Sources of Power Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sources of Power Paper - Essay Example The motive of public leadership is to set a vision and motivate people to follow it with the purpose of ensuring unity. These leaders create a positive environment and promote shared standards and high performances filled with team spirit and trust. They also aim to drive successful actions and results collectively. The United States of America has a total of 435 constituencies and each have their own public leader. The federal government in the USA is not supposed to intervene in the policies of the constituencies set by the public leaders. These leaders may take help from the Congress who provides them with members to help them with their problems. The major role of the Congress is to provide service to the constituents by assisting them in providing members to win elections. These constituencies have their own voting and elections in which only the people of that constituency will be able to vote. Public leaders of constituencies can be elected by their constituents and their laws can be limited to their constituencies only (Rehfield, 2005). Constituencies in the United States of America are also known as electoral districts. These electoral districts were seen important in the American politics as they influenced the presidential elections. This was mainly because of certain groups that were not allowed to vote before the civil rights act such as the minorities. Electoral districts allowed the blacks to choose their own public leaders through constituency elections. The systems of these constituencies could be decided and created by the public leaders as far as they followed the American constitution. In 1963, the election system of Georgia was called unconstitutional and invalid as it violated the constitutional amendments. In America, the constituencies can have their own leaders and policies thus they can set rules according to their constituencies’ features and needs. This is because of the power which is assigned to them by the constitution and position. The source of their power is their position, their personal powers and through their people. Before the civil rights act, the blacks were discriminated from voting and participating in elections. The electoral districts have given the blacks representation from constituencies where they are in majority (Rehfield, 2005). In the same way, the rural areas have gained representation and participation in presidential elections. However, there are still constituencies where indirect discrimination exists against blacks such as the policy to allow voting to those who have driving licenses knowing that blacks couldn’t afford them. The public leaders elected in the electoral constituencies have constitutional powers. These elected members become the members of the House of Representatives. They are given the powers to create laws and policies for their constituencies. They also participate in the House of Representatives and present their views for their constituency. The pu blic leaders are assigned those powers that are not in the hands of the federal or state government. Some of the aspects are left for the constituency leaders who set laws according to their region’s needs and demands. They play an important role in bringing their constituents together and motivating them towards a single goal. The positional power is not based on the person’s conduct or behavior, but only on the number of votes that he achieved to gain that position. The US Supreme Court has concluded that the federal government cannot intervene in the lawmaking of the constituencies’ leaders unless they are unconstitutional. The public leaders also have personal power which is derived from their own expertise and knowledge. They are given the powers because of their skills and abilities to deal with them such as

African American Religion Essay Example for Free

African American Religion Essay Before Africans were brought to America during the slave trade, they had their own culture and society. They had their own language and dance. They also had their own religion. History tells us that the Europeans justified their abuse toward the Africans as helping them become more civilized because the Africans lifestyle appeared primal to them and not as developed and industrialized as theirs. What is often overlooked is that even though Africans were taken from Africa and Americanized and have been stripped of their religion, culture, language and even their name, the very essence of the African as a people did not go away. Some African American slaves rejected Christianity’s religion because they saw it as the â€Å"white man’s religion†. History tells us American Slave Masters abused the Africans by whipping them like animals and by treating them inhumane. The fact that these slave masters wanted the African American to worship their god was unacceptable for some because they could not fathom why they should worship a god who allowed people to be so badly treated. Some Africans accepted Christianity’s religion and faith by identifying with Jesus Christ, the son of God who according to the Bible was innocent of sin and yet he was beaten, bruised and crucified for the sins of the world. Some African Americans wanted to remain faithful to their heritage yet did not agree with the conjure practices. Seth Holly’s character is a good example of conforming to the economic prosperity of America which was founded by Christians. White Christians enforced Christian beliefs, values, and some practices based on the Euro American Christian interpretation of Christian text. Seth developed a kind of hatred for his own people proving that he has adopted the practices of white America in the early 1900s. â€Å"Niggers coming up here from that old backwoods†¦ coming up here from the country carrying Bibles and guitars looking for freedom. † Seth says. â€Å"They got a rude awakening† (6). Seth signifies the African American who resents assimilation to the white American culture. But, at the same time, he too attempts to connect with his heritage by simply allowing Bynum to live in his home and bless it with his conjures rituals. Seth also participates in an African dance ritual called the Juba. Bynum’s character is introduced by practicing conjure rituals. He cuts open pigeons and spreads its blood onto him as a type of cleansing to communicate with spirits. Bynum represents the African American who chose to remain faithful to the religion of his heritage. Others who have chosen the faith of Christianity view conjure rituals as evil, witchcraft, or demonic. Some African Americans wanted to remain faithful to their heritage yet did not agree with conjure practices anymore. Loomis walks in on the juba dance and goes into a trance after dinner at the boarding house. He had a vision of skeletons emerge from a body of water. â€Å"Loomis: I done seen bones rise up out the water. Rise up and walk across the water. Bones walking on top of the water† (53). Loomis recognizes through the vision, his state of ignorance to the knowledge that will lead him to the new way of thinking. Bynum serves as a supporting character reacting to Loomis’s trance. â€Å"Bynum: They walking around here now. Mens. Just like you and me. Come right up out the water† (56). Loomis’s trance and Bynum’s interpretation of it is a turning point in the story. The skeletons coming from the bottom of the sea in Loomis’s vision represent the slave ships, the disorientation experienced by the slaves during emancipation, and the confusion of his release from Joe Turner. Both Loomis and Bynum have tapped into their ancestral religion. The difference between the two is that Bynum represents the African who never renounced his religion and Loomis is the African-American who turned from conjure religion and converted to the faith of Christianity. After Joe turner took his life away from him, Loomis questioned his Christian faith and his identity. By walking in on the ancestral ritual of the Juba dance, Loomis literally walked into what he had actually been looking for, his religion, consequently, his ancestral identity and this is why he fell into the trance. Throughout the play conjures is encompasses four generations; Bynum’s father, Bynum, Loomis, and the neighbor boy Reuben. Reuben’s vision is of Seth’s mother by the pigeon coop, she encourages Reuben to release the caged pigeons. Wilson writes in a way that leads the reader to believe that Loomis needs to find his missing wife. Martha Pentecost is not the one who was lost; Loomis was the one who was lost, wondering around from town to town, searching. Loomis came into the state of belief when Bynum helped him translate his vision. That vision represented Loomis going back to his ancestral conjure religion. Loomis needed to find Martha Pentecost simply to say good-bye to her and their life former together. Up until this point of the story, I believed that Loomis needed to find his wife so they could live out the rest of their lives as a happy free family with their daughter. However, it is made pretty obvious this was never Loomis’s intentions. â€Å"That goodbye kept me out on the road searching,† Loomis says, â€Å"now that I see your face I can say my goodbye and make my own world† (90). Martha Pentecost, a woman of Christian faith, represents the African who assimilated into white America’s culture and Loomis needed to find her to say good-bye to her and the Christian faith. Martha stands by her Christian faith by accusing Loomis â€Å"you done gone over to the devil† (91). White man’s religion believed that conjure was evil or the way of the devil. Loomis finds it easier to reject her for her Christian beliefs. â€Å"Loomis: Great big old white man†¦your Mr. Jesus Christ. Standing there with a whip in one hand and a tote board in another, them niggers swimming in a sea of cotton† (92). Loomis proves with his statement, his version of a bible story that differed from other African Americans but was similar to that of the white man who believed that they were on a level below God and the African’s were beneath them, African’s were one third of a person. Loomis now believes that if African’s are going to be free then they have to take charge of their own destiny. Martha Pentecost represents the African American’s religion, she identifies that Loomis needs to â€Å"be washed in the blood of the lamb† (92) and â€Å"you done gone over to the devil. (91) Through class lessons I learned that African American slaves compared themselves with stories in the bible to instill hope of a life free from oppression, violence, and bondage. Jesus according to the bible was innocent of sin and yet he was beaten, bruised and crucified for the sins of the world. The hope of reigning in heave with Jesus is considered the ultimate reward for suffering life’s trials and tribulations. It is the faith of the African Americans who accepted Christianity religion. Blacks trusted in the Lord instead of man. America was Egypt in the exodus story and as long as the enslaving and oppressing took place America would face the same wrath as Egypt. â€Å"Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. † The bible was depended on in justifying and motivation rebellion for the blacks and used as a tool to keep blacks enslaved by the whites. African Americans used sermons, song, and prayer to convey and teach their message of travail and triumph of Israel. Some African Americans could not get past the treatment from the white people that called themselves Christians and as a result they rejected Christianity. Selig’s role suggests that the link between characters is the acquisition of material goods. Selig admits that his ancestors have always made their living pursuing African Americas; his great grandfather transported slaves from Africa, his father captured runaway slaves and returned them to their masters for a reward, and Selig locates displaced people for a fee. Selig attains his ecstasy through consumer capitalism, through the selling of material goods. African Americans are objects for exploitation and exchange in the new economy. He binds African Americans to the economic system, demanding payment of his services and products which necessitates subsistence labor by taking them from one construction site or work site to another, similar to a temporary employment agency today. You pay for an employee to work for some time, but Selig is getting paid by the person looking for work or a ride to a chance of freedom. Selig cannot find a person that has not purchased a dustpan from him because he keeps the names of his customers. Seth is determined to achieve material success, he has very little patience for African Americans migrating north looking for the same prosperity that he desires. Seth is very demanding of his patrons, insisting on advance payment in full, and is preoccupied with maintaining a respectable house. â€Å"It’s hard enough now without all that ignorant kind of acting. Ever since slavery got over with there ain’t been nothing but foolish-acting niggers. Word get out they need men to work in the mill and put in these roads†¦ and niggers drop everything and head north looking for freedom. (5, 6) Seth wants to blend in with the white man’s world; therefore he keeps a link with Selig by negotiating the manufacturing and sale of dustpans. Seth does not have any idea of what it would be like to be a slave, as he was born free in the North and was educated. He demonstrates his education with his math calculation when dealing with the boarding house patrons and the quick notation of him letting Selig know that he is trying to overcharge him for the dust pan materials. Educational differences played a role in tension with Southern blacks, most of who were forbidden from learning to read, saw religion as a matter of oral tradition nd immediate experience and emotion. Northerner blacks, stressed that one could not truly be Christian unless they was able to read the Bible and understand it. This play denies individual worth and identity for some of Wilson’s characters. To be defrauded of the products of one’s labor or to see that creation diminished, like with Jeremy and the guitar contest, is to be denied a reflection of individual worth and identity. If people have been separated from this truth of individual worth and identity through oppression their capacity to bond with one another, form friendships, or couples, families are undermined. Social alienation in Wilson’s characters are expressed in their stores of broken relationships, uncertainty, or suspicion that they feel toward one another. â€Å"Seth: Something ain’t setting right with that fellow, Bynum. He’s one of them mean-looking niggers look like he done killed somebody gambling over a quarter. †(20) Connection between oppression, alienation from self and inability to form bonds with others is displayed in the character of Loomis. Joe Turner’s ability to oppress Loomis carried a judgment of non-worth. â€Å"Loomis: He told me I was worthless. Worthless is something you throw away. Something you don’t bother with† (73) Turners judgment of worthlessness forced Loomis to accept the reality of the white man’s power; he was marked as â€Å"one of Joe Turners niggers and forced to forget his song. †(71) Being alienated from himself and displaced with his relation to the world, Loomis is unable to establish bonds with people around him. The oppression encountered by Wilson’s characters is material or economic, that oppression is spiritual as well in the capacity to deprive the individual of a sense of himself or his unique song. The reawakening of Loomis after his encounter with cultural wisdom is not the self discovery of an average African American but creation of a new source of cultural wisdom, a new African holy man. Wilson uses many metaphors throughout the play. The song is a metaphor for Loomis’s identity and the African American cultural identity. Music is a large part of African American identity, so it makes since that in search of one’s identity they are searching for their song. The boarding house serves as an inn for traveling folk, but the tenants actually receive a form of healing during their stay. Tenants get direction and guidance from Bertha and Bynum. The shiny man that Bynum is in search for signifies African American independence. The man that Bynum met on the road was an independent African American, just as Loomis was freed by his past when he cleansed himself in his own blood. â€Å"Bynum: Herald Loomis, you shining! You shining like new money! †(94) Loomis has dismissed that the blood of Christ can wash away his sins and make him the man he used to be, but by washing himself in his own blood he has sacrificed the old life to begin his new journey on his terms. Bynum’s shining man has been found, meaning his work is complete; he has passed his powers on to the next generation, Loomis. â€Å"They tell me Joe Turner’s come and Gone† is a song that is sung by Bynum, when I first read the story I thought that the meaning was came and now he is dead however, the second time I read the play I realized that it meant that Joe Turner has come and snatched the men and now he is now gone. August Wilson uses symbolism in the play as a very important part in conveying the meaning of the story. Wilsons use of symbolism is demonstrated through Mr.  Wilsons use of the road, Martha Pentecost, and Herald Loomis. Symbolic importance is give to the word freedom. The word freedom has instilled hope into the lives of African Americans: during slavery, hope for the release from bondage; after emancipation, the right to be educated, employed, and to move about freely; twentieth century, social, political, and economic justice. Freedom has always stood for the absence of any restraint, because God made all men from his image. There are a number of characters that travel around searching for their place in the world. Mattie, mentions that she keeps on looking, seems like she just keeps starting over, I ain’t never found no place for me to fit. † (76) Reuben tells Zonia, when he finds out that she is leaving the boarding house in search of her mom, â€Å"when I get grown, I come looking for you. †(84) Jeremy does not seem to care much when he loses his job because, â€Å"don’t make me no difference. There’s a big road out there, I can always get my guitar and find me a place to stay. I ain’t planning on staying in one place for too long noway. (64) Martha Reverend Tolliver moved the Church up north because of the trouble the church was having. When the Civil War finally brought freedom to previously enslaved African Americans, the task of organizing religious communities was only one element of the larger need to create new lives, to reunite families, to find jobs, and to figure out what it would mean to live in the United States as citizens rather than property. August Wilson’s play, Joe Turner’s come and Gone, examines African Americans search for their cultural identity following slavery.

