Accrual Method Checkpoint HSM/260 Essay

In a nonprofit organization it is important to make sure we are utilizing the best accounting system for our organization. Organizations that are non-profit are expected to provide financial statements that are based upon the accrual method of accounting. The accrual method of accounting differs from cash basis accounting. In the accrual method, income is recognized when services are rendered (Kokemuller, 2013). The accrual method focuses on recording revenue and expenses when the transaction occurs. Cash basis of accounting records income as money is received. An example of cash basis accounting is when a non-profit uses their checkbook to record debits and transactions as they occur. Accrual accounting is important because it ensures accountability in a non-profit organization. In an accrual system revenue does not equal cash. Expenses and revenue in an accrual system is based on the time frame in which they were earned. The cash basis accounting is based upon the actual payment. Revenue on an accrual system is not related to the cash basis system as cash accounts are. The statement of cash flow in the financial management of a human services organization is very important. This statement provides a financial record of the cash received and spent within a specific time period, for example on a yearly quarterly basis. The non-profit and human services organizations are kept informed by the statement of cash flow and how finances are managed and disbursed. In the financial management of a nonprofit organization it is important to understand the difference between accrual and cash basis methods of accounting. The accrual method is used most often in nonprofit organizations because it demonstrates the correlation between costs and income the most precisely. Reference Page: 1. Kokemuller, N. (June, 2013). Does Revenue Equal Cash In An Accrual System? Retrieved from: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/revenue-equal-cash-accrual- system-68175.html

Microeconomics and the Laws of Supply and Demand Simulation Essay

Based on Webpedia (2014), microeconomics is the interaction and behavior of individual components within an economic system. About the flip side, yet, he claims that macroeconomics examines the market as an aggregate. While microeconomics has a slim viewpoint of the market, macroeconomics examines the market from a wide standpoint. In the University of Phoenix simulation (n.d), for instance, Atlantis metropolis is a little and pleasant town with sufficient infrastructure, rendering it acceptable to custom. This is often considered as the macroeconomic view of the town because the investigation covers a wide spectrum. The simulation more signifies that there exists a low-traffic and hardly any pollution and low-crime rate. This confirms a more narrow outlook of the metropolis, looking at individual elements of the city which makes it conducive living environment. Acceptable infrastructure can be a generalized notion making it a macroeconomic view of the town. The reference of the parks and home narrows down the area into two sublets of infrastructure, in other words, home and recreational services. A change to the right of the supply curve would suggest that there’s been a subsequent rise in the offer of 2-bedroom flats. This was due to a growth in demand impacted by the truth that a brand new firm, Lintech, moved to the town, and there was consequently a population increase along with a subsequent boost in demand of 2-bedroom flats. The entry of new residents had an in earnings, which produced them favor detached houses. Goodlife went farther and converted 400 flats from their 3200 into condos. Equilibrium is the level where the demand and provide curve fulfill in the center. The equilibrium value was initially at $1050 , along with the amount provided was 2000 flat units. A change to the proper in the demand curve, occasioned by means of a growth in populace from Lintech, raises the cost of the models supply staying persistent. W hen it comes to decision making, it’ll be wise for the provider to raise the supply. Yet, change in the tastes of the customers occasioned by means of a rise in income amounts meant demand would fall. A  reduction in need of the 2-bedroom flats on account of modify in tastes lead into a drop in supply, and thus, the demand and also the offer curves would switch to the left. The shift in provide were more compared to the shift in-demand, for instance, it might imply that there will be a deficit in the equilibrium rental fee significance that supply is going to be lower than what’s needed. Meaning, the business will need to offer fewer flat units compared to the potential client is prepared to invest to them. The rental rate would need to increase therefore the amount needed reduces until there exists a decrease in deficit. This technique goes on until a brand new equilibrium point is achieved. These forces are at the mercy of different variables to the side of both consumer and provider. For instance, a growth in demand will likely be at the mercy of not only cost, but additionally taste and tastes, the income degree of the customer marketplace and also the size of the marketplace. Growth of supply can be impacted by several other variables for example cost of associated items, dimension of populace and others. In the telephone sector, for instance, the desire is principally geared by pricing, but other variables should be placed into play. Why really would one consider purchasing an iPhone when it’s deemed really pricey? It really is just since the Apple telephone organization has arch out a market in supplying outstanding quality telephones which are user-friendly. Hence it is imperative to think about the marketplace tendencies to ensure one’s merchandises are almost always useful. Microeconomics, as mentioned before, deals and intermingles together with the individual models of the market. In the real-estate business, microeconomics will take a look in the many living conditions of distinct portions of the town and ascertain who dwells there. Microeconomics might assess the person facets which could change an industry, for instance, growth in income, populace designs and client preferences in real-estate. An rich place may have fewer lodging components directly proportionate to the few who make high wages, and not as wealthy places could have more folks because of the exceptionally affordable housing components. Equilibrium in essence will be a culmination of cost and amount ascertained in the micro-level. Price elasticity of demand stems from customer’s responsiveness or sensitivity to changes in price (Colander, n.d, ). In the simulation, a rise in cost caused a reduction in the need of flats. The simulation  advocated the purchase price ought to be optimized to attain maximum gains, while in exactly the same time making sure the pricing would be advantageous to the client. That is the stage of equilibrium. Costs above this level would result in excess and costs beneath would cause a deficit. The simulation continues to be powerful in establishing the potency of the powers of demand and supply. In the simulation, a rise in cost caused a reduction in the need of flats. The simulation advocated the purchase price ought to be optimized to attain maximum gains, while in exactly the same time making sure the pricing would be advantageous to the client. That is the stage of equilibrium. Costs above this level would result in excess and costs beneath would cause a deficit. The simulation continues to be powerful in establishing the potency of the powers of demand and supply. References Colander, D. C. (n.d). Microeconomics ninth edition (9th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database PRICE ELASTICITY OF DEMAND. (2014). In Webpedia. Retrieved from http://www.amosweb.com/cgi-bin/awb_nav.pl?s=wpd&c=dsp&k=price+elasticity+of+demand University of Phoenix. (n.d). Applying Supply and Demand Concepts [Multimedia]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, ECO365 website.

The Carribiean Nations - Focusing on Haiti Essay

The Carribiean Nations - Focusing on Haiti - Essay Example To put it simply, the history of the European colonization in the Caribbean tends to be a saga of economic exploitation and repression. There is no denying the fact that the dynamics of the agricultural dependency of the Caribbean is closely linked to the colonization of the Caribbean by the Europeans. The Europeans to a great extent reconfigured the financial potential of the Caribbean by introducing the plantation system (Parry, Sherlock & Maingot 18). It goes without saying that the human dynamics introduced in these plantations by the Europeans also to a great extent shaped the dynamics of the social hierarchy in the Caribbean. The arrival of the Europeans in the Caribbean and the shaping of the socio-economic landscape of the Caribbean by them through conquests and invasions to a large extent diluted the essentially cohesive world of the indigenous people of the Caribbean. Before the European colonization, the Caribbean predominantly happened to be a secluded place on the globe, being home to a simple, but rich and multifaceted civilization, to a large extent insulated from the machinations rampant in the outside world. However, the advent of the Europeans in the Caribbean exposed the indigenous civilization and people to the outer world, thereby making them subservient to the trends gushing in from Europe, America and Africa. As the tentacles of the European colonization began to expand their span in the Caribbean to plunder the native wealth of the region, they also brought in their wake a system of social hierarchy that assigned a specific place and scope to an individual on the basis of one’s race and position in a well entrenched system of economic exploitation (Parry, Sherlock & Maingot 122). As it is known that with the advent of the Europeans there unfolded an era marked by a sharp decline in the indigenous population, on most of the islands comprising the Caribbean, this indeed created a problem for the European settlers, who were perpetual ly looking for viable sources of affordable and docile labor, so as to optimally exploit the natural resources inherent in the region (Parry, Sherlock & Maingot 17). The solution that the Europeans contrived for this death of local labor eventually translated into the import of slaves from Africa (Parry, Sherlock & Maingot 17). There is no denying the fact that the advent of first the Europeans and then the Africans in the Caribbean, wrought out an utter transformation of the societies of the Caribbean. To begin with, the Caribbean people ended up being victims to a hoard of deathly and debilitating diseases and epidemics like measles, dysentery, malaria and smallpox, introduced to these hitherto isolated lands by the Europeans and the Africans who arrived as slaves (Parry, Sherlock & Maingot 10). The social and political norms and organizations of the indigenous people were reinvented and restructured in the name of spreading the good news. Christianity emerged as the single most p otent shaping influence in the socio-political framework of this part of the world (Parry, Sherlock & Maingot 130). The simple lives of the native people and the imported African slaves were stringently regimented by slavery, plantation culture and other institutions introduced by the Europeans, whose intentions were primarily commercial and profit oriented in their approach. (Parry, Sherlock

Marriages Settled in Heavens Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marriages Settled in Heavens - Article Example One contrast is those love marriages, although they are often celebrated with the consent of parents and elders and often in courts too, yet tend to ignore the importance of consent of the elders of the family. Boy and girl fall in love with each other and settle down that they will get married no matter their parents agree or not. On the other hand, arranged marriages are settled by the parents, and the spouses may not even know each other before marriages and in some countries, they may not have even seen each other before they enter into the wedlock. This contains a lot of surprise for them which in most cases, is accepted with delight. When there is parents’ consent involved, there are God’s blessings too which tend to beautify the relationship more than when parents are not happily agreeing. Parents’ support remains with the spouses throughout their lives in case of arranged marriages while in love marriages, it may not be with them.  One contrast is those love marriages, although they are often celebrated with the consent of parents and elders and often in courts too, yet tend to ignore the importance of consent of the elders of the family. Boy and girl fall in love with each other and settle down that they will get married no matter their parents agree or not. On the other hand, arranged marriages are settled by the parents, and the spouses may not even know each other before marriages and in some countries, they may not have even seen each other before they enter into the wedlock. This contains a lot of surprise for them which in most cases, is accepted with delight. When there is parents’ consent involved, there are God’s blessings too which tend to beautify the relationship more than when parents are not happily agreeing. Parents’ support remains with the spouses throughout their lives in case of arranged marriages while in love marriages, it may not be with them.   Another comparison of the two marriages is that both of them tend to join two families. Boy weds girl and both have been brought up with different values, morals, and standards. They bring their values to the other family and in this way, society gets enlightened. These values help to build the foundations of a healthy happy family that tends to serve the society in the long run. Both marriages introduce new ways of living and boys and girls tend to get mature and sensible with the passage of time. They learn the tricks and tactics to deal with difficult situations which means that they learn lessons from their experiences throughout their lives.   In case of arranged marriage, the failure rate is relatively lower. This is because whenever a conflict arises, the parents of both the spouses are there to solve them and support them morally. Also, the spouses know that they have to bring good name to their parents by abiding by the vows they took at the time of marriage.

