Does the UK have a Prime Ministerial government?

The Prime Minister is very much a staple of British politics today and it can be seen in the last thirty years that there has been a power shift in UK politics very much in favour of the Prime Minister. Traditionally, the UK government operated under a theoretical system known as cabinet government which is basically the idea that all members of the cabinet should have an equal say in policy making with the Prime Minister being ‘first among equals' in the cabinet. However, in recent times it can be seen that the UK government has moved to a system known as Prime Ministerial government which is when a prime minister uses its powers and influence to dominate all areas of government including the dictation of government policy. It can be seen that the powers of patronage the Prime Minister has, the control and bypass of the cabinet by the PM and the fact that the PM is in appearance the head of the country, all of which suggest a move towards a prime ministerial government in recent years. However, it can be argued that whilst the PM appears to be all dominant in fact the PM still relies on the support of its cabinet, its party and the strength of its party in parliament or in other words the success of the PM. One way in which in recent years, the UK has moved towards PM government is through the control and bypassing of the cabinet by various Prime Ministers.Government Regulation on Media in America In recent years, there has been a bypassing of cabinet government and an increase in the use of bilateral meetings (which is essentially a gathering of the PMs most trusted ministers from the cabinet and deciding what to do on certain policies before the cabinet meeting) which allows the pm to have more power over policy and also takes power usually reserved for the cabinet. An example of this is Blair's ‘kitchen cabinet' of which brown was the only ever present member whom he discussed policy with an example of this being the privatisation of the control of interest rates in the bank of England which was very much Blair's own personal policy. Another way there has been a move from cabinet government is that the prime minister has become able to push their own policy forward with little or no support from their parties for example Thatcher pushed through the poll tax bill even though the party was more or less united in opposition to the idea. In addition to this in recent years we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of personal advisors to the PM in comparison to previous years where the PM had barely any personal advisors and the now established PM's office which consists of advisors to the PM thereby limiting the need for cabinet consultation. These moves clearly show a bypassing and control of the government supporting the idea the UK has moved to a PM government rather than cabinet government. One restraint on the powers of the prime minister is the strength a majority in parliament. It could be argued that there is a correlation between the power of the prime minister and the parties size of majority in parliament for example Blair initially was a very strong prime minister operating under a strong majority in parliament going undefeated in parliament until after the 2005 election but, after significant lessening of the majority in the next election he wasn't as strong as he didn't have as much public support for him to justify himself and his policies to his party thereby lessening his/her power. This lessens or has a restraint on the Prime Ministers power as it ensures that they are very much under the power of the public opinion and that defines how powerful they are. For example, Brown was very much a weak Prime Minister in the sense of dictating policy as he simply didn't have enough public support or a large enough majority to make his own personal policy which was shown in the defeat he suffered over the gurka bill in 2008 which once again shows the restraint that public support and parliamentary majority has on a Prime Ministers power. Which shows the PM not to be an all dominant figure in government and very much accountable to its own party thereby suggesting that we do not operate under a PM government as the PM is still held accountable and therefore any dominance over the government the PM has is in fact sustained by parliament and when the support from parliament wanes it can be seen that the PM is not able to dictate policy for too long. Another way in which it could be seen that we operate under a PM government is appearance of the prime minister as a supposed head of the country. In recent years there has been an increased media focus on the PM (even leading to puppet parodies which can be seen to represent the national mood at the time) making them the focal point or at least seem to be of British politics, the increased media focus has also led to many voters voting for the prime minister candidate rather than the party they represent which also leads to more power as it shows