Electoral College System Essays - Electoral College,

Electoral College System The electoral college system is one which is criticized often. In most of the countries in the world their leader is chosen by popular vote. This was true even in communist countries, although many times only one candidate runs sometime. This system of popular vote is not used in the United States, the country that is supposed to be the most democratic. The Electoral College, the constitutional system for the election of the president and vice president of the United States. It is the collective name for a group of electors, nominated by political parties within the states and popularly elected, who meet to vote for those two offices. Each party within a state selects a slate of electors numerically equal to the state's congressional delegation. The electors normally pledge to vote for the nominees of their party, but they are not constitutionally required to do so. When the American people vote for president and vice president, they are actually voting for slates of electors pledged to their candidates. Because the electors usually are chosen at large, the electoral vote of each state is cast as a unit, and the victorious presidential and vice presidential nominees in each state win the state's entire electoral vote. The candidates receiving a majority of the total electoral vote in the United States are elected. The electoral college system was established in ArticleII, section I, of the U. S. Constitution and has been modified mainly by the 12th Amendment. Numerous plans have been proposed for eliminating or altering the electoral college, including direct election of the president and vice president by popular vote. It extremely ironic that the what is supposed to be the most democratic government in the world, does not choose a president according to what the majority of the people want. The electoral college system generally gives all of a state's electoral votes to the winner in that state, no matter how slim the margin. Thus it has happened that candidates have been elected even though they received fewer popular votes than their opponents. Both Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, and Benjamin Harrison, in 1888, were elected in this manner. In the case of Hayes, a special electoral commission was called in 1877 to decide the contested returns. John Quincy Adams also received fewer popular votes than his opponent, Andrew Jackson, in the election of 1824, but his election was decided by the House of Representatives because Jackson failed to win a majority of electoral college votes. On several occasions the popular vote pluralities of the electoral college victors have been razor thin or even questionable. One instance was the election of John F. Kennedy over Richard M. Nixon in 1960. The feature of the electoral college most prone to attack is the requirement that the election go into the House of Representatives to determine the president and into the senate to determine the vice-president if the electoral college fails to reach a majority. There might be a paralyzing delay in determining the victors, and the president-elect and vice president-elect could be members of opposing political parties. The House was called upon to elect a president in the cases of Jefferson and John Quincy Adams, and the Senate chose Richard M. Johnson as vice president after the election of 1836. The possibility of this happening again remains very much alive. Should a third-party candidate carry enough states to prevent an electoral vote majority for any candidate, the House, voting by state delegation, might be prevented from reaching an absolute majority. Pledged electors generally have been regarded as legally free to cast their votes as they choose, and there have been cases of defection from pledged positions. No such deviation has had a clear effect on an election result, but the possibility raises an additional objection to the electoral college. In 1820 a New Hampshire elector voted for John Quincy Adams instead of James Monroe; in 1956 an Alabama elector voted for a circuit judge instead of Adlai E. Stevenson; in 1960 an Oklahoma elector pledged to Richard Nixon voted instead for Harry F. Byrd; in 1968 a North Carolina elector defected from Nixon to George C. Wallace; and in 1988 a West Virginia elector voted for Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. instead of Michael S. Dukakis. Because of this I will shown that the following, although improbable example is possble to happen. If every single voter in the country unanimously chose "candidate A" for president, the electors pledged to him still may rally against him and vote for the other

The eNotes Blog How Is Shakespeare Still Relevant 400 Years After His Death Tell UsAnd Win$400!