I Became a Model Cadet Essay -- Personal Narrative

I Became a Model Cadet    Dr. Laust’s Comments: This student's assignment was to write a personal narrative essay describing an event that dramatically affected her life. Her choice of narrating her rise in the ranks of JROTC is unique, interesting, and very appropriate for the assignment. She does a very nice job of using specific details to describe aspects of the experience as well as employing dialog to accent her account. The reader gets a clear sense of the impact this event had on her life. I moved to Slidell in the summer of 1998. It was a start of my tenth grade year at Northshore High School. I remember going to enroll the week before school started. I followed my mom into the school library like a lost puppy. There were new kids all over who were just as scared as I was. The room was filled with administrators sitting at tables asking millions of school-related questions to parents who were fumbling through papers to find a retort. Two people caught my attention in the room. They were a girl and a boy sharply dressed in pickle-green uniforms. Their chests were decorated with numerous shiny metals that reflected their accomplishments. The girl's dark brown hair was neatly tied in a bun off of her shoulders, and the boy's was shaven. Their black shoes were so shiny you could see your own reflection in them if you looked. They walked over to me and introduced themselves as Commanding Officer Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Wendy Arlington and her right hand man Cadet Fi rst Lieutenant Dwight Lewis. They were friendly. They shook my hand when they greeted me and told me about the JROTC program at Northshore High School. I told them I was nervous about a new school and was looking to meet people. They promised me... ...e "OOH RAH, good job cadet." Compliments are rare, so this one made me feel like Superwoman. The team brought home a second place trophy on my first of many competitions. I had found my niche. The following year the next drill team leader was to be picked. I knew I was ready for it. The Senior Army Instructor, Colonel Tommy Palmertree, held an awards ceremony. He kept the team leader as a surprise until the end. Of course, this kept me on the edge of my seat biting my nails in anticipation. Finally, Colonel Palmertree announced me as the following year's leader. He said I would hold the position as Cadet First Lieutenant. I knew that I had finally achieved my goal. I had become a great leader like Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Armington and Cadet First Lieutentant Dwight Lewis. I would lead others and influence them in the same way as they influenced me.

