...Chapter 5 Corruption and the watchdog role of the news media Sheila Coronel The notion of the press as watchdog is more than 200 years old. Yet the idea of vigilant media monitoring government and exposing its excesses has gained new traction in many parts of the world. Globalization, the fall of authoritarian and socialist regimes, and the deregulation of the media worldwide have fuelled a renewed interest in ––as well as a surge in efforts by various groups to support–– “watchdogging” by the media. Since the late 17th Century, classical liberal theorists had argued that publicity and openness provide the best protection from the excesses of power. The idea of the press as Fourth Estate, as an institution that exists primarily as a check on those in public office, was based on the premise that powerful states had to be prevented from overstepping their bounds. The press working independently of government, even as its freedoms were guaranteed by the state, was supposed to help ensure that this was so. The 1980s and 1990s saw the revival of this centuries‐old notion and its application especially to “transition societies” then emerging from the ruins of socialist and authoritarian regimes. It had resonance among citizens facing pervasive corruption, weak rule of law, and predatory or incompetent governments unable to deliver basic services. Today even in countries ...
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...Does the United States present a Public Administrational model for the rest of the world for avoiding corruption? “Corruption is an insidious plague that has a wide range of corrosive effects on societies. It undermines democracy and the rule of law, leads to violations of human rights, distorts markets, erodes the quality of human life, and allows organized crime, terrorism and other threats to human security to flourish. This evil phenomenon is found in all countries… but it is in the developing world that its effects are most destructive. Corruption hurts the poor disproportionately by diverting funds intended for development, undermining a Government’s ability to provide basic services, feeding inequality and injustice and discouraging foreign aid and investment. Corruption is a key element in economic under-performance and a major obstacle to poverty alleviation and development.” Koffi Anan, foreword, United Nations Convention against Corruption, 2003. When Democracy and central governance was formed in ancient Greece, it was for the very purpose of preventing the powerful few putting their needs above those of the masses they ruled – after all ‘Democracy’, stems from the Greek demos and kratia literally meaning the power of the people. For peoples familiar only with autocracies and hereditary monarchies, this was a radical notion. Why then, in some modern democracies, has the word government come to be almost synonymous with corruption? Corruption in government is...
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...Chapter 5 Corruption and the watchdog role of the news media Sheila Coronel The notion of the press as watchdog is more than 200 years old. Yet the idea of vigilant media monitoring government and exposing its excesses has gained new traction in many parts of the world. Globalization, the fall of authoritarian and socialist regimes, and the deregulation of the media worldwide have fuelled a renewed interest in ––as well as a surge in efforts by various groups to support–– “watchdogging” by the media. Since the late 17th Century, classical liberal theorists had argued that publicity and openness provide the best protection from the excesses of power. The idea of the press as Fourth Estate, as an institution that exists primarily as a check on those in public office, was based on the premise that powerful states had to be prevented from overstepping their bounds. The press working independently of government, even as its freedoms were guaranteed by the state, was supposed to help ensure that this was so. The 1980s and 1990s saw the revival of this centuries‐old notion and its application especially to “transition societies” then emerging from the ruins of socialist and authoritarian regimes. It had resonance among citizens facing pervasive corruption, weak rule of law, and predatory or incompetent governments unable to deliver basic services. Today even in countries ...
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...Unit 3 Research Paper Government Regulation and Corporate America Kaplan University Online All companies in the United States have to abide by many rules and regulations set in place by our government. It seems as if there are so many if you are just learning about them but once you know and understand them, they all make sense and seem logical. If we had less regulation, there would be more people committing fraud and getting away with it. There are plenty of regulations in place right now and no more are needed unless people are continuing to abuse the system and new ones need put into place. As long as everyone continues to do their job properly, there is no need for any more government regulation. Securities Acts of 1933 and 1934 The Securities Acts of 1933 and 1934 ensure that companies are not misleading in their financial statements that investors base their opinions on. If an investor sees any financial statement to a company, and believes they are in good shape and that they should invest in that company, the company is held liable for any loss the incur. The Securities Act of 1933 requires that before selling securities publicly, a company must register them first. Companies must go through the Securities Exchange Commission and file a registration statement. When they file, they must include their audited financial statements (Beatty & Samuelson, 2010). After this is done, a company may offer their securities on a public market for investors which may include...
