Economic Equilibrium Essay

In economic equilibrium, quantity demanded and quantity supplied are equal. For example, the amount of goods or serivices set by buyers is equal to the amount of goods or services produced by sellers. This is what we call as equilibrium price and this will definitely not change unless demand or supply changes. Based on the lecture, due to scarcity we sometimes consider trade-offs. For example as what was stated in the lecture, supposedly that you have only six hours left to study for your test in economics and to complete your assignment in graphic design, you have to balance your time or spend more time in either economics or graphic design. You also have to consider the resources that you can maximize in accomplishing both things. Having a fixed quantity and quality of available resources means that you have a fixed supply of materials such as textbooks, notes, design software, etc. , to use in the time you have left. Scarcity triggers the society to make choices and that’s why there are trade-offs. I agree that economic equilibrium is the state wherein you don’t get any benefits at all in making trade-offs because there is no tendency to change or you alreay chose the best possible alternative which means that you have maximized already your limited resources. Reference Economics Basics: Demand and Supply. ( 2010 ). Retrieved July 15, 2010 from

Characterization in ‘House of Spirits’ and ‘Perfume’

In the books ‘house of spirits’ and ‘Perfume’ characterization is done by giving extra ordinary abilities to the protagonist. It uses its protagonist ‘Clara’ and ‘Grenouille’ as a medium of describing the people but in ‘house of spirits’ through the eyes of ‘Alba’ and ‘Esteban’ and in ‘Perfume’ through the narrator (third person narration) as he gives the reader two aspects both contrasting each other. ‘Perfume’ a book with sense of smell aided in creating a picture the author ‘Patrick Suskind’ put forth of the character in the book. Patrick has used many adjectives to describe Grenouille’s sense of smell ‘his gift and his sole ambition’ (Patrick, pg. 3) and some other are ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ arrogance, misanthropy, immorality, or more succinctly, wickedness†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ † (Patrick,3) In house of spirits supernatural events make Clara’s character a strange mysterious person she has been called ‘Clara the clairvoyant’ (allende, 92) she has the power to read dreams and know the future she is said to be very organised ‘she was in the habit of writhing down important matters and after words, when she was in mute, she also recorded trivialities†¦ (Allende, 11) Magical realism, a major part of both the books. Allende and Susskind both use magical realism as a major theme and style of the book. Allende has used magical realism as a simple straight forward presentation of strange magical events. The character experiences it and accepts these un believable events with calm rationality. Allende uses foreshadowing as well. ‘ clara predicting the future and repetation by metioning names of people in the book over and over again. Susskind also uses foreshadowing as Grenouille has an unusall sense of smell and that whoever leaves dies the nest day. Susskind starts ‘playing with the readers’ as he keeps on contrasting waht he says about the characters in the book. He first said that Grenouie was important to the people but then he says that he was no one for them, he was not at all wanted in the world and that he again he was important as he created the world’s greatest perfume. Susskind also uses a tongue in cheek method as he laughs at Grenouie from within. He makes the readers also want to laugh. Both the methods tongue in cheek and playing with the readers are related. Susskind has portrait Grenouie in a way which goes against the church. He is insulting Jesus and the bible as well. ‘House of spirits’ and perfume have charatrized the protagonist ‘ clara’ and Grenoiue’ through magical realism and other styles. They are characterized in similar still different ways.

Journal Topic 2-A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal Topic 2-A - Essay Example This means that they easily change their cultural beliefs to match that of the majority. Racial or ethnic heritages are socially constructed and lead people of the same heritage to acting and undertaking activities in a certain way, or having a common way of life. National ethnic or racial identity of people of color is more likely to change than that of the white people. Though ethnic of racial identities are socially constructed, they are more flexible for the people of color than they are for the white. People of color make up the minority ethnic groups in America and therefore for them to attain the American nationality, they usually need to make changes to the group’s specific way of living and beliefs. They also need to adopt the whites’ ways and be assimilated to the white culture (Benshoff and Sean 60). They therefore adopt the white culture therefore losing their ethnic identities though the physical characteristics remain. The physical identities include the skin color and others like