Child Growth and Development Essay

I. Introduction This case study is about a child that was born premature, at the twenty-fifth week of pregnancy. With the complication of being born that early the baby girl had many problems her first couple of months of life. Being in the hospital for five months she was fighting for her life each and every day. The child was hooked up to numerous machines to keep her alive. Doctors gave her plenty of attention while she was in the hospital. After being there for five months they began to start seeing improvement in her ability to breathe on her own and gain weight so she was released from the hospital. Now she is a normal happy and healthy four year old. The purpose of this case study is to understand the development of a premature child now that the child is in a classroom setting. This case study was conducted during my early field experience observation hours, which is a requirement for all core pre-education classes. This study investigated three research questions: (1) is there any difference between the ways this and her peers who were born full-term interact with each other? (2) Is there any difference in the way that this child interacts with teachers and other adults compared to the other children? (3) Is the premature child’s development delayed? The methods used to conduct this case study were observations and an analysis of the participant’s behavior with teachers, peer, and other adults. Also I had brief interaction with the child. Personal information was gathered about the child from the participant’s teachers, and parents; which includes age, gender, race, education, personality traits, and family background. II. Participant and Developmental Perspectives The participant is a four year old African American female named Jane Doe. She was born on November 24, 2007. She was delivered prematurely at twenty-five weeks of gestation. This classifies her as extremely premature because she was born between twenty-three and twenty-eight weeks of gestation. Statistically, only a little over sixty percent of premature babies that are born that early survive. African American babies are more likely to survive compared to all other races, especially African American females. Jane Doe’s mother stated that she also gave birth to a male child during this gestational period, who unfortunately did not survive. Being premature comes with serious health risks such as anemia, internal bleeding into the brain, infections, low blood sugar, respiratory distress syndrome, jaundice, and severe intestinal inflammation. Fortunately Jane Doe was not born with or developed any of these conditions; however she still stands a higher chance of developing this long term risks such as delayed growth and development, mental or physical disability or delay, and vision loss or blindness. Physically, Jane Doe is like any other four year old. She has brown eyes and brown hair. She weighs thirty-nine pounds and is approximately forty inches tall, which is remarkable because at birth she only weighed one pound and thirteen ounces and was twelve inches long. Her height and weight are right on target for her age. Her head is slightly larger than most children her age but that is due her being mature, and her brain development is normal. She has no development delays. She hit all her developmental milestones on time, except for creeping in which her mother consulted a physical therapist and was told that not all children creep but as long as she can crawl she would be fine. Her only current health issue is acute asthma in which she is treated with a nebulizer. She can climb stairs up and down without assistance. She is able to perform self-help skills such as dressing herself, using the bathroom, washing her hands and feeding herself. Jane still needs takes naps but she often tries to fight them. Jane is very smart. She understands the concept of shape and size. For example, she can tell you that one thing is bigger than the other and she sorts things according to their color. She does not fully understand time yet, but she does know the seasons and the days of the week. Jane can also use sequence word such as first, last, next, soon and later in regular conversation. She speaks very clearly and is able to have full conversations. She is very conscious of the daily schedule and what is supposed to happen next. She has great memory and a very creative imagination. She engages in parallel play but is showing a new interest in dramatic play. She enjoys acting as if she is a mother or a teacher. As any four year old, Jane can be difficult to deal with, especially when she is upset; however. She can verbalize her frustrations with others. She makes decisions based on her mood. She has a very dominate personality. She enjoys being around people. She responds very well to positive attention and praise from adults. She is not afraid to ask for help; however she does not want things to be done for her, simply just guidance to do it herself. She is very social and has many friends. Jane still has some separation anxiety and when important people leave because she does not understand why she cannot come too. She also gets upset when she is not ready to leave but it is time for her to go. She enjoys playing with children, but since she is an only child her mother stated that she is around adults majority of the time and is sometimes more comfortable around them. She becomes frightened when she hears loud noises such as the toilet flushing, or sees bugs. She also says that there are monsters. Jane is also very possessive. If she sees another child playing with a toy that she enjoys she will snatch the toy away from the other child or if her friend is playing with another friend she may become upset. However she is learning to share and play with others. She can be very jealous sometimes if she feels as though another child is getting too much attention. She may lash out verbally but she is very rarely physically. III. Theories and Child’s Behavior Albert Bandura’s social learning theory says that one learns a behavior from others by observing and imitating behaviors, especially aggressive behavior.(ref: Ormrod, J.E. (1999). Human learning (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.) Observing is simply watching a behavior performed by another individual. After observing the behavior of another the individual will imitate or repeat the same behavior to fit in with a crowd or group. Bandura stated that children who come from an aggressive environment often repeated that behavior when placed in other settings. Bandura believed that children gradually become more selective in what they chose to imitate. Jane shows signs of this theory when she observed that the when she does something that her mother does not like her mother points to her and tells her no, now when other children do something that she does not like she imitate the behavior that her mother displayed. Also one of the other children in the class was using inappropriate language (which was likely observed from someone else) and Jane imitated that behavior as well. Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual theory stated that everyone is born with a natural sexual energy. That sexual energy has stages and if an individual experiences any anxiety related to a stage it can affect them all the way into adulthood. (heffner media group, 2011). He refers to this sexual energy as libido. Freud’s five stages are oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. The oral stage says that an infant’s pleasure centers on the mouth. This stage lasts from birth to eighteen months. The anal stage says that the child’s pleasure focuses on the anus. This stage lasts from eighteen months to three years old. The phallic stage says that the child’s pleasure focuses on the genitals. This stage lasts from three to six years old. The latency stage says that the child represses sexual interest and focus on social skills. This stage lasts from six years old until puberty. The final stage is the genital stage and this is a time of sexual awakening for an individual. This stage lasts for the rest of their life. This theory was based on another theory based on troubled adults. Jane proves this theory because she is currently in the phallic stage and she is very curious about the anatomy of boys and girls. Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory stated that a child gained attitudes and skills by solving psychosocial issues in their own way. He believed that development did not end after adolescence but was a lifelong process. (Cherry,2010). Erikson expanded on Freud’s theory and also had stages. His stages are trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame and doubt, initiative vs. guilt, industry vs. inferiority, identity vs. identity confusion, intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, and integrity vs. despair. The first stage is trust vs. mistrust; this stage is for the first year of life because infants are completely dependent on their caregivers. If the child trusts their caregiver they are less likely to have trust issues for the remainder of their life. However, if the caregiver is neglectful the child will develop mistrust. The second stage is autonomy vs. shame and doubt, this stage is from one to three years old because during toddlerhood is when children have more of a personal control. Erikson believed that learning to control oneself can lead to a sense of independence. However, if this is not achieved it will cause shame and doubt. The third stage is initiative vs. guilt; this stage is from three to five years old because this is the age where children start to assert their power. This can make children feel as if they can lead others. However, if the child fails they may begin to feel guilty. This is that stage that Jane is currently experiencing. When playing with other children she may try to direct the children into doing something the way she believes it should be done. Sometimes she is too assertive and the other children do not respond to her. However when she gains respect and does not abuse her power the other children usually follow her. IV. Summary of Findings This case study investigated the development of a premature child in a classroom setting. During this observation I found no difference in the development of this child and the development of her peers. She displays the same methods of play as other children her age and she has the same social characteristics. Her social skills are still developing and I do not believe that she will ever have a problem developing friendships. Jane’s interaction with adults is also very normal. She responds very well to positive attention and praise from adults. She is not afraid to ask for help when needed. She understands authority figures and when asked to perform a task she usually complies with little hesitation. Jane is also on target with her development. She achieved all of her milestones on time and has exceeded everyone’s expectations. She knows the days of the week, the colors, the seasons, and is even beginning to read. She does not display any evidence of developmental delay s. V. Conclusion Even though Jane was born with many obstacles, she was able to overcome every one of them. When she was born the doctor did not think she was going to make it to her first birthday. She did not give up. For five months in the hospital she fought to survive. Even when she survived the doctor believed that she was going to have developmental delays or physical disabilities. Today, she has neither. She is an enthusiastic, adventurous, bold, silly, eager and fun four year old.

Toyota Swot Analysis 2013

SWOT analysis of Toyota This is a Toyota Motor Corporation SWOT analysis for 2013. Company background NameToyota Motor Corporation Industries servedAutomotive Geographic areas servedWorldwide HeadquartersJapan Current CEOAkio Toyoda Revenue? 18. 583 trillion (2012) Profit? 283. 55 billion (2012) Employees300,747 (2012) Main CompetitorsBayerische Motoren Werke AG, Chrysler Group LLC, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Co. , General Motors Company, Honda Motor Company, Nissan Motor, Tata Motors, Ltd. , Volkswagen AG and many other automotive companies. SWOT analysis of Toyota SWOT analysis of ToyotaStrengthsWeaknesses 1. Innovative culture 2. Brand reputation valued at $30 billion 3. Industry leader in manufacturing and production 4. Strong brand portfolio 5. The leader in â€Å"green† cars development1. Large recalls 2. Weak presence in the emerging markets OpportunitiesThreats 1. Positive attitude towards â€Å"green† vehicles 2. Increasing fuel prices 3. Changing customer needs 4. Growth through acquisitions1. Fluctuating fuel prices 2. New emission standards 3. Rising raw material prices 4. Intense competition 5. Natural disasters 6. Appreciating yen exchange rateStrengths 1. Innovative culture. Toyota is one of the most innovative auto companies and has a strong culture that is focused on constant innovation. The company was the first to introduce Kaizen, Kanban and Total quality Management systems widely in their organization. The company was the first to mass-produce and sell hybrid vehicles too. 2. Brand reputation valued at $30 billion. Toyota’s brand is the most valued automotive brand in the world. The company is known for its environmentally friendly, safe and durable cars that are sold in more than 170 countries. 3.Industry leader in manufacturing and production. Toyota was the first company to introduce lean manufacturing and total quality management practices in manufacturing process. For some time, the company was the only practitioner of these practices and had the lowest manufacturing and production costs worldwide. Although many manufacturers were able to replicate Toyota’s lean manufacturing system, the company is still one of the most profitable manufacturers in the world. 4. Strong brand portfolio. Toyota currently sells about 70 different models of cars under its namesake brand.This does not only increase brands awareness but also satisfies nearly every consumer group needs. Toyota’s flagship models are Corolla and Prius. 5. The leader in â€Å"green† cars development. Toyota understands that environmental friendly cars are the necessity nowadays. Consumers are more selective in terms of CO2 emissions and fuel-efficiency of the cars they buy and Toyota’s early move towards selling hybrid and efficient cars is the strength few competitors can match. Weaknesses 1. Large-scale recalls. Toyota had quite a few large-scale vehicle recalls over the past few years.The company recalled 9 mi llion vehicles in 2009-2010 and 7. 43 million cars in 2012. Such recalls does not only hurt the firm financially but significantly damages firm’s brand. 2. Weak presence in the emerging markets. Toyota’s main markets are Japan, US and Europe, while such emerging economies as China or India make only a small percentage of all Toyota’s sales. Due to poor presence in the largest automobile market (China), Toyota will find it hard to compete with GM that has huge market share there. Opportunities 1. Positive attitude towards â€Å"green† vehicles.Today consumers are more aware of the negative effects (air pollution) caused by cars. Large quantities of CO2 emissions intensify greenhouse effect and negatively impact the life on earth. Thus, consumers are more likely to buy new hybrid and electric cars that emit less CO2. 2. Increasing fuel prices. Increasing fuel prices open up large markets for Toyota’s hybrid cars as consumers shift towards efficient c ars. 3. Changing customer needs. By introducing new car models, Toyota could satisfy varying consumers’ tastes and needs and access wider customer group. 4. Growth through acquisitions.Toyota has successfully acquired other car companies in the past and should continue doing so to grow, gain new skills, assets and access to new markets. Threats 1. Decreasing fuel prices. There is high possibility that future fuel prices will drop, as more shale gas will be extracted. For this reason, fuel-efficient hybrid and electric cars will become less attractive to cost conscious consumers that are the main customer group for Toyota’s Prius model. 2. New emission standards. New emission standards introduced by the government would require more investments into producing cleaner engines.More investments mean less profit for Toyota. 3. Rising raw material prices. Rising raw material prices are especially important to automobiles manufacturers. Higher prices mean higher costs and les s profits for Toyota as the raw metals are the main components in car manufacturing. 4. Intense competition. Toyota faces more intense competition from other auto manufacturers more than ever. Volkswagen group is strongly growing and GM steps up after its reorganization to become more competitive than ever. 5. Natural disasters. Toyota’s has manufacturing facilities in Japan, Thailand, China and Indonesia.These countries, including others, are often subject to natural disasters that disrupt manufacturing in the facilities and decrease Toyota’s production volumes. 5. Appreciating yen exchange rate. Most of Toyota’s revenue comes from foreign countries. The profits earned abroad must be sent back to Japan and converted to yen. Appreciating yen exchange rate against other currencies means lower profits for Toyota. Sources: 1. Toyota (2013). Investors: 2012 Financial Results. Available at: http://www. toyota-global. com/investors/financial_result/2012/ 2.Toyota (201 3). Company profile: Overview. Available at: http://www. toyota-global. com/company/profile/overview/ 3. Interbrand (2013). Best Global Brands 2012. Available at: http://www. interbrand. com/en/best-global-brands/2012/Best-Global-Brands-2012. aspx 4. Pantong, K. (2013). Toyota investing on big things in Thailand. Available at: http://www. nationmultimedia. com/business/Toyota-investing-on-big-things-in-Thailand-30198606. html 5. Wikipedia (2013). Toyota. Available at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Toyota#Hybrid_electric_vehicles

