Political Parties Essay Example for Free

Political Parties Essay The five agents of socialization heavily influence a person’s political beliefs and views on different issues. Family and friends can influence a person on major political positions and even affect if that person considers themselves liberal, conservative, or moderate. A liberal is open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values. A conservative holds to traditional attitudes and values and is cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion. A moderate holds moderate views in politics and sits between the extremes of liberal and conservative beliefs. Because more Americans see both sides of complex issues and see both parties as overly ideological and wish politicians would compromise more, they identify themselves as moderates than as liberals or conservatives. The term political moderate can generally be used to describe someone who doesnt hold views on the far edges of the political spectrum. Moderates can be known to possess lower levels of political information and less likely be politically engaged than those who are closer to one of the ideological poles. Since they are so open to different ideas they may feel less involved in the political process; however, moderate is a favorable term in politics, one that condones pragmatism as opposed to extremists or radicalisms. Pragmatism allows for a variety of views on any philosophical topic. In the 2012 American National Election Study, 31 percent of Obama voters rated themselves and Obama as â€Å"moderate† or â€Å"slightly liberal,† while 21 percent of Romney voters rated both themselves and Romney as â€Å"moderate† or â€Å"slightly conservative. † Some of these people may identify with a particular party or describe themselves as independents. If they consider themselves members of a party, such as the Democratic or Republican Party, they will be open-minded about ideas from the opposition parties. One reason more Americans consider themselves moderates can be because of how open-minded the public is becoming on different issues, such as gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana. Americans sense there is not only black and white on issues, but also gray spots they want to explore and learn about. Being too extreme with a political ideology can be harmful, because the politicians will not open themselves up for compromise or too hear the other issues stance. Moderates can hold a few beliefs on the far edges of the political spectrum, but their overall philosophy is more centrist. Most moderates do not feel really comfortable with any political party, but their views can often lean in one direction or another or another to some degree. Political moderates are less active in politics overall when compared to people in the liberal or conservative ideologies, because they have more aggressive viewpoints. Moderates may feel less passionate about issues, or overall pay less attention to politics on a day-to-day basis. Since the average American knows very little about our federal government and the issues that take place, that can also be a reason why more Americans consider themselves as moderates. They may hear an issue form the liberals side and agree with it, then hear an issue from the conservative side and agree with it. Liberals overwhelmingly, with 75 percent, worry government is not involved enough in the economy, while conservatives mostly, with 60 percent worry government is too involved in the economy; moderates lean toward the liberal side of the argument, with 53 percent saying not enough involvement to 40 percent who say there is too much involvement. Only 23 percent of moderates favor a larger government that provides more services (liberal view) and 37 percent favor a smaller government with fewer services (conservative view). Majorities of moderates believe government should play a role in creating equal opportunity for every American (liberal view), but moderates also believe that government has created incentives for poor people not to work (conservative view). More moderates see undocumented immigrants as hardworking people trying to care for their families (liberal view) and a slim majority disagree with the idea that giving them citizenship would reward bad behavior (conservative view). Americans share a wide range of political and cultural values as we can see with these political view examples. They can agree with an issue on one side and disagree with an issue on the other side. They are open minded to each side of the arguments and take into consideration each factor to form their belief. Moderates think that parties, Democratic and Republican, are overly ideological and wish that the politicians would consider each side of the arguments on different issues to compromise more. They see both sides of complex issues and can have a range of different views from each of the liberal and conservative side. The American public has been more open than ever to different values and beliefs and that is why more Americans consider themselves moderates, than liberals and conservatives.

