...It is important to study Thucydides because Thucydides can help us to understand the way politics work in the world today.This should come later – it is not an introduction to a whole paper – always assume your reader is not familiar with your topic In his book titled, The History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides brings to light, some of the causes of the war, as well as some of the consequences of the war. (This is a good opening sentence. It introduces the reader to the topic) Thucydides analyzed the Peloponnesian War on a deeper level (what do you mean?) to help us understand why and how things occur in the world. The world has a better understanding of war and politics in general because of Thucydides. Thucydides’ account of The History of the Peloponnesian War has taught us many things about how politics work in the modern world. (These last three sentences are a little repetitive and do not give a lot of information) One thing that Thucydides’ work on the Peloponnesian War has taught us is that states are only concerned with their own interests, and how their interests can benefit them (repetitive). Good! This is demonstrated in the conflict between Melos and Athens. Good! The Melians wanted to avoid conflict with Athens by trying to persuade them that the Athenians should not attack them because they were neutral and not allies to either side (Thucydides Book VI, p. 2). The Athenians did not comply with the Melians plea to maintain their territory. Instead,...
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...political events. | There are conflicting views regarding students' participation in politics. It has been a very controversial subject. Two contrasting opinion is have been expressed by the two groups of people. There are people who always want to keep students very far from the politics. There are others who hold opposite view. They think that students ought to be well versed in politics because they are the future leaders of the country. There has been much discussion whether students should join politics or not. Some persons say that they should join and some say that they should not. We should first discuss the subject very reasonably. Then we can decide whether students should join politics or not: Before southern parts of Asia had been free from the bondage of the British rule, some politicians said that school students also should join the struggle for freedom. During the days of Non-co-operation movement, students were advised to give up studies and join the fight for freedom. Their argument was—"Everything is useless without freedom. Education can wait but freedom cannot. Everything will be set right as soon as we get freedom. If school students join the political movement, it will gain additional strength. Now, we have no longer to fight against the British Government or any other external forces, But many political parties even now try to make use of students in politics. They say that we have not yet got real freedom. When the common people will have no want...
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...Interest groups are used throughout American politics and can be used to influence American politics. Franklin D. Roosevelt states, “We must especially beware of that small groups of selfish men who would clip the wings of the American Eagle in order to feather their own nests” (Whye). Interest groups are groups of people who come together to increase their common interest or to change the minds of people in politics. Additionally, interest groups are also called lobbyist. The majority of interest groups represent corporations or businesses and other types of interest groups represent labor unions, occupations or social groups. There are special interests groups such as the American Bar Association (the associations of lawyers) and the American...
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...Kennan began his career in foreign service at the Foreign Service School, where he decided to study Russian. From the beginning of his service, Kennan was skeptical of the American population, he wrote: "It is obvious that there are millions of people in this country who haven't the faintest conception of the rights or wrongs of the complicated questions with which the federal government is faced". After his diplomacy in Eastern Europe, Keenan desired to share the truth about Russia and her politics in America. He came to this conclusion after trips to the Soviet Union and conversations with the Russian government and believed "one country could do little to alter conditions in another (particularly a tyranny)." With this idea in mind, Kennan spread his "Long Telegram". His telegram, composed of five parts, expressed a basic understanding of Soviet nature and thinking and "practical dedications from a standpoint of US policy." This telegram actually did very little to change how the United States approached the Soviet Union, but convinced Kennan on a policy of moderation, realism, and containment. Kennan's convictions and deep knowledge of Russian ambitions led him to speak up and kindly push the United States to understand along...
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...Any campaign finance reform must be structured within the framework of the Constitution. When examining the role of the government in situations of participation in political processes, the role as the protector of rights and privileges as identified in the Constitution must be weighed against its role as a regulator of the political process. A primary principle of the First Amendment is to protect and encourage the rights of individuals and organizations to participate in our civic process (Federal Campaign Finance Law). This right to be involved in the political system is an important privilege and should not be taken lightly. Any campaign finance reform must be structured within the framework of the Constitution. Disclosure requirements are observed as means to deter corruption by requiring that contributions made to elected officials and candidates are made public in federal elections. Disclosure allows voters to make up their own minds based on the information that is placed before them. Supreme Court Justice Louis Dembitz Brandeis believes, “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants, electric light the most efficient policeman” (Brandeis, 97). Brandeis’ statement laid the groundwork of the Sunlight Foundation, which was founded on the idea that utilizing new technology to facilitate citizens with information concerning Congress, will lead to the reduction of corruption, ensure...
