Issues and Trends in World Politics - Redefining Security Essay

Issues and Trends in World Politics - Redefining Security - Essay Example In addition, legislators find it uncomplicated to agree on military answers to external legal issues than to agree on the utilization of different methods of persuasion that United States can employ. Moreover, this false picture makes countries to focus on military risks and to assume other different and probably extra perilous hazards than the military risks. Thus it lessens the general safety of the people. Also, the false picture created by explaining national security in military terms plays a role in the persistent militarization of global relationships. This enhances the world wide insecurity in the long term (Ullman, 1983, 129). First, Ulham highlights the trade off with liberty. During a disagreement there are two specified values, each significant to the development of human beings. At its plain state, this decision depicts itself as the extent to which countries may go so as to safeguard themselves against rivals that that they perceive as oppressive, toward embracing barri ers that are similar to totalitarian towards the United States citizens. It is an issue that is evident in the everyday existence, hauling and pulling between the constitution, intelligence agencies and the police. A second choice entails association with countries whose code of conduct is different from those of United States. It raises the question whether the United States administration should establish an association of significant military relationship with the Republic of South Africa, and face the danger of racial disagreements in the American cities, or the United States should continue treating the Republic of South Africa as a rival and probably establish national racial peace (Ullman, 1983, 131). This is a significant feature of a stable community. A third choice includes military against financial help to needy nations. This choice pose the question, should the policy of the United States aspire at assisting administrations in the third world against the military danger s they presume to be coming from the Soviet Union and its collaborators, or at assisting citizens from the developing countries have better self-sufficiency so as to probably create extra healthy communities with decreased birth rates, thus reducing the increasing pressure on worldwide resources? Lastly, numerous choices contrast domestic and global priorities. The foremost source of national securities in the near future will be struggle for resources and territory. According to Ullman, a large number of violent disagreements throughout history have been caused by the struggle for resources and territory. He asserts that the future will see an increase in conflicts because of territory. The preservation of the idea of national autonomy has made the invasion of nations noticeably defunct. Ullman argues that the struggle for resources will probably increase because of the high need for a number of significant products and supplies. Nevertheless, these future struggles are perceived t o incorporate territorial aspects, but these territories will either be sparsely occupied or be unpopulated. Most of these territories will entail numerous resources that may be exploited, for example, oil. Also, he argues that these conflicts over resources will frequently be in the form of military battles whose combat periods will be short, instead of those prolonged wars. These wars will also be between countries that are neighboring each other, for

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 42

Marketing - Essay Example A personal touch with the customer, understanding his need, proper courtesy and a genuine smile is all that he longs for. It has something more to do with Max Weber bureaucracy or organizational pyramid (2) where everyone points a finger to the other one. In last two decade, the entire marketing scenario has gone through a paradigm shift and excellent customer service appears to be the deciding factor in this changing order. First of all, it is the sense of belonging, the proud ownership of the employees that literally change the face of the organization. The training of the employees that makes them serve the customer in a better manner plays the pivotal role. He should learn to communicate effectively, put a genuine smile in his face and be willing to serve his customer in every conceivable way. The stuffs should also know how to outmaneuver the customer without compromising the It is observed that a typical grocery shop stores 30,000 products and the owner answers same no of quarries. In supermarket the product listing may cross well past six digit marks but the product information which needs to be volunteered is surprisingly absent. The profit surges upwards if some subtle changes can be taken care of. For instance, Wal-Mart has a concerted return policy and a podium in every store where anyone can put a question regarding any service (3).The resultant outcome is a satisfied customer who returns again and again – to contribute to the profit of the organization. There can be multi pronged way to provide better customer care in a supermarket. Firstly, the proper motivations of the employees that work wonder. â€Å"At IBM, every one sells† as Buck Rodgers had put it in his best seller ‘The IBM Way’ (4) which should be the anthem of every supermarkets which aspires to make it big. From the doorman to the casher, every one needs to work in unison, compromising over everything except company ethics and profitability. The