A nutritional disease of childhood associated with a maize diet Essay

A nutritional disease of childhood associated with a maize diet - Essay Example actor related to a dietary deficiency, perhaps a form of protein malnutrition, on account of a lack of some amino acids in the diet of the affected children which was entirely based on inadequate breast milk supplemented by a maize preparation. Despite certain similarities in the symptoms of the described syndrome and pellagra, Williams was quite certain that the disease was not pellagra or beri-beri. In this paper a new disease has been meticulously described with detailed information provided about the familial circumstances and dietary habits of the suffering children. However, as the author herself states, it was â€Å"impossible to conduct a scientific investigation into the cause, or to make any controlled experiments into the nature of the cure† (p.432). As a Woman Medical Officer in charge of maternal and child health in the British colony of Gold Coast, Williams’ job was â€Å"to hand out advice in clinics and treat acutely ill infants in the hospital, but she rapidly established the need for comprehensive medical services to sick infants, and in addition conducted clinical research† (Stanton, 2001, p 149). The disease, subsequently named by Williams as kwashiorkor, meaning ‘disease of the deposed child’ in the native Ga language, is now well-defined although the â€Å"descriptions and interpretations of kwashiorkor have changed over ti me† (Stanton, 2001, p 151). Kwashiorkor has come to be recognised as a form of malnutrition caused by inadequate protein intake in the presence of fair to good energy (total calories) intake (Van Voorhees, 2006). Fuchs (2005) describes protein caloric malnutrition as the most deadly form of malnutrition. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is the primary or associated cause of nearly 30000 deaths of children under five each day (2000). The aetiology of kwashiorkor as understood today is clearly multifactorial and includes poverty or food insecurity, inadequate weaning and other feeding practices, and

Factory Farms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Factory Farms - Research Paper Example For instance, chickens are so overcrowded that they must have their beaks cut off, because, if they do not, they will peck one another to death. Pigs are in tiny pens that are so small that the pig cannot turn around, and they are stacked in pens, one on top of the other, so that the animals above them deposit their wastes onto the animals below them. Since pigs are, by nature, clean animals, this is no doubt abhorrent to them, yet this is how they must live, for years, until they are carted off to go slaughter. Cows are cruelly branded with a hot iron and crammed into feed lots. The fate of these animals is abhorrent to anybody with a conscience. These animals can feel pain and fear, and to put them into these conditions is beyond barbaric and cruel. Beyond this, factory farms are also bad for the environment. The animal excrement causes pollution that runs off into the water. Taking the animals off the farm and onto the feed lot deprives the farming soil of fertilizer, which means that artificial fertilizer must be used, and this means using fossil fuel. Moreover, land must be clear cut to raise food for these animals. In short, factory farms and the proliferation of animals on these farms is a very inefficient use of resources. Regular methods of farming, in which animals are free to roam the land, and graze on grass, and have a natural life, must be brought back. This would not only be good for the environment, but it would result in much less cruelty to animals. Even though factory farms produce a large quantity of food, and the food is ostensibly necessary to feed a growing planet, farmers should make innovations that make their operations less cruel to animals and more kind to the environment. A. Cruelty to Animals Animal rights activists and animal lovers everywhere are clear that animals should not be subjected to needless suffering. The evidence regarding factory farms indicates that animals suffer needlessly, so these factory farms are violating ever ything that animal lovers and animal rights activists stand for. James McWilliams, author of ?hy Free-Range Meat Isn't Much Better Than Factory Farmedstates that the basic argument against factory farms is that ?nimals held in confinement are denied access to the basic preconditions of happiness the freedoms to move, make basic choices, have sex and socialize. The fact that animals are transformed into the moral equivalent of machinery, rather than respected as living creatures, will stike any sensible observer as fundamentally wrong...thoughtful consumers do not want animals to be needlessly hurt(McWilliams). And ?eedlessly hurtis exactly what animals are on the factory farms. For instance, chickens are kept in extremely overcrowded conditions. According to Freedman & Barnouin, chickens have to have their beaks cut off of their faces because, in their overcrowded conditions, they would peck each other to death if they did not (Freedman & Barnouin, p. 84). Chickens are also given ho rmones that make them grow so rapidly that their hearts and lungs cannot keep up with the growth, and they die of heart failure. Cows are branded with a hot iron without anesthesia, and can live on the range without shelter or veterinary care. Cows may also live for months in an overcrowded feedlot, where they are fed growth hormones and rich grains. The rich grains sometimes causes the cows intestines to ulcerate and rupture. These factory farms have so many cattles that they often have downed animals which are lame when they come to the slaughterhouse. These animals are often beaten and prodded to get them to move (Factory Farming Animal Cruelty is Standard Operating Procedure for 95-99% of Animals Raised For Food). Pigs also live in deplorable conditions. Naturally clean animals, they are forced to

