Research Project, Focus, Type Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Project, Focus, Type - Essay Example An entrepreneur could not commence a new venture or expand an existing business without accurate and updated information. Nonetheless, the pertinent information about the chosen country, economy, political conditions, laws and regulations, environment, technology, demographics, psychographics, behavioral, cultural and social factors, competitors and market potential is obtained through secondary and primary research. For instance, this marketing research and data collection should be considered as a useful project, because it becomes essential for survival, growth and sustainability of a business entity. The marketers than analyse this information and use for innovation, branding and differentiation. The information garnered will be analyzed and evaluated to develop certain alternatives and policies that could benefit the restaurant as a whole. For instance, the research project will help identifying new business opportunities followed by gaps in market. This would later benefit in expansion and betterment. In addition, the research will study societal changes, purchasing power and consumption trends after which we could improve our existing marketing and advertising campaigns, internal display and food products. The research will include primary (through surveys, focus groups and interviews) and secondary (available online published articles, journals, reviews, reports etc.) information. In addition, it would be comprehensive and descriptive in nature because the researcher will cover all major marketing related issues and points. The economic recession has resulted in massive unemployment and decline in consumer purchasing power (real incomes); therefore, customers demand high quality food products at reasonably lower prices. In other words, price factor will now play the most important role in success and prosperity of the restaurant in tough economic conditions. The literature would be gathered initially through secondary research because it is easily available and cheaper than primary (first hand) information. Websites, online databases, digital communities (Face Book, twitter, my space etc) and web logs may provide sufficient literature that could be used as a starting point. Any weaknesses and irrelevance will then be removed through collection of primary data.

Ice 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ice 3 - Essay Example Self-sufficiency is no longer possible because one individual will depend on another for grocery, another for fuel, and another for other items. To avoid further suffering in times of disaster or lack we need to effect changes that will favour our conditions. For instance, instead of screaming at civic leaders about slow pace of power restoration, individuals can team up and pay for this repair. In addition, the government has a responsibility to provide services, social amenities, and habitable houses to its citizens as per the constitution. Thus, the government is charged with the responsibility of effecting changes that better the lives of the citizens. For instance, the government has to restore and build the power systems, roads, and buildings in case of a disaster. However, the government can sensitize its citizens and work as a team to effect desired change. For instance, the government can work with fuel storeowners to reconstruct the stores in a way they will not be affected by the heated storms like Sandy. Richard Stuebi argues that American Government should be more involved with climate change. In fact, Americans need to alter their current lifestyles and accommodate a sustainable environment. Scientists argue that the recent disasters like Katrina and Sandy have come because of rising sea levels after global warming. If this is true, then climate issue in America need an urgency move by the government and by individuals. The government need to take an active role of sensitizing the public to make efforts to reverse our climatic conditions in the near future. Sensitizing the public and educating them on depth of the climate conditions needs finances, which will come from the government funding. The changes that need to be effected to make climate of America will involve households. First, each household will need to plant some trees to help purify the carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere everyday. Secondly,

Alien Movies And The Science Fiction Genre Film Studies Essay

Alien Movies And The Science Fiction Genre Film Studies Essay The evolution in the films would be the current status of work politics that are always played up in movies. The basic premise of the film does not change but to make it fit the modern day perspective it changes the premise. What forces influenced or guided this change would be the current times we are living in. The film Independence Day from the 1990s allows for a simpler time to seen and how the world and ideas have changed so much since this time. Each story in the films are good versus evil where good must try to triumph evil. The audience enjoys these types of films because they are feel good stories where good wins most of the time. Each film has various layers of the story to discover as the story line progresses. There is always more of the story to be discovered to shock and awe the audience. There is evidence of significant variation from one film to the next because time never stands still and the world is always changing and growing into a new dimension of thinking. Peop le change and with that come new ideas and new problems that must be dealt with. The extent this variation indicates an evolution of style, structure or content in the genre is that looking back at the much older movies the times where more simple. The people were much more respectful and the problems much more straightforward. People believed in getting along with their neighbour and being friendly to everyone. Movies are very relevant for the time they are made as they use current ideas and events in their making. Some movies go further than others to produce surprise and awe in the audience and these are the ones