A MANAGER’S GUIDE TO GOVERNMENT IN THE MARKET PLACE Essay

A MANAGER’S GUIDE TO GOVERNMENT IN THE MARKET PLACE TABLE OF CONTENTS I.INTRODUCTION II.MARKET FAILURE A.MARKET POWER B.EXTERNALITIES C.PUBLIC GOODS D.INCOMPLETE INFORMATION III.RENT SEEKING IV.GOVERNMENT POLICY A.QUOTAS B.TARIFFS V.CONCLUSION I.INTRODUCTION According to Mr. Michael Bay, author of the Book, â€Å"Managerial Economics and Business Strategy†, they have treated the market as a place where firms and consumers come together to trade goods and services with no intervention from government. But as you are aware, rules and regulations that are passed and enforced by government enter into almost every decision firms and consumers make. As a manager, it is important to understand the regulations passed by government, why such regulations have been passed, and how they affect optimal managerial decisions. We will begin by examining four reasons why free markets may fail to provide the socially efficient quantities of goods: (1) market power, (2) externalities, (3) public goods, and (4) incomplete information. The book analysis includes an overview of government policies designed to alleviate these â€Å"market failures† and an explanation of how the policies affect managerial decisions. The power of politicians to  institute policies that affect the allocation of resources in markets provides those adversely affected with an incentive to engage in lobbying activities. The book will illustrate the underlying reasons for these types of rent-seeking activities. The book will examine how these activities can lead politicians to impose restrictions such as quotas and tariffs in markets affected by international trade. LEARNING OBJECTIVES †¢Identify four sources of market failure †¢Explain why market power reduces social welfare, and identify two types of government policies aimed at reducing deadweight loss. †¢Show why externalities can lead competitive markets to provide socially inefficient quantities of goods and services; explain how government policies, such as the Clean Air Act, can improve resource allocation. †¢Show why competitive markets fail to provide socially efficient levels of public goods; explain how the government can mitigate these inefficiencies. †¢Explain why incomplete information compromises the efficiency of markets, and identify five government policies aimed at mitigating these problems. †¢Explain why government attempts to solve market failures can lead to additional inefficiencies because of â€Å"rent-seeking† activities. †¢Show how government policies in international markets, such as quotas and tariffs, impact the prices and quantities of domestic goods and services. II.MARKET FAILURE Market failure is a concept within economic theory describing when the allocation of goods and services by a free market is not efficient. That is, there exists another conceivable outcome where a market participant may be made better-off without making someone else worse-off. Market failures can be viewed as scenarios where individuals’ pursuit of pure self-interest leads to results that are not efficient – that can be improved upon from the societal point-of-view. The existence of a market failure is often used as a justification for government intervention in a particular market. Economists, especially microeconomists, are often concerned with the causes of correction. Such analysis plays an important role in many types of public  policy decisions and studies. However, some types of government policy interventions, such as taxes, subsidies, bailouts, wage and price controls, and regulations, including attempts to correct market failure, may also lead to an inefficient allocation of resources, sometimes called government failure. HOW IT WORKS / EXAMPLE: Under free market conditions, prices are determined almost exclusively by the forces of supply and demand. Any shift in one of these results in a price change that signals a corresponding shift in the other. Then, the prices return to an equilibrium level. A market failure results when prices cannot achieve equilibrium because of market distortions (for example, minimum wage requirements or price limits on specific goods and services) that restrict economic output. In the other words, government regulations implemented to promote social wellbeing inevitably result in a degree of market failure. MARKET POWER Market power is the ability of a form to profitably raise the market price of a good or service over marginal cost. In perfectly competitive markets, market participants have no market power. A firm with total market power can raise prices without losing any customers to competitors. Market participants that have market power are therefore sometimes referred to as â€Å"price makers†, while those without are sometimes called â€Å"price takers†. Significant market power is when prices exceed marginal cost and long run average cost, so the firm makes economic profits. HOW IT WORKS / EXAMPLE: The macroeconomics concept of perfect competition assumes that no one producer can set a price for the whole market. Among companies that produce similar goods and services, all have varying levels of market power, but none are sufficient to effect a sustainable price change. In other words, all producers must compete based on a collective market price. A monopoly is the best example of a company with substantial market power. With little or no competition, a monopoly can, for example, raise market prices by reducing its level of output. ï  ®Market power is the ability of a firm to set P > MC. ï  ®Firms with market power produce socially inefficient output levels. ïÆ'ËœToo little output ïÆ'ËœPrice exceeds MC ïÆ'ËœDeadweight loss ïÆ'ËœDollar value of society’s welfare loss ANTITRUST POLICY An antitrust policy is designed to affect competition. The general goal behind such a policy is to keep markets open and competitive. These regulations are used by different governments around the world although the laws often vary. Broadly speaking, antitrust law seek to wrong competitor businesses from anti competitive practices. The goals of antitrust policy is to (1) To eliminate deadweight loss of monopoly and promote social welfare and (2) Make it illegal for managers to pursue strategies that foster monopoly power. PRICE REGULATIONS Government oversight or direct government control over the price charged in a market, especially by a firm with market control. Price regulation is most commonly used for public utilities characterized as natural monopolies. If allowed to maximize profit restrained, the price charged would exceed marginal cost and production would be inefficient. However, because such firms, as public utilities, produce output that is deemed essential or critical for the public, government steps in to regulate or control the price. The two most common methods of price regulation are marginal-cost pricing and average-cost pricing. Graphical presentation of Marginal-Cost Pricing: EXTERNALITIES An externalities is a cost or benefit which results from an activity or transaction and which results from an activity or transaction and which affects an otherwise uninvolved party who did not choose to incur that cost or benefit. For example, manufacturing activities which cause air pollution impose health and clean-up costs on the whole society, while the neighbors  of an individual who chooses to fire-proof his home may benefit from a reduced risk of a fire spreading to their own house. If external cost exist, such pollution, the producer may choose to produce more of the product than would be produced if he were required to pay all associated environmental costs. If there are external benefits, such as in public safety, less of the good may be produced than would be the case if the producer were to receive payment for the external benefits to others. For the purpose of these statements, overall cost and benefit to society is defined as the sum of the imputed monetary value of benefits and costs to all parties involved. Thus, it is said that, for good with externalities, unregulated market prices do not reflect the full social costs or benefit of the transaction. Government regulations may induce the socially efficient level of output by forcing firms to internalize pollution costs. Example of this is the Clean Air Act of 1970. EXAMPLES OF EXTERNALITIES A negative externality is an action of a product on consumers that imposes a negative effect on a third party; it is â€Å"social cost†. ïÆ'ËœAir pollution – from burning fossil fuels causes damages to crops, (historic) buildings and public health. ïÆ'ËœAnthropogenic climate change – is attributed to greenhouse gas emissions from burning oil, gas and coal. ïÆ'ËœWater pollution – by industries that adds effluent which harms, animals and human. ïÆ'ËœNoise pollution – which may be is mentally and psychologically disruptive. ïÆ'ËœSystem risk – describe the risks to the overall economy arising from the risks which the banking system takes. Socially Efficient Equilibrium: Internal and External Costs PUBLIC GOODS In economics, a public good is a good that is both non-excludable and non-rivalrous in that individuals cannot be effectively excluded from use and where use by one individual does not reduce availability to others.[1] Examples of public goods include fresh air, knowledge, lighthouses, national defense, flood control systems and street lighting. Public goods that are available everywhere are sometimes referred to as global public goods. Many public goods may at times be subject to excessive use resulting in  negative externalities affecting all users; for example air pollution and traffic congestion. Public goods problems are often closely related to the â€Å"free-rider† problem, in which people not paying for the good may continue to access it, or the tragedy of the commons, where consumption of a shared resource by individuals acting in their individual and immediate self-interest diminishes or even destroys the original resource. Thus, the good may be under-produced, overused or degraded.[2] Public goods may also become subject to restrictions on access and may then be considered to be club goods or private goods; exclusion mechanisms include copyright, patents, congestion pricing, and pay television. Uncoordinated markets driven by self-interested parties may be unable to provide these goods. There is a good deal of debate and literature on how to measure the significance of public goods problems in an economy, and to identify the best remedies. Graphical presentation of Public Goods: ïÆ'ËœNonrival: A good which when consumed by one person does not preclude other people from also consuming the good. †¢Example: Radio signals, national defense ïÆ'ËœNonexclusionary: No one is excluded from consuming the good once it is provided. †¢Example: Clean air ïÆ'˜â€Å"Free Rider† Problem – Individuals have little incentive to buy a public good because of their nonrival & nonexclusionary nature. Public goods provide a very important example of market failure, in which market-like behavior of individual gain-seeking does not produce efficient results. The production of public goods results in positive externalities which are not remunerated. If private organizations don’t reap all the benefits of a public good which they have produced, their incentives to produce it voluntarily might be insufficient. Consumers can take advantage of public goods without contributing sufficiently to their creation. This is called the free rider problem, or occasionally, the â€Å"easy rider problem† (because consumers’ contributions will be small but non-zero). If too many consumers decide to ‘free-ride’, private costs exceed private benefits and the  incentive to provide the good or service through the market disappears. The market thus fails to provide a good or service for which there is a need. The free rider problem depends on a conception of the human being as homo economicus: purely rational and also purely selfish—extremely individualistic, considering only those benefits and costs that directly affect him or her. Public goods give such a person an incentive to be a free rider. For example, consider national defense, a standard example of a pure public good. Suppose homo economicus thinks about exerting some extra effort to defend the nation. The benefits to the individual of this effort would be very low, since the benefits would be distributed among all of the millions of other people in the country. There is also a very high possibility that he or she could get injured or killed during the course of his or her military service. INCOMPLETE INFORMATION For markets to function efficiently, participants must have reasonably good information about things such as prices, quality, available technologies, and the risks associated with working in certain jobs or consuming certain products. When participants in the market have incomplete information about such things, the result will be inefficiencies in input usage and in firms’ output. †¢Participants in a market that have incomplete information about prices, quality, technology, or risks may be inefficient. †¢The Government serves as a provider of information to combat the inefficiencies caused by incomplete and/or asymmetric information. Government Policies Designed to Mitigate Incomplete Information †¢OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) – the regulations are carried out by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). One of the more severe causes of market failure is asymmetric information, a situation where some market participants have better information than others †¢SEC (Security and Exchange Commission) †¢Certification – Another policy government uses to disseminate information and reduce asymmetric information is the certification of skills and/or authenticity. The purpose of certification is to centralize the cost of gathering information. †¢Truth in lending – Regulation Z and TLSA require that all creditors comply with the act. A creditor is defined as anyone who loans money subject to a finance charge, where the money is to be paid back in four or more installments. A creditor must also be the person to whom the original obligation is payable. TLSA has some exemptions regarding the types of loans covered, the most notable being business, agricultural, and commercial loans. †¢Truth in advertising – This advantage may give firms an incentive to make false claims about the merits of their products to capitalize on consumers’ lack of information. †¢Contract enforcement – Another way government solves the problems of asymmetric information is through contract enforcement. For example, suppose your boss â€Å"promised† you payment for labor services at the end of the month. After you have worked for a month, your boss refuses to pay you—in effect gaining a month’s worth of your labor for free. III.RENT SEEKING Rent seeking is an attempt to obtain economic rent by manipulating the social or political environment in which economic activities occur, rather than by creating new wealth. A simple definition of rent seeking is spending resources in order to gain by increasing one’s share of existing wealth, instead of trying to create wealth. †¢Government policies will generally benefit some parties at the expense of others. †¢Lobbyists spend large sums of money in an attempt to affect these policies. †¢This process is known as rent-seeking. An Example: Seeking Monopoly Rights †¢Firm’s monetary incentive to lobby for monopoly rights: A †¢Consumers’ monetary incentive to lobby against monopoly: A+B. †¢Firm’s incentive is smaller than consumers’ incentives. †¢But, consumers’ incentives are spread among many different individuals. †¢As a result, firms often succeed in their lobbying efforts. IV.GOVERNMENT POLICY Sometimes rent seeking manifests itself in the form of government involvement in international markets. Such policies usually take the form of tariffs or quotas that are designed to benefit specific firms and workers at the expense of others. In this section, we will examine how government tariff and quota policies affect managerial decisions. QUOTA ïÆ'ËœLimit on the number of units of a product that a foreign competitor can bring into the country. ïÆ'ËœReduces competition, thus resulting in higher prices, lower consumer surplus, and higher profits for domestic firms. TARIFF ïÆ'ËœLump sum tariff: a fixed fee paid by foreign firms to enter the domestic market. ïÆ'ËœExcise tariff: a per unit fee on each imported product. †¢Causes a shift in the MC curve by the amount of the tariff which in turn decreases the supply of all foreign firms. V.CONCLUSION ïÆ'ËœMarket power, externalities, public goods, and incomplete information create a potential role for government in the marketplace. ïÆ'ËœGovernment’s presence creates rent-seeking incentives, which may undermine its ability to improve matters.

