Hum 176 Wk 2 Media Convergence Worksheet

University of Phoenix Material Media Convergence Worksheet Write brief 250- to 300-word answers to each of the following: QuestionsAnswers What is meant by the term media convergence with regard to technology, and how has it affected everyday life? The term media convergence with regards to technology is defined as a process of combining together the telecommunications and computers and turning them into one electronic or digital form.The media convergence has affected our everyday life as we know it in many ways, you can now watch television shows, listen to music and shop online using your computer all without leaving the privacy of your home. Using the computer you can also communicate using the email, or chat option on the computer, eliminating the need to call from your phone. Facebook is another option that allows you to keep up with friends and family, while knowing where they are at all times.The internet is a multitasking piece of equipment that has replaced many forms of co mmunications. Hard back books have been replaced with e-books, which can be electronically downloaded from your computer. The way we watch television has also changed, there are so many things that we can do through the television. You can program your home lights and alarms from you cell phone through the television. You can also communicate through you television to others, replacing the need for a telephone.The television and the internet are just two examples of media convergence, that has changed the way we shop, communicate, listen to music, watch the news and educate ourselves, it can all be done using the computer and connecting to the internet. People actually live on the internet and are becoming less social, because there is no need to leave their home for anything. What is meant by the term media convergence with regard to business, and how has it affected everyday life?The term media convergence in regards to business is the combination of computing and information proc essing with telecommunication networks provided from magazines, music, and entertainment programs. This converging links computing, communications and content. An example would be content that has been changed through different forms of delivery, digital forms are transmitted through broadband or wireless for viewing on computer s or similar equipment, cell phones, personal digital assistants, to video recorders that connected to television (technology).Business industries (media, technology, and telecommunication) have combined and developed new ideas that can increase profit from the consumers’ growing need for â€Å"on demand content†. Many analysts view media convergence as ending of the old media and rise of the new media (industry). Some of the many changes that have affected our lives as a result of media convergences in the business industry are the way we view information, the way we do everyday tasks and our value system.As a result we now have PDA or persona l digital assistants this device is a portable electronic notebook/computer that store information, keeps notes, addresses, reminders, and has a calendar. It is a mini computer that allows you to everything that you can do with a computer using a stylus rather than the keyboard. It fits in your pocket or purse and people rely on this device in order to function in everyday life. The smartphone is also a device that people rely on and they could not perform simple duties without it.You can text, email, chat, shop, watch movies, play games, use face book and twitter all from the smart phone. This eliminates a one on one discussion with a friend or family member and takes away the personal touch of body language and having face to face conversation. What are some of the issues that result from dependency on modern media? Describe at least three issues. Some of the issues that result from dependency on modern media are the increase of becoming withdrawn from society, the loss of social skills and personal relationships with friends, family and other loved ones.Another issue that can arise as a result of dependency is the chance of becoming what is known as a â€Å"media junkie† where the modern media takes preference over anything else (losing touch with reality). The cell phone has taken away our ability to properly communicate with each other by using slang and abbreviations in place of proper English. People are becoming less active, less visible, and trusting with each other. Studies have shown that â€Å"gamers† or people who play games (game tournaments) over the internet for hours and hours without stopping are likely to lose social skills.People with addictions or dependency on modern media are similar to those of a drug addict. It has been shown to produce distress and isolation in many people who are deprived from these devices. I think that this a major concern for parents of students and this younger generation. Dependency on modern media has caused up to depend on smartphones to tell time rather than wearing a watch. We text each other to communicate rather than using the phone to talk, and as opposed to watching the new we go to face book for the latest information, replacing the family time together watching television.These are just a few examples of the issues that results from the dependency on modern media. How does media literacy help with responsible media consumption? Media literacy helps individuals develop an informed understanding the nature of mass media. This awareness will prepare you to make wiser decision concerning issues that are facing our society, results of dependency, promotion of unacceptable behavior and exploiting personal problems for profit and other serious problems that can arise as a result of media consumption.The amount of available information is overwhelming and media purposely promotes dangerous stunts, violence, even pornography. The media impacts our society through this inform ation and degrades our moral values, social values, and integrity. Media has shaped the way we live, think, communicate and our life styles. We have cars that can park themselves, we speed date, we date online, from relationships online, and the media has played a role in all of it. Media consumption is important to prevent us from falling into the snare of becoming isolated and less social.

Magna Carta the cornerstone of Modern Law

Magna Carta came from the Latin word â€Å"Great Charter†, which was authorized by King John of England, which deals with governing of his subjects according to Feudalism. During feudalism, the relationship between kings and their barons orders the rights and duties of each subordinate. The king cannot make any legal actions such as imposing high taxes or any military services without consulting the barons. The Barons rebelled against King John causing a revolt in England; Magna Carta was a result of the negotiation within the rebel barons and the king. Magna Carta has 63 clauses which were issued to grant liberties to the church, to barons and tenants feudal rights. This promises that the King would be fair and just in enforcing his powers to the people. This became the â€Å"balancing act† during the Kings times because this limits the power of the King towards its people. This gave fair provision to the barons and King to exercise his powers to a certain extent in order not to abuse to those that are of less status as they are. The people were given representations and were given fair rights as well. One of the most important clauses of the Magna Carta is the legal clause that states that justice will be serve appropriately and should not be delayed. This is one of the many adopted laws of the Modern Laws right now. Enforcement of Magna Carta is with utmost importance as this became the basis of the modern rights, one of which is taxation without representation. Due to this also the people were given rights to undergo a due process in which at recent is given to those that are trialed. There should be no conviction made unless the person accused has been proven guilty, there should be a fair trial and both sides of defendant and prosecutor is heard. Magna Carta is considered to be the liberty of the people as well as today for this granted them the right to be represented.

Organizational Culture in the Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizational Culture in the Economy - Essay Example Thus, organizational culture involves three core dimensions that help define the organizational environment and how the organization interacts with the different environments. The customer dimension helps in identifying the driving forces for the company with reference to the type of products and services provided to the customers. However, customer demand as influenced by preferences and tastes tunes the organization towards developing the above-mentioned defining characteristics. The people dimension of culture involves the interaction among organizational stakeholders and how this affects the performance of the organization as well as its ability to retain employees, investors, and attracts new investors as well. Finally, the performance dimension of culture is a defining tool of what the organization is involved with and what competitive advantages put it ahead of the completion. With reference to the various dimensions of organizational culture, it is observed that organizational culture, as it borrows from business culture, is an important aspect that aims at defining purpose and relevance of the organization to the economy, target customers, and the organizational culture (Dalkir, 2011). The impacts of not addressing organizational culture include the inability of the organization to not only lack focus on target customers, but also to develop a negative reputation within its marketplace. Many are the times when the term organizational culture is inappropriately used to refer to positive strategies of an organization. However, while organizational culture is not a set of policies targeting various aspects of the organizational operations, it is considered a set of variables that add up to inform of the organization’s mission and relevance within a defined marketplace. In this case, three major considerations when addressing organizational culture are of crucial importance to organizational management and other stakeholders.  

I will argue that demographic is imbalanced in the UAE because of the Essay

I will argue that demographic is imbalanced in the UAE because of the amount of foreign labor - Essay Example wing the start of this development, the UAE saw large numbers of foreign workers start to pour into the country and has steadily kept coming into the country to date, lured by the numerous prospects available to them. Along with this foreign workforce, a number of changes started to occur in the social structure, a primary one being a shift in population structure. The rest of this essay will focus on the impact this foreign workforce has had on population growth in the UAE. Population data is very difficult to come by for many Middle Eastern countries with high immigration rates and the UAE is no exception. Best efforts were made to ensure the population data is accurate for this essay. The main topics dealt with from now on will be a discussion of the issues faced by the government of the UAE in the present day to deal with this massive influx of people and finally will attempt to provide justification as to the notion that the demographics presented by the governments are inaccura te due to such severe population changes occurring in such a short period of time. The UAE takes the approach of estimating its population according to whether a person is a permanent resident of the country. People who are away from the family home for some reason are also included where as people on visit visas are excluded. This method of evaluation is accepted by the United Nations (UAE Plans Ahead). According to a census carried out in 2005 by the Ministry of Economy, the population of the UAE was estimated to be at 4,104,695, as compared with 2,411,041 in a previous census which took place in 1995 (UAE Plans Ahead†. Census 2005 UAE). The initial influx of foreign workers, also referred to as expatriates, stemmed from the rapid development that took place following the discovery of oil revenue. There was a shortage of national labor and to sustain growth, scores of foreign workers came to the UAE (Randeree,2009 from Halliday, 1977). Over the past three decades, the UAE has

Corporate Governance and Compensation Research Paper

Corporate Governance and Compensation - Research Paper Example ance as â€Å"the system by which business corporations are directed and controlled†¦[specifying] the distribution of rights and responsibilities among different participants in the corporation such as the Board, managers, shareholders and other stakeholders, and spells out the rules and procedures for making decisions on corporate affairs† (OECD, 2004, 11). A third definition is articulated by economists: â€Å"Corporate governance is a field in economics that investigates how to secure/motivate efficient management of corporations by the use of mechanisms such as contracts, organizational designs and legislation† (Fernando, 2006, 13-15). More recent literature has expanded the coverage of corporate governance to include management and financial discipline, corporate social responsibility, business ethics, stakeholder participation in decision-making, and more recently, sustainable economic development in the country in which the business operates (16). Presented in the appendix is a figure showing the comparative descriptions of the OECD and UK’s Good Governance Standards for Public Service, as they measure up to the generic principles of good governance. Executive compensation as a concern of corporate governance Before the financial crisis, there was little reason for doubting the rising pay of chief executives as set by board. The general public perception is that the board acted in a regular and informed manner when they agreed in setting the compensation level of the CEO, and that corporate governance was implemented optimally from the top of the organization. The issues that arose out of the financial crisis, however, led to the belief that the process of determining CEO compensation is not as efficient as the public were led to believe, and that significant... This essay stresses that the case of Disney’s derivative suit involving Ovitz’s morally untenable compensation package highlights the huge discrepancy between what the law requires and what is required by good corporate governance, as far as executive compensation is concerned. Presently, in determining liability and propriety the law measures executive action by the minimum standard of due care and good faith, but this case shows that it is possible for a powerful CEO to meet the minimum and still cause severe pecuniary and organizational risk to the company and its shareholders. This paper makes a conclusion that the courts decided against the derivative suit filed by the shareholders, because the board of directors were deemed to have met the minimum standard of due care, and not to have acted in bad faith as defined by the law. This does not clear Disney executives, particularly its CEO and those directors who evidently connived with him, from meeting their moral and ethical responsibility towards their shareholders and stakeholders, and is an evident display of poor corporate governance. Executive compensation and the hiring of a successor must not be left to the whims and designs of a CEO who manipulates these matters in order to retain power for himself. The terms of executive compensation and succession should be considered as legitimate by social standards and the norms and cognitive impacts on the organization.

