Causes, Effects and Solutions to the Eradicating of...

Is Functional Literacy a Prerequisite for Entering the Labor Market? An Analysis of the Determinants of Adult Literacy and Earnings in Ghana Niels-Hugo Blunch and Dorte Verner Working Paper 00-05 April 2000 Published by Centre for Labour Market and Social Research Universitetsparken, Building 350 8000Aarhus C, Denmark Editor: Peder J. Pedersen Copyrights: Niels-Hugo Blunch and Dorte Verner ISSN 0908-8962 Is Functional Literacy a Prerequisite for Entering the Labor Market? An Analysis of the Determinants of Adult Literacy and Earnings in Ghana Niels-Hugo Blunch The George Washington University and World Bank Dorte Verner World Bank JEL Classifications: I21, J31, O12 Keywords: functional literacy, earnings determinants, Ghana,†¦show more content†¦Alternatively, it could suggest that education is not serving as a signaling device in Ghana. Functional literacy affects selection into the labor market. In developing countries, jobs are rationed (that is, demand-side determined). We therefore interpret this result to indicate that functional literacy is a prerequisite for entering the labor market. This interpretation may partly explain the lack of returns to education. 2 The policy implications of these results are that greater efforts should be devoted to developing functional literacy skills and basic education. Policymakers should aim to increase both the supply and the quality of basic education and literacy programs. Basic education and literacy programs should target females and poorer households, especially in rural areas. The article is organized as follows. Section 2 describes changes in and determinants of literacy. Section 3 describes the Ghanaian economy. Section 4 presents the economic model and the econometric methodology underlying the analysis. Section 5 presents the data and descriptive statistics, and section 6 presents the regression analysis. Section 7 summarizes the article’s findings and draws policy conclusions. 2. CHANGES IN AND DETERMINANTS OF LITERACY Opinions differ widely over how best to define literacy. Unesco defines a functionally literate person as any person 15 or older who can â€Å"read and write a simple statement on his orShow MoreRelatedThe Issues of Breast Cancer in Nigeria Essay1552 Words   |  7 Pagesbreast cancer in Nigeria should be of interest to the average Nigerian. In the year 2005, breast cancer was announced to be the leading cause of deaths from cancer amongst women in Nigeria (Ade, 1). The arousing question would be how much Nigeria is doing about breast cancer? However, before any developed or developing country can even begin planning eradicating this devastating crisis, the people have to be fully educated about this illness. The intelligent question is how much does Nigeria as aRead MorePoverty in America1999 Words   |  8 Pageseat. There are issues with these programs that contribute to the furthering of poverty, but for the most part are more helpful than harmful. 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Veteran Essay Example

During the study, pupils and students are faced with tasks that require them to write an essay on required themes. Veteran Essay Example considers that a notion veteran for the most time is associated with wars and advanced age, which is true but only partially. Veteran Essay Example provides an information about who are veterans and why do we have to honor them. To begin with, it is a matter of importance to understand who is a veteran. The first association with veteran is a war, therefore it means that a veteran is a person who took part in combats and was injured. This association is true, but at the same time, it is not a complete explanation of definition veteran. According to the federal law of the United States, a veteran is every person who served for any period in any military service branch. On the basis of this definition, a veteran could be a war veteran and a combat veteran. A war veteran could be a person, who is ordered to directly participate against an enemy on his or her lands, or who is ordered to be supporting force against an enemy. A combat veteran depends on when and where did he or she served. Unfortunately, not all people, who took part in military service consider themselves as veterans due to the fact that they did not participate in war or combat and did not get an injury during service. At the same time, not ever y acknowledged veteran has a medal due to which civilians recognize veterans as veterans themselves. Some people might think about why they have to honor veterans, even if they have never seen a war. The answer on this thoughts lies upon persons ethical view, and every person must decide for oneself. Nevertheless, apart from this, we have to honor veterans due to the fact that they protected in past or are protecting right now our daily quiet life. Due to their sacrifices and the military service, we have never seen a war, that could take away our relatives and closest friends, or have never been directly affected. We are able to live without fear for our lives and can achieve our life goals. Men and women who just serve in the army, in every moment could be called to active military service in case if a war would be launched. Besides, it is important to remember about veterans and their sacrifices not only during the designated days such as Veterans Day. In case if thoughts about honoring veterans would occur to you, remember that peace has a high price even if those, who paid it, do not see a war. The could be injured at any time and then live all their lives with PTSD and be afraid of any loud sound. It is important to notice the importance of veterans before any war forces us to do it. Any veterans despite their status are worth to be honored. References Dolasia, M. (2013, November 10). Why We Celebrate Veterans Day. Retrieved from http://www.dogonews.com/2013/11/11/why-we-celebrate-veterans-day Fantz, A. (2014, November 11). 5 ways to honor veterans beyond Veterans Day. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/10/living/veterans-day-five-ways-to-help/ Kaplan, L. C. (2004). Veterans day. New York: PowerKids. Klay, P. (2016, July 18). Don’t Confuse Veterans and Violence. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/19/opinion/dont-confuse-veterans-and-violence.html?rref=collection/timestopic/Veterans Puntillo, T. (2013, March 16). Who qualifies as a veteran, anyway?. http://www.dailyrepublic.com/opinion/localopinioncolumnists/who-qualifies-as-a-veteran-anyway/