Formal organizations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Formal organizations - Research Paper Example Microsoft Company has various divisions depending on the functional aspects and the products produced at the divisions. At the head of the hierarchy are the two parallel but complementary positions; there is the CEO who is concerned with product development, sales and marketing, operations, administration, consulting and support, as well as financial management. The Chairman and Chief Software Architect is charged with the responsibility of developing the technical strategy in order to help in planning for the future operations of the organization. The discussion shall be concentrated on the business solutions under business divisions. c. Connection to a specific social institution Microsoft companies have a connection to several social institutions. It particularly has an important relation to the economic growth and development in a given society. The company is a developer and distributor of a variety of computer software and employs tens of thousands of professionals worldwide. The software developed by the company is useful in small businesses and the large enterprises as well. This helps in promoting the business operations hence encouraging economic growth. d. Connection to one or more ‘essential tasks’ of the social institutions Just like any other institution, Microsoft Company has an elaborate system for hiring employees and replacing the old employees who have left or died. We have also seen cases where a top serving officer in the organization resigns from his position and establishes a strategic senior position to help manage the organization. This was seen when the former Chief Executive Officer, Billy Gates, surrendered the position to be the Chairman and Chief Software Architect of the company. Another essential task performed by social institutions is producing, distributing, and consuming goods and services. In deed, Microsoft is the leading world producer of computer packages that are applicable in many sectors of the economy. 2. Using micro sociology a. Routine day to-day interaction patterns in the organization The day-to-day interactions are not very common at the organization at the lower level. The employees are often charged with individual responsibility under certain rules and regulations. The nature of the tasks that require consistent inventive and innovative abilities call for limited interactions. b. How concepts

Revolutions that caused the most change in western society and culture Term Paper - 1

Revolutions that caused the most change in western society and culture - Term Paper Example The transition from agrarian society to trade and commerce which required skilled labor, led to higher productive outcome. The division of labor was focused on technology based specialized skills which could be efficiently exploited within the industries to enhance productivity. Industrial revolution was important breakthrough in manufacturing process as it mechanized the production process through new techniques, machineries and methods into the industrial areas. Through the invention of steam engine, railroad system was created which facilitated transportation of goods and services across wider regions, thus developing stronger network of market for goods across the nations. The industrial revolution brought in radical changes in the socio-political and cultural arenas. Work experience was transformed through technology which not only increased productivity but also offered new opportunities of work to the people, thereby increasing family income. The easy transportation provided people with greater varieties of goods and therefore made markets more competitive. Most importantly, the revolution also helped people to travel greater distances and interact with people coming from different culture, race and color. Indeed, innovations in the field of consumer goods and luxury items significantly impacted the lifestyle of the people who quickly adopted technology within their lives. The American Revolution (1775-1783) is considered as one of the key events in the annals of the history of contemporary times because it brought into existence, the world’s most powerful, developed and wealthy nation. The revolution changed the very dynamics of political geography of the world when defeat of the British forces led to the independence of 13 British colonies of North and forming United States of America. The democratic tenets of American constitution greatly facilitated the changing socio-economic

