Japanese political culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Japanese political culture - Essay Example The political system is segregated into three major divisions; the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. The legislative arm that is, the national diet supersedes the decisions of any other branch of the government. It is mandated in making constitutional amendments as well as passing the laws that govern the overall functions of the government. For one to be eligible to hold a position in the diet, the minimum age for joining the House of Representatives is 25 years while for joining the House of Councilors id 30 years. Nevertheless, the cabinet of ministers has the powers to dissolve the House of Representatives before their full term, while the house of councilors remains unaffected and can only be dissolved upon completion of its six-year term. In addition to the legislature, the cabinet also has powers to control the entire executive function of the government. It is headed by the prime minister who has the jurisdiction to appoint and dismiss ministers. He state ministe rs have chosen from the national diet their independence in making decisions is compromised. However, the Japanese constitution clearly states that cabinet should act autonomously for the purpose of ensuring quality service delivery to all people and not for certain interest groups. Therefore, the jobs of ministers and all other public servants are not affected by changes in political situations. The public service has to be vetted before assuming any responsibilities. Notably, the cabinet has 11 ministers who are deputized by two other officials.

Commentary on Macbeth soliloquy Essay Example for Free

Commentary on Macbeth soliloquy Essay

Use of Satire in Voltaires Candide Essay -- Candide essays Voltaire

Successful Use of Satire in Voltaire's Candide Voltaire's Candide is the story of how one man's adventures affect his philosophy on life. Candide begins his journey full of optimism that he lives in "the best of all possible worlds," but he learns that it is naà ¯ve to say that good will eventually come of any evil.   Voltaire successfully uses satire as a means of conveying his opinions about many aspects of European society in the eighteenth century.   He criticizes religion, the evils found in every level of society, and a philosophy of optimism when faced with an intolerable world.   Candide portrays religious persecution as one of the most worst aspects of society.   Voltaire rejects the superstitious beliefs that the church endorsed.   After the great earthquake in Lisbon, the church seems to think that persecuting a few innocent civilians in an auto-da-fà ¨ will prevent another disaster.   The church should be the most civilized aspect of a society, but Candide is flogged in time to a musical procession, Pangloss is hanged, and two others are burned.   Voltaire illustrates the irony of the church as a source of violence with the warring churchmen that Candide finds in the Jesuit state in the New World.   The Spanish priests in the New World operate a government where "the Fathers have everything, the people nothing;...they wage war against the King of Spain and the King of Portugal...they kill Spaniards" (Voltaire 53).   Ironically, the priests in Paraguay also hold offices in the army.   The Baron, for example, holds the title of Reverend Father Colonel.   Voltaire stresses the irony of a official of the church that preaches "Thou shalt not kill" to be an army officer who's job is to murder.   The cruelty of Christiani... ...ught good out of evil, but because he has made his own happiness.   "'Well said,' replied Candide, 'but we must cultivate our garden'"   (Voltaire 120).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited and Consulted: Bottiglia, William. "Candide's Garden." Voltaire: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Durant, Will, Ariel Durant. The Story of Civilization: Part IX: The Age of Voltaire. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1965. Frautschi, R.L. Barron's Simplified Approach to Voltaire: Candide. New York: Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1968. Lowers, James K, ed. "Cliff Notes on Voltaire's Candide". Lincoln: Cliff Notes, Inc. 1965. Richter, Peyton. Voltaire. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1980. Voltaire's Candide and the Critics. California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., 1966. Voltaire. Candide. New York: Viking Publishers, 1976.

Economics Book Critique Essay

Paul Rubin began his preface by stating that tabula rasa should no longer be viewed as something credible. Rubin maintained his conclusion that evolutionary biology would eventually be the foundation of all social sciences. He maintained that the fundamental taste for liberty is a genetic legacy from the hunter-gatherer bands in the history of mankind. He stated, â€Å"I reach a surprising conclusion: modern western nations, and particularly the United States, are the most effective societies for satisfying our evolved political preferences† (Paul, p. x) Rubin’s attitude’s towards liberty is the one which cost me a great deal of apprehension, in spite of the fact that it is not brought up much in the book. Although I enjoyed reading the book, the fact that so little has been said regarding freedom, I believe, ought to be a cause of serious apprehension. In regard of the contended predominance of Rubin’s concentration on the biological foundation which lies beneath the current state of human liberty, he should have considered beginning with animal freedom as articulated by, say, Pavlov on the â€Å"freedom-reflexes†. The foundation of Rubin’s opinion appears to be a firm certainty that human control and freedom are polar opposites. In fact on his Preface he claimed that when he began the research he was still a libertarian and thus he does not understand much of government’s constant rules regarding human behavior. He stated, â€Å"I have not used evolutionary analysis to prove points in which I already believed† (Paul, p. xv). I was quite bewildered upon reading this remark especially since his declarations seems to exhibit an absolute lack of understanding regarding the vital social control as well as counter-control procedures. It also showed a black void of nearly enormous quantities in awareness of the huge body of literature which could be dated back from the founders of civilization. Rubin feelingly asserted â€Å"There are substantial benefits from limiting government power and great dangers from allowing it to increase. It is, therefore, a puzzle, to explain why so many seek to increase the power of government† (Paul, p. 134). His statement seems to be a little naive. Rubin admitted that most normal individual’s desires governments to do pretty much more than defend them from dishonest dealers, banks, and the like. Most citizens knows the danger of the profound corruption from financial organizations and this is the reason why it is not really much a â€Å"puzzle† why they want to increase government power. The same could be said with the world’s third world countries with weak economies. They look for international kind of government in order for the mistreatment of other advanced countries to be limited if not stopped altogether. The book Professor Rubin wrote is interesting in spite of the fact that I do not agree much with the things he mentioned there particularly on the issue of freedom. Professor Rubin’s, Professor of Economics, attitude towards society and liberty appears to intentionally shun the standard control terminology. He talks a great deal of power, and acquiescence in separate terms of dominant, counter dominant, and the like instead of using the standard terms such as social control and counter control. There are no discussions regarding socialization, customs, introjections of values, punishments, and the like. Overall, I view Professor Rubin’s work to be stimulating particularly because he have some unique views of his own which made me think mentally and allowed me to exercise my faculty of reason. Although I do not agree much with the things he claims, I could still say that his book was an interesting read as well as thought provoking and for these reasons I recommend this book to everyone.