Video Games And Its Effects On Society - 1632 Words

Technology is a large part of modern society, especially in industrial society. Depending on who you ask, people are either in favour of the advancement in technology or some are against its progression arguing that people have become too reliant. Cellphones are one of the main forms of technology that people talk about most, questioning whether they are a good thing or bad. Many people are also concerned with the advancement in video games, worrying that video games are the cause of crime and violence. What hasn’t been talked about much is the progression in cloning and the growing of human organs in pigs, whether this technology could be considered positive or negative is debatable but there are also ethical concerns to consider. Finally†¦show more content†¦Cells phones have become a part of everyday life, no one leaves home without theirs. The progression with the technology has some people questioning whether cell phones are good and useful or if they have become a dangerous progress trap. The main concern with cell phones is the ability to multitask while using one. Driving while using a cell phone is now illegal and if anyone is caught they get a ticket. Research has been done about the ability to multitask and it has been found that when crossing a busy street the person talking on the phone had a slower reaction time than someone who wasn’t using their phone at all. Even the person who just had their headphones in listening to music while crossing the street had a faster reaction time than the one talking on their phone, but they were still slower than the person who wasn’t using their phone. Cell phones also help people stay in direct contact with friends, family and even people from around the world through texting, video chat like Facetime and Skype, and social apps. These aspects of socialization are not directly negative but people are arguing that it is causing youth to become less social with the people around them. An example of this argument would be when people see a group of youth and see that even though they may be out with each other they are still on their phones texting someone else, browsing Facebook or Twitter and not talking to the friends around them. While this argument is valid, people might

Global Entrepreneurship Cooler Jacket

Question: Discuss about theGlobal Entrepreneurship for Cooler Jacket. Answer: The Innovative Product: The proposed product is a Cooler Jacket. The jacket will have coolant material like ethylene glycol that will give a cool feeling to the one wearing it. Similar kind of jackets are available for the soldiers of some countries like India where the soldiers to perform their duty under high temperature (Shirish et al. 2016). These jackets provide a little relief to them. However, no such outfits are available for others. Therefore, such an innovative product designed for both men and women could be a good and innovative product in the market of Taiwan. Reason of Developing the Product: Taiwan has tropical climate where the summers are dry and warm. In winter as well, the temperature does not fall much (Lin et al. 2014). Both men and women of the region are fashionable and have affinity towards trendy clothes and accessories (Wu et al. 2015). Therefore, a product that will serve both the purpose of relief from scorching heat of the climate and as a trendy outfit shall have great acceptability among the people. Way of Developing the Product: The jackets can be manufactured at the home country and then they could be transported to Taiwan. The jackets could be supplied in the malls and shops where garments and accessories of various brands are available. On the other hand, a manufacturing unit can also be opened in Taiwan where the jackets could be manufactured and supplied to different stores. This will also reduce the manufacturing cost by certain percentage (Froud et al. 2014). References: Froud, J., Johal, S., Leaver, A. and Williams, K., 2014. Financialization across the Pacific: Manufacturing cost ratios, supply chains and power.Critical Perspectives on Accounting,25(1), pp.46-57. Lin, C.Y., Chua, Y.J., Hsu, H.H., Cheng, C.T. and Lin, Y.Y., 2014, May. Altitudinal and latitudinal dependence of future warming in an island of multi climate zones: Taiwan as an example. InEGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts(Vol. 16, p. 1442). Shirish, A., Kapadia, V., Kumar, S., Kumar, S., Mishra, S. and Singh, G., 2016. Effectiveness of a cooling jacket with reference to physiological responses in iron foundry workers.International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics, pp.1-7. Wu, M.S.S., Chaney, I., Chen, C.H.S., Nguyen, B. and Melewar, T.C., 2015. Luxury fashion brands: factors influencing young female consumers luxury fashion purchasing in Taiwan.Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal,18(3), pp.298-319.