Historical analysis of recent events Research Paper

Historical analysis of recent events - Research Paper Example Once the protests were successful in Tunisia, all other North African Countries in the vicinity of the Arab League joined protests in their nations to protest over similar demands. Specifically, the demonstrators were successful to remove from office presidents in countries such as Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Yemen, Tunisia, Morocco, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq. Strong protests had since been recorded in areas such as Syria, Sudan, Palestine and Oman. It is safe to mention that there was some coercion and influence in the way in which people strove and joined the protests. It is important to contextualize the causes so as to understand the reasons which made the countries take up arms against their governments. Firstly, it was held and believed that there was some level and degree of dissatisfaction by young people and labour unions due to disparities in the levels of incomes and poverty. The youths were the backbone of the protests due to unemployment and the varying gap that existed between the level of wealth between them and the ruling class. Equally of interest was the issue of mass or grave violations of human rights, monarchy and exclusivity of power concentrated to the hands of a few people and corruption or misuse of public resources. The youths and the Arabs nations by extension were particularly concerned by the extravagance of the ruling elites yet they did not have even jobs or any meaningful source of income. Equally unsettling to the protestors was the fact that there was no room for dissent or difference of opinion from the ruling autocrats. The word of the ruling autocrats became rule and law without following any due process of legislation or constitutionalism. A practical case and instance in this respect and line of thought was the Libya case where there so many political prisoners. The prisoners in Libya