Research paper "New Zealand" Examintation of its business

"New Zealand" Examintation of its business practices - Research Paper Example In the country, the normal business hours are from 8.30 am to 5pm from Monday to Friday. For some businesses, they open on Saturday but not on Sunday and the normal business hours are usually from 9am to 12.30 pm. When intending to meet any business associate, individuals are advised to make an appointment in advance and business meetings are expected to start just after a few minutes of a small talk (Collins, Roper, & Lawrence, 2010). Trust in the business world in New Zealand is considered as a very important factor. Thus, individuals are encouraged to cultivate and build trusting relationships. If an individual’s indicates to a colleague some reasons not to trust them, then it becomes very difficult to rebuild the trust back. Business transaction’s, presentations and negotiations needs to be clear and on the point without a lot of flowery languages, as such practices are frowned upon. Often business negotiations are expected to take time without rush or the application of unnecessary pressure to force the deal through in order to make a sale in an effort of retaining the customer and convincing them appropriately in the right manner (Campbell-Allen, Houston, & Mann, 2008). According to Collins et al., (2010) the New Zealand business community does not allow haggling. In this regards when doing business, it is important not to start with high prices expecting to bargain downwards. Rather business p ersons need to start with realistic figures that provide the customer the required value for their money or they will opt for other alternative options. The accepted language for doing business is English, and very few organizations, and companies will use another language unless the particular language is specifically required for a delegates meeting or an event. When doing business in the country, first impressions are considered important. Therefore, when

Evaluation of Employee Training Demand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evaluation of Employee Training Demand - Essay Example This process is the research problem source between employee and corporation performance. After this process judgment is made whether training can actually assist in solving the problem or not. What kind of training is required is also determined. In order to evaluate and make the judgment if the employee training will assist in solving the problem or not, a number of training and non-training elements need to be considered. The training factors that should be considered include: In this aspect it is important to determine if there is a real need for training or not. This need may arise from the decreasing organizational profits, decreased productivity, increase in the costs and ineffective operations of the organizations due to the lack of proper skills and non-performance of efficient practices by the employees. In this facet of evaluating employee training demand, you need to determine that if the training is needed, why it is needed. The possible reasons can be the changing global trends according to which the skills of the employees need to be polished, it can be a legal requirement, a customer need etc. Here you determine what kind of skills training is required. ... Therefore it is important to determine what core competency needs to be improved. Which employees need training It is also important to know that which employees need what training. This is because employees in different departments need different kind of skill sets and their knowledge and learning requirements are entirely different. For example, it may be necessary for the purchase department people to have the negotiating skills training while it may not be important for the quality control department employees. How and where will the training take place During the evaluation of employee training demand it is also important to know that how will the training take place, i.e. determining will the training sessions be conducted in the office timings or not, will the trainers be hired from within the company or not, will the training sessions be conducted in the office premises or not, etc. The evaluation of training demand should also include some non-training elements, such as organization structure, work environment, salary system and etc. as they have a strong influence on the corporation's conditions. These elements are discussed below: Organizational Structure: Organizations with hierarchical structures are more prone to redundancy of work assignments. Therefore there is usually there is less need for the training of all the employees in such organizations. However in flatter structured organizations, a single employee should have a broad skill set and therefore most of the employees in such organizations have a high demand for training. Organizational Work Environment: The work environment and the working conditions of the organization also are an

Trust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Trust - Essay Example Marketing scandals have marred the industries of Asia, with citizens and consumers ending up cynically viewing the way industries there portray products. The general consensus amongst citizens of Asia (mainly Pakistan, India and Srilanka) is that marketers can sell them anything for a profit. There is also the unanimous agreement that the strict implementation of consumer rights laws in Canada is the reason for most companies working alongside ethical standards; which gives citizens ample reason to believe everything companies tell them about products. (Global corporate comparisons, 2010) Agricultural Finance Services Corporation is at present rated to be the best company both employer-wise and also social-service wise. The work atmosphere at AFSC is extremely well maintained; with high a degree of communication between the management and employees. Employee engagement programs are carried out, with each employee receiving individual performance reviews. As a corporation, AFSC has been rated to be involved in community work above-average. Every year, the company and its employees support countless charities and social working groups, and donate to helping charitable organizations in need. This drastically raises the company’s standing in the eye of the society. (Top Employers, AFSC 2011) Rated number second in Canada’s top employers, the work atmosphere at Agrium is said to be above average. High communication is maintained between the management and the employees via corporate newsletter, corporate internet site, and traditional and email suggestion boxes respectively. Aside from annual individual reviews of each employee’s performance in the corporation, employees are also encouraged to provide their own feedback with respect to the management – and in full confidence. This builds and maintains trust within the organization, which reflects on the ever-watching society. With an above-average community development involvement,

Environmental Issues that impact the Western United States Research Paper

Environmental Issues that impact the Western United States - Research Paper Example America is one of the prominent nuclear powers in the world and its nuclear power plants are generating immense nuclear wastes which are dumped into seas. Moreover, the fertilizers, chemicals and pesticides used to improve the agricultural yields, are polluting the soil and water. Western United States is a region which is facing big environmental problems as a result of visionless industrial and agricultural policies. This paper briefly analyses the environmental problems of Western America and provides some recommendations to overcome it. Environmental problems in western America Mining is one of the major activities which cause severe environmental problems in Western America. Mining started in America in the nineteenth century and western America is a region which is blessed with precious metals like gold and minerals. The gold rush in the nineteenth century resulted in the construction of rail, roads and other transportation means and many of the natural forests were destroyed. Some of the cities like Denver and Sacramento evolved as mining towns during this period. Contamination of soil and water, erosion, destruction of biodiversity etc were the outcomes of gold rush or mining. Mining is a process which requires the use of lot of chemicals to purify the metals and minerals mined out of the soil. These chemicals often pollute the soil and water. A scoping study conducted by the Western Governors' Association Mine Waste Task Force (1) collected the following statistics on inactive and abandoned mines (IAMs) by state: Arizona -- 80,000 IAM sites covering 136,653 acres, pollution 200 miles of surface waterways. California -- 2,484 IAM sites, 1,685 mine openings, and 578 miles of polluted streams. Colorado -- 20,299 mine openings and 1,298 miles of affected streams. Idaho -- 27,543 acres affected by IAMs. Missouri -- 7,655 IAM sites covering 48,175 acres, with 109 miles of affected streams. Montana -- 20,000 IAM sites covering 153,800 acres, with 1,118 miles of stream damage. New Mexico -- 25,320 acres and 69 miles of stream affected by IAMs. Oklahoma -- 26,453 acres affected by IAMs. Utah -- 25,020 acres affected by IAMs, with 83 miles of polluted streams. Of this total volume, approximately 85 percent is attributed to copper, iron ore, uranium, and phosphate mining and related activities. Approximately one-half of the waste generated is mining waste and one-third is tailings, with the balance consisting of dump/heap leaching wastes and mine water (Durkin and Herrmann, n. d) Even though mine waste problems affect the environment in numerous ways, acid mine drainage is the most serious problem arises as a result of mining. Mine wastes may engage in serious chemical reactions with other elements present in soil, rock water etc. For example, the major constituent of rock is ferrous sulphide which could be oxidized to form hydrogen ion when mine wastes react with it in the presence of water. Since hydrogen ions can easily react with water to form different types of acids, and thereby the acidity of the soil would be increased a lot. Acids have the ability to react with different types of metals and elements present in soil and water. In other worlds, when the acidity increases in the soil, lot of unwanted or poisonous materials can be generated. In short, mining indirectly pollute the water and the soil near the mining areas. The agriculture in Western United States mostly depends