Assess the claim that both sex and gender are systems of social Essay

Assess the claim that both sex and gender are systems of social classification - Essay Example This essay will involve the analysis of whether sex and gender are part of the social classification systems. Just like races and ethnic categorization in the society, gender and sex are socio-historical determined. Gender develops as people grow in the society, and it depends on the societal beliefs and cultural practices. It does not fall into the group of things people are born with but rather something that people do. Sex refers to the biological differences in the hormonal profile and the external sex organs while gender refers to the characteristics of the society or culture, and they categorize the people in the community as either masculine or feminine. For instance, societies have responsibilities and identities associated with either the masculine or feminine in the society. The acquisition of gender characteristics come through the socialization process and the interaction of people in the society (Strathern 1995). Socialization involves the acquisition of the values and traditions in the society and it takes place in a gradual form as one grows. A child born in a given setting will grow up holding on the values applicable in that community. This indicates that the society plays an i mportant role in defining the gender roles according to the sex of an individual. The common sense in the current society differentiates culture into two different aspects of human beings. The biological sense of womanhood lies in the womb, however, culture and societal values have transformed the definition of a woman (Stolcke, p.18). The analytical concept of gender challenges the universal biological concept because of the variations in the societal values. Martin egg outlines that the society believes in the cultural values to define biological concepts regarding human beings. The scientific books define male and female as egg and sperm. The society believes that the biological

The Carbon, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen Cycles and the Human Impact on Essay

The Carbon, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen Cycles and the Human Impact on These Cycles - Essay Example Carbon cycle is typically carried out whenever a hydrocarbon fuel or petroleum uses oxygen for combustion to run an engine of a vehicle or a facotry equipment. Like respiration, during combustion the carbon and hydrogen content of fuel are burned to yield water and carbon dioxide as products given off to the atmosphere. These products as well as the energy released by the exothermic reaction are then absorbed by the plants so the latter manages to produce its own food as photosynthesis takes place with the help other nutrients besides the sustenance provided by carbon dioxide. These plants consequently emit oxygen back into the atmosphere and possess carbohydrates, formed out of using carbon dioxide and water, with its stored energy to be used by the living organism once again. When weathering occurs, phosphate cycle begins when the inorganic materials containing phosphorus and phosphate ions in certain ocean salts or rock sediments are transported to land. Plants eventually take them in and are transferred to herbivores upon consumption and these herbivores may be eaten further by carnivorous animals so that the latter are also imparted a share of phosphorus or phosphates. At the point of death, they are brought back to soil by the decomposers that feed on decaying bodies with phosphorus and these materials may return to the ocean or be reconstituted into the rocks by means of run-off water.

Responses on two posts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Responses on two posts - Essay Example The story of the Karen people is just an example of many ethnic groups being persecuted by their governments. The post makes one realize that military governments are tyrannical as it is clear that the Burmese military government contributed to the persecution of the Karen people. However, the situation would have been different for the Karen people, if Burma was controlled by a democracy that had full representation. Countries like the US and other Asian nations must step in to save the plight of the Karen people and stop the likely extinction of a whole ethnic group.1 2. The Art of Maneuver: Maneuver-Warfare Theory and Air Land Battle by Robert Leonhard is a book that explains how the Germans could have countered the new Soviet prowess in operational war. There was a part of the book that shows how the Soviets mimicked the German style of warfare, but the Soviet forces were more operationally focused than the Germans. 2The Soviet forces believe in following orders, hence giving no room for innovation on the battlefield. The book related the Soviet dominance of the German forces to the speed and population of the Soviet forces.

Examining the Skills of Famous Business Leaders Research Paper

Examining the Skills of Famous Business Leaders - Research Paper Example This paper analyses the leadership style of these two individuals. Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko Mississippi on January 29, 1954 (Achievement, 2009). She started her career as a radio broadcaster. She showed early on in her career the ability to communicate with others and to captivate the attention of large audiences. In 1985 she started the talk show â€Å"The Oprah Winfrey Show† which soon became the nation’s top talk show nationwide. Oprah Winfrey’s leadership style can be categorized as a charismatic leader. Charismatic leaders are those leaders who by force of their abilities are capable of having a profound and extraordinary effect on their followers (Schermerhorn, et. al. 2003). Alan Greenspan was born on March 6, 1926. He majored in economics from the University of New York. Some of his professional accomplishment includes being the top economics consultant for the firm Townsend-Greenspan, advisor to President Nixon, and advisor in the Ford presidency (Answers, 2009). His greatest professional goal was becoming the president of the federal reserve from 1987-2006. Mr. Greenspan was a powerful figure in US political regime that was considered the most powerful financial leader during his tenured as head of Fed. His leadership style can be categorized as a transactional leadership. Transactional leadership behavior focuses on the accomplishment of tasks and good worker relationships in exchange for desirable rewards in the workplace (Leadingtoday, 2003). The leadership style of Oprah Winfrey is much different that the leadership style of Mr. Greenspan. Oprah utilized her outgoing personality to inspire others, while Alan utilize his legitimate power to dictate the economic policies the country would follow as far as monetary policy is concern. Greenspan had many people that disagreed with his decisions who became adversaries of his regime. Oprah utilized

The Crappy Shades Sunglasses Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Crappy Shades Sunglasses Company - Essay Example There have been certain unfortunate incidents like strikes on some of the issues, which put a bad impact on the overall operation of the company. Company happened to lose its key customers as well as few new orders. The company has been able to attain a profit of around  £ 2.3 million in the year, 2006. As the competition is getting intense, more of its competitors are going global. There is a low entry barrier in this market; which has led to a number of new entrants in this market. The products and prices of all of these companies are quite similar, so day by day, the market is getting divided into more segments. To survive this competition Crappy Shades now would like to go for expansion in some new regions to tap the global market. Zeroing down on a singe opportunity is the main decision to take on. Globalization has allowed ease in free trades among the countries. It has introduced greater speed and lesser difficulty in transportation of goods as well as that of the people. Most of the companies, in developing countries, are now interested in using their cash inflows to invest in developing nations. Even the company is now in a situation, where they can take the advantage of globalization by expanding their business to other regions. The destination should be cautiously picked as the company would like to keep their cost effectiveness up in that country. In such a way they can carry their brand names out of UK. With every brand name, an image gets attached to it. So this ‘low cost’ company should keep that image alive, even out of UK. Moving to another country means they would get access to the technology and resources of that nation. At the same time it would have a large customer base with access to a large talent pool of that nation. So using the resources worldwide, technical and cultural, the company would be able to

Personal Health Risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Health Risk - Essay Example Personal Health Risk I choose well water as my health risk. Well water contains Arsenic compounds that pose a health risk to people who consume water from the well. I identified arsenic in well water as my health hazard from the Unites States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Indeed, EPA defines arsenic as a naturally occurring compound that is odorless and tasteless but harmful to human health. EPA established that about 56 million people America were drinking well water with arsenic at unsafe levels (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2015). Arsenic in ground water emanates from human activities, manufacturing activities, or natural activities. EPA considers higher levels of arsenic  as a ground water  pollutant that derives long term and short-term effects. EPA advices citizens using well water to monitor its arsenic levels before consumption. EPA regulates arsenic in ground water establishing health and environmental-based standards through the maximum contaminant level (MCL), at 0.010 mg/L or 10 ppb (EPA, 2013). In identifying arsenic in drinking water as my health hazard considered arsenic in drinking water as a risk since it would cause harmful effects to my health. Indeed, well water can cause short-term health effects like skin cancer, kidney failure, skin diseases, and harms the nervous systems. To identify arsenic in drinking water as a hazard, I followed EPA risk assessment module that included establishing the magnitude of arsenic present in water where arsenic is the dominant public-health problem for drinking water in America.

Bloom taxonomy Essay Example for Free

Bloom taxonomy Essay Bloom’s taxonomy or also known as the revised bloom taxonomy is a great teaching tool to use when teaching patients about their illness. It consists of three categories and then multiple sub-categories. Blooms taxonomy addresses not only the patient’s readiness to learn but it address the appropriate approach to each individual situation. It gives a systematic way of approaching a topic and the audience that will be learning. When this method is applied to nursing it is a great tool. This is due to the fact that each patient has different cognitive factors, different psychomotor factors as well as an affective domain. Bloom’s Cognitive categories have to do with how the mind can process or regenerate the information provided during a teaching session. There are six sub-categories to the cognitive category. The six are remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create. A teacher should be able to determine where in this pyramid is the patient. What teaching strategies must be changed and modified to fit the patient lifestyle. The second category is the Affective domain. This is how patients address their emotions to specific problems. This will show what a patient or student values and what motivates them to be who they are. This category has five sub-categories receiving, respecting, valuing, organizing and internalizing. This is the category that will determine if the patient is willing to accept this disease or new lifestyle change into their life. This will tell a teacher where on the scale the patient is willing to rate their disease and how it will affect their life. The Third and final category is psychomotor. This tells the teacher if the patient is physically able to complete the task asked of them. This will allow the teacher to gage if the patient is able to successfully complete what is needed of them to live with their disease process. There are five sub-categories imitation, manipulation, precision, articulation, and naturalization. There is a great example of this category, teaching a patient to use a new nebulizer treatment. The patient will go through reach step of the process till they  can finally reach the goal of naturalization. Conclusion Blooms taxonomy learning tool can break down the heart of teaching and give it meaning to apply to most any professions. Nursing is just one of those professions that teaching is a large part of the job, on a daily basis. Blooms taxonomy should be used each day on a nursing unit from the admission date to the discharge date.