Disadvantages of Social Networking at the Workplace Research Paper

Disadvantages of Social Networking at the Workplace - Research Paper Example In places of work, this can cause many problems in relation to wasted resources, lack of concentration, lost productivity, unhealthy employee relationships as well as tarnishing of the image of a company. Disadvantages of Social Networking at the Workplace The first major disadvantage of social networking in the workplace is that it leads to reduced Employee Productivity. Considerable research has revealed that due to the demands of social media and the excitement accrued by social networking, most employees will spend more time on the social media sites rather than do productive work. Most of the time, employees entangled with social networking will not often concentrate on their work. They will concentrate more on the social networking. This is because they need to make new friends, share some experiences or reply to some messages. In the long run, the quality of work delivered by such employees becomes very poor thereby reducing the productivity of the entire company. This can cau se the company to undergo enormous losses. In addition to spending less time in productive work, such the presence of social networking may cause the employees to loose concentration in their work. In some cases, the employees have internet connection in their offices. This causes some of them to get in to the social networking sites while they work. ... For instance, an employee might decline out of office responsibilities where he cannot access the internet. The other disadvantage of social networking in places of work involves generation of unhealthy employee relations. In most cases, the employees will interact more in the social media than they do in the open. In this case, some employees within a company might hurt others in the same company. For example if a particular employee feels that another employee has taken up his or her position in the company, he or she may want to sent hurtful messages to the other employee through social networking sites. In some instances, such hurtful and abusive messages may be addressing the affected employee indirectly. In other occasions, a junior employee may send bad messages though the social networking sites concerning his boss. This can hurt the boss in a great way. Unhealthy employee relations may also accrue from issues related to promotion and prestigious positions in a company. For e xample, one employee might feel that his fellow employee receives favors from the management including undeserved promotion. The other employee can pass messages to all other employees of the company through the social networking sites concerning the issue. In most cases, the messages passed through these social networking sites are often rumors and therefore can tarnish the names of people. It might be impossible for such a person to tarnish the name of his fellow employee by word of mouth. Most people will view the social networking sites as good avenues to pass rumors concerning people that they hate or dislike. This means that rather than social networking strengthening employee relationships in the workplace, it actually destroys these

Behavior finance and market efficiency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Behavior finance and market efficiency - Essay Example In this report, the main causes and underlying drivers of the recent global, financial crisis are explained. Also, comparison and contrast of behavioural and non-behavioural explanations commonly provided by finance academics have been made. The main causes behind the recent global, financial crisis include deregulation by financial institutions, accompanied by rapid financial innovation, which stimulated powerful financial booms. As the financial institutions became flawed, leading to the financial crises, governments responded to such crises with bailouts that allowed new expansions to begin (Crotty, 2009, p, 563). First, the integration of modern day financial markets with the era’s light government regulations, which is also referred to as the New Financial Architecture (NFA) led to the global, financial crisis (Crotty, 2009, p, 563). It should be noted that the New Financial Architecture is based on light regulation of commercial banks, lighter regulation on investment ba nks and little regulation on the shadow banking system. The shadow banking system represents hedge and private equity funds and special investments that are created by banks (Crotty, 2009, p, 563). Minimal regulation of financial institutions led excessive risk taking by numerous financial institutions because of the existing incentives in the market, without fear of restriction or limitation. The assumption that rational investors can make optimal decisions, and that only those who could handle risk, could take it is based on poor theoretical foundations, with no convincing empirical support (Crotty, 2009, p, 563). On the contrary, many investors and financial institution took excessive risk, which they could not manage. Consequently, the global, financial crisis had to arise when the potential losses associated with high risk occurred. Separately, it should be noted that perverse incentives affect key personnel of vital financial institutions such as commercial banks, insurance co mpanies, investment banks, hedge and private equity funds, as well as, mutual and pension funds to take excessive risk when financial markets are buoyant (Crotty, 2009, p, 563). For instance, the provision for no return of fees for securities for mortgage loans, if the securities suffered large losses made most market participants to take loans, as much as the loans may have not been viable or sound (Crotty, 2009, p, 563). Problems arose when the loan takers failed to service or repay the loans because their investments could not profit due to the prevailing market conditions. Financial innovation contributed to emergence of recent global, financial crisis because it led to the creation of financial products that are so complex that they are not transparent (Crotty, 2009, p, 563). This means that such financial products cannot be priced correctly. They are also illiquid and are not sold on markets. In the current financial market, there is a higher value of securities that are not s old on the markets than the existing securities (Crotty, 2009, p, 563). The fact, that sale of securities derivatives is mostly carried out by an investment bank negotiating with customers over the counter, led to