that inspire other movies. It is this final resemblance to genre films and to art films that must make us stop and consider the possibility that, as does art film, the cult movie has certain characteristics that set it apart as a genre onto itself. The seriousness of the art film stands in contrast to the frequent tastelessness of the cult film. Both are film and cult movie manage to avoid the usual genre conventions, but for different reasons. The audiences are small, but the former is so out of a sense of elitism, while the latter is out of a sense of conspiration. Both audiences have achieved a level of nonconformity with the genre mainstream, albeit through two very different routes. (University) Many films are elevated to cult status when they are evolutionary change to way film production are completed. It may be because these cult movies are strange and different but they are really just opening up people eyes to a new art form. Many science fiction movies represent alien invasions. Alien invasions have always had underlying tones of the political standings in our current time. Politics and fears have easily been mixed into science fiction film. This is because any fantasy can be played out for the world to see. Sometimes goods win over evil but not always. Our major current issue is terrorist invading and destroying people and property, this is because of the modern day attacks that occurred on 9/11. The next major issue is global warming and the negative effects being caused to our planet. Humankind has always had a continued idea of war solving the current issues of the time. This may not be accurate but it has been the way of dealing with issues. It only makes sense that one day we could be invaded by extraterrestrials entity that looks to overtake our way of life. We have had horrendous suffering such as throughout the blockade of London during World War II or the Holocaust. Like all wars, some are lost and some are won. The defeated leave and return from where they came from. The victorious celebrate and cheer their apparent success. The wars that are lost are the ones doomed from the start where the people have no chance and they know there foe is going to defeat and it is only a matter of time. We are destroying ourselves for the sake of oil and money. Science fiction can easily delve into these issues and mask them as something more sinister as they can be much more controversial. How we treat each other is usually a huge themed played out in alien invasion movies. For this essay, I will be focusing on just three of the more well known films. The three films from the science fiction genre I chose are The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), War of the Worlds (2005) and Independence Day (1996). These movies all represent our political ideals and the fears we all have inside us. This is brought out by the alien invasion movies that represent these present fears. The alien invasion scenarios that involved nuclear war was a popular apocalyptic scenario from that became reflected in the 1950s the fears of Communist infiltration. This idea continued for the duration of and up until the breakdown of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. The Cold War had generated fears of a nuclear devastation at which point terrorism took the new form of fear. from Communism as the primary covert threat in the early 2000s. The undercover aliens posturing as human in movies like They Live (1988) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) have symbolized this. In these films, the horror draw closer not from the explosion itself but rather from the post-explosion events or from mutated creatures produced from the radiation or of the desperate survivors in such movies as Panic in the Year Zero! (1962). There are many examples of these types of movies throughout movie history such as: Invaders from Mars (1953), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), The Brain Eaters (1958), Battle in Outer Space (1959), The Day of the Triffids (1962), Beware! The Blob (1972), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Lifeforce (1985), Cocoon (1985), Invaders from Mars (1986), Critters (1986) Maximum Overdrive (1986), Flight of the Navigator (1986), They Live (1988), The Hidden II (1993), Body Snatchers (1993), U.F.O.(1993), The Puppet Masters (1994), The X Files (1998), The Faculty (1998), Progeny (1999), Signs (2002), Returner (2002), Alien Abduction (2005), Lifted (2007), The Invasion (2007) Bedtime Stories (2008) and the Mutant Chronicles (2009). The epic and ambitious science fiction blockbuster is gradually but unquestionably becoming a vanishing variety of cinematic entertainment. In view of the fact, that the time of cold war suspicions and fear the preliminary overindulge of computer-generated imagery or CGI technologies are now mainstream. In the 1990s, the genre had seen much more enthusiasm either from its core enthusiasts or from individuals wanting something incredible but completely different. The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008). It is a science fiction genre film with underlying tones of the thriller and drama genres. This film is based upon a movie from the genres pinnacle from director Scott Derricksons. This version compels with the same sense of awe and wonder, relevancy and conviction to our present social environment. Inundate with a developed coherent plot theme and great characterizations. The movie experience is significant in its captivating moments but also in its implementation. The special effects are impressive and very convincing. The narrative is fascinating during its thick layers of apprehension and threatening atmosphere. The overall substance of the movies capability to beyond doubt draw the viewer in and shock them is strong. Robert Wises classic 1951 version had a clear and strong underlying message to its viewers about the nuclear arms race. The Soviet Union was the evil threat during the cold war and that theme was popular in the movies of that time of the original making of the movie. The Day the Earth Stood Still (2010) is a present day classic remake. This is because of its message is one that is easily changed