Historical and non

Historical and non Among the problems concerning education and all the issues connected with it, one can single out two basic types of problems. The first one embraces the issues which each generation encounters, no matter how far the progress has stepped, whereas the second type of problems is, vice versa, closely interconnected with the complexities of the epoch.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Historical and non-Historical Issues in Education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Among the former, such everlasting issues as cheating during test can be taken as an example; as for the latter, one of the current problems of the modern education is the price which students have to pay for it. Choosing the article which deserves being discussed widely and published in the journal, it is necessary to evaluate each of the issues. Dealing with the problem of the increasing costs for studying, the article describes the state of students who are forced to work and study at the same time in the most impressive way. Thus, the article reveals important social problems brewing in the modern society since the time when higher education has become the major asset of employees. As Martin marks, Unfortunately, the decline in student quality is accompanied by costs that are out of control, a governance system that will not permit any reallocation of resources, and a society that expects higher education to address problems that are well beyond its core competencies.† (Martin 262) Thus, it can be considered that the given article deals with an issue of paramount importance for modern students. However, it must be admitted that the given article does not suggest any way out of the problem – it merely enumerates the difficulties connected with high costs for education and defines the goals of higher education. Compared to the abovementioned article, the second one deals with the subject of lesser social tenseness. Yet the issue of the given article has raised debates since the very foundation of the educational system of the country. As you might have already guessed, the conversation touches upon the problem of cheating at exams. Old as the hills, the problem is considered both from the psychological and the practical point of view in the article. One of the most valuable features of the article is the fact that the author is not moralizing, but merely explains the consequences of cheating.Advertising Looking for article on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Using cribs during exams, students fool themselves first, the author explains. Choosing between the wish to know the subject better and to get a good mark, one must follow the common sense, not the desire to pass the exam and forget everything one has been taught. As Davis mentioned, â€Å"Certainly the stresses and pressures for good grades have not diminished during t he past several decades.† (71) It is also essential that the author tries to make students think of their future professional career and their professional authority. The author also emphasizes the moral aspect, driving an example of a doctor who used to cheat during his examinations. Thus, calling the readers to think of their future jobs and professional ethics, the author creates a vision of studying without cheating. Summarizing the effect produced by both of the articles, one could say that each of them is a valuable study in the sphere of education, yet each touching upon absolutely different issues. In spite of the fact that the abovementioned aspects of studying are both worth serious considerations, it is obvious that the first article deals with the issue demanding urgent solution. Both bearing social significance and enhancing positive changes in the sphere of education, it deserves publishing most. Once people recognize the financial problem of education, they will be able to contribute to its solution, whereas the problem of cheating is far too old to be solved in a blink of an eye. Davis, Stephen F., et al. Cheating in School: What we Know and What We Can Do.  New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. Print. Martin, Edward Robert. Cost Control, College Access, and Competition in Higher  Education. Camberley, UK: Edward Edgar Publishing, 2005. Print.

7 Speaking Habits That Will Make You Sound Smarter

7 Speaking Habits That Will Make You Sound Smarter Generally, when people hear you speak, they immediately begin to analyze what you’re saying in order to build a social profile. This means that how you speak can make or break a lot of your relationships. Fortunately, this infographic goes into 7 great approaches that will refine your speaking habits.  Source: [Visualistan]

The Value of Believing You Get What You Pay For

The Value of Believing You Get What You Pay For Choosing Value Last week I received a call from a marketing executive in Switzerland who wanted assistance with an important cover letter. He had found me on LinkedIn and chosen my company over three others. With excitement in his voice, he explained to me that as a marketer, he was fascinated by his own behavior in deciding upon The Essay Expert: He chose us because we were the most expensive company. In a similar phenomenon, for many months I had been frustrated that people were landing on my professional bio page and calling me about the service, but not purchasing. I considered removing bios from my offerings, but first decided to try raising my rates. Lo and behold, people started buying bios more often! I got the sense that they trusted they would get a better product and perhaps something they couldn’t write themselves. Of course, people do not always choose to buy the most expensive option in front of them. Different consumers have different budgets, and some people simply can’t afford to purchase more pricey goods and services. In fact, the same week I was contacted by the client from Switzerland, I also heard from a client who wanted to pay $500 for services that would normally go for $1700 according to my normal pricing. He simply could not afford my rates. And although I sympathized with his situation, I was not able to work with him and keep within my business model. Pricing Psychology If it’s true that â€Å"you get what you pay for,† expectations are set by price, and regardless of the actual product or service delivered, a consumer will value it according to what he or she paid for it. Studies have shown that people expect a positive correlation between price and quality (e.g., Rao and Monroe, 1989). In a 2008 study about wine enjoyment by Goldstein et. al., consumers who did not know the price of the wine they were drinking did not like more expensive wine better; but when they were told they were drinking a more expensive wine, they gave the wine higher ratings. It seems our brains actually play tricks on us to make us appreciate things more when we pay more money for them! This doesn’t mean that we can charge high prices and then deliver a shoddy result. If someone pays a high price for something and is disappointed, she might be even more upset than if she had paid less- although not necessarily! I have learned that people looking for a deal are often more demanding than those willing to pay for value. Choosing Clients My Swiss client was clearly guided by the phenomenon of expecting value for value. And he knew the value he wanted: the confidence that would come from having a clearly written, persuasive letter, in solid English, stating his commitment and qualifications for transitioning from the corporate to the non-profit world. He was my ideal client. He requested to pay a rush fee for a quick turnaround. He partnered with us fully in the project. And when we delivered the letter, he told us we had exceeded his expectations. In return, I was happy and willing to go the extra mile for him and give him the modifications he needed at 11pm U.S. Central time on a Friday night. He has already purchased additional services. The price-averse potential client, on the other hand, was not my ideal client. He presented with a complex situation that would have required more work than the average executive service, yet even at $1700 he would have been paying mid-level rates. Having been out of work for a year, I believe he was looking for a result that I could not guarantee: a job. For him, I believe confidence in putting his best foot forward might not have been enough, and I was concerned that he might come back asking for a refund of his $500. Every business owner when setting pricing must make a decision about what type of clients they want to target: Do you want those who are looking for a deal and will say yes because you offer one? Or those who want to pay for value and will appreciate your products and services in part because they paid top dollar for them? There is no right answer to which type of client to attract, but for me, I choose the latter. That’s my win-win and I am prepared to live up to my value proposition.

