, excess inventory may be minimized by forecasting through historical data in order to maximize revenues (Dunne and Lusch 42). Airlines during the 1970s started offering restricted discount rates where passengers in the same aircraft compartments have actually paid different prices (McGill and van Ryzin 234). Prices were offered at a different range at predetermined periods to different market segments without having to compromise the level of travelling experience. Therein, comes the groundwork for yield management which was later called, revenue management. This principle was first grasped by Kenneth Littlewood of British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC, known today as the British Airways) in his mathematical proposition that in adopting discount schemes, the value they yield should exceed the expected return of future full fare bo okings (qtd. in McGill and van Ryzin 233). (BOAC was offering discount rates for customers who reserved for seats twenty-one days before the actual time of flight). In the United States, the American Airlines adopted the same scheme through its Super Saver Fares in 1977 which would later be encapsulated in the RM framework especially after the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 that paved the way for the wide practice of such principle in the modern business context (Hall 600; McGill and van Ryzin 234). Before the deregulation, US airlines were controlled by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). The pricing schemes underwent dramatic change after the deregulation where new low-cost carriers threatened major carriers. The

Titian and Renaissance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Titian and Renaissance - Research Paper Example Venetian reflection of color and a special atmosphere of Venetian style are combined with traditional Renaissance traditions. Titian works are full of emotions; even in his portraits we can see an intense emotional charge. Further on we will focus our attention on his two famous paintings: Portrait of Isabella d’Este and Christ and the Adulteress. These works signify common and different features of Titian paintings and those ones of Leonardo daVinci. We will try to underline common and different features between them, but of course, the main part of our attention concerns Titian paintings and the relevance of his style to the epoch of Renaissance. First of all, we should look for the features of aesthetic in his paintings. Moreover, there is a need to claim that the painter reflected ideally both humans and nature. He was looking for an ideal balance between the nature and the human world. An air of harmony is evident in the paintings of Titian. Christ and Adulteress This pai nting belongs to the High Renaissance period. The theme of adulteress is depicted in a dynamic nature by Titian. It is evident that this painting reflects a changeable and a controversial nature of this situation. We can see gorgeous clothes of the accused woman. This tendency we can also see in other paintings of the painter, because social status of the citizens of the Venetian society. It is very important to underline the contrast of the gorgeous clothes of Jesus Christ, the Adulteress and people around them. His background reflects nature from the remote perspective. We are enchanted by the green landscapes and there are blurred limits of the horizon and it is very interesting to consider the smallest details of the painting. Thus, Titian shows that he is much more concerned about the foreground of the painting (Christ and the Adulteress). The sea and green landscapes, which can be seen at the background of the painting, are of minimal concern for the painter. On the example of the vanishing line of green grass, we can see that the painter does not exactly draw a visible path between individuals, depicted on the painting. There is an evident opposition between the light and darkness of the painting. The building has dark edges and it is especially evident on the background a bright green color. The image of a woman is leaning her head and we can claim that this woman confessed all her mistakes and she seems to be blessed. We can compare this painting with the painting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Emotions are reflected on the faces of people around the table. The same actions are depicted on the painting by Titian. People on the painting are fixed in their certain conditions and emotional states. Therefore, the painting by Titian is an emotionally-charged and rich in color creative work. Portrait of Isabella d’Este We can see an ideal woman. The image of this noble and wealthy woman has been depicted by numerous painters. Therefore, she wa s considered to be an ideal image of a woman during the period of Renaissance. We can claim that the background for this image and her depiction we can see in the works by Petrarch: she has blonde hair, fair skin, beautiful lips and cheeks, and almond-shaped blue-green eyes. Therefore, there was a well-accpeted tendency to depict noble women in the way they liked. They wanted to be ideals and idols of beauty for the painters. There are letters of Isabella d’Este, where she asks for making her portrait and appeals for Master Leonardo da Vinci.

Information privacy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Information privacy - Coursework Example However, of the 3 top email providers in the country, only Yahoo ended up having their privacy policy being challenged the American court of law. The reason? Lance Corporal Justin Ellsworth was killed in Iraq on November 13, 2004. His grieving parents wanted to access his email account, which was held by Yahoo in confidence so that they could have some sort of closure and learn what the final days of their son was like. They approached Yahoo with their request and were declined by the company based upon their privacy policy. The parents then took the company to court in order to compel them to turn over the emails of their son based upon their right to their sons things as his parents. The case then became something for the U.S. courts to decide. Who should be given access to Lance Corporal Justin Ellsworth's emails? Is it alright to violate the trust that he gave Yahoo mail simply because he is now dead and will never know what they did? This paper hopes to delve deeper into the pri vacy concerns surrounding the case and hopefully answer the question as to whether it was right for Yahoo to have eventually turned over the emails of Ellsworth to his parents. ... After 90 days of inactivity, Yahoo deletes the account... there are important reasons why we feel it is important to uphold the preferences that are part of the agreement we have with our users regarding their privacy. â€Å" â€Å" (Hu, 2004) It is important to remember that Yahoo has a binding contract with Justin that stands legally even in the event of his death. As such, this would mean that the privacy of his emails shall be protected from all prying eyes. Specially since Justin did not die with a will that explicity allowed his parents access to his private email account. Therefore, Yahoo does have the right to withhold access to his email account even from his parents. However, the courts of the United States saw things otherwise and on April 21 2005, Yahoo was compelled to turn over the emails in Justin's account to his parents. This despite the company policy that was set into place to prevent such actions from taking place. Although Yahoo lost the battle in court, there is nothing in the ruling that would compel Yahoo to change their ruling pertaining to email privacy of the deceased. (Olsen, 2005) Yahoo turned over certain emails to the Ellsworths, emails which they felt were not sensitive in nature and thus would not violate the privacy policy and trust that Justin had placed in Yahoo services. The Ellsworths were expecting all of their son's emails but accepted the documents that Yahoo provided to them anyway. At least it gave them some sense of closure and gave them a peek into the last living days of their son. In my opinion, the courts should not have compelled Yahoo! Mail to turn over any of the emails to the

Data Communications and Networking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Data Communications and Networking - Assignment Example NFC is mainly known as contact less communication and is often valued as user friendly software since it reduces the risk factor of caring the cash, Debit and Credit Cards by making payment via phones. It is in this context that the retail industry mainly uses the PCI-DSS system incorporated with the NFC technology to increase the security value of the customers’ transactions (Times Internet Limited, â€Å"What is NFC and why is it in your phone?†). Bring Your Own Devices (BOYD) or Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) is a strategy to sanction the staff members and undergraduates to use their technological devices. There are many organizations where a majority of employees are permitted to use their personal technical devices such as mobiles and laptops, which is an apparent example of the BYOT strategy. The benefits of using BYOT policy in the work place has proved very economic, creative in nature, as it helps to increase individual employee satisfaction. However, these policy measures also have its limitations and risks, identifiable in terms of diminished concentration of employees on work and wastage of productive hours within the organization. In order to mitigate this particular challenge, organizations must motivate employees intrinsically, whereby they will be able to align their personal goals with that of the organisation’s and use their own devices for the organizational benefit (Eschelbeck and Schwartzberg 1-7). â€Å"What is NFC and why is it in your phone?.† Times Internet Limited. 2013 Web.22 Sep. 2014.