Comparing and contrating selena gomez and miley cyrus Essay Example for Free

Comparing and contrating selena gomez and miley cyrus Essay Hey, pop culture consumers and the world at large, the New York Times wants you to know that there is a distinct difference between Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez. In a recent piece by Jon Caramanica, the Times breaks down the professional and personal trajectory between the two rising starlets, comparing their similar beginnings and their increasingly divergent paths. In it, he writes, Of late, Miley Cyrus, 20, and Selena Gomez, who turned 21 on Monday, have each been pushing back in different ways — Ms. Gomez with her role in the film Spring Breakers, and Ms. Cyrus with her sometimes erratic, sometimes free-spirited tabloid life. He then goes to argue the closer that Miley Cyrus artistic output mirrors her personal life, the better she becomes. The word choices used to describe the two pop princesses demonstrate a clear delineation between Cyrus and Gomez. Cyruss process includes feeling out new forms of rebellion, including the touristic appropriation of black culture, while Gomezs is particularly milquetoast. Her newest album, according to Caramanica, is breathy, wide-ranging, largely toothless. Caramanica is right to turn to these two young actresses/idols/musicians as a barometer of the pop cultural world, because they are certainly exemplary of the state of pop culture (and, of course, tabloid culture, as well). Both fulfill reasonable, identifiable, relatable roles for young women. Miley, the rambunctious rebel who is using her music to jettison her identity forward; Selena, a biracial young woman who is poised, graceful, and a friend any young girl would want to have; and even, to extend the comparisons of other young stars — Demi Lovato as the impassioned, slightly tortured diva, and Vanessa Hudgens as the laid-back West Coast bohemian who has eschewed music for film. Yet, for all of their seeming differences, Caramanica neglects to point out the most fascinating thing these two share: their similarities. Miley and Selena are both fervent anti-bullying advocates, loyally devoted to their fans, and welcome all types of listeners. Both of them want the population at large to believe that they are good people, even though they make bad choices — and they encourage their devotees to be kind to one anothereven when they make bad choices, too. Young girls respond to both Miley and Selena because the specific personality traits (which are, according to Caramanica, rebellious and safe, respectively) they sell to us are appealing. Where Miley harnesses an inner rebel, Selena embraces a wholesome good time in a pure, unself-conscious way (unlike, say, Taylor Swift, whose self-effacing hand-wringing is what makes her so popular with adults). Yet, it is their open accessibility and honestness, along with their all-inclusive message, that keeps a younger generation hungry. And having todays former Disney stars feel out their own way while also espousing tolerance and respect — no matter how calculated that way may be — is so much better than being subjected to a child star who insincerely sells the virginal act. The music, it appears, is secondary. (NY Times)

Methods Of Waste Management And Recycling Environmental Sciences Essay

Methods Of Waste Management And Recycling Environmental Sciences Essay Waste management means collecting, transporting, processing, recycling and monitoring of the waste materials. The term waste management generally relates to those materials which are produced by human activity and is usually undertaken to reduce the effect of these activities on their health and environment. Waste management is also useful to recover useful resources from the waste. Waste management involves all solid, liquid and gaseous or radioactive substances which are managed with different methods and expertise is required for each of them. Waste management practices are different for different countries of the world be it developed or developing nations. The management is different for urban and rural areas, for residential and industrial waste producers. Management of residential and institutional waste in cities and metros is done by the local government authorities or what we call as Municipal Corporation, while management of non-hazardous commercial and industrial waste is done by the generator of such waste. Solid waste Management Plasma gasification Plasma is a highly ionized or electrically charged gas. An example in nature is lightning, capable of producing temperatures exceeding 12,600  Ã‚ °F (6,980  Ã‚ °C). A gasifier vessel utilizes proprietary plasma torches operating at +10,000  Ã‚ °F (5,540  Ã‚ °C) (the surface temperature of the Sun) in order to create a gasification zone of up to 3,000  Ã‚ °F (1,650  Ã‚ °C) to convert solid or liquid wastes into a sun gas. When municipal solid waste is subjected to this intense heat within the vessel, the wastes molecular bonds break down into elemental components. The process results in elemental destruction of waste and hazardous materials According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. generated 250 million tons of waste in 2008 alone, and this number continues to rise. About 54% of this trash (135,000,000  short tons (122,000,000 t)) ends up in landfills and is consuming land at a rate of nearly 3,500  acres (1,400 ha) per year. In fact, landfilling is currently the number one method of waste disposal in the US. Some states no longer have capacity at permitted landfills and export their waste to other states. Plasma gasification offers states new opportunities for waste disposal, and more importantly for renewable power generation in an environmentally sustainable manner. Landfill Disposing of waste in a landfill involves burying the waste, and this remains a common practice in most countries. Landfills were often established in abandoned or unused quarries, mining voids or borrow pits. A properly designed and well-managed landfill can be a hygienic and relatively inexpensive method of disposing of waste materials. Older, poorly designed or poorly managed landfills can create a number of adverse environmental impacts such as wind-blown litter, attraction of vermin, and generation of liquid leach ate. Another common byproduct of landfills is gas (mostly composed of methane and carbon dioxide), which is produced as organic waste breaks down anaerobic ally. This gas can create odour problems, kill surface vegetation, and is a greenhouse gas. Design characteristics of a modern landfill include methods to contain leachate such as clay or plastic lining material. Deposited waste is normally compacted to increase its density and stability, and covered to prevent attr acting vermin (such as mice or rats). Many landfills also have landfill gas extraction systems installed to extract the landfill gas. Gas is pumped out of the landfill using perforated pipes and flared off or burnt in a gas engine to generate electricity. Water Treatment Water treatment means all those processes which are used to make water acceptable for a desired end-use. These include use of water for drinking, medical, industrial processes and many other uses. The goal of all such water treatment is to remove the contaminants present in the water or reduce the concentration of contaminants so that the water becomes fit for consumption. One meaning to it is returning water to its natural environment without adversely impacting the ecology. The processes for treating water for drinking purpose can be solids separation by using physical processes such as settling and filtration, and chemical processes such as disinfection and coagulation and Biological processes if required. In general the process includes: Pre-chlorination for algae control and arresting any biological growth Aeration along with pre-chlorination for removal of dissolved iron and manganese Coagulation for flocculation Coagulant aids, also known as polyelectrolyte to improve coagulation and for thicker floc formation Sedimentation for solids separation, that is, removal of suspended solids trapped in the floc Filtration removing particles from water Desalination Process of removing salt from the water Disinfection for killing bacteria. There is no unique solution for any type of water. Also, it is difficult to standardize the solution in the form of processes for water from different sources. Treatability studies for each source of water in different seasons need to be carried out to arrive at most appropriate processes. Sewage treatment is the process which removes the majority of the contamination from wastewater or sewage and produces both a liquid effluent suitable for disposal to the natural environment. To be effective, sewage must be conveyed to a treatment plant by appropriate pipes and infrastructure and the process itself must be subject to regulation and controls. E-waste management Electronic waste is defined as all the secondary computers, entertainment devices, mobile phones, all other items like television, refrigerators, whether they are sold or donated or discarded by their original owners or users. In simple terms all those items mentioned above which are either dumped or disposed or discarded by their buyers rather than recycling and reusing them is called E-Waste. A major portion of this waste is generated through products like personal computers, laptops etc. According to recent estimates about 50 million tons of E-waste is produced each year around the globe. The USA alone discards 30 million computers each year and nearly 100 million phones are discarded in Europe each year. The reasons for these huge figures are that there are the rapid changes in technology, low cost of the product initially which encourages people to buy new instead of repairing and reusing and also the cost of modifying the features is much more than the original cost. Moreover t he electronic goods today are made in such a way that they follow something called as planned obsolescence which means they get obsolete with the passage of time. Electronic waste processing first involves dismantling the equipment or the electronic item into various parts i.e. metal frames, circuit boards, power supplies, plastics etc. and this is often done manually. The advantage of this process is that humans have the ability to recognize and save those parts which are working and are repairable which includes chips, RAM, transistors etc. The disadvantage of this process is that the labour might often be expensive in those countries which have high health and safety standards. An alternative to this is called bulk system; wherein a hopper conveys material meant for shredding into a very sophisticated mechanical separator which has screening and grinding machines to separate the constituents of metal and plastic fractions. These plastic fractions are then sold to plastics recycle rs or smelters. Emissions are caught by the scrubbers and screens. To separate glass, plastic, harmful and unharmful metals; magnets and eddy currents are used. Copper, gold silver, tin etc. valuable metals are sold to smelters for recycling purpose. Hazardous smoke and gases are captured, and then treated to remove the environmental threat. An ideal electronic waste recycling plant is one which combines dismantling for recovery of its components with increased cost-effectiveness of processing of bulk electronic waste. Reuse is an alternative option to recycling because it extends the life of the device. Recycling Reduce, Reuse, Recycle are known as the 3R of the waste hierarchy. Recycling involves processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for conventional waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles, and electronics. Although similar in effect, the composting or other reuse of biodegradable waste such as food or garden waste is not typically considered recycling. Materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection center or picked up from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new materials bound for manufacturing. Recycling Saves money, energy, trees the planet Earth. In a strict sense, recycling of a material would produce a fresh supply of the same material-for example; used office paper would be converted into new office paper, or used foamed polystyrene into new polystyrene. However, this is often difficult or too expensive (compared with producing the same product from raw materials or other sources), so recycling of many products or materials involve their reuse in producing different materials (e.g., paperboard) instead. Another form of recycling is the salvage of certain materials from complex products, either due to their intrinsic value (e.g., lead from car batteries, or gold from computer components), or due to their hazardous nature. Critics dispute the net economic and environmental benefits of recycling over its costs, and suggest that proponents of recycling often make matters worse and suffer from confirmation bias. Specifically, critics argue that the costs and energy used in collection and transportation detract from (and outweig h) the costs and energy saved in the production process; also that the jobs produced by the recycling industry can be a poor trade for the jobs lost in logging, mining, and other industries associated with virgin production; and that materials such as paper pulp can only be recycled a few times before material degradation prevents further recycling. Proponents of recycling dispute each of these claims, and the validity of arguments from both sides has led to enduring controversy Recent developments: Jamshedpur Utilities Services Company (Jusco), which is a fully owned subsidiary of Tata Steel, recently bagged the Municipal Solid Waste management contract for Mysore city from the Mysore City Corporation and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management contract under the Kolkata metropolitan area for six municipalities. Under the project Jusco will construct 5transfer stations and 6 compost plants in the municipalities of Champdani, Baidyabati, Serampore, Rishra, Konnagar and Uttarapara-Kotrung which fall under Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). The Rs 39 crore projects will be funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Jusco offers integrated solutions to municipal waste management which comprises of waste transfer, transfer station management, composting, engineered structured landfills, integrated waste recycling and reclamation, recycling of municipal and specialized wastes, etc. The utilities major also bagged the TPM Excellence A ward -2008 instituted by the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM) and has several other national and international awards like National Urban Water Awards (NUWA) in the citizen services governance category for 2009.

