...Assess the various measures, other than electoral reform, that have been suggested to improve democracy in the UK. The other measures to improve democracy in the UK are: having more referendums, lowering the voting age, making voting compulsory and finally the use of digital democracy. And this essay will assess all the measures and also it will determine which measure is the best to improve democracy in the UK. The first measure, which has been suggested to improve democracy in the UK, is the use of more referendums. A referendum is a popular vote where the people are asked to determine an important political or constitutional issue directly. A referendum has pros and cons. Firstly referendums are a device of direct democracy, which gives the general public direct and unmediated control over the governments decision making, this ensures that the public’s views and interests are always taken account of and are not distorted by politicians who claim to “represent them”. Another advantage is that referendums actually help to create a better informed, more educated and more politically engaged electorate, which gives the members of the public a strong incentive to cast there vote. Also another advantage is that referendums reduce the power of the government, because the government has less control over their outcome than it does over parliament, and therefore citizens are protected against the danger of over mighty government. And a final advantage to referendums is that there...
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...process of allocating scarce values. He comes up with this equation; politics = allocation values (resources) wealth status power. By definition ‘new media’ according to Marshall McLuhan (1980) generally refers to the digital media which is interactive, incorporate two- way communication and involve some form of computing as opposed to ‘old media’ such as telephone, radio and TV. However there is a thin line between ‘old media’ and ‘new media’. This is because the ‘old media are getting digitized and some have consolidated with some ‘new media’ forms. Therefore we surround the term ‘new media’ with quotation marks to signify that they are digital interactive media. Without the quotation marks we generally are denoting media which is new to the context of discussion. To illustrate this, TV at is invent was new media and therefore cannot be said to be ‘new media’. Also parts of the world that have not received certain types of media will call them new media when introduced to them. GAGETRY DEFFERETIATION FROM THE PLAT FORMS.-TO BE DONE VIRTUAL SPACE TERMS USED IN RELATION TO NEW MEDIA- ICT, DIGITAL MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA, ALTERNATIVE MEDIA TRANSFRORMATION OF POLITICS POLITICS AND ITS IMPACTS ON DEMOCRACY (TO STAND FOR THE LAST PATR ON TRANSFORMATION OF DEMOCRACY) The role the new media has had on politics is immense and cannot go unnoticed. The media has transformed politics from a street-level bureaucracy into a system...
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...lives greatly. This essay concentrates on the digital revolution and the digital divide in the world today. Many today's technology achievements and improvements of people's quality of life should owe to the digital revolution. Digital revolution, which is also named the third industrial revolution or the third technological revolution, means the innovation of computers and the repaid spread of the communication equipments and it includes the revolution of the society and the technology, which usually refer in particular to the arguments created when these technology widely used (H.Jenkins & D.Thorburn, The Digital Revolution, the Informed Citizen, and the Culture of Democracy, 2003, p.1). However, this revolution can to some extent be a wicked problem for its search of solution could never stop and each solution of a digital solution is always a "one-shot" operation as well as the difficulty to generate a solution immediately or ultimately (J.C.Camillus, 2008, p.100). As for the first one, since digital industry is an emerging industry, the problems of the digital revolution can hardly be clarified in the foreseeable future (J.C.Camillus, 2008, p.100). Thus, the same as the wicked problem, the digital revolution has no stopping rule as well since it needs to keep finding new solutions for new problems (J.C.Camillus, 2008, p.100). For the second one, because of the lack experience in the digital industry, the problem appeared in digital revolution is hard to be imitated, so, unlike...
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...On one hand, we see rising apathy towards politics in general amongst youth and on the other hand, more and more governments want to increase public participation to bring in transparency and accountability in governance; to build the desired, strong democracy. Public participation can be said to be an inchoate term and many a times can be ruled wrongly by mob psychology and behaviour. Responsible public participation calls for the deeper understanding of civic responsibility and citizenship. The terms 'civic responsibility' is considered as the backbone of democracy and yet its nebulous nature is what makes this goal of transparent governance appear...
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...action committees but cannot coordinate directly with candidates or political parties. They allow labor unions, corporations and different groups to make unlimited contributions to these groups that are not in cahoots with any political parties or candidates. The major controversies of this topic are: the First Amendment, disclosure of contributors, corruption, competiveness of elections, and political advertising. The two Supreme Court cases which lead to the creation of super PAC’s were Citizens United vs. Federal Election Committee and SpeechNow.org vs. Federal Election Committee. These two rulings came in 2010 within months of each other. Mortimer B. Zuckerman in “Money in Politics: A Problem With No Easy Solutions” of U.S. Digital Weekly, illustrates the formation of super PAC’s. In the first case Citizens United vs. FEC found that the government cannot prohibit corporations and unions from spending money to support or oppose candidates. The second ruling in the SpeechNow.org vs. FEC upheld a constitutional of persons’ spending money independently of any candidate or party to pool their resources for a common cause (1+). Former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission and now Chairman of...