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...Marin Van Buren was a very “normal” president, he had his flunks and his triumphs his rivals and his allies. However, my purpose is not to criticize or even acclaim for his works. My purpose is to criticize what he stood for. Now what does that have to do with him being a good president? I hear you ask. It means quite a bit, because his sole role was to be a politician, he only sought after power, that changes a man’s beliefs to not his but the voter’s beliefs. He is commonly referred as the first “professional” president. What in the world does that mean? It means a horrible, terrible reality, but before I explain this reality, I must first explain a common stereotype. This stereotype is for politicians. Many think of politicians as liars...
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...impoverished exiled from Florence upon the collapse of the republican government he had served from 1498 to 1512 and eager to win favor with the Medici now that they had returned to power Machiavelli penned the prince a political treatise that called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. In the prince, Machiavelli argued that the need for a strong state justified strong rules. He pictured the secular prince as one who was schooled in war and in the lessons of history. The ruler must trust no one, least of all mercenary soldier. He must imitate the lion in his fierceness, but he must also act like a fox to outsmart his enemies. Finally, in the interest of the state, he must be ruthless and if necessary, he must sacrifice moral virtue. Between the years of 1503 and 1506, Machiavelli was responsible for the Florentine militia, including the City's defense. However, in August 1512 the Medici, helped by Pope Julius II, used Spanish troops to defeat the Florentines at Prato. After his involvement in an unsuccessful attempt to organize a Florentine militia against the return of the Medici family to power in 1512 became known, Machiavelli was tortured, jailed and banished from an active role in political life. Despite having been subjected to torture ("with the rope", where the prisoner is hanged from his bound wrists, from the back, forcing the arms to bear the body's weight, thus dislocating the shoulders), he denied involvement and was released. Throught...
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...IB1 History HL Einar Iliyev Paper 3 Questions 1. How far is it true to say that Austria lost control of Germany rather than Prussia gained it? The steady decline of Austrian political ascendancy over the German Confederation (since the failure of Prussian Erfurt Plan in 1850 to the Austro-Prussian War in 1866) was a result of Austria’s imperial (rather than German nationalist) and inefficient foreign policies towards its European neighbors (namely, France, Britain, Russia, Italy and Prussia). Austria’s shifty foreign policy in the Crimean War (1854-1856), as well as its imperialist interests in Italy, Moldavia and Wallachia, established its international reputation as a purely imperial (and not German) Empire. In this respect, it was Austria that lost political control of increasingly nationalist Germany, rather than Prussia gained it. After the Prussian Erfurt Union plan, aimed at the creation of Prussian-dominated Kleindeutsch (Little German) unified state under the presidency of Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm, failed following the revolt at Hesse-Cassel and Olmutz Capitulation; Austria had an excellent opportunity to ensure its lasting dominance in the German Confederation and lead the cause of German national Unification. Although the spirit of liberal 1848 revolutions has seriously undermined German nationalism, the idea of a unified German state became popular again in 1860’s. This was due to the rapid industrialization in Prussia and non-Prussian Germany, when...
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...Sharon Qian GGR202 14 March 2013 Faultline between English and French For many years, hostility has existed between the two largest ethnic denominations in Canada, the French and the English. To understand the cause of this continuing bitter saga, one must take a journey back in time. Throughout the Canadian history, the issue of separation of the nation between two big dominate groups have never been suppressed due the deprive of sovereignty. As the British successfully defeat the French and took control of the New France, there was still a continual threat of separation from the French, which naturally developed the fault line between English and French. There were many occasions where French and English Canadians clashed. Though the British adopted different acts and laws to grant the fairness between two cultures include founding factors such as religion, language and values, the crack between the two groups were still there. In recent crisis, the conflict of “sovereign’s independence” even sharpen after the newly elected Quebec Premier, Pauline Marios taking the office. On March 7,2013 the National Post published an article stating the Quebec Premier Pauline Maoris and Education Minister Marie Malabo has ordered an outside research body, the Cole national d’administration publique, to “define the problems” raised by intensive English instruction and examine its impact on students’ success in other subjects (“Quebec puts brakes...
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...Student No: 057534 The theory of State of Kenya. To talk about my theory of state of Kenya, considerations must be made to the following factors. Firstly, we cannot talk about a state until we get beyond a single family and until a multitude of men and women (families, men, women and children) are united together. Secondly, a permanent relation of the peoples, both the governors and the governed, to a designated territory. Thirdly, there has to be unity of the whole, the cohesion of the state. Fourthly, the presence of a sovereign possessing authority. The state is not a lifeless instrument, a dead machine: it is a living and therefore organized being (Bluntschli, 2000). According to Mann (1993), the theories of state include class, elitist and pluralism theories. Mann further explains that according to the Marxist class theorists, the state is functional for modes of economic production and for classes. Modern states have been determined by a politicized class struggle, between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The pluralist theory on the other hand, only claim to explain only the modern democratic states. It is noted that pluralism consists of (i) the emergence of institutionalized contestation between politicians and pressure groups representing a plurality of interest in the society and (ii) the widening scope of participation by the public in the contestation. When combined, the contestation and public participation generated genuine democracy which results in...
