The Impact of Macroeconomic Variables

Table of Contents Introduction Consumer price index (CPI) Interest rate Money supply Unemployment Conclusion Works Cited Introduction Macroeconomics is a branch of economics that looks at how the economy of a country performs (Gwartney 3). According to McEachern (187), it considers factors such as inflations, unemployment and employment issues, a country’s trade with others and to a further extend the success and failures of a government’s economic policies.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Impact of Macroeconomic Variables specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All these and other more unmentioned variables always have an impact on a county’s economic performances. A case study of the UK and US will be used to illustrate how these variables have an impact on the real exchange markets Consumer price index (CPI) According to Consumer Price Index (CPA) can be used as a direct measure of people’s living standards which is based on the total cost of goods and services relative to the same amount of goods and services in a base year. It is always the percentage change from the base year. By considering a large pool of goods and services, CPI can obtain a relative measure of the standards of living in the country (Turvey 33). Prior to financial crisis, most of the residential and commercial premises in UK and US were run by local investors for a long period of years (Dijkman 23). The impact of CPI is hypothesized to be negative because, in the years 2000, 2001 due to need for money, these premises were sold to foreigners at a higher price (Frumkin 315). This led the market into a standstill position due to the fact that the potential sellers were not ready to trade with the local investors. Consequently, the locals did not involve in any investment as they waited for the prices to lower. Due to the inflations experienced in the markets over the last recent ye ars, especially with the basic commodities such as food crops and cash crops, oil and others, real market exchange has been affected leading to a very unbalanced living condition more so with the countries previously known to be the supper powers such as the US and UK (Free 354). Deflation rates has continued to be experienced in UK discouraging consumer spending and investments.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Interest rate Gottfried (196) defines interest rate as the fraction of the total amount of money charged for its use. It can either be fixed or flexible depending on the amount. Banks are highly known for offering loans which are expected back after a given grace period. Usually the borrower doesn’t return the same amount as borrowed; he returns it with a profit that is cumulatively relative to the grace period e.g. a month or a year. Before the financ ial crisis, the two countries invested heavily on such kind of business which bore many profits. Compared to pre-crisis era, credit conditions have continuously tightened, world economy has experienced a downturn much more with the inflation rates, and this has led to inventions of policies that allow the reduction of interest rates so as to continue in the market place (Kolb 25). The impact of interest rate is hypothesized to be negative because there has been fear of engaging in such investments that involve lots of cash.After recesion, interest’s rates in the US and UK was quickly and sharply cut down leading to a reduction in the made by banks. Money supply According to Owen and Clark (185), money supply is the total amount of money both coins and banknotes that is available at a particular time that is used in buying goods and services. It is the money in circulation. Two supply measures are use by the federal the Federal Reserve; M1 and M2.Money supply is usually invers ely proportional to interest rate where by the interest rate increases with decrease in money supply and vice versa. When there is a lot of money or very little in supply, a country’s economy is negatively affected (Owen Clark 185). Therefore, a balance in the market is achieved when a balanced is reached between the money in demand, money in supply and the rate of interest. Before the crisis, business were carried on well and there were no pronounced inflation levels, more banking business were transacted and this meant that there was enough money in supply to meet the demand. With the experience of the crisis, less banking was done leading to less money to lend the real sector. There was a lot of borrowed money in terms of assets in the US before the crisis. For a government to offset such deficits, it prints a lot of money which eventually becomes valueless leading to the collapse of fixed rate of exchange in the regime. The impact is hypothesized to be negative in that i n both UK and US,money supply has increased, a state that can be balanced by increased inflation.This balance is so far not reached.