Guide for the internment of japanese americans Essay Example for Free

Guide for the internment of japanese americans Essay Read and be prepared to provide a brief summary of one of the personal stories (chapters) from Last Witnesses: Reflections on the Wartime Internment of Japanese Americans, Erica Harth ed. (Chapters will be handed out at the March book group session.) Reading questions: 1. Carefully read the ‘Note for Students’ at the start of the book, paying particular attention to what Edward Countryman says about written history. He says â€Å"But good historians always approach the past on its own terms, taking careful stock of the period’s cultural norms and people’s assumptions or expectations, no matter how different from contemporary attitudes. † What point is he making here and do you agree with him? 2. The various essays in the book are taken from historical scholarship produced over time and with very different access to government documents and personal records and remembrances of the events surrounding Roosevelt’s signing the Executive Order. What does this scholarship tell us about writing with proximity to an event? How can this help us, as teachers, explain to our students what the historian does? 3. Roger Daniels in ‘The Decision for Mass Evacuation’ argues that Japanese Americans were placed in ‘concentration camps’. Other commentators continue to call the sites ‘Internment Camps’. Does it matter what these places were called? 4. Daniels quotes from one of the California proponents of removal (p. 50) that the Japanese could not be trusted at all because they had been so discriminated against in the past that they had become â€Å"unassimilable† and could not be well enough known to be trusted. Compare this point of view to the arguments used to ‘drive out’ the Chinese from the same places in the late nineteenth century. How much do you think being able to brand a group as ‘the other’ plays a role in these two cases? Do you think the same arguments were utilized after September 11 to justify Guantanamo? 5. Why did FDR, despite all of the evidence he was presented to the contrary, sign the Executive Order? In a related question, How did the tenor of the times lead the Supreme Court and a variety of seemingly able attorneys to bend the law, hide crucial evidence, and carry out the removals? 6. How is Gordon Hirabayshi like many of the leading Chinese individuals we read about in Driven Out? 7. Think about social guilt and historical responsibility and whether countries must think through past injustice and apologize for them and make some sort of reparations? We have the cases to consider from our readings of the Chinese on the West Coast, African Americans post-slavery, and Japanese Americans after the Second World War. Does the generation that did not inflict the harm owe the apology and the debt, or does this sort of thinking prolong the discord and inhibit efforts at reconciliation? 8. Dorothea Lange was hired by the War Relocation Authority to document the relocation process, but when the Army saw the tenor/tone of her work they impounded all of the photos and most of them never saw the light of day until 2006! Compare some of the photos from Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange and try to figure out why Langes were disappeared.’ (See links below.) Web Sites: 1. Exploring the Japanese-American Internment through film and the Internet. http://www.asianamericanmedia.org/jainternment/ President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 authorizing the mass incarceration of over 110,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. Two-thirds were American citizens. Over half were children or infants. Their crime: their Japanese ancestry. Forty-six years later our government officially apologized for this grave injustice and paid reparations. Could it happen again to another group of Americans? 2. This site supplements a recent PBS documentary titled ‘Children of the Camps’. ‘Children of the Camps’ is a one-hour documentary that portrays the poignant stories of six Japanese Americans who were interned as children in US concentration camps during W.W.II. The film â€Å"captures a three-day intensive group experience, during which the participants are guided by Dr. Satsuki Ina, a university professor and therapist, through a process that enables them to speak honestly about their experiences and the continuing impact of internment on their lives today.† http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/ 3. This amazing site contains an annotated directory of Internet-based resources on the Internment. http://newton.uor.edu/DepartmentsPrograms/AsianStudiesDept/asianam-intern.html 4. Great website with historical timeline, memories, posters from the camps and other primary source material. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8420/main.html 5. Site is the Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco. Site contains lots of primary sources and a collection of articles from the San Francisco News during March 1942 when the Executive order was signed. http://www.sfmuseum.org/war/evactxt.html 6. Famed photographer Ansel Adams took a series of 242 photographs at the Manzanar War Relocation Center. Photos can be found at this site. http://www.asianamericans.com/AnselAdamsManzanar.htm 7. Dorothea Lange and the Internment of the Japanese http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist/lange.html

Groups, Teams, and Conflict Essay Example for Free

Groups, Teams, and Conflict Essay Strategies There are various strategies available to aid in effective team building. One step is developing a recruiting strategy that supports the organization’s diversity goals. Volunteering time to organizations that serve the needs of underrepresented segments of the population is another way to enhance your company’s reputation as an employer that values diversity. Another step that can be used is by registering the organization with local job agencies, such as the local Workforce Center. The organization can also contact universities, trade schools and other academic institutions with information about the company and keep them informed of job openings they can post for graduating students. Organizations can also create partnerships with national and local organizations to promote the company’s image. It can also help to participate in industry events, and include employees in the company’s current workforce who represent various forms of diversity. The organization should not limit its definition of diversity to race, color, sex, national origin or religion but should expand its concept of diversity to include multi-generational diversity as well as diversity in work styles and cultures. One of the most important strategies is to construct work teams with diversity in mind. Whenever possible, the organization should assign employees to work on teams together who otherwise would not have the opportunity to work together. They should assemble groups of people who represent varied work styles, generations, skills and culture and encourage collaboration and synergy among employees through embracing differences (Huebsch, 2013). Challenges One of the biggest challenges with diversity is misconception. Most people associate the word diversity with multicultural issues, but it also covers  the differences in age, sex, sexual orientation, religion, background, and even position of power. Failing to recognize this can result in accidental discrimination against certain groups. Several types of workplace diversity challenges exist. These issues can strengthen a company or ruin one. Communication is essential to diversity in the workplace. Every person and cultural group communicates differently, which can be the biggest challenge of a diversified team. Sometimes employees misinterpret tone, e-mails, and body language, and fail to respond appropriately. Employees that resist change can be a significant diversity barrier. If someone has been raised a certain way, it can be difficult to adapt overnight. Having one resistant employee can throw off the organization’s balance. An organization benefits more when its manager is on board with major decisions for maximum results. Diversity will not work without a supportive manager (Holt, 2013). Conclusion The best way for an organization to determine which strategy works best for, is by looking at the success of the team and ultimately how the organization benefits from the teams work. As we all know, there will be challenges with any team/group because you have different people from different backgrounds, different personalities, and different outlooks on life. However, if the organization can get each member to recognize that their success ultimately depends on the success of the company, I believe that the diversity of the group will no longer be a primary issue. Instead each team member will begin to pay more attention to the work and less about the differences of each team member in regard to themselves. Once the organization begins to benefit from the team’s success, it will be evident that the strategy chosen is a success. References Holt, M. (2013). Workplace Diversity Challenges. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/create-diverse-workplace-10154.html Huebsch, R. (2013). Workplace Diversity Strategy. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/workplace-diversity-strategy-4925.html

