Government and Politics Personal Statement
I have realised how powerful the influence of Government and Politics is across the world, and as a subject it has captured my attention. I have learnt that there are very few places that are untouched by political power. Through witnessing events such as September 11th, I have come to believe that politics is far too significant to overlook. One aspect of politics that intrigues me is international relations, because of its global implications. I am particularly fascinated by the relationships that exist between governments, for example the position that the USA adopts on foreign policy. I am interested in the role of the UN as a global authority, the process of conflict resolution and the alliances that governments form to take international measures. My own political ideology is based on the notion that the world can be made stronger through international co-operation, and that our main concern should not be with domestic interests but international ones. I enjoy absorbing a wide variety of political opinions, and I follow current affairs in the UK and internationally with great interest. I am enthusiastic to extend my political understanding; I find reading the works of Anthony Giddens provides a strong indicator of the ideological future of politics. I also enjoy novels by Robert Harris, whose combination of political fact and fiction produces a gripping plot and an
Was the opposition to the Tsarist policies in the later half of the 19th Century too Insignificant to pose any real threat
Was the opposition to the Tsarist policies in the later half of the 19th Century too Insignificant to pose any real threat. There were many reasons as to why opposition grew in the second half of the 19th century. After Alexander the second had allowed democratic ideas to enter the country and had broadened education therefore increasing the intelligencia, for Alexander the third to then come to power and withdraw all of these reforms , retraction, repression and Russification, that his predecessor had made upset much of the population who had had a taste of Democracy and know wanted more. This was one of the main reasons for general opposition to rise up. The early rebellions began in the 1860's with two main groups the first of which was the Nihilists. Popular on Russian Universities campuses Nihilists believed a better society could only be achieved after the destruction of the present system. However this eventually resulted in University clamp down and renewed censorship. A more extremist version of Nihilism is Anarchism, they advocated the destruction of national Government preferring the country to be run on a local level. The second group of opposition to appear in the 1980's is the Populists, essentially a intellectual movement rather than a political one. They had two main characteristics firstly sympathy with the common people and secondly a wish to change the
Discuss Machiavellian political thought and the circumstances which caused to him to write 'The Prince'
This essay will first briefly discuss Machiavelli political thought and will also discuss a small history of his life and the circumstances which caused to him to write 'The Prince', the most famous of his works. Machiavelli political theory is not the same with the European political theory due to a number of reasons, and probably the main one is that he did not believe in the ideas used by medieval thinkers who believed that the origin of politics was found in theology. Machavelli believed that the nation is the highest achievement of man and one should love the nation more than he loves himself. To become a perfect prince is true a difficult task, but if done correctly, it can be very rewarding. Machiavelli also believed that human nature does not change. In general, Machiavelli thought people were ungrateful, selfish, and insincere people, who only care about themselves. Therefore the government must realise a human beings true nature and use his qualities for its purposes. Machiavelli also explained that a ruler who intends to be successful must be prepared to do bad things when necessary. He must sometimes caress, sometimes hurt, sometimes forgive, and sometimes punish. This requirement must discard all moral judgments and individual suggestions concerning his political views. when making a decision, the ruler must act without hesitation. machiavelli believed that
On what grounds do Anarchists believe in the possibility of a stateless society
"On what grounds do Anarchists believe in the possibility of a stateless society" (15) Anarchists share the view that every human being has the capacity to be inherently good. Society however, does not necessarily help this, and corrupts the individual, 'from his birth, not a single human being is either good or bad', however society corrupts and the only way for us all to have a positive human nature is through revolution of society and the removal of the state. Anarchists believe that a stateless society would be one which would work, as people would co-exist peacefully, with mutual cooperation in order to thrive and survive. Without a state, Anarchists believe that people would be capable of organising themselves without being ruled over from above, and would for a spontaneous social order, without a natural hierarchy and without there being an inequality due to a class based society with an elite section. Collectivist anarchists claim human beings are naturally sociable and co-operative. Collectivist anarchists argue that common ownership, decentralisation and self-management encourage social harmony and personal development. Individualist anarchists stress the importance of enlightened human reason. Individualist anarchists place faith in market competition as a means of ensuring order. Anarchists also believe in the possibility of a stateless society due to their
Government - seperation of the three branches of government
Carpenter Colby Carpenter Government Coach Coffey 6 November 2012 Monster, Fact . "The Three branches of government." 3 Mar. 2008. Fact monster. 6 Nov. 2012. <http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0774837.html>. The Government Government is the agency or instrument through which the will of the state is formulated, expressed and realized. The functions of government are mainly three: legislation or making of laws, execution or administration of laws, and interpretation of laws in individual cases. Corresponding to these functions, there are three distinct organs or branches of government- the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The structure of these branches is made to suit the performance of their functions. All the functions of government are intended to bring the people's wishes into effect impartially. It is generally agreed that differentiation of functions is necessary in government and efficiency is secured by specialization. However, it should be noted that a strict separation of functions of the three major organs is neither desirable nor possible. In all modem states, these organs are more or less related and dependent, and each exercises powers, which strictly belong to the others. Everywhere, the legislature has some control over the executive and judiciary. The executive has some initiative and some influence in the making of laws. It also
Explain the implications of the conservative belief in an organic society
Explain the implications of the conservative belief in an organic society? According to traditional conservatives-organic society isn’t constructed with individual parts but is a living thing, which naturally has fragile parts. Therefore it isn’t mechanically re-assembled, as it would make society artificial. Traditional conservatives reject negative freedom and identify organic society as being the instrument, which enables people to fit in comfortably as there will be no isolation. There are allusions to Hobbes pessimistic view of human nature (in which life would be “nasty, brutish and short”)- this implies that the organic society is the shield that protects individuals from the human nature of others. If people were completely individualistic-for example: just following basic laws set in the U.S constitution it could lead to selfishness if their moral duties are neglected. Moreover, this strongly suggests that life is much more satisfying when there is an organic society rather than an individualistic one- alluding to what Durkheim called Anomie: normal values are weakened, leading to loneliness and isolation. A classical belief of preservation and keeping everything traditional derives from organic society. Socialists and liberals view rational humans as having the ability to change through reform and revolution, thus an organic society enables conservatives
Media a threat?