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Impact of Macroeconomic Variables specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Unemployment Rate of unemployment; currently, the number of unemployed is alarming and it continues to be on the rise. According to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [hereafter referred to as OECD], this is due to money factors such as population growth and world’s economy downturn (OECD 274). Before the crisis, many people had well paying jobs because the economy was stable and this meant that a lot of money was collected in terms of taxes. With the salaries there was enough to venture into the business thus positively contributing to the country’s economy. After the financial crisis, many people were retrenched and those who were jobles s didn’t have a chance because the governments did not have enough money to pay its employees. OECD is of the opinion that, if many people are not employed then it means that the amount of money that should be given to the government in form of revenue, for its smooth running will not be available; this strains a county’s economy greatly (OECD 274). This has been experienced in the two countries after the economic turmoil.In UK, impacts of unemployment is hypothesized to be negative because of the following reasons; lack of money to pay government taxes leading to rise in much borrowing by the goverment, older employees disguising unemplyoyment by opting for other benefits e.g sickness, less consumer consumption leading to lower economic growth, decline in house price and losses in banks making lending hard. Conclusion The amount of money available to the consumers to buy goods and services at a given time should be enough to avoid strain by either the government or an individual. For one reason or the other, it is usually unavailable or sometimes not enough due to various factors such as unemployment, CPI, money in supply and interest rates. Works Cited Dijkman, Jeannette. Germany real estate yearbook. London: Real Estate Publishers, 2009.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Free, Rhona. 21st century economics: a reference handbook. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage, 2010. Print. Frumkin, Norman. Recession prevention handbook: eleven case studies. New York: ME Sharpe, 2010. Print. Gottfried, Byron. Schaum’s outline of theory and problems of programming with Pascal. New York: McGraw-Hill. Print. Gwartney, James. Macroeconomics: private and public choice. Mason, OH: South- Western Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Kolb, Robert. Lessons from the financial crisis: causes, consequences and our  Economic future. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley and Son, 2010. Print. McEachern, William. Macroeconomics: a contemporary introduction. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. OECD economic outlook  July 2010. New York: Organization for Economic, 2010. Print. Owen, John and Clark, Edward. Dictionary of international economics terms. London: Less50ns Professional Publishers, 2006. Print. Turvey, Ralp h. Consumer price index manual: theory and practice. Geneva: International Labor Office, 2004. Print. This research paper on The Impact of Macroeconomic Variables was written and submitted by user Alexia Harrell to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Definition and Examples of Lipograms

Definition and Examples of Lipograms A text that purposefully excludes a particular letter of the alphabet  is called a lipogram. The adjective is lipogrammatic. A contemporary example of a lipogram is Andy Wests novel Lost and Found (2002), which does not contain the letter e. Etymology From the Greek, missing letter Examples and Observations: The earliest lipograms are thought to have been composed in the sixth century BC, but none has survived; maybe they were never actually written down, only imagined, to circulate among the clerisy as instant legends of verbal skill. . . . [T]he lipogram should be a purposeless ordeal undertaken voluntarily, a gratuitous taxing of the brain, and the severer the better. It should make the business of writing not pleasanter but harder.(John Sturrock, Georges Perec. The Word From Paris: Essays on Modern French Thinkers and Writers. Verso, 1998)Gadsby: A Lipgram on EUpon this basis I am going to show you how a bunch of bright young folks did find a champion; a man with boys and girls of his own; a man of so dominating and happy individuality that Youth is drawn to him as is a fly to a sugar bowl. It is a story about a small town. It is not a gossipy yarn; nor is it a dry, monotonous account, full of such customary fill-ins as romantic moonlight casting murky shadows down a long, winding co untry road. Nor will it say anything about tinklings lulling distant folds; robins caroling at twilight, nor any warm glow of lamplight from a cabin window. No. It is an account of up-and-doing activity; a vivid portrayal of Youth as it is today; and a practical discarding of that worn-out notion that a child dont know anything.Now, any author, from historys dawn, always had that most important aid to writing: an ability to call upon any word in his dictionary in building up his story. That is, our strict laws as to word construction did not block his path. But in my story that mighty obstruction will constantly stand in my path; for many an important, common word I cannot adopt, owing to its orthography.(Ernest Vincent Wright, from Gadsby, 1939a story of more than 50,000 words that does not contain the letter e) Most common of all marks from A to Z,Its tyrant to orthography, and smugThat not a thing of worth is said withoutOur using it. . . .