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...John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon Sarah 6/29/15 HIWD 375-B01 Paper The Vietnam War was a war of change. It took America into a new frontier. With President John F. Kennedy pushing to end communism, Vietnam looked like the ideal place to accomplish his goals. Even though the war pushed on after his death, President Nixon sought to put an end to the war and bring American troops home. Even though these presidents had very differing opinions of the war, the Vietnam War raged on, changing America politically, culturally, and socially. Before the Vietnam War broke out, Kennedy and Nixon both had military backgrounds. Kennedy was in the United States Navy from 1941-1945. “On August 2, 1943 [during World War 2], as PT 109 was running silent to avoid detection it was struck by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri.” This devastating accident resulted in Kennedy saving his men and then receiving many metals and honors for this heroic act. This occurrence changed Kennedy for life. Nixon as well was in the United States Navy from 1942-1946. Nixon saw no combat during his time in the navy however he was officer in charge of the Combat Air Transport Command at Guadalcanal in the Solomon’s and then at Green Island. Nixon became a Lieutenant Commander which set the stage for his future career as President. These two men had very different experience at war which contributed to the way they viewed war and responded to it. This military history in each of these men’s lives, proved vital...
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...Richard Milhous Nixon Nick Bennett Perspectives on the Presidency Dr. Kane 4 April 2011 Richard Milhous Nixon, an introverted man in an extroverted environment, was a brilliant but flawed individual. Described as having a “light side” and “dark side,” Nixon routinely displayed vindictive and insecure qualities that were very detrimental to his presidency. Nixon was a man of many complexities and contradictions that seemed to all stem from his troublesome childhood. Nixon excelled in foreign affairs as he broke the ice with numerous nations and possessed a remarkable knowledge. He was an innovative thinker and developed intricate strategies that would give him a bold portrayal. Although he had an undeniable amount of knowledge, he displayed many negative characteristics within his personality and views in regard to his power. Spending long nights alone, Nixon would evaluate problems, correlate the information and develop a very plausible solution. Regarding Richard Nixon and the notion of presidential power, he implemented some beneficial uses, however several examples of abuse. He would sometimes even act on issues without seeking approval or guidance from congress. Nixon used unjustified means in order to accomplish his tasks, thus sparking much debate concerning the extraordinary power of the United States President. Nixon’s personality can be described as paradoxical and flawed. His childhood was difficult to say...
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...Research Paper One: The Role of Federal Regulations in Corporate America ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Richa Chopra ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Kaplan University ------------------------------------------------- The Role of Federal Regulations in Corporate America Introduction Dishonesty, greed, cover-ups, and bail-outs are some of the things that come to mind when we talk about the America's financial economy. Are all the hundreds of pages of regulations laid down by the government working in America's favor or is it just another way for the CEOs and the executives for fortune 500 companies to manipulate the system and its people? The corporate governance system started with the corporate debacles and the ultimate crash of the stock market in the late 1920s. As a result government stepped in and created regulations such as the Securities Act of 1933 and 1934, to the ever so popular Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, to the more recent Dodd-Franck Law of 2010. The aim behind these regulations is noble. They are formed to prevent fraud, misrepresentation, bring more transparency and above all, prevent another financial crisis. But, how successful are these regulations? Are we over regulated or are we in need for more regulation? Investors and common public's faith in our economy and capital markets is shattering, they are demanding...
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...Connie Burkey Unit 3 Regulations in the Industry of Accounting Research Paper Professor Lerner When looking at the regulations that the government has set down in the accounting sector the old saying “rules are made to be broken comes to mind. Like the rules that are created in the home or for society as a whole, government regulations are set in place to ensure that transactions are being conducted in an honest and lawful manner, and to give a sense of accountability to everyone. These laws that were created by Congress may negatively work for one party and positively affect another. In most cases these regulations are put in place to protect the investor and consumers, and to provide repercussions for a business that does not follow these regulations. Over the last few years, we have seen numerous businesses and individuals, such as Enron and Martha Stewart, who found loopholes around the government regulations that gave them the opportunity to commit the unlawful acts they were involved in. Even with all of the technologically advanced systems set in place individuals in corporate America continue to engage in scandalous behaviors. It has become increasingly obvious that the number of fraudulent activities committed by businesses is on the rise. With, the addition of globalization in the market becoming ever popular, we shall truly start to see that will bring forth cultural clashes that will bring about a new set of problems. I believe with all the different...