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...Are libraries finished? Five arguments for and against By Peter Jackson BBC News With more than 400 public libraries under threat of closure, the campaign to save them is gathering pace. But in an age of downloads, cheap books and easy online shopping, can this great British institution survive? Some of the UK's best-selling authors have joined the fight against "cultural vandalism" by backing a national day of protest read-ins against library closures on Saturday. But no matter how eloquently Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy or author Colin Dexter extol their virtues, the fact is library visitor numbers - like their budgets - are falling. Campaigners say they are irreplaceable doors to learning more relevant now than ever before, but for others the speed and breadth of the web has rendered them obsolete dinosaurs. So what can the internet provide that a library can't, and when is there simply no online substitute for a trip to your local library? Here are five examples on either side: ------------------------------------------------- Only at a library 1. Specialist research As tempting as it is to view the web as a tool for gathering all information, there are gaps only library documents, books and maps can fill. Local and family historians as well as academic and historical researchers are among those who still rely heavily on paper and print. Historian and author Andrew Dalby, 63, who edits pages for online encyclopaedia Wikipedia from his home in France, says he still...
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...Amanda Fuller Instructor Lori Mick Society and the Individual 11 September 2015 Freedom On July 4th, 1776 the Declaration of Independence, one of America’s most historical documents, was signed in Philadelphia. Doug Hoey states “It marked the birth of this nation which, under God, was destined to become the symbol of freedom and world leadership” (91) in his article Freedom is Not Free, and It Must Be Preserved. Each year on July 4th, Americans celebrate Independence Day, with fireworks, family gatherings, and bar-b-que, but the people of this country should also take time to reflect and remember the importance of why this is such an important holiday. Millions of young men and women lost their lives on a foreign battle field, fighting for this country, so that the people of the U.S. could enjoy the freedom and rights that they have today. Do they really understand how this country began and how their freedom was obtained? Do they truly appreciate freedom? The citizens of this country need to remember and honor these fallen heroes not just on Independence Day, but every day. “It is important that we recall and return to the faith of our forefathers. In our prosperity and our present position of world leadership, America today is forgetting the God who gave this nation its birth and its present greatness” states REV. Doug Hoey. (91) In the year 1492, the year that Columbus reached the present day Caribbean islands, Native American Indians made up the population of what...
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...In December 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal net neutrality rules set in place during the Obama administration. This decision has reignited heated debate on the value of public versus private interests, as well as government regulation of the media and internet throughout the nation. So, why does this decision matter? In order to understand the implications of the repeal, it is necessary to understand what net neutrality itself is, its history, and the inherent link between the internet and democracy in the United States in our modern age. Throughout history, the government has struggled to keep up with the rapid advancement of communication technology. The Federal Communications Commission is “...an independent...
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...Jessica Billings EDU- 225 June 17, 2012 Unwrapping the Technology Standards Colorado Standards * Knowledge of Literacy * Knowledge of Mathematics * Knowledge of Standards and Assessment * Knowledge on Content * Knowledge of Classroom and Instructional Management * Knowledge of Individualization of Instruction * Knowledge of Technology * Democracy, Educational Governance and Careers in Teaching National Education Technology Standards for Teachers * National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers: * Facilitate and inspire learning and creativity * Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. * Model Digital-Age Work and Learning * Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility * Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership Today computers are in every classroom. Technology has changed since 1988, going from very little to so much in a classroom. The first time I used a computer was in Elementary school. I had a lot of problem’s learning technology, even still today I do. Learning doesn’t come easy tome and although there are helpful tools, technology is not always the answer. Technology has been progressing and it changes the way we teach and learn today more than in the past. Technology is helping teachers teach our students in a whole new way. Chalkboards are leaving and dry erase or smart boards are replacing them. By the time students reach the fourth grade, most have...
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... II. With the development and evolution of media, we find that media convergence and media dependency have become a major factor in how society is affected and the way we respond throughout our everyday life. Encyclopedia Britannica (2013) states that, “Media convergence, a phenomenon involving the interlocking of computing, and technology information companies, telecommunications networks, and content providers from the publishing worlds of newspapers, magazines, music, radio, television, films, and entertainment software. Media convergence brings together the “three Cs”—computing, communications, and content.” There are two levels of convergence, technologies which use broadband or wireless network delivery for industry-standard digital forms that they will display on various computer or computer-like devices such as laptops, cell...