Bank Failures over Last 25 Years Essay Example for Free

Bank Failures over Last 25 Years Essay The banks began to fail because of misappropriation of funds and loose lending practices to the majority of the US citizens living above their means. The government estimated 2,657 closures from bank failures from 1987 to 2012 (http://bankvibe. com). Currently, there is a total 7,074 FDIC insured banks (http://www. mybankertracker. com/banks). This caused was from credit stipulations were lowered to allow the subpar credit working Americans to obtain personal loans, car, homes or other amenities. Most banks were very stable but were not prepared for the financial bubble to burst in the distance near future. Moreover, in my experience with working for a few financial institutions, I observed the credit parameters amended to fit a customer’s financial state. These loans stipulations were as follows: no documentation, no income, no assets, or no verification job; underwriting went only off credit score in some cases. The small, mid-size, and corporate banks are all competing for the public’s business which caused disarray of bad banking decisions. Hence, the banks that failed from 1987 until present time in researching last 25 years; we don’t read much about these failures in our daily newspapers, simply just; there is an over abundant of banks failures every day and this has become very common (www. davemanuel. com/history-of-bank-failures-in-the-united-states. php) Nevertheless, these banking behaviors caused a massive failure of mortgage banks and commercial banks. This caused the government to become very involved when Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were affected by these lending behaviors (Johnson, 2010, p. 4-28). My research will display the trend of failing banks over the last 25 years and data will give insight on the numbers of banks. The Federal Reserve had centralized banking responsibility to save the banks, they deemed too big to fail. The depositors decide to simultaneously withdraw their funds from banks, which resulted in a bank panic. If several banks experience these actions at same time, this throws the banks into a bank panic. The Feds loan the banks money at a discounted rate to sustain these indiscretions (Hubbard O’brien, 2010, p. 37). Consequently, the US Congress started holding hearings, and questioning these huge corporate banks whose bonuses, incentives, and other loose business practices. These banks closed, sold, or merged with other banks to survive inevitable reality of failing (NAOAKI, 2011, p29). The investment banks were also involved in the buying and selling of bundled mortgages, investments, or other banking products to raise their capital. Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Countrywide were guilty of such practices as seen all over the TV national news. These companies have been either sold or closed down after the hearings on Capitol Hill. Currently, In order to resolve this crisis, banks have drastically changed their lending practice and the closure of failing banks has slowed down. Corporate banks were also beginning to receive stimulus funds to save them from failing. The government found themselves in a position of using the Feds to prevent catastrophic melt down of financial industry. The 12 districts are replenished to keep the general public getting loans; thus, keeping money in circulation (Hubbard O’brien, 2010, p. 438). All banks did not take the stimulus funds, but devised a plan to prevent failure. Therefore, banks had to pay back the loans in the billions, but were not charged interest if they paid the funds back early. The small to mid-size banks were left to fail, because they were not too big to fail. A double standard was shown to small businesses the backbone of America (http://economics. bout. com/). A bank of ineffective practices has shown small mom and pop banks they should not try to compete with Corporate Banking in America. They are not going to be bailed out, and allowed to fail. These small or mid-size banks are microeconomics not in macroeconomics equation of America big businesses. In conclusion, the bank failures are significant to our economy tremendously regardless the size, from the housing market, investments, or checking/savings accounts. The Feds saved the banks worth saving to boost the economy and slow down inflation. Perhaps, further research conducted to answer the following questions, and ask the questions: Do you think if people were given the stimulus funds instead of the banking institutions? What kind of economic boost would banks have, if the citizens were given stimulus funds? How does the government determine who receives funds to survive a financial set back? Why are parts of corporate America deemed too big to fail?