(Daniel J. Webster, A Lipogram: Writing Without It. Keeping Order on My Shelf: Poems and Translations. iUniverse, 2005)A Void: Another Lipogram on ENoon rings out. A wasp, making an ominous sound, a sound akin to a klaxon or a tocsin, flits about. Augustus, who has had a bad night, sits up blinking and purblind. Oh what was that word (is his thought) that ran through my brain all night, that idiotic word that, hard as Id try to put it down, was always just an inch or two out of my graspfowl or foul or Vow or Voyal?a word which, by association, brought into play an incongruous mass and magma of nouns, idioms, slogans and sayings, a confusing, amorphous outpouring which I sought in vain to control or turn off but which wound around my mind a whirlwind of a cord, a whiplash of a cord, a cord that would split again and again, would knit again and again, of w ords without communication or any possibility of combination, words without pronunciation, signification or transcription but out of which, notwithstanding, was brought forth a flux, a continuous, compact and lucid flow: an intuition, a vacillating frisson of illumination as if caught in a flash of lightning or in a mist abruptly rising to unshroud an obvious signbut a sign, alas, that would last an instant only to vanish for good.(Georges Perec, La Disparitiona 300-page novel that does not contain the letter e; translated by Gilbert Adair as A Void) 181 Missing OsN mnk t gd t rb r cg r plt.N fl s grss t blt Sctch clips ht.Frm Dnjns tps n rnc rlls.Lgwd, nt Lts, flds prts bwls.Bx tps, nt bttms, schl-bys flg fr sprt.N cl mnsns blw sft n xfrd dns,rthdx, jg-trt, bk-wrm Slmns.Bid strgths f ghsts n hrrr shw.n Lndn slp-frnts n hp-blssms grw.T crcks f gld n dd Iks fr fd.n sft cltl fstls n Id fx dth brd.Lng strm-tst slps frlrn, wrk n t prt.Rks d nt rst n spns, nr wd-ccks snrt,Nr dg n snw-drd r n cits rlls,Nr cmmn frg cncct lng prtcls.(Unknown, quoted by Willard R. Espy in The Game of Words. Grosset Dunlap, 1972)

DISCUSSION QUESTION RESPONSE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 44

DISCUSSION QUESTION RESPONSE - Essay Example After creation, the presentation can be downloaded inform of text document, PowerPoint or PDF, and uploaded to YouTube. However, Google presentations are insecure and prone to invasions as documents get shared anonymously (Bruna, 2012). Prezi is another example of presentation tool. This is an online presentation tool offering both free and paid plans. With the unpaid plan, one can easily create presentations and share them online, or download them for offline viewing. The paid plan has additional features like making presentations private, and the ability to work offline. This tool allows a person to produce high quality flash documents (Nannette, 2009). The tool has a web-built presentation that offers dynamic transitions and non-linear presenting. It also allows the presenter to insert images and PDF files, or other media. The tool, however, has limited functionality such as line tools fonts and colours. Keynote is Apple’s presentation tool. Keynote allows a person to create presentations with unique themes and transition (Nannette, 2009). It produces polished graphics and high quality animations. Keynote can be integrated to iPhone or iPod to do a wireless presentation. This will control the progress of your presentation and view it on your mobile phone. The main shortcoming is that it takes time to become proficient. In conclusion, no matter how skilled an individual is at presenting an idea, a solid presentation will add so much more to it. Stephanie’s response to the discussion question was appropriate because she discussed presentation tools available in the marketplace and stated their advantages and

Human Resources Planning, Recruitment & Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Resources Planning, Recruitment & - Essay Example The discussion will also outline various issues that can affect HR planning at policy level within the organisation. It also seeks to discuss the measures that can be implemented within the next five years in order to influence an effective HR planning strategy. In any organisation, human resources management (HRM) plays a very important function to its survival and viability. As such, this report is mainly concerned with outlining a critical analysis of the use of internal and external environments of an organisation within the context of HR planning. The report will focus on the operations of JBS Australia Pty Ltd which is a foreign owned private company owned by Brazilian-based JBS SA, the worlds largest meat processor. The report starts by outlining the overview of the company and this will be followed by explanation of key concepts. Internal as well as external factors will be explained in detail as well as the measures that can be put in place within the next five years in order to improve the operations of the organisation with regards to its HR functions. According to IBISWorld (2009), â€Å"JBS Australia Pty Ltd is a foreign owned private company owned by Brazilian-based JBS SA, the worlds largest meat processor. Swift Australia generates the majority of its income from the processing and distribution of meat and its by-products.† This company is based in Riverview, Queensland and it employs over 4,000 people. JBS Australia is responsible for processing and distributing meat products such as beef, mutton, lamb, Veal and offal as well as other by-products such as hides, skins, blood and bone among others. The company operates the following brands: King Island Beef, Swift Premium Beef, Tasmanian Premium Beef, Friboi Beef and Beef City Black. Planning with regards to human resources management (HRM) is primarily concerned with defining the goals, establishing strategy, and developing plans to coordinate activities

