Western Political Systems an Example of the Topic Government and Law Essays by

Western Political Systems The development of the western political system had strong influence from the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Greek and roman philosophies and kind of governance had an immense impact on the development of democracy in the western world. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato and Socrates gave the concepts of natural rights and the logical establishment of laws; which is evident in the western political system where laws are clearly stated and submitted for voting. Democracy as practiced in the western political system is defined according to the Encarta dictionary as the free and equal right of every person to participate in a system of government, often practiced by electing representatives of the people by the majority of the people. This system of government was passed from the ancient Romans and Greeks to the Americans, Belgians, Dutch, English, and Germans etc. Need essay sample on "Western Political Systems" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed An example of the spread of democracy can be cited in the case of England. For centuries, a monarch, who was often unfair and unjust, had ruled England. Finally, after a civil war the parliament was able to limit the power of the monarch and establish a healthy relationship between the government and the people. This idea of a power check prompted remembrance of the roman government and how it operated on a three-branch system. The United States of America also practiced democracy as far back as the 17th century (Rao, 2006). The kind of political system practiced in the eastern part of the world had been based on lineages, military power and witnessed regimes that were despotic and authoritarian in nature as opposed to the western political system. In the monarchy system of government, one person is the monarch (usually a king or queen, and in other cases emperor or empress). When the monarch dies, power passes to one of the monarchs children and in the event that there is no child the mantle of leadership passes to another family member and this is what was practiced in most parts of the eastern world for most part of their political history. China, for instance practiced this system of government. Dynasties after dynasties ruled in china; from the Shang dynasty (1583BC-1027BC) up to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), these groups of monarchs had mostly ruled china (Rao, 2006). Countries like Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal, Thailand and the likes at some point in time also practiced this form of government. Also, this same region witnessed leaders who seized power; an example is the republic army that overthrew the Qing dynasty in the 1911 revolution and when Mao Zedong seized power in 1949(Rogaski, 2007). The various political systems have their benefits and their detriments. The democratic system is beneficial in the sense that as it is based on election, the voice of the people is heard and the wishes of the people could be easily granted by this system. In addition, the people are guaranteed participation in the process of electing their representatives. The detriments of this system are that, since it is the citizens who can elect representatives not all citizens are fully aware of the political scenarios in their country. This may result in people making the wrong decisions during elections. Also, since it is a short-term government, there might not be a clear-cut long-term policy plan for the community they rule (this is familiar with selfish governments and ones without foresight). The cost of political campaigns in democracies may mean that the rich are favored by the system, this scenario cause candidates to strike out deals with wealthy supporters; hence, offering them favor able legislation if the candidate is elected. The eastern political system also has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of the eastern political system (the military and monarchy system of government) are that the monopolization of resources gives them great potential power. Secondly, there is quick and effective response following an imminent war. Thirdly, provided the ruler has a focus they have long-term plans for the community they rule. The disadvantage of this system is that it usually lacks legitimacy (especially the military). In addition, the process of governance is frequently concealed and controlled; interests are mobilized to support the government rather than the government responding to public interests. Conclusively, the western political system has been greatly influenced by the Greek and roman governments; they introduced the separation of powers, laws and ordinances and the senate. In addition, they introduced the idea of natural rights, the right to vote and be voted into office. The eastern political systems on the other hand witnessed authoritarian, despotic regimes and were ruled by monarchs and leaders who seized power after revolt as in countries like North Korea and China in the early 20th century. The various systems as previously written have their benefits and detriments. However, comparing the two it can be concluded extensively that the western political system is preferable since it affords equal participation and representation. References Rao, B. V. (2006). World History. New Delhi: Sterling publishers. Rogaski, R. (2007). "Mao Zedong." Microsoft Student 2008 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.