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...American Perspective On The Vietnam War My grandfather is a Vietnam War veteran. That alone drove me toward choosing this topic for this research paper. A few months ago, my grandfather had let me read his manuscript that he wrote when he had gotten home from his twelve year service for the United States. This novel he wrote is increasing my interest in the Vietnam War each page I turn. People often ask me whenever we’re talking about the war, which side I’m positioned on. I say that we shouldn’t have “helped” in the war. Because in my opinion, we could have done better for the country if we would have kept our noses out if the excitement but as for people like my grandfather, he opposes that perspective. I do have a firm grip on both paradigms of the war but as you can tell, I want a world with no war possible but honestly, who doesn’t? I guess you can call me a dreamer. But I know I’m not the only one. I thank John Lennon and my Mother for that lesson. I love my mother and my grandfather just as much. But, like I said, because of that, I know and understand two, very different opinions or viewpoints of the Vietnam War. My Mom is somewhat a flower child from when she was just a teenager. That all began because she never really got along with my Grandfather all that well. My Grandfather (my mom’s step dad) was the stereotypical; stern but fair, strict yet loving, harsh yet respectful step-father. Due to that reason my Mom was a rebel to the degree of a flour child. She is always...
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...Corruption in the Government and Politics Abstract Political and government corruption has been a big problem in America for a long time. After careful research and investigating, corruption has a way of splitting a country. Corruption in government and political corrupt seems to go hand-in-hand. In America corruption has been an issue at the highest level of government which starts at the executive level of the Presidency. Over the years corruption has reared its head in other areas of our government from the President throughout Congress and even into our state and local level government. Introduction Throughout the history of the United States of America corruption in government has been an issue. Corruption in government has been an ongoing problem from the beginning of our government. Corruption dates back to the conception of our Constitution of the United States. The constitution was created and delivered in the year 1787. It was the creation of hope that this document would set forth some rules and regulations for our country as well as the citizens of this great nation to follow. It included our rights as citizens and the guarantee of having a government to carry out the will of the people. Government and political corruption was an issue even for the framers of our constitution. Before the final draft of our constitution, the document was revised several times before it was presented. The idea was that by creating the constitution it would...
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...The Chronicles of Generation X: The History, Influential Events, and My Personal Experience Kareem E. Murray COM/172 3/11/2015 Dr. Debra Geiger If you ask anybody about Generation X, nine times out ten people will think you were talking about an X-Men or Wolverine cartoon. In comparison to the X-Men, we have been stereotyped as being frustrated, cynical, hopeless and unmotivated slacker. This subject is more realistic than those lies and titanium claws society want to put on my generation. In a class of our own, you will get a better understanding of Generation X through its history, the influential events and my personal experiences have sharpened such a diverse generation that will always stay on top. Generation X or Gen Xers consist of 50 million members born between 1965 and 1977, from the past generation of the Baby Boomers. In a time where the single most anti-child phase in American history began. In the early 1960's the birth control pill became widely available, and in 1973, abortion was legalized (Coupland 1991). These are two factors that are said to have contributed to the generation small numbers. Compared to Baby Boomer numbers at 76 million and Millennial at 80 million according to Jeff Gordinier in his book, How Generation X Got the Shaft, But Can Still Keep Everything from Sucking (Gordinier 2009). Robert Capa, a photographer for Mangum magazine, was the first person to use the phrase "Generation X". Using it to describe the people who grew up after...