Recation paper 8 9 and 16 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Recation paper 8 9 and 16 - Essay Example However, in the social sphere (i.e., in civil society), women are accorded an important status which is not ordinarily contemplated for them in the political sphere. The piece insightfully notes that there is a dualistic nature to women’s citizenship, that aside from women’s inclusion in the application of general legal precepts, there are likewise special statutes which pertain in particular to women, alluding to a specific ideological gender construct, whether favourable or discriminatory to women. While this differentiates women’s legal rights, provisions for benefits such as maternity leaves and similar privileges in labour legislation are not so much the state’s imposition on women, as the result of women’s initiative to fight for considerations that would enable them to exercise the same rights as men (e.g. the opportunity to have a career) as well as continue to perform their biological and social functions (such as bearing and raising childr en). Radhakrishnan (1992) has a slightly different concept of the interface between nationalism and sexuality. The author regards separately the politics of nationalism and the politics of women, and that an emphasis on one will normally overwhelm the impact of the other. A duality similar to that of Yuval-Davis is conceived by Radhakrishnan; the duality this time is not in regard to women in the legal system, but rather the polarities existing in state politics. These insights were drawn in the context of the Indian state which itself is caught in the duality of East and West, modern and traditional, the mystical and the progressive. While the author discusses this duality in relation to India specifically, it is undeniable that the constructs created may easily apply to nearly any developing country with a colonial past and on the threshold of accelerated growth. The discussion by Radhakrishnan began strongly with the premise of gender relations in the state; however, somewhere in the course of the discussion the topic veered exclusively into the realm of Indian politics and relegated the issue of sexuality and gender relations to the background. What one may deduce from this is that gender is but one of the details subsumed into the greater issue of nationality and statehood. Towards the end, the author concentrated on insights by Nehru and Gandhi, which, while valuable to the discussion on India, does not quite square with the discussion of nationalism and gender. It seems as if the treatment of gender is but incidental to the broader issue of the duality of a post-colonial state. Exploring the topic of duality and taking it further, the article by Kandiyoti (1991) comments on the outright contradictions that exist in former colonial societies. In this case, society’s control over women becomes the manifestation of a nation’s identity and cultural distinctiveness. In the emergent nation, as the people gain their status as individual citizens endowed with rights, their traditional regard for women will have to evolve in order to accommodate the extension of the benefits of citizenship to women. Women’s emergence as citizens is â€Å"predicated upon the transformation of institutions and customs† (Kandiyoti, 1991, 429) that had formerly bound the social

Development of Powers withing the British Constitution

Development of Powers withing the British Constitution â€Å"†¦the description of British government as an elective dictatorship is no longer appropriate.† (V. Bogdanor The New British Constitution (2009) Oxford, Hart). Discuss, considering in particular Bogdanor’s argument that the separation of powers has been strengthened within the British Constitution in recent years. Britain is described as not having a written constitution, instead it is simply: a set of inductive generalisations[1] which have resulted in Britain not having a formal separation of powers. Due to this lack of structure, the power within the constitution can become concentrated to a single group. Consequently an Act which would be held as undemocratic in places where there is a written constitution e.g. the United States, will not be in Britain. This essay aims to analyse the doctrine of the separation of powers, focusing on how the principle operates in the British Constitution where the separation between the branches of government is not strictly adhered to. It will examine how this entwining relationship has led to Britain living in an elective dictatorship opposed to the democracy it is advertised to be. Additionally, it will consider how the recent developments of the constitution, including the introduction of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, has led to the separation of powers being strengthened therefore the democracy of Britain increasing. The separation of powers is one of these principles that is found, in one form or another, in most modern constitutions[2]. It is a feature predominantly in constitutions which operate a system of government that is based on the law. The importance of the doctrine is significant because it underpins the way the power is used within a state. Nowadays, it has been recognised as having a crucial role in the constitution; it remains important to distinguish the primary functions of law-making, law-executing and law-adjudicating. If these distinctions are abandoned, the concept of law itself can scarcely survive.