Latin America International Cooperative Biodiversity Group Essay

Mission and Background The Latin American International Cooperative Biodiversity Group program (LA ICBG) was established to study semi-arid region biodiversity in Meso and South America in the hopes of discovering natural products suitable for pharmaceutical and pesticide development. It is the first ever large-scale drug discovery study of dryland biodiversity to be undertaken following the International Convention of Biodiversity. Initial findings from the study of semi-arid plants demonstrate potentials for medicines that would target infectious disease and cardiovascular and central nervous system disorders to name a few. However, of equal importance is the project's ability to foster and encourage conservation and sustainable economic development, transforming the concept of biodiversity from a resource to be reaped, into an asset to be developed and protected. The project will also be the first to describe and establish a database of hundreds, even thousands, of dryland plant and endophytic microbe s pecies never before studied or recorded. The activities of the project will also be used as teaching vehicles for college students of all levels, including undergraduate, graduate, and post-doc students. Although pharmaceutical or agrochemical leads may not manifest themselves, many well trained and experienced scientists as well as large quantities of data about dryland biodiversity will certainly be valuable products of the LA ICBG's efforts. Collection Several countries are involved in the collection of specimens and data for the ICBG project, including Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. These countries were chosen because each has large sectors of arid to semi-arid climate zones with a diversity of life unique to those areas.... ...uding relevant background information, called the Flora of Chile web database (see links). Currently, the database is composed of pictures submitted by Prof. Gloria Montenegro of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. Prof. Montenegro has assembled a collection of 200 photographs detailing the native Chilean plants in various stages of growth during a range of seasons. Dr. Barbara Timmerman co-edited a book with Prof. Montenegro entitled Chile Nuestra Flora Util, (), which is a comprehensive and extremely well illustrated guide to the native medicinal plants of all thirteen regions of Chile. Works Cited: Rouhi, A. Maureen. Seeking Drugs in Natural Products. Chemical and Engineering News. April 7, 1997. (pp. 14-29). Timmerman, Barbara N, et al. The Latin American ICBG: The First Five Years. Pharmaceutical Biology. Vol. 37. 1999. (pp. 35-54). references

Revelation :: essays research papers

No part of the Bible and its interpretation is more controversial than the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is the last profound book in the New Testament. It conveys the significant purpose of Christianity by describing God’s plan for the world and his final judgment of the people by reinforcing the importance of faith and the concept of Christianity as a whole. This book was written by John in 95 or 96 AD. What is, what has been, and what is to come is the central focus of the content in Revelation. Literalist fundamentalists read Revelation’s multivalent visions as predictions of doom and threat, of punishment for the many and salvation for the elect few. Scholarly scientific readings seek to translate the book’s ambiguity into one-to-one meanings and to transpose its language of symbol and myth into description and facts. In Elisabeth Schà »ssler Fiorenza’s The Book of Revelation: Justice and Judgment, a third way of reading Revelation is depicted. The collection of essays in this book seeks to intervene in scholarly as well as popular discourses on the apocalypse from a liberationist feminist perspective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first two parts of the book discuss the kind of theological-historical perspective and ecclesial situation that determines the form-content configuration of Revelation. The first section attempts to assess the theological commonality to and differences from Jewish apocalypticism. Fiorenza focuses of the problem that although Revelation claims to be a genuinely Christian book and has found its way into the Christian canon, it is often judged to be more Jewish than Christian and not to have achieved the â€Å"heights† of genuinely early Christian theology. In the second part of the book, Fiorenza seeks to assess whether and how much Revelation shares in the theological structure of the Fourth Gospel. Fiorenza proposes that a careful analysis of Revelation would suggest that Pauline, Johannine, and Christian apocalyptic-prophetic traditions and circles interacted with each other at the end of the first century C.E in Asia Minor. She charts in the book the structural-theological similarities and differences between the response of Paul and that of Revelation to the â€Å"realized eschatology†. She argues that the author of Revelation attempts to correct the â€Å"realized eschatology† implications of the early Christian tradition with an emphasis on a futuristic apocalyptic understanding of salvation. Fiorenza draws the conclusion that Revelation and its author belong neither to the Johannine nor to the Pauline school, but point to prophetic-apocalyptic traditions in Asia Minor.

Feasibility of Geothermal Energy in the United States Essay -- Clean A

Feasibility of Geothermal Energy in the United States Abstract Over the past years, gasoline and electricity have been the leading energy resources. The search for an alternative source of energy has become a complicated problem for scientists and an economic dilemma for America's public. Scientists have been trying to recognize geothermal energy as the next leading source of energy. In this research paper, I account for the inexpensive costs and different methods of gathering the geothermal energy of America. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy resource which can heat and cool buildings. Although there are some by-products, using a particular type of system can help stop their emission. In conclusion, the use of geothermal energy can be used at a grand scale in the United States. Introduction In today's society, the need for an alternative source of energy has become an increasingly important issue. As the world's natural resources, such as water and oil, raise concern over energy security (MIT, January 22, 2007, para. 9), studies have been performed to understand and use other forms of energy. In countries like the United States, consisting of a public that is becoming increasingly aware of the dangers and expense of today's resources, a different form of energy would not only help people in daily life but also set an example for the future of the world. Geothermal energy has the potential of becoming this next alternative form of energy. Geothermal energy, solar energy trapped inside the earth (Solar4Scolars, para. 5), works based on the idea that the surface of the earth remains at a constant temperature (between 57 and 65 Fahrenheit). Geothermal energy, a heating and cooling energy, can be effectively used by a t... ...oratory, Retrieved July, 23, 2007, from http://www.ees11.lanl.gov/EES11/Programs/HDR/documents/HDREnergy.pdf (2005). How Geothermal Energy Works. Union of Concerned Scientists, Retrieved July 24, 2007, from www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/renewable_energy_basics/offmen-how-geothermal-energy-works.html Nix, Gerald, (2001). About Geothermal Electricity. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Retrieved July 21, 2007, from www.nrel.gov/geothermal/geoelectricity.html Richard, Patti, (2007). MIT-led Panel Backs 'Heat Mining' as Key U.S. Energy Source. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Retrieved July 22, 2007, from http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/geothermal.html Feasibility of Geothermal Energy in the United States 14 (2006). Solar4Scholars: Geothermal Energy. The Solar Guide. Retrieved July 22, 2007, from http://www.thesolarguide.com/solar4scholars/geothermal.aspx