the PM to be instantly recognisable and important so it commands respect. An example of the Media focus on the prime minister which made him more powerful as they would be seen as the figure head of the government is Blair coming out of the G8 meeting to address the nation and to drive to downing street to sort it out after 7/7 which made him more powerful as he was seen to care and be able to take action. Another way the PM appears to be the head of the country is in foreign policy, Prime ministers can be seen to be the head of foreign policy in terms of conflicts diplomacy and such for example, Blair is often seen as the man who made the decision to invade Iraq and Afghanistan which gives him the appearance of being the head of the country, but it also shows him to be able to dictate policy at least in that area and this can be seen with a variety of PMs in recent years such as Thatcher being known as the Iron Lady after the Falkland's war, Cameron's presiding over the conflict in Libya and the subsequent military operations there and Major over the first gulf war. This showed the PM's to be supposed heads of the country and gave certainly the appearance of a PM government and substance behind the appearance is perhaps shown by such decisive decision making during the conflict. Another way the PM's powers are under restraint is by their own party in terms of support (or lack thereof) . A Prime Ministerial government relies on its party for backing and allowance for the PM to dictate policy but they are also a restraint from the party in the sense that a lack of support would stop the PM from being able to do those things and usually ends in a new leadership election, there are numerous examples of this in recent history and Whilst it's certainly true that recent history has shown there to be at least two very strong Prime ministers namely Thatcher and Blair, both of these were both in some way in debt to their parties in the sense that they needed the party support to be such strong prime ministers for example for Blair to carry out his reforms he needed substantial support from his party, for Thatcher to carry out her new right policy's she needed substantial support from her party. This reliance can lead to the Prime Ministers downfall however; as it is very much the case the Party is very much happy for the PM to be powerful as long as they are successful in winning the next election so when this becomes under threat the Prime Minister is usually forced out, Thatcher was forced out after she forced through an extremely un popular poll tax bill for example. In other cases it can be seen because of a lack of a large party support some PM's never get the chance to be powerful and all PM's are restricted nearing the end of their Premiership e. g. Brown never really had the same power Blair had and at the end faced a leadership challenged which though he survived really signalled an end to any chance he had of being a powerful PM, in a similar situation with Major's premiership It could be seen that his leadership was very much affected due to the spectre of the previous conservative leader (thatcher) and also powerful opponents in the cabinet such as Howard and Portillo. This shows that a Prime Minister really relies on its party for power and influence thereby making a PM government entirely reliant on its party which more or less challenges the whole idea of a PM government. Another way it can be seen that the UK operates under a PM government is the Prime Ministers power of patronage which allows the PM to control policy through the threat or use of his power of dismissal and can use this to dominate Cabinet and on extension it's party. The PM chooses all of the ministers and junior ministers and all who sit in cabinet so whether the MPs progress in their political career relies on the favour to the PM thereby ensuring support of the PM from the lower down MPs and if they do not support the PM they are forced to resign for example MP John Hutton was forced to resign after saying Labour under Brown would be a ‘****ing disaster*' which shows that whilst people may argue that PMs need support from its ministers it can be seen equally or more so that ministers need the support of a PM which shows a move to PM government as it show the PM making the decisions and also controlling its party. In conclusion, it seems that there has indeed been a move towards PM government in recent years especially considering both Thatcher and Blairs premierships and whilst it may be said that the style of government depends on the personality of the Prime Minister traits of a PM government still remained in the premierships of the likes of Brown and Major so overall its clear to certain extent that there has been a move to a Prime Ministerial government. However it does seem that this is facilitated by the party and the cabinet so one may argue that whilst indeed it is a Prime Ministerial government it is supported and facilitated by the government it is perceived to dominate.

Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions Essay

5 Ethical Dilemmas You live next door to an Arab family, and you hear the husband talking negatively about the United States. Your friends at work tell you that you should report him to the police because he might be a terrorist. What would you do? Why? Georgia says that she would observe the man and the house to watch and take notes on what was going on and if her suspicions went further she would call the police. But I personally believe that I would go ahead and report what I had heard that way when I do find more evidence I can turn it in to the police so they have evidence against him instead of just going on one mishap that they know of. You are a prison guard supervising a tier. One of the inmates comes to you and asks a favor. Because he is a troublemaker, his mail privileges have been taken away. He wants you to mail a letter for him. You figure it’s not such a big deal; besides, you know he could make your job easier by keeping the other inmates on the tier in line. What would you tell him. Josh would tell him he needs to request to speak with someone in a higher position and he needs to talk to his counselor because it’s a federal crime to do the favor and that being bribery can get him put in segregation. I would have to completely agree with him because I wouldn’t want to get fired or even sent to prison for helping give someone a break just to get a little respect from the prisoners and one bribe leads to blackmail and a lot more trouble. You are a deputy prosecutor and have to decide whether to charge a defendant with possession and sale of a  controlled substance. You know you have a good case because the guy sold to the local junior high school, and many of the kids are willing to testify. The police are pressuring you to make a deal because he has promised to inform on other dealers in the area if you don’t prosecute. What should you do? Ciara would lock him up because he was selling to kids not adults. And she wou ld tell cops to do their jobs, because if he could tell them the names of the other dealers then they work closely and she would just go down the chain. I agree with Ciara, but I think I would give him a deal but he would still have to do some time because they were kids but it would be less time and probation. But he still has to give me everyone he knows not just a few people. There is a well-known minor criminal in your district. Everyone is aware that he is engaging in a variety of crimes, including burglary, fencing, and drug dealing. However, you have been unable to make a case against him. Now he is the victim of a crime where he has been assaulted and robbed at gunpoint. How would you treat his case? Jennifer feels like he still deserves justice, whether the guy is a criminal or not and it may get him to change his ways. I agree with Jenni that he does deserve justice but I would still try to get him to talk about his criminal activity as well to find out why he was targeted because he may have robbed the other person before. You are asked to enforce a law that you believe to be wrong. For instance, you are supposed to protect a member of the Ku Klux Klan during a speech when your feelings are directly contrary to the views expressed by this individual, and you don’t believe that he should have the right to speak. What would you do? What would you do if you were told to deliberately perform your job in such a way as to ensure that the speaker will be injured by a hostile crowd? Avise would just leave she wouldn’t be forced to do something that goes against her beliefs. And with her being mixed she would not want to hear him talk bad about other races. I believe I would protect the person to the best of my ability whether I agree with them or not. It’s still my job and I would not care if I was told to let the person get hurt.

Analysis Of John Donne s Poetry

John Donne is renowned in the world of poetry as the leading influence in metaphysical poetry. His works including sonnets, love poems, religious poems, sermons, and so forth are characterised by their strong, sensual style, which may be seen as contradictory to the stereotypes of Donne’s job; a churchman. Many of Donne’s poems contain metaphysical conceits and thoughtful reasoning to guide the readers into an in-depth understanding of the speaker’s emotional state. These conceits are elaborate,†¦ John Donne had many obstacles throughout his life that would define him as well as his poetry. The day he was born he faced one of these obstacles as he was born to a Roman Catholic family at a time when practicing Roman Catholicism was illegal. The religious conflict he faced tore him up inside. That was until, of course, he rejecting his mother and father’s religion, electing to convert to Anglicanism. As this transformation took place, there was also a revolution in the way Donne would write†¦ lies is that, in poetry, all facts and all beliefs cease to be true or false and become interesting possibilities†¦It may not, perhaps, be absolutely necessary that he believe it, but it is certainly necessary that his emotions be deeply involved, and this they can never be unless, as a man, he takes it more seriously than as a mere poetic convenience.† It is Donne’s sensibility and his personal experiences which are revealed with a vibrancy of language in his love and religious poetry that make him†¦ prominent literary figures of the early seventeenth century, John Donne has engendered widely differing views regarding the merits of his work. His reputation stands on two distinct accomplishments: the witty, sensual love poetry of his early career and the serious, devout religious writing of his later career as the Dean of St. Paul 's. Donne 's poetry was influential enough to be considered the basis of the metaphysical school of poetry, as characterized by later writers such as Richard Crashaw,†¦ John Donne’s ‘The Anniversary’ is all about the love that the narrator and his wife share together. The narrator assures his wife that although a year of marriage has passed, and everything has grown older, their love hasn’t. He says that when they both die, their bodies will decay, but their love won’t because their souls will reunite in heaven. He goes on to say that until they die, they are kings, secure in their love. It comes as no surprise that Donne has spoken of monarchs and death in his†¦ pain. A remedy to sadness. The ideal happy ending to all fairy tales. Love is the cause to the butterflies and jittery feeling inside when that special someone is near. In numerous scenarios, love is portrayed as a positive asset to life. However, in John Donne’s poemâ€Å"The Broken Heart,† love destructs and shatters a heart to an extent where restoration is incompetent. Throughout this doleful poem, Donne’s speaker uses an abundance of literary devices such as metaphors, personification, and imagery to†¦ Intro Donne expresses the need to remove the stigma around death and perceive it as inconsequential.Death is not brought up in everyday conversation and people often elude the thought of death when it does come up. Death is feared and dreaded by most people, but Donne veers away from this stigma. Death is personified in this poem and is talked down upon by Donne. He mocks death by comparing it to drugs and potions, which deal out the same fate, but drugs and potions are thought less of than death†¦ Defining and scrutinizing poetry is always difficult because of its poetic elements and chosen words. Through these elements, poems are usually difficult to comprehend. However, understanding poems can be entertaining and captivating because of the romantic structures and powerful emotions. One example is John Donne’s â€Å"Batter my heart, Three-Personed God.† This holy sonnet explores the emotions of the speaker as he talks to the three-personed God, which is the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. He†¦ Sixteenth century poet John Donne author of the Holy Sonnet Fourteen; ‘Batter my Heart’ is known as the founder of the Metaphysical Poets a term used to refer to 17th-century English writers whose work was characterized by the inventive use of conceits, and by a greater emphasis on the spoken rather than lyrical quality of their verse. Donne adopts Petrarchan sonnet form for the majority of this poem which aids the seamless fluidity of this sonnet. Donne’s Religious poetry demonstrates turning the†¦ John Keats is said to be seen as one of the most â€Å"canniest readers, interpreters, and questioners of the â€Å"modern† project in poetry, which sought to dwell in the desires and sufferings of the human heart.† His works such as Ode to Melancholy is a worthy example as to how Keats illustrates the relatable feeling of pain, and shines light on the common idea that it is to be hidden and masked with false happiness. In this work he tells us to embrace it, to take it by the hand and let it flow through†¦