Developing Outcomes Based Policy for Education

Developing Outcomes Based Policy for Education Since 1994, South Africa has experienced the policy cycle in a fast-forward mode due to the transition phase from the apartheid era. As a result, policy design, legislation and policy implementation have proceeded rapidly in all sectors. This transition meant that many of the policies that were inherited from the apartheid era were inappropriate for the democratic dispensation. To this effect Roux (2002:420) notes that constitutional reform has led to change and transformation in almost all spheres of government and administration. Such changes affected virtually all the functional fields of government, and consequently redefined the role of policy- and decision-makers. Echoing this sentiment Brynard (2005:3) states that an extraordinary degree of intellectual and political energy was harnessed to generate public policies that would suit the current needs of the State. South Africa, in a policy context, went through a major review of policies especially between 1995 and 1996; Brynard (2005:3) terms this period the White Paper Era. Brynard (2000:164-165) further states that after 1994, the democratic government embarked on an aggressive process of policy formulation with a view to remove discrimination in the governments public policy and statute. This continued until the end of 1990s. The second democratic government (1999 to 2004) shifted focus more towards implementation of policies of a democratically elected government, which still continues. The focus of this paper is on the performance of such policies. Goldfrank (1998:1) highlights the importance of looking beyond the euphoria that comes with the installation of new governments when assessing such governments performance. He contends that, in studying the relatively recently democratised countries, scholars have largely moved beyond the theme of transitions to democratically-elected governments and have begun to ask questions regarding the kind of democracies that have arisen and how to sustain democratic practices. Almost uniformly, political analysts and actors deplore the quality of the new democracies, pointing to one or another deficiency, including ineffective legislatures, inefficient public bureaucracies, corrupt judiciaries, and, perhaps most strikingly governments inability to deliver their mandates. Sanderson (2002:2) support this view when he points out that with increasing questioning and scrutiny of public intervention in economic and social spheres, governments are turning to evidence of performance for legitimacy since it is no longer guaranteed solely by democratic political processes. This paper argues that for the government to be able to provide evidence of performance of its policies, it must institutionalise an outcomes-based evaluation system. An Outcomes-based Policy Evaluation system is presented in this paper as a tool through which the government can objectively demonstrate achievements of its policies while at the same time accounting about the performance of its policies. However, for such a framework to be successful it must be embedded on a well crafted evidence based system. Thus, the researcher will argue that Evidence-based practice is a cornerstone for an outcomes-based policy performance system. Hence a saying that the system will only be as good as the data that it is based on holds true for this paper. In support of this exposition, Rosanbalm, Owen, Rosch and Harrison (2009:6) contend that evidence-based policy provides an effective mechanism to establish, in a scientifically valid way, what works or does not work, and for whom it works or does not work. With this structured approach to evaluation, knowledge can be used to improve practice, allowing successful programs to develop iteratively over time. Without this approach, interventions go in and out of practice, little is learned about what works, and the effectiveness of social programs does not advance significantly over time. Rigorous evaluation can end the spinning of wheels and bring rapid progress to social policy as it has to the field of medicine. This paper, though critical of the emerging policy evaluation framework in SA, it acknowledges the efforts made in the policy arena since 1994. Further, in identifying challenges, this paper seeks to take a forward-looking approach that would outline the issues which government must grapple with in order to develop an outcomes based policy evaluation framework. Research Problem After fifteen years of policy implementation, questions on whether or not such policies are delivering the intended outcomes are continuously being raised by different stakeholders including the government and the ruling party, African National Congress (ANC). For instance, since its landmark victory in 1994, the ANC government has introduced several policies with the aim of improving the living conditions of the South Africans. Now the dilemma that is facing the ruling party is its inability to objectively determine the extent to which the implemented policies are adding value to the lives of the previously disadvantaged communities. The ANC has reiterated this concern in its Strategy and Tactics document of 2002 where it argues that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦policy leadership responsibility is compromised by the general absence of reliable and appropriate information that will evaluate policy performance and the impact of government policy decisions. Where there is information available it i s compiled and communicated by those responsible for implementation, which raises the question as to the reliability and validity of the evidence that is being presented to the Executive, Parliament and the ruling party. This suggests that performance measurement systems in government require serious rethinking. The biggest challenge is that most performance measurement systems in government are still input-based and, at the most, report on outputs without justifying input-output ratio (Sangweni 2006:6). Schacter (1993:1) is very accurate in his diagnosis of the problem when he contends that public sector performance has often been measured in terms of what the government has done, meaning an amount of funding provided, number of kilometers of road tarred, number of new hospital beds and so forth. Such measures focus on how busy the government has been rather than on what it has achieved. They highlight means rather than ends. Schacter (1993:2) further argues that this is not to say that keeping track of means, as opposed to ends isnt important. Governments need to measure how much they spend and do. But when performance measurement focuses too heavily or exclusively on how much is spent -inputs or done outputs as opposed to impact on society outcomes the result is often that public sector organisations lose sight of why they were created in the first place. Public organisations may be very busy but be accomplishing little from societys perspective. For example, it would be futile for the Department of Transport to build thousands of kilometers of roads to places where no one travels. The danger of this approach, as noted by Radebe and Pierre (2007:110) is that organisations take their own implementation decisions which may not be in line with national priorities. One of the consequences of the apparent absence of strategic leadership was pointed out as inappropriate infrastructure developments such a s building new parking facilities at Durban International Airport while the airport would be decommissioned in 2009. The purpose of the Study and Research Questions The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which Evidence based and Results based management approaches are being applied in SA in the area of public policy with an aim of improving policy performance feedback (performance information or evidence of whether policies are successful or not). In order to achieve this purpose the researcher will be guided by two main research questions. The first question to be addressed is: Why does the increased attention to outcomes and accountability intersect with the growing demand for evidence-based policies and programs? In other words, how does the advancement of connections between science (evidence-based policy making approach) and policy making improve policy evaluation? The researcher will contend that a government that basis its policy decisions on scientific evidence enhances its chances not only of implementing sound policies but also of executing effective performance evaluation of its policies. According to Lasswell (quoted b y Hoppe 1999:1), policy science is about the production and application of knowledge of and in policy. Policymakers, who desire to successfully tackle problems on the political agenda, should be able to mobilise the best available knowledge. This requires high quality knowledge in policy. Policymakers and, in a democracy, citizens, also need to know how policy processes really evolve. This demands precise knowledge of policy. There is an obvious link between the two: the more and better knowledge of policy, the easier it is to mobilise knowledge in policy. Hartig, DePinto, Stone and McIntyre (2003:1) observed that informing public policy with sound science has long been recognized as a vital need for effective policy management However, delivering scientific findings to policy-makers in a useful manner has been problematic. Policy-makers have often lacked timely access to scientific information. And when they do have access, this information is often too technical and needs interpretation to be truly useful for decision-making. Clearly, there is a need to strengthen science-policy linkages in order to improve policy performance. The second question to be addressed is: what strides have been made by SA towards an outcomes-based policy performance evaluation framework Where are we and what are the gaps? To this end, Scott (2006:87) argues that South African government need to be able to determine whether government policies, interpreted into government programmes and projects, are causally linked to policy outcomes. We need to be able to determine whether progress, or lack of it, is due to (or happening despite) government policies and activities. Thus this paper will carefully examine the extent to which the South African government is able to objectively report on the performance of its policy interventions and also whether policy evaluation data is utilised to improve future policy interventions. Objectives of the Study This paper has three main objectives: Firstly, the study aims to examine the extent to which departments apply the Government-wide Policy Framework on Monitoring and Evaluation which was published by government in 2007; this is an overarching policy framework that ushers a new culture on monitoring and evaluation and is predicated on a RBM approach (The Presidency 2007:1). Secondly, the study aims to assess the manner in which government departments generate and use evidence throughout the policy lifecycle (policy formulation, policy implementation and policy closure or redesign). Thirdly, the study aims to assess the impact of the existing accountability mechanisms on the utilisation of scientifically generated evidence in government. Theoretical Framework This paper employs a dynamic analysis approach of the systems theory as a basis for understanding the interrelationship between policy making and policy evaluation. Dynamic analysis examines interdependent effects among variables over time, with time lags on effects and feedback loops as part of the analysis. Dynamic analysis differs significantly from static analysis which assumes unidirectional relationships between the independent and dependent variables in the analysis. While static analysis assumes that a change in some independent variables will result in change in one or more dependent variables, dynamic analysis introduces two-way relationship or feedback loops into the system of relationships being investigated (that is, in the two-way relationship, a change in one variable affects the second, which in turn affects the first changes in both variables continue until equilibrium or system collapse occurs (Melcher A and Melcher B, 1980:235-239). Thus this paper moves from the premise that if policies are based on tested theories (theories that have been subjected to vigorous scientific procedures); examination of their performance during and after implementation is made easy. Subsequently, evidence of whether policies work or not will be feedback to the initial phase of policy formulation for policy redesign where necessary. This is premised on the fact that public policies are not eternal truths but rather hypotheses subject to alteration and to devising of new and better ones until these in turn are proved unsatisfactory (Wildavsky 1979:16). To this end, this paper ventures into assessing which procedures are in place in SA and which processes, according to literature, ought to be in place in order for government to be able to account to its citizens on the implementation of public policies. Literature is very rich on how governments ability to account on the implementation of public policies can be improved. The focus of study is limited to two interventions. They are Evidence-Based Policy Making and Results-Based Management approaches. Evidence-Based Policy Making approach finds its expression through policy science which can be summarised as the intersection between scientific research and public policy. Davies as cited by Segone (2004:27) defines evidence-based policy as an approach which helps people make well informed decisions about policies, programmes and projects by putting the best available evidence at the heart of policy development and implementation. Segone (2004:27) points out that this definition matches that of the UN in the MDG guide where it is stated that Evidence-based policy making refers to a policy process that helps planners make better-informed decisions by putting the best available evidence at the centre of the policy process. Evidence may include information produced by integrated monitoring and evaluation systems, academic research, historical experience and good practice information. This approach stands in contrast to opinion-based policy, which relies heavily on either the selective use of evidence (e.g. on single studies irrespective of quality) or on the untested views of individuals or groups, often inspired by ideological standpoints, prejudices, or speculative conjecture. Proponents of evidence-based policy and practice acknowledge that not all sources of evidence are sufficiently sound to form the basis of policy making. Much research and evaluation is flawed by unclear objectives; poor design; methodological weaknesses; inadequate statistical reporting and analysis; selective use of data; and, conclusions which are not supported by the data provided (Davies 2003:54). On the other hand, Results-Based Management (RBM) is defined as a management strategy aimed at achieving important changes in the way organisations operate, with improving performance in terms of results as the central orientation. RBM provides the management framework and tools for strategic planning, risk management, performance monitoring and evaluation. Its primary purpose is to improve efficiency and effectiveness through organisational learning, and secondly to fulfill accountability obligations through performance reporting. Key to its success is the involvement of stakeholders throughout the management lifecycle in defining realistic expected results, assessing risk, monitoring progress, reporting on performance and integrating lessons learned into management decisions (Meier 2003:6) Scott, Joubert and Anyogu (2006:11) concur with Meier when they contend that RBM is a management strategy or approach by which an organization ensures that its processes, products and services contribute to the achievement of clearly stated results. RBM provides a coherent framework for strategic planning and management by improving learning and accountability. It is also a broad management strategy aimed at achieving important changes in the way agencies operate, with improving performance and achieving results as the central orientation, by defining realistic expected results, monitoring progress towards the achievement of expected results, integrating lessons learned into management decisions and reporting on performance. Key RBM concepts central to this paper include; theory of change, causal chain, programme theory and logic model. According to Bickman (1987:2) program theory can be defined as a plausible and sensible model of how a program [policy] is supposed to work. A good program theory logically and reasonably links program activities to one or more outcomes for participants. Program theories can often be captured in a series of if-then statements IF something is done to, with, or for program participants, THEN theoretically something will change. Figure 1 below illustrates how a program theory can be captured in a logframe. On the other hand logic model is a tool for illustrating an underlying program theory. A logic model illustrates the linkages between program components and outcomes (Wilder Research Center1987:2-4). It is this theory that must be backed-up by sound evidence as discussed in chapter 2. Figure 2 below illustrates how a logic model can be captured. ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS RESULTS IMPACT Research, monitoring, analysis of information Dissemination of information to health workers and population Informed Stakeholders Population assumes responsibility to protect, maintain, improve its health Improved general health. Reduced variances between segments of the population. Research Design This is a qualitative research which is located within the evaluation field of study. A qualitative research methodology has been chosen because of its approach towards finding the truth which bodes very well with the requirements of this study. Qualitative methods draw up an interpretive paradigm where there are multiple truths regarding the social world. In qualitative methods knowledge gathering is always partial, and the researcher is encouraged to be on the same plane as the researched in an effort to promote a co-construction of meaning Try to link this statement to your study to make what you are saying clearer to the reader. (Hesse-Biber and Leavey 2006:320). The researcher will use literature review to achieve three objectives. Firstly, this paper will examine literature on the application of evidence-based and RBM approaches throughout the policy lifecycle in order to construct a framework of analysis for the study. Secondly, the paper will identify critical variables that may help government to institutionalise an outcomes-based policy evaluation framework. Thirdly, the paper will examine strides that have been made by the SA government towards an outcomes based policy evaluation framework. Comparative views on the achievement of other developing and developed countries will be included in this study in order to augment theoretical exposition of this study with empirical evidence. The literature review will further be augmented with empirical findings arising from the semi-structured interviews. The interviews will be carried out with a sample of respondents from government whose jobs functions entail research, policy analysis and evaluation. The nature of the study requires (experts focused input) that the sample be stratified; as a result the paper will use a non-probability sampling technique (judgmental sample). With regard to data analysis, the researcher will use content analysis method which has been credited for its versatility to both quantitative and qualitative research enquiries. For instance, Creswell (2003:289) contends that content analysis has historically been conducted quantitatively; however, now there is a rich tradition of qualitative content analysis. The primary difference in these two broad applications is in research design. Quantitative approaches to content analysis are largely deductive and follow a linear model of research design. Qualitative approaches are mainly inductive and follow what is termed a spiral model of research design. When using a linear design the researcher has a preconceived set of steps to follow in a linear (vertical) path through each phase of the research process. A spiral design, employed by qualitative researchers, allows the investigator to, metaphorically, drive in and out of the data. In this model a researcher generates new understandings , with varied levels of specificity (Hesse, et al 2003:289). This paper will employ the spiral model together with the memo writing approach in analysing the findings. By writing memos one can raise a code to the level of a category. The idea of a grounded theory approach is to read carefully through the data and to uncover the major categories and concepts and ultimately the properties of these categories and their interrelationships. Memo writing is an integral part of the grounded theory process and assists the researcher in elaborating on their ideas regarding their data and code categories. Reading through and sorting memos can also aid the researcher in integrating his or her ideas and may even serve to bring up new ideas and relationships within the data. (Hess, et al 2003:349) As the process of analysis continues the researcher may begin to see more developed codes focused codes especially through the process of writing memos. Coding is a central part of a grounded theory approach and involves extracting meaning from non-numerical data such as text and multimedia such as audio and video. Coding is the analysis strategy many qualitative researchers employ in order to help them locate key themes, patterns, ideas, and concepts that may exist within their data (Hesse, et al: 2003, 349). To conclude, Karp (2003:356) notes that after pondering the ideas in the memos and coding interviews when you think you have been able to grab onto a theme it is time to begin what he term data memo. By this he means a memo that integrates the theme with data and any available literature that fits; something that begins to look like a paper. Importance of the Study Even though the focus of this paper is on performance evaluation, it ultimately addresses a very critical issue of an accountable government. Thus the researcher will also argue that a performance evaluation system should enable the government to account to its citizens about the effective and efficient use of their resources. This paper will thus contribute to the growing body of knowledge of policy making and performance evaluation in the South African literature, which aims at strengthening the accountability mechanisms of government. Summary of Literature Review The second chapter of this study focuses on the evolution of the policy analysis with specific focus on policy making and evaluation as well as on the progress made by SA towards an outcomes-based policy evaluation framework. A brief outline of some of the sections covered in the literature is provided below: Role of theories in policy making While policy could be defined in several ways, the point of departure for this paper is that policy is viewed as a theory. The proposition of this paper is that theories that underlie policies must be backed up by scientific evidence so that measures of success for policy performance will be effective. This proposition is backed up by scholars such as Pressman and Wildavsky (1973, 1979), Bardach (1977) and more recently by Pawson (2002). For instance, Pressman and Wildavsky (1973) described any policy as a hypothesis containing initial conditions and predicted consequences. That is, the typical reasoning of the policy-maker is along the lines of if x is done at time t(1) then y will result at time t(2). Hill (1998) concludes that thus every policy incorporates a theory of cause and effect (normally unstated in practice) and, if the policy fails, it may be the underlying theory that is at fault rather than the execution of the policy. Role of Evidence in Policy Making Evidence Based Policy Making (EBPM) Approach As stated above, the proposition of this paper is that theories that underlie policies must be backed up by scientific evidence so that measures of success for policy performance will be effective. This view is supported by scholars such as Gray (1997), Davies (1999, 2003), Nutley (2003) and Segone (2004). Arguments presented by these scholars are discussed in detail in chapter two, which is the literature review chapter. These scholars concur that evidence-based decision making draws heavily upon the findings of scientific research, including social scientific research that has been gathered and critically appraised according to explicit and sound principles of scientific inquiry. Framework for an accountable and learning Government Recently, we have observed a growing interest in performance measurement or evaluation in the public sector. The question is, what drives this interest in performance measurement and evaluation, in the public sector? In answering this question Schacter (2002:5) argues that the fundamental reason why performance measurement matters to us is that it makes accountability possible, and accountability goes to the heart of our system of political governance. Schacter further contends that citizens grant their governments a high degree of control over their lives. Citizens allow governments to take part of their income through taxes for instance, and to limit their freedom through enforcement of laws and regulations. In return citizens expect their governments to be accountable to them for the ways in which they exercise power. Performance evaluation is not only beneficial to citizens but to government as well. A government that utilises findings on the performance of its policies is able to improve on new policies as well as on the implementation of such policies. Wildavsky (1984:255) echoes this point when he contends that learning evaluation strives to unearth faulty assumptions, reshape misshapen policy designs, and continuously refine goals in light of new information derived during implementation. Previous research on Policy Making and Evaluation in South Africa Literature reviewed indicates that a significant amount of work has been done on policy making and evaluation in SA. Key topics covered in the reviewed literature include transition from apartheid to democratic era, Public policy making in a post-apartheid South Africa, policy evaluation, Electoral system and political accountability. These topics are addressed in chapter 2 where I discuss the work of scholars like Van Niekerk, Van Der Waldt and Jonker (2001) Roux (2002), Cloete and Wissink (2004), Scott (2006 and 2007), Radebe and Pierre (2007), Christo de Coning (2008), Gumede (2008), Carter (2008). Government reports, covering framework and performance documents, are also used in this study to present the side of government. Notwithstanding the existence of literature on policy making and evaluation, more work is still needed on how evidence-based approach improves policy performance as well as quality of performance data; this is the area this study seeks to address. Limitations of the Study This paper will not venture to quantifiably assess the extent to which the introduction of Evidence-Based Policy Making and Results-Based Management approaches have improved policy performance feedback in SA. Such an enquiry will require more time and a different strategy; this will be a subject for further research. Nevertheless, this paper will explore scholarly literature so as to identify main arguments on how policy evaluation could be improved. Themes emanating from the literature will then be tested through an interview with a sample of policy and evaluation practitioners. The other limitation of this paper is that, no matter how relevant it may be, it does not represent the official position of government. Hence there is no guarantee for the implementation of the recommendations of this paper. Finally, the timeframe as well as the financial resources will limit the researcher from doing an in-depth analysis of key variable of the study, i.e. the relationship between policy making and policy performance measurement approaches. Chapter Outline Abstract: presents an overview of the paper and introduces contents of each chapter. Introduction: presents a background to the study, the motivations for embarking on the proposed study as well as the purpose of the study are also presented. Chapter one: This chapter provides a reader with a methodology to be employed in search for the answers to the research questions. It also presents a brief summary of the theoretical framework which includes concepts and theories. Chapter two: looks into the literature that is already available on the evolution of the policy analysis with specific focus on policy making and evaluation. Key variables for an effective policy performance assessment framework will also be identified in this chapter Chapter three: examines strides that have been made by the government towards an ideal (evidence-outcomes based framework as espoused in chapter two) policy performance evaluation framework Chapter four: provides analysis and interpretation of the research findings based on the reviewed literature and interview outcomes. The purpose of this chapter is to present solid descriptive data and to lead the reader to understand the meaning of the phenomenon that is being studied. Content analysis approach and memo writing approach are utilised to analyse and interpret the findings of the study. Chapter five: presents conclusions and recommendations that have been drawn from the reviewed literature, constructed theoretical framework, as well as the interview results. The chapter also proposes research areas requiring further research in the field of policy assessment. Conclusion In this paper the researcher intends to assess critical strides made by SA towards an outcome-based policy evaluation framework. The researcher will use evidence emanating from literature and interviews to highlight weaknesses in the SA public sector performance evaluation system.