World History-High Middle Ages

WORLD HISTORY – UNIT 3: THE MEDIEVAL WORLD HIGH MIDDLE AGES: MONARCHIES AND THE CHURCH In the midst of this setting, medieval countries began to emerge. England and France began to develop strong monarchal systems of government. Spain and Portugal emerged as monarchies near the end of the Middle Ages. Germany and Italy never developed strong monarchies. Here are your goals for this lesson:  ·Identify key political leaders, especially of France and England, during the High Middle Ages.  ·Identify key personalities of the Christian church during the High Middle Ages. interdict[->0]|In a religious sense, to cut off church functions or privileges. | [->1][->2] [->3][->4] France. As the Carolingian Empire declined and the rulers weakened, a split occurred in the region of France between two factions. One faction supported Charles the Simple; the other supported the Count of Paris. This second faction eventually won out and a new family of Capetian kings ruled the kingdom of Fra nce. The Capetian kings ruled France for over three hundred years from 987[->5] to 1328[->6]. Hugh Capet, the Count of Paris, was elected king by the French nobles in 987[->7].Capet formed alliances with other nobles and began extending his territory through warfare. His strength was in his feudal alliances and in the support given him by the church. He insured Capet succession by crowning his eldest son associate king. The early Capetian kings ruled as lord among other lords rather than a sovereign. The anointing of each king by the church set them apart from the others. The first strong Capetian king was Louis VI (Louis the Fat). Louis VI ruled from 1108[->8]-1137[->9] and established the strong leadership needed to lay the foundation of royal power in France.He gained complete control over the lle de France, the area around Paris, and established it as the center of royal law. Philip II (Philip Augustus) grandson of Louis VI, ruled from 1180[->10]-1223[->11] and began expanding t he kingdom. He captured Normandy, Anjou, and some of the other English territories in France. Philip Augustus also founded the University of Paris, and in 1200[->12] began construction of the Louvre, the palace of the French Kings. The Capetian kings proved themselves stronger than the feudal lords. They encouraged the development of towns so that king and townspeople could be allies against the feudal nobility.Another Capetian king, Louis IX (St. Louis), ruled from 1226[->13] to 1270[->14] and was considered the ideal king of his age. He is famous for enacting judicial reforms that allowed both rich and poor to receive equal justice. He also led the Seventh and Eighth Crusades. He was considered a saint during his lifetime and was canonized by the Roman Church in 1297[->15], less than thirty years after his death. In 1328[->16], the Capetian dynasty ended because the king left no male heir. The house of Valois claimed the throne because Philip VI , of the house of Valois, was the n ephew of Philip the Fair.Ap World History Units 1-3 Study GuideHowever, Edward III of England, also claimed the throne because he was the grandson of Philip the Fair. Edward III paying homage to Philip VI This double claim to the throne led to The Hundred Years' War, which lasted from 1338[-;17]-1453[-;18]. Many long and bitter battles were fought between England and France, all on French soil. The English dominated the war until 1429[-;19], gaining large territories in France. In 1429[-;20], however, a young girl, Joan of Arc, led an army to break the English siege at Orleans and insured the coronation of Charles VII. Joan was captured by pro-English Frenchmen, led by the Duke of Burgundy.She was then turned over to the English, who returned her to the French for a trial. She was burned at the stake in 1431[-;21]. During a second trial in 1456[-;22], she was re-tried and declared innocent. The events of 1429[-;23] were the turning point of the Hundred Years' War for France. From th is point France regained territory and won the war in 1453[->24]. France had gained a true national spirit by this time. The monarchy was firmly established. Louis XI, who ruled from 1461[->25] to 1483[->26], finally achieved a united France in 1477[->27] when he defeated Charles the Bald of Burgundy.England. King Alfred's successors ruled England until 1016[-;28]. In 1013[-;29] and 1014[-;30] England was overrun by the Danes once more when the king, Ethelred the Unready, fled to Normandy. The English Witan accepted the Dane Canute (Cnut) as king of England in 1016[-;31]. Canute ruled a united Danish kingdom that included Norway, Denmark, and England. During his reign, 1016[-;32]-1035[-;33], England was peaceful. When Canute died, however, his two sons were incompetent and tyrannical. When the last son died in 1042[-;34], the English Witan chose Edward, the son of Ethelred the Unready, as King.Edward, the Confessor, ruled from 1042[-;35] to 1066[-;36]. The power, however, rested lar gely with the strongest earl, Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and later with his son, Harold Godwinson. When Edward died leaving no heir, Harold became king. Shrine of Edward, the Confessor Harold was not the only claimant to the English throne. Both William, Duke of Normandy, and King Hardrada of Norway planned to invade England. William was a distant relative of Edward, and was officially approved by the pope. William raised an army, invaded England, and defeated Harold at the battle of Hastings in 1066[-;37].William ruled from 1066[-;38] to 1087[-;39]. He brought the feudal system to England from Normandy, but he modified it so that all vassals were subject directly to him. He granted smaller parcels of land to prevent consolidation of power. William used much of the Anglo-Saxon legal and military systems. Two main factions, the Normans and the Saxons, split England for several years. After William and his successors, England was ruled by a new line of kings, the Plantagenets. Henry II w as first in the line of Plantagenet kings. The Plantagenets ruled England from 1154[-;40] to 1399[-;41].Henry II has been called one of England's greatest kings because of his extensive judicial reforms. Henry hoped that he could unify England by making the royal law the law of the land. This royal law was the foundation of English common law. English common law became the basis for most of the United States law, and legal procedures. Henry also initiated a circuit court system and developed the jury system that led gradually to the jury trial system. Henry II had difficulty with the church because he attempted to put clergy under common law and because his legal reforms interfered with the church court system.The culmination of Henry's problem with the church was his argument with his friend and advisor Thomas a' Becket over these church-state concerns. The murder of Becket by some of Henry's knights brought public anger and hurt Henry's attempt to unify England. Henry's son, Richa rd the Lionhearted, spent so many years fighting in the Crusades that he had little affect on England as king. His cruel brother, John, plotted often to overthrow Richard between 1189[-;42] and 1199[-;43], but did not succeed. John finally took the throne when Richard died. His reign from 1199[-;44] to 1216[-;45] is often called the worst in English history.His cruelty led to defeat on all fronts. His wars with Philip Augustus lost most of the English holdings in France by 1214[-;46]. His disputes with the pope, led the pope to place England under interdict in 1208[-;47] and to excommunicate John in 1209[-;48]. His ruthless ways at home caused the English nobles to revolt in 1215[-;49]. At Runnymede in the year 1215[-;50], John was forced by his nobles to sign the Magna Carta (the Great Charter). The Magna Carta was a document which protected feudal rights and limited the power of the king by stating that even the king was under the rule of law.Before this time, the king was not bou nd by any law; he was the law. John did not honor the Magna Carta for long. The principles in the Magna Carta, however, influenced later developments such as fair trials, representative government, and taxation only by consent of the people. John's refusal to abide by the Magna Carta led to further unrest. When John died in 1216[->51], he left a country torn by civil wars. The Plantagenet kings following John were largely responsible for the formation of English Parliament. Edward I, who reigned from 1272[->52] to 1307[->53], was the first to use Parliament effectively.He called together an assembly of people's representatives made up of knights, nobles, clergy, and burgesses. Initially this group was called together to make monetary decisions, especially concerning taxes. In the beginning the representatives met as separate groups, knights meeting with nobles, clergy and burgesses meeting by themselves. In later years the clergy no longer joined the group. The knights and burgesses met together forming the basis for the House of Commons, and the nobles met together in what became known as the House of Lords. Edward I tried to conquer both Wales and Scotland.He succeeded in conquering Wales in 1284[-;54], but he could not conquer Scotland. The high cost of these wars forced him to collect money through taxes. This need for tax revenue led to the calling of Parliament. Edward II (1307[-;55]-1327[-;56]), Edward III (1327[-;57]-1337[-;58]), and Richard II (1377[-;59]-1399[-;60]), were the last Plantagenet rulers. Edward II and Edward III further developed Parliament making it an integral part of English government by the end of the fourteenth century. The Hundred Years' War had taken its toll and continued beyond the Plantagenet reign.Richard II was only ten years of age when he took the throne. His uncle, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, held the real power until Richard was of age. The costs of war, the unrest among the peasants that led to the Peasants Revolt of 1381[->61], and the seizure of John of Gaunt's lands after his death made Richard unpopular. In 1399[-;62], Richard II was forced to abdicate when John of Gaunt's son Henry of Bolingbroke led a revolt of nobles against the king. Henry of Bolingbroke became Henry IV, the first king of the House of Lancaster. His son, Henry V, was a strong king who reigned between 1413[->63] and 1422[->64].Henry V fought bravely in the Hundred Years' War and won the famous Battle of Agincourt in 1415[-;65]. After Henry V's death, England again was torn by civil wars. When Henry died, his son was only nine months old, and was named Henry Vl. Before Henry VI came of age in 1437[->66], England had suffered severe losses in the Hundred Years' War, and the country was dominated by rival factions, primarily by the Houses of Lancaster and York. Henry VI's weak and disastrous reign led England into a second war that began just two years after England's loss of the Hundred Years' War.This new war lasted th irty years (1455[->67]-1485[->68]), and was called the Wars of the Roses because the red rose was the symbol of the House of Lancaster, and the white rose was the symbol of the House of York. The Wars of the Roses finally ended in 1485[->69] when Henry Tudor of the House of Lancaster defeated King Richard III in the battle of Bosworth Field. Henry Tudor became Henry VII and began the reign of the Tudor kings, a reign that lasted until 1603[->70]. Holy Roman Empire. In the kingdoms of Germany and Italy, strong monarchies did not develop as they did in England and France.Germany had the opportunity to establish a strong government but the choice to seek power and conquest prevented them from doing it. After the last Carolingian king of east Frankland died, the kingdom of Germany was split into four duchies. In 919[->71], a Saxon noble, Henry the Fowler became King Henry I. Henry I established a strong government and began to increase the territory of the kingdom of Germany. His son Ot to, called Otto the Great, became one of the strongest kings in Europe. During his reign from 936[->72] to 973[->73], Otto created a united Germany by dominating the nobles.He stopped the Magyar and Slav invasions, and united German church leaders under his power. Once he had united Germany, Otto turned to Italy. On an expedition to Italy (961[->74]-964[->75]), Otto saved the pope, deposed the Italian king, and added north and central Italy to the German kingdom. In 962[->76], the pope crowned him Roman Emperor of the West, and Otto became the first emperor of what was called the Holy Roman Empire. This title gave Otto power not only over Italy and Germany, but also over the papacy.Otto and the German emperors who followed him became ambitious and desired to live as the Roman emperors had lived before them. While they wasted their efforts trying to hold the Italian states and to live as emperors, the German nobles regained power and established their own feudal states. Some of the s trongest German kings could have reunited Germany, but the lure of Italian power kept them divided. One of the most famous kings, Frederick Barbarossa (Redbeard), first of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, extended the empire to Burgundy, Bohemia, Hungary, and Poland.His reign from 1152[->77] to 1190[->78] was successful, but he spent twenty-five years trying to reconquer Italian lands. Frederick died in Asia Minor on the Third Crusade. Spain and Portugal. After 711[->79] when the Muslims invaded Spain, civil wars split the Muslim factions. The Umayyad Kingdom of Cordoba became the center of culture and power in Spain from the eighth to the eleventh century. Tenth century Cordoba was the great intellectual center of Europe. Small groups of Christians had scattered during the Muslim invasions.After 711[->80] Christians fought both Muslims and other Christians and established small kingdoms. By the tenth and eleventh centuries independent Christian kingdoms were well established. Muslim