Republican Presidents Theodore Roosevelt Taft

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th president of the United State having assumed power after the Assassination of the incumbent president William McKinley (Harbaugh 1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Republican Presidents Theodore Roosevelt Taft specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He was born in 1858 to a wealth New York family, but this did not prevent him from ordinary struggles such as ill health. His rise to the presidency was unexpected, but his leadership skills were not in doubt. Some of the offices he held before the presidency included Assistant Navy secretary, Rough Rider’s colonel, New York Governor, New York assembly man and the US vice president. Theodore Roosevelt won the 1901 presidential elections by a landslide victory. His immediate reaction was, â€Å"I am no longer a political accident† (White House 2). His years in presidency were markedly full of energy as reports indicate he thought himself as an appointed â€Å"steward of the people†. This meant that his actions were guided by whatever he considered fit for the ordinary American citizens. For this reason, he went down in history as among the presidents who led congress through rigorous domestic reforms as well as through the adoption of stronger foreign policies. He assumed power at a time when the US had taken up its first overseas empire and as a result, he and his government had to formulate policies that would protect that empire. One of the successful ways that he accomplished this was by strengthening the country’s army and the navy (O’Brien 349). These would be his government’s tools for bullying other countries into submission. Using the same tools, he was able to obtain land to build the Panama Canal, and also managed to keep other countries from interfering in issues that took place in the western hemisphere as well as in Latin America. His actions as well as his utterances put the entire world on notice that indeed the US was attaining the world power status. The only restrictions to how much reforms T Roosevelt could carry out was the constitution. Defending his actions latter after his presidency, he stated that, â€Å"I did not usurp power, but I did greatly broaden the use of executive power† (Whitehouse (a) 2).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On assuming power in 1901 at only 42 years old, Roosevelt had indicated that he would carry on with some of McKinley’s Policies. However, he also made it clear that he would seek to establish a legacy as an independent president (O’Brien et al 349). And so he set out to work as the president of the United States consequently becoming known as one of the vigorous presidents that the country had ever had. Consequently, he was well loved by the American people. Roosevelt endeared himself to the people by embracing the progressivism reform movement that many of his country men had embraced. He was also a president who preached peace, social change and morality. When dealing with economic policies and politics, Roosevelt retained a non-radical stance thus allowing as many people to voice their opinions on what ought to have been done in politics and economic matters (O’Brien et al. 349). T Roosevelt’s favorite phrase as state by the White House Website was â€Å"Speak softly but carry a big stick†, which has been translated to mean that the power of persuasion can help America achieve much both within its borders and internationally. To the ordinary American, T Roosevelt was a dream president who not only considered the interests of workers, business people and farmers in pushing for reform. To the giant corporations operating in the country at the time, T Roosevelt was like a bad dream come true especially because he pushed for m ore government regulation on them, eventually leading to the creation of anti-trust laws. This meant that the corporations which could not toe the regulations could easily be dissolved. In 1902 for example, just a year after he was elected president, he directed the justice system to use the Sherman anti-trust laws to challenge the Railroad monopoly held by the Northern Securities Company. This led to the dissolution of the railroad monopoly, which was jointly owned by some wealthy business men. Due to his actions against the monopolies, he earned the reputation of a trust buster (O’Brien 349). In his first State of the Union address, soon after taking over power, T Roosevelt stated that he was quite sire that most Americans were convinced that trusts, which were the big corporations had specific features and operational tendencies that hurt the general welfare of other people in the society (Roosevelt 16). He explained that the need to regulate the trusts was not motivated b y personal envy. Nor was a lack of pride in the achievement that some of the corporations had attained. Rather, he stated that he was deeply convicted that â€Å"Combination and concentration should be, not prohibited, but supervised and within reasonable limits controlled†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Roosevelt 16). Considering that the big businesses at that time were considered to engage in cunning business practices that did not work harmoniously with other American businesses.