to apply to modern day. Scott Derricksons version of The Day the Earth Stood Still is about the new threat of global warming. Is has a spectacular means of touching modern audiences with the truth. The main idea that all of humankind is the ones behind the devastating and essential problem facing the earth. This is since we are destroying the globe and essentially mother earth through pollution, global warming, strip mining and various other means. The immense concerns that the movie deals with has been updated from the previous concerns of the nuclear arms race to modern day problem of globa l warming. The destruction of the human race is initiated with a few lines of explanation toward the current epidemic situation. The idea it could really be another country that is going to rage war instead of a foreign unknown entity can easily be believed since the state of the world is in such disarray. War of the Worlds (2005) is a science fiction genre film with underlying tones of the action, adventure and drama genres. War of the Worlds was directed by Steven Spielberg. This movie is about a story in which extraterrestrials visit Earth. The idea that they have been waiting for a long time to strike and now the earth is ripe for the picking. It cannot be coincidence, which from the first appearance of the extraterrestrials arriving with eerie lights flashing amid lowering clouds. The extraterrestrials visit with intentions that are pure malevolent. The war is in fact instigated from the commencement. Some viewers apparently were not expecting the core idea of a man and his child trying to just survive and escape the carnage. This movie is not on the level of humans versus aliens not at all about combat that those most alien movies tend to be. It a story about how the everyday people caught in the unexpected situation would handle it. These creatures are in all probability Martian s from Mars, as in the original H. G. Wellss novel. The extraterrestrials are not all interested in be friendly nor is there any vagueness about their crucial mission. It is very clear they are here to remove us off the face of our planet, plain and simple. A point that is understood before the movie has gone into the story in depth. The frightening tripods that walk deploying destruction along the way are remorselessly efficient. The movie is really good at pointing out the desolation and desperation that these people must be feeling. This movie uses imagery reminiscent of the siege of London during World War II, the terrible events of the Holocaust and destruction and loss of so many during the 9/11 events. The atmosphere is a reflection of how seriously the film intends the audience to understand the screen chaos and mayhem. The ambiance is profoundly chilling with menace and the portrayal of the general population numb with shock amid the devastation is terrifyingly convincing. The mood is sinister and there is not much fighting b ack on the aliens, as the outmatched Earthlings do not seem to have a chance. Even the apparent protagonist lead character realizes the immense enormity of what is happening. This is a true depiction of how people would behave given that their city or town was invade and attacked. People are not ready to fight against a large foe and would be unprepared as what to do. Independence Day (1996) is a science fiction genre film with underlying tones of the action and adventure genres. This movie is taking the 1950s invasion narratives and re-making them for 1990s audiences. This film depicts the fact that it does possess a joyful naivety in the face of world politics. The year was 1996 with the Cold War over and 9/11 many years away. The entire world uniting against a common enemy devoid of being tied down with insignificant arguments and personal agendas still seemed plausible. Even the rifle carrying Arabs that momentarily appear on the in the film are more than happy to rally behind the Americans who saved the world in celebration of everyones freedom. Independence Day is an absolute explosion of visual flare and awesome heroism. The plot is straightforward as the aliens invade and then the fights ensue until victory is achieved. It is quite the spectacle to watch as the movie unfolds. The spectacle of that enormous blue laser light destroying lower Manhattan in 1996 would have made mouth open in shock. It is highly unlikely to do the same to todays over stimulated audiences; it is still an incredible visual delight. The extraterrestrials are actually here to strip mine our planet of all its natural resources. This is the very idea about how we as humans are always invading each others countries to pilfer their resources. We lay claim to territory and resources that we have no rights to take for our own. We are in the Middle East fighting a war for the resources that we want to acquire from the rich in oil Middle East. The American President declares July 4 will no longer be just an American celebration, but a world celebration. This is a prime example of American ambition to take over the globe in every way they can. They want to be the largest and greatest super power. This may have held the possibility back in the 1990s long before 9/11 and the financial devastation of the United States. With each decade, the shift toward the political environment is enhanced by the fears and threats that could one day come true but are used to tell a story in the film. Our fears are played out on screen such as invasion weather by alien forces or another country that is set to invade and take our rights away. There are several observable explanations for its wane in demand for these types of movies since our world is facing great threats of world instability, terrorism and disease. Science fiction alien invasion movies are on a decline because they are not relevant to our political atmosphere as they once were. They will have resurgence in these movies when the time is right and political times have changed to reflect these changes. As all great genres have up and downs of when they are most popular. Most movies are a reflection of the times we live in and the take on which the filmmakers reproduce them ideas for us to watch.