Análisis de la Producción Legislativa 1990-2008

Anà ¡lisis de la Produccià ³n Legislativa 1990-2008 I. Resumen El presente trabajo titulado â€Å"Anà ¡lisis de la Produccià ³n Legislativa 1990-2008†, tiene el propà ³sito de analizar el desempeà ±o institucional del Congreso, como Poder del Estado, especà ­ficamente a su funcià ³n legislativa, en el perà ­odo comprendido entre el 1 ° de enero de 1990 al 31 de diciembre del 2008. Esta investigacià ³n nace de la inquietud de la relacià ³n entre el Poder Ejecutivo y el Poder Legislativo a raà ­z de la modificacià ³n a nuestra Constitucià ³n en el aà ±o de 1994. Luego de una crisis de legitimidad de unos comicios electorales, se modifica la fecha de las elecciones para elegir al Presidente de la Repà ºblica; nos encontramos con un Poder Legislativo, donde la mitad del perà ­odo iniciarà ­a con un ejecutivo y la otra mitad con otro ejecutivo diferente. Surge la inquietud de evaluar la produccià ³n legislativa y La Efectividad del Poder Legislativo: Entre el Poder Polà ­tico y el Poder Institucional Hablar de la labor del Congreso en tà ©rminos de produccià ³n presenta retos conceptuales significativos pues dicha labor no es reducible a una cuantà ­a objetiva y tangible sobre lo que pueda emitir el criterio comà ºn. Existe una dimensià ³n cuantificable en dicha labor: el Nà ºmero de leyes y Resoluciones emanados de la Asamblea Legislativa en determinado perà ­odo. Intentar dar igual peso a cada unidad de legislacià ³n representarà ­a importantes diferencias cualitativas entre ellas. Peor aà ºn, puede crear una ilusià ³n de eficiencia en perà ­odos en que crece la aprobacià ³n de leyes triviales o de ineficiencia en perà ­odos en que se aprueban tan solo unas pocas pero fundamentales. Es posible analizar la legislacià ³n aprobada cualitativamente, clasificando su relevancia segà ºn la opinià ³n de expertos (Mayhew, 1991). No obstante, es imposible hacerlo sin introducir un alto grado de subjetividad en el anà ¡lisis. La excelencia objetiva de la legislacià ³n aprobada solo puede valorarse con respecto a la legislacià ³n potencial-la agenda polà ­tica en un momento determinado. El estudio analiza y evalà ºa la produccià ³n del Poder Legislativo como à ³rgano de gobierno. Aunque las funciones del Parlamento son muy amplias y variadas (representar, debatir, controlar) su actividad legislativa es la que lo ubica como Poder co-gobernante y le otorga una posicià ³n central en el proceso polà ­tico de toma de decisiones. La razà ³n para analizar la produccià ³n legislativa del Congreso consiste precisamente en que el cumplimiento de sus otras funciones ha sido visto, frecuentemente, como un obstà ¡culo para su desempeà ±o como à ³rgano de gobierno. Adicionalmente, su condicià ³n asambleistita y el pluralismo de su integracià ³n, son los factores estructurales que apoyan una visià ³n crà ­tica que ve al Poder Legislativo como una institucià ³n â€Å"ineficiente† que bloquea el proceso de gobierno. En consecuencia, este anà ¡lisis y evaluacià ³n de la produccià ³n legislativa del parlamento busca establecer con precisià ³n la cuantà ­a de su contribucià ³n al proceso de gobierno y las caracterà ­sticas con que se desarrolla. Nuestro trabajo se centra, especà ­ficamente en las leyes y reformas a leyes aprobadas por mayorà ­a absoluta y no aborda las otras funciones constitucionales del Congreso. Dentro de este campo, la investigacià ³n presenta los siguientes productos: a) Nà ºmero total de leyes promulgadas por el Poder Ejecutivo; b) Ordenamiento de ese conjunto en base a un â€Å"Indice de Importancia Polà ­tica†, con una metodologà ­a de ponderacià ³n; c) Efectividad del Poder Ejecutivo y del Poder Legislativo en materia de iniciativas legislativas sancionadas en dicho perà ­odo, d) Vetos Institucionales, e) Nà ºmero de Partidos Polà ­ticos. Los resultados de la investigacià ³n en cada uno de estos puntos, se exponen en los respectivos capà ­tulos del informe, respaldado con cuadros y grà ¡ficas. El estudio està ¡ organizado de la siguiente manera: El Primer Capà ­tulo del informe es fundamentalmente un desarrollo conceptual que presenta una caracterizacià ³n del parlamento como institucià ³n. Inicialmente se establecen, de forma general, el conjunto de funciones de los parlamentos en los regà ­menes democrà ¡ticos y se muestra como sus caracterà ­sticas pueden variar en funcià ³n de ciertos aspectos del diseà ±o institucional. En el segundo apartado se da cuenta de las crà ­ticas que han recibido los Congresos tanto desde quienes le exigen eficiencia como desde los que lo acusan de debilidad institucional. Finalmente se desarrolla una caracterizacià ³n del parlamento dominicano, describiendo su ubicacià ³n institucional, composicià ³n, funciones, se describen las normas que regulan el proceso legislativo y algunas puntualizaciones sobre la evolucià ³n del Congreso en las dinà ¡micas de gobierno. El Segundo Capà ­tulo del informe desarrolla una propuesta metodolà ³gica para evaluar la produccià ³n legislativa del parlamento. Como es natural, el trabajo parte de la consideracià ³n de la cantidad de leyes sancionadas por el Poder Legislativo. El nà ºmero total es 1329 leyes en 18 aà ±os es en sà ­ mismo significativo. De todas formas parece obvio que las normas aprobadas son de muy diversa naturaleza, complejidad e impacto. En consecuencia un anà ¡lisis en profundidad debe necesariamente realizar una discriminacià ³n entre ellas. Es asà ­, que de forma complementaria se propone la utilizacià ³n de un â€Å"à ­ndice de importancia† de las leyes que las clasifica en cuatro categorà ­as en funcià ³n de la utilizacià ³n de cuatro criterios. Los criterios refieren a: i) el origen del proyecto en funcià ³n de resulta de una iniciativa del Poder Ejecutivo o del propio Poder Legislativo; ii) su alcance en tà ©rminos de impacto en la sociedad; iii) la repercusià ³n en la opinià ³n pà ºblica; y iv) la existencia o no de debates en los plenarios de las cà ¡maras. El à ­ndice se construye agregando los cuatro valores para cada ley generando cuatro categorà ­as de importancia: Muy alta, alta, media y baja. El Tercer Capà ­tulo entra de lleno en el anà ¡lisis longitudinal de la produccià ³n legislativa en Repà ºblica Dominicana, 1990-2008. En primer tà ©rmino se muestra la evolucià ³n del nà ºmero de leyes aprobadas durante los 18 aà ±os incluidos en el estudio. En esta primera aproximacià ³n se constatan dos regularidades. a) Es la aparicià ³n de una tendencia creciente con el tiempo en el nà ºmero total de leyes aprobadas. b) Es la presencia de un ciclo dentro de cada legislatura que muestra una tendencia al aumento en el nà ºmero total