Interface Design Examples Search based on Heuristics 3 Assignment

Interface Design Examples Search based on Heuristics 3 - Assignment Example The image below shows what the iTunes interface looks at the terms that are used are common users. The user has the freedom to choose and move away from the mistake they might have done. There should be navigation buttons like undo that will enable the users to get away from the mistakes that they have done. The figure below shows word processing of Apple. Users should not be left to wonder if some change in the wording of common interface means the use of that interface has changed. The conventions that are used by the platform should remain the same. It should not be changed. The figure in this example shows different words that are used in Gmail. The system should help users in doing away with an error that might occur if a certain action is taken. An example is the Yammer website where the user is to update information on the website. After the user has updated the information, the button on the Update page is disabled so that an error is not made in subsequent updates (Papp 74). The need for users to recall should be minimized as much as possible. The memory of the users should be spared. The users should not remember information from the first part of the process. An example is coding. The user should type ahead when coding and all the information that user needs will pop up. This is common in Quanta IDE (Papp 82). There should be actions that will help in the process of interaction between the user and the system. This should be common for both the novice and the experienced user. The users should be allowed to tailor actions which are frequent. An example is an Apple spreadsheet product. It has shortcuts that help users to get information quickly. There should be good and appealing design of the site. There should not be too much design elements in the site. Dialogue boxes should not have information which is not needed in the suite. The Kontain

What is the connection between transgendered individuals and masculine Thesis

What is the connection between transgendered individuals and masculine violence - Thesis Example The story explores how the trans-gendered’s inability to identify his sex and sexual orientation invites the masculine violence, where the trans-gendered has to undergo severe butchery, physical assault, abdication, mental torture, agony and finally murder at the hands of the cruel and vindictive killers. The film reveals how males turn aggressive and violent towards the trans-gendered because of their attempt to declare them as males and developing relationships with females. Since the trans-gendered individuals attempt to deceit the girls, the males justify their nefarious act of raping and battering them in order to bring them to terms as well as for saving the females to go into the hands of the trans-gendered. The same is applied to the film under analysis. It has aptly been observed that humans undergo some unpleasant incidents in their childhood, which turn them psychologically disturbed ones for the rest of their life. It is particularly the case with child rape and domestic violence, which leave indelible horrible impact on the innocent minds of the children. The same is applied to the purported trans-gendered Brandon Tina, who was excessively raped by his obnoxious uncle for many years during his childhood, which created feelings of fear and hatred for the male stratum of society. The same happened because of the posthumous death of his father, which made the entire family insecure and unsafe amongst the wolves-like relatives and neighbors. Since the wretched uncle’s continuous raping developed disliking for the male stratum at large in the heart of the poor Brandon, she consequently started taking interest in females, and mistakenly started considering him as belonging to the male gender. Thus, he developed friendship with males in his locality, and dated females without revealing his real sex and anatomy. His developing

Common Theme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Common Theme - Essay Example The socially relevant message that most of the works of Margaret Atwood contains is quite evident. An urge for change is always on demand in all her literary masterpieces. The poems she has written are no exception. In most of her poetic works a theme of ‘call for change’ is well reflected. This in broader terms is the message of ‘renovation’. Different socially relevant scenarios have been both directly and indirectly depicted in the works of Margaret Atwood. All of those works, towards their end has concluded with a call for change or even an indication towards the possibility of a positive situation. The objective of this essay is to critically analyze different poems of Margaret Atwood and to explain the ways in which they have dealt with the theme ‘renovation’. Three different poems were considered for the review. They included ‘The Sad Child’, ‘Bored’, and ‘More and More. The trial of the author to reflect a message on the need for renovation is being highlighted in the essay. It is quite evident that the role of the poet as a social activist has highly influenced the writing style and the plots of the poems. She being a feminist and her urge to see a social renovation has well been reflected as a gist of the poems which are being analyzed. Though the subjects of social interest have been wide and vivid, the common factor in all of them is the need for change. ‘The Sad Child’ has within it a solid message for the generations to come. It demands children to change and to be happy so that the world of tomorrow is happy along with them. In the initial lines of the poem, the poet has well created a background, explaining the sadness that the childhood bears. Interestingly, the context of sadness of children has been plotted by the author in such a way to be globally relevant. When someone from an underdeveloped nation reads this, he or she would relate this sadness to the one because of

Reactivating Federal Assault Weapons Ban Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reactivating Federal Assault Weapons Ban - Essay Example One of the most important reasons as to why guns should be controlled is the regional gangs in the streets of U.S. Since the expiry of federal assault weapons act in 2004, it became easy for citizens to own guns. It also created legal loopholes for weapon merchants to sell guns to both deserving citizens and criminals as well. This created the biggest loophole in American safety since guns became easily accessible to regional gangs as well. Gangs have since then grown exponentially and use of guns become a common phenomenon. Murder, homicide, juvenile, burglary, and criminal shootings have soared. Although proponents of gun use argue that gangs will still have access to guns whether the act is in use or not, it is evident that when strict gun control laws are in place manufacture, supply and use considerably goes down (Valdez, 2003). The attack on government officials is on the rise. Licensing of guns makes it possible for both good and bad people to carry guns to places that threaten the safety of government officials. Political, governmental and leadership ideologies have always been a source of conflict. Such conflicts need to be solved in an amicable way using official channels. However, easy accessibility to guns has made it possible for groups of people who have conflicting ideologies with the leadership to pose a threat to the leadership. Indeed the history of America contains incidents of assassinations of some of the best American presidents. Founders of America created an excellent leadership infrastructure meant to protect America against factions. However, it is now evident that such freedom against factions is going to drains through easy accessibility of guns.

Macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Macroeconomics - Essay Example The paper concludes with the role of various entities in controlling voluntary unemployment. Classical economists viewed labour market similar to other markets based on supply and demand in that price would adjust to ensure that quantity demanded equaled quantity supplied. However, labour market differs in setting price and quantity of supply and demand. In case of labour market, effective supply of labour is a challenge as it depends on factors such as time, skills, wages and availability. A rise in overall wages may not result in more supply of labour; on the contrary, may lead to less supply of labour or no change in labour. Within the overall labour market, particular segments are assumed to be subject to more normal rules of supply and demand as workers are likely to change jobs due to various reasons, particularly in response to differing wage rates leading to unemployment for certain period of time. Unemployment is one of the serious problems that can affect people directly or indirectly, in any nation. Every country faces this problem; however, it widely varies in proportion. Labour economics is one of the important sections of market economics, besides financial market and product market, and is studied at micro and macro levels. While, microeconomics of labour market deal with role of individuals and individual firms in the labour market, macroeconomics looks at the interrelations of labour market, the goods market, the money market, and the foreign trade market. Understanding of labour market is the centre feature of any macroeconomic theory. In the classical view of the labor market, all unemployment is voluntary. When the economy goes into a recession and the demand for labor falls, the wage rate will decline and people will opt out of the labor force. However, the classical theory could not explain situations the 1930 recession thoroughly. Economics has various definitions of voluntary and involuntary

Reactivating Federal Assault Weapons Ban Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reactivating Federal Assault Weapons Ban - Essay Example One of the most important reasons as to why guns should be controlled is the regional gangs in the streets of U.S. Since the expiry of federal assault weapons act in 2004, it became easy for citizens to own guns. It also created legal loopholes for weapon merchants to sell guns to both deserving citizens and criminals as well. This created the biggest loophole in American safety since guns became easily accessible to regional gangs as well. Gangs have since then grown exponentially and use of guns become a common phenomenon. Murder, homicide, juvenile, burglary, and criminal shootings have soared. Although proponents of gun use argue that gangs will still have access to guns whether the act is in use or not, it is evident that when strict gun control laws are in place manufacture, supply and use considerably goes down (Valdez, 2003). The attack on government officials is on the rise. Licensing of guns makes it possible for both good and bad people to carry guns to places that threaten the safety of government officials. Political, governmental and leadership ideologies have always been a source of conflict. Such conflicts need to be solved in an amicable way using official channels. However, easy accessibility to guns has made it possible for groups of people who have conflicting ideologies with the leadership to pose a threat to the leadership. Indeed the history of America contains incidents of assassinations of some of the best American presidents. Founders of America created an excellent leadership infrastructure meant to protect America against factions. However, it is now evident that such freedom against factions is going to drains through easy accessibility of guns.

Unit 5 IP introduction to law enforcement Essay

Unit 5 IP introduction to law enforcement - Essay Example Members, especially, those living in organized societies have the right to be protected by law. Most states have law enforcement agencies at the local, national and international level. Apart from this, there are specialized agencies that focus on specific areas like drugs, terrorism because local agencies do not have the required expertise, reach or resources to effectively tackle them. In general, it is the local police that arrive at the scene of a crime. But taking into consideration the nature, extent and scope, the local police may require or be compelled to work with other law enforcement agencies. The advantage is that a cooperative effort will be much more effective in solving and controlling such crimes mentioned above. But the disadvantage is the conflict of interests, lack of cooperation or coordination among the agencies involved and to a certain extent, ethical dilemmas. This paper focuses on the concept of ethical dilemmas that may occur during cooperative effort between various law enforcement agencies and the local law enforcing department or agency (police department). In the process, the paper will attempt to identify possible dilemmas and also provide practical solutions in order to solve or prevent such occurrences. The paper will take the form of a case study with regard to a local enforcement agency in a large city in the United States. The city in question is large and multiracial in nature. Typical of similar places, the main instances of crime are robbery, dealing and use of drugs (illegal substances), homicide and murder. Within the past decade new forms of crime have appeared the two major ones being terrorism and cyber crime. It should be noted that the city has not experienced any form of terrorist attack in the past. But after the 9/11 attack, security has been strengthened and the local enforcement administration has to work in

Week 3, Checkpoint, Sequential and Selection Process Control Structure Essay Example for Free