Colonization of Mars Essay Example

Colonization of Mars Essay Example Colonization of Mars Essay Colonization of Mars Essay Colonization of Mars What does a planet need to have in order to support life? Earth is unique in our solar system because it is the only planet that is supporting life. Some scientists go so far as to say that the Earth is a â€Å"perfect planet† because it has features that are the perfect environment for living organisms; these features include our atmosphere, water, and a single moon. Earth is also in a place in our solar system where the Sun gives off the right amount of energy to drive the life. The distance from the Earth to the Sun determines how much of that heat we receive. If it weren’t for our ozone layer and Earth’s magnetic field, harmful rays would penetrate our surface and life would be exterminated. Everything the Earth has to offer us is balanced perfectly to keep life continuous. Humans would not be able survive on planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune because those planets are Gas Giants. There is no surface, the planet is made up entirely of gas and atmosphere and the cores would thus most likely be liquid. Mercury, the innermost planet in our solar system, is a terrestrial planet which means it has a hard rocky surface. And although that is true*, humans still would not be able to live on Mercury. There is no atmosphere and because Mercury’s distance is substantially closer to the Sun, temperatures are exceedingly high. Venus is the second planet from Sun and is also a terrestrial planet. The size and mass of Venus is relative to Earth in that they are similar under those characteristics. But due to Venus’ dense carbon dioxide atmosphere, living on its surface would be quite impossible. Venus also has dense sulfur dioxide clouds which makes this planet have the strongest greenhouse effect. And because of this Venus is actually hotter in temperature than Mercury. But what about Mars? Are we able to colonize and inhabit the planet Mars? Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, roughly 1. 5 AU and it is a terrestrial planet with characteristics similar to that of Earth *except the size*. It has two tiny moons, Phobos and Deimos, that orbit close to the planet. When compared to Earth, Mars is a relatively small planet. It is approximately half the size in diameter and one/tenth the mass. Because of Earth’s strong atmosphere and magnetic field we are able to withstand cosmic radiation as opposed to Mars which has a very thin atmosphere and a weaker magnetic field. There are geological similarities between Mars and Earth and our Moon. Impact craters and evidence of volcanic activity is reminiscent of the Moon and polar ice caps are like that of Earth. Other similarities between Mars and Earth include the surface area, that being almost the exact same as the dry land on Earth. In addition to these geographical features, the seasonal cycles and rotational periods are similar to Earth’s as well. Of all the planets in our solar system, Mars is the most Earth-like. There is a debate amongst scientists and astronomers about whether or not Mars can sustain life. According to Trudy E. Bell’s and Tony Phillips’ â€Å"Once Upon a Water Planet†, Mars has the most capability of harboring life because of the ice water found by the Phoenix Mars Lander. Phoenix was sent to gather information about the past and potential of Mars being habitable. It has two main objectives while scouting: searching for the best places for humans to inhabit and to look for ice-water. And it has thus far given us data that we need, having landed near the Northern polar cap where it was proven that ice-water does indeed exists***. With this much information given the thought of terraforming the planet does not seem so far-stretched. There are reasons for the hypothetical process of expanding Human life. Firstly, the population of the Earth is growing to immense amounts and the ratio of population to sustainable resources is thinning**. Another reason is the Sun. We all know that eventually our Sun will become a red giant star, but even before that we have an issues**. All the stars in the main sequences become increasingly brighter throughout their life-period which will cause Humans to migrate to other places that can sustain life, if they want to survive. The demands for resources pressure humans to thinking outside-the-box in regards to relocating or creating not habitual places*. Suggestions for these places are areas such as the ocean, sea-floor, the moon, and of course Mars. Right now, people would not be able to live on Mars, because of its thin atmosphere and lack of green and liquidized water*. One way to go about terraforming Mars would be to build a stronger atmosphere. We would send rockets of chemical compounds that are strong with greenhouse gases; the rockets we would send for these chemical compounds would have to be sustained for just over a decade for the process to really flourish and for the planet to become warmer. Mars would inevitably become so warm that the polar caps solidify, although still not able to develop liquid water. There will come a point when the dust storms die down, and then the planet will finally be able to sustain small forms of life, such as algae and bacteria. There are plenty of ideas that scientists are brainstorming. But a person doesn’t wake up one morning and think â€Å"I’m going to move to Mars today†. Migrating humans to Mars is difficult on many levels, that being the terraforming and equipment needed. But there is also the psychological aspect. The demands placed upon the humans will be harsh and brutal. The people would have to be chosen for very specific and diligent reasons, looking closely at each persons‘ attribute and skill. They would have to get along with each other, for one. You don’t want to put a group of people that don’t get along into a confined spacecraft for several months. They will have to be optimistic people, who understand the treacherous journey ahead of them. The team will have to endure all sorts of tests; tests in a physical sense and mental sense. The task to colonize seems impossible but with scientists and astronomers working harder than ever on this topic, the thought does not seem so far stretched. Work Cited Educational , Mission To Mars. Mars Academy. November 6th, 2008 http://library. thinkquest. org/11147/index. htm. Ashish Jain, Matt Struck, Neil Christopher, Mars General Information. November 2nd, 2008 . American Scientist Online: The Magazine of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society.  © Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. November 2nd, 2008 . Ahrens, Peter. Terraforming of Worlds. November 3rd, 2008 . Fogg, Martyn J. . Terraforming Mars: A Review of Research. November 8th, 2008 .

Written Business Communication (Assignment #3A) Assignment

Written Business Communication ( #3A) - Assignment Example The reader might follow the instructions if things were forced on them, but they would not do it whole-heartedly. The employees should, therefore, be treated with the utmost respect, so as to uphold a mutually beneficial working environment. This message will be received with mixed emotions; some people may seize the opportunity to know their well-being while others may ignore the whole exercise all together. However, highlighting the benefits, the necessity and incentives for taking the blood test will move the doubters and cynics to take the blood tests. Some of the readers might not book appointments at first, but when they see their fellow colleagues making the appointments, they will definitely join in the exercise. The best pattern of organization of this message is that of an internal memo. This is because not all people look at their emails on time. The memo will be easily visible to all employees through the internal information systems. However, the best pattern of organization of the reader response is through email. This is because emails are faster, and convenient for the human resource since they constantly communicate through emails. It is a company’s attention that most, if not a few of the employees are reluctant with regards to the blood test exercises that the company seeks to carry out on its employees; It is evident that most of you find this exercise as an invasion of privacy, and probably an infringement of personal rights. Due to the above mentioned reason, company has decided to make this a voluntary exercise for you. However, it is important to bring out some facts and figures about the blood tests carried out by American Health ways; these tests are carried out not only for cost reduction purposes, but for the overall health benefit of the employees. Taking these blood tests ensures that the individual becomes aware of their overall well-being, and also acts as a precaution in the early phases of