Midterm paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Midterm paper 2 - Essay Example Unique religious, universal views are accepted as certain customs not necessarily by different views of the facts and genuineness, but by their external characters and elements, such as ritual undertakings and modes of dissertation. Under these separate views and rites, there lie the same truth and the common quest of truth. Brook (14), ecumenical view is not obviously syncretism, in as much as it can be practiced without merging individual customs. This can result to logical attempts to synthesize teachings and bring the differences together; however, the obvious conviction of the common element of truth will be an adequate skeleton for ecumenicists to reason out those differences without having to advance to syncretism. In a general understanding, of this issue; therefore, each and every custom and religion being merged should be given the rights to do what they believe is their own truth without any feel of the other religion that they are being suppressed or intimidated. Second, according to Brook (14), it should be noted that syncretism is not inclusivism meaning that ideas and forms of one religion’s traditions are best put forward if they are explained in terms of another one. By so doing, the contents and rules of one religion are reduced into the content of another one. Bringing one religion within the ideational system being practiced by another religion will see the previous religion being regarded accordingly as a low-grade, imperfect, or "failed" representation of truth and custom. Viewing this idea from the side of the dominant religion, this will probably seem like a syncretism combination, yet in particular, nothing has been added or incorporated that might significantly disorient the religion and customs into which the new elements and ideas have been included or excluded. This can; therefore, be an appropriate method of merging two distinct religions without necessarily interfering with the belief of any religion. It is a

AIDS Epidemic Increase And African Countries Economies Essay Example for Free

AIDS Epidemic Increase And African Countries Economies Essay The countries of the developing world most seriously affected by AIDS thus far are in sub-Saharan Africa. Accordingly, much of the social research on AIDS in the developing world is concerned with Africa, as is much of the research reviewed in this chapter. But many of the behavior patterns described and the conclusions reached apply elsewhere. AIDS is primarily a sexually transmitted disease, and the escalating epidemics in the developing world are principally the result of sexual encounters with an infected partner. In all countries AIDS is also transmitted by the use of contaminated needles in intravenous drug injections, by blood transfusions of infected blood, and perinatally from infected mothers to their unborn children. But sexual transmission is everywhere the predominant mode, and, internationally, heterosexual transmission accounts for some 70 percent of all new AIDS cases (Mann et al. 1992:33). In the regions of Asia, Latin America, and sub-Saharan Africa, one of three different modes of sexual transmission of the AIDS virus predominatesalthough all modes occur with some frequency in all three regions. In Asia, prostitution plays the key role; in Latin America, homosexual and bisexual behavior; and in Africa, heterosexual transmission. The majority of African countries are experiencing a serious economic crisis. That crisis, though showing signs of moderation in some countries, has resulted in development eluding most of the others, with far-reaching negative consequences on their populaces. When there is no development, there is hopelessness; and where there is hopelessness, there is no effort to work toward development. The circle becomes complete and reinforcing. Unfortunately, in most of Africa, the economic crisis has made life an endless series of vicious circles that are now spreading economic suffering in a concentrated fashion. The economic crisis in Africa represents a historical tragedy, and the historical evidence now suggests that such a crisis need not have occurred. Despite some views to the contrary, the overwhelming opinion is that this economic crisis is primarily the inevitable outcome of the failure of postindependence development policy formulation and implementation in the majority of the African countries. In most of Africa, postindependence development policy was formulated through a statist ideological framework, which was then implemented by experimentation. Moreover, some, if not all, of the countries had to contend with an adverse international economic environment. That combination produced disastrous results. Among other things, poverty and socioeconomic inequalities increased, the external debt burden became heavier, the brain drain intensified, capital flight deepened, the balance of payments weakened, the physical infrastructure deteriorated, unemployment and crime escalated, famine and malnutrition became more pronounced, budget deficits soared, agricultural productivity declined, urbanization burgeoned, environmental degradation expanded, political and civil strife worsened, and corruption became more rampant. These disastrous development results were, in turn, the catalyst behind the deepening economic crisis in Africa, and consequently provided the imperative for policy reform in those countries. Policy reform can be defined as changes in government policy, institutional structure, or administrative procedures that are designed to alter economic activity and improve performance (Roemer and Radelet 1991). Put more succinctly, it is policy change, across the board, to effect sustained economic progress that will lead to a more desirable economic outcome than current practice permits.