de leyes aprobadas hacia el final de cada perà ­odo legislativo. En segundo tà ©rmino se observa la legislacià ³n aprobada durante el perà ­odo de anà ¡lisis en funcià ³n de los resultados que surgen de la aplicacià ³n del à ­ndice de importancia de las leyes. Allà ­ se observa que las leyes de baja importancia son la mayorà ­a. Asimismo los diferentes tipos de leyes muestran comportamientos cà ­clicos disà ­miles dentro de cada legislatura. Mientras la aprobacià ³n de leyes de alta importancia se concentra en los primeros aà ±os de cada perà ­odo presidencial. Se sostiene que esta diferencia obedece principalmente a dos factores. A) el Poder Ejecutivo promueve a nivel legislativo buena parte de su agenda de gobierno al inicio de cada administracià ³n. B) en los primeros aà ±os de cada mandato se constituyeron mayorà ­as legislativas que hicieron viables los proyectos propuestos por el gobierno, esa incidencia se manifiesta de forma muy fuerte al inicio de cada administracià ³n y va decayendo con el transcurso de la misma. El cuarto capà ­tulo: Claramente el alto porcentaje de leyes importantes aprobadas por unanimidad en el perà ­odo 1996-200 obedece a la legislacià ³n vinculada al proceso de desarrollo institucional que vivià ³ el paà ­s. En cuanto a la disciplina legislativa de los partidos polà ­ticos, lo primero a destacar es que todos los partidos dominicanos, contrariamente a lo que se cree, muestran niveles de disciplina muy altos. Al considerar las votaciones de las leyes de alta importancia, se observa que en la gran mayorà ­a de ellas, todos los partidos votaron en bloque. El à ºltimo capà ­tulo del informe estudia la interposicià ³n de vetos por parte del Poder Ejecutivo a las leyes aprobadas por el Parlamento. Este comportamiento responderà ¡ de forma evidente a la existencia y permanencia de una coalicià ³n mayoritaria de gobierno o como reaccià ³n del Poder Ejecutivo, en condicià ³n minoritaria, frente a un Parlamento que tiende a mostrarse â€Å"proactivo† y ajeno a sus prioridades en materia polà ­tica, a medida que se aproximan las siguientes elecciones. En una apreciacià ³n inicial, considerà ¡bamos que los congresos eran dà ©biles desde el punto de vista de la produccià ³n legislativa quienes otorgan la legitimidad democrà ¡tica al proceso ordinario de elaboracià ³n de la ley. Es decir, el paso de las leyes por el Congreso, no sà ³lo es obligatorio en todo proceso legislativo, sino que es el elemento legitimador de las mismas ante la sociedad. Durante el desarrollo de la investigacià ³n fue evidente que el Legislativo es un à ³rgano sumamente complejo, que requiere de anà ¡lisis muy detallados sobre las dinà ¡micas que le dan forma. Debemos reconocer que en Amà ©rica Latina el Poder Legislativo es un actor mà ¡s poderoso de lo que generalmente se cree y que —precisamente por ello— es necesario tenerlo en cuenta, pues en muchas ocasiones termina moldeando y acotando el poder que se atribuye a la Presidencia de la Repà ºblica. La propia investigacià ³n deja abiertas varias interrogantes y muestra la necesidad de profundizar en otras funciones del Congreso, que son igualmente relevantes y que en conjunto muestran la efectiva densidad del desempeà ±o y de la legitimidad de las Cà ¡maras como cuerpos primarios del sistema democrà ¡tico: control y fiscalizacià ³n del Poder Ejecutivo y de otros organismos estatales. Dentro de este campo, la investigacià ³n pudiese desarrollar los siguientes productos: a) desempeà ±o de los partidos polà ­ticos, en tà ©rminos de incitativa legislativa y en tà ©rminos de disciplina; b) anà ¡lisis del proceso de tramitacià ³n de las leyes consideradas, disciplina de los conjuntos partidarios, etc. Serà ­a interesante poder evaluar la capacidad de propuesta y de respuesta de las representaciones congresionales, las modificaciones que se introducen a los proyectos en debate y los eventuales rechazos, los tipos de aprobacià ³n y sus alternativas concretas, observando las formas de disciplina, los intercambios y los procesos de negociacià ³n (inter e intra partidarios y sectoriales, entre los legisladores y los agentes ejecutivos) y estudiar los procesos de trabajo en las comisiones, que constituyen nà ºcleos estratà ©gicos de la labor legislativa y laboratorios privilegiados para el anà ¡lisis. Todo lo cual implica una relacià ³n inter-institucional compleja y un proceso dinà ¡mico de construccià ³n de mayorà ­as, para la sancià ³n de cada producto legislativo concreto. Sin perjuicio de alguna publicacià ³n, por mà ­ desconocida, que sirva de antecedente, el presente trabajo corresponderà ­a al primer estudio de este tipo que se realiza en el Repà ºblica Dominicana, lo que es un avance importante para el anà ¡lisis de polà ­tica comparada. Confiamos en que el producto inicial de à ©ste informe sea de utilidad para la labor legislativa, los estudios acadà ©micos. Es nuestro interà ©s abrir el debate de la funcià ³n de los poderes legislativos en el entorno presidencialista. Esperamos que de su lectura el lector especializado pueda extraer à ¡ngulos de anà ¡lisis o sugerencias que deberà ¡n contribuir al despliegue de su propia reflexià ³n. II. El Congreso Como Institucià ³n 2.1.Tiempos de Cambios El Congreso ocupa un lugar relevante en la estructura de gobierno de Repà ºblica Dominicana, como lo establece la normativa constitucional, pero tambià ©n a causa de las modalidades del rà ©gimen polà ­tico y de la composicià ³n nutrida del arco de partidos, afirmando una cultura cà ­vica con tradiciones democrà ¡ticas. Es sin duda una institucià ³n estratà ©gica de un sistema que se ha ajustado histà ³ricamente a un formato efectivo de separacià ³n, de independencia y de equilibrio entre los poderes del estado, que resulta a su vez alimentado por la dinà ¡mica polà ­tica, las representaciones de la ciudadanà ­a y la intervencià ³n consistente de los partidos. Varias circunstancias han ayudado a à ©ste perfil. En primer tà ©rmino, existe una tendencia histà ³rica universal de larga data que afecta a todos los sistemas democrà ¡ticos y que redunda en el reforzamiento del papel del Poder Ejecutivo y de las demà ¡s unidades de la administracià ³n en los procesos decisorios. Mà ¡s que à ³rganos de ejecucià ³n tenemos asà ­ un verdadero â€Å"poder gubernamental† -segà ºn la acertada caracterizacià ³n de Maurice Duverger [1](1962)- que se desarrolla como nà ºcleo de produccià ³n polà ­tica, en un sistema cambiante de relaciones institucionales, con nuevos và ­nculos de separacià ³n y articulacià ³n, cooperacià ³n y competencia entre los cuerpos mayores de gobierno, que modifican a su vez las caracterà ­sticas del proceso