Week 3, Checkpoint, Sequential and Selection Process Control Structure Essay Week 3, Checkpoint, Sequential and Selection Process Control Structure Payroll tax Calculation System Requirements -Salary Range 1 is 0.00 -1,499.99 -Salary Range 2 is 1,500.00-2,999.99 -Salary Range 3 is 3,000.00-4,999.99 -Salary Range 4 is 5,000.00-7,999.99 -Salary Range 5 is 8,000.00-14,999.99 -If the Salary Range is greater than 0.00, then the tax base is 0.00 plus 15% of the amount over 0.00 (amount-0.00*15%+0.00) -If the Salary Range is greater than 1,500.00, then the tax base is $225.00 plus 16% of the amount in excess of 1,500.00 (amount -1,500.00*16%+225.00) -If the Salary Range is greater than 3,000.00, then the tax base is 5. 00 plus 18% of the amount in excess of 3,000.00 (amount-3,000.00*18%+465.00) -If the Salary Range is greater than 5,000.00, then the tax base is $825.00 plus 20% of the amount in excess of 5,000.00 (amount-5,000.00*20%+825.00) -If the Salary Range is greater than 8,000.00, then the tax base is $1425.00 plus 25% of the amount in excess of 8,000.00 (amount-8,000.00*25%+1425.00) Input-Process-Output Chart Input Process Output (keyboard) Get the amount of salary earned GrossSalary (integer) Salary (integer) Calculate the total tax and adjusted net salary GrossSalary (integer) BaseTax (float) AddlTax (float) TotalTax (float) NetSalary (float) GrossSalary (integer) BaseTax (float) AddlTax (float) TotalTax (float) NetSalary (float) Display the Gross Salary, Base Tax, Additional Tax and Adjusted Net Salary (output to screen) FLOWCHARTs Main Module Calculate Net Salary Module DisplayGrossSalaryBaseTaxAdditionalTaxNetSalary Module PSEUDOCODE Main Module Declare GrossSalary as Integer Declare BaseTax as Float Declare BaseSalary as Float Declare AddlTax as Float Declare TotalTax as Float Declare NetSalary as Float Print â€Å"Enter the amount of the Gross Salary earned† Input GrossSalary Call CalculateNetSalary Module Call DisplayGrossSalaryBaseTaxAdditionalTaxNetSalary Module End Main Module CalculateNetSalary Module NetSalary = GrossSalary – BaseTax – (GrossSalary – BaseSalary * AddlTax) If GrossSalary 0.00 1,500.00 Then BaseTax = 0.00 BaseSalary = 0.00 AddlTax = (Gross Salary – BaseSalary) * 0.15 End if If GrossSalary 1,500.00 3,000.00 Then BaseTax = 225.00 BaseSalary = 1,500.00 AddlTax = (Gross Salary – BaseSalary) * 0.16 End if If GrossSalary 3,000.00 5,000.00 Then BaseTax = 465.00 BaseSalary = 3,000.00 AddlTax = (Gross Salary – BaseSalary) * 0.18 End if If GrossSalary 5,000.00 8,000.00 Then BaseTax = 825.00 BaseSalary = 5,000.00 AddlTax = (Gross Salary – BaseSalary) * 0.20 End if If GrossSalary 8,000.00 15,000.00 Then BaseTax = 1,425.00 BaseSalary = 8,000.00 AddlTax = (Gross Salary – BaseSalary) * 0.25 End if If GrossSalary 15,000.00 Then BaseTax = 1,425.00 BaseSalary = 8,000.00 AddlTax = (Gross Salary – BaseSalary) * 0..25 End if GrossSalary – BaseTax – (GrossSalary – BaseSalary * AddlTax) End CaclulateNetSalary Module DisplayGrossSalaryBaseTaxAddlTaxNetSalary Module Print â€Å"Employee Gross Pay, Tax and Net Pay Breakdown† Print â€Å"Gross Salary† GrossSalary Print â€Å"Base Tax† BaseTax Print â€Å"Additional Tax† AddlTax Print â€Å"Net Salary† * NetSalary End DisplayGrossSalaryBaseTaxAddlTaxNetSalary Module Test Values Input Expected Output Comments Salary = 0.00 Tax = 0.00 Lowest salary in salary range 1 Salary = -1,000.00 Error Message Out of range condition Salary = 1,000.00 Tax = 150.00 Midrange salary in salary range 1 Salary= 1,499.99 Tax = 225.00 Highest salary in salary range 1 Salary = 1,500.00 Tax = 225.00 Lowest salary in salary range 2 Salary = 2,250.00 Tax = 345.00 Midrange salary in salary range 2 Salary = 2,999.99 Tax = 465.00 Highest salary in salary range 2 Salary = 3,000.00 Tax = 465.00 Lowest salary in salary range 3 Salary = 4,000.00 Tax = 645.00 Midrange salary in salary range 3 Salary = 4,999.99 Tax = 825.00 Highest salary in salary range 3 Salary = 5,000.00 Tax = 825.00 Lowest salary in salary range 4 Salary = 6,500.00 Tax = 1,095.00 Midrange salary in salary range 4 Salary = 7,999.99 Tax = 1,425.00 Highest salary in salary range 4 Salary = 8,000.00 Tax = 1,425.00 Lowest salary in salary range 5 Salary = 11,500.00 Tax = 2,300.00 Midrange salary in salary range 5 Salary = 14,999.99 Tax = 3,175.00 Highest salary in salary range 5 Salary = 15,000.00 Tax = 3,175.00 Salary that exceeds the highest salary in salary range 5 by 0.01 Salary = 100,000.00 Tax = 24,425.00 Salary that exceeds the highest salary in salary range 5