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...E-governance: Dream of the nation M. Shoeb Chowdhury Globalisation is the process of increasing connectivity and interdependence of the world's markets and businesses. In the last three decades, two driving forces -- advances in telecommunications infrastructure and the rise of the information technology, and its rapid productivity growth in the global economy -- played a key role in accelerating the pace of internationalisation. Information Technology (IT) dramatically changed traditional business and working patterns in the 1990s. Companies are now redistributing their businesses and jobs around the world. We know that Electronic Governance (popularly referred to as e-governance) is one of the most significant tools for shaping business and economics today. According to The Economist's print edition, February 14, 2008: "Countries like India may leapfrog the rich world. As it becomes clear that getting entrenched rich-country bureaucracies to move towards e-government will be slow and difficult, hopes are turning to poorer countries. Not that their bureaucracies are intrinsically more promising. Even under British colonial rule, Mahatma Gandhi was a severe critic of Indian officialdom. His words of advice are displayed in public offices all over India: "Who is a customer? The customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our...
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...Marxism, Fascism and Technology Carol Dietrich | | Marxism, Fascism, and Technology | | In his work, Karl Marx stressed that technology had a dual potential: to exploit, dominate, and/or to emancipate, liberate humanity. In the first volume of Capital, Marx demonstrated the way in which competition and the “werewolf hunger” of the capitalist to increase relative surplus value drove producers to introduce new, more efficient technology whenever possible. This constant social compulsion to innovate technologically led to driving down the value of wage labor, while also increasing the material wealth of society as a whole. By the same token, technology, such as automation, he assumed, had the potential to reduce wage labor and thus increase the scope of individual freedom (Abromeit, 2010, p. 90). In his 1941 essay “Some Social Implications of Modern Technology,” Herbert Marcuse analyzed technology in terms of its power to transform society, and he developed a theory of “technological rationality,” the belief that “rationality is embodied in the coordinated apparatus of production itself” (Abromeit, 2010, p. 89). According to Marcuse (1998), “He is rational who most efficiently accepts and executes what is allocated to him, who entrusts his fate to the large scale enterprises and organizations which administer the apparatus” (p. 60). Marcuse linked his concept of technological rationality to the rise of large corporations, increased state intervention in the...
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...be informed and their right to consumer education. Public opinion must be logical in order for us to properly evaluate our Democracy. Our current educational system produces uneducated citizens who are unprepared to analyze persuasive messages in such a logical manner. The government is responsible for educating its citizens about persuasive techniques and advertising because the Consumer Bill of Rights asserts the people’s right to be informed and their right to consumer education. President John F. Kennedy introduced the Consumer Bill of Rights in 1962. This legislation asserts that the American people have four fundamental consumer rights: the right to safety, the right to choose, the right to be heard, and the right to be informed. The right to be informed protects against misleading...
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...perspective of young people, and the links between youth and ICT are investigated. The dominant cultural logic with regard to ICT is outlined, and different forms of the digital divide are presented. Some global aspects of ICT use among youth are reviewed, using both primary and secondary sources. New forms of youth socialization brought about by the emergence of ICT are examined, and the chapter concludes with a set of recommendations. INTRODUCTION Young people today live in a world characterized by dramatic cultural, economic, social and educational differences; individual circumstances depend largely on where a person is born and raised. More than 800 million adults (two-thirds of them women) still lack basic literacy skills; at the other end of the spectrum, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is skyrocketing. Notwithstanding the immense diversity in living environments, an unprecedented and unifying global media culture has developed that challenges and often surpasses such traditional forms of socialization as family and school. This complex cultural situation—in which young people are struggling to find direction in their lives or simply to survive, to improve their living conditions, and to develop their identities—has been given various names. Some call it the information or informational age, while others prefer the term technoculture1 or technocapitalism, global media culture, or simply globalization, referring to the dialectic process in which the...
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...Circular cycles on Whitman poetry. The American Naissance is considered not as a rebirth but a foundation of a new expression that was showed mainly through literature. This time comes to be the equivalent of Elizabethan Age in terms of the amount of intellectual work created (Ruland 125) but also as a cultural independence in which the concept of being American is portrayed in the literary production. This period starts with the work of Emerson, who captures the essence of transcendentalism in his essay Self Reliance. Among the most renowned names along this period like Emerson, Hawthorne, Melville, Whitman, Thoreau and Dickinson; they tackle topics from their own perspective specially Whitman and Dickinson with death. Death for these authors does not seem to be something that frighten them but a needed step for rebirth, transcend and to get to eternity. Therefore, death can be seen as an entrance gate to a cyclical process in which nature, self-experience and also death itself are constantly interchanging. Death Death is a topic developed in the pieces of work of Dickinson as well as Whitman. For Whitman life and death are a continuum in which death is the boundary among current life and another one. This idea of cyclical life comes directly from the cycles of nature as for Whitman nature is one of the means by which mankind is able to know, to discover them and also to get to contact with divinity. A child said, What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands; ...
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