The Host Chapter 37: Wanted

There was a pattern to the wins. If Jared and Kyle played together, they won. If Jared played with Ian, then that team would win. It seemed to me that Jared could not be defeated, until I saw the brothers play together. At first it seemed to be a strained thing, for Ian at least, playing as teammates with Kyle. But after a few minutes of running in the dark, they fell into a familiar pattern-a pattern that had existed since long before I'd come to this planet. Kyle knew what Ian would do before Ian did it, and vice versa. Without having to speak, they told each other everything. Even when Jared pulled all the best players to his side-Brandt, Andy, Wes, Aaron, Lily, and Maggie as goalie-Kyle and Ian were victorious. â€Å"Okay, okay,† Jeb said, catching Aaron's goal attempt with one hand and tucking the ball under his arm. â€Å"I think we all know the winners. Now, I hate to be a party pooper, but there's work waiting†¦ and, to be honest, I'm bushed.† There were a few halfhearted protests and a few moans, but more laughter. No one seemed too upset to have the fun end. From the way a few people sat down right where they were and put their heads between their knees to breathe, it was clear Jeb wasn't the only one who was tired out. People began to drift out in twos and threes. I scooted to one side of the corridor's mouth, making room for them to pass, probably on their way to the kitchen. It had to be past time for lunch, though it was hard to mark the hour in this black hole. Through the gaps in the line of exiting humans, I watched Kyle and Ian. When the game was called, Kyle had raised his hand for a high five, but Ian had stalked past him without acknowledging the gesture. Then Kyle caught his brother's shoulder and spun him around. Ian knocked Kyle's hand away. I tensed for a fight-and it seemed like one at first. Kyle threw a punch toward Ian's stomach. Ian dodged it easily, though, and I saw that there was no force behind it. Kyle laughed and used his superior reach to rub his fist into Ian's scalp. Ian smacked that hand away, but this time he halfway smiled. â€Å"Good game, bro,† I heard Kyle say. â€Å"You've still got it.† â€Å"You're such an idiot, Kyle,† Ian answered. â€Å"You got the brains; I got the looks. Seems fair.† Kyle threw another half-strength punch. This time, Ian caught it and twisted his brother into a headlock. Now he was really smiling, and Kyle was cussing and laughing at the same time. It all looked very violent to me; my eyes narrowed, tight with the stress of watching. But at the same time, it brought to mind one of Melanie's memories: three puppies rolling on the grass, yapping furiously and baring their teeth as if their only desire was to rip out their brothers' throats. Yes, they're playing, Melanie confirmed. The bonds of brotherhood go deep. As they should. This is right. If Kyle really doesn't kill us, this will be a good thing. If, Melanie repeated morosely. â€Å"Hungry?† I looked up, and my heart stopped beating for a slightly painful moment. It seemed that Jared was still a believer. I shook my head. This gave me the moment I needed to be able to speak to him. â€Å"I'm not sure why, since I've done nothing besides sit here, but I'm just tired.† He held out his hand. Get a hold of yourself, Melanie warned me. He's just being courteous. You think I don't know that? I tried to keep my hand from shaking as I reached for his. He pulled me carefully to my feet-to my foot, really. I balanced there on my good leg, not sure how to proceed. He was confused, too. He still held my hand, but there was a wide space between us. I thought of how ridiculous I would look hopping through the caves, and felt my neck get warm. My fingers curled around his, though I wasn't really using him for support. â€Å"Where to?† â€Å"Ah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned. â€Å"I don't really know. I suppose there's still a mat by the ho-in the storage area.† He frowned back, liking that idea no better than I did. And then a strong arm was under my arms, supporting my weight. â€Å"I'll get her where she needs to go,† Ian said. Jared's face was careful, the way he looked at me when he didn't want me to know what he was thinking. But he was looking at Ian now. â€Å"We were just discussing where exactly that would be. She's tired. Maybe the hospital†¦?† I shook my head at the same time Ian did. After the past horrible days spent there, I didn't think I could bear the room I'd once misguidedly feared. Especially Walter's empty bed†¦ â€Å"I've got a better place for her,† Ian said. â€Å"Those cots aren't much softer than rock, and she's got a lot of sore spots.† Jared still held my hand. Did he realize how tightly he was gripping it? The pressure was starting to get uncomfortable, but he didn't seem aware. And I certainly wasn't going to complain. â€Å"Why don't you get lunch?† Jared suggested to Ian. â€Å"You look hungry. I'll take her wherever you had planned†¦?† Ian chuckled, a low, dark sound. â€Å"I'm fine. And honestly, Jared, Wanda needs a bit more help than a hand. I don't know if you're†¦ comfortable enough with the situation to give her that. You see -â€Å" Ian paused to lean down and pull me quickly up into his arms. I gasped as the movement tugged at my side. Jared didn't free my hand. My fingertips were turning red. â€Å"-she's actually had enough exercise for one day, I think. You go on ahead to the kitchen.† They stared at each other while my fingertips turned purple. â€Å"I can carry her,† Jared finally said in a low voice. â€Å"Can you?† Ian challenged. He held me out, away from his body. An offer. Jared stared at my face for a long minute. Then he sighed and dropped my hand. Ow, that hurts! Melanie complained. She was referring to the sudden lance of pain that shot through my chest, not the return of blood to my fingers. Sorry. What do you want me to do about it? He's not yours. Yes. I know that. Ow. Sorry. â€Å"I think I'll tag along,† Jared said as Ian, with a tiny, triumphant smile hovering around the edges of his mouth, turned and headed toward the exit. â€Å"There's something I want to discuss with you.† â€Å"Suit yourself.† Jared didn't discuss anything at all as we walked through the dark tunnel. He was so quiet, I wasn't sure he was still there. But when we broke out into the light of the cornfield again, he was right beside us. He didn't speak until we were through the big plaza-until there was no one around but the three of us. â€Å"What's your take on Kyle?† he asked Ian. Ian snorted. â€Å"He prides himself on being a man of his word. Usually, I would trust a promise from him. In this situation†¦ I'm not letting her out of my sight.† â€Å"Good.† â€Å"It will be fine, Ian,† I said. â€Å"I'm not afraid.† â€Å"You don't have to be. I promise-no one is ever going to do something like this to you again. You will be safe here.† It was hard to look away from his eyes when they blazed like that. Hard to doubt anything he said. â€Å"Yes,† Jared agreed. â€Å"You will.† He was walking just behind Ian's shoulder. I couldn't see his expression. â€Å"Thanks,† I whispered. No one spoke again until Ian paused at the red and gray doors that leaned over the entrance to his cave. â€Å"Would you mind getting that?† Ian said to Jared, nodding toward the doors. Jared didn't move. Ian turned around so we could both see him; his face was careful again. â€Å"Your room? This is your better place?† Jared's voice was full of skepticism. â€Å"It's her room now.† I bit my lip. I wanted to tell Ian that of course this wasn't my room, but I didn't get a chance before Jared began questioning him. â€Å"Where's Kyle staying?† â€Å"With Wes, for now.† â€Å"And you?† â€Å"I'm not exactly sure.† They stared at each other with appraising eyes. â€Å"Ian, this is -† I started to say. â€Å"Oh,† he interrupted, as if just remembering me†¦ as if my weight was so insignificant that he'd forgotten I was here. â€Å"You're exhausted, aren't you? Jared, could you get the door, please?† Wordlessly, Jared wrenched the red door back with a bit too much force and shoved it on top of the gray one. I now really saw Ian's room for the first time, with the noon sun filtering down through the narrow cracks in the ceiling. It wasn't as bright as Jamie and Jared's room, or as tall. It was smaller, more proportionate. Roundish-sort of like my hole, only ten times the size. There were two twin mattresses on the floor, shoved against opposite walls to make a narrow aisle between them. Against the back wall, there was a long, low wooden cupboard; the left side had a pile of clothes on top, two books, and a stack of playing cards. The right side was completely empty, though there were shapes in the dust that indicated this was a recent occurrence. Ian set me carefully down on the right mattress, arranging my leg and straightening the pillow under my head. Jared stood in the doorway, facing the passageway. â€Å"That okay?† Ian asked me. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You look tired.† â€Å"I shouldn't be-I've done nothing but sleep lately.† â€Å"Your body needs sleep to heal.† I nodded. I couldn't deny that it was hard to hold up my eyelids. â€Å"I'll bring you food later-don't worry about anything.† â€Å"Thank you. Ian?† â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"This is your room,† I mumbled. â€Å"You'll sleep here, of course.† â€Å"You don't mind?† â€Å"Why would I?† â€Å"It's probably a good idea-best way to keep an eye on you. Get some sleep.† â€Å"Okay.† My eyes were already closed. He patted my hand, and then I heard him get to his feet. A few seconds later, the wooden door clunked softly against stone. What do you think you're doing? Melanie demanded. What? What did I do now? Wanda, you're†¦ mostly human. You must realize what Ian will think of your invitation. Invitation? I could see the direction of her thoughts now. It's not like that. This is his room. There are two beds here. There aren't enough sleeping areas for me to have my own space. Of course we should share. Ian knows that. Does he? Wanda, open your eyes. He's starting to†¦ How do I explain it so that you'll understand right? To feel about you†¦ the way you feel about Jared. Can't you see that? I couldn't answer for two heartbeats. That's impossible, I finally said. â€Å"Do you think what happened this morning will influence Aaron or Brandt?† Ian asked in a low voice from the other side of the doors. â€Å"You mean Kyle getting a bye?† â€Å"Yeah. They didn't have to†¦ do anything before. Not when it looked so likely that Kyle would do it for them.† â€Å"I see your point. I'll speak to them.† â€Å"You think that will be enough?† Ian asked. â€Å"I've saved both their lives. They owe me. If I ask them for something, they'll do it.† â€Å"You'd bet her life on that?† There was a pause. â€Å"We'll keep an eye on her,† Jared finally said. Another long silence. â€Å"Aren't you going to go eat?† Jared asked. â€Å"I think I'll hang out here for a bit†¦ How about you?† Jared didn't answer. â€Å"What?† Ian asked. â€Å"Is there something you want to say to me, Jared?† â€Å"The girl in there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jared said slowly. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"That body doesn't belong to her.† â€Å"Your point?† Jared's voice was hard when he answered. â€Å"Keep your hands off it.† A low chuckle from Ian. â€Å"Jealous, Howe?† â€Å"That's not really the issue.† â€Å"Really.† Ian was sarcastic now. â€Å"Wanda seems to be, more or less, cooperating with Melanie. It sounds like they're almost†¦ on friendly terms. But obviously Wanda's making the decisions. What if it were you? How would you feel if you were Melanie? What if you were the one†¦ invaded that way? What if you were trapped, and someone else was telling your body what to do? If you couldn't speak for yourself? Wouldn't you want your wishes-as much as they could be known-respected? At the very least by other humans?† â€Å"Okay, okay. Point taken. I'll keep that in mind.† â€Å"What do you mean, you'll keep that in mind?† Jared demanded. â€Å"I mean that I'll think about it.† â€Å"There's nothing to think about,† Jared retorted. I knew how he would look from the sound of his voice-teeth clenched, jaw strained. â€Å"The body and the person locked inside it belong to me.† â€Å"You're sure that Melanie still feels the -â€Å" â€Å"Melanie will always be mine. And I will always be hers.† Always. Melanie and I were suddenly at opposite ends of the spectrum. She was flying, elated. I was†¦ not. We waited anxiously through the next silence. â€Å"But what if it were you?† Ian asked in little more than a whisper. â€Å"What if you were stuffed in a human body and let loose on this planet, only to find yourself lost among your own kind? What if you were such a good†¦ person that you tried to save the life you'd taken, that you almost died trying to get her back to her family? What if you then found yourself surrounded by violent aliens who hated you and hurt you and tried to murder you, over and over again?† His voice faltered momentarily. â€Å"What if you just kept doing whatever you could to save and heal these people despite that? Wouldn't you deserve a life, too? Wouldn't you have earned that much?† Jared didn't answer. I felt my eyes getting moist. Did Ian really think so highly of me? Did he really think I'd earned the right to a life here? â€Å"Point taken?† Ian pressed. â€Å"I-I'll have to think about that one.† â€Å"Do that.† â€Å"But still -â€Å" Ian interrupted him with a sigh. â€Å"Don't get worked up. Wanda isn't exactly human, despite the body. She doesn't seem to respond to†¦ physical contact the same way a human would.† Now Jared laughed. â€Å"Is that your theory?† â€Å"What's funny?† â€Å"She is quite capable of responding to physical contact,† Jared informed him, his tone suddenly sober again. â€Å"She's human enough for that. Or her body is, anyway.† My face went hot. Ian was silent. â€Å"Jealous, O'Shea?† â€Å"Actually†¦ I am. Surprisingly so.† Ian's voice was strained. â€Å"How would you know that?† Now Jared hesitated. â€Å"It was†¦ sort of an experiment.† â€Å"An experiment?† â€Å"It didn't go the way I thought it would. Mel punched me.† I could hear that he was grinning at the memory, and I could see, in my head, the little lines fanning out around his eyes. â€Å"Melanie†¦ punched†¦ you?† â€Å"It sure wasn't Wanda. You should have seen her face†¦ What? Hey, Ian, easy, man!† â€Å"Did you think for one moment what that must have done to her?† Ian hissed. â€Å"Mel?† â€Å"No, you fool, Wanda!† â€Å"Done to Wanda?† Jared asked, sounding bewildered by the idea. â€Å"Oh, get out of here. Go eat something. Stay away from me for a few hours.† Ian didn't give him a chance to answer. He yanked the door out of his way-roughly but very quietly-and then slid into his room and put the door back in its place. He turned and met my gaze. From his expression, he was surprised to find me awake. Surprised and chagrined. The fire in his eyes blazed and then slowly dimmed. He pursed his lips. He cocked his head to one side, listening. I listened, too, but Jared's retreat made no sound. Ian waited for another moment, then sighed and plunked down on the edge of his mattress, across from me. â€Å"I guess we weren't as quiet as I thought,† he said. â€Å"Sound carries in these caves,† I whispered. He nodded. â€Å"So†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he finally said. â€Å"What do you think?†