Adopted Heritage in Alice Walkers Everyday Use Essays -- Everyday Use

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Each of us is raised within a culture, a set of traditions handed down by those before us. As individuals, we view and experience common heritage in subtly differing ways. Within smaller communities and families, deeply felt traditions serve to enrich this common heritage. Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" explores how, in her eagerness to claim an ancient heritage, a woman may deny herself the substantive personal experience of familial traditions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Narrated by the mother of two daughters, the story opens with an examination of one daughter's favoring of appearances over substance, and the effect this has on her relatives. The mother and her younger daughter, Maggie, live in an impoverished rural area. They anticipate the arrival of the elder daughter, Dee, who left home for college and is bringing her new husband with her for a visit. The mother recalls how, as a child, Dee hated the house in which she was raised. It was destroyed in a fire, and as it was burning, Dee "(stood) off under the sweet gum tree... a look of concentration on her face", tempting her mother to ask, "'why don't you do a dance around the ashes?'" (Walker 91) She expects Dee will hate their current house, also. The small, three-room house sits in a pasture, with "no real windows, just some holes cut in the sides" (Walker 92), and although, as Dee asserts, they "choose to live" in such a place, Dee keeps her prom ise to visit them (Walker 92). Her distaste for her origins is felt by her mother and Maggie, who, in anticipation of Dee's arrival, internalize her attitudes. They feel to some extent their own unworthiness. The mother envisions a reunion in which her educated, urbane daughter would be proud of her. In reality, she describes her... ...aking something for herself consists of putting on the garments of her heritage without truly living in them. As Dee says goodbye, Maggie smiles "a real smile, not scared" (Walker 97). She sits with her mother as they share a pinch of snuff "just enjoying." (Walker 97) Dee leaves two people who have in significant ways come to terms with her judgment of them and the way they live.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Our heritage threads through history past the people who contributed to it, to affect us on a personal level. To be fully appreciated and claimed, it must reside in the heart. Dee understands the heritage of people she doesn't know. In this way, her adopted heritage can be understood intellectually, but it is not felt, not personal, and not truly her own. Work Cited Walker, Alice. Everyday Use Ed. Barbara T. Christian. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1994.