How Is Shakespeare Still Relevant 400 Years After His Death Tell UsAnd Win$400! Without William Shakespeare, it is likely that would not exist- and what a sad world that would be! We started out ten years ago as purely a Shakespeare site, and over the years have added thousands of other  authors, tens of thousands of book summaries and analyses, and new services like our rapidly-growing Homework Help. Homework Help is one of the most exciting services for students that weve created. Students can ask any question (on any subject) and get connected with one of our specialized educators to receive help on their toughest homework problems. With this service, we are helping to  foster students critical thinking and are providing  deeper understanding and contextual knowledge of the subject matter, whatever it may be. Since launching this service, weve answered over 300,000 questions and have helped millions of students! Shakespeare being the foundational  bloodline of all of is just one of the ways we still find him relevant- even 400 years after his death. His  works form the basis for  some of our most popular pages and Homework Help answers to this day, for students and teachers alike. Now, we want to hear from you why you think Shakespeare is still relevant. It can be anything from how you relate to him, how his works inspire you, or something totally different  (and off-the-wall!). Were giving away some fantastic prizes, so read on about how to enter below! How to Enter Tell us  why you think Shakespeare is still relevant to literature, history, education, oreven just to you!   Your submission must be posted as an answer to our Homework Help question, which can be found by clicking the button below. Need help finding the answer box? Check out  this screenshot if you are new to or this one if you are already logged in. Submissions are  accepted until April 17, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Please note: be sure your account is up-to-date with the best email at which to reach you- this is how we will contact you if you win. Prizes We will select a  grand prize winner to receive  $400 cash, a 1-year subscription, and 100 credits to use in Homework Help (a $549.99 value!). Five (5) runner-ups will  receive 50 credits to use in Homework Help. Selection will be based upon what our editors and users find to be the most interesting, helpful, funny, relatable, and in general all-around-awesome answers! If you have any questions, please send an email to dispatch@ and we will get back to you within 1-2 business days. We look forward to reading your entries. Best of luck!

The History of Vietnam War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The History of Vietnam War - Research Paper Example V. The Tet Offensive a. Beginning of U.S. – North Vietnam peace talks VI. End of the War a. Vietnamization b. Signing of Paris Peace Agreement c. Total withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam d. Capture of Saigon and formation of Socialist Republic of Vietnam History of Vietnam War INTRODUCTION Vietnam War was one of the most expensive wars in the history of the world in terms of materials and loss of lives. In fact, Vietnam War was the fourth costliest war in terms of loss of lives that United States has ever been involved. The war registered 45,943 U.S. battle deaths, with 1333 men going missing and 10,298 dead of non-battle causes. In terms of money, United Stated government lost 138.9 billion dollars, which is only comparable to the amount of money spent in World War II. South Vietnam, an ally of United States in the war, lost 166,000 soldiers and an estimated 415, 000 civilians. On the other hand, it is estimated that Northern Vietnam and Viet Cong combined registered more than 937,000 deaths. Other than loss of lives and resources, the war also witnessed the loss of morals among soldiers at the war front. Citizens also lost faith in their governments. This was largely affected the Americans. During the war, American soldiers became undisciplined. They engaged in drugs and racial conflict. Generally, all the warring parties suffered from the war. This paper looks into the history of Vietnam War and the events that lead to the war in Vietnam. The paper discusses the origin of Vietnam War, the entry of United States into the War, the strategy of attrition, the Tet offensive, and the end of the War. ORIGIN OF THE WAR Vietnam had been colonized by the French since 19th century. During the Second World War, Japan attacked and established its authority of Vietnam. In the course of this struggle, Ho Chi Minh, a Vietnamese nationalist, formed Viet Minh Party to help him fight the Japanese and the French occupation of Vietnam. He was assisted by Soviet an d the Chinese communists. In August 1945, the Japanese were overpowered by the Viet Minh and they withdrew their forces from Vietnam leaving the French in control of Vietnam. During this time, Viet Minh’s superiority was on the rise. They captured the northern town Hanoi and declared independence of Democratic Republic of Vietnam in September 1945 with Ho Chi Minh as the president (Christian, 31). The French soldiers were pushed to the south. In July 1949, they formed the state of Southern Vietnam with its capital in Saigon under the leadership of Bao Dai. The war between the French and the Viet Minh called the First Indonesian War continued for the next eight years. The war ended in May 1954 when the French forces were defeated by the Viet Minh forces at Dien Bien Phu. The ensuing peace talks in Geneva led to the signing of the Geneva Peace Accord. The Accord divided Vietnam into North Vietnam under the leadership of Ho and South Vietnam under the leadership of Bao. The Gene va Accord also stipulated that nationwide elections were to be held in 1956. The elections were aimed at unifying North and South Vietnam into one nation. However, in 1955, Â  Ngo Dinh Diem, a strong anticommunist, ousted Bao as the leader of Southern Vietnam and formed the Government of the Republic of Vietnam with him as the president (Le Duan, 51). U.S INVOLVEMENT INTO THE WAR United States joined the struggle in 1950 when President Truman assisted the French forces in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. United States provided the French forc