2008 Financial Crisis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

2008 Financial Crisis - Term Paper Example In 2007, the US entered a financial crisis, consequences of which are still suffered by the entire country. Until the crisis began and unraveled in 2008, most economists were optimistic. The US economy was growing, markets were considered to be liquid and employment levels were high. However, within one year, everything changed. According to Reavis, â€Å"the collapse of the U.S. housing market triggered the financial crisis† (3). Weak financial regulatory structure, lack of understanding the innovations in the financial sector, over borrowing and securitization of mortgages are seen as main causes of the crisis. Though already in 2006 the Treasury recognized the need for a stronger financial regulatory structure, the crisis was unexpected. Short run potential financial market challenges together with the long run challenges were discussed by the Treasury staff (Swagel 6). The result was March 2008 Treasury Blue print for a Modernized Financial Regulatory Structure in case of policy changes in the long run (Swagel 6). Possible near term scenarios were considered, with some of them being: market driven events such as the failure of a major financial institution, a large sovereign default, or huge losses at hedge funds; as well as slower-moving macroeconomic developments such as †¦ a prolonged economic downturn (Swagel 6). ... ge – backed securities, because â€Å"they added to the liquidity and efficiency of capital markets and made it easier for firms and investors to lay off risk† (8). The policymakers did not have a solid plan to save the economy. Moreover, the US politicians, financial regulators, and monetary authorities did not view any of the risks to be plausible threats (Obstfeld & Rogoff 6). This paper will focus on causes and solutions to the 2008 crisis. Previously mentioned causes of the crisis will be discussed in more detail. It will also be shown how causes interacted and thus also deepened and prolonged the scope and length of the crisis. As also mentioned previously, policymakers were not prepared for the 2008 crisis. Thus, solutions will be discussed as well. Prior to the crisis, the economy was over performing. According to Reavis, the US real estate markets were blooming: From the late 1990s into the mid-2000s, housing prices around the country rose at a compound annual growth rate of 8%. By 2006, the average home cost nearly four times what the average family made. (Historically, it had been between two to three times.) Demand was outstripping supply (Reavis 3). Despite flat incomes, families bought houses whose prices were rising. The Clinton administration enabled them to do so by easing the eligibility requirements (Reavis 3). Risky homeowners and the housing boom from the late 1990’s till the mid 2000’s drove the US economy’s growth through additional jobs in construction, remodeling, and real estate services ( Reavis 3). Families borrowed $2 trillion (Reavis 3). Mortgage-backed securities and credit default swaps (CDSs) became popular. A mortgage-backed security is a pool of mortgages that were bundled together and sold as securities (Reavis 7). They became