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Republican Presidents Theodore Roosevelt Taft specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Domestic policies During his time, T Roosevelt also pushed for the Bureau of Corporations, which was meant to investigate the operations of interstate Corporations. His actions then were triggered by the extended coal strike that affected the whole country. His intervention in the strike was good news for the workers, since their employer s were able to allow then a favorable settlement. To avoid similar strikes in the labor market, Roosevelt recommended the establishment of the Bureau of Corporations. During this time, he also voiced his support for conservation of America’s coal deposits, rivers, lakes and natural forests (O’Brien et al. 349). He also saw to it that the regulations on railroads were strengthened as well as regulations regarding drugs and food industries. What is revered as Roosevelt’s significant achievement during his years as president was however the â€Å"transfer of 125 million areas of public land into forest reserves† (Harbaugh 4). As a result of Roosevelt’s actions, 51 wildlife sanctuaries were established, 16 national monuments constructed and national parks through out the country doubled. Overall, T Roosevelt’s domestic policy revolved around promoting reforms in the civil service and the country labor. He went down in history as the president wh o took the plight of workers at heart especially after realizing the appalling working and living conditions they were exposed to. He also discontinued the greedy practices of greedy businesspeople much to their chagrin (5). As a result, he earned a name for himself as the agitator for the rights of the ordinary Americans and a president who acted against the special interest of the wealthy and often greedy people. According to Tindall Shi, T Roosevelt was also responsible for involving government in social welfare where the poor too were to be assisted to some extent by government in their day to day living (717). His dedication to the creation of a better civil service and his interest in eliminating corruption in government culminated in his support of the Pendleton Act, which sought to replace political appointment with a merit-based system, which would ensure that only people qualified to handle government jobs would be appointed to the positions. During his time, Roosevelt us ed every possible allowance in the constitution to extend the executive powers. As a result, Tindall Shi notes that he was able to correct the deficiency in power that had existed in the executive branch of governance since the country gained independence (717). This is also believed to be the reason that he was able to achieve so many reforms in the country.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More T Roosevelt’s accomplishments during the first term led to a successful re-election in 1904 defeating the democratic candidate by a wide margin. In his second term, he continued pushing for reforms among which was the square deal. He however faced opposition in congress as most members therein felt that Roosevelt’s stand against the wealthy and often powerful business people was unwarranted (O’Brien 350). Some of his accomplishments in the second term included the enactment of the Hepburn Act, which empowered the interstate commerce commission to enforce regulations on rail services and rates. He also saw to the enactment of the â€Å"Pure Food and Drug Act† as well as the â€Å"Meat Inspection Act†. The Hepburn Act Morris (446) states that â€Å"The enactment of this Act epitomes the realization of one of Roosevelt’s main goal in power: regulating the railroad†. The bill had received such an overwhelming support in Congress that only votes were cast against it). As stated by Morris, â€Å" In the Act, Interstate Commerce Commission was given the mandate to set maximum rates (which had to meet the ‘just and reasonable’ criteria) to be used on the railroads, and was also given the authority to discontinue the free passes that had been issued to people considered loyal shippers† (446). The Pure Food and Drug Act This act was passed by congress in 1906 and sought to regulate opiate addiction in the country by requiring all drugs that contained opium in their ingredients to state so on their labels (Acts, bills and laws 1). This was done in the wake of heightened awareness about risks posed by careless food and drug preparations, which were increasing drug addictions in the American society. Though this was not a Roosevelt an entirely Roosevelt initiative, the president, just like other members of the Congress saw sense in the evidenced presented to them by one doctor Harvey Wiley, who had found out that harmful preservatives had been used previously by meat-packers. There was also evidence that patent medicines were heightening drug addiction among deliberate drug users as well as unsuspecting Americans (Acts, Bills and Laws 1). With the enactment of the Act, the â€Å"Food and Drug Administration† was established and given the responsibility of ensuring that all drugs and food items were adequately tested and certified as fit for human consumption. Further, the Act required patients to have written prescriptions from certified physicians before any drug store could sell them specific drugs. More to this, the manufacturer of â€Å"habit-forming† drugs was required by law to label their drugs appropriately so as to ensure that any consumer of the same had the full knowledge of the drug’s ingredients (Acts, Bills and Laws 3). Though lawmakers in Congress were initially reluctant, ‘Acts, Bills and Laws’ reports that the involvement of Rooseve lt, who was repulsed by the practices used in some slaughterhouses across America helped to overcome some of the reluctance held by the members of congress (4). Meat Inspection Act This act was enacted in 1906 at the height of an uproar created by Upton Sinclair’s book the Jungle which described the disgusting conditions and methods used by meat packers when packing meat and other foods items. In his book, Sinclair had stated that canned beef could very well be from sick cattle, while improper labeling led to consumers getting different contents from what they labeled can stated. â€Å"A can of beef might contain meat from sick cattle. Ground rats and even rat dung might find its way into sausage. Often no chicken was in cans that were labeled as ‘canned chicken’† (McPherson 83). On enactment, the Meat Inspection Act required the department of agriculture to carry thorough inspections on all livestock intended for human consumption before they could finall y be released to slaughterhouses. The Act also sought to ensure that the slaughtering and processing of meat and poultry products was