power had begun to disintegrate. The Christian reconquest, or Reconquista, as it was called, began in the eleventh century and continued for nearly four hundred years. Rodrigo Diaz of Vivar, known as El Cid, was the great hero of the early Reconquista movement. He conquered the Muslims in Valencia in 1094[->81] and became its ruler until his death in 1099[->82].In 1139[->83] Alphonso I of Portugal defeated the Muslims. Portugal was declared a free kingdom in 1143[->84]. In 1212[->85] the Spanish Christians defeated the Muslims in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. All that remained under Muslim control was Granada. The Reconquista finally ended in 1492[->86] when Ferdinand and Isabella captured Granada. THE CHURCH The Roman Catholic Church of the High Middle Ages was one of the only unifying factors in Europe. Europe was often called Christendom because the church was so much a part of life.The church controlled many legal and political functions and during this period promised protectio n as well as salvation. People depended on the church first of all for salvation. Roman Catholics believed in certain basic doctrines, the most important of which were the seven sacraments: baptism confirmation penance the Holy Eucharist (Lord's Supper) matrimony (marriage) holy orders extreme unction The sacraments covered every aspect of Roman Catholic life from birth with baptism to preparation for death with extreme unction. The sacraments were considered essential to salvation and could only be administered by clergy.The church structure was similar to earlier church structures. In the High Middle Ages, however, bishops were often upper class, equal to the nobles in wealth and power. Parish priests, especially in the villages, were often poorly educated, but were concerned with the salvation of their people. The church began to develop a more highly structured ritual, or liturgy. The liturgy was not the same all over Europe, but the essential Eucharistic ritual was central to i t. Church fathers and later poets composed elaborate hymns for church services. Observance of religious festivals and special seasons increased.The church regulated certain aspects of warfare. Knights who killed innocent people or who pillaged churches or monasteries were banned from the sacraments in accordance with a document known as the Peace of God (990[-;87]). Another document, the Truce of God, prohibited fighting during certain religious seasons and on specified days of the week. The church courts tried those who ignored these rules as well as members of the clergy who were guilty of offenses. Heretics were also tried by church courts. A fear of heresy led to the creation of a court to search out and to try heretics.This court became known as the Inquisition. The church could impose severe penalties, such as interdiction and excommunication. The Church could also depose unfit rulers. Religious orders. The medieval church was not without controversies. The increased wealth of some church leaders and of some monasteries led to reforms from the tenth to the thirteenth centuries. The primary reforms were monastic. Many monasteries had become part of the feudal system, accepting lands in return for protection. The land brought further involvement with the world, along with wealth.Many monks, vowed to poverty, found this acquisition of land unacceptable and set out to find new, reformed orders with stricter rules. The monastery of Cluny, founded in 910[-;88], was such a reformed monastery. The monks of Cluny refused land grants that tied them to lay leaders. The movement spread, and Cluny eventually had 300 monasteries under the abbot at Cluny. These monks were responsible directly to the pope. Two other reform groups were the Carthusians, who lived as hermits, and the Cistercians, who were a stricter branch of the Benedictines and who were led in the early twelfth century by St.Bernard of Clairvaux (1091[-;89]-1153[-;90]). In the twelfth and thirteenth cent uries new orders, known as mendicant orders, began to appear. The members of these monastic orders took vows of poverty and were forbidden to own property. They were supported by alms (begging). Two of these orders were begun by Francis of Assisi (1182[-;91]-1216[-;92]) and Dominic (1170[-;93]-1221[-;94]). These two men organized groups of friars, or brothers, who did not live in monasteries, but went out as missionaries, earning or begging for their food and shelter as they went.These orders, the Franciscans and the Dominicans, were founded to fight the spread of heresies. In addition to a vow of poverty, the friars' rule forbade them to marry. Papacy. As papal powers and secular powers became more closely linked, problems arose between church and state in all matters. Both church and state claimed sovereign powers in cases that did not concern them, especially in legal matters. The outcome was usually determined by the stronger leader, either pope or king. From 962[->95] to 1149[- >96], Otto the Great and the other emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, had declared themselves above the pope.They deposed and named popes at will. The Clunaic Reforms under Pope Leo IX (1049[->97]-1054[->98]) gave the papacy independence. Gregory III, who was pope from 1037[->99] to 1085[->100], tried to establish church authority over state authority by standing against the German emperors. Although he was driven from Rome, he established a precedent of opposition to the Germans which spurred future popes to similar action. Pope Innocent III had greater success over secular rulers during his papacy from 1198[->101]-1216[->102].He was victorious over both Philip Augustus of France in 1198[->103], and King John of England in 1213[->104]. In the latter case, he forced John to pay tribute to the papacy and to acknowledge that England was a fief of the papacy. In the thirteenth century, Pope Gregory IX was unable to defeat Frederick II of Germany, but he created considerable opposition that led eventually to the downfall of the Hohenstaufens. In 1302[->105] Pope Boniface VIII (1294[->106]-1303[->107]) declared that all states were subject to the pope.This action resulted in controversy, especially with Philip the Fair in France, and led to the Avignon Captivity, a group of French popes who reigned in the city of Avignon from 1305[->108] to 1376[->109]. From 1378[->110] to 1417[->111], the Great Schism, an era when the church was ruled by two rival popes, dealt a severe blow to papal supremacy and severely split the church. The schism ended in 1417[->112] when the Council of Constance deposed both popes and elected a new pope, Martin V. Philosophy. One of the major intellectual developments to rise out of the church at this time was a serious study of philosophy.Medieval philosophy began to examine the relationship between faith and reason. The introduction of many of Aristotle's works into medieval Europe combined with knowledge of church teachings led to the deve lopment of a religious philosophy known as Scholasticism. Scholasticism attempted to apply Aristotle's logic to church teachings. The greatest scholastic philosopher was St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican who lived from about 1224[->113] to 1274[->114]. His twenty-one volume Summa Theologica carefully studies the relationship between faith and reason. Thomas spoke of reason and faith as gifts of God.He concluded that reason could understand certain truths and that faith perceived the truths of Christians, which could not be understood by reason. Scholasticism was not immediately accepted, but eventually Thomas' works were adopted officially by the church. The Crusades. In the period from 1096[-;115] to 1291[-;116], eight Catholic Crusades were launched to drive the Muslim â€Å"infidels† from the Holy Land. The Crusades were military failures. They did, however, stimulate the growth of trade in Europe, which, in turn, led to the growth of cities, trade centers, and monetary syst ems.They also led to advances in armor and weaponry. The Crusades were very costly and many nobles were forced to sell their lands to finance military campaigns. This led eventually to a decline in the feudal system because the sale of the lands lessened the power of the lords, and it released the serfs who then moved into the towns. Major Crusades:| The First Crusade (1096[-;117]-1099[-;118]) called by Pope Urban II at request of the Byzantine emperor;| The Second Crusade (1147[-;119]-1149[-;120]) called by St.Bernard of Clairvaux at the request of Pope Eugenius II;| The Third Crusade (1189[-;121]-1192[-;122]) called by European leaders after the fall of Jerusalem;| The Fourth Crusade (1202[-;123]-1204[-;124]) called by Pope Innocent III;| The Fifth Crusade (1218[-;125]-1221[-;126]) called by Pope Innocent III;| The Sixth Crusade (1228[-;127]-1229[-;128]) led by Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire;| The Seventh Crusade (1248[-;129]-1254[-;130]) called by Louis IX of France;| The Eighth Crusade (1270[-;131]-1272[-;132]) called by Louis IX of France. |The Crusades diminished the power of the church somewhat because they failed to defeat the â€Å"infidels. † The Crusades were responsible, however, for the growth of chivalric and monastic orders of knights, such as the Knights Templars, the Teutonic Knights, and the Knights Hospitalers. Three other Crusades are often mentioned. The first is the People's Crusade of 1096[->133] composed of about fifty thousand peasants and their families who set out for Asia Minor. They pillaged their way through Europe and killed many Jews. Led by a man called Peter the Hermit, about twelve thousand reached their goal, only to be slaughtered by Turks.The second was the Children's Crusade of 1212[-;134]. This Crusade led to disaster and was a tragic memory for families across the continent. Most of the idealistic children either died or were captured and sold as slaves. The third crusade was officially called by Pope Greg ory in 1274[-;135] and would have been the Ninth Crusade, but it never began. Pope Gregory died in 1276[-;136] and preparation for the Crusade ceased. [-;0] – playwav:interdic. mp3 [-;1] – gameboard:group=1 [-;2] – gameboard:group=1 [-;3] – flashcards:group=1 [-;4] – flashcards:group=1 -;5] – timeline:year=987 [-;6] – timeline:year=1328 [-;7] – timeline:year=987 [-;8] – timeline:year=1108 [-;9] – timeline:year=1137 [-;10] – timeline:year=1180 [-;11] – timeline:year=1223 [-;12] – timeline:year=1200 [-;13] – timeline:year=1226 [-;14] – timeline:year=1270 [-;15] – timeline:year=1297 [-;16] – timeline:year=1328 [-;17] – timeline:year=1338 [-;18] – timeline:year=1453 [-;19] – timeline:year=1429 [-;20] – timeline:year=1429 [-;21] – timeline:year=1431 [-;22] – timeline:year=1456 [-;23] – timeline:year=1429 -;24] – tim eline:year=1453 [-;25] – timeline:year=1461 [-;26] – timeline:year=1483 [-;27] – timeline:year=1477 [-;28] – timeline:year=1016 [-;29] – timeline:year=1013 [-;30] – timeline:year=1014 [-;31] – timeline:year=1016 [-;32] – timeline:year=1016 [-;33] – timeline:year=1035 [-;34] – timeline:year=1042 [-;35] – timeline:year=1042 [-;36] – timeline:year=1066 [-;37] – timeline:year=1066 [-;38] – timeline:year=1066 [-;39] – timeline:year=1087 [-;40] – timeline:year=1154 [-;41] – timeline:year=1399 [-;42] – timeline:year=1189 -;43] – timeline:year=1199 [-;44] – timeline:year=1199 [-;45] – timeline:year=1216 [-;46] – timeline:year=1214 [-;47] – timeline:year=1208 [-;48] – timeline:year=1209 [-;49] – timeline:year=1215 [-;50] – timeline:year=1215 [-;51] – timeline:year=1216 [-;52] – timeline:year=1272 [- ;53] – timeline:year=1307 [-;54] – timeline:year=1284 [-;55] – timeline:year=1307 [-;56] – timeline:year=1327 [-;57] – timeline:year=1327 [-;58] – timeline:year=1337 [-;59] – timeline:year=1377 [-;60] – timeline:year=1399 [-;61] – timeline:year=1381 -;62] – timeline:year=1399 [-;63] – timeline:year=1413 [-;64] – timeline:year=1422 [-;65] – timeline:year=1415 [-;66] – timeline:year=1437 [-;67] – timeline:year=1455 [-;68] – timeline:year=1485 [-;69] – timeline:year=1485 [-;70] – timeline:year=1603 [-;71] – timeline:year=919 [-;72] – timeline:year=936 [-;73] – timeline:year=973 [-;74] – timeline:year=961 [-;75] – timeline:year=964 [-;76] – timeline:year=962 [-;77] – timeline:year=1152 [-;78] – timeline:year=1190 [-;79] – timeline:year=711 [-;80] – timeline:year=711 -;81] – timeline:year =1094 [-;82] – timeline:year=1099 [-;83] – timeline:year=1139 [-;84] – timeline:year=1143 [-;85] – timeline:year=1212 [-;86] – timeline:year=1492 [-;87] – timeline:year=990 [-;88] – timeline:year=910 [-;89] – timeline:year=1091 [-;90] – timeline:year=1153 [-;91] – timeline:year=1182 [-;92] – timeline:year=1216 [-;93] – timeline:year=1170 [-;94] – timeline:year=1221 [-;95] – timeline:year=962 [-;96] – timeline:year=1149 [-;97] – timeline:year=1049 [-;98] – timeline:year=1054 [-;99] – timeline:year=1037 -;100] – timeline:year=1085 [-;101] – timeline:year=1198 [-;102] – timeline:year=1216 [-;103] – timeline:year=1198 [-;104] – timeline:year=1213 [-;105] – timeline:year=1302 [-;106] – timeline:year=1294 [-;107] – timeline:year=1303 [-;108] – timeline:year=1305 [-;109] – timeline:year=1376 [-;11 0] – timeline:year=1378 [-;111] – timeline:year=1417 [-;112] – timeline:year=1417 [-;113] – timeline:year=1224 [-;114] – timeline:year=1274 [-;115] – timeline:year=1096 [-;116] – timeline:year=1291 [-;117] – timeline:year=1096 [-;118] – timeline:year=1099 -;119] – timeline:year=1147 [-;120] – timeline:year=1149 [-;121] – timeline:year=1189 [-;122] – timeline:year=1192 [-;123] – timeline:year=1202 [-;124] – timeline:year=1204 [-;125] – timeline:year=1218 [-;126] – timeline:year=1221 [-;127] – timeline:year=1228 [-;128] – timeline:year=1229 [-;129] – timeline:year=1248 [-;130] – timeline:year=1254 [-;131] – timeline:year=1270 [-;132] – timeline:year=1272 [-;133] – timeline:year=1096 [-;134] – timeline:year=1212 [-;135] – timeline:year=1274 [-;136] – timeline:year=1276