Information security management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Information security management - Essay Example Taking a step back, there is value in situating a risk assessment process for Accounting Company in the context of a cycle for managing risks. The chart below situates this particular exercise for Accounting Company in terms of a cycle that includes the (1) assessment of risks and determination of needs; (2) the implementation of controls and policies; (3) the promotion of awareness; and (4) monitoring and evaluation; all occurring within the context of a central point of focus (United States General Accounting Office 6): Meanwhile, a compilation of risk assessment approaches for information security that is taken from best practices of many different top organizations in the US has distilled the most important elements of an effective security risk assessment as follows: (1) the identification of threats that could significantly impair crucial assets and operations; (2) estimation of the likelihood of the occurrence of such identified threats; (3) the identification and prioritization of assets and operations in order to determine the most crucial assets and operations to protect in cases of the occurrence of the identified threats; 4) the estimation of probable losses in the event of the occurrence of the threats, to included losses from the costs of recovery, for the most important assets and operations (5) the identification of interventions for risk mitigation, where the emphasis is on the cost-effectiveness of such interventions; and (6) the documentation of the results and the development of a plan of action (General Accounting Office 6). To be sure, while the above outlines a generic information security risk assessment approach that is the common denominator for all kinds of effective, best practice, approaches, the literature actually details many different kinds. Including a matrix approach (Goel and Chen), and many other different best practice

"FLOW" Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

"FLOW" Assignment - Essay Example He author indicates that people cannot acquire happiness by, â€Å"consciously searching for it† (Csikszentmihalyi 2). For this reason, the book primarily focuses on the â€Å"flow† in reference to the states that people encounter in spite of the challenges that the universe brings forth. These states happen to everyone regardless of their cultures, ages, or societal statuses. The book describes Flow as a conscious state, which is possible to achieve on a personal path. This state has common elements in which the person experiencing it can be the only that can identify it. The author looks at the common experiences and descriptions of people in the â€Å"flow† state. In this case, people in the â€Å"flow† seemingly achieve the state of consciousness, which is in harmony with their feelings and environment. Flow creates an inner state of being or an inexplicable moment of indescribable peace, fulfillment and happiness that people experience at exceptional intervals. The peace and satisfaction is separate from the people’s external environment. When an individual is in the flow state, he or she focuses on doing those things that are meaningful and purposeful. For this reason, an individual in such a state is absorbed in performing their activities, and they have a sense of connection with themselves and with others. The basis for the experiences is seemingly for controlling consciousness and the creation of meaning in a state of unity, which remains to be consistent with the themes of an individual’s life. For this reason, Csikszentmihalyi identifies the optimal experience as something that a person can achieve given the challenges and opportunities available for expansion. The overall theme of Csikszentmihalyi’s writing is happiness. The author points out that the Aristotelian concept that everything people look for, whether power, fame, wealth or any other thing, are only valuable when they believe that they will make them happy.

Integrated marketing communication Literature review

Integrated marketing communication - Literature review Example An advertising message that highlights the unique capability of the Fiat 500 to upgrade to an electric car delivered on billboards outside of retail stores, on buses and outside of underground stations will present heightened consumer interest cheaply to enhance the effectiveness of the marketing communications mix. Moreover, communication of marketing information can be enhanced through the website for Fiat 500 through which more information can be delivered to the customers in the most convenient and interactive manner. Integrated marketing communication on the automobile will also involve images and messages on social media, electronic mail, print and broadcast media which communicated the same idea which aims at promoting the product to the customers in a convincing manner. Marketing communication is essential in the promotion of a product and integrating the promotional messages and images in all promotional tools provides the most effective way of creating an impact within the market. Every individual, business, company or organisation has a need to communicate, but it is important to remember that competitiveness and communication are highly correlated in the real world because without effective communication, it is impossible to convince others to buy (Pattuglia, 2011, Pp. 5 – 10) and (Percy, 2008, Pp. 5 – 10). This paper is a report on integrated marketing communication of Fiat 500 to the market which includes a situational analysis of the automobile, the objectives of the marketing campaign, tactics, actions taken, control and a marketing idea. According to the Automotive Design and Production (2011, p. 43), the performance of Fiat 500 has fallen below expectations and the target goals. For example in the third quarter of 2011, the company sold 21, 300 automobiles which is far less as compared to the 40, 000 goal. The decreased