Brain Mechanisms Controlling Drug Addiction Reinforcement

Brain Mechanisms Controlling Drug Addiction Reinforcement Discuss how theories relate drug addiction to endogenous brain mechanisms controlling reinforcement, and look at how these theories may be used to improve the effectiveness of treatment of addiction In psycho-biological terms addiction is regarded as the perceived need for a drug or substance and the potential for the subsequent re-use of that substance often manifesting itself in a pattern of drug induced behaviour. This has indicated a connection between the behavioural pattern of a user and the biological cravings that are associated with this pattern of behaviour. Due to this relationship between dependent and abusive behaviour patterns and the biological and psychological cravings for the wanted substances, research has gone into establishing the effects of drug addiction and their basis in psychology resulting in many neurobiological models. In terms of patterns of behaviour, operant conditioning provides a convenient, easy and reliable way of adjusting any subject’s pa ttern of behaviour under the conditioning of a controlled and changeable environmental. This has been conducted in research in an easily observable manner that was then able to account for factors pertaining to addiction and the potential for abuse through accordance to a pre-devised model. Through the notions of positive regard, response and reward and through shaping behaviours this could then be adjusted to test any independent variable. This acts as a convenient methodology for observing the effects of drugs and was devised by early Psychopharmacological researchers in a bid to examine the relationship between drug use and behaviour patterns. One such piece of seminal research that incorporated this relationship was conducted by Dews (1953). In his founding study, Dew began a program of operant studies in an attempt to observe the behavioural effects of drugs to see how it could act as a precursor for addiction. His initial experiments on the behavioural patterns observed in ani mals led to the establishment that a schedule of reinforcement maintaining a pattern of behaviour could play a critical role in determining the effects of a drug (Dews, 1955). Through operant conditioning and behavioural observation he was able to discern that the dose-effects of the drugs used in his experiment varied in terms of performances that were maintained under two different schedules of reinforcement. However, he was also able to observe that there was a dose range in which the rate of behaviour would increase in one schedule condition, whilst it decreased in the other condition. This was an early indication that drug addiction depended upon the schedule as much as it did the dosage. Essentially, addiction was determined by patterns of behaviour as much as patterns of behaviour were determined by drug usage. In these early experiments, Dews was able to ascertain that stimulants would increase the probability of a pattern of behaviour as it pertained to the relevant classif ication of a drug. However, he was also able to note that the drug could decrease the probability of any given pattern of behaviour itself. This research indicated that there was a variety of concepts at play within the role of addiction, such as tolerance, abuse, dependency and reward. In contemporary research, we can see that these factors have been incorporated in an attempt to identify the mechanisms in the brain that lead to dependency, abuse and addiction through the parsing of reward. This was devised by Berridge et al (2003) as the investigation to find the neuro-pharmacological basis for three main psychological components essential to the parsing of reward and onset of addiction. These were the concepts of learning that included the explicit and implicit knowledge produced by associative conditioning and cognitive processes, an affect or emotion such as implicit ‘liking’ and conscious pleasure associated with the experience of the drug, and motivation; suggest ed as the implicit incentive salient ‘wanting’ and the accompanying cognitive incentive goals. Essentially, this three way split revealed that learning (Dews schedules of reinforcement), craving (the perceived effect of the drug) and habit (Dews patterns of behaviour) were the major contributing and operating factors in the role of addiction.

KM at GlaxoSmithKline and McKinsey & Co Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

KM at GlaxoSmithKline and McKinsey & Co - Essay Example GSK by end-2005 was the world's third largest pharmaceutical company in terms of market capitalisation (85.5 billion) and is in the top tier of global industry competitors in turnover (21.7 billion), operating profits (6.9 billion), employees (over 100,000), products in development (149), and profitability (12 of 30 major products each had sales over 500 million) (GSK, 2006). GSK resulted from the 2000 merger between two English global healthcare businesses - Glaxo Wellcome plc and SmithKline Beecham plc -, and has its headquarters in London, two operational headquarters in the U.S., principal research and development (R&D) labs in the U.S., Japan, Italy, Spain, and Belgium, manufacturing plants in 37, operations in 119, and sales offices in 130 countries (GSK, 2006). Business competition and survival in the industry is characterised by getting the right number of products to the right markets at an affordable price and at the right time (Stiglitz, 2002, p. 224). Companies need to achieve efficiencies at all stages of each product's life cycle: from establishing the target strategy (which sickness to address and compounds to test), to testing and licensing (getting government approval takes years), commercialisation (where and how to sell, at what price, and which distribution network to use), and supply chain management (manufacturing and getting drugs to the patients who need them). Stiff competition from generics, rising product development costs, growing R&D failure rates, and increasing legal threats push GSK to develop drugs faster, safer, and more profitably. This is where KM initiatives are important. With over 100,000 employees - many among them top scientists that gave us retroviral drugs for HIV, vaccines for deadly hepatitis, medications for ulcers and erectile dysfunction, and Horlicks for nutrition - GSK is a repository of immense knowledge that can be shared efficiently and effectively. McKinsey & Company: An Overview McKinsey & Company is a privately held U.S.-based management consulting established in 1926 as an accounting and engineering analysis firm. The legendary Marvin Bower, Managing Director from 1950 to 1967, led its growth and development into a global power by transforming a small technical-oriented company into one of the most knowledge-based firms within the global management consulting industry (Edersheim, 2004). McK, with 2004 annual revenues of $3.5 billion and 11,500 staff working in 80 offices in 40 countries is highly profitable, has a strong brand image, and spends at least 10 percent of its annual revenues on managing and sharing knowledge. In comparison with other giants like IBM and Accenture, McK is the 8th largest in annual revenues (MCI, 2004). McK has been consistently recognised for developing knowledge workers through senior management leadership,

Project Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project Proposal - Essay Example Till now, the human resource department’s services have been performed informally by the top management that has been multitasking, but now the need of a proper department with established procedures and distribution of authority is just too serious to be ignored. This research leads to a convenient, cost effective, and quick way of establishing the HRD at Arzaq. Project Proposal Both primary and secondary sources will be consulted to identify the most suitable way to establish the HRD at Arzaq. Literature review and market analysis leads to the information that the best way to establish the HRD is to review the organizational structure of other organizations of comparable size and ideally performing similar services, and the way the HRD is functioning in them. A good company to compare in this case is Naeem Foods (2005) that is based in a number of cities in Saudi Arabia including Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah. HR Director of Naeem Foods can be interviewed for guidance regarding how to start with establishing the HRD at Arzaq, what technology to purchase, and where to get the workers trained from. Project milestones and timing The main objective of this project is to successfully establish the HRD at Arzaq that quickly fits into the organization’s culture and helps the company improve the quality of performance of the workers.

Nursing Research Utilization Project Proposal Essay

Nursing Research Utilization Project Proposal - Essay Example 5). ESRD and ESRF is diagnosed when the patient loses 85% to 90% of kidney function, which necessitates dialysis, because kidneys can no longer remove toxins from the blood. Dialysis circulates blood on one side of a semipermeable membrane, while the other side circulates dialysis fluid. (Answers.com). Patients on dialysis have to spend four hours, three times a week, which makes dialysis treatment very demanding for the patient (Sonnier, 2000, p. 5). ... Information reinforcement techniques worked in the Barnett (2007) study - after 26 weeks, this group reduced their average IDWG from 2.64 kg to 2.21 kg, and the rate of fluid adherence increased from 47% to 71.5% (Barnett et al. pp. 304-305). Cognitive behavioral therapy has proven effective in the research – for instance, a study conducted by Christensen et al. (2002). In this study the intervention group received a protocol of 9 steps. In this protocol, the patients were taught about self-monitoring, setting goals, coping, reinforcement, and evaluation (Christensen et al., 2002, p. 393).   Their study proved to be effective after 8 weeks – the control group gained around 3.3 pounds, while the intervention group lost around 3 pounds (Christensen, et al., 2002, p. 396).  Ã‚   Behavioural modification is another model that has been studied with regards to dialysis patients and compliance with protocols and regimens. For instance, a study by Hegel et al. (1992) found that the reinforcement produced the greatest drop in IDWG, and that this drop in IDWG was persistent over time – the IDWG continued to be lowered two months after the intervention, even though, during this period of time, the patients only received information about graphing and monitoring (Hegel et al., 1992, p. 326). It is feasible to implement into a work setting, as there is not a need for special equipment. There is a need for special training, but the methods are easy to learn and implement. Because of this, it would be consistent with community culture and resources, because it would not be overly taxing for resources. Introduction When patients have certain diseases, such as hypertension or diabetes, they

Buying School Clunkers Make More Sense than a Brand New Car Essay

Buying School Clunkers Make More Sense than a Brand New Car - Essay Example Clunkers may look like they should be retired because they need somebody work or does not have the latest bells and whistles but with proper maintenance, it gets the kid from point A to point B. That is all that should matter to them at their ages. † That is sound advice coming from a man who makes his living selling cars. A new car will the owners back by at least $20,000 while a clunker can easily be had for around $2,000 and up, there truly does seem to be an economic advantage to owning a clunker. Provided the new owner of the car will not mind shelling out some extra dollars for whatever repairs the car might need. He still comes out ahead in the long run than if he had bought a new car. While most teenage kids of driving age look forward to waking up to a brand new car being delivered to their doorstep on the morning of their birthday, the economics of our times have changed that pattern. Since a brand new car loses approximately 20 percent of its value the minute it is d riven off the car lot, buying your teenage kid a â€Å"teaching car† which is what some parents and mechanics prefer to call the clunkers, turns out to be a big bargain. Buying a car that is more than ten years old often is often seen as a waste of money because of the cost of repairs that are involved in whipping the car into shape. Wise buyers though know that is not the case. In fact, the old clunkers can help you save money in the long run even with the cost of repairs thrown in.  ... He still comes out ahead in the long run than if he had bought a new car. While most teenage kids of driving age look forward to waking up to a brand new car being delivered at their doorstep on the morning of their birthday, the economics of our times have changed that pattern. Since a brand new car loses approximately 20 percent of its value the minute it is driven off the car lot, buying you teenage kid a â€Å"teaching car† which is what some parents and mechanics prefer to call the clunkers, turns out to be a big bargain. Buying a car that is more than ten years old often is often seen as a waste of money because of the cost of repairs that are involved in whipping the car into shape. Wise buyers though know that is not the case. In fact, the old clunkers can help you save money in the long run even with the cost of repairs thrown in. People like Joel Berry (Why I Drive a 13-Year-Old Car, 2009) understand that economics plays an important role in car buying decisions. In his case, he has been driving the same second hand 1995 Geo Prizm for a number of years now and far as he is concerned, the car is far from being the old clunker that his friends think his car to be. Joel explains; â€Å"I bought my Geo Prizm in 1995 with 5,000 miles on it. It now has 140,000 miles on it and still runs fine. I paid off the car in 1999. It is now 2008.I haven’t had a car payment in nine years. How much has this saved? Our payments for this car were $250 a month. Over nine years, I’ve gone 108 months without making a payment. At $250 a month, that’s a savings of $27,000. Over the lifetime of the car, I’ve spent less than $2000 in repairs. Subtracting this from my savings still leaves me with $25,000 extra over buying a new car right