Is Latin America An Homogeneous Continent Politics Essay

Is Latin America An Homogeneous Continent Politics Essay Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages, those derived from Latin particularly Spanish, Portuguese, and variably French are primarily spoken  [1]   Historical background To understand the history of International Business in Latin America it is necessary to begin with a look in the eighteenth century were all of the countries in the region were colonies of the European powers and the commerce were tightly tied to the home country. But with the independence the IB had been taking a major role in Latin America because it is possible to consider that the first international business in the region was financing by the Latin American governments for the wars independence and since that moment these countries began to involved with IB, exchanging raw materials, such as gold and silver exported for products from Europe like clothing, iron and manufactured goods  [2]   By the middle of the nineteenth century foreign direct investment began with projects in mining and infrastructure, also LA become one of the most trading partners for United States, providing natural resources and low cost assembly of manufactures (Clothing). The most attractive countries in LA for investment are Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. The government-Business relationship Latin American governments imposed increasingly restrictive policies on foreign MNES, toward the end of import-substituting industrialization and promoting domestically owned business  [3]   but this didnt last for so long because of the 1980s crisis, that forced the governments of the region to look for foreign financial resources and by 1990s most of the LA join the opening economy system. Privatizations Privatization of state-owned enterprises has been one important step of the economic opening process and for FDI, with these system LA governments attracted the world leaders to invest in airlines, telephone companies, electronic power companies and banks. Regional Economic Integration The first regional integration done in LA was by Simon Bolivar in 1820 with the goal to unite South America, but since the World War II there had been integration efforts beginning with the LAFTA or ALALC in 1960 (Latin America Free Trade Area), this agreement never achieved its free-trade goals. It is possible to said that the first true agreement done in the region was the Andean Community in 1976, these group promote FDI into the region and tariff elimination among the members country  [4]   Another Sub regional integration effort is Mercosur has served to open trade mostly between Argentina and Brazil. The most successful agreement is NAFTA that produce economic growth in Mexico because many multinational firms of US locate its production there. Barriers to trade and invest in Latin America The most relevant barrier is the geographical one rather than the legal one because this zone has high mountains so the transportation cost is very expensive and this problem cannot be eliminated by tariff reductions or other government policies. Latin America MNE ´S It can be considered that the Latin America NME ´S emerged in the late 1960s and 1970s, as firms established operations in mostly neighboring countries to serve local markets. The leading firms are located in the largest countries, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile. Five of the top 25 MNE ´S are steel companies from Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. Many companies are leaders in their respective industries, such as the Brazilian Gerdau Group. Most of MNE ´S tend to expand regionally before going farther abroad. And thinking in the consumer, this can often be a benefit because of the cultural similarity of most Latin American countries that makes regional firms better to supply to regional taste. At the same time, a firm that lacks international experience might want to acquire the skills needed to manage across borders by first learning in a country that is similar and nearby. This could explain CEMEX, the third-largest producer of cement in the world, captures many of this idea. Multinationals are often closer to their host countries geographically, culturally, economically, and politically, and with their know-how and technologies may be well matched for the other markets where they invest.  [5]   Latin American firms are responding to global trends by restructuring, developing a variety of tangible and intangible assets- including advanced management capabilities  [6]  After decades of protection and transition, Latin American firms are able to think and compete globally. 7 LATIN AMERICAN WORKING AND MANAGEMENT CULTURE. Plenty of information has been written about the American, Japanese or German management styles. These have proved to be successful in the greatest multinationals around the world and as a consequence many organizations in developing countries try to implement them. Well known is, that most of the Latin American countries have economies in transition and this is true also for management models used in Latin American organizations. In 2005 Martha M. Elvira, then the academic director of the Lexington College, together with Anabella Dà ¡vila, then the teacher of The theory of the Organization and business history at the School of Graduate in management and direction of business, had published in the Magazine Universia Business Review and article called Cultura y administracià ³n de Recursos Humanos en Amà ©rica Latina in English Human Resources culture and management in Latin America. There the authors assumed that the Latin American management models have some cultural traits deriv ed from an specific historic process with a social, political and economical structure. This unique process differentiates Latin American management styles from others and makes it worthy to examine the cultural background in order to better understand how the organizations in Latin America behave and how human resources practices in this region can be improved. It is thus highly important to review what has been written about the work culture in Latin America in order to understand better the management practices in that region and perform well when interacting with Latin Americans. For a better understanding of the subject of which is Latin-American cultural behavior and in some way decode the way Latin-Americans work and develop within an organization or during a business, we will divide these behavior into some themes or dimensions in which this culture will be analyzed. Our first dimension will be sympathy, personal dignity or classism, defining sympathy as the warmth of personal relationships, always respecting human dignity (Silvio de Franco, 1999). People in Latin American countries always take time to greet one another with a show of genuine pleasure, this culture is very familiar and always has close relationships with its workmates, if it is their decision they prefer working and negotiating with friends and family, rather than with strangers. Latin Americans are known for developing interpersonal relations with co-workers; this is why they are very predictable and expected by all. Personal contact is very important to Latin American workers; face-to-face contact with superiors is common and valuable for both employee and superior. Personal relations are charged with a high emotional content and both superiors and employees expect to be treated politely and friendly. Loyalty and reliability are very important in the personal relations of Latin Americans in the workplace. Other face of sympathy is the tendency to avoid open conflicts and unpleasantness, that is the reason why, people tend to be very polite and nice with others, and not to demonstrate disagreements in public. Latin Americans prefer a peaceful coexistence, and may be unwilling to confront others about negative behaviors that could be harmful to an organization; over the working environment what people want is to keep positive relationships among co-workers, taking aside the fact that their putting in risk the companys welfare. From here we can say that criticism is the key tool for discharging all madness of employees, this tool goes underground and is expressed most of the time through rumors and gossip. When talking about classism we refer to Latin Americans emphasizing in very rigid social divisions, so, sympathy is more likely to see in members of a same social class or level, you can also find sympathy from a high level class with a lower one, but it is less common in these countries. Hierarchy and social status is important, academic titles and other signs are mechanisms of social differentiation and help to establish the distance between employees and their superiors. Anabella Dà ¡vila and Martha M. Elvira affirm nevertheless, that superiors try to get near to the employees enough to eliminate the barriers between them. There is one exception to the rule, in terms of sympathy; some of Latin people are characterized because of their rudeness when talking, always taking advantage of the position power, when dealing with people that is less powerful, but this subject will be better explained when we arrive to hierarchical relationships and power dimensions. The next dimension is very linked to the first one, personalism; a desire for personalized and individualized attention. For Latin Americans, it is a priority to do things for others as relatives and family. Being helpful is very important for Latinos. First thing to have in mind when working with this culture is trying to develop good relationships, create loyalty within the working group and connecting as much as possible with people. Us, as Latin Americans, prefer to give opportunities, do favors and accept things, from people we know, giving them an advantage over the others, who will become strangers for us. Foreign people need to develop relationships based on mutual help, improve their level of empathy in order to gain Latin Americans trust and personalize the way of dealing with co-workers; we choose approaching people directly in person, rather than delegating tasks, or just sending letters. Personal relationships are needed and mandatory for Latin Americans, as an example, if a person wants to have a good position in the workplace, it is easier to success if they have palanca, term used by Latinos for the extra help they can get inside an organization by contacts and friends to be chosen over others. Latinos want everything to be easy, and fast, this is why friendship and personal relationships as said before are key issues to survive in a Latin American organization or society. Particularism dimension refers to the fact that Latin Americans are always choosing whom to help to, making exceptions to the rule based on individual circumstances level and obligations of friendships. For friends, everything; for strangers, nothing, and for enemies, the law (Rosenn, 1988, p.143) In this culture, law exists, but is just an ideal, because Latin Americans, only pay attention to law, which they agree with, otherwise, it is just ignored. In the personalism dimension, we talked about how influential friendships can become when getting a job, in other words Particularism appears as an answer to the personalism weve been talking about. As explained, particularism is in easier words, to have a strong group of friends, who will obtain benefits from my owns, therefore, the person who is getting the benefit is the one analyzed through the personalism dimension. Now, more than a group of friends or relatives, dealing with government is also part of the particularism, sometimes managers, can influence government to work on their side, giving benefits just to their companies. Latin American culture generally have a fairly low level of trust in people who are not family or close friends, with this we arrived to our 4th dimension, trust, generally, Latin American managers do not trust all of their employees, so, they always have 1 o 2 persons who they trust 100% (friends or family), to leave in charge of important tasks. Sometimes this lack of trust can affect the training and development for employees; Latinos always panic about teaching others the way they work, because we think, they could steel ideas and develop projects based on the stolen knowledge. This distrust issue is also an answer to our listening difficulties, and acceptance of others ideas. Latinos presume we know everything, and that there couldnt be a person who knows more than what I know, so we become depth to others comments. In order to gain the trust desired by Latin Americans, persons from other cultures, should not expect to start negotiating without developing first a relationship with us. Collectivism and in-group/out group behavior dimension, Latin American countries are generally described as collectivist cultures, which is characterized by individuals who give their loyalty to a group, and in return the group takes responsibility for the individual.  [8]  The collectivist unit for Latinos is family. 9 According to the chart, Latin American culture is located in the lower right quadrant, low trust/vertical relationships, finding pseudo-collectivism in the protective hierarchical structures very common in this part of the world. Relationships in Latin American organizations are vertical, people think top-down, with the prevailing lack of trust of out-group members. For Latin companies, it still exist the image of feudo, the boss who gives orders to employees, but beyond that it takes care of anything that could happen to them and their family and personal situations or problems, that could affect them. The in-groups are the ones that always receives preferential treatment, with this we are looking back, to the trust, personalism and particularism dimensions; they are all linked, from bosses perspective, you find your partners, gives them preferences, trust in them and you create an in-group structure, which is the one that characterized collectivism. As explained before, we still have the feudo image, the father who takes care for his children, continuing with the patron system, we now arrive to explain the paternalism and hierarchical relationships. Academics have identified a paternalistic behavior in management positions in many organizations across Latin American countries. In this sense managers care about the protection of the employees and their families. They might be seen as moral support by the employees to the extended that many organizations see themselves as a family. Strong solidarity and mutual understanding characterized Latin American workers whose intention is to work always in a harmonic and warm environment. Latin American employees always feel that bosses should take an interest on their nonwork lives, moving forward and beyond the working barriers, employees think bosses as they are developing the fathers role within a company, should be aware of what if happening with the family, and also they should be part of special events as weddings, baptisms, etc. For employers, their role must of the time is linked to the pobrecito attitude, always to excuse the employees for not doing things, or just when they need to be fired. With this, we conclude that paternalism has to aspects, the power of the father, government, or boss to make decisions for others, as well as the responsibility for those who are dependent on them. Relating paternalism and the hierarchical relationships, within a company, the boss always has a trust man, who will do anything for him, and would burn on fire to cover him, most of the time is the assistant. The disadvantage of this model of hierarchical relationships is that information from the bottom of the organization seldom floats to the top, allowing bosses to make poor decision, because of the lack of input from below that might help them avoid errors. Upon this point all dimensions have been intrinsically related with power, our next dimension, which is the principal theme in the Latin American organizations (Hofstede, 1980). Power is generally and more expressed in the top of the hierarchies. Bosses think that thanks to their position they are allow to do whatever they want, that they control the company and beyond, that employees should exceed in their attentions. And can delegate, tasks that they should act. People with power are accorded special privileges and often use their position to personal gain. It is said also that Latin Americas like to be dependent on someone else; they accept the authority and avoid confrontation with superiors. Conflict avoidance characterizes them and when theres a discussion taking place in public both superior and employee feel uncomfortable and even insulted. One of the most important Latin American cultural characteristics is the sense of humor and joy, which is also a dimension to analyze our culture. Humor plays a major role in the work settings, the constant teasing and joking at work is a pleasure, besides it makes working hours to go faster, helps to create the perfect environment for working and develop more efficient all tasks. But it is not always for having fun, humor has two other functions in the organizational life of Latin America; it is sometimes used to keep people in line, pointed jokes are an acceptable manner of conveying feedback to people. This, because concern for social approval is very strong in Latin America. And it also works as a safety tool in the form of black humor, as an example, employees that are not happy with their boss always make jokes about him but always behind his back or they make them to face just acting ironic. The powerless the people, the more plentiful the jokes. Lastly, we find fatalism, as one very important dimension where Latin American people could be analyzed. As we are evolving with all global changes, it still some negative organizations within the Latin culture. For some of us there is never a positive answer to things or in terms of the organization to projects, comments, etc. It is easier for as to say maybe or it could be rather than be 100% sure. The most common negative (in some way) word Latinos use is si Dios quiere. Even though people are sure things will happen, prefer to leave destiny to the religious part.  [10]  , but there are also some negative movements as always doubting, what if? is it possible? Im not sure it would work. Latin America has been always characterized as fatalistic and resistant to change, but there are some, however, individuals, companies, etc that are rapidly undergoing a transformation in response to changing circumstances as free markets and global economy. Companies with negative patterns find very difficult to compete with foreign companies because they are victims of their own selfishness, always having over all the negative view first. It is important for people who will be working with Latin Americans to understand all cultural contingencies, to do not fall into mistakes or be part of an unexpected cultural shock. Anabella Dà ¡vila and Martha M. Elvira take some human resources ´ practices and explain cultural characteristics founded in them. When referring to the recruitment, selection and promotion process, the authors affirm that in Latin America the appearance and personality are very important in the hiring or promotion of an employee. Relatives, friends or contacts are highly important as well as stated above. Low budgets characterized the training and development process, and a lack of technical knowledge is faced by the firms when importing machinery from abroad. Nevertheless education level in Latin America is growing faster and expatriates in Latin America are being replaced by well-qualified Latin American youth. Family plays a primary role in the lives of Latin American workers. To provide the family with the best living standard is the meaning of work of the Latin American worker. This is why social benefits given by the firms are valuable for them. Rewards for managers take the form of luxury cars, school enrollment for the kids or memberships in clubs. This enhances the living standard of the family and their social status. Acknowledgment is important for the workers; seniority recognition and social benefits are valuable for them. Given the importance of family it is hard for Latin American workers to be transferred from one place to another (far). Working groups are commonly to find in Latin American organizations, authority or coordination within them is also common. Latin American workers dont like to face all the responsibility and thus prefer to share it. The communication in the organizations flows from top-down; the avoidance of conflict generates many times misunderstandings and obstacles in communication processes. When conflicts take place, identification with primary groups more than with the organization itself is common. But, is really Latin America homogeneous as many states? In the year 2003, T. Lenartowicz and James Patrick Johnson wrote an article called A Cross-national assessment of the values of Latin America managers: contrasting hues or shades of gray? which was published in the Journal of international business studies. There the authors through a research concluded, Common perceptions of Latin America as a culturally homogeneous region are stereotypical and incorrectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Based on Rokeach ´s study of values, T. Lenartowicz and James Patrick Johnson proved that divergence in the importance of values can explain differences in business phenomena across the region. Values form part of culture, and they influence well the behavior of the people. Managers and workers grew within a culture filled with values, and thus the studying of values in Latin America can contribute to the understanding of management styles in the region. Diversity characterizes Latin America; and this diversity is reflected in the behavior of the people across the continent. Despite the common historical background shared by Latin American countries, each one of them has different features, geographic conditions, ethnic groups, and historical development. To develop the research, T. Lenartowicz and James Patrick Johnson divided the region in 6 representative parts. Colombia and Venezuela; Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia; Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile; Brazil, Mà ©xico; and Puerto Rico. The study didnt cover any of the Central American countries. According to the results, Brazil showed to have the major number of differences in importance of values (as expected) and Puerto Rico the lower. According to the authors, The values that differ significantly across the 12 countries include: ambitious, clean, intellectual, logical, open-minded, pleasure, world at peace. Three of these intellectual, logical, open-minded relate directly to decision-making and negotiation processes, suggesting that there may be considerable variation in these processes from one country to another. Variation in values is also likely to affect workplace issues such as delegating authority and responsibility, motivating employees, and compensation and reward systems. The study shows that even if there are similarities among Latin American countries, it would be an error to treat the whole region and homogeneous. CONCLUSIONS The Latin American environment could diverge since the colonization moment, because not all of Latin American countries were colonized by the same European countries, so in this order, we can find a French business culture, as well as Spanish and Portuguese, this situation has influenced the management style of Latin American MNEs. Some reason why this environment diverge are the economic and political policies implemented by the government before 1980s, with the ideology of a close economy that ends with each country developing its own business culture. In terms of geography, most of Latin American countries have high mountains, which generates difficulties in transportation of merchandise, this makes that almost all of Latin American companies develop same strategies in order to reduce transportation costs. Each Latin American country has develop its own business culture, but at the same time, thanks to the colonization characteristic and its location it is possible to gather them into groups, to facilitate studies in this continent. Geographical and historical factors served to divide the region into five aggregates which showed to be consistent within them and different among them. These are: the northern South America (Colombia and Venezuela); Perà º, Ecuador and Bolivia, the Southern cone (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay); Brazil; and Mà ©xico. When doing business, Latin Americans are recognized for being a friendly and informal bargainer, who prefers negotiating with already known people as family and friends; we do not sacrifice thing at a short term to obtain benefits at a long term. It is impossible for Latin Americans to arrive on time to meetings or things related to it, but this is why we cannot ask for punctuality and we became very flexible with time, and it uses. Latinos are very manipulative with emotions, and we count with a strong convincement power. In conclusion, all Latin American enterprises have their own ways of doing business, but there are some similar characteristic among them, such as friendship, loyalty, humor, collectivism and power. Friendship and humor are Latinos key tools for interacting and performing within a working and managerial environment. Being surrounded of trust people; the best way of ascending inside an organizational hierarchy and gaining the best positions is trough a Latin term palanca, which is the extra help they can get by contacts and friends to be chosen over others. Communication in Latin American organizations is top-down, with a lack of feedback from information given from bottom positions. Latinos are very preferential; we have preferences for in-group members over out-group members. Although Latin America has been treated as an homogeneous region, he results of a research contradicts prior studies that have tended to group Latin American countries together, and this finding validates the view that Latin America should not be regarded as a culturally homogeneous region.