[3] Poor division of power between the different organs would mean it is impossible to prevent abuse therefore a dictatorship could arise. The principle suggests that the correct way to separate the power is to divide it equally into three separate organs, each with independent roles from each other. If each of these branches perform a different function then the constitution will run efficiently. The branches today are known as; the legislative- who create law; the executive- responsible for the day to day running of the constitution; the judiciary- they apply the laws. This means if these divisions are adhered to then the constitution will successfully run as an organised democracy. The Greek Philosopher, Aristotle, was the first to classify the government as being split into three elements; The three are, first, the deliberative, which discusses everything of common importance; second the officials and third, the judicial element.[4] These distinctions are based purely on a political entity[5]whereas todays understanding of the principle focuses more on different branches of the government. Todays theory comes from the French Constitutional Theorist Montesquieu who popularised the doctrine in his book, the Spirit of the Law[6]. He breaks down the institutions as legislatures, executives and judges who exercise certain specific functions making laws, executing laws and adjudicating disputes about laws[7]. These branches can be translated to the British Constitution. The Legislative branch is made up of Parliament whose function is to pass legislation which regulates the citizens and to scrutinise the work of the executive in order to ensure that they are not abusing their powers. Britain has a bicameral legislative branch which means that it is composed of two chambers; the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The members of the House of Commons are elected by the British public and the party with the most seats form the government. This means that it is a fairly elected democracy. In Britain the role of the executive is to formulate and implement policies. It is led by the Prime Minister who is responsible for the overall conduct of the government and the ministers who are the head of each department. The role of the judiciary is to interpret the legislation and apply the law in accordance with how Parliament intended it when they created it. The judicial branch covers all judges however, it is those which sit in the higher courts who are most important to the operation of the British Constitution because they are in a position to challenge the government and ensure that it functions with the law. It has been argued that in Britain, the result of not having a codified constitution is that there is no consequences in place if one branch exceed the limit of power they have according to the separation of powers theory. The principle came under significant criticism around the 1980s. One of the main criticisms was by Brazier who stated that the arrangement of the British Constitution is: at best a weak separation of powers at worst a separation in name only[8]. Locke, an English Philosopher was concerned with the division of power and the consequence if the separation was not equal. Concentration of power can seriously affect the organisation and functioning of the constitution. He believes that: it may be too create a temptation to humane frailty apt to grasp for Power, for the same persons who have the power of making laws, to have also in their hands the power to execute them, whereby they may exempt themselves from obedience to the laws they make [9] This means if there is too much power concentrated to one person, or to one branch of the government, it would lead to the system as a whole being corrupt. It would provide people with the opportunity to use the system to their own advantage, essentially creating laws others do not agree with thus creating a dictatorship. The idea that too much power can result in one group using it to their advantage can be seen within the British Constitution, where there is many overlaps between the branches. This led to Lord Hailsham describing the structure of this constitution as an elective dictatorship[10] because although the government is elected by the public, they abuse the amount of power they have been given and use this to their own advantages- they act like dictators. In theory it appears that the roles of each branch are clearly distinguished however, this is not the case in practice. However, Montesquieu also recognises that the division of power between the organs of the state is not always amicable, there can be overlap between the branches and it still be a democracy. This idea there is overlap in the British Constitution can be supported by Parpsworth who claims: a separation of powers is not, and has never been a feature of the UK constitution. An examination of the three powers reveals that in practice they are often exercised by persons which exercise more than one such power.