IT firms in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

IT firms in India - Essay Example The paper tells that rapid industrialization and globalization have led to firms expanding their services in foreign countries. The service firms are entering the foreign markets and the most critical issue in international marketing strategy remains the choice of entry mode. The choice of market entry mode according to Zhao and Decker has an impact on international operations and is considered important in international marketing. It is one of the most critical decisions for the MNCs and it affects future decisions and performance in foreign markets. The initial entry mode choice significantly affects the performance and longevity of the firm. Nearly 80 percent of the global investors plan to locate their corporate offices overseas by 2008. The corporate investors are looking at offshoring opportunities more aggressively across all major functions. Kearney contends that the IT sector will see the highest levels of offshoring activity with 67% global investors expecting to offshore t hese functions. Business processes like R&D, HR and accounting offshoring would amount to about 41 percent. These business models will include captive and joint venture, both of which result in FDI. Since there are concerns over quality control and the intellectual-property protection, it is expected that most of the offshoring would be through captive business models (or wholly owned subsidiaries) or joint ventures. Most of the R&D offshoring will be through FDI. Kearney further states that global investors prefer to rely on third-party outsourcing contracts and other non-FDI operating models.

Goals in life Essay Example for Free

Goals in life Essay It is the goal of every individual to adequately achieve his/her goals in life. It is what motivates them to strive and seek for something worthwhile. Each one uses this as a model for getting motivation and fulfillment in the things that they do. Amidst the setbacks that are in place, it is in here that they learn to appreciate what is important in life; hard work and determination. Moreover, our ability to transcend to other people and influence change can truly bring about capabilities to be adaptive and vibrant. Give this notion, I wish to present my intention to apply for a degree in Communication. Dialogue and exchange remain to be one of the instruments that shape man’s interaction among other people. It serves as an important determinant in molding and creating individuals who are both capable to adapt and conquer the challenges of professional practice. Given the complexities of today’s workplace, many students need to be formally trained to have the sufficient and necessary skills to cope in these changing times. By doing this, I can be competent and vigorous in the things I do. To supplement this, one must have the essential experience and leadership skills so that this relative facet be honed and cultivated. For my part, I believe that I have these necessary ideals to adequately address these challenges both in the educational environment and in the workplace. It is in here that I wish to point out my qualifications and traits that I believe can be vital towards my application in UC. At an early age, I was exposed into various endeavors that opened up my abilities and potential as a leader. Being immersed in these activities other than my study widened my horizons and opened new boundaries for me to explore. From my experience in Hong Kong to my community work in Santa Monica College, all these paved the way for such realization. At the same time, I was able to cultivate the service trait which I believe is an essential component of a good and adequate leader. Looking at my experiences, I had mentioned that I was not merely involved in academic undertaking. I too tried to develop my interpersonal skills by advocating numerous civic and extracurricular activities including sports. Back then, I was in the badminton school team since I was in grade 7(grade 7 to grade 11) I represent my school to entered many badminton competitions and came out with a good results. Moreover, I am proud to have been part of the â€Å"Duke of Edinburg Awards† (The DofE) and finished the Silver level. The DofE is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged from 14 to 25, regardless of personal ability. In the end, all these endeavors contributed to what I am right now; competitive and vibrant. With your help, I can actively sustain this energy and create opportunities for me to create and respond actively to the needs of others. Prompt 2 I believe that determination and patience remains to be the defining factor in the way we do and handle things. It is in this light that we gain experience and insights that contribute to the way we do our tasks and responsibilities. Give the different struggles that we may encounter in these situations; we must continue to stand up and use these events as a way to facilitate a renewed effort to widen our horizons and learn from the process. It is with this adage that I come to combat every challenge that may come along the way. Coming from the United States as an immigrant, I too experienced difficulties in adjusting to the norms and culture. I had to cope up with the language barrier and effectively communicating with other people. However, this did not stop me from achieving what I wanted to be. Rather than giving up in the process, I developed my personal commitment to major in communication to help me bridge this gap and let other immigrants feel the same way. Though this task is never an easy one, I feel that my background and the way I was brought up by my father can give me the strength to tackle any challenge that may come along the way. Looking back, I am proud to say that my family raised me pretty well and gave the right norms and values to handle the pressures in the outside world. They gave me the opportunity to showcase my talent and skills in different ways. Each one did not hamper my growth but gave me the inspiration to focus on what I want. In addition, they imparted in me the lessons of patience and perseverance in everything. Now, I began to understand and appreciate what they gave me. As I brought these adages to practice, I became involved in numerous activities outside the academic realm. It has always been my belief that to achieve an element of satisfaction and fulfillment, one must go out of his/her comfort zone and serve other people. With this, I began to associate with individuals in different levels may it be in sports (badminton) or civic activities such as my participation in Duke of Edinburg Awards. Not only did these programs enhance my capabilities and skills as an individual, it also gave meaning in my life and purpose in everything that I do. My involvement as a vice president of my house was also a unique experience on my part. It proved vital for me to enhance my leadership and communication skills among other people. I became part of charity events and reaching out for disabled people. It motivated me because I am now seeing what I wanted to become and actively working harmoniously with other individuals. I learned useful skills which allow me to meet people and communicate with them. In all of these, I feel that the past five years of my life were a determining factor of what I wanted to be.