legislativo y los congresos de ejercicio de las demà ¡s funciones del Congreso. En tà ©rminos mà ¡s generales, las transformaciones corrientes inciden en la configuracià ³n de los factores de poder y de las alternativas de control, en el à ¡mbito de la economà ­a y en el conjunto de la sociedad. Se modifican las formas, las funciones y hasta el alcances de la polà ­tica, el oficio de los partidos y los patrones de legitimacià ³n, en un contexto de creciente complejidad y al tiempo que van cambiando las estructuras del estado y los modos de gobierno, los sistemas de gestià ³n pà ºblica y los requerimientos tà ©cnicos De este conjunto de factores y de las transformaciones concurrentes en la normativa constitucional, surge otro cuadro de condiciones para el ejercicio del Poder Legislativo. Nuevos componentes y problemas en la fabricacià ³n de la polà ­tica y de la legislacià ³n, un atado de relaciones institucionales de balance dificultoso y relativamente asimà ©trico. Habrà ¡ exigencias renovadas en la gestià ³n parlamentaria, particularmente en lo que toca a los procesos de trabajo y a la organizacià ³n, a los flujos de informacià ³n y a la disposicià ³n de saberes, a la capacidad colectiva de sus cuerpos y al desempeà ±o particular de los representantes y las bancadas, a las relaciones con la ciudadanà ­a y la opinià ³n pà ºblica. Estos elementos trazan un escenario de transicià ³n: en el que el Congreso es un actor con responsabilidades primarias en los procesos de cambio y debe tramitar a la vez su propia reconversià ³n polà ­tica e institucional. Siendo de hecho, sujeto y objeto de la reforma polà ­tica y del estado. Un centro que compite por participar con efectividad en los procesos de decisià ³n y un organismo mutante, que ha de ajustarse a las innovaciones en curso, mejorar sus capacidades y la calidad de su produccià ³n, corrigiendo sus dà ©ficits de â€Å"modernizacià ³n† y afrontando constantemente nuevos desafà ­os. 2.2. El Congreso: Funciones y Desafà ­os A travà ©s de distintas à ©pocas histà ³ricas, desde la antigua Grecia, las ciudades-estados, hasta nuestros dà ­as, y con modalidades por cierto muy diversas, la existencia de una asamblea deliberante y representativa, que albergue las expresiones del pluralismo y sea una instancia de participacià ³n, constituye una pieza fundamental en la configuracià ³n de un Rà ©gimen Polà ­tico Legà ­timo. En los sistemas democrà ¡ticos modernos, los Congresos son precisamente asambleas de naturaleza colectiva, composicià ³n plural y carà ¡cter permanente (Cotta, 1988), cuya centralidad deriva de las competencias que en esa condicià ³n tiene asignadas, como poder del estado y à ³rgano de gobierno: representacià ³n polà ­tica y debate, cuerpo de control e instancia de decisià ³n, titular primario de la funcià ³n legislativa y responsable de otras funciones pà ºblicas (constituyentes, jurisdiccionales, de administracià ³n, actos habilitantes o de autorizacià ³n). La fortaleza y la debilidad de los partidos y del sistema de partidos, su consistencia y su grado de institucionalizacià ³n, influyen obviamente en el peso polà ­tico y la capacidad de accià ³n del Congreso. Por otra parte, el balance entre el Poder Legislativo y el Poder Ejecutivo, el ascendiente del Jefe de Gobierno, las formas de articular su liderazgo y de ejercer la conduccià ³n polà ­tica, asà ­ como sus potestades para determinar la agenda parlamentaria, que dependen de las recursos institucionales de que à ©ste dispone por derecho, pueden igualmente variar en funcià ³n de los poderes de fuente partidaria y asimismo, con la formacià ³n de coaliciones polà ­ticas. La forma de las coaliciones y en particular, los và ­nculos de cooperacià ³n y de competencia entre los partidos asociados, asà ­ como las relaciones con otros partidos y con las escuadras de oposicià ³n, dibujan el margen de discrecionalidad polà ­tica del Presidente, modelan los trà ¡mites concretos de formacià ³n de mayorà ­as y determinan (o â€Å"sobre-determinan†) las modalidades de construccià ³n de la agenda congresional y los procesos legislativos. Segà ºn ello, las Cà ¡maras y los sectores partidarios representados los que està ¡n en la oposicià ³n y los que revistan en la coalicià ³n que apoya al gobierno- pueden tener frente a à ©ste, alternativas diversas de autonomà ­a y de disciplina, con diferentes posibilidades de iniciativa y de respuesta. No obstante, en casi todas las democracias modernas, las grandes decisiones pasan necesariamente por el Parlamento, mediante actos de habilitacià ³n o autorizacià ³n y afirmando las prà ¡cticas del â€Å"gobierno por legislacià ³n† (Sartori, 1994). El Parlamento se ubica en una posicià ³n estratà ©gica, como poder del estado y à ³rgano de gobierno, en articulacià ³n con los otros poderes y con la red compleja de entidades que componen la estructura pà ºblica. Por su naturaleza y su calidad intrà ­nseca es depositario mayor de la soberanà ­a y tiene a su cargo el cumplimiento de cometidos que resultan esenciales para el desenvolvimiento del rà ©gimen democrà ¡tico, en tà ©rminos de legitimidad y de equilibrio institucional, de garantà ­as ciudadanas y de calidad de los procesos de decisià ³n polà ­tica. 2.3. Las Crà ­ticas al Congreso. Los eventos de la à ©poca han afectado la imagen pà ºblica del Parlamento y lo enfrentan a crà ­ticas y autocrà ­ticas, que apuntan doblemente a su là ³gica de funcionamiento y a su debilidad institucional, con razonamientos que hacen pie en la realidad parlamentaria y tienen causa cierta, pero no dejan de ser a la vez paradà ³jicos y con puntos discutibles. Ante las crà ­ticas recordadas cabe reafirmar que el cumplimiento estricto y adecuado de las responsabilidades Constitucionales del Parlamento es un componente fundamental de la calidad de la democracia y de la legitimidad del Sistema Polà ­tico. Esta premisa vale para el conjunto de las competencias del Parlamento, tanto para la funcià ³n legislativa, como para las funciones de representacià ³n y de control, en su calidad de instancia deliberativa y de à ³rgano de gobierno. En lo que toca especà ­ficamente al Proceso de Produccià ³n Legislativa hay que tener en cuenta el equilibrio complejo y de hecho la tensià ³n, entre los distintos â€Å"factores† y â€Å"valores† que intervienen: las necesidades del gobierno y los requerimientos de la participacià ³n parlamentaria, la calidad de la ley junto con la celeridad y la eficiencia en su tramitacià ³n, los intereses de la jefatura ejecutiva y las alternativas de respuesta que surgen en el recinto legislativo, el propà ³sito de construccià ³n de mayorà ­as, las disidencias en los bloques oficialistas y el