[11] This idea can be seen by the role of the Lord Chancellor who had a position within each of the three government branches. He had a legislative function of being the speaker of the House of Lords, an executive function of being a member of the cabinet and a judicial function as being the head of the judiciary. Being the head judge gave the Lord Chancellor the right to participate in judicial proceedings and to appoint judges. This shows that there is more than an overlap between the branches instead it shows that the same person clearly does exercise more than one power.[12] regardless of Montesquieu stating: all would be lost if the same man exercised these three powers[13]. Evidently this suggests that Britain is an elective dictatorship because there is no restriction on the amount of power that each branch can administrate within society, they can influence the functioning of the constitution without regard to the view of the public. The Lord Chancellor was in a strong position to abuse his powers; he could provide himself with more benefits or use the arrangement to influence the branches and allow one organ to dominate the whole constitution. Clearly, his position within all three arms of the government does not conserve the doctrine of the Separation of Powers. However, it could be argued that even though there is clear overlap between the roles, the question of abusing power was irrelevant as the Lord Chancellor optionally chose to remain impartial to each branch when undertaking the particular function it required; in recent years, the Lord Chancellor had rarely sat as a judge and never on matters affecting the government. This suggests that the British Constitution was never operating in a way which could be described as an elective dictatorship[14], instead it has always been an independent system[15]. However, there are exceptions to this; Lord Mackay, however, did sit in the leading case Pepper v Hart, [1993] AC 593, on which he offered a dissenting judgement[16] which shows that there are exceptions and the lines between the branches have been overstepped. Regardless of this only being an exception there was a clear overlap in the way the functions of the branches were being performed so the Labour Party, the current government at the time, introduced the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 which led to dramatic reforms, specifically regarding the position of the Lord Chancellor. His position at the head of the judiciary has now been replaced by Lord Chief Justice who is now in charge of the deployment of judges and allocation of work in Courts in England.[17] Additionally, his legislative function as the speaker of the House of Lords has been replaced by the Lord Speaker. This means that since the reform, his function is now purely in the executive branch of the government where he remains to be a member of the cabinet.[18] Evidently, the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 has strengthened the doctrine of the separation of powers in Britain as the overlaps between the arms have been reduced thus the power distribution has been equalised. However, not everybody agrees that the reforms towards the Lord Chancellor has increased the democracy in Britain. His role was described as a necessary evil vital to ensuring the smooth running of the separate estates. [19] This criticism suggests that the Labour Government removed the connection between the branches which may reduce the effectiveness of the organisation of each function. However, the reform was essential because if these distinctions are abandoned, the concept of law itself can scarcely survive.[20] Another problem with the separation of powers in the British Constitution is the overlap between the legislative and executive. Theoretically, the executive initiate the creation of new laws and it is for the legislatures to debate and pass the proposals once the content has been agreed upon. This means that the legislative is supposed to have control over the executive however, in practice it is clear that the Executive tends to dominate the legislature, because the party and electoral systems usually produce a strong majority government, what Lord Hailsham called an elective dictatorship[21]. This means that the executive is therefore present at the heart of Parliament.