Analysis of the Bill No. AB 29 Essay Example for Free

Analysis of the Bill No. AB 29 Essay The bill considered for this paper is Bill No. AB 29, authored by Price and Swanson, with subject â€Å"Healthcare Coverage†. The bill was introduced in 1st December 2008 and amended on the 24th of March 2010. 1. Overview of the health problem Based from the analyses provided for the bill, this bill has been proposed and argued for on the grounds that it has the ability to curve statistics for the largest uninsured segment of the population in California which is comprised of teenagers aged 19-23 (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). This age range, consisting the 27. 3% of the uninsured individuals in California, has been excluded from eligibility to received healthcare benefits under their parent’s insurance coverage, on the basis of age (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). This then, according to the research presented by the proponents of the bill, disposes these individuals of this age to seek their insurance coverage somewhere and shoulder the costs themselves (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). The costs of which may be considered expensive for these people to handle and thus, they prefer to skip making applications (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). This is the current situation in California, and one which the bill specifically targets to address. The bill seeks to extend the dependent coverage for medical insurance of children up to 27 years of age. While the existing legal provisions- also those apparent in Knox and Keene Health Service Care Plan of 1975- do not impose any restrictions to the current conditions imposed by employers on matters concerning the medical insurance coverage for dependent children, the statistics for insured population belonging to the young adult group remains to be high and these statistics cause an alarming reality of the current status of accessibility to quality health care by the young adult population. The bill seeks to extend the medical insurance coverage of children who have been considered as dependents of their parents. For parents whose insurance coverage is paid for by the employer, the bill provides them the opportunity to maintain the dependent coverage for their children by making payments of the additional premiums (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4) Presently, children who reach the age of 21 or after they graduate high school or college are disabled from further being enrolled as dependents of their parents for premium coverage or health care insurance. This scenario reveals that this particular group of individuals will remain to get neglected, as far as matters about fair and equal accessibility to heath care insurance policies are concerned if no actions are done now to at lest protect them from being excluded from necessary accesses. This bill will affect the almost 30% uninsured population of California, as well as the number of insurance companies and employers whoa re currently providing health care insurance overage for parents whose children or who have any children that belong to this particular age-group. 2. Severity of the health problem As there are no existing legal provisions that would discourage the current situation, this business culture presents a serious problem for any society who puts high importance to the accessibility of quality healthcare to its citizens, regardless of age. The current practices regarding the admission of young adults for medical coverage under their parents’ insurance accounts have very stringent rules. The background research provided in the Bill Analysis identify that most parents who cover their children as listed beneficiaries of medical coverage that is under their insurance account are working parents whom medical coverage was obtained though the employers’ provisions. However, the existing agreement between the employer and most insurance providers revoke young adults’ eligibility to remain beneficiaries under their parents’ insurance account on two grounds: (1) if they are not enrolled in college for full-time; or (2) after the children turn 19, graduate from high school, or graduate from college (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). The gravity of the reality of the situation is compounded by the fact that, according to the research background provided in the Bill Analysis, young adults encounter difficulty applying for medical insurance coverage and getting accepted with their applications (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). This reality is based on several reasons. According to the research background provided in the bill analysis, statistics show that these particular age range, the young adult population, often end up with low paying jobs and hold temporary positions (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). Thus, they receive meager salaries and are excluded from receiving health insurance benefits provided for by the company as one of the incentives employees get (Bill Analysis, 2009, pp. 3-4). Existing legal provisions also support exclusion of this particular age range from being eligible to receive benefits from public programs if they are considered healthy and childless (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4). According to the presented report on public programs in the Bill Analysis, children are only included in the Medi-Cal program before they reach the age of 21, after which, they are pretty much on their own. Only young adults with children, pregnant, or with disability are qualified to receive the benefits of the program of the Medi-Cal (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4). The risks associated with the present circumstances are high. Generally, it curves down the access of this particular population to quality health care (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4). This leaves serious implications to the young adult and his or her family. The most obvious is that, in case of medical emergencies, a large-out of the pocket expenses would be required from the family if the young adult patient happens to be not covered by any health care insurance policy (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4). 