ICICI Bank: Porters Five Forces Analysis

ICICI Bank: Porters Five Forces Analysis Contents (Jump to) Introduction Impact of Globalization on Banking Industry Poter’s Five Forces Model Rationale of the Porter’s Five Forces Model in the Banking Industry Threat of New Entrants: Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Bargaining Power of Buyers: Threat of Substitute Products: Intensity of Competitive Rivalry: Introduction to ICICI Bank Impact of Globalization on ICICI Bank Conclusion References Introduction Globalization is the integration of worldwide markets. It changes everything enabling corporations, countries and individual to approach around the world deeper and cheaper never ever before (Freidman, 2005). According to Cato (cited Ervin Smith, 2008), â€Å"Globalization† defines the current inclinations towards the unbound flow of international investment trade beyond borders and the emerging merger of the economy around the world. Globalization hikes development standard of living of the countries that expose themselves to global market as it increased economic freedom and drive competition (Ervin Smith, 2008). ‘Globalization is the merger of historically distinct and separate national market into huge global market. Falling down of barriers to sell internationally’ (Hill, 2012) There have also been changes in the composition of trade and financial flow and trade flow are increasingly made up of intermediate factors of production. Hummels, Ishii, and  Yi (2001) detail the growth in vertical specialization, and Jones, Kierzkowski, and Lurong (2005) detail the rise in fragmentation and outsourcing. At the same time, capital market transactions are an increasing part of international Financial Flows. Lane and Milesi-Ferritti (2007) document the increasing importance of cross-border capital flows since the mid-1980à ­s. Globalization, in brief, is a process of increasing economic integration and growing economic interdependence between countries in the world economy. It is a relative softening up of economic and trade barriers across the countries so as to facilitate a free inter ­flow of capital technology, people, goods and services. Demand and competition in the market has been increased and changed. From production to services each and every sector is looking for international exposure. So many national companies become International in the last decade. Most of U.S. Companies have their Head offices in USA, but all the production work done by Asian countries like China, India and Philippians (Hill, 2012). Impact of Globalization on Banking Industry The banking sector is one of the most important economic sector and most influential and responsive to change whether international or domestic (Kenaway, 2009) The world banking system has gone through many transformations in last decade. There are drastic changes in service as well as technology. There is huge increment and integration of international financial sector. Transformations create the opportunity and challenges for international banking. It also provides the opportunity to expand internationally. Banks come with different changes like high quality customer services and less face to face interaction for example customer can contact with bank through call centre many miles away or when they can buy goods and send the money through online transaction system within minimum time period. Deregulate the banking acts and combines with globalization and integration of financial markets. Create new competitive environment to increase the efficiency of baking services. Increment in competition due to globalization and deregulate should affect on small and large scale banks. After adopting globalization government stopped protecting their local banks, world become a level playing field with survival of the fittest. Due to high competition banks provide best possible services in the most efficient way. Now banks start providing all financial solution to customer. They are providing loan and so many third party cross sell products. Competition made traditional banks come out of comfort level and turn to more effective way to service customers. So many small scale domestic banks merge with big players of industry ‘Many of research studies show that large scale impact on banking industry in all over the world. Due to global competition many of small bank merge with large banks. For example Bank of Rajasthan merge with ICICI BANK in 2010.’ (Business standard.com, 2010) Poter’s Five Forces Model According to Henry A. (2011) Porter’s five forces framework can help organizations to ascertain the attractiveness or profit potential oftheri industry by analysing the relative impact of each of the five forces on their industry structure. (Henry, 2011) The availability of the various players makes the industry so competitive and dynamic. This calls for a need for each individual player to operate competitively in order to sustain its business. The players in the industry need to make a strategic analysis of the industry in order to know the appropriate strategies to be applied in order to sustain the business continuity. One of the useful models in assessing the attractiveness of any industry is Porter’s Five Forces Framework (Porter, 1980) Rationale of the Porter’s Five Forces Model in the Banking Industry The model attempts to address key strategic issues in a wider scope. Many of the issues mentioned in the model, including