[22] Being at the centre of the government structure allows the executive to have strong persuasion over the legislatures, meaning they can get the result they wish without the House of Commons standing in their way. This supports Bagehots description of the British Constitution being; the close union, the nearly complete fusion of the legislative and executive powers[23] as it appears that they operate as one branch; the executive. This intertwining relationship can be seen as there is a strong convention that ministers are members of one or other House of Parliament[24] as well as the Prime Minister being a member too. As a result they will have strong influential powers over the decisions of both the executive and the legislative. This is because the ministers will be less likely to challenge the decisions of their party therefore their activities will not be questioned so they will be able to initiate any changes they wish. This means they are able to operate an elective dictatorship without checks to the amount of power they are using. However, it could be argued that the separation of powers still exists because there are procedures in place to ensure the doctrine remains a strength of the British Constitution. For example, there is a limit on the number of ministers who can be members of the House of Commons. This will ensure that the amount of influence they have is limited. Additionally, there is the opportunity for a backbench revolt. This is where a large number of MPs who are not ministers or in cabinet for the leader, vote against them to try prevent them from carrying out their propositions. One example is from 2001 where; more than 100 Labour backbenchers rebel over the attempted removal of two Labour MPs from the chairmanship of important parliamentary committees.[25] which led to the reinstatement of two Transport and Foreign Affairs Select Committees. This suggests that although the executive try and overstep their powers by going against the opinions of the public which could effectively mean Britain is a dictatorship, there are checks and processes in place for their decisions to be effectively challenged. Members of cabinet can, and have, also taken stands against their own parties. A recent example of this can be seen by Tony Blair who proceeded with the Iraq War despite the majority of his cabinet disagreeing with his actions and a further two resigning. This example shows that the government are not persuaded by the actions of their cabinet or backbench revolts. This shows the need for checks to prevent the abuse of power is essential. The legislature has the duty to ensure that the executive do not overstep this limit ensuring that control is maintained, reducing the chance of an elective dictatorship. These checks mean that Bogdanors suggestion that we are less of an elective dictatorship is correct; the rules ensure that nobody gains too much control. In conclusion, the doctrine of the separation of powers is a feature of the peculiarly British conception of the separation of powers that Parliament, the executive and the courts have their distinct and largely exclusive domain.[26] Before the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the power was not constrained to the three separate organs. Instead the distinctions were not clear therefore the power was subject to being abused and concentrated to different branches. The reforms led to a redistribution of power in the British Constitution which has effectively led to a decrease of living in an elective dictatorship, just as Bogdanor suggests. Bibliography Allan, T. R. S.. First principles: the Rule of Law and Separation of Powers. Constitutional justice: a liberal theory of the rule of law. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. 31-52. Barnett, Hilaire. Fundamental Constitutional Concepts; the separation of powers. Constitutional administrative law. 7th ed. London: Cavendish Pub., 2009. 71-91 Bates, Clifford The Fundamental Similarity between Montesquieu and Aristotle http://www.academia.edu/5192735/THE_FUNDAMENTAL_SIMILARITY_BETWEEN_MONTESQUIEU_AND_ARISTOTLE>. Blair Backbench reforms. BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2003 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2802791.stm>. Bogdanor, Vernon. The new British Constitution. Oxford: Hart Pub., 2009. Bradley, Anthony, and Keith Ewing. The relationship between legislature, executive and judiciary. Constitutional and administrative law. 15 ed. Longman, 2010. 78-88 Brazier, Rodney. Constitutional reform: reshaping the British political system. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print. Constitutional Reform Act 2005. Constitutional Reform Act 2005 www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/4/contents> Lord Hailsham Elective dictatorship. The Listener, 21 October 1976 Lord Phillips, Lord Chief Justice. Interview by Marcel Berlins. Personal interview 2007 Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat. The spirit of the laws. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Parpworth, Neil. Separation of Powers. Constitutional and administrative law. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. 18-20 R Benwell and O Gay, The Separation of Powers www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn06053.pdf‎> Watts, Duncan. Constitutions. Understanding US/UK government and politics a comparative guide. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2003. 26-43. 