How Much is That Kidney in the Window by Bruce Gottliebs Essay

How Much is That Kidney in the Window by Bruce Gottliebs - Essay Example This paper illustrates that Gottlieb was able to provide sufficient evidence that the loss of one kidney does not pose as much health danger as it is being made out to be; recipients of donated kidneys do not really care whether it was sold or given as long as it extends the life of one’s loved one; it would actually be more economical both for the government and all people concerned if kidneys were sold; and, the feared slippery slope disaster that some people for see will not happen in this case because the act of selling kidneys is neither inevitable nor unconscious. Gottlieb first points out that statistics do not support the common notion that the loss of one kidney may lead to a significantly less healthy life for the organ donor. This fact is actually supported by accounts from the website of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDKD), which mentions that people are still able to live a normal life even with one kidney as many people a ctually donate their kidney to friends or family members. Next, he points out that friends and family members of a person who needs a kidney transplant do not really care much about how the organ was acquired, as long as it is able to save their loved one’s life. And indeed, their perspective on the issue is the most important one to be considered. Surely, family members themselves would give up their own organ for their loved one if and when needed. Unfortunately, the twisted irony of genetic lottery sometimes disqualifies a person’s closest kins and thus leaves the family with a great sense of helplessness. Gottlieb then proceeds to discuss the economic benefits behind the act of kidney selling (Gottlieb). At first glance, it may seem insensitive to discuss the selling of body parts as part of an economic activity but the cold hard facts indicate that such a flow of reasoning cannot be simply ignored. Some researchers have gone to the extent of actually quantifying t he economic benefits presented by organ-selling (Kolnsberg). However, with the way things are going in the current economic climate, people are still going to end up dead with two kidneys intact if they are not able to put food on the table. Such a view is supported by Malek, who points out that kidney selling is one’s personal decision and so people should not be prevented from doing something that may be profitable for them, as it is their basic right to a better means of living (Malek). Finally, Gottlieb contradicts the unfounded fear of the slippery-slope phenomenon in the case of kidney-selling (Gottlieb). He stresses that since the act of kidney selling is not inevitable, nor is it unconscious, there is no reason to fear that such a practice will be abused. In fact, this further strengthens the reasons behind specifically legalizing kidney-selling and banning the selling of other body organs that are much more needed to enjoy normal living by a human person. Without suc h legislation, the act of kidney-selling will remain a dangerous trade and will pose greater danger in people’s lives. As one can see, Gottlieb was able to solidly structure his thoughts and ideas in supporting the stand to legalize the selling of kidneys. By presenting a valid and logical flow of arguments and by stressing that the loss of one kidney does not pose as much health danger as it is being made out to be, recipients of

Biodiversity of Coastal and Exposed Shores Assignment

Biodiversity of Coastal and Exposed Shores - Assignment Example (DETR, 2001). Ideally, we should be able to monitor the biological status of all UK biodiversity and how it is changing (e.g. ecosystem support functions, such as pollution buffering, flood reduction, climate change responses), with focus on priority species and habitats. This paper seeks to respond to the question: How should one go about designing the statistical analysis of biodiversity if it had to be done across scales in time and space The conceptual basis of the design is the definition of biodiversity as a convolution of two community components. One of the components is richness, the product of species evolution, and the other structure, the consequence of environmental sorting (biotic, physical). The method of choice takes information in the manner of frequency distributions, and decomposes the associated total diversity into additive components specific to the deemed sorting factors. Diversity quantities are supplied by the analysis by which the relative importance of sorting factors can be measured and the dynamic oscillations which they generate in diversity can be traced. It is important for this to strategy considers both the present situation and future research needs. Our present monitoring capabilities may be limited not in a scientific sense but through poor coordination and use of existing resources. The Strategy aims to identify areas where improved coordination is required, as well as prioritising new research. Method and Planning: For the preliminary planning process, I conducted the experiments on the middle shore, i.e., 6/12ths, where this position was used in the case of both the exposed and sheltered shores. Also, a levelling technique was made use of in order to locate the middle position. Further, random selection was conducted with the collected samples using a quadrat. Once the middle positions on each shore were located, 30 samples were extracted from each position. With the help of two measuring tapes - one vertically and one horizontally (like an x and y axis), a random numbers table was used to pick some numbers with two numbers for each sample making a total of 60 numbers for 30 samples. After this, the two numbers (coordinates x and y), were used to find the x coordinates on the vertical measuring tape and the y coordinates on the horizontal measuring tape. This helped to finally zero in on a position from where the researcher could extract samples. A note on the style that has been followed throughout this paper - I have followed the APA style in keeping with the most uncomplicated one for the purpose of our research and simple presentation. Analysis and Implementation: In the course of this task, I went on the assumption that the species will show more diversity on the sheltered shore while the exposed shore will have less population density owing to harsh weather conditions. Accordingly, I have used the following steps: Surveying the Rocky shore Because the tide rises up and down twice a day things at the top of the shore get much less water than things at the bottom. This gives rise to an extraordinarily large number of different ways of surviving

Cultural Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cultural Diversity - Essay Example Young ladies were groomed not for successful careers but to be wives of eligible and economically stable men, so they are not encouraged to pursue their education, as this will not be of benefit to them anyway. This cult of domesticity has been practiced for ages, so it was already something that most women accepted and became accustomed to. However, a growing number of women felt they were too constrained to be anything more than a housewife and longed to maximize their potentials as women. In raising these concerns, feuding groups of women fought for opposite beliefs. Those who yearned for freedom and equal rights with their male counterparts, led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, staged a convention to launch the women’s rights movement. For two days in July in 1848, they convened in the low-key town of Seneca Falls in New York. This small group of people were instrumental in uplifting the position of women in society. In the convention, they argued for equality with men and fought for greater legal rights, especially the right of suffrage. They also voiced out their need for more professional and education opportunities (McMillen, 2008). These women were courageous to fight for reform that was considered radical at that time, especially since their opponents were also women who embraced domesticity. Out of that convention came the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments as drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The document demanded women’s voting and property rights as well as equal economic and educational opportunities with men. Eventually, in 1920, after more than seventy years, women got what they fought for with the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reads: â€Å"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.† This amendment empowered women w ith certain rights and privileges that allows them to pursue an education, vote, and seek employment outside the home, and even work alongside men. It was a long wait, but it was truly worth it! Work Cited McMillen, Sally. Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women's Rights Movement., Oxford University Press, 2008. 2. Institutionalized Heterosexism From time immemorial, the belief that there are only two genders: male and female, has been propagated by society. This meant that each gender was endowed with its own roles, rights and privileges. Over the years, the fact that some people have differing sexual orientations that did not conform to the two that are upheld, was not welcomed, as discomfort in even accepting such differences prevailed. Although homophobia, or the â€Å"irrational fear of, aversion or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals† (Merriam Webster Online, 1969) has been viewed negatively, it has somehow persisted albeit in a more subtle manner. Ind ividuals who pursued their sexual preferences as lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) usually suffer discrimination in many facets of society. They are seen as those who go against the norm, and certain rights, opportunities and privileges that heterosexuals enjoy are usually not extended to these LGBTs. This kind of prejudice against LGBTs has been labelled heterosexism. It deprives many of society’s privileges from those who â€Å"

Manifest Destiny Essay Example for Free

Manifest Destiny Essay In the 1840s the United States increased its territory to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. This land was acquired through treaty, war, and negotiation. The opportunities of this large area of land offered in terms of resources and trade were great. The positive of M.D. do not outweigh the negative consequences. Manifest Destiny is a historic duty, in the 1800s the Americans believed that the manifest destiny of the United States was to expand to the Pacific Ocean. The United States started as costal colonies but eventually the fulfilled their manifest destiny and expanded buy conquering and purchasing land. The Americans gained more land by buying it from France in the Louisiana Purchase and they also acquired land by cession as they did in the Mexican Cession. Other ways of expanded their land was to take it by force; many settlers killed the Indians and stole their land from them. The Americans in the 1800s believed that it was the historic duty of their nation to expand to the Pacific Ocean. They believed that the land was rightfully theirs. They ignored the fact that the land was already occupied and began to move west. They did not recognize the Indians as people; they saw them as potential slaves, so they simply killed them and took their land. Much of the land was bought from France in the Louisiana Purchase, but other lands such as Texas, California and Oregon was not theirs. Using both military strength and negotiations, the US was determined to fulfill their historic duty. The main difference between the border issues of Oregon and Texas is the way these issues were settled. The Texas issue resulted in a war with Mexico, which gained land and lost soldiers. However, this did allow the US to gain more land than just Texas. The Oregon issue, on the other hand, was more peaceful. The US negotiated and made a treaty with Britain instead of going to war with them. However, both these issues were different ways the US gained land and expanded their nation.