Face to Face with Death in Hagar :: Hagar Essays

Face to Face with Death in Hagar As Hagar faces implications of growing old, she starts on a tumultuous journey, not one of her own choice, but one of destiny. She goes through different stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance of the fact that death will come, invited or not. At one time every individual is faced with death, horrific to the young, or inviting to the sick and the old. Death is interpreted as the end of existence, but to those who believe in the afterlife, as a whole new chapter of the unknown. When Hagar realizes the proximity of death, she is in denial. She comes to live in a world of memories in the past. She created her own illusion because she cannot understand the weakness coming forth in her, like her tears "the incontinent wetness of the infirm" (pg. 31). All her life, she was hard, never showing emotion, even through the death of John. You can see her softening near the end, although she would not admit it. In addition to denial, she reaches a stage of anger and indignance with herself and others in the small world that is her life. She can no longer perform the simplest tasks such as dressing herself or walking down the stairs. It irks her to need help, which is one of the reasons she can't stand Doris. She is also angry at the lack of emotional control as she perceives how "laden with self‑pity" (pg. 31) her voice sounds when arguing with Marvin in one instance. She cannot control how her "mouth speaks by itself, the words flowing from somewhere, some half hidden hurt" (pg. 68). After the denial and anger begin to fade, she attempts a short bargaining period where she wonders what if. She even tells God to bless her or not "just as You please" (pg. 307), but she would not beg. But even though she attempts to wrestle against the inevitable, there is always a constant reminder. She places her belief in herself only and faults other's credibility, such as Doctor Tappen's, to maintain the illusion now hanging by a flimsy thread. When Hagar realizes she cannot control or stop the process of old age, she becomes depressed and distant. When she hears about Silverthreads, she is "overcome with fear, the feelings one has when the ether mask goes on, when the mind cries out to the limbs, 'flail against the thing', but the limbs are already touched with lethargy, bound and lost" (pg.

1776 by David McCullough Essay

Revered historian David McCullough covers the martial side of the historic year of 1776 with trait insight and an enthralling description, appending new research and an innovative standpoint to the foundation of the American Revolution. It was a tumultuous and bewildering time. As British and American officials fought to make a negotiation, incidents on the ground escalated until war was unavoidable. McCullough writes gaudily about the depressing conditions that herds on both sides had to bear, embracing a bizarrely ruthless winter, and the job that luck and the quirks of the climate played in assisting the regal forces hold off the world’s supreme militia. He also successfully discovers the magnitude of enthusiasm and troop self-confidence – a knot was the same as a triumph to the Americans, while anything other than crushing victory was off-putting to the British, who projected a quick finish to the combat The redcoat withdraw from Boston, for instance, was principally mortifying for the British, whereas the negligible American win at Trenton was overstated regardless of its partial strategic importance. In his latest book, †1776,† David McCullough wields on this significant year the narrative gifts he is expressed in such fascinating accounts as †The Great Bridge† plus †The Path between the Seas.† As a olden times of the American Revolution, it is an improbably abridged volume: critical developments leading to the insurrection like the Stamp Act, which occur to fall external the boundaries of Mr. McCullough’s strict time outline, are not observed, and succeeding episodes of the war (which would keep on after the Trenton-Princeton crusade for an added half-dozen traumatic years) are overlooked as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quantities of the strongest courses in 1776 are the illuminating and well-formed descriptions of the Georges on either sides of the Atlantic. King George III, so often represented as a shambling, haughty fool, is given an additional attentive treatment by McCullough, who reveals that the king deemed the settlers to be ill-tempered subjects without valid gripes – an outlook that led him to underrate the will and aptitudes of the Americans. Now and then he seems dazed that war was even obligatory. The great Washington meets his substantial status in these pages, and McCullough hinges on private association to balance the man and the fable, disclosing how severely concerned Washington was about the Americans’ chances for success, regardless of his public sanguinity. Perhaps more than any other man, he recognized how providential they were to simply carry on the year, and he gladly places the responsibility for their fortuity in the hands of God in lieu of his own. Enchanting and terrifically written, 1776 is the work of a skilled historian.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   †1776† is least valuable, nevertheless, at conveying the interior of most war narratives: combat. The initial, and best, hundred pages focus on the cordon of Boston, an overwrought but almost bloodless issue. When the action transfers to New York, the narrative sagged. McCullough writes with great lucidity regarding the composite tactics between Manhattan, Long Island and Westchester County in the summer and fall of 1776. But when battle blasts, the action turns out to be hindered in stock images. ‘1776† is even so an emotive and sensible work, reminding us that it’s armed forces rather than †tavern nationalists and turbulent politicians† who have constantly paid the price of American optimism and determined its victories. Works Cited McCullough, David, (May 24, 2005), 1776, Simon & Schuster ISBN: 0743226712.