Market Competitiveness Essay

Market competitiveness is the competitive edge an organization has over another. This competitive edge can range from employee salaries, growth, stock, and employee benefits. Competitive markets are good for companies to stay in business and to keep up with its competitors. Companies have to rationally establish a competitive edge by what the company can offer to exceed its competitors’ offers. This rationale usually comes from the company’s financial resources and if a company lacks financial resources the company has to develop alternatives. Each employee needs will be different and will look for many different things when looking for a job or career. There are hierarchies of employee needs that helps determine if the company will be a good fit for the employee. Some people need a good salary and not benefits and others need good benefits and a reasonable salary. Market Competitiveness Market competitiveness is when an organization has competition within the same category or market. In a competitive market, markets or organizations have to compete willingly and openly in order to be taken seriously in market competitiveness. Also by an organization being in a competitive market gives one an advantage over another. Organizations have to first research its competition to see what they are doing and to develop a better plan than their competitors. In a competitive market, the organizations have to understand how and why their competitors are able to do some things. For example, A. Offer competitive salaries,  B. Offer competitive training, C. Offer a good work facility, D. Offer growth within the company, and E. Offer a good work environment. Every employee has different needs and different aspects they for with in a company. An organization in a competitive market has to develop a rational salary structure and use the resources it has to appeal to the employees as well as potential candidates. According to Muthoo and Mutuswami (May 2011), â€Å"Moreover, increasing the competition beyond a certain degree increases the distance between the first-best and second-best levels of efficiency.† Market competitiveness has many aspects that aids with developing as well as considering the concept of market competitiveness in a pay system, competitive salaries and lack of financial resources, and alternative approaches. Concept of Market Competitiveness in a Pay System The concept of market competitiveness in relation to an organization’s pay system is developed by the company’s internal factors and external factors. The internal factors consist of salary rates currently, job value, job need, and employee need. The external factors consist of laws, the current market, and market need. According to Martocchio (2011, pg 150), â€Å"Market-competitive pay systems represent companies’ compensation policies that fit the imperatives of competitive advantage.† Companies have to develop some type of pay system or structure in order to remain competitive in the market. A salary structure is a good way for a company to determine if a hierarchy would help with determining market competitiveness. The internal and external factors aid the company with developing a hierarchy of jobs and their salaries. Competitive Salaries and Lack of Financial Resources Competitive salaries are very good ways of scouting or seeking for employees. In the economy today, candidates are looking for the best or the most competitive salary possible to be or feel financial stable. The reason for this is because people like to be financial stable more so than stress free. The position could be very stressful but if it pays enough someone would apply for the job. According to Martocchio (2011, pg150), â€Å"Market-competitive pay systems play a significant role in attracting and retaining the most qualified employees.† Most companies are unable to offer its employees market competitive salaries because of lack of financial resources. Companies have to be in a positive place or the companies’ financial budget has to be in order to offer competitive salaries. The lack of resources can come from the company having a bad year, someone miss managing the company’s funds, or simply a slow turnover. Many companies now set budgets for new positions that need to be filled by a certain date and time by using a financial forecasting system. Alternative Approaches The alternative approaches are the other ways the compensation for jobs or positions can be determined. Some of the alternative approaches are currently used to aid with justifying a positions value and need. A few alternative approaches for a company that has limited financial resources are: Step 1: Deciding a number of pay structures,  Step 2: Determining a market pay base, Step 3: Defining pay grades or levels, Step 4: Calculating pay ranges, and Step 5: Evaluating the results. According to Martocchio (2011, pg 151), â€Å"Compensation professionals create market-competitive pay based on four activities: A. Conducting strategic analysis, B. Assessing competitors’ pay practices with compensation surveys, C. Integrating the internal job structure with external market pay rates, and D. Determining compensation policies. Conclusion In conclusion, market competitiveness is the competitive edge an organization has over another. Market competitiveness is when an organization has competition within the same category or market. The concept of market competitiveness in relation to an organization’s pay system is developed by the company’s internal factors and external factors. Competitive salaries are very good ways of scouting or seeking for employees. The alternative approaches are the other ways the compensation for jobs or positions can be determined.