the forces and the management of those forces, are relevant to the banking sector as well as any other service-oriented business. The results, which will be obtained by the application of this model, should be given the value of the time of the analysis and that a continuous review is necessary in order to avoid to be myopic or obsolete with the results. Michael Porter provided a framework that models an industry as being influenced by five forces (Porter, 1980). Figure 1 provides details of the framework. Fig: Porter’s five forces model (Exploring Management, John R. Schermerhorn, Jr) Threat of New Entrants: According to Hill and Jones (2009) potential competitors are the companies that are not currently competing in the industry but have capability to do so if they choose. The threat of entry of new firms into an industry depends on extent of barrier to entry like economies of scale, capital requirement, government policies, switching cost for buyers, etc. (Kew Stredwick, 2005) To open a new bank, huge capital investment is required. Moreover, there are lots of regulatory issues like government regulations for licensing, etc. Despite of these obstacles, a large number of banks are entering the market so the threat of new entrants should be high. But, due to bank failures and mergers according to FDIC, the number of banks opened from 1977 through 2002 is roughly 215 per year. Trust is one of the biggest hurdles for entry of a new bank. It is difficult for new banks to start up due to involvement of money financial information of other people. People tend to trust big brand names that are well known big banks, which, according to them are trustworthy. Today, banks are providing facilities for serving all financial needs of the customer at one place. Customers tend to allow a major well known bank to look after all of their accounts and financial needs. This centralization further makes it difficult for new banks to enter. As a result, the threat of new entrants is relatively low in banking industry. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers are the individuals or companies that provide inputs in terms of resources and materials, services etc into the industry (Hill Jones, 2009). The power of suppliers is dependent on Number of suppliers, Brand Power,possibility of forward integration and dependence of customers, etc.(Kew Stredwick, 2005) In banking industry, capital is the major resource and primarily there are 4 suppliers of capital i.e. Deposits of the customer, loans mortgages, mortgaged securities and loans taken from other financial institutions. Through these major suppliers, the bank can meet its requirements like borrowing needs of the customers and at the same time keeping enough money to fulfill withdrawal requirements. The power of the suppliers is widely based on the market and impact of this power is between medium to high. Bargaining Power of Buyers An industry’s buyer may be the individual or end user that will ultimately consume/buy the product of the firm or the companies that distribute the products further. (Hill Jones 2009). Buyer’s power depends on concentration of buyers, alternative sources of purchase, possibility of backward integrations. (Kew Stredwick, 2005) As far as an individual is concerned, it is not a major threat. But, if the cost of switching is higher, then this can affect the power of the buyers. If a single bank looks after all the banking requirements of the customer like savings, mortgages and other financial needs, then it will be a big botheration for the customer to move to some other bank. In order to persuade customers to move to their bank, the entrepreneurs may use different tactics like lowering the switching costs, but most of the customer may still choose to stay with their current bank. The internet has played a vital role in increasing the power of the customer in this industry. Customer can very easily and conveniently compare various banks at almost no cost at all. The cost of opening and maintaining an account as well as the rates offered by different banks can be checked by the customer anytime, anywhere. Threat of Substitute Products The more substitutes a product has, the demand for the product becomes more elastic. Elastic demand means increased consumer price sensitivity which equates to less certainty of profits (Kew Stredwick, 2005). Availability of substitutes of products places limits on the prices market leaders can charge (Hill Jones, 2009) The banking industry is not as much affected by rival banks but the non-financial organizations pose bigger threat of substitution. Although these organizations do not provide deposits, withdrawals, etc, but services such as mutual funds, insurance and fixed earning securities are offered by these companies in much convenient way. Method of payment and loans pose a threat of substitutes, which is relatively higher. For example, dealer who sell costly items like automobiles, ornaments, electronics, etc usually prefer financing expensive items. Usually, these companies give lower rate of interest on bill payment as compared to loan taken from any bank.9 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry Rivalry refers to the degree to which firms respond to competitive moves of the other firms in the industry (Hill Jones, 2009). Rivalry among existing firms may manifest itself in a number of ways- price competition, new products, increased