Effects of Religious Education on Theme and Style of James Joyces The

Effects of Religious Education on Theme and Style of James Joyce's The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Although Joyce rejected Catholic beliefs, the influence of his early training and education is pervasive in his work. The parallels between Biblical text and The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man are abundant. As Cranly says to Stephen, "It is a curious thing, do you know, how your mind is supersaturated with the religion in which you say you disbelieve" (232). The novel progresses in a way that seems Biblical in nature; thematically it compares with the creation and fall of man and/or Lucifer. In addition, the style is at times similar to Biblical text, using familiar rhythm, repetition, phrasing and imagery. As with the Bible, Joyce begins his novel with the importance of the word. He then relates sensual impressions, as if a newly formed creature were experiencing the physical world. Then, as the center of his universe, Stephen also learns the meaning of words and the power of words. He is like Adam bringing order to things by giving them names. But Stephen's knowledge comes not only from the material world, he learns through a sudden-knowing, similar to spiritual understanding, a process Joyce calls intuitive or epiphany. His thirst for knowledge both intellectual and sensual brings him in conflict with his father (Jesuit and heavenly). He falls from grace and experiences hell (through the power of word and his very vivid imagination). Because of his terror of hell he responds at first with repentance, but after reflection, with defiance. At the end of the novel he leaves his homeland, his place of origin, and prepares to begin a new life in a new land. THE WORD In the beginning was the word. Throu... ...because of what has happened to him, but because of his response to those events. He was not the only young Irish boy to have a self-sacrificing saintly mother and an irresponsible drunkard father. He was one of hundreds if not thousands of boys to be indoctrinated and trained by the Jesuits. What made him different was his response and that response was unique to him, and that uniqueness was born in him. So, the ultimate conclusion of the novel is that the artist is born, not made by human ways, but created by the powers of nature and/or God. Works Cited: Joyce, James. The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1958. Joyce, Stanislaus. My Brother's Keeper James Joyce's Early Years. New York: The Viking Press, 1993. Levin, Harry. James Joyce, A Critical Introduction. New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1960. Effects of Religious Education on Theme and Style of James Joyce's The Effects of Religious Education on Theme and Style of James Joyce's The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Although Joyce rejected Catholic beliefs, the influence of his early training and education is pervasive in his work. The parallels between Biblical text and The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man are abundant. As Cranly says to Stephen, "It is a curious thing, do you know, how your mind is supersaturated with the religion in which you say you disbelieve" (232). The novel progresses in a way that seems Biblical in nature; thematically it compares with the creation and fall of man and/or Lucifer. In addition, the style is at times similar to Biblical text, using familiar rhythm, repetition, phrasing and imagery. As with the Bible, Joyce begins his novel with the importance of the word. He then relates sensual impressions, as if a newly formed creature were experiencing the physical world. Then, as the center of his universe, Stephen also learns the meaning of words and the power of words. He is like Adam bringing order to things by giving them names. But Stephen's knowledge comes not only from the material world, he learns through a sudden-knowing, similar to spiritual understanding, a process Joyce calls intuitive or epiphany. His thirst for knowledge both intellectual and sensual brings him in conflict with his father (Jesuit and heavenly). He falls from grace and experiences hell (through the power of word and his very vivid imagination). Because of his terror of hell he responds at first with repentance, but after reflection, with defiance. At the end of the novel he leaves his homeland, his place of origin, and prepares to begin a new life in a new land. THE WORD In the beginning was the word. Throu... ...because of what has happened to him, but because of his response to those events. He was not the only young Irish boy to have a self-sacrificing saintly mother and an irresponsible drunkard father. He was one of hundreds if not thousands of boys to be indoctrinated and trained by the Jesuits. What made him different was his response and that response was unique to him, and that uniqueness was born in him. So, the ultimate conclusion of the novel is that the artist is born, not made by human ways, but created by the powers of nature and/or God. Works Cited: Joyce, James. The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1958. Joyce, Stanislaus. My Brother's Keeper James Joyce's Early Years. New York: The Viking Press, 1993. Levin, Harry. James Joyce, A Critical Introduction. New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1960.