3. Overview of the bill The bill has undergone two Assembly Committee Analyses and one Senate Committee Analysis on the 28th and 14th of April 2008 and on the 26th of March 2009, respectively. This bill inserts some additional conditions and requirements to the existing Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Knox-Keene Act). Essentially, the bill requires the lifting of the existing age limit implemented by employers and health care insurance providers upon dependent coverage; and provide the conditions under which these additional requirements can be fulfilled without necessarily passing the costs of which to employers health care insurance firms. Specifically, it targets to impose these four conditions: First, the bill â€Å"would prohibit, with a specified exception, the limiting age for dependent children covered by these health care service plan contracts and group health insurance policies from being less than 27 years of age† (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, par. 2). Secondly, the â€Å"bill would also provide that no employer is required to pay the cost of coverage for dependents who are at least 23 years of age, but less than 27 years of age. The bill instead would authorize subscribers and insureds to elect to provide coverage tot hose dependents by contributing the premium for that coverage† (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, par. 2). Thirdly, while the constitution of California requires the reimbursements of costs to local agencies and school districts based in the mandate of the state, the bill â€Å"would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason† (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, pars. 4-5). Lastly, the bill imposes that any violations of the additional requirements it has on the Know-Keene Act is to be considered a crime (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, par. 3). Section 1 of the bill stipulates conditions requiring the deletion of age limit to criteria eligibility and changing the age limit of the child into twenty-seven. This section also provides that the plan contract should not specify any conditions leading to the individual’s exemption from Medi-Cal’s benefits; automatic inclusion to benefits entitlement of children and spouses to medical coverage upon moment of birth, or in case of adopted child, from the moment that the legal documents for adoption have been signed or any document stating that the responsibility for health care for the adopted is admitted by the individual adopting; and no plan contract shall be entered upon if there exist conditions in the plan that waive or disclaim or state any other terms of limitation that apply to newborn infants or to adopted children, and allowing the firms to either offer or not mental health and eye health services (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 1, A-G). The section 2 of the bill stipulates the conditions that plan holders have the freedom to choose the medical professional they prefer and that this selection would not be under the discretion of the health insurance firm provider, except for mental and vision health care professionals (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 2, A-D). The Section 3 of the bill reinforces that none of the provisions included in the bill supports or tolerates the performance of any medical activity by any licensed someone who does not have the capacity to do so,; the chosen medical or licensed professional should perform on that which is within the field of his or her specialization. The Section 4 of the Bill stipulates the definition of ‘marriage and family therapist’. The section states that the person should be a licensed professional who has received specific instructions that are equivalent with the instructions or learning required for the January 1, 1981 licensure test (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 4). This section 5 of the Bill requires that the vision and/ or mental health care professional to be chosen by the plan holder should be one that is affiliated with the health insurance provider (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 5). This section also suggests ready availability of psychologists provided by health insurance firms that offer mental services; however, the failure to comply does not constitute a crime (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 5). The Section 6 of the Bill states that the definition for ‘individual practice association’ adopted in the Bill is consistent with the definition used in the Sec. 1307 of the Federal Public health service Act (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 6). The rest of the bill also talks