Motivation and Manipulation in Julius Caesar Essay -- William Shakespe

In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare illuminates the themes of human motivation and manipulation. He examines the relationship between actions and motivations, cause and effect, and word and deed, using the symbols of hands and hearts. Throughout the play, the characters Brutus and Marc Antony express their different understandings of this relationship rhetorically. In his 1953 film interpretation, Joseph L. Mankiewicz demonstrates these characters’ understanding through both the play’s original dialogue and his own interpolated action. It is interesting to see the different effects of spoken rhetoric, as we experience it in the play, and the visual rhetoric of the film. The play itself complicates matters of motivation and therefore does not answer the question of blame. When reading one character, the audience feels connected with their point of view, and when reading the other, they are made to feel unsure about their initial opinion. In the end, it is nearly impossible t o discover the characters’ inner motives, and it is therefore difficult to place blame on one or the other. However, Mankiewicz visually presents the complex relationship between these two symbols and in doing so, he creates a more sympathetic persona for Brutus than the one in the play. He focuses on the hands as a symbol of unity, love, and friendship, and where characters use hands for evil acts, he is quick to juxtapose the actions of hands from the motivations of the heart. While Shakespeare uses this juxtaposition to merely complicate the matter without solving it, Mankiewicz uses it to simplify the question. For Mankiewicz, Brutus’ involvement in the murder of Caesar, does not wholly reflect his character, and the audience is made to see a more human, vulne... ...wn in the play. In Brutus’ words, â€Å"Th’ abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power,† and in that instance, the film shows Antony’s abuse of authority (2.1.18-19). Because Antony believes that the hands’ actions and the heart’s motivations cannot be separated, his language demonstrates this belief, and he acts accordingly. While Brutus may act maliciously at times, he believes that hands and hearts are not always inextricably linked and therefore, that is especially true of his evil actions. Though Shakespeare may the leave the audience in doubt, Mankiewicz does not avoid blame and suggests that the exclusive joining of hands and hearts disjoins compassion from power and leads to true butchery. Works Cited Mankiewicz, Joseph L., dir. Julius Caesar. 1953. Film Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2007. Print.

Death Penalty Essay

Roy Brown is a conservative who believes in individual rights and the right to life. He believes there is no deeper violation of a citizen’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness than the government killing them when they’re actually innocent. With the use of the death penalty, mistakes are highly inescapable (Brown 1). More than one hundred and forty death row inmates had been set free after evidence was revealed proving they were wrongfully condemned and this often happened decades after they were sentenced to die. Sometimes the mistake was not caught and a few innocents have been put to death. Brown states that the death penalty is also somewhat bad for the victim’s families. The families are brought along to this drawn out legal process and appear in many court sessions reliving the tragedy as it is impossible to make capital punishment quick (Brown 1). Another negative about the death penalty is its cost. Legal expenses alone make each death penalty case much more expensive than a case where a criminal is sentenced to life without the likelihood of parole (Brown 2). Brown values human life and believes that everyone should die a natural death. The same principles that motivate him to oppose abortion also motivate him to oppose the death penalty. All life is valuable and the only way that the citizens can be sure an innocent person is never executed is by ending the death penalty completely (Brown 2). Roy Brown has a type of bias with his opposition of the death penalty. He is a Catholic so his religious views get in the way of his perspective on the use of capital punishment. Catholics believe that the fundamental respect for human life includes even those guilty of crimes. So Brown, as a Catholic, grew up disliking the death penalty as he has been taught in his religion to love human life. So his view with Catholicism might blur out how he truly views the use of the death penalty without religion involved. Brown, Roy. â€Å"Why Conservatives Should Oppose the Death Penalty.† The Daily Caller. The Daily Caller, 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.