derecho de oposicià ³n. La relacià ³n existente entre los Poderes Legislativo y Ejecutivo, debe ser analizada como una relacià ³n de equilibrio, de coordinacià ³n y de competencia. Este dispositivo regular, se presenta de manera caracterà ­stica en el tipo de gobierno presidencial, que ha sido definido como â€Å"un sistema de instituciones separadas que comparten el poder† (Neustadt, 1960). Tenemos asà ­ un esquema de separacià ³n, con dos instituciones legitimadas por una eleccià ³n directa, que por naturaleza y por diseà ±o, comparten el poder y compiten por à ©l en rigor, son orgà ¡nicamente â€Å"alentadas a competir† (Charles Jones, 1994), a fin de hacer valer su propia representacià ³n y para concretar su participacià ³n en los procesos de gobierno (Sartori, 1994 y Mark Jones, 1995). En tà ©rminos generales, en estos principios deberà ­a basarse el anà ¡lisis adecuado de las funciones del Parlamento, asà ­ como los debates tà ©cnicos y polà ­ticos sobre su performance, tanto en una perspectiva histà ³rica, como en lo que toca a las alternativas del tiempo actual. Y es con tales fundamentos en una reivindicacià ³n explà ­cita de los postulados indicados que entendemos necesario encarar este estudio sobre la Produccià ³n Legislativa, dentro de las coordenadas especà ­ficas del sistema dominicano. 2.4. El Proceso Legislativo Dominicano Las caracterà ­sticas del proceso legislativo en Repà ºblica Dominicana son conocidas y resultan familiares para los agentes polà ­ticos y en particular para los parlamentarios. Sin detenernos pues en los detalles de su descripcià ³n, creemos no obstante conveniente repasar algunos de los rasgos principales que encuadran dicho proceso desde el punto de vista polà ­tico institucional. En este sentido, debemos subrayar que se trata de un proceso regulado minuciosamente por la propia Constitucià ³n de la Repà ºblica en forma mà ¡s detallada que en otros à ³rdenes jurà ­dicos. Historia: El Poder Legislativo dominicano tiene su origen en el informe de la comisià ³n encargada de redactar la Constitucià ³n de 1844 que debà ­a ser sometido para su discusià ³n al Soberano Congreso Constituyente. La primera Constitucià ³n Dominicana del 6 de Noviembre de 1844 consagrà ³ un Congreso Nacional compuesto por 2 Cà ¡maras: El Tribunado y el Consejo Conservador. El trabajo de esos cuerpos legislativos en ese primer aà ±o fue intenso y lleno de dificultades, pues en el paà ­s todo estaba por reglamentarse. Entre las disposiciones tomadas, pueden citarse; la Ley de Instruccià ³n Pà ºblica, la Ley de Patentes de Navegacià ³n, la Ley del Rà ©gimen de Aduanas, la Ley de Administracià ³n Provincial, la Ley de Subdivisià ³n Polà ­tica de las Provincias, la Ley de Atribuciones y Responsabilidades de los Secretarios de Estado, la Ley que adaptà ³ los Cà ³digos Franceses y la Reforma a los Bienes Nacionales; entre otras. Funcià ³n: El Artà ­culo 16 de la Constitucià ³n Dominicana le asigna una definicià ³n especà ­fica de â€Å"Congreso de la Repà ºblica†, institucià ³n polà ­tica colegiada, de carà ¡cter pluralista y electivo, que funciona normalmente dentro del contexto de las democracias liberales, cuyas atribuciones principales son hacer las leyes, examinar todos los actos del Poder Ejecutivo y ejercer control sobre el gobierno y la administracià ³n en general. El Congreso ejerce el poder constituyente derivado. Esta conformacià ³n de las asambleas parlamentarias supone el establecimiento de un cuerpo estable y especializado, que inviste la representacià ³n de la ciudadanà ­a y de los partidos en un à ¡mbito de pluralidad, como: o Cuerpo Deliberante: Realizan deliberaciones e intercambio de posiciones y luego son discutidos pà ºblicamente por una asamblea constituida en autoridad pà ºblica. o Cuerpo Representativo: Permiten canalizar demandas emergentes (en tà ©rminos de agregacià ³n y regulacià ³n, de compromiso y de autoridad, articulando los intereses particulares con las producciones de interà ©s general). o Es un Órgano Polà ­tico Colegiado: Compuesto por un grupo de personas elegidas democrà ¡ticamente mediante sufragio popular para representar a los ciudadanos. o Es una Asamblea de Carà ¡cter Permanente: El Congreso origina decisiones continuamente, asegurando la gobernabilidad. o Expresià ³n de Pluralismo Polà ­tico: Es la à ºnica institucià ³n que consiente la presencia conjunta y continua de todos los sujetos polà ­ticos y no excluye ningà ºn sector social; llevà ¡ndole en fin a recoger opinià ³n, formarla y participar en las opciones de gobierno, fundamentalmente mediante la construccià ³n del orden jurà ­dico y del imperio de la ley, dentro de un estatuto constitucional que ofrece garantà ­as de divisià ³n de poderes, de control y de equilibrio polà ­tico. De acuerdo con el mandato Constitucional y las normas reglamentarias de la institucià ³n, las funciones Congresionales son tres: Legislar, Fiscalizar y Representar. o La actividad de Legislar o de hacer leyes es considerada la funcià ³n bà ¡sica de un Congreso, ya que los Senadores y Diputados tienen la indelegable misià ³n de transformar en textos claros, precisos y coherentes todo aquello que se pretende instituir como norma para regir conductas o relaciones individuales o colectivas. o El mandato y el mecanismo de Fiscalizacià ³n se refiere a la inspeccià ³n, fiscalizacià ³n, revisià ³n e interpelacià ³n sobre la actividad que realizan el Poder Ejecutivo y sus dependencias; es decir, Secretarà ­as de Estado y Direcciones Generales, asà ­ como sobre cualquier otro funcionario electo. Esta trabajo de control ejerce una funcià ³n de contrapeso frente a las actuaciones del gobierno central, o El concepto de Representacià ³n es moderno. En polà ­tica, implica actuar en interà ©s de los representados, de una manera sensible ante ellos. El compromiso de representacià ³n es doble, ya que los legisladores representan a la nacià ³n y a la provincia o circunscripcià ³n que los ha elegido. Congreso Bicameral: A travà ©s de la separacià ³n de poderes -que sigue siendo un principio vigente en las constituciones polà ­ticas modernas y en la nuestra- el Parlamento es a su manera un à ³rgano de gobierno (co-gobernante), mediante un desempeà ±o adecuado de sus dos cà ¡maras, donde ambas Cà ¡maras participan en pie de igualdad. La produccià ³n legislativa por lo que podemos decir que es un proceso fuertemente reglamentado y complejo, que presenta alternativas complicadas y diversas, desde el punto de vista del desempeà ±o institucional y la negociacià ³n polà ­tica, como pieza estratà ©gica de las acciones de gobierno. La constitucià ³n bicameral del Poder Legislativo ha sido histà ³ricamente