Patient confidentiality Essay Example for Free

Patient confidentiality Essay As a member of the health care team, one has to be equipped with not only the skills and the knowledge regarding one’s area of specialty, but most importantly on how to deal with the patients and their family members. There have been several studies that showed how substantial the impact of health care staff interaction is with the patient and the family members on the patient’s recovery and in the overall outcome of the patient’s health. In dealing with situations wherein the family member of the patient is speaking quite loudly and demanding answers, one can address the situation by answering the questions of the family member, but first to tell her to calm down and after which you will be able to understand and answer the questions. In addition to that, you can also remind her that the safety and prompt administration of care to her daughter is the priority, so to be able to get there, the x-rays have to be taken as soon as possible. Also, tell her, in the most respectful way, that the other patients are bothered by her and this will cause anxiety, not only to the other patients but to her daughter as well, so if she can still take a hold of herself and compose herself so the x-ray can take place. As a technician, it is also one’s duty to explain the method and the rationale behind the x-ray procedure to alleviate the sixteen-year-old’s anxiety. Also, it would be helpful if you will tell her that routine x-ray is needed by some people with certain disorders and as a requirement by employers in some institutions and that it does not cause illnesses for those who have their x-rays taken routinely, at most twice a year. Tell her that this procedure has helped diagnose what is wrong with people who have their bones injured and that this will help visualize what has gone wrong in her body.