Women in The Workplace Essay -- Work Gender Females Essays

Women in The Workplace Gender plays a huge role in workplace 'success' and can be a big challenge especially if the employee is a woman in a male dominated workplace or career. No matter how 'hard-nosed,' 'ruthless,' 'workaholic' a woman may be, or how much personal success she achieves, there will always tend to be some type of obstacle to keep her from getting completely to the top of the corporate ladder. She must also still fight stereotypes that undermines her confidence or limits her potential. Since the early 20th century, women and minorities have sought equal opportunities in education and in the labor force with little success. These obstacles or barriers are all known as the glass ceiling. When speaking of the glass ceiling, a reference is being made to an invisible, artificial barrier that prevents qualified individuals from advancing within their organization and reaching full potential. The glass ceiling describes the point beyond when women managers and executives are not promoted. These barriers result from institutional and psychological practices. The glass ceiling exists and is evident in three different levels. These levels are: Apprenticeship, The Pipeline and Alice in Wonderland. Although not every organization has all three levels, one level could sometimes be more predominant in one part of an organization and not in another. Apprenticeship Women in the United States have been admitted into apprenticeship programs in large numbers, for so many years, that it is seemingly easy for young women to believe and for management to assert that discrimination is obsolete, and that the glass ceiling is either a myth or a subject that will automatical... ..., A. (1996, March). ?Glass Ceiling Red Flags.? http://www.bickerstaff.com 2. Constable, P. (1995, October). ?A Glass Ceiling of Misperceptions.? http://www.washingtonpost.com 3. Author Unknown (1997). ?The Three Levels of the Glass Ceiling: Sorcerer?s Apprentice to through the Looking Glass.? Dataline, Inc. http://cyberwerks.com 4. Author Unknown. (1997, January). ?Glass Ceiling rises, but remains intact.? Business First. http://cgi.amcity.com 5. Miller, L. (1997, June). ?Women are making it their business to get ahead.? Community Newspaper Company. www.towonline.com 6. Author Unknown. (1997, February). ?Breaking Through.? Business Week Archives. http://www.businessweek.com. 7. Author Unknown. Internet news article www.theglassceiling.com 8. Author unknown. Internet news article. www.womenswire.com

Free Essay: The Three Ages in Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken :: Road Not Taken essays

The Three Different Ages in The Road Not Taken  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William George, in â€Å"Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken,’† describes the way in which Frost depicts three different ages of the narrator of the poem.   These three different speakers all have to make a decision, and they face it in different ways.   The middle-aged self is the most objective speaker, and he mocks the younger and older selves as they â€Å"are given to emotion, self-deception, and self-congratulation† (230).   While the middle-aged self is able to maintain his objectivity, the younger and older selves are given to delusion and cannot maintain any objectivity. The first part of the article describes the relation between the middle-aged self and the younger self.   The younger self must make a decision about which path he will take.   While the middle-aged self â€Å"stresses the similarity of the two roads,† the younger self lies to himself because he is â€Å"too dismayed with or too ‘sorry’ about the nature of choice to notice that ‘passing there / Had worn [the two roads] really about the same, / And both that morning equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black’† (230). The younger self pretends that one path, the path he is going to take, is different, that it is less traveled. The second part of the article describes the relation between the middle-aged self and the older self.   The older self must make a decision about whether or not he will tell the truth about his past. â€Å"In this ‘age’ of the persona, the choice will be either to tell the truth or to lie about the choice made ‘ages and ages’ before. . . . [But] the older self ignores what the middle-aged self had come to know about that first choice: that ‘both [roads] that morning equally lay.’ Only self-aggrandizing self-deception could cause the older self to ignore what the middle-aged self clearly knows† (231).