Nutrition Practices

Receiving proper nutrition to satisfy the physiological needs of man is a general knowledge that everyone is aware of. The food that we eat is necessary not only to fulfill the biological urge to satisfy hunger, but also to nurture the human body in order to withstand illnesses and diseases for a longer and healthier life.Although this is a common goal for nations, particularly of the United States, as manifested in health care services and policies granted to their citizens, other external factors seem to influence how individuals perceive nutrition. One major factor which affects the nutritional decisions and influences of individuals is their culture, for one’s racial or ethnic roots or backgrounds are attributed to nutrition practices.This fact may be observed in hundreds of individuals who belong to various racial and ethnic groups residing in the US. The evaluation or assessment of the nutrition practices undertaken by these individuals reveal that they are at high risk for experiencing health and nutritional deficiencies.For instance, the Prima Indians were found out to be at great risk for contracting diabetes primarily fueled by obesity. However, in this case, aside from the nutrition practices, the genetic make-up of this ethnic group also influences their health and wellbeing. Another case is the implication of the exclusion of milk, and other dairy products in the diet of Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans. (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008)This is because studies have shown that these particular ethnic groups are more prone to lactose intolerance which leads them to remove dairy products from their nutrition practices or diet (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008), consequently leading to Vitamin A, B12, D, and Calcium deficiencies (â€Å"Vitamins and Minerals,† 2008)Other health and nutritional deficiencies that are most common in the US for racial or ethnic groups include lack of Omega 3 fats, Copper, and dietary fiber. Fo r the male populations belonging to African American and American Indian ethnic groups, they are most at risk for Vitamin A deficiency.This is because it has been observed that they refuse to consume vegetables in their diet. Some vegetables that are essential parts of the American diet contain beta-carotene which is a valuable substance present in them from which Vitamin A is taken from. (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008*)Aside from the minor influences of physical and genetic features or characters, one component of racial or ethnic culture also influences nutrition practices. Religion plays a major role in dictating what kind of diets individuals will be implementing. For instance, individuals who are Jewish refrain from eating the common types of meat such as beef and pork and prefer meat from sheep, goat, etc. instead.This religious belief has something to do with the distinction of the clean and unclean meats. Moslems on the other hand are not allowed to consume pork and alcohol. In addition, some Islamic festivals require that they practice fasting which refrain them from consuming food and drinks at a particular time during the day. This particular cultural and religious practice affects the health and wellbeing of Moslems. (â€Å"Ethnic Traditions,† 2008)From the various, but limited, examples provided in this text of the various cultural nutrition practices that racial and ethnic groups observe, the influence of such practices are perceived to be detrimental to their health and wellbeing.In addition, resolving the issue of ethnic disparities in terms of health care and nutrition is quite difficult to resolve since it would be far-fetched to reverse a culture that has long existed. Moreover, the influence of physical and genetic factors is unavoidable. The challenge presented within this text now is how cultural differences and the standards and guidelines of health and nutrition are to be reconciled in order to come up with a cohesive soc iety that is consciously aware of the need to promote health and nutrition for the betterment of human life.Referencesâ€Å"Ethnic Traditions.† (2008). Retrieved December 20, 2008, from The World’s Healthiest Foods. Website: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=specialneed&dbid=11 â€Å"Vitamins and Minerals.† (2008). Retrieved December 20, 2008, from The Vegetarian Society of United Kingdom. Website: http://www.vegsoc.org/info/vitmineral.html   

Breaking with the Continuum

In this paper I’m going to discuss how both Modernism and Postmodernism represented a paradigm shift in the traditional art and thinking. I’m going to list the characteristic features of these eras, providing relevant evidence, where necessary. In the closing part f my paper, I’m going to investigate the effects Modernism and Postmodernism had on the creative process in the wider context. Following the chronology of events, I’ll discus Modernism first. The revolutionary nature of this artistic movement is noted for all the scholars researching the History of Art.If we discuss the definition of Modernism, we’ll see that it reflects the innovative and experimental nature if it: â€Å"The term Modernism applied retrospectively to the wide range of experimental and avant-garde trends in the arts that emerged from the middle of the 19th century, as artists rebelled against traditional Historicism, and later through 20th century as the necessity of an in dividual rejecting previous tradition, and by creating individual, original techniques. † (HuntFor. com, n/d, para. 1) Indeed, the first and foremost characteristic