Canadas First Past the Post System

In Canada Federal and Provincial scratch line- then(prenominal)-The- stain (FPTP) resources ar g bend on whizz part rewrites or gos. Each riding chooses unrivaled and to a greater extent thanover(a) backup mandidate to elect into parliament. In set up to gain ground a medical prognosis must(prenominal)(prenominal) agree the highest number of chooses but non inescapably the bulk of votes. The companionship that succeeds the nigh ridings is named the authorised presidency of Canada with the sustain backside troupe becoming the ex officio op bit. The (FPTP) corpse is excessively knget as the acquirener- postulate- wholly step forwardline, in which the chance with the near votes gets elected. FPTP b solelyot methods privy be used for superstar and triplex subdivision preferences.In a single fellow member pick the scene with the highest number, non inevitably a majority, of votes is elected. This administration is used in Canada, U K, US, and India. M whatso incessantly Canadians argon non riant with the circulating(prenominal) number ane Past the attitude re mains circulating(prenominal)ly in address for electing parliamentary officials idyllly and federally. I echo that Canadas First Past the Post parliamentary electoral body should be changed because it favors tactical choose it has a ostracise rig on little parties and opens up the opening night of parting constituencies.A vernal electoral organisation that is more than than than proportionalityal is needed in align to address these paradoxs. There atomic number 18 a few problems that arise out of the FPTP dust. peerless(a) of the roughly grave problems is the design for FPTP to favor tactical elector flakeout. Tactical right to vote happens when voters devise their votes for one of the dickens prognosiss that atomic number 18 whatsoever believably to win. This is done because it is perceive by the voter that their vote go a behavior be wasted if they were to choose to vote for a small society, which they would more privilege. This is an understand sufficient view by the voter because moreover votes for the loving campaigner actually recite (Blais, 2008).The position is several(prenominal) measures summed up, in an thorough form, as All votes for anyone some some some other than the secondly keister be votes for the victor(Rosenbaum 2004), because by direct for other drive outdidates, they yield denied those votes to the second correct candidate who could collect win had they seed them. Following the 2000 U. S. presidential option, some supporters of elected candidate Al panel recalld he illogical the extremely intimately election to Re habitualan George W. scouring because a portion of the electorate (2. 7%) voted for Ralph Nader of the one thousand caller.Exit canvas indicated that more of these voters would excite preferent battue (45%) to Bus h (27%), with the rest non take in Naders absence (Rosenbaum 2004). The people, who voted for Ralph Nader despite of his walk inability to win, in effect voted for Bush by depriving gore of their votes even though they would have preferred Gore. With tactical voting, voters, have to shout out in advance who the summit both candidates give be. This can distort results prodigiously. matchless reckon that influences tactical voting is the Media. veridical ply is apt(p) to the media.Some voters impart black market to believe the medias assertions as to who the leading contenders atomic number 18 app arnt to be in the election. eventide voters who mis better-looking the media ordaining know that other voters do believe the media, and therefore that those candidates who receive the more or less media attention give belike be the most frequent and thus most potential to be the top both. The media can also play an fundamental economic consumption in persuad ing voters to use tactical voting. This is exemplified by dint of the use of attack advertisements in telecasting radio and print media. This happens in the UK. The frame of rules may promote votes against as contrary to votes for.In the UK, entire campaigns have been acquire with the manoeuver of voting against the buttoned-down fellowship by voting either do work or kind populist. For framework, in a constituency held by the Conservatives, with the blanket(a) democrats as the second-place society and the work Party in 3rd, wear supporters faculty be urged to vote for the Liberal Democrat candidate (who has a little deficit of votes to hasten up and more support in the constituency) rather than their own candidate, on the basis that dig out supporters would prefer an MP from a competing left/ loose troupe to a Conservative one (Drogus 2008).The media decrease ons an big role in informing and influencing the public about semi semipolitical candidates. This causes the FPTP system to turn into run-off voting, which is a devil tour voting system where voters elect two forerunners for the constituency and select one to be winner. The graduation exercise plump out of the election is done within the salute of public panorama, the second round happens with the official election. This can be seen in the example of the 1997 Winchester by-election Gerry Malone the former Conservative MP who had lost his seat in the everyday election, was criticized as a poor nonstarter by the media.The project Party obtained their slash ever results in a parliamentary election, in part because they hardly campaigned at all and instead focused their priorities on the by-election in Beckenham held on the same day. It is presumed that most of the Labour supporters decided to vote Liberal Democrat knowing how unlikely they were to win. (Farrell 1998). The Labour Party voters used their votes tactically because they k refreshing they couldnt win and were turned off by the Conservative candidates negative image in the press.Another important reason that Canada should select a incompatible election system is that the FPTP system has a large impact on smaller parties. According to Political Scientist Maurice Duvergers Law, given enough time FPTP systems will at last become a two company system (Duverger 1972). The FPTP system hardly gives the winner in each zone a seat, a company that consistently comes thirdly in every dominion will not gain any seats in the legislature, even if it receives a significant proportion of the vote.This puts a to a great extent line of credit on parties that argon opening geographically thin, such as the Green party of Canada who genuine approximately 5% of the popular vote from 2004-2011, but had just won a single riding during that time (Elections Canada). The second problem approach smaller parties in FPTP systems is related to tactical voting. Duverger suggested an election in which 1 00,000 moderate voters and 80,000 rotatory voters are voting for a single official.If two moderate parties ran candidates and one tooth root candidate were to run, the stem turn candidate would win unless one of the moderate candidates gathered few than 20,000 votes. find this, moderate voters would be more likely to vote for the candidate most likely to gain more votes, with the resultant of defeating the group candidate. Either the two parties must merge, or one moderate party must fail, as the voters gravitate to the two hefty parties, a trend Duverger called polarisation (Duverger 1972).Smaller parties will never have a bring together amount of representation in proportion to their size. FPTP tends to reduce the number of possible political parties to a greater extent than other methods. This adverts it more likely that a single party will hold a majority of legislative seats. Canada has had 33 majority regimes out of 41 elections (Parliament of Canada) FPTPs aim t oward fewer parties and more frequent one-party rule can potentially relieve oneself a government that may not pick up a wide a eye socket of perspectives and concerns.It is entirely possible that a voter will find that both major parties agree on a detail issue. In this case, the voter will not have any meaningful behavior of expressing a dissenting opinion by dint of their vote. These voters will have to recourse to tactical voting and vote for a candidate that they mostly take issue with in coiffure to oppose a candidate they disagree with even more. This is a compromise that the voter should not have to make in order to express them selves politically. The third problem with the FPTP system is that it is especially undefendable to gerrymandering.Gerrymandering is the member of setting electoral territorys in order to establish a political favor for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan or superjacent-protected district s. The resulting district is cognise as a gerrymander (Martis 2008). This routine is very controversial in Canada and is viewed negatively when attempted. Governments in power to change integrity their self-confidence at the federal and boor train can use gerrymandering to growing voters in a riding where they do not have as more voters, giving them an unfair advantage upon re-election.The examples of gerrymandering and its effectuate can be seen in Canada today. The current federal electoral district boundaries in Saskatchewan have been labeled as picture of gerrymandering, The provinces two major cities, Saskatoon and Regina, are both cracked into four districts each, when the populations of the cities fitting would reassert about three and two and a half of all-urban (or mostly urban) districts freelancerly the subprogram instead groups parts of the parvenue elective Party-friendly cities with large Conservative-leaning rural areas (Elections Canada)In 2006, a li ne arose on Prince Edward Island over the idyl governments stopping point to throw out an electoral defend drawn by an independent commission. alternatively the government created two new subroutines. The government adopted the second of these, knowing by the caucus of the governing party. antagonist parties and the media attacked premier glib Binns for what they saw as gerrymandering of districts. Among other things, the government adopted a map that ensured that every current segment of the legislative Assembly from the premiers party had a district to run in for re-election, whereas in the master key map, several had been redistricted.Despite this, in the 2007 provincial election yet 7 of 20 incumbent Members of the Legislative Assembly were re-elected and the government was defeated. Pat Binns attempt at gerrymandering and spill of the election showed that the Canadian people do not support gerrymandering by politicians (CBC) plane though the FPTP system has some c riticisms it does have some qualities that are found attractive. for the first time FPTP systems are in general good at creating majority governments because of their winner take all attitudes.Majority governments are viewed as being more efficacious because of their ability to swiftly pass laws with Parliament. However, majority governments increase their susceptibility at the price of sacrificing a broader execute of political views. Secondly, FPTP is a good way of deter extremist parties that seek to supply radical change to the government. This is because larger parties are prospered to win seats so unless the party has a very concentrate electoral support the will generally never win any ridings.FPTP has many criticisms and mistakes that are easily exploited. These flaws can only be addressed by selecting a new electoral system. The FPTPs blusher flaw that underlies its criticisms is that it dis sum ups or ignores minority parties and their voters. This effectively ca uses only voters of the major parties to be able to accurately express them selves politically. In a majority rule every vote should count not just the votes cast for the kind party. This is wherefore FPTP is not an adequate system for Canada. The FPTP system fails Canadian voters because it favors tactical voting orcing voters to make unnecessary compromises with their political beliefs. It perpetuates controller of one or two main parties and discourages development of newer, smaller parties. FPTP opens up the entre for gerrymandering Politicians