Threat? What does it actually mean? A threat is a warning that states your intention to hurt or punish somebody. So, my question is: when has any type of media actually 'THREATENED' the government? Let's talk about what a Democratic Government means. "Demo" is Greek for "people" and "Cratic" is Greek for "rule". As we all know, this type of government is elected and indirectly ruled by the society. We give them the permission to use our money on government spending. Therefore, shouldn't we have the right to know where OUR money is going, what is happening to OUR country? We do, and how do we get hold of such information? through the media. If the government is doing something wrong, the media will tell us what is going on, and let me just emphasise that this is not a threat but is actually healthy criticism which helps the democratic government know the public's opinion. The media is there to enhance the public's awareness about governments, their doings and to express their opinions regarding current issues in politics. As we all know, there are many different Newspapers. Such as: 'La provincia', 'El pais', 'El mundo'. Now do you really think that all these Newspapers share the same view? I'm afraid not. El pais criticises Zapatero for example whereas La provincial agrees with all his views, so we do get a balanced view about our president's actions and ideas. And now,
Advantages of direct and representative democracy
Explain the advantages of Direct democracy. An advantage of Direct democracy is that it is the purest form of democracy as people aren’t representing you, so your views get across without being manipulated, which in turn will encourage more people to get involved in politics. Another advantage is that all voters are equal in the sense that everyone is a politician because they are politically active. Each voter’s opinion is equal to everyone else’s. It counters apathy and cynicism because the people are directly involved in the day-to-day running of the country. A modern form of direct democracy is when referendums are held. This allows the community to decide whether changes should be made to procedures, or if new laws should be introduced. This makes the people feel more involved in how the country is run and makes them have a more positive attitude towards politics. Direct democracy removes power from the hands of the elite and affirms that power lies with the people. It raises issues that the elite do not want to address, giving power to the people. Explain the advantages of Representative democracy. An advantage of Representative democracy is that it is practical. The size of the modern state makes it necessary for a small group of elected politicians to make the big decisions. This good because it puts decision-making in the hands of people with sufficient
The Origins of the Independent Labour Party
The Origins of the Independent Labour Party The origins of the Independent Labour Party (ILP) can be traced from Scotland in the late 1880's and the industrial areas of Yorkshire and Lancashire in the early 1990's. It was not the creation of a few leaders with political ambitions, but the result of a range of initiatives taken in various communities by both men and women. A cotton worker turned journalist, Joseph Burgess, wrote an article on the need for an ILP. He believed this strongly and attempted to make it a reality by pursuing it. Burgess had many sympathisers on this idea and when the Trade Union Congress met in 1892 a conference was organised by an Arrangements committee. At this meeting in Bradford people were very optimistic of this new idea and it was believed that it was optimistic in itself. For the ILP to be a success it had to fit into the existing political system which meant fitting into certain criteria, for example, the exclusion of women and between 1885 and December 1910, about 40% of adult males. These excluded males were mainly working class, which meant it would be difficult for this new party to pick up useful support and votes because it's primary support would surely be working class being as that was who it was set up to help. Most trade union officials, working class politicians and most of the people who helped in the formation of the ILP
To what extent is Ecologism a single doctrine?
To what extent is Ecologism a single doctrine? Ecologism as an ideology is deeply divided between those who practice ‘shallow ecology’ and ‘deep ecology’, whilst also encompassing a number of other ‘classical’ ideological traditions and therefore may alternatively be seen as a ‘cross-cutting ideology’. Ecologists share a belief in ‘ecology’: the natural world is a complex web of interlinked ecosystems, the global ecosystem or biosphere being the largest. Yet the earth is a closed system with limited and exhaustible wealth. Human beings, through the aggressive pursuit of material wealth; regarding energy as ‘income’ that is topped up rather than ‘natural capital’, have upset the ‘balance of nature’ and are therefore facing extinction. Ecologism therefore tends to challenge anthropocentrism and favour ecocentrism. There is a significant difference between how ‘shallow ecologists’ and ‘deep ecologists’ interpret ecological theory. Deep ecologists completely reject anthropocentrism: the purpose of human life is to sustain nature. Environmental crisis has profound cultural and intellectual roots – the problem being a mechanistic world-view based on scientism. Deep ecologists therefore argue we must fundamentally change the way we understand the world, and look to modern physics, eastern mysticism and primitive religion for this