Impact of the US Media on Public Attitudes

Impact of the US Media on Public Attitudes The impact of the media on public opinion, in countries across the globe, including the United States, is the subject of a growing body of academic and public discourse. The media has grown to become the main conduit for the publics understanding of world events. If the media can be said to provide wide-ranging and balanced coverage of news events there seems little or no problem of negative influence on public opinion. However, the belief in the neutrality of media coverage is not without its critics and the manipulation of news affects the attitudes and behaviours of those it is aimed at, namely the wider American public. The following argument will espouse the view that the media in the current period of time do have an influence on public attitudes and behaviour. Furthermore, the media are in turn influenced by external factors, which can result in the manipulation of public opinion for means preferable to the ruling establishment and business. Before embarking on a definitive answer to this question one must firmly establish definitions that will be used throughout the essay. The first issue is whether or not we can identify and employ the term media as if it were a single entity. This essay will adopt the position that media in this circumstance pertains to the news media of electronic and print journalism. There are of course vast differences between the coverage of news networks such as CNN and newspaper publication such as The New York Times. However, the argument for the all-encompassing use of the term is persuasive. Timothy Cook, for example, explains that the strong similarities of news processes and news content across modalities (television, newspapers, and newsmagazines), size of organization, national or local audiences, etc., point to the news media as a single institution (Cook 1998, p. 84). Thus, for the purposes of this analysis the term media will be taken to represent a monolithic structure encompassing b roadcast, print and digital formats. On a further point of clarity it is necessary to establish the meaning of political attitudes and behaviours. Without resorting to a dictionary definition the distinction here appears to be with peoples thoughts, private or public, and actions, such as the physical act of voting. The measuring of public opinion is complex and has been researched and discussed thoroughly elsewhere. This essay will utilise the existing literature to establish that the media does have an effect on public attitudes and will as such go on to analyse the nature of the influences. The reliance upon the media for information is a key factor in understanding its influence. In his discussion of the issue Timothy Cook states that in the United States, the privately owned news media are relied upon to provide communication from the elite to the public, as well as within the public as a whole (Cook 1998, p. 82). This reliance places the media in a powerful position of mediating not only between the American public but also between the citizens and the state. Despite the multiplicity of news outlets the content, as noted above also by Cook, is often largely similar. The effect of dominant stories being emitted across the media spectrum is one of influencing the political and other attitudes and behaviour of the American public. In his article on the subject Donald Jordan reaches the conclusion that in both newspaper items and television broadcasts experts and commentators wield heavy influence (Jordan 1993, p. 191). The crux of their influence comes in the empowering of the media, by the public, who tend to place a great deal of weight upon the importance of the news stories that reach the front page or television screen. In turn the political importance placed upon this by the public comes as the public seek to judge the stance of politicians on the issues in the media, regardless of whether the said politicians are linked to the news event (Cook 1998, p. 126). It is this perceived influence that in reverse drives politicians to respond even if the issue does not react strongly. In addition to placing a degree of importance on news stories that reach them via the media, there is also reason to suggest that the American public believe what the media say about an issue. Indeed, Hustler publisher Larry Flynt argues that many Americans buy into the newss propaganda on a nightly basis (Flynt 2004, p. 183). If one takes buy into to mean agree with or accept as fact the influence of the media becomes apparent, [t]he reporter is the recorder of government but he is also a participant (Cater in Cook 1998, p. 1). The media, under these assumptions, cannot be viewed as the benign distributors of news, but also the selectors of news and the formers of opinion. The main argument against the above description is that of active audience analysis. This approach contends that audiences routinely interpret corporate messages in ways that suit their own needs, not that of media proprietors or advertisers. However, this argument itself is disputed by those suggesting this dismisses the cumulative effect of repetitive media messages (Herman and McChesney 1997, p. 194). The traditional argument is that the media serves the public well as a force for their democratic right to know (Taylor 1997, p. 1). The American media, and indeed the media of other western democracies, is heralded as a fundamental component of the virtuosity of free speech. In the conflicts against Iraq the rhetoric in the media contrasted the free speech of the media in democratic countries against the state-run media of Husseins Iraq. The irony here is the negated recognition of media censorship by western countries during times of conflict. More worryingly this censorship can often be identified as self-censorship as media organisations seek to remain with the official government and military information channels that dominate the flow of news from the battlefield. In this atmosphere the publics right to know appears to be more akin to the public right to know what the authorities want it to know. Professionalism is also enlisted to support the assertion that the media is acting upon the best interests of the public. The argument purported suggests the individual journalists have professional pride in their work and a moral work ethic that counters efforts to influence their output. However, this does not appear to be the case and tainted news stories emerge that influence the public perception of events. The lack of diversity in news sources, as previously referred to in Cooks account, does not reflect the multiplicity of interpretations that professionalism and personal interpretation by individual reporters would suggest. Despite any well-meaning intentions the most used sources of information by journalists are official channels. Journalists also work within the remit of the editorial policies of their institutions and other dominating factors that shape the news agenda. With conformity of opinion and repetition of news stories, combined with a public willingness to place greater emphasis on the importance of events in the news, the power of the American media to influence the public attitudes and behaviour towards issues becomes apparent. The editorial policies of the media appear to be free-chosen ideals, shaped by the political leanings of those in charge. In the case of newspapers, such overt political leanings are accepted if not expected. However, even with such freedom of choice one can argue that the conservative elements of the American establishment dominate the media agenda. Larry Flynt argues the media is dominated by these influences, which are able to insert their message into the media machine: Where did these ideas come from, and why are they so popular? The answers lie in our newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, and in the people who run them. On the right, you have media piranhas who lie, distort, and â€Å"work the ref† until our heads spin. On the left, you have press poodles who either just do what theyre told, or are too reasonable and polite to compete with ranting, conservative lunatics (Flynt 2004, p. 148). With this in mind one can argue the more conservative elements in politics are managing to portray their version of events. If this is the case and the public place greater faith in those messages purported by the media, then the political attitudes and behaviour of the American public can be said to be influenced. The re-election of George Bush, for example, would appear to substantiate such assertions. The increased commercialisation of the industry also plays a part in the influencing of public opinion. As has been noted the maturing of commercial broadcasting not only substitutes entertainment for public service; the U.S. experience suggests that maturation brings with it a decline in variety of viewpoints and increased protection of establishment interests (Herman and McChesney 1997, p. 143). News has to be important and interesting, for the viewing public to remain engaged. This brings about the introduction of value-laden assumptions to the selection process as news is filtered by editorial staff to provide entertaining news to keep ratings, and hence advertising revenue, high. Once more the unfiltered, diverse media is actually revealed to be both ideologically and economically sieved to produce a product to engage the public. Any discrepancy from this formula can prove troublesome, as Bernhard asserts, because [p]ointing to the social costs of capitalism is still mistaken fo r disloyalty, or for psychosis (Bernhard 1999, p. 178). The same is true for any criticism of a war effort, with the attackers facing the wrath of media and public criticism if messages are deemed unpatriotic. It is also argued that commercialisation leads to the isolation of the public from the political system. This view is put forward by Herman and McChesney: [T]he commercialisation of broadcasting has further weakened democracy by delocalizing (nationalizing) politics, because, as Gerald Benjamin notes, appeals made in one place or to one group may be immediately communicated regionally or nationally. Thus the distributive politics of particular appeals to particular groups can no longer be made by candidates without their first calculating the possible effects on other groups in their electoral coalitions. The individual is more isolated, political participation tends to be reduced, and the idea of collective social action is weakened (Herman and McChesney 1997, p. 147). The political system is altered by the mass reach of media. The individual is weakened and their political attitudes and behaviours are thus altered. Political action at a local level by determined groups is less possible now and the bigger picture much be considered. While the political power of the individual is weakened so too in the breadth of knowledge they attain from the media. Commercialisation and the modern media system have led to the trivialisation of news. Events are edited and selected to appeal as entertainment. The illusion of an informed American public appears justified by the mention of events from afar but, asks Phil Taylor, to what extent this can be said to be the case is debateable: In reality, does the practice of covering world events in twelve column inches or a three-minute news segment encourage prejudice rather than empathy, national pride rather than international harmony, and emotional rather than rational judgements? (Taylor 1997, pp. 1-2). The answer would appear to be yes to each, as while the public are presented with the faà §ade of a multifaceted media machine the content is still highly selective. The outlets may be numerous but the depth is lacking. As the media world moves evermore to the instantaneous and 24-hour news culture the demand to produce a vast quantity of visually-orientated images quickly supersedes any depth of understanding the American public could seek to ascertain. The appeal to emotion does little to stimulate educated discussion upon issues. Instead, if the carefully selected news agenda wishes it can appeal to the public to behave in a way favourable to the governments wishes. For example, during the 1999 Kosovo Conflict the media in the United States and Great Britain played great attention to the human interest stories of Albanian refugees to stir public sympathy for intervention on their behalf. However, the irony was that the chosen form of intervention, solely from the air, while resul ting in no politically damaging allied casualties, did little to stem the flow of refugees. Having referred to conflict one is also inclined to believe that the above interpretation of the media in the context of war may differ. When one takes into account the negative connotations assigned to the medias role during the Vietnam War the relationship would at first appear antagonistic and preclude any bowing on the part of the media to government will. However, the trend for assigning journalists to press pools in the 1990-1 Gulf War demonstrated an effective way of embedding journalists, not only physically, but also mentally with American forces. Cooperation between the media and the government manifested itself in ignoring and attempting to change public opinion, as Phillip Knightley explains: [S]izable minorities in both the United States and Britain were against such a war and although the mainstream media largely ignored their protests, these had to be dampened down unless they gained strength. Hussein had to be demonised. He was painted as being ruthless, another Hitler, a fanatic, deranged, a psychopath, hated by his own people and despised in the Arab world. Further, from the moment his troops had arrived in Kuwait they had committed unspeakable atrocities (Knightley 2001, p. 486). In addition to the restriction of information the media echoed government messages demonising Hussein and his actions. In this respect opposition to the conflict became tantamount to support for Saddam Hussein. Opposition was deemed unpatriotic. By ignoring public protest and presenting this interpretation of events the American public were being shamed into non-verbal opposition and the opinions of proponents of the war were bolstered by the apparent large-scale acceptance of their opinions, as witnessed through the media. Such a perception of events in conflict is at odds with the reality highlighted by Flynt in this and the subsequent conflict in Afghanistan: [W]e had no media with the troops in Afghanistan. Hardly anyone realized that most western reporters were being kept far from the front lines. The war news was being censored. We were being spoon fed commentary and military press releases masquerading as hard news. That was not only an insult to the American people, it was a huge disservice to news coverage in general (Flynt 2004, pp. 162-163). On a subject as emotive as conflict one would expect a mass media to be rife with opinions and conflicting views, representing the fears and worries of a diverse American public. The reverse was in fact true. The media demonstrated in the most tense of times that not only could and would it shape the perception of the conflict to the American people; it was also willing to gloss over public attitudes and expressions of dissent in a misled quest for patriotism in a manner that had historical precursors: In joining forces to sell the Cold War to the American people, government and industry professionals clearly knew they violated precepts of a free and independent press, but they justified it to themselves as a necessary patriotic duty in a fearsome age (Bernhard 1999, p. 179). Military conflict is one arena where the influence of the media is enhanced as the American public thirst for information. However, it also appears to be the occasion when the media is most likely to filter the information it provides. As with military confrontations