Astrology and Its Role in Our World Essay -- Astrological Horoscope Es

Astrology and Its Role in Our World Have you ever wondered what the signs of the Zodiac means? When we turn on the TV it seems we always see an advertisement on horoscope predictions. People call in and get the predictions they have been looking for. When the newspaper first arrives, some people go to the horoscope section first. They base the entire day or entire week on the report they get. It seems that this phenomenon is something all new, or is it? Astrology has been around since ancient times, even dating back to biblical days. Astrology has a long line of history and a bright future. We will attempt to cover that topic as well as the signs and elements of the Zodiac. The signs of the Zodiac include: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Astrologers also claim the planets play a role in many key factors. How do these things affect us? We will also look at astrology as a science; a way to predict and control your life and your destiny. Although man y people refer to astrology as just being superstitious others say the predictions are not worth the paper they are written on. Many men and women have studied astronomy but we will look at Mother Shipton. What caused this woman to focus her life on the study of astrology? Why did she believe astrology could predict one’s character or life? Was she just passing on false information or is the universe interrelated and everything is based on these Zodiac signs? Astrology is a phenomenon that dates back to biblical days. There is an ancient legend, that Adam received the doctrines and mysteries of astrology direct from his Maker and thus by foreknowing that the earth was to be destroyed first by fire and afterwards by water. (Thompson 17) Astrology has played an important role in our civilization. Starting with Adam and even being present in today’s society. Different civilizations seemed to be practicing astrology independetely. People noticed the Sun in particular had a change on how crops grew. Many people viewed astronomy and astrology as a similar science until the 1500s. People knew by looking at the sun or what the size of the moon was when to plant crops or even when a baby was going to be born. These early astrologers were searching for their place in life. A place where they fit into the universe. They believed that every component of... ...ng and association. Your zodiac sign will follow you throughout life and direct you in the right path. You may not always be the textbook Cancer, you could pick up a trait or two of the Scorpio grouping. Astrologers say that planets play a role in the aiding of predictions. Each planet has its own meaning and even a zodiac sign. Research has been done proving that weather and earthquakes can be predicted by observing the planets. Unfortunately, the research is still in the development stages. This research could be beneficial to all of us and could save lives. One famous astrologer was Mother Shipton from Norfolk, England. She was a woman who could predict life, death and even sickness. It was rumored that she was related to the devil himself! She was famous throughout the Norfolk area. Often respected and feared. Many of the early pioneers lead the way for astrologers in toady’s world. In closing, the paper you have just read in no way encourages or discourages astrology. Many people believe and respect this way of life. Astrology is a very complex and misunderstood subject. It requires talent and skill. The future of astrology looks bright, and will go on for a very long time.