concebida como un mecanismo que limita las posibilidades de dominio simple de una mayorà ­a parlamentaria (una eventual â€Å"tiranà ­a†, segà ºn los constitucionalistas clà ¡sicos, temerosos de la concentracià ³n de la autoridad pà ºblica) y es en sà ­ misma una garantà ­a suplementaria de la separacià ³n de poderes, actuando como un factor mà ¡s de equilibrio, al interior del organismo legislativo, en el conjunto de las instituciones pà ºblicas y en relacià ³n a la ciudadanà ­a. Es este un ingrediente bà ¡sico de la civilizacià ³n democrà ¡tica, que permite una mayor amplitud en la representacià ³n polà ­tica, favorece el pluralismo y brinda la oportunidad de un mejor procesamiento (polà ­tico y tà ©cnico) de los productos legislativos, en un mà ©rito que se extiende a otras competencias parlamentarias[2]. La estructura bicameral conlleva a que los proyectos de ley deban pasar necesariamente por el examen de ambas Cà ¡maras (â€Å"doble escrutinio†) y sà ³lo resulten aprobados si se llega a una voluntad coincidente de los dos cuerpos, con sus mayorà ­as respectivas. Si median diferencias, el proyecto es objeto de una segunda revisià ³n. Los sistemas bicamerales hacen que el proceso de la formacià ³n de la ley sea mà ¡s responsable y cuidadoso, evitando la aprobacià ³n precipitada de los proyectos y, ademà ¡s, resulta mà ¡s acorde con el rà ©gimen democrà ¡tico, por cuanto garantiza mejor una autà ©ntica representacià ³n tanto polà ­tica como regional y social. Conformacià ³n y Eleccià ³n: Nuestro Poder Legislativo està ¡ conformado por un Senado, compuesto por 32 miembros, uno por el Distrito Nacional y un representante de cada Provincia y. una Cà ¡mara de Diputados. El Senado està ¡ La Cà ¡mara de Diputados està ¡ compuesto por 178 miembros, a razà ³n de uno por cada cincuenta mil habitantes o fraccià ³n de mà ¡s de veinticinco mil. Por cada provincia debe haber por lo menos dos (Constitucià ³n Dominicana, Art. 24). Ambos representan al pueblo, a travà ©s de distintos partidos polà ­ticos, son elegidos por representacià ³n proporcional desde las listas partidarias y de forma nominal, por votacià ³n directa secreta y universal, en todo el paà ­s, para un perà ­odo de cuatro aà ±os (Constitucià ³n Dominicana, Art 21, Art. 24) Las elecciones nacionales para elegir diputados se harà ¡n mediante circunscripciones electorales con el objeto de garantizar que los ciudadanos que resulten electos en las elecciones generales, sean una verdadera representacià ³n del sector de los habitantes que los eligen.[3] La Constitucià ³n de la Repà ºblica no delega en los partidos polà ­ticos la representacià ³n del pueblo, mà ¡s bien los contempla como instrumentos para realizar el procedimiento electivo mediante el cual los ciudadanos eligen cada cuatro aà ±os a sus representantes. Quorum: En cada Cà ¡mara se requiere la presencia de mà ¡s de la mitad de sus miembros, como quà ³rum mà ­nimo para la validez de las deliberaciones. Las decisiones se toman por mayorà ­a absoluta de votos (Art. 30). La legislatura ordinaria dura noventa dà ­as, pero puede prorrogarse por sesenta dà ­as mà ¡s (Art. 33). Proceso Legislativo: En una investigacià ³n sobre la participacià ³n de los parlamentos en la produccià ³n polà ­tica, Olson y Mezey (1991) afirman que el proceso legislativo està ¡ determinado por tres conjuntos de factores: a) las influencias externas sobre la legislatura; b) la capacidad de actuacià ³n de los legisladores; y c) el contenido de las polà ­ticas que se procesan. Las influencias externas està ¡n determinadas por el dispositivo constitucional, la estructura estatal, la normativa electoral, el sistema de partidos, los intereses de los grupos de la sociedad y la agenda pà ºblica de gobierno. El alcance de actuacià ³n de los legisladores està ¡ determinado por el formato organizacional del Parlamento, las reglas de funcionamiento de las cà ¡maras y de las comisiones, las estructuras de los partidos, asà ­ como la operativa especà ­fica de las bancadas y finalmente, las caracterà ­sticas personales de los integrantes del cuerpo. El contenido de las polà ­ticas depende de la naturaleza de los proyectos que se presentan en el Parlamento y del tipo de actores e intereses a que tales proyectos afectan. Para alcanzar pues un resultado unificado, que manifieste la voluntad formal del Poder Legislativo como à ³rgano mayor del estado, es necesario recorrer un itinerario complejo, de instancias eslabonadas, que respeta la composicià ³n bicameral del Parlamento, asà ­ como la calidad representativa de los cuerpos que lo componen y de sus integrantes, respondiendo a los requerimientos tà ©cnicos y polà ­ticos de la gramà ¡tica legislativa. Este proceso està ¡ integrado por cuatro fases: a) la proposicià ³n del proyecto de ley, b) el trà ¡mite del proyecto, c) la aprobacià ³n de la ley, y d) la promulgacià ³n de la ley. En sentido general, Todo proyecto de ley puede iniciarse en cualquiera de las dos Cà ¡maras y pasan usualmente a las comisiones parlamentarias respectivas, sean à ©stas especiales o permanentes, actuando mà ¡s de una vez en forma integrada. Las comisiones son organismos fundamentales del sistema parlamentario y obran con un potencial de buena polà ­tica legislativa, agregando a esta tarea, una mayor densidad, garantà ­as y posibilidades de calidad[4]. Cuando el trabajo en la comisià ³n ha concluido, el proyecto es presentado en el plenario de la Cà ¡mara correspondiente para su discusià ³n y aprobacià ³n. Luego de admitido en una de las Cà ¡maras debe ser sometido a dos discusiones distintas, con un intervalo de un dà ­a por lo menos entre una y otra discusià ³n (Art. 39), de acuerdo al procedimiento para la aprobacià ³n de leyes. Sà ­, en el caso de que el proyecto fuese declarado de emergencia debe ser discutido en dos sesiones consecutivas (Art. 39). Cada Cà ¡mara es independientemente en sus funciones de acuerdo al criterio mayoritario de sus miembros. Cualquier proyecto de ley recibido en una Cà ¡mara, despuà ©s de haber sido aprobado en la otra, serà ¡ fijado en el orden del dà ­a; pero el mismo puede ser aprobado, modificado o rechazado por esta (Art. 40). Sancià ³n: El procedimiento de sancià ³n legislativa se inicia con el debate en Sala, a partir de la intervencià ³n de los voceros de las comisiones actuantes. Luego, los legisladores discuten el proyecto en general y luego en particular, artà ­culo por artà ­culo, mediante un procedimiento ordenado por el Reglamento de Funcionamiento de cada Cà ¡mara. Todo proyecto de ley aprobado por la Cà ¡mara de origen pasarà ¡ a la otra Cà ¡mara para su consideracià ³n, desarrollà ¡ndose un procedimiento de ida y