about that a child, 18 years of age and enrolled fulltime in secondary or post secondary school, and enrolled in a medical coverage remains to be eligible during break from schools (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 7); any child who takes medical leave from school and whose conditions render him physically incapable of maintaining self-employment, the provisions stipulated in (D) applies if the child is primarily dependent on the policy holder (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 6); requires that the health insurance firm informs about the termination of coverage if the child reaches appropriate age (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 7); submission of certification of the medical necessity for leave of absence is necessary to be made to the health care insurance firm within thirty days after the first day of the leave of absence (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 7). 4. Promises/ Expected Outcome The promises and expected outcome of the bill would definitely be evident in the statistics concerning the number of young adults without insurance coverage. With the outright provision that lifts the age-limit and substitute it with longer age, the population of young adults without any insurance coverage will be decreased. The Bill also allows better access to health care options for this particular segment of people (young adults). It also relieves the parents the worries that in case of serious medical emergencies involving a young adult of their family, very high of the pocket costs would be required for medication. 5. Supporters of the bill This bill, with its current status of being ‘proposed’, receives a great deal of support from concerned individuals and different organizations. According to the Bill Analysis report, supporters of the proposal include â€Å"the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the California Commission on the Status of Women, the California Medical Association, and Health Access California †¦ American Federation of State, and County ad Municipal Employees† (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4). These groups supporting the bill agree in two major points. Firstly, it is pointed out that the bill provides a very good channel for young adults who still rely upon their parents for financial assistance to remain covered by adequate health insurance coverage, especially at the current time when there is difficulty securing and maintaining health care coverage for this particular age group (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4). Secondly, it is argued that the proposed provision that allows employees to shoulder premiums for the health care insurance coverage of their children who belong in this particular age range can be translated into additional revenues for the state, aside from the fact that there will be a peace of mind for parents that comes with the awareness that every member of their family is being adequately covered (Bill Analysis, 2009, pp. 4-5). 6. Opponents of the bill Not everyone welcomes the proposal of the bill though. According to the Bill Analysis Report, the opponents of the proposed bill include the representatives of health plans, health insurance firms, as well as employers. The arguments are always associated with financial risks and additional costs that the firms may incur once the bill is passed and implemented. These groups argue that the inclusions of this particular age group for eligibility to receive coverage under premiums paid for by their parents, until the age of 27, would only result to the conflict between the premiums and the existing federal tax rules referring to deductibility of taxes imposed on health insurance premiums (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 5). More than that, however, the proposed bill does not give enough allowance of time and opportunity for the concerned parties (insurance provider firms and employers) to calculate and predict the risk and costs that they might incur when the extension for the eligibility for insurance coverage, under premiums paid for by the parents, for this particular age group is finally implemented (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 5). These opponents that such drastic a change might result to employers totally waiving off the coverage for dependents completely due to increased costs and risks the bill can cause them to incur (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 5). 7. Recommendation This bill contains provisions that, in my view, bring only positive contributions in improving the health care access to young adults. However, I need to agree with the insurance firms and employers that it does not seem to tackle the other side of the coin to make the arguments well-balanced. In other words, no attention has been given yet, neither is there any detail in the bill that indicates research has been done to ensure that risks and costs would not cause serious problems with insurance firms and companies in the future. References http://www. leginfo. ca. gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_29_bill_20090324_amended_asm_v98. html http://www. leginfo. ca. gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_29_cfa_20090326_100055_sen_comm. html http://www. leginfo. ca. gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_29_cfa_20090413_093510_asm_comm. html http://www. leginfo. ca. gov/cgi-bin/postquery? bill_number=ab_29sess=CURhouse=Bauthor=price