1 [1] V Bogdanor,The New British Constitution(1st, Hart, 2009) 22 [2] A W Bradley and K D Ewing,Constitutional Administrative Law(15th, Pearson) 78 [3] T. R. S. Allan,Constitutional Justice: A Liberal Theory of the Rule of Law (Oxford, 2003) 31 [4] Aristotle Politics as citied in H Barnett, Constitutional Administrative Law(7th, Routledge, 2009) [5] Clifford Bates, The Fundamental Similarity Between Montesquieu and Aristotle (academia.edu 2005) http://www.academia.edu/5192735/THE_FUNDAMENTAL_SIMILARITY_BETWEEN_MONTESQUIEU_AND_ARISTOTLE> accessed 11th January 2014 [6] C Montesquieu ,The Spirit of the Laws (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought)(1st, Cambridge University Press, Oxford 1989) [7] Clifford Bates, The Fundamental Similarity Between Montesquieu and Aristotle (academia.edu, 2005) http://www.academia.edu/5192735/THE_FUNDAMENTAL_SIMILARITY_BETWEEN_MONTESQUIEU_AND_ARISTOTLE> accessed 11/01/2014 [8]R Brazier,Constitutional Reform: Reshaping the British Political System(3rd, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2008) 108 [9]J Locke,Two Treatises of Government(ed. Laslett), chX11, para 143 as cited in A W Bradley and K D Ewing,Constitutional Administrative Law(15th, Pearson) 81 [10]Lord Hailsham, Elective dictatorship The Listener (21 October 1976) [11]N Parpworth,Constitutional and Administrative Law(7th, Oxford, 2012) 20 [12]N Parpworth,Constitutional and Administrative Law(7th, Oxford, 2012) 20 [13]C Montesquieu ,The Spirit of the Laws (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought)(1st, Cambridge University Press, Oxford 1989) [14]Lord Hailsham, Elective dictatorship The Listener (21 October 1976) [15] The Lord Chief Justice 2007 Interview[2007] [16] V Bogdanor,The New British Constitution(1st, Hart, 2009) 66 [17]Lord Chief Justice (www.judiciary.gov.uk 2014) http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/about-the-judiciary/the-judiciary-in-detail/judicial+roles/judges/lord-chief-justice> accessed 11/01/2014 [18]Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (www.legislation.gov.uk 2005) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/4/contents> accessed 11/01/2014 [19]V Bogdanor,The New British Constitution(1st, Hart, 2009) 63 [20]Allan,Constitutional Justiceas cited in A W Bradley and K D Ewing,Constitutional Administrative Law(15th, Pearson) 88 [21] D Watts,Understanding US/UK Government and Politics: A Comparative Guide(Oxford 2003) 36 [22] R Benwell and O Gay, The Separation of Powers (www.parliament.uk 2013) accessed 11/01/2014 [23] Bagehot,The English Constitution 65as cited in A W Bradley and K D Ewing,Constitutional Administrative Law(15th, Pearson) 78 [24] A W Bradley and K D Ewing,Constitutional Administrative Law(15th, Pearson) 84 [25] Blairs backbench rebellions (www.news.bbc.co.uk 2003) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2802791.stm> accessed 11th January 2014 [26] R v Home Secretary[1995] 2 AC 513as cited in A W Bradley and K D Ewing,Constitutional Administrative Law(15th, Pearson) 78

Rethinking the American Dream in Coney Island of the Mind, Why Wallace?, and Goodbye, Columbus :: Coney Wallace Columbus

Rethinking the American Dream in Coney Island of the Mind, Why Wallace?, and Goodbye, Columbus      Ã‚  Ã‚   Webster defines a dream as "something notable for its beauty, excellence, or enjoyable quality." This seems, logically, something that everyone desires to obtain. However not everyone is the same therefore each dream is not the same. According to certain works of literature regarding the 1950's-60's though, it appears as if many people are quite disillusioned and believe their dream is the one and only dream suitable for everyone. This American Dream consists of a nice job, nice spouse, nice house, nice kids, nice car and all the money, money, money you can get your hands on. Anyone who desires differently is unacceptable.    But what happens when people finally start to realize, heaven forbid, that this one dream isn't a dream at all and is not the ultimate source of happiness? A rebellion against this materialistic society takes place. Lawrence Ferlinghetti, in his poem "A Coney Island of the Mind," illustrates this dissatisfaction with American society:    "...on a concrete continent spaced with bland billboards illustrating imbecile illusions of happiness The scene shows fewer tumbrils but more maimed citizens in painted cars and they have strange license plates and engines that devour America" (Ferlinghetti,131).    America is supposed to be the great capitalistic society, but Ferlinghetti sees otherwise. Billboards feature material assets in a style showing its necessity for human happiness. By calling this happiness the billboards represent an illusion, Ferlinghetti is speaking out against materialism. This materialism has apparently also horribly disfigured America and it's citizens. The citizens believe that the more material possessions one has the happier they will be. Ferlinghetti says these material possessions such as cars and fancy license plates devour them instead and are possibly dictating their life.    Addressing this issue of a materialistic society is a common theme among many of the writer's during the 1950's and 1960's. In their writings Phillip Roth and Michael Novak both depict a family of this society. The parents of these writings have an "ideal" lifestyle and a standard for their children, which gives the children every reason to want to rebel. They want to break away from the thoughts and standards of their parents and society. In Roth's novel, Goodbye, Columbus, the character Mrs. Patimkin is much like the Andy Restek of Novak's "Why