done in hygienic conditions. More to this, the Act made the postmortem inspection of all carcasses a mandatory procedure in all slaughterhouses. The manufacturers also had to ensure that their products were properly branded under the new act in order to avoid misleading consumers. Panama Canal McPherson (83) indicates that â€Å"having used the increased US dominance to acquire land where the Panama Canal would be constructed, president T Roosevelt had started the construction project in 1903 and carried on with the same during his second term†. Still McPherson states that â€Å"the project was borne by the need to create a connection route between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans† (92). Also stated by Tindall Shi is that â€Å"In 1906, T Roosevelt won the Nobel peace Prize for his significant contribution in mediating the Russo-Jap anese War† (717). His efforts contributed to the eventual end of the war. More to this, T Roosevelt also advocated for the enactment of the â€Å"gentleman’s agreement†, an agreement between Japan and the United States, which sought to curb the immigration of Japanese nationals to the United States. Conclusion T Roosevelt was not only a president who had the interest of the American people at heart, he was also a charismatic person who held virtues such as integrity and morality in a high pedestal. Some of his personal principles made the congress resent him, but the support he enjoyed from the American people always ensured that he was in the good books of the electorate. His persuasion skills and his good relations with the press also ensured that he got the public support that was needed to pressurize even the reluctant Congress to establish laws that were favorable to the American citizens. His main weakness is however identified as his lack of consistency in collaborating with Congress (Tindall Shi 717). This jeopardized his ability to enforce as many changes in governance as he would have wished. President William H. Taft William Taft took over from T Roosevelt in 1908. Consequently, he became the 27th US president. The support he received from the popular T Roosevelt pushed him to power on a republican ticket, and political analysts state that his bid for presidency was almost too easy especially because he was riding on the support he received from people who supported T Roosevelt. Four years later when T Roosevelt could not support him due to ideological differences, Taft did not succeed in his re-election bid. In his short stay in office however, Taft had his own policies, promises and beliefs despite having come to power on the promise to carry on the reforms that T Roosevelt had started. In Addition to trust-busting, supporting the Roosevelt established Interstate Commerce Commission and reforming the civil service, Taft sough to improve the operations of the American Postal service. It was also during his tenure that the sixteenth amendment. According to the white house website, Taft was a distinguished jurist before running for president and also an effective administrator. However, he failed the test of being a good president because he did not know how to handle the wars in his government (1). He especially did not know how to handle the battles going on between the conservative politician and the progressives. As a result, he got little or no credit for the achievements that the government made during this regime. Writing later about the campaigns that led him to the presidency, Taft stated that the campaign period was â€Å"one of the most uncomfortable four months of my life† (Benson 69; Whitehouse (a) 4). On taking on power, he was not as intent as Roosevelt in stretching presidential powers. Most notably, his legal background made him a believer in the constitution and thus he thought pres ident should strictly stick to the powers clearly provided by the constitution. Anti-trust laws Among his notable achievements as a president was the initiation of 80 anti-trust laws, which were obviously a continuation of trust-busting that Roosevelt had started (Whitehouse (a) 6). The number of anti-trust suits that were instigates under his regime was twice as many compared to Roosevelt’s two terms in office (United States History 2). â€Å"Some of the major victories that his government had won included the suit against the American Tobacco Company and the Standard Oil† (United States History 5). When his regime instituted a suit against US steel and Morgan however, former president Roosevelt criticized Taft stating that he lacked the knowledge on what trusts to bust, and the trusts that were toeing the regulation and hence deserved being left alone. According to the United States History website, Taft reconsidered the trust-busting tendencies of his regime since 1 911 (3). This was partly motivated by advice he received from his friends and the fact that he thought busting the large corporations was reflecting negative on the country’s economy. This was not however before he had started government regulation on the booming telegraph and telephone sectors (History central 6). Tax reforms In the 1908 campaigns, Taft had promised that his government would institute tax reforms in the country (United States History 4). On assuming office, Taft seemed to have a deliberate effort to pursue the same (Randolph 6). However, he lacked the energy needed to fight for this promise and when the Payne-Aldrich Tariff was introduced, he accepted the same. In the midst of all this, interests groups against the tariff reduction waged a counter-war against congress’s action managing to raise their tariffs on specific items. The Payne-Aldrich tariff was a response by senate on tariff reduction. The author of the bill was a multi-billionaire senator who had every intention to ensure that the tariffs were not revised downwards. As a result, the bill not only lowered few tariffs, but also increased many rates (Rumsch 34). History Central records that although Taft had made a commitment to the American people about lowering the tariffs, his wishes was