feature of Modernism is the rejected tradition.While the majority of previous artistic developments tried to find a place within the general context of the artistic realm, Modernism rejected all the previous principles and practices. The very term â€Å"Modernism† implies the dichotomy and struggle between tradition and modernity. In a limited number of cases, â€Å"Modernism was not merely defined by its avant garde but also by a reforming trend within previous artistic norms. † (HuntFor. com, n/d, para. 2) In a word, Modernism aimed at rejecting, transforming, or reforming previous artistic experience – but nothing can be left untouched.But what tradition Modernism rejected? â€Å"The second half of the 19th century has been called the Positivist age. In the visual arts this modernistic or p ositivistic spirit is most obvious in the widespread rejection of Romantic subjectivism and imagination in favor of the faith in the positive consequences of the close observation and the accurate and apparently objective description of the ordinary, observable world. † (HuntFor. com, n/d, para. 3) Another characteristic feature of Modernism is experiment.From my personal point of view, in the majority of cases Modernism represented experiment for the sake of experiment: Modernists wanted â€Å"to create forms for no other purpose than novelty. † (Keep, McLaughlin & Parmar, n/d, â€Å"Defining Postmodernism,† â€Å"What is postmodernism? †, para. 1) The tension between dispositio and eloqutio was often decided in favour of form. It’s much easier to produce a revolution in form than in meaning. As for other revolutionary innovations, â€Å"Modernism's cutting edges, to this point had been the exploration of subjective experience and the clarificatio n and simplification of structure.† (HuntFor. com, n/d, para. 6) By way of all these changes and modifications, art was ascribed a new function. Modernism â€Å"introduced the increasing number of works which either radically simplified or rejected previous practice. Underlying strand of that thinking can be called the shift from idealistic to critical. This tendency mirrors that art is to communicate clearly. † (HuntFor. com, n/d, para. 9) Modernism pioneered new forms of artistic expression, offered by rapidly developing technology. â€Å"This feature would in future unite both Modernism and Postmodernism.The rise of cinema and ‘moving pictures’ in the first decade of the 20th century gave the modern movement an artform which was uniquely its own. The use of photography, which had rendered much of the representational function of visual art obsolete, also strongly affected Modernism. † (HuntFor. com, n/d, para. 7) Indeed, Modernism, especially in s pecific forms, offered an up-to-date response to the changing reality. â€Å"The pressures of communication, transportation and more rapid scientific development began placing a premium on search for simplification of diction in the work of various art forms.One example was the movement towards clarity, and the embracing of new technology, found in Futurism. † (HuntFor. com, n/d, para. 12) So we can conclude that there were objective preconditions for the rejection of tradition advocated by the representatives of Modernism. When I thought of bringing a relevant example to illustrate how Modernists rejected the tradition, I found out that each movement – from De Stijl to Art Deco – offered their own response. This again proves the innovative nature of Modernism: while the tradition is singular, the deviations from it are multiple.The situation with Postmodernism isn’t that crystal clear. The very term â€Å"Postmodernism† suggests the continuation o f modernists’ tradition. The concept of Postmodern was first used with regard to architecture at the middle of the last century: â€Å"Firstly, postmodernism was a movement in architecture that rejected the modernist, avant garde, passion for the new. † (Keep, McLaughlin & Parmar, n/d, â€Å"Defining Postmodernism,† â€Å"What is postmodernism? †, para. 1) Generally, the movement was born as a rejection of the previous tradition of the adoeation of novelty. The definition of Postmodernism is as follows:â€Å"[Postmodernism is a] rejection of the sovereign autonomous individual with an emphasis upon anarchic collective, anonymous experience. Collage, diversity, the mystically unrepresentable, Dionysian passion are the foci of attention. Most importantly we see the dissolution of distinctions, the merging of subject and object, self and other. This is a sarcastic playful parody of western modernity and the ‘John Wayne’ individual and a radical , anarchist rejection of all attempts to define, reify or re-present the human subject. † (Keep, McLaughlin & Parmar, n/d, â€Å"Defining Postmodernism,† â€Å"What is postmodernism? †, para. 5)We see that Postmodernism rejects not only the previous tradition of Modernism, but also all the previous artistic tradition. It focuses on a different meaning and method of creation. Assuming that no new knowledge can have been produced at the end of the 20th century, Postmodernism concentrated on synthesizing the available element of art and thought. Postmodernism is a paradigm shift that can’t yet be defined by comparison with the artistic method that will chronologically follow it. As for the meaning of these two innovative trends, Modernism opened a new era in the Western art at the beginning of the 20th century.It opened way for constant experimentation and search for new forms of artistic expression. Postmodernism with its stress on collective and anonymous e xperience changed the nature of relations between the author and artistic product. Both trends offered a highly needed response to the rapidly changing world. References Modernism. HuntFor. com. June 11, 2005. www. huntfor. com/arthistory/c19th/modernism. htm Keep, C. , McLaughlin, T. and Parmar, R. Defining Postmodernism. The Electronic Labyrinth. June 11, 2005. http://www. iath. virginia. edu/elab/hfl0242. html