Islam and Terrorism

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Acknowledgement Chapter -1 1. 1Introduction Chapter-2 2. 1Islam 2. 2 Muslim 2. 3 Concept Of Islam 2. 4 Pillars Of Islam 2. 5 Concept Of JIHAD In Islam Chapter-3 3. 1Terrorism 3. 2 Elements Of Terrorism 3. 3 Types Of Terrorism 3. 4 Terrorist? 3. 5 Al-Qaeda 3. 6 Another Phase Chapter-4 4. 1 Islam and terrorism Chapter-5 5. 1Different Incidents 5. 1 9/11 5. 2 The Madrid Bombing 5. 3 The London Bombing 5. 4 Bombay Attack Chapter-6 6. 1Conclusion CHAPTER-1 1. 1 INTRODUCTION: Terrorism is a very vast and the most discussed topic in the contemporary world of global politics. Although it was being discussed well before 9/11, but the difference after 9/11 is that now even a lay man in the most remote part of the world is discussing it. There were times when people would say that we do not follow politics  or we do not get involved in politics. But now I think no one can run away from it, it is a part of everybody's lives, it is a part of our lives – so we better start living with it. Terrorism is an old phenomena it over the time took different shapes. Today terrorism has taken a very complicated and dangerous form. Islam is a religion and a complete code of life and totally appose terrorism. In current scenarios the basic reason of terrorism is not Islam but international politics and national interest of the nations of the world. And world powers use it as a supportive pillars. ‘‘Islam is not a source of terrorism but its solution’’ Here we discuss Islam and Terrorism and the present phenomena of so called Islamic terror. This is now days at the top of the international agenda. That is because those who emerge and carry out acts of terrorism in the name of Islam. And those who criticize these acts , represent a tiny minority in the world of Islam. Failing to understand Islam which is religion of peace and justice hey make it a tool of terrorism. In fact from the last few centuries Muslim have been said to be responsible for violence by western forces and their allies. And on the other hand Islam And on the other hand Islam rejects to respond to violence with violence. In fact Islam suggest to respond to evil with goodness. CHAPTER -2 2. 1 Islam What Does â€Å"Islam† Mean? The word â€Å"Islam† itself means â€Å"Submission to Allah. The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of â€Å"Christianity† which was named after Jesus Christ, â€Å"Buddhism† after Gutama Buddha , â€Å"Marxism† after Karl Marx, and â€Å"Confucianism† after Confucius. Similarly, Islam is not named after a tribe like â€Å"Judaism† after the tribe of Judah and â€Å"Hinduism† after the Hindu s. The Arabic word â€Å"Islam† means the submission or surrender of one's will to the will of the only true god worthy of worship, â€Å"Allah†. 2. 2 Muslim Anyone who does indeed submit to the will of Allah as required by Islam is termed a â€Å"Muslim,† which means one who has submitted to the will of Allah. Many people in the West have developed the sad misinformed trend of calling Islam â€Å"Muhammadenism† and it's followers â€Å"Muhammadins. † This is a totally foreign word to Muslims and unrecognized by them. No Muslim has ever called his religion â€Å"Muhammadenism† or called himself a â€Å"Muhammadin. † 2. 3 Concept Of Islam: Islam teaches us that this life is a life of worship. We are placed on this earth in order to worship Allah and obey His command. During this earthly life we are subjected to a series of trials. We have the option of enduring these trials and conforming to certain laws, and our reward will be great in the next life, or we may decline to endure these trials and choose to not conform to the law, then we will be made to regret it in the next life. Unlike some other religions which claim that God entered in a covenant with a certain group of people and that this group is genetically better than all other human beings, or closer to God, Islam on the other hand teaches that no color, race, tribe, or lineage is better than any other. â€Å"O humankind! Verily! We have created you from a male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily! the noblest among you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing. Verily! Allah is The Knower, The Aware. † The noble Qur'an, Al-Hujrat(49):13. 2. 4 Pillars Of Islam: (1) To bear witness that there is no entity worthy of worship except Allah(God) alone, and that Muhammad (pbuh) was His messenger. This establishes obedience to God Almighty alone. (2) To perform five prescribed prayers to God every day according to a specific prescribed method and at specific prescribed times. This continually reminds us to bear God in mind in all actions, either before or after any given prayer. (3) To pay two and a half percent (2. 5%) of ones wealth to charity every year if their savings exceed a certain minimum level which is considered above the poverty level. (This is the basic concept, the actual calculation is a little more complex). (4) To fast the month of Ramadhan (from the Islamic Lunar calendar) every year from sun rise until sunset. This involves not eating, drinking, or having marital relations, from sun rise until sun set. 5) To perform a pilgrimage to Makkah (in the Arabian Peninsula) once in a Muslim's lifetime if it is financially possible and their health permits. During this period, Muslims come from all over the world to join together for six days in a prescribed set of acts of worship. All Muslim men are mandated to wear the same garment which was designed to be very plain, simple, and cheap to obtain. 2. 5 Concept Of JIHAD In Islam: in the Arabic la nguage the word â€Å"Jihad† literally means, â€Å"to strive,† and â€Å"to struggle. † Some Muslim scholars further classify Jihad into following categories: 1. Jihad-an-nafs or Jihad against one’s self; 2. Jihad ash-shaitaan or Jihad against Satan; 3. Jihad al-kuffar or Jihad against disbeliever; 4. Jihad al-munafiqeen or Jihad against hypocrites; 5. Jihad al-faasiqeen or Jihad against corrupt Muslims. Qur’an-(9:5):  Ã‚   â€Å"But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, And seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war) ; but if they repent (accept Islam) and establish regular prayers and practices regular charity then open the way for them; for God is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. Qur’an-(8:65):   â€Å" O Apostle ! Rouse the believers to the fight, if there are twenty amongst you, patient and persevering , they will vanquish two hundred; if a hundred, they will vanquish a thousand of the unbelievers; for these are a people without understanding. † CHAPTER 3 3. 1 Terrorism: Acts of unlawful violence and war. Terrorism is no t a new phenomena, its is as old as creation of man. It came into existence when for the first time in the history of mankind someone intimidated others to gain his purpose. With the passage of time advancement in the methods and techniques made terrorism more complicated and artful. Terrorism is defined as a mean of extending intimidation in a systematic way by governments, groups or individuals to gain various political, religious and ideological objectives. The experts on terrorism agree that terrorism is a structure mode to spread violence and terrify people with purpose of gaining political, ideological and religious aims. 3. 2 Elements Of Terrorism: There are four elements of terrorism: ? Violence, force(83. 5%) ? Political(65%) ? Fear, emphasis on terror(51%) ? Threats(47%) ? Psychological effects and anticipated reaction(41. 5) ? Intentional, planned, systematic, organized action(32%) ? Methods of combat, strategy, tactics(30. 5%) 3. 3 Types Of Terrorism: ? Bio-Terrorism ? Chemical-Terrorism ? Cyber-Terrorism ? Nuclear-Terrorism ? Religious-Terrorism 3. 4 Terrorist? Terrorist are those group of people who commits acts of violence to produce fear, or harass or weaken or embarrass government security forces. Such groups discourage foreign investment, or assistance programs that can affect the target country’s economy. There are about 30 organization involve in terrorist activities throughout the world. Al-Qaeda is the main network of terrorist according to American think tank. 3. 5 Al-Qaeda After expulsion from Saudi Arabia, Osama bin Laden( leader of Al-Qaeda) established headquarters for al-Qaeda in Khartoum, Sudan. The first actions of al-Qaeda against American interests were attacks on U. S. servicemen in Somalia. Osama Bin Laden is on the American Federal Bureau of Investigation's list of FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives for his possible involvement with the circa 1998 bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. 3. 6 Another Phase Some terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah have limited their acts to localized regions of the Middle East, while others, notably Al-Qaeda, have an international scope for their terrorist activities. Bombings An increasingly popular tactic used by terrorists is suicide bombing. This tactic is used against civilians, soldiers, and government officials of the regimes the terrorists oppose. The use of suicide bombers is seen by many Muslims as contradictory to Islam's teachings;[weasel words] however, groups who support its use often refer to such attacks as â€Å"martyrdom perations† and the suicide-bombers who commit them as â€Å"martyrs† (Arabic: shuhada, plural of â€Å"shahid†). The bombers, and their sympathizers often believe that suicide bombers, as martyrs to the cause of jihad against the enemy, will receive the rewards of paradise for their actions. Suicide attack A suicide attack (also known as suicide bombing) is an attack intended to kill other s and inflict widespread damage, while the attacker intends to die as well in the process. CHAPTER-4 4. 1 Islam And Terrorism . During the last two decades in particular, the concept of â€Å"Islamic terror† has been often discussed. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on targets in New York and Washington which caused the death of thousands of innocent civilians, this concept has once again returned to the top of the international agenda. Even though the hijackers have Muslim identities, the terror they perpetrated cannot be labeled â€Å"Islamic terror†, just as it would not be called â€Å"Jewish terror† if the perpetrators were Jews or â€Å"Christian terror† if they were Christians. In fact, the aggressors can commit such violence only with the intention of attacking religion itself. It may well be that they carried out this violence to present religion as evil in the eyes of people, to divorce people from religion and to generate hatred and reaction against pious people. Consequently, every attack having a â€Å"religious† facade on American citizens or other innocent people is actually an attack made against religion. All the three Theistic religions command love, mercy and peace. Terror, on the other hand, is the opposite of religion; it is cruel, merciless and it demands bloodshed and misery. This being the case, while looking for the perpetrators of a terrorist act, its origins should be sought in disbelief rather than in religion. People with a fascist, communist, racist or materialist outlook on life should be suspected as potential perpetrators. The name or the identity of the triggerman is not important. If he can kill innocent people without blinking an eye, whatever his label is, then he is a disbeliever, not a believer. He is a murderer with no fear of God, whose main ambition is to shed blood and to give harm. How we can say that Islam and Muslim are terrorist? In current scenario Muslims are the only victim of terrorism because they face terrorist activities on daily bases and also face world criticism. They are all anti-Muslims and make different prapogenda against muslim because some elements are against and oppose the progress and development of these muslim countries and want to engage them in such activities. Even as they said some muslim liberations parties as terrorist parties as they called hamas in palastine, hizbullah in lebenon, mujahidin moment in Kashmir and true Afghanistan islamist moments and many other moments as terrorist moments if they are terrorist moment then what is Israel done in palistaine, black waters in Pakistan, raw in Kashmir, fbi, and cia in Afghanistan ,Iraq, and Pakistan and also some other muslim countries. On the one side they said that they work for human rights and freedom and on the other hand they called liberation moments as terrorist moment if they claim on islam and muslims then muslimalso claim that the non muslims state are also terrorist! Islam is that religion who forbid people to harm even animal and than how a follower of islam other humans like him? They are many other form of terrorism like cyber terrorism, bio terrorism, reginol terrorism, chemical terrorism and mostly muslim countries are unfamiliar with these terms then why west emphasizes that muslim are terrorist why they cannot blame on other form of terrorism the reason is that they only against islam and muslim? For this reason, â€Å"Islamic terror† is quite a erroneous concept which contradicts Islam's message. That is because, the religion of Islam can by no means concur with terror. On the contrary, Muslims are responsible for preventing terrorist acts and bringing peace and justice to the world. Islam, a religion of mercy, does not permit terrorism. In the Quran, God has said: God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you out of your homes. God loves just dealers. (Quran, 60:8) CHAPTER-5 Main Incidents Of Terrorism Through Out The World: 5. 1 9/11 In response to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the WTC and Pentagon, the U. S. invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 to dismantle al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Al-Qaeda's infrastructure in the country was destroyed and their military commander, Muhammed Atef, was killed. Abu Zubaydah, another top operative, was captured in Pakistan. Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri, however, escaped and are presumed alive. They release audio and video messages to the Arab media from time to time. In March 2003 the U. S. widened the war on terrorism by invading Iraq and deposing Saddam Hussein and his Baath party (see Iraq profile). The decision to encompass Iraq in â€Å"the war on terror† has been highly controversial. Although President Bush asserted that there was a working relationship between Hussein and al-Qaeda, no solid proof of collaboration between them specifically on the Sept. 1, 2001, attacks, or on any other terrorist activities has emerged. 5. 2 The Madrid Bombing On March 11, 2004, Spain's most horrific terrorist attack occurred: 202 people were killed and 1,400 were injured in bombings at Madrid's railway station. Evidence soon emerged that al-Qaeda was responsible. By April, a dozen suspects, most of them Moroccan, were arrested for the bombings. On April 4, several suspects blew themselves up during a police raid to avoid capture. Many Spaniards blamed their prime minister's staunch support of the U. S. and the war in Iraq for making Spain an al-Qaeda target. 5. 3 The London Bombing On July 7, 2005, London suffered a terrorist bombing, its worst attack since World War II. Four bombs exploded in three subway stations and on one double-decker bus during the morning rush hour, killing at least 52 and wounding more than 700. A group calling itself the Secret Organization of al-Qaeda in Europe claimed responsibility on a Web site, asserting that the attacks were a retaliation for Britain's involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. A year after the bombing, British investigators concluded that the links between the bombers and al-Qaeda were marginal. The four bombers, all born in Britain, had all visited Pakistan, but there was no evidence of any direct support from al-Qaeda. 5. 4 Bombay Attack The 2008 Mumbai attacks were more than ten coordinated shooting and bombing terrorist attacks across Mumbai, India's largest city, by Islamic terrorists from Pakistan. The attacks, which drew widespread condemnation across the world, began on 26 November 2008 and lasted until 29 November, killing at least 173 people and wounding at least 308. . 5 Iraq bombing Iraq faces bomb blast and sucide bombing on daily bases. And America blame on Iraqi people while they blame America for this. 5. 6 pakistan bombing attacks Pakistan facing also facing bomblast attacks and sucide bombing attacks on daily bases and after 9/11 pakistan face a lot of problem and critical situation of security and still facing terrorist activity. As atta ck on marriot Islamabad, g. h. q Rawalpindi etc†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ CHAPTER-6 6. 1 Conclusion: In my opinion: Islam and terrorism have nothing to do with each other. But at the same time it is Islam that has made it very clear what is terrorism and who are the terrorists. We all know that there is no clear definition of terrorism in politics, but there is very clear definition by Islam. Because Islam has made very clear rules for war, and there are no abiguities whatsoever. We, the Pakistanis, are now actually the ones who are more clear about it than anyone. No doubt there were many confusions before, but after the Lal Masjid operation followed by the worst form of terrorism, Pakistanis have realised what terrorism is and who the terrorists are. Well, I might be exaggerating that all the Pakistanis have realised it, but I am quite confident that the large majority has realised it. The reason behind that is the successful military operation in Swat. As soon as Musharraf left, the things started to unfold and people started realising that they have been betrayed. Even the majority of the supporters of Musharraf now know and admit that he was playing â€Å"the double policy game. † We always knew that the tribal areas were full of merciless criminals who were involved in inhumane criminal activities who would do anything for dollars. The same criminals turned into terrorsists with a fake ideology for power. Who doesn't like to be in power? So whatever they are doing is for power and nothing to do with Islam. I have friends from those areas who are politically much aware than many of us, and they also confirm that those Muslims are involved in the most unIslamic activities. And then there are other factors of brain-washing, foreign elements, etc. But this proves that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism which Pakistan is facing. And at this moment Pakistan is the hardest-hit terrorism victim. Iraq and Afghanistan are now way behind in this regard. The only focus is now Pakistan. So it should be clear now that Islam and terrorism are not related but only being projected as one, and Pakistan is the best example. REFERENCES: http://www. faithfreedom. org/Articles/SKM/jihad. htm http://www. religioustolerance. org/isl_jihad. htm United State Policy On Terrorism BY Ahmed Ijaz Terrorism Ideology And Revolution By Noel O’Sullivan The Osama Bin Ladin I Know By Peter L. Bergen