Hamlets Frustration Essay -- Hamlet

Hamlet's Frustration In order to understand Hamlet, we must understand his frustration. This frustration is most clear in his famous monologue, famously beginning with the line "Oh what a rogue and peasant slave am I." This self-condemnation is contrasted by his admiration for the actor of the previous scene, who "in a fiction" is able to "force his soul to his own conceit." The word "soul" is an example of metonymy, as the soul represents the actor's "visage," "tears," "distraction," and "voice." Thus Hamlet equates "soul" with one's actions, so by his own comparison his soul is weak, as he does not take action against the king. The second sentence is furthermore a rhetorical question, beginning with, "Is it notÃ…  " So clearly Hamlet's lack of emotion is "monstrous" in his own mind at the very start of the monologue. The equation of "Hecuba" to "nothing" is then contrasted by Hamlet's "cue" being the murder of his father. Hamlet then states that the actor would "drown the stage with tears" if he were in Hamlet's position. The visual hyperbole which is compounded by the repetition of rhythm ("Make mad the guilty," "appal the free") and the deep assonance ("cleave," "ear," "speech," "free,") serves to further prove Hamlet's belief that he is inadequate, weak, since both the sounds and the exaggeration build to and are immediately compared with Hamlet himself. Hamlet directly holds himself up to the actor and then begins to apply his feeling of inadequacy to his exact situation. The fragment, "yet I" is isolated to emphasize the contrast between the actor and himself, action and inaction. The following metaphoric phrase "dull and muddy-mettled rascal" can only be spoken slowly, thereby illustrating the hesitation through b... ...oretically have an impact, though in reality the purpose of the play is to verify something that Hamlet already knows. It is therefore a convoluted method of procrastination and a haphazard way of avoiding all of his self-criticisms. Works Cited and Consulted Danson, Lawrence. "Tragic Alphabet." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. Rpt. from Tragic Alphabet: Shakespeare's Drama of Language. N. p.: Yale University Press, 1974. Rosenberg, Marvin. "Laertes: An Impulsive but Earnest Young Aristocrat." Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Masks of Hamlet. Newark, NJ: University of Delaware Press, 1992. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html

Hunger Issues in the World :: World Hunger

â€Å"There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread† – Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist World hunger is one of the biggest problems faced in this world today. About 24,000 people die every day, and most of these deaths are faced by children under five. Even though there is a lot of food in the world, some people in the world can’t access these foods because of poverty. About 1/10 of the world population suffer from chronic hunger every year. Because of the hunger problem, the majority of people suffer from blindness, anemia, malnutrition related problems and other diseases because they are not getting enough diet. There are lots of countries facing hunger issues in the world. Most of the hungry countries are undeveloped countries and some developing countries. Some of the hungry countries are, D.R. Congo, Somalia, Burundi, Eritrea, Mozambique, Zambia, Haiti, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. Most of the hungry countries are located in Africa. Out of all these countries Somalia is hungriest country in Africa, and followed by Haiti in Central America. The main reason why there are lots of hunger crisis in Somalia is because of the natural resources were destroyed by the civil war. Another reason is numerous amounts of drought and flooding. But one of the main reasons that Somalia is hungry is poverty. Their per capita GDP per year is $500. Since their natural resources were destroyed by the civil war, they can’t grow sufficient food. So, the food gets transported from other countries the food prices increases every day. Many people in the country are poverty that means that they can’t buy enough food to feed themselves because it is too expensive. The second hungriest country in the world is Haiti. Some problem it faces that leads to hunger is 80 percent of people live in poverty. Most of their natural resources were destroyed by hurricanes, floods, and tropical storms. An additional reason why Haiti is hungry is because they have weak government. Bibliography United Nations World Food Program (WFP), Oxfam, UNICEF. â€Å"Hunger and World Poverty† January 2007. . Found online Sunday, December 13, 2009 The State of Food Insecurety in the World 2003, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation; UN World Food Program; U.

Types of Parents and the Type of Parent I Am Essay -- parenthood, raisi

There are many types of parents in the world today. The types of parents could be classified in many different categories. I believe there are three types of parents today: the Consultants, the Helicopters, and the Drill Sergeants. In this essay, I will discuss and explain each of these types of parents. I will also discuss the type of parent I believe I am, and how my parenting style may affect my children in the future. The Consultant Parents is a loving and logical parent that provides guidance and consultant services for children. They provide messages of personal worth and strength and rarely mention responsibilities. The Consultant Parents demonstrates how to take care of self and be responsible. They share personal feelings about their own performance and responsibilities with their child. The Consultant Parents provides and helps their child explore alternatives and then allows the child to make his/her own decision. They provide the child with a â€Å"time frame† to complete their responsibilities. The Consultant Parents often uses lots of actions and very few words. They allow their child to experience life’s natural consequences and allow them to serve as the teacher. The Helicopter Parents hovers over their children and rescues them from the hostile world in which they live. They provide the messages of weakness and low personal worth. The Helicopter Parents tends to make excuses for the child, but complains about the child’s mishandles responsibilities. They take on their child’s responsibilities and protect the child from any possible negative feelings. The Helicopter Parents will make decisions for the child and provides no structure, but complains to the child saying, â€Å"After all I’ve done for you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Helicop... ...g or almost doing and their parents do not do things for them that satisfy their own needs rather than the needs of the child. Therefore, in conclusion, there may be many types and styles of parenting today, my classifications for parenting types are three categories: the Consultants, the Helicopters, and the Drill Sergeants. Each of these three parenting styles has their positive and negative aspects. I choose to incorporate a mixture of each style in the parenting and raising of my children. My style of parenting seems to be working very well thus far. I will have to continue in my parenting life and see how my parenting style will affect my children in their futures. Works Cited Banks, E. (2014). Toddler Discipline - The Parent's Guide To Toddler Discipline. Speedy Publishing. Levine, M. (2012, August 4). The New York Times. Raising Successful Children.