Discussing Web Use Especially for Educational Purposes :: Internet Cyberspace Education Essays

Discussing Web Use Especially for Educational Purposes Abstract The purpose of my paper is to define the web, discuss its educational value, and review some of the ongoing debate regarding its educational use. "And Robert L. Heath says ‘[It is a] means by which any organization - no matter how financially limited - can sustain its messages over time and reach people around the world’ " (as cited by Cooley, 1999, p.1). What is the Web? The Web or WWW or World Wide Web is an informational venue, as well as a communications medium that serves many purposes, namely, to advertise businesses, people, products, services; in other words, to facilitate marketing and public relations. "The World Wide Web’s accessibility and ease of use have encouraged a proliferation of Web resources on almost every imaginable topic. Due to the wealth of information available, the Web is becoming a widely used research tool" (Tate and Alexander, 1996, p.1). The Web is also an educational and news delivery system. The Web began with the birth of the internet. According to Sutherland and Stewart (1999), "[t]he Internet, developed in the 1960s to facilitate military research, had expanded to other research uses by the end of the 1970s." Starr (1997) states, that " [by 1981], the Internet had grown to comprise 213 host computers, linked in an unorganized collection of networks that included local area networks, dedicated computer lines, telephone lines and satellite links" (as cited by Sutherland and Stewart, p.1). "Barely a decade later, the Internet had come to include more than 2 million host computers, a growth largely driven by the popularity of the Web, which only became available in 1990" (Sutherland and Stewart, p.1). "Lehnert (1998) stated that this rapid growth of the Web stemmed from the increased availability of inexpensive, powerful computers, widespread access to the Internet, the combination of the easy to use HTML and graphics, readily available Web browsers, and significant a ttention given to the Web by the mass media" (as cited by Sutherland and Stewart, p.1). Starr said that "[T]he Web, with its innovations in the areas of hypertext, multimedia, and interactivity, has had a profound impact on higher education" (as cited by Sutherland and Stewart, p.1). According to Barnard (1997), "[U]niversity administrators, partially driven by market forces, value the Web as a vehicle to market their institution as well as to deliver distance learning" (as cited by Sutherland and Stewart, p.

Qantas Cas Notes Essay

Analyse and interpret data Maintain Qantas/Jetstar’s combined domestic market share of 65% Match capacity with demand sustaining loads around 80% Grow Jetstar in Asia Increase internet sales Increase customer service standards Enhance complementary portfolio businesses like Freight Reduce losses of Qantas international Transform Qantas International for focusing on right aircraft, right route, network optimisation and margin improvement Grow their frequent flyer program members and partners Market Segmentation and Selection of the Target Market Qantas’ market segmentation is complex because each segment has distinctive and different needs and expectations, such as the need to make stop-overs, the ability to pay fare levels and expectations in terms of in-flight service and comfort. Qantas mainly uses behavioural segmentation to select its target markets. Buyers are distinguished according to trip purpose e. . business and leisure/non-business travellers. Marketing Strategies Positioning Formulating the Marketing Mix Product Strategies Scheduling features Comfort-based features I ne Qantas Frequent Hyer scneme (H- Intangible benefits Brand name Price Cost plus margin: Qantas determines the cost of production and then adds a margin for profit Market: most fares at Qantas are determined by the market, where demand is matched with supply Competition based: monitoring what other airlines such as Virgin Blue are charging Pricing Strategies Price penetration Full Fares Promotional Fares Loss Leading Promotiono Advertising Sales promotions particularly in periods of subdued demand. When Qantas first launched Jetstar it released 100,000 tickets at $49. Qantas also launches a two-for- one ticket sale, which allowed a second passenger to fly for the cost of taxes and charges. Personal selling Publicity Place/Distribution Distribution to end customers is achieved by Qantas in two ways, direct and indirect. DIRECT – via its own retail outlets INDIRECT – via sales agents People Because most customers have direct contact with Qantas employees, especially on he ground, the impression they give has a big impact on how Qantas is perceived. Qantas staff must have appropriate personal attributes and training for their Jobs. Qantas spends more that $275 million a year on staff training to ensure a very positive interaction between its customers. Processes Booking flights online Online check in Mobile check in cnecK In KIOSK Physical Evidence Qantas’ customers are influences by Qantas’ signage, its website, its terminals, its lounges, etc. E-Marketing uses an electronic medium to perform marketing activities, e. g. website, email. Global Marketing is the use of marketing activities across national boundaries. Qantas uses: Global Branding Standardisation Customisation Implementing, Monitoring and Controlling the Marketing Plan Qantas has a systematic base for continually monitoring, controlling and adjusting its marketing activities using the following tools: Developing a financial forecast of revenue using statistical models, past sales data, executive Judgement and surveys of customer buying intentions. It then estimates costs such as market research costs, promotion costs, product development costs and distribution costs. Comparing actual and planned results using a number of performance criteria.