the influence of media affects not only US public but also beyond. As Edward Herman and Robert McChesney point out the American model for global media is the likely ideal for other world media, as is, arguably, the democratic system of government (Herman and McChesney 1997, p. 137). This also includes cultural infiltration of the American way of life with publics of other nations. Herman and McChesney go so far as to state that: We also think it very important to recognize that media effects are inseparable from broader economic, political, and cultural influences, such as external military occupation and rule, foreign indirect rule through sponsored authoritarian regimes†¦ military and police aid and training, economic and financial linkages, and tourism and educational exchanges, all of which are at least as imbalanced as media exports and imports (Herman and McChesney 1997, p. 155). In a mass media world, where the reach of information is global, perhaps one should consider not only the influence on the American public, but also the worldwide cultural influence. The impact of the American media on public attitudes and behaviour is great. The media have an unparalleled hold over information dissemination to the wider public and the message, according to many commentators, is all too readily accepted. However the messages portrayed are not the result of individual reportage and endeavour on the part of journalists. The mass media is shaped by government and commercial interests that combine to reduce diverse outlets to the same messages. In times of heightened national interest in the news agenda, such as during conflict, the process is more restricted than normal. In essence the media present the contradiction of a mass, diverse organism that through the widespread regurgitation of similar messages, lends credence to those messages, influencing the publics judgement as to their infallibility. Bibliography Articles Jordan, Donald, Newspaper Effects on Policy Preferences, Political Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 57, 1993, pp. 191-204. Books Bernhard, Nancy, U.S. Television News and Cold War Propaganda, 1947-1960, (Cambridge: 1999). Cook, Timothy, Governing with the News. The News Media as a Political Institution, (London: 1998) Flynt, Larry, Sex, Lies and Politics. The Naked truth about Bush, Democracy and the War on Terror, (London: 2004). Herman, Edward and McChesney, Robert, The Global Media. The New Missionaries of Corporate Capitalism, (London: 1999). Knightley, Phillip, The First Casualty. The War Correspondent as Hero and Myth-Maker from the Crimea to Kosovo, (London: 2001). Taylor, Philip, Global Communications, International Affairs and the Media since 1945, (London: 1997). The impact of the media on public opinion, in countries across the globe, including the United States, is the subject of a growing body of academic and public discourse. The media has grown to become the main conduit for the publics understanding of world events. If the media can be said to provide wide-ranging and balanced coverage of news events there seems little or no problem of negative influence on public opinion. However, the belief in the neutrality of media coverage is not without its critics and the manipulation of news affects the attitudes and behaviours of those it is aimed at, namely the wider American public. The following argument will espouse the view that the media in the current period of time do have an influence on public attitudes and behaviour. Furthermore, the media are in turn influenced by external factors, which can result in the manipulation of public opinion for means preferable to the ruling establishment and business. Before embarking on a definitive answer to this question one must firmly establish definitions that will be used throughout the essay. The first issue is whether or not we can identify and employ the term media as if it were a single entity. This essay will adopt the position that media in this circumstance pertains to the news media of electronic and print journalism. There are of course vast differences between the coverage of news networks such as CNN and newspaper publication such as The New York Times. However, the argument for the all-encompassing use of the term is persuasive. Timothy Cook, for example, explains that the strong similarities of news processes and news content across modalities (television, newspapers, and newsmagazines), size of organization, national or local audiences, etc., point to the news media as a single institution (Cook 1998, p. 84). Thus, for the purposes of this analysis the term media will be taken to represent a monolithic structure encompassing b roadcast, print and digital formats. On a further point of clarity it is necessary to establish the meaning of political attitudes and behaviours. Without resorting to a dictionary definition the distinction here appears to be with peoples thoughts, private or public, and actions, such as the physical act of voting. The measuring of public opinion is complex and has been researched and discussed thoroughly elsewhere. This essay will utilise the existing literature to establish that the media does have an effect on public attitudes and will as such go on to analyse the nature of the influences. The reliance upon the media for information is a key factor in understanding its influence. In his discussion of the issue Timothy Cook states that in the United States, the privately owned news media are relied upon to provide communication from the elite to the public, as well as within the public as a whole (Cook 1998, p. 82). This reliance places the media in a powerful position of mediating not only between the American public but also between the citizens and the state. Despite the multiplicity of news outlets the content, as noted above also by Cook, is often largely similar. The effect of dominant stories being emitted across the media spectrum is one of influencing the political and other attitudes and behaviour of the American public. In his article on the subject Donald Jordan reaches the conclusion that in both newspaper items and television broadcasts experts and commentators wield heavy influence (Jordan 1993, p. 191). The crux of their influence comes in the empowering of the media, by the public, who tend to place a great deal of weight upon the importance of the news stories that reach the front page or television screen. In turn the political importance placed upon this by the public comes as the public seek to judge the stance of politicians on the issues in the media, regardless of whether the said politicians are linked to the news event (Cook 1998, p. 126). It is this perceived influence that in reverse drives politicians to respond even if the issue does not react strongly. In addition to placing a degree of importance on news stories that reach them via the media, there is also reason to suggest that the American public believe what the media say about an issue. Indeed, Hustler publisher Larry Flynt argues that many Americans buy into the newss propaganda on a nightly basis (Flynt 2004, p. 183). If one takes buy into to mean agree with or accept as fact the influence of the media becomes apparent, [t]he reporter is the recorder of government but he is also a participant (Cater in Cook 1998, p. 1). The media, under these assumptions, cannot be viewed as the benign distributors of news, but also the selectors of news and the formers of opinion. The main argument against the above description is that of active audience analysis. This approach contends that audiences routinely interpret corporate messages in ways that suit their own needs, not that of media proprietors or advertisers. However, this argument itself is disputed by those suggesting this dismisses the cumulative effect of repetitive media messages (Herman and McChesney 1997, p. 194). The traditional argument is that the media serves the public well as a force for their democratic right to know (Taylor 1997, p. 1). The American media, and indeed the media of other western democracies, is heralded as a fundamental component of the virtuosity of free speech. In the conflicts against Iraq the rhetoric in the media contrasted the free speech of the media in democratic countries against the state-run media of Husseins Iraq. The irony here is the negated recognition of media censorship by western countries during times of conflict. More worryingly this censorship can often be identified as self-censorship as media organisations seek to remain with the official government and military information channels that dominate the flow of news from the battlefield. In this atmosphere the publics right to know appears to be more akin to the public right to know what the authorities want it to know. Professionalism is also enlisted to support the assertion that the media is acting upon the best interests of the public. The argument purported suggests the individual journalists have professional pride in their work and a moral work ethic that counters efforts to influence their output. However, this does not appear to be the case and tainted news stories emerge that influence the public perception of events. The lack of diversity in news sources, as previously referred to in Cooks account, does not reflect the multiplicity of interpretations that professionalism and personal interpretation by individual reporters would suggest. Despite any well-meaning intentions the most used sources of information by journalists are official channels. Journalists also work within the remit of the editorial policies of their institutions and other dominating factors that shape the news agenda. With conformity of opinion and repetition of news stories, combined with a public willingness to place greater emphasis on the importance of events in the news, the power of the American media to influence the public attitudes and behaviour towards issues becomes apparent. The editorial policies of the media appear to be free-chosen ideals, shaped by the political leanings of those in charge. In the case of newspapers, such overt political leanings are accepted if not expected. However, even with such freedom of choice one can argue that the conservative elements of the American establishment dominate the media agenda. Larry Flynt argues the media is dominated by these influences, which are able to insert their message into the media machine: Where did these ideas come from, and why are they so popular? The answers lie in our newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, and in the people who run them. On the right, you have media piranhas who lie, distort, and â€Å"work the ref† until our heads spin. On the left, you have press poodles who either just do what theyre told, or are too reasonable and polite to compete with ranting, conservative lunatics (Flynt 2004, p. 148). With this in mind one can argue the more conservative elements in politics are managing to portray their version of events. If this is the case and the public place greater faith in those messages purported by the media, then the political attitudes and behaviour of the American public can be said to be influenced. The re-election of George Bush, for example, would appear to substantiate such assertions. The increased commercialisation of the industry also plays a part in the influencing of public opinion. As has been noted the maturing of commercial broadcasting not only substitutes entertainment for public service; the U.S. experience suggests that maturation brings with it a decline in variety of viewpoints and increased protection of establishment interests (Herman and McChesney 1997, p. 143). News has to be important and interesting, for the viewing public to remain engaged. This brings about the introduction of value-laden assumptions to the selection process as news is filtered by editorial staff to provide entertaining news to keep ratings, and hence advertising revenue, high. Once more the unfiltered, diverse media is actually revealed to be both ideologically and economically sieved to produce a product to engage the public. Any discrepancy from this formula can prove troublesome, as Bernhard asserts, because [p]ointing to the social costs of capitalism is still mistaken fo r disloyalty, or for psychosis (Bernhard 1999, p. 178). The same is true for any criticism of a war effort, with the attackers facing the wrath of media and public criticism if messages are deemed unpatriotic. It is also argued that commercialisation leads to the isolation of the public from the political system. This view is put forward by Herman and McChesney: [T]he commercialisation of broadcasting has further weakened democracy by delocalizing (nationalizing) politics, because, as Gerald Benjamin notes, appeals made in one place or to one group may be immediately communicated regionally or nationally. Thus the distributive politics of particular appeals to particular groups can no longer be made by candidates without their first calculating the possible effects on other groups in their electoral coalitions. The individual is more isolated, political participation tends to be reduced, and the idea of collective social action is weakened (Herman and McChesney 1997, p. 147). The political system is altered by the mass reach of media. The individual is weakened and their political attitudes and behaviours are thus altered. Political action at a local level by determined groups is less possible now and the bigger picture much be considered. While the political power of the individual is weakened so too in the breadth of knowledge they attain from the media. Commercialisation and the modern media system have led to the trivialisation of news. Events are edited and selected to appeal as entertainment. The illusion of an informed American public appears justified by the mention of events from afar but, asks Phil Taylor, to what extent this can be said to be the case is debateable: In reality, does the practice of covering world events in twelve column inches or a three-minute news segment encourage prejudice rather than empathy, national pride rather than international harmony, and emotional rather than rational judgements? (Taylor 1997, pp. 1-2). The answer would appear to be yes to each, as while the public are presented with the faà §ade of a multifaceted media machine the content is still highly selective. The outlets may be numerous but the depth is lacking. As the media world moves evermore to the instantaneous and 24-hour news culture the demand to produce a vast quantity of visually-orientated images quickly supersedes any depth of understanding the American public could seek to ascertain. The appeal to emotion does little to stimulate educated discussion upon issues. Instead, if the carefully selected news agenda wishes it can appeal to the public to behave in a way favourable to the governments wishes. For example, during the 1999 Kosovo Conflict the media in the United States and Great Britain played great attention to the human interest stories of Albanian refugees to stir public sympathy for intervention on their behalf. However, the irony was that the chosen form of intervention, solely from the air, while resul ting in no politically damaging allied casualties, did little to stem the flow of refugees. Having referred to conflict one is also inclined to believe that the above interpretation of the media in the context of war may differ. When one takes into account the negative connotations assigned to the medias role during the Vietnam War the relationship would at first appear antagonistic and preclude any bowing on the part of the media to government will. However, the trend for assigning journalists to press pools in the 1990-1 Gulf War demonstrated an effective way of embedding journalists, not only physically, but also mentally with American forces. Cooperation between the media and the government manifested itself in ignoring and attempting to