How Is Science Combating Food Shortages in Africa Essay

Africa has been fighting a constant battle against starvation for decades. What with an uncontrollably growing population and harsh dry climate, its no wonder that not only Africa, but the world could be in for a big crisis: the lack of food. With over 7 billion people in this world to feed, one billion in Africa, its a wonder that our planet can support this mass population, and the situation is going to get much worse unless there is a solution as to how the shortage of food can be fixed. Since the 1970’s, scientists have experimented with Genetically Modified foods (GM foods). That means that they’ve changed the organisms, and the DNA, in order to enhance some aspects of the food or fix any possible faults. So far, GM organisms have proved to increase food production, which is a relevant and effective solution. This solution has indeed raised arguments, creating economical, ethical and societal implications. Genetically modified foods could be the solution to save Africa from the endless starvation and malnourishment. It offers something completely new; it is a biotechnical solution that is different to any other option considered to aid those suffering from the lack of food in Africa. GM crops grow faster, produce much more, need less time and less labor. It would be a permanent solution. Unlike transferring food across the oceans in order to give aid, GM foods would be able to be produced in the countries that actually will need and use them, instead of relying on other wealthier nations to bring it to them. This would also teach these less developed countries how to manage on their own, and not being supported or aided by the more economically developed countries. Even more positive aspects of this solution are, that these GM crops have longer shelf-life, meaning that they do not have to be consumed immediately, but they can be stored for longer. Furthermore; they don’t require as many natural resources and materials as normal crops, which is good cause Africa itself doesn’t offer that many, which is one of the reasons as to why it’s in the situation that it is in right now. This would give an exceptional amount of aid and hope to the people of Africa as it would fix one major issue that has been developing throughout the years, and help them defeat other problems that their nations are facing. However, there are always downsides to these new inventions. Firstly, GM foods haven’t been in the know for long enough to know if they have any side affects that humans should be concerned of. Many people resist the idea of genetical modification because of this uncertainty. The foods and crops could always trigger allergic reactions, which might be fatal in nations that offer poor medical aid, or any health impacts for humans and even animals. However, the certainty that these problems exist is only an assumption. For as far we know, there might be no bad consequences or effects that GMO’s might bring. Another issue is how this will work in the nations of Africa. The leaders of the nations might decide that this is an uncertain and doubtful solution, that might only bring harm to their countries. Or some nations might fear change, even if it could help the starvation issues that they’re struggling with. The only thing that the developed nations could do in this case, would be to try and negotiate as to how this solution can help them, not only temporarily but in the long run as well. Also, it will be a very cheap solution, which will be a major attraction to many nation as their economical situations aren’t that great. Furthermore, the annual cost of individuals having to purchase the genetically modified seeds will be an issue, as the continent is generally very poor. The effect of growing and consuming genetically modified crops is still unknown, however many possible and realistic assumptions have been made. A possible dilemma is the harm that these organisms could cause to other organisms in the nature. For an example, the mortality rate of monarch butterfly caterpillars has gone up recently, due to the wind blowing pollen from genetically modified B.t corn to milkweed plants, that the caterpillars consume. A nature study was held in order to find out whether this was true or not, and the results were in fact pointing towards the pollen being the cause of death. There are also countless other victims of genetic engineering, however they cannot be prevented as the toxins that kill the pests are also harmful to other insects. Unfortunately, in order to grow healthy crops without a financial loss, the use of these B.t toxins is essential. Another issue that could arise from this is cross-breeding of these herbicide tolerant crops and the weeds themselves, resulting in a ‘superweed’ that would be immune to these toxins. That could cause in mass destruction of crops and a great financial loss to the farmers, as well as an unnatural new specie. An issue that could arise within the use of GM crops is the strain on the economies of the nations using them. It would be quite expensive to transport the GM foods across the globe, and it would also take some time. Also, the cost of these seeds can be expected to rise due to the technology used to create them. A more developed country and farm could possibly afford the annual cost of these crops, however a less economically developed country cannot. A solution for this problem could be funding the production and research of GM foods. An example of such a funder is the Rockefeller Foundation, who has founded the research and production of genetically modified rice. GM rice would be a very costly process but with the help of funders and other wealthy companies the cost of expense can be reduced. Since the population of already 7 billion is estimated to almost double in the upcoming 50 years, the worlds biggest dilemma at the moment is to find a solution as to how to feed all these people and how our natural resources won’t be all used up. GM crops is one of the many solutions thought to solve this problem, however, like the rest of them, it comes with many different positive and negative aspects. Furthermore, since it is such a new invention, and not a lot of research has been done yet, the effects and consequences are unknown. If the massive population growth could be stalled for a few decades, say by introducing a one-child-policy, then the development of solutions such as GM crops could be completed meanwhile. This would be a really effective way to provide food aid to the peoples of the world, especially Africa, in order to defeat hunger and starvation, and it would also slow down the growth of the population, maybe even declining it.

Inequality And Inequality Of Income Distribution - 988 Words

Inequality of Income Distribution in the United States Today, the average income of the richest 10% is 14 times that of the poorest 10% in the United States. Famous economist Milton Friedman argues that this inequality gap would eventually spur people to work harder and boost productivity. Others, who are not that optimistic, argue that the income inequality leads to a growing level of inequality of opportunity. For that reason, six in 10 Americans now say that only a few people at the top have an opportunity to advance. Looking at both of the perspectives, we see that different people’s attitudes towards fairness and equality are different. However, it still does not change the fact that income inequality is not at the desired range to have positive consequences, which makes it a huge problem. A recent study points out that different economic systems function best with different levels of inequality and under current circumstances, the inequality range that will lead to positive consequences for the U.S. economy is between the Gi ni coefficients of 0.25 and 0.35. This is an efficient range, because it addresses notions of fairness that have been supported by each side. Throughout the history, major events and technological shifts have been the greatest drivers of income inequality. During the times of wars and disasters, people demanded less inequality to be able to support themselves. On the other hand, use of fossil fuels further expanded the inequality gap. Today, theseShow MoreRelatedThe Inequality Of Income Distribution1244 Words   |  5 PagesIn an economic sense, income distribution refers to how wages and salaries are split among a society of people. The top earners in a society are naturally considered to be the richest, whereas the lowest earners are the poorest. In any society, such differentiation in earnings commonly creates class systems based on yearly income. This structure is often measured by labeling people as lower class, middle class, or upper class depending on yearly earnings even though there can be a large differenceRead MoreIncome Inequality And The Distribution Of Wealth And Income1705 Words   |  7 PagesIncome Inequ ality Income inequality is the extent to which income is distributed unevenly in a country, it measures by what extent is the distribution of income within a country deviating from perfect equality. It is an important measure to determine the fairness in a country and the social outcome in a country such as the level of corruption, crime rate and poverty. 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Supreme Court Justice And Lived From Post World War II902 Words   |  4 Pagesillustrate the ever-growing issue of inequality that has existed in this country for many years. Being aware of and understanding the changing rates of income inequality in the U.S throughout history is crucial in order to progress by making positive changes in today’s society. Historically, there have been many instances where the incomes of individuals have fluctuated and caused great changes to the nation, especially post World War II period until the present day. The income share of the wealthiest 1%