swept away by congress when only a five percent tariff reduction margin was passed by congress. More specifically, congress reduced the average tariffs from 46 percent to 41 percent. Overall, tariffs of 650 items were lowered, while the same on 220 items were raised, while another 1,150 items had no tariff revisions whatsoever. During his regime, members of congress passed amendments that recommended senators to be directly elected by the people during national elections. Taft reported signed the bill stating that the tariffs therein were better than the previous learning. Postal reforms Taft’s regime was also responsible for establishing a savings system under the postal serv ices (United States History (a) 10). Under the new reforms, which stretched to other areas of the civil service, postmasters and other civil servants were given security of tenure. Before these reforms, civil servants would usually be laid off at the end of every administrative term. Further, the Interstate Commerce Commission, whose re-alignment had started in the Roosevelt regime, was further directed to ensure that all railroad rates were set at affordable and considerate rates. Dollar Diplomacy The Dollar Diplomacy was Taft’s initiation and epitomized his unique way of handling foreign policy (History Central 7). His approach was activist in nature often using the military for its might in the promotion of American interests oversees. When questioned about the same, he stated that it was not only a good policy, but also an extension of what president Monroe had successfully used. In this type of diplomacy, dollars were exchanged with bullets whenever the country had an in terest (Colleta 186).. He also used this a means through which the United States could invest in the infrastructure of developing countries in Asia and Latin America thus building the American relations with the beneficiary countries. According to History Central however, Taft was a major believer that international disputes were best solved through arbitration. His regime however never faced major international conflict. He however ordered the marines to intervene in Nicaragua. Amid internal government disputes, Taft had sent the US marines to Nicaragua in order to protect the American interests and properties therein. This was to be the first among many American interventions in the country. Conservation policies seemed to take a back seat in the Taft administration. According to History Central, the major disappointment under Taft’s administration was the appointment of Richard Ballinger to hear the Interior department. Ballinger was one of Roosevelt’s critics and w as especially against the conservation efforts by the former regime that has seen to the moving of public land as reserve. This meant that he had every intention to open up the land which Roosevelt had put under reserves to people interested in using it for commercial purposes. Ballinger’s action led to a controversy between him and Louis Glavis, who was an employee in the Interior government and a supporter of Roosevelt’s long-time friend Gifford Pichot. This was the infamous Ballinger-Pinchot controversy that arose because the former argued that Ballinger was wrong in opening the coal fields in Alaska to private miners (United States History (c) 2). While an investigation conducted on the matter exonerated Ballinger of any wrongdoing, and in fact upheld his decision on opening the Alaska mines, the controversy really never ended in the public eyes and was in fact thought to have contributed to the withdrawal of support by Roosevelt on Taft’s administration and re-election. This was further complicated by the sacking of Pichot. ICC In business regulation, United States History notes that Taft succeeded in urging Congress to enhance ICC’s powers. This was through Mann-Elkins Act which was enacted in 1910. Under the new ACT, the ICC was given the mandate of suspending or fixing railroad rates as the organization saw fit. The ICC mandate was also extended to control telegraphs, telephones and radio transmission. Under the act, the commerce commission that would operate interstate was also established to handle all matters rising from the ICC (United States History (a) 7). Taft’s administration also undertook executive reform whereby the departments of commerce and labor which were previously joined were separated. This was in response to continuing complexity and intensity of labor issues catching the administration’s attention (United States History (a) 8). Constitutional reforms Constitutional reforms were the next big thing for the Taft administration. The president was in the fore front of efforts to ratify the 16th amendment, which would authorize federal income taxes. The amendment had received support from unlikely quotas, mainly comprising of people who supported tax reforms (United States History (a) 8). They argued that the ratification of the 16 amendment was necessary of the president’s promise of revising tariffs downwards was to become a reality. As noted elsewhere in this essay, the Taft administration recommended the direct election of Senators. This was legally entrenched in the constitution through the 17th amendment which received direct support from President Taft. Under Taft’s regime, Arizona and New Mexico finally joined the Union (United States History (b) 9). Though the president had initially put a veto on state bills presented to him, his contention was mainly because the bill required that judges could be recalled under the state constitutions. To appease th e president, the drafters of this bill had to remove the judges recall provision. When this was done, Taft finally gave his consent thus allowing the two states (Arizona and New Mexico) to formally become part of the Union. Congressional reforms There were also congressional reforms that took place under Taft’s watch. However, as noted elsewhere in this essay, the president was overwhelmed by the in-fighting in congress and hence could not take all the credit for all the achievements. Most