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...power. This undermined the traditional trasformismo system and led to mass politics in Italy, in which larger, permanent parties form and attempt to form a non-coalition government. The liberals were unable to adapt and unite to form a single party which would have allowed them to maintain power in the new system. This combined with the Socialist and Catholic refusal to join coalitions with the liberals resulted in discontent with the democratic parliamentary system in Italy, ‘paving the way’ for the rise of Fascism. However the problems with Italian politics were present long before the First World War, as the already mentioned trasformismo politics between different liberal factions made it very difficult for a government to last for an extended period of time. Furthermore a North-South divide existed in Italy and expanded as the North industrialised quicker than the more rural and agrarian south. This divide meant that many Italians felt as though Italy wasn’t truly united. The Vatican also created problems early on in Liberal Italy’s history, as the Pope instructed Italian Catholics not to participate in the Liberal State, as a vast majority of the population of Italy were catholic, this resulted in discontent very early on. The foreign policy of liberal Italy, which aimed to acquire a significant portion of Africa for an overseas empire and national prestige would result in embarrassing defeats against native forces at the Battle of...
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...In Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains, Paul Farmer’s idealism is developed by his actions and words about overcoming “the long defeat”. Despite his awareness that his goal is impossible, Farmer’s determination is unfaltered throughout the text; however, certain occasions will test Farmer’s ability to make his idealism a reality. Ultimately, Paul Farmer, to overcome his “long defeat”, remains only just as much realistic so that he can continue his idealism. Essentially, Farmer continues to work toward his idealistic goal of ridding the poor of their impoverished conditions, which is fundamentally impossible, because he believes it is righteous. This righteousness is proved when he was accused of self-righteousness by Ophelia in which...
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...national importance. The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a defining moment in American political history, affording Abraham Lincoln a major opportunity to create an image for himself on the wider public stage. Stephen Douglas was an established political figure and had distinguished himself in numerous congressional battles, while Lincoln was not known in this arena. Discussion In 1832, Lincoln decided to run for the Illinois State Legislature. Lincoln was to campaign for local improvements such as better roads and canals. However, a war with the Black Hawk Indians broke out before Lincoln’s campaign could get going, in response he joined the Army. After his short wartime, Lincoln returned to politics and lost the race of Illinois Legislature. In 1834 Lincoln made a second attempt to maintain a seat in the state legislature, which he was successful in winning the seat. Lincoln was elected in 1834, 1836, 1838, and in 1840. Lincoln was successful in achieving his goal of relocating the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. After serving four...
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...Corruption and Politics When Jack Abramoff was convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to prison in 2006, the act of lobbying was thrown into the national spotlight. Lobbying has a reputation for being one of the most controversial issues in American politics. It is undeniable to accept the fact that good and bad results when lobbying takes place. Some argue that the downfall of lobbying is a catastrophic problem to the American public while others argue that lobbying creates a healthy relationship between the American public, companies, and the government that complies with the US constitution. In order to determine what action should be taken regarding the act of lobbying, one should question if the act should be outlawed entirely, remain in its current legal state, or reformed. The primary role of a lobbyist is to meet with lawmakers and their staffers on a regular basis. During these meetings valuable information is shared regarding specific issues. Many lawmakers heavily rely on lobbyists to provide vital information when writing legislation. John Kenneth White, a political scientist at Catholic University in Washington expresses how essential the act of lobbying is for politicians while in the process of writing legislation when he says: “They are not only necessary but inevitable” and “The founding fathers fully expected interest groups to organize to defend their property interest.” Professional lobbyists are people whose business consists of influencing legislation...
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...himself on the wider public stage. Stephen Douglas was an established political figure and had distinguished himself in numerous congressional battles, while Lincoln was not known in this arena. Discussion In 1832, Lincoln decided to run for the Illinois State Legislature. Lincoln was to campaign for local improvements such as better roads and canals. However, a war with the Black Hawk Indians broke out before Lincoln’s campaign could get started, in response he joined the Army. After his short wartime, Lincoln returned to politics and lost the race of Illinois Legislature. In 1834 Lincoln made a second attempt to maintain a seat in the state legislature, which he was successful in winning the seat. Lincoln was elected in 1834, 1836, 1838, and in 1840. Lincoln was successful in achieving his goal of relocating the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. After serving four terms in Illinois House of Representatives, he lost interest in politics until Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska, an act that allowed Kansas and Nebraska to enter the union. What intrigued Lincoln was the fact that these two would decide whether...
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