to take an unfair advantage to solidify their control in the government. In conclusion I think that Canadas First Past the Post parliamentary electoral system should be changed because it favors tactical voting it has a negative effect on smaller parties and opens up the possibility of gerrymandering constituencies.Canadas First Past the Post SystemIn Canada Federal and Provincial First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) elections are based on sin gle member districts or ridings. Each riding chooses one candidate to elect into parliament. In order to win a candidate must obtain the highest number of votes but not necessarily the majority of votes. The party that wins the most ridings is named the official government of Canada with the second place party becoming the official opposition. The (FPTP) system is also known as the winner-take-all system, in which the candidate with the most votes gets elected. FPTP voting methods can be used for single and multiple member elections.In a single member election the candidate with the highest number, not necessarily a majority, of votes is elected. This system is used in Canada, UK, US, and India. numerous Canadians are not happy with the current First Past the Post system currently in place for electing parliamentary officials provincially and federally. I think that Canadas First Past the Post parliamentary electoral system should be changed because it favors tactical voting it has a negative effect on smaller parties and opens up the possibility of gerrymandering constituencies.A new electoral system that is more proportional is needed in order to address these problems. There are a few problems that arise out of the FPTP system. One of the most important problems is the tendency for FPTP to favor tactical voting. Tactical voting happens when voters cast their votes for one of the two candidates that are most likely to win. This is done because it is perceived by the voter that their vote will be wasted if they were to choose to vote for a smaller party, which they would more prefer. This is an understandable feeling by the voter because only votes for the winning candidate actually count (Blais, 2008).The position is sometimes summed up, in an extreme form, as All votes for anyone other than the second place are votes for the winner(Rosenbaum 2004), because by voting for other candidates, they have denied those votes to the second place candidate who could have won had they received them. Following the 2000 U. S. presidential election, some supporters of Democratic candidate Al Gore believed he lost the extremely close election to Republican George W. Bush because a portion of the electorate (2. 7%) voted for Ralph Nader of the Green Party.Exit polls indicated that more of these voters would have preferred Gore (45%) to Bush (27%), with the rest not voting in Naders absence (Rosenbaum 2004). The people, who voted for Ralph Nader despite of his staggering inability to win, effectively voted for Bush by depriving Gore of their votes even though they would have preferred Gore. With tactical voting, voters, have to predict in advance who the top two candidates will be. This can distort results significantly. One factor that influences tactical voting is the Media. Substantial power is given to the media.Some voters will tend to believe the medias assertions as to who the leading contenders are likely to be in the election. Even voters who distrust the media will know that other voters do believe the media, and therefore that those candidates who receive the most media attention will probably be the most popular and thus most likely to be the top two. The media can also play an important role in persuading voters to use tactical voting. This is exemplified through the use of attack advertisements in television radio and print media. This happens in the UK. The system may promote votes against as opposed to votes for.In the UK, entire campaigns have been organized with the aim of voting against the Conservative party by voting either Labour or Liberal Democrat. For example, in a constituency held by the Conservatives, with the Liberal Democrats as the second-place party and the Labour Party in third, Labour supporters might be urged to vote for the Liberal Democrat candidate (who has a smaller shortfall of votes to make up and more support in the constituency) rather than their own candidate, on the basis that Labour supporters would prefer an MP from a competing left/liberal party to a Conservative one (Drogus 2008).The media holds an important role in informing and influencing the public about political candidates. This causes the FPTP system to turn into run-off voting, which is a two round voting system where voters elect two forerunners for the constituency and select one to be winner. The first round of the election is done within the court of public opinion, the second round happens with the official election. This can be seen in the example of the 1997 Winchester by-election Gerry Malone the former Conservative MP who had lost his seat in the general election, was criticized as a poor loser by the media.The Labour Party obtained their worst ever results in a parliamentary election, in part because they hardly campaigned at all and instead focused their priorities on the by-election in Beckenham held on the same day. It is presumed that most of the Labour supporters decided to vote Libera l Democrat knowing how unlikely they were to win. (Farrell 1998). The Labour Party voters used their votes tactically because they knew they couldnt win and were turned off by the Conservative candidates negative image in the press.Another important reason that Canada should select a different election system is that the FPTP system has a large impact on smaller parties. According to Political Scientist Maurice Duvergers Law, given enough time FPTP systems will eventually become a two party system (Duverger 1972). The FPTP system only gives the winner in each district a seat, a party that consistently comes third in every district will not gain any seats in the legislature, even if it receives a significant proportion of the vote.This puts a heavy strain on parties that are spread geographically thin, such as the Green party of Canada who received approximately 5% of the popular vote from 2004-2011, but had only won a single riding during that time (Elections Canada). The second pr oblem facing smaller parties in FPTP systems is related to tactical voting. Duverger suggested an election in which 100,000 moderate voters and 80,000 radical voters are voting for a single official.If two moderate parties ran candidates and one radical candidate were to run, the radical candidate would win unless one of the moderate candidates gathered fewer than 20,000 votes. Observing this, moderate voters would be more likely to vote for the candidate most likely to gain more votes, with the goal of defeating the radical candidate. Either the two parties must merge, or one moderate party must fail, as the voters gravitate to the two strong parties, a trend Duverger called polarization (Duverger 1972).Smaller parties will never have a fair amount of representation in proportion to their size. FPTP tends to reduce the number of viable political parties to a greater extent than other methods. This makes it more likely that a single party will hold a majority of legislative seats. C anada has had 33 majority governments out of 41 elections (Parliament of Canada) FPTPs tendency toward fewer parties and more frequent one-party rule can potentially produce a government that may not consider a wide a range of perspectives and concerns.It is entirely possible that a voter will find that both major parties agree on a particular issue. In this case, the voter will not have any meaningful way of expressing a dissenting opinion through their vote. These voters will have to resort to tactical voting and vote for a candidate that they mostly disagree with in order to oppose a candidate they disagree with even more. This is a compromise that the voter should not have to make in order to express them selves politically. The third problem with the FPTP system is that it is especially vulnerable to gerrymandering.Gerrymandering is the process of setting electoral districts in order to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic b oundaries to create partisan or incumbent-protected districts. The resulting district is known as a gerrymander (Martis 2008). This process is very controversial in Canada and is viewed negatively when attempted. Governments in power to solidify their dominance at the federal and provincial level can use gerrymandering to increase voters in a riding where they do not have as many voters, giving them an unfair advantage upon re-election.The examples of gerrymandering and its effects can be seen in Canada today. The current federal electoral district boundaries in Saskatchewan have been labeled as evidence of gerrymandering, The provinces two major cities, Saskatoon and Regina, are both cracked into four districts each, when the populations of the cities proper would justify about three and two and a half of all-urban (or mostly urban) districts respectively the map instead groups parts of the New Democratic Party-friendly cities with large Conservative-leaning rural areas (Elections Canada)In 2006, a controversy arose on Prince Edward Island over the provincial governments decision to throw out an electoral map drawn by an independent commission. Instead the government created two new maps. The government adopted the second of these, designed by the caucus of the governing party. Opposition parties and the media attacked Premier Pat Binns for what they saw as gerrymandering of districts. Among other things, the government adopted a map that ensured that every current Member of the Legislative Assembly from the premiers party had a district to run in for re-election, whereas in the original map, several had been redistricted.Despite this, in the 2007 provincial election only 7 of 20 incumbent Members of the Legislative Assembly were re-elected and the government was defeated. Pat Binns attempt at gerrymandering and loss of the election showed that the Canadian people do not support gerrymandering by politicians (CBC) Even though the FPTP system has many criticis ms it does have some qualities that are found attractive. Firstly FPTP systems are generally good at creating majority governments because of their winner take all attitudes.Majority governments are viewed as being more efficient because of their ability to swiftly pass laws through Parliament. However, majority governments increase their efficiency at the price of sacrificing a broader range of political views. Secondly, FPTP is a good way of discouraging extremist parties that seek to bring radical change to the government. This is because larger parties are favored to win seats so unless the party has a very concentrated electoral support the will generally never win any ridings.FPTP has many criticisms and flaws that are easily exploited. These flaws can only be addressed by selecting a new electoral system. The FPTPs key flaw that underlies its criticisms is that it discounts or ignores minority parties and their voters. This effectively causes only voters of the major parties to be able to accurately express them selves politically. In a democracy every vote should count not just the votes cast for the winning party. This is why FPTP is not an adequate system for Canada. The FPTP system fails Canadian voters because it favors tactical voting orcing voters to make unnecessary compromises with their political beliefs. It perpetuates dominance of one or two main parties and discourages growth of newer, smaller parties. FPTP opens up the door for gerrymandering Politicians to take an unfair advantage to solidify their dominance in the government. In conclusion I think that Canadas First Past the Post parliamentary electoral system should be changed because it favors tactical voting it has a negative effect on smaller parties and opens up the possibility of gerrymandering constituencies.