notably also is the fact that a lot of congressional reform came straight from congress itself and not from the executive. This then suggests that Taft was not as vibrant in enhancing congressional reform. According to United States History (a), the Congress led congressional reforms were mainly as a result of the conduct of Joseph Cannon who was the sitting speaker at the time (10). He was notorious for thwarting all reforms brought to the house by congress men. Further, he has the powers to appoint people to lead congress committees. Furious about Cannon’s conduct, Congressmen under the leadership of George Norris mobilized efforts to change how congress conducted its business. With majority members supporting such changes, they managed to force the speaker into submission. Among the changes instituted included taking the power to appoint committee members from the speaker and granting it to congressmen. The changes also enhanced the powers of house committees. Overall, Howard Taft is perceived by analyst as a president who relied more on judicial administration rather than activism to lead the country (Miller Center of public affairs 6). His propensity to think over things before implementing decisions made many people perceive him as not only an indecisive president, but also an ineffectual president. This means that his presidency was largely seen as a failure despite having had some admirable achievements during the single term. His worst reaction came to the fore when he faced criticism from Roosevelt and his friends especially after reneging on some of the conservation gains attained in the former regime. When this happened, Miller Center of Public Affairs observes that Taft gave up on trust-busting activities and recoiled to a conservatism position (6). Of essence was hi reluctance to use federal authority granted to the president to enact the 15th amendment, which would have give African-Americans equal rights to participate in general elections (Colleta 28). This failure by Taft that the government carried on with voting requirements that locked American citizens of African origin from the electioneering process. Colleta (28) states that; during his regime, lynching was a common practice by the white population especially residing in the South†. The main targets for this practice were the black community. While the president was fully aware of this, he did nothing to stop it. Whenever his believes were tested however, Taf t always stood for what he believed was true. Colleta continue to indicate that â€Å"Taft had always supported free immigration and hence when a law that restricted immigration to the United States based on one’s literacy test was passed by Congress, Taft failed to assent it stating that it would inhibit free immigration† (42). Conclusion Taft had his fair share of successes. Among his dominant accomplishment were in trust-busting activities, reforms in the civil service and in the rail road reform. He however palled in comparison with Theodore Roosevelt. Unfortunately, the American public seemed to gauge his accomplishments based in Roosevelt’s character. In reality, the two presidents were very distinct. Roosevelt was blunt, daring, confrontation and likeable to the people. More so, he knew how to mobilize support for his policies and he was always ready to confront his opponents. Taft on the other hand was the extreme opposite of Roosevelt both in personalit y and in his approach to governance. He not only had a bland personality that neither appealed to congressmen, but was also unappealing to the American people. He also avoided controversies and believed in toeing the law as stated in the constitution. This explains why he did not approve of Roosevelt mode of governance where executive powers were extended. As a result of his demeanor, he was not a people’s favorite as was the case with Roosevelt. He however had his accomplishment, which were blotted by his personality traits, and failures in his regime which included failing to meet the tariff promises made during his presidential campaigns and his affront on conservation issues when he allowed coal mines in Alaska to be re-opened for use by private minors. Works Cited Acts, Bills and Laws. 1906-The Theodore Roosevelt Administration. Pure Food and Drug Act. N.d. May 13, 2010. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h917.html Benson, Michael. William H. Taft. New York: Twenty-First C entury Books, 2004. Print. Coletta, Paolo, Enrico. Presidency of William Howard Taft. Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 1973. Print Harbaugh, William. Theodore Roosevelt. Dec. 1996. 13 May 2010. http://www.history.com/topics/theodore-roosevelt History Central. William H. Taft. Dec. 2000. 14 may 2010. http://www.historycentral.com/bio/presidents/taft.html Mcpherson, Stephanie. Theodore Roosevelt. Breckenridge, CO: Twenty-First Century Books, 1972. Print Miller Center of Public Affairs. William Howard Taft (1857-1930): A life in Brief. Jan. 2010. 14 May, 2010. http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/taft/essays/biography/1 Morris, Edmund. Theodore Rex. New York: Random House, 2001. Print. O’Brien, Steven, McQuire, Paula McPherso, James. American Political leaders: from Colonial times to the present. Berlin: Verlag fà ¼r die Deutsche Wirtschaft AG, 1991. Print. Randolph, Ryan. How to draw the life and times of William Howard Taft. New York: The Rosen Publishing Gr oup, 2006. Print Roosevelt, Theodore. State of the Union Address. Charleston, SC: BiblioBazaar, 2008. Print. Rumsch, BreAnn. William Taft. New Jersey: ABDO Group, 2009. Print. The White House (a). 26. Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909. N.d. 13 May, 2010. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/theodoreroosevelt The White House (b). 27. William H. Taft 1909-1913. N.d. 14 May 2010. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/williamhowardtaft Tindall, George Shi, David. America: A narrative History. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. Print United States History (a). Taft and Domestic Policy. Sept. 2009. 14 May 2010. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h992.html United States History (b). Tariff of 1909. Sept. 2009. 14 May 2009. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h883.html United States History (c). Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy. Sept. 2009. 14 May 2009. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h985.html This essay on Republican Presidents Theodore Roosevelt Taft was written and submitted by user David Maldonado to help you with your own studies. 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East Asia essays