Overview of United States Government

Overview of United States Government The government of the United States is based on a written constitution. At 4,400 words, it is the shortest national constitution in the world. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire ratified the Constitution giving it the necessary 9 out of 13 votes needed for the Constitution to pass. It officially went into effect on  March 4, 1789.  It was  consists of a Preamble, seven Articles, and 27 Amendments. From this document, the entire federal government was created. It is a living document whose interpretation has changed over time. The amendment process is such that while not easily amended, US citizens are able to make necessary changes over time. Three Branches of Government The Constitution created three separate branches of government. Each branch has its own powers and areas of influence. At the same time, the Constitution created a system of checks and balances that ensured no one branch would reign supreme. The three branches are: Legislative Branch- This branch consists of the Congress which is responsible for making the federal laws. Congress consists of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives.Executive Branch- The Executive power lies with the President of the United States who is given the job of executing, enforcing, and administering the laws and government. The Bureaucracy is part of the Executive Branch.Judicial Branch- The judicial power of the United States is vested in the Supreme Court and the federal courts. Their job is to interpret and apply US laws through cases brought before them. Another important power of the Supreme Court is that of Judicial Review whereby they can rule laws unconstitutional. Six Foundational Principles The Constitution is built on six basic principles. These are deeply ingrained in the mindset and landscape of the US Government. Popular Sovereignty- This principle states that the source of governmental power lies with the people. This belief stems from the concept of the social contract and the idea that government should be for the benefit of its citizens. If the government is not protecting the people, it should be dissolved.Limited Government- Since the people give the government its power, the government itself is limited to the power given to it by them. In other words, the US government does not derive its power from itself. It must follow its own laws and it can only act using powers given to it by the people.Separation of Powers- As stated previously, the US Government is divided into three branches so that no one branch has all the power. Each branch has its own purpose: to make the laws, execute the laws, and interpret the laws.Checks and Balances- In order to further protect the citizens, the constitution set up a system of checks and balances. Basically, each branch of government has a certain nu mber of checks it can use to ensure the other branches do not become too powerful. For example, the president can veto legislation, the Supreme Court can declare acts of Congress unconstitutional, and the Senate must approve treaties and presidential appointments. Judicial Review- This is a power that allows the Supreme Court to decide whether acts and laws are unconstitutional. This was established with Marbury v. Madison in 1803.Federalism- One of the most complicated foundations of the US is the principle of federalism. This is the idea that the central government does not control all the power in the nation. States also have powers reserved to them. This division of powers does overlap and sometimes leads to problems such as what happened with the response to Hurricane Katrina between the state and federal governments. Political Process While the Constitution sets up the system of government, the actual way in which the offices of Congress and the Presidency are filled are based upon the American political system. Many countries have numerous political parties- groups of people who join together to try and win political office and thereby control the government- but the US exists under a two-party system. The two major parties in America are the Democratic and Republican parties. They act as coalitions and attempt to win elections. We currently have a two-party system because of not only historical precedent and tradition but also the  electoral system itself. The fact that America has a two-party system does not mean that there is no role for third parties in the American landscape. In fact, they have often swayed elections even if their candidates have in most cases not won. There are four major types of third parties: Ideological Parties, e.g. Socialist PartySingle-Issue parties, e.g. Right to Life PartyEconomic Protest Parties, e.g. Greenback PartySplinter Parties, e.g. Bull Moose Party Elections Elections occur in the United States at all levels including local, state, and federal. There are numerous differences from locality to locality and state to state. Even when determining the presidency, there is some variation with how the electoral college is determined from state to state. While voter turnout is barely over 50% during Presidential election years and much lower than that during midterm elections, elections can be hugely important as seen by the top ten significant presidential elections.