Western History :: essays research papers

There is no doubt that Napoleon had a major impact on the post French revolution period. First I will describe negative impact he had on France and western Europe then I will discuss the positive impact Napoleon had on France and western Europe. Napoleon became the first consul in 1799 and helped overthrow the government he once helped build. Napoleon set out to secure his position of power by eliminating all of his enemies and weakening all others. He also guaranteed the security of all other property gained in the revolution, this move made royalist very upset because the idea of returning the property to it’s original owners.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During Napoleon reign he was either preparing for a war or at war. He wanted to all the European powers. Napoleon was quite capable of doing so with his prior success with the military. He then signed treaties with Austria and Great Britain. He wanted to establish France as a dominate power in Europe. The peace was very short lived France began an 11 year war period that started in 1803. With Napoleon in power, European powers began to fall one by one. First came Austria in 1805 next up was Prussia in 1806 then Russia in 1807 then finally came Spain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Napoleon had some positive impacts but not many in my view on France and Western Europe. Napoleon reestablished relations with the pope in 1801 by the concordat, which recognized Catholicism as the religion of the French and restored the roam catholic hierarchy to France. Napoleon wanted France to be on top of everyone so he supported science work in areas such as physics and chemistry.

Mutable Feminists: Are We Ready for Them? ::

Mutable Feminists: Are We Ready for Them? Throughout history, as women struggled to gain equality with men, these suffragettes were often ostracized and not accepted by society. In today’s world we find the basic rights which these women were fighting for fair, and the thought that someone would have opposed a woman’s right to vote seems ridiculous. Our society likes to feel that we are less rigid and very open-minded, but is there a type of equality, which we are still not prepared to accept? The two science fiction novels, He, She, and It by Marge Piercy, and The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey both make strong predictions about the technology, government, and social aspects of the future. Piercy and McCaffrey also express similar feminist views through the characters of Nili and Helva. Although they come from completely different hypothetical universes, these women are able to accomplish amazing feats without falling into a label, and are completely comfortable and proud of who they are. Helva and Nili exemplify feminists who use their strength and confidence with themselves, their constantly mutating attitudes and personalities, and their unique relationships with others to make incredible changes in their worlds. Although the characters of Helva, from The Ship Who Sang, and Nili from He, She, and It, are very different, they actually possess very similar personalities and characteristics. Helva is a human who was crippled at birth and transformed into a shell person. She lives her life inside the safety of a titanium shell, and without the shell’s protection she would be dead. Helva’s limitations may seem severe; however, the shell, which Helva lives in, allows her to have extreme capabilities far more advanced than any regular human’s. Therefore Helva is physically disabled, yet at the same time physically superior. Nili is very different in that she appears to have the body of an average human, and she has the abilities that humans have without needing a shell to protect her. However, they are both very similar because both Helva and Nili need their technological advances in order to survive. If Nili had not undergone alterations as a child, she would have been u nable to survive the incredibly harsh conditions of ‘the black zone’ where she was raised.

Treatment of Women in Hamlet and Trifles Essay -- Comparison Compare C

Treatment of Women in Hamlet and Trifles Of all Shakespeare’s thirty-seven plays, perhaps the best known and loved is Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Many people think that it is unforgettable because of its poetic language and style. But, while these are factors that mark the play as a classic, it remains timeless because it explores many of the issues that are still important to people today. These issues, including loyalty to family and country, protecting loved ones, and deception are still prevalent around the world, and are especially prominent in the United States government. Another play that addresses major issues that are still relevant to society, especially women, is Susan Glaspell’s Trifles. Because Glaspell’s play shows women that they are certainly just as capable as men of completing any task, it encourages women to take a stand against the supposed supremacy of their husbands. It also forces men to consider more seriously the opinions and concerns of women. While Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale in Trifles do this in a quiet manner, they still remain defiant against their husband’s beliefs that they are only competent enough to worry about â€Å"trifles† (Glaspell 1618). Therefore, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and Trifles explore many issues that are still relevant to society today by questioning, supporting, and criticizing some of them, especially loyalty, gender roles, protecting loved ones, and deception. First, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark seriously questions the extent to which one should be loyal to one’s family. It obviously holds this value as one to consider seriously because it is the issue on which the play is based, Hamlet’s loyalty to his father. Thus, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark asks its readers to... ... April 2004. http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/benedetto/2004-04-03-benedetto_x.htm. Cantor, Paul. Shakespeare: Hamlet. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Crocker, Lisa. â€Å"Studies in Liminality: A Review of Critical Commentary on Glaspell’s Trifles.† 30 July 1996. University of South Florida. 28 March 2004. http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/glaspell.htm#knot Evans, Elizabeth M. â€Å"Biographical Influences on Glaspell’s Trifles.† 30 July 1996. University of South Florida. 28 March 2004. http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/glaspell.htm#knot. Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Literature. 5th ed. Ed. Robert Di Yanni. New York. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002. 1616 -1626. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Literature. 5th ed. Ed. Robert Di Yanni. New York. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002. 1395-1496.