Cch Comprehensive Topics Chapter 10

Cch ComprehensiChapter 10: Questions #1-20 1. Distinguish between realized gains and losses and recognized gains and losses. Realized gain or loss is the difference between the amount realized from the sale or other disposition of property and the adjusted basis at the time of sale or disposition. The amount realized is the sum of money received plus the fair market value of other property received. If a realized gain or loss is recognized the gain is includible and the loss is deductible in determining taxable income.Thus, â€Å"recognition† means that the result of a particular transaction is considered to be taxable income or a deductible loss. Generally, recognition occurs at the time of sale or exchange. Therefore, realized gain or loss is the amount the owner incurred from ownership of the property, whereas recognized game is the taxable portion of the realized gain or loss. 2. How is the adjusted basis of property determined? Original Basis + Capital Expenditures â€⠀œ Capital Returns= Adjusted Basis 3. List 3 capital additions or expenditures and 3 capital returns or recoveries and discuss the treatment of each category for tax purposes.Capital expenditures include improvements, betterments, acquisition costs, purchase commissions and legal costs for defending title. Capital returns include depreciation, depletion, amortization, tax-free dividends, deductible casualty losses, and insurance reimbursements. For tax purposes, capital expenditures cannot be deducted in the year in which they are paid or incurred and must be capitalized. The general rule is that if the property acquired has a useful life longer than the taxable year, the cost must be capitalized.The capital expenditure costs are then amortized or depreciated over the life of the asset in question. Capital expenditures create or add basis to the asset or property, which once adjusted, will determine tax liability in the event of sale or transfer. Capital Returns, on the other hand, proper adjustment shall be made to the extent of the amount allowed as deductions in computing taxable income under Code Section 1016 and to the extent that the amount results (because of allowed deductions) in a reduction in any taxable year of the taxpayer’s taxes. . Why is allocation of basis necessary? Allocation is necessary because some of the property may be depreciable and other property not depreciable. Different treatment may be necessary for the assets. It may also be that only some of the assets purchased are sold. 5. Are gains or losses from the sale or exchange of personal use assets recognized for tax purposes? The sale of a personal-use asset results in gain recognition but not loss recognition. 6. When is FMV of an asset used as the basis of an asset?If property is acquired in a taxable exchange, the basis of the property is generally its fair market value at the time of exchange. Also, if the price paid is a bargain purchase, then the basis of the property i s its fair market value. 7. What’s the basis and holding period for nontaxable stock dividends? For nontaxable stock dividends, the basis of the original stock is allocated to the old and new shares. The holding period begins on the date of the original acquisition. 8. What’s the basis and holding period for taxable stock dividends?In the case of taxable stock dividends, the amount of income is the stock’s fair market value at the date of distribution. The basis of the new stock is its fair market value at the time of the receipt of the stock dividend and the basis of the old stock remains the same. The holding period of the new stock begins on the date of receipt of the stock dividend. 9. What is the basis and holding period for nontaxable stock rights? If nontaxable stock rights are received, whether or not any part of the basis of the stock is allocated to the rights depends on the FMV of the rights compared with the FMV of the stock.If FMV is less than 15% o f the FMV of old stock at the time, basis of such rights is zero unless taxpayer elects to allocate. If value is 15% or more, basis must be allocated to the rights but only if rights are exercised or sold. The holding period runs from the date the original stock was acquired. 10. What’s the basis and holding period of taxable stock rights and the basis and holding period of the shares of stock if the rights are exercised? Amount of income and the basis of the rights constitute the FMV of the rights at the date of distribution, which is the date the holding period of the rights begin.If rights are exercised, basis of new shares = subscription price + basis of rights and holding period of new shares begins on date of exercise. Basis and holding period of old stock remain the same. 11. What’s the basis of gift property? A taxpayer’s original basis for gift property is the same as the property’s adjusted basis in the hands of the donor or the last preceding o wner by whom it was not acquired by gift. However, if the property’s FMV at time of gift is less than adjusted basis to the donor, then basis for determining loss is the FMV at the time of the gift.CODE SECTION 1015 12. What adjustment, if any, must be made to the basis of property acquired by gift if gift was made prior to 1977? After 1976? For gifts made after 1976, basis is increased by the portion of gift that attributable to the net appreciation value of the gift. For gifts made before 1977, the full amount of gift tax is added to donor’s adjusted basis, but the basis may not be increased above the fair market value at the date of the gift. 13. What’s the basis of an asset acquired from a decedent?General rule is that the basis of property acquired from a decedent is the FMV of the property at the date of the decedent’s death. Commonly known as a â€Å"step-up† in basis. 14. What’s the alternative valuation of assets acquired from a dec edent? If the executor elects for estate tax purposes to value the decedent’s gross estate as of 6 months after death, the property is the FMV at that time. If property is distributed before the alternate valuation date, basis = FMB at the date of distribution or other disposition.The alternate valuation may be used only where the election will reduce both the value of the decedent’s gross estate and the federal estate tax liability. 15. Distinguish the holding period of assets acquired by gift w/ that of assets acquired from a decedent. The holding period of gift property begins with the date the property was acquired by the donor. If, however, the FMV of the property at the date of gift was less than the donor’s adjusted basis and the property is sold at a loss, the holding period begins on the date of the gift. The holding period of property acquired from a decedent is long-term. 6. How is the basis computed when a sale of shares of stock occurs? When a selle r can identify the shares of stock sold or transferred, the basis is the basis of the stock so identified. Shares of stock are adequately identified if it can be shown that shares, which were delivered to the buyer, were from a lot acquired on a certain date or for a certain price. 17. When is the sale or exchange of stock or securities considered a wash sale? How is any loss treated? Wash sales occur when substantially identical stock is bought within 30 days before or after the sale.No deduction for losses is allowed on the sale of stock or securities if, within a period beginning 30 days before the date of sale and ending 30 days after the date of sale, substantially identical stock are acquired. CODE SEC. 109 18. What’s the basis of a personal use asset that’s converted to business or income-producing use? When property purchased for personal use is converted to business or income-producing use, the basis for determining loss is the lessor of the FMV of the propert y at the time of conversion or the adjusted basis for loss at the time of the conversion.The basis for gain is the adjusted basis on the date of conversion. The basis for determining depreciation is the basis for determining loss. 19. What are the special rules for gains or losses on sales to related parties? No loss deduction is allowed on sales or exchanges of property, directly or indirectly, between related parties. Any losses disallowed, however, may be used to offset the gain realized by the related purchaser on a later sale of the property. Code Sec. 267 20. What are the benefits of installment reporting? The installment method allows gain to be spread over more than one year.

Marijuana Paper

Legalization of Marijuana Some people say that marijuana is a helpful medicine in many ways. They say it will relax you, calm you down, and make one feel very good. It is also said that it is not as harmful or dangerous as alcohol and other gateway drugs, and that is some of the reasons why many people want to legalize marijuana. Marijuana should stay illegal in the United States because if it is made legal, more and more people will smoke it, which will cause negative effects on health and families.If marijuana is made legal, people will think smoking marijuana is something that they can do every single day at any given time, which will increase drug use. People will smoke marijuana without getting in trouble or getting arrested. With it being legal, there will also be a lot easier way to buy it, and it will also be a lot cheaper to buy. These same things took place when alcohol was made legal. Drug dealers will be able to grow marijuana without getting in any kind of trouble, and i n return, will be able to make a large profit off of it.It is said in Legalizing Marijuana, â€Å"Van Deventer, a news reporter, described how he and his friends used drugs casually for a while. He felt like he was growing closer to addiction. But buying illegal drugs was not easy. Van Deventer and his friends feared being arrested. They worried about undercover cops posing as drugs dealers, who often sold them fake drugs. † (Legalizing Drugs 67) It is also said in this book that Van Deventer and his friends stopped using drugs when it was illegal, because they did not want to get arrested.If drugs were legal at this time, Van Deventer and his buddies would use drugs casually once again. The increasing drug use will eventually lead to many health effects in the drug users. People who are depressed use marijuana because they think that if they use it, it will calm them down, and in return get them out of the depressed mood they were in. Studies show that this is not true, beca use marijuana is shown to worsen a person’s depression problem. There are also many other negative health effects to marijuana users including: respiratory illness, lung infections, and cancer of the lungs, mouth, throat, and esophagus.It is shown that frequent marijuana users have a higher risk of getting these different types of cancer than smokers are. It is said that after just a minute or two of smoking marijuana, the marijuana user’s heart rate increases and their blood pressure decreases as well. When your blood pressure drops and your heart rate increases, researchers found that the user has a four time higher chance of having a heart attack within the first hour of using marijuana.Smoking marijuana can also, in some cases, make a frequent user of marijuana gain a major amount of weight. Marijuana users have said that they get the â€Å"munchies† while high which makes them want to eat large amounts of food which, in return can make them gain weight. If marijuana is made legal, it would also make a negative effect on the user’s family and home life. If a parent of a young teen uses this marijuana in front of their child, it will make the child want to do the same thing as their parent or parents.Parents around the world are role models to their kids and the kids want to do what their parents do in many ways. If a child sees his or her parent getting high, it will make the child want to do the same thing. Marijuana affects teens and their ability to learn and concentrate in school. It will cause them to make bad choices like skipping school to go out and smoke with all of their buddies. When parents use this drug, it will possibly cause them to neglect or abuse their children. If marijuana stays illegal, these negative effects will lessen.Van Deventer says in Legalizing Drugs, â€Å"The more barriers there are (cops or the hassle or the fear of dying from an overdose) the less likely you are to get addicted. † (Legaliz ing Drugs 68) He is trying to state that if marijuana stays illegal, there will be many more consequences if one smokes or gets caught smoking. If it was legal, than the fear of addiction and getting hassled by the cops for it would not be there. So why would this country want to take a risk of legalizing this drug? It will only give teens and parents bad ideas to teens, parents, and families.Increased drug use, negative health effects, and negative effects on families are all the negative outcomes of legalizing marijuana. So legalizing marijuana will put negative effects on families and it will make many people make man bad choices. Works Cited Goldstein, J Margaret. Legalizing Drugs: Crime Stopper or Social Risk. Twenty First Century Books. Colorado. Outline I. Introduction: Negative effects on family, health, and major increase in drug use II. Increased use in marijuana use III. Negative effects on health related issues IV. Negative effects on family and home life