Ap Comparative Government/Politics Ch.1 Outline Essay

Introduction The Global Challenges of Comparative Politics Introduction to Comparative Politics-Studies how different countries both shape and are shaped by the world. 1989,2001, and 2008 define the current era of world politics-describes a particular important moment; critical juncture. A frequently cited date is 1989, when the Berlin wall was dismantled. 1989 ushered in three important changes. Marked the end of a bipolar world-marked the emergence of a unipolar world. Marked the triumph of one model of political and economic development. 1989 was a gateway to globalization. Globalization provided a new and distinctive lens for analyzing politics within and among countries. The key question is that whether the global diffusion of investment, trade, production, and electronic communication technologies would promote a worldwide expansion of opportunity and enhance human development. We have been forced to rethink the meaning of globalization Since on September 11, 2001, when the Islamic terrorist group led by Osama Bin Laden launched deadly attacks on The World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The attacks created a new challenge, and produced a tragic and somber critical juncture following the brief post-cold war period. Many countries have been attacked by terrorist before Sept. 11, 2001, including the U.S. This was different because of the amount of the scale-more than 3000 deaths. 9/11 was not an isolated event, soon followed attacks around the world. This led to be known as the Contemporary era. In October, the U.S. attacked the Taliban regime in Afghanistan because that was where it was known for Osama Bin Laden-the leader of the attack on 9/11-to be hiding. Globalization and Terrorism make the current era complex and fraught with uncertainties. 2008 is noteworthy because of a cascade of economic challenges. Such as the price of crude oil on world markets reached $100 a barrel and $140 by the summer. Gas at the pump c ost over $4 a gallon And a world wide recession erupted in late 2008, the demand for oil plummeted. The price of petroleum matters because the world runs on oil, it fuels the global economy. The world supply is finite, nonrenewable, and becoming increasingly scarce. Competition for access to petroleum has considerably increased in the twenty-first century. This is largely because China and India have achieved extraordinary rapid industrialization and economic growth that requires hugh amounts of oil. Many of the major petroleum exporters have somewhat unstable regimes. Finally, the cost of petroleum is measured in dollars, and the U.S. dollar has significantly declined recently. 2008 was the year when scientists started warning people about CO2 emissions and that in several decades may be an irreversible tipping point. Involving melting polar ice caps and rising sea levels, which can be disastrous for people in coastal areas. Globalization and Comparative Politics Globalization also involves the movement of people due to migration, employment, business, and educational opportunities. Globalization includes other profound changes that are less visible but equally significant. For example, new applications of information technology and new ways to deliver news and images around the world. Making Sense of Turbulent Times The World of States: the historical formation, internal organization, and interaction of states within the international order. Governing the Economy: the role of the state in economic management. The Democratic Idea: the spread of democracy and the challenges of democratization. The Politics of Collective Identities: the sources and political impact of diverse collective identities, including class, gender, ethnicity, nationality, and religion. What-and How-Comparative Politics Compares Comparative Politics is a subfield within the academic discipline of political science as well as a method or approach to the study of politics. Comparative Politics involves comparing domestic political institutions, processes, policies, conflicts, and attitudes in different countries. Level of Analysis Countries comprise distinct, politically defined territories that encompass political institutions, cultures, economics, and ethnic and other social identities. The state is almost always the most powerful cluster of institutions. State refers to the key political institutions responsible for making, implementing, and adjudicating important policies in a country. Causal Theories Themes for Comparative Analysis Theme 1: A World of States States provide more or less well for the social protection of citizens through the provision-in one way or another-of health care, old age pensions, aid to dependent children, and assistance to the unemployed. It is states that regulate the movement of people across boarders through immigration law. States have been significantly affected by globalization. Theme 2: Governing the Economy The success of states in maintaining sovereign authority and control over their people is greatly affected by their ability to ensure that an adequate volume of goods and services is produced to satisfy the needs of their populations. Effective economic performance is near the top of every states personal agenda. How it organizes production and the extent and nature of it intervention in the economy-is a key element in its overall pattern of governance. Political economy refers to how governments affect economic performance and how economic performance in turn affects a country’s political processes. Sustainable development which promotes ecologically sound ways to modernize the economy and raise the standards of living. Theme 3: The Democratic Idea One of the most important and astounding political developments in recent years has been the rapid spread of democracy throughout much of the world. There is overwhelming evidence of the strong appeal of the democratic idea, by which the claim by citizens that they should, exercise substantial control over the decisions made by their states and governments. By 2007 more countries were becoming free, while democracy is not yet uniformly practiced, nor uniformly accepted. Another important pressure for democracy is born of the human desire for dignity and equality. Social Movements have targeted the state because of its actions or inactions in such varied spheres as environmental regulation, reproductive rights, and race or ethnic relations. Theme 4: The Politics of Collective Identity Comparatists thought that social class-solidarities bases on the shared experience of work or economic position. Now know that the formation of group attachments and the interplay of politically relevant collective identities are far more complex and uncertain. Religion is another source of collective identity- as well as of severe political conflict. Distributional politics-the process of deciding who gets what and how resources are distributed. Classifying Political Systems When Comparativists classify a large number of cases into smaller number of types or clusters, they call the result a typology. Typology facilitate comparison both within the same type as well as between types of states. Can also compare across clusters or types. In this type of comparison-comparativists call this â€Å"most different case analysis†. What is the meaning-or rather meanings-of democracy? Selection to the highest public offices is on the basis of free and fair election. For an election to qualify as fair, there must be procedures in place guaranteeing candidates the right to compete, all citizens must be entitled to vote, and votes must be counted accurately. Political parties are free to organize, present candidates for public office, and compete in elections. The elected governments develops policy according to specified procedures. All citizens possess political rights. The political system contains a judiciary with powers independent of the executive and legislature. The elected government exercises supreme power within the government and country. There is widespread agreement that conflicts will be resolved peacefully. A Typology of Political Systems Our typology of political systems involves a further distinction between long-established, or consolidated democracies. Organization of the Text 1: The Making of the Modern State Section 1 provides an overview of the forces that have shaped the particular character of the state. This discussion should give you the idea of how the country assumed its current political order. 2: Political Economy and Development (1) Section 2 looks at the issues raised by our core theme of governing the economy and analyzes how economic development has affected political change. 3: Governance and Policy-Making (1) Section 3 describes the state’s major policy-making institutions and procedures. Representation and Participation (1) The focus of section 4 is the relationship between a country’s state and society. 5: Politics in Transition (1) In Section 5, each country study returns to the books four themes and analyzes the major challenges reshaping the world and the study of comparative politics.