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...Alen Sonny Mr. Lewis APUSH Period 5 13 April, 2014 The War between Communism and Democracy for Dominance of Space The Space Race was a war of firsts between the United States of America and the Union Soviet Socialist Republics. But it was also the culmination of the dreams of man for many millennia and the team who worked on the space programs was able to discover what so many of the people that came before and after them could only dream of. It was an endeavor that all of humanity was invested in at the time. It was a testament to the power of the human spirit and it showed how nothing was impossible if we persevered and strived to be better. The space race did not start as one would expect with the respective American and Soviet space agencies. But rather it began with the German V2 missile launches towards the end of World War 2. The V2 missile was designed by Wernher Von Braun a German scientist who had dreamed of traveling to the moon for many years; however this dream had to be secret as it was considered to be treasonous and not helpful to the German cause. Von Braun and many other amateur rocketeers were drafted into the German war machine in order to help build a super weapon and their base was Peenemünde. When the war was nearing its end the Third Reich unleashed its secret weapon, the V2 missile. It could hit anywhere within its target range and there would be no warning. When it hit, it caused scenes of mass destruction. The V2 missiles were to be Hitler’s...
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...There are nearly seven thousand organizations represented in our nation’s capital. Interest groups are organizations that seek to influence decisions in government; they are sometime called lobbyists (Wilson, 2009 p. 142). Lobbyists acquired their name because they used to wait in the lobbies of the policy makers in order to catch them coming in and out of their offices. The rise of interest groups became more apparent due common interests amongst groups of citizens. Interest groups play an important role in today’s politics; the rise was attributed to the need to gain access to government in order to accomplish change. Many groups noticed a need to reach out to government officials in many notable matters in order to undertake the protection of the people. Interest groups, through the means of history have played an important role in the politics of the United States of America. Many interest groups are known to have made their mark in society by both striving and accomplishing change in policy. Interest groups have an interesting time line; I will lead you on the journey. During the first, preindustrial phase from the 1830s to 1870s, charitable organizations assisting the poor represented the dominant form of association. Membership in these organization consisted mostly of middle class citizens. Crossing class line, the second phase is attributed to the economic group such as trade unions and employer’s union in between the 1860’s and the early 1900’s. The third phase...
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...The Evolution of Intelligence in the United States John Doe Utica University The Evolution of Intelligence in the United States The beginning of intelligence in the United States dates back to the Revolutionary War and America’s first president, George Washington. President Washington requested that Congress set aside a ‘secret service fund’ for clandestine and secret activities (Revolutionary Ideas, 2007). After leading the Continental Army during the war, he knew how important it was to have secret agencies analyze and protect the new country. The use of secret agents, counterintelligence, and the clandestine paramilitary, have been used extensively to set up elaborate deceptions, gather sensitive information, and coordinate operations to cause sabotage towards other adversaries or countries that wished to cause us harm throughout the history of our country (Revolutionary Ideas, 2007). Although President Washington set a growing foundation of creating and fostering the need and use of foreign intelligence, it was President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) that helped combined the efforts of the state and war departments to coordinate efforts on a combined government-wide level (History of the CIA, 2007). The events of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 prompted FDR to make a change to all government intelligence. FDR asked World War I veteran William J. Donovan to draft a new plan for an intelligence service that would combine all those departments’ efforts and make...
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...Health Care Reform from an Economist Perspective Managerial Economics 2/28/2013 Introduction Today there are many Americans without health insurance. This is due to the lack of financial resources they have to pay for the insurance , perhaps due to the unemployment rate and also due to those (younger generation) who choose to opt out of paying for health insurance. Many Americans live day to day hoping they will not get sick. From the results of these rates, President Obama signed the US Health Care Reform into law. The health care reform law encases benefits such as affordability, accessibility, comfort and ease for low income families worrying about going broke if they get sick, health care cost will be capped, and insurance companies will not be able to deny applicants due to pre-existing conditions. Accessibility simply means that insurers would have to expand insurance coverage to all Americans. This means eliminating pre-existing conditions that prevented people from gaining insurance coverage, insuring portability across states, mandating the purchase of insurance coverage, standardizing claims to reduce paperwork and providing benefits and cost information to American people allowing them an opportunity to choose a plan that best fit their needs (Shortell, 2009) Affordability has left uninsured and low income families helpless due to high premiums. The public option is an idea that hopes to establish competition that will drive down insurance premium...
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