East Asia essays During the years between 1000 and 1400 the East Asian region saw extensive change and development concerning the nature of the elites that ruled respective countries. In China there was the growth of the examination culture, Japan experienced the emergence of the Samurai, Korea saw the growth of the Yangban, and Vietnam became content with a tribute system to China. Each of the respective countries grew and developed independently and for the most part were able to distance themselves from China and begin to form their own national identity along with their own system of ruling elites. In China there is a definite beginning to the new political elite which stems from the transition from the Tang to Song dynasties culminating in 960. The Zhao Brothers, who are the leaders of the revolution and the only ones able to consolidate power, know that they are only military strong men and realize that they need a system that will help prevent them from loosing power. As a result they look away from the landed aristocracy, that had previously ruled China and in the fighting has been greatly weakened, and focus their attention on creating a new political structure to develop government officials. The Zhao brothers institute the Confucian Examination System (CES), which no longer relies on recommendation but is merit based. The provincial exams are held every three years, with the number of people passing the final exam (Jinshi) being around 100-150 out of the original 100,000. Around this examination system there was now a rise of a new elite, the Literati. With the b eginning of the CES there began a steady decline of military power in China and the emergence of the Literati. During the Mongol invasion the exams were stopped, which led to cultural development of the Literati because they had no political power with the Mongols, but with the re-institution of the exams by the Mongols in 1313 the Literati again begins once again a...

Impact of One Child Policy for Chinese Society Research Paper

Impact of One Child Policy for Chinese Society - Research Paper Example This is due to the forced abortions and sterilizations in China. Moreover, the neglect and abandonment of a girl child in China has caused sharp criticisms against this policy. More significant is the fact that China’s one-child-per-couple policy has been included in the country’s legislation on demographic strategy (Chen 74). This research paper gives a critical analysis and discussion of China’s one-child-per-couple policy with a view of demonstrating its impact on the Chinese society. The background to this policy, conflicts arising out of it and the awareness of the generation on this policy and its impacts are also presented within the paper. Background of the Policy The idea of birth control was introduced in China in the 1950s by a group of various non party intellectuals. This idea is argued to be the origin of China’s one child policy. In the book, The New Population Theory, Professor Yinchu Ma in 1957 argued that the control of the population wou ld be the solution to the problems in child and maternal health. Professor Yinchu Ma also pointed out that the regulation of population growth will reduce the mortality rates within the society. The initial years of the Chinese New Republic was characterized by leaders who revealed support for the control of population growth. This is because leaders in the government attributed the country’s rapid growth of its population as a threat to its food surplus and economic growth (Waldmeir 1). Birth control began to be popularized, especially in the densely populated parts of China. Moreover, propaganda was included in the desire for birth control and reduction of population growth rate. This is demonstrated by the campaigns in the 1960s which popularized and promoted two child family and late marriage (Li, Junjian and Junsen 1535). The birth control policy in China grew from the voluntary birth control programs which were promoted by various social campaigns. Later, the control of population became a state based affair (McLoughlin 305). This was motivated by the rapid rise in the Chinese population, especially in the 1970s, when the additional 250 million people were registered within China. The state governed birth control began as an extension of abortion and contraceptive services to China’s rural areas. This extended into glorification long intervals between child birth, smaller families and later marriages (Chow, Esther and Zhao 37). These campaigns and programs yielded fruits in 1975 when the fertility rate in the rural and urban communities fell below 4% and 1.8% respectively (Yang 320). Nonetheless, the government officials depicted that further growth of the population was inherently inevitable. This is due to the fact that about half of the Chinese society was below the age of 21 years. This was affirmed by the 1982 census which disclosed a 1 billion growth in the Chinese population (Chen 75). Officials predicted that if the trend of populat ion growth persisted, the Chinese population would exceed 1.4 billion people in the turn of the century (McLoughlin 307). The rapid growth of the population was now seen as an apparent thereat to China’s ambitions and strategic plans for economic growth and modernization. As a result of this, in 1979, the one child policy emerged in China. This policy was announced officially in 1980 by the