levels of customer service, warranties and guarantees, advertising, better networks of wholesale distributors, and so on Barnat, 2014.) There is very high competition is banking industry. This industry is into existence since hundreds of years and is servicing people since then. Due to this reason, banks need to try to inveigle customers from their rival banks. This is done through lower rates of interest on loans, higher rates on deposits, better convenient after sale services and other investment related services. The basic competition is this industry is to give best services within minimum time period. But due to this completion banks are suffering from lower Returns on Assets (ROA). Due to this nature of the banking industry, there is possibility of more consolidation of the industry. Bigger banks go for acquiring or merging with smaller banks instead of spending valuable money on advertising and marketing. Introduction to ICICI Bank Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India founded in 1955 as a joint venture of World Bank. Its parent company is ICICI group. ICICI bank promote in 1994 by ICICI limited and whole subsidiary of ICICI shareholding. It is an Indian multinational bank and financial services provide based in Mumbai. ICICI have global banking operation 19 countries. ICICI Bank Ltd is Indias second largest financial services company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels and through its specialized subsidiaries in the areas of investment banking, life and non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management. The Bank has a network of 2,533 branches and 6,800 ATMs in India, and has a presence in 19 countries, including India. The bank has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Russia, and Canada; branches in United States, Singapore, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Qatar and Dubai International Finance Centre; and representative offices in United Arab Emirates, China, South Africa, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The companys UK subsidiary has established branches in Belgium and Germany. ICICI Banks equity shares are listed in India on Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and its American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Impact of Globalization on ICICI Bank To cope with globalization and increasing customer demand, ICICI was one of the new banks to start internet banking, private banking services and mobile banking services and mobile ATM services. Influenced by globalization, ICICI was the first ever bank from India to borrow Currency Units from European countries. With globalization and presence of multiple national and international firms, it was necessary to provide payment facilities through credit cards. Hence with Airtel and HPCL, ICICI bank launched multi-branded credit card to enhance customer base. ICICI has collaborated with Lloyds TSB of UK to make it easy for people of Indian origin living in the United Kingdom to access more branches and ATM in UK as well as India. In terms of profits, there has been a substantial improvement. It was a conscious strategy to pare the size: the bank decided to focus on profitability and efficiency. It has improved the composition of funding by reducing high cost funds. There was growth in international business. The international business which was 25% of the bank’s balance sheet now has come down to 23%. In the UK and Canada, the loan books are flat and in Russia it shrank. In terms of financial performance, ICICI has improved its Earnings Per Share, from 2009 through 2013 EPS has grown from 33.76 to 72.22; an increase of approximately 114%. Also, the net profit margin has risen from 5.63 to 12.94 in the period of past 5 years. ICICI has reduced its total expenses by 17% and increased its income by 15% approximately ICICI had adopted a strategy of aggressive sales and introduced new innovative expansion strategies and launched new different products which attracted the customers. ICICI had also taken over couple of companies which did give a major boost to its business and deposits recently it had also taken over Bank of Rajasthan. ICICI is successful in catering to the needs of its Indian Customers who are overseas (Non Resident Indians) by introducing many NRI services. ICICI was successful in opening many current and savings accounts and increase its deposits and has also introduced savings accounts for children as well. With this kind of exemplary performance and coupled with superb customer service in a very short span ICICI had emerged and successfully became one of the leading private sector banks of India. Conclusion The overall impact of globalization on ICICI bank is good. The net profit margin of the bank has increased by 2.5% annually in the past five years. The business strategy of the Bank has mainly been driven by the increased globalization of the Indian economy, the growing trend of Indian corporate expanding overseas, the large population of non-resident Indians and persons of Indian origin across the globe and overseas companies looking to invest in India. References Barnat R. (2014), Stratigic Formulation, available at http://www.strategy-formulation.24xls.com/ Ervin J, Smith Z.A, Globalization:A Reference Handbook, 2008 Friedman T.L. (2005), The World is Flat Henry A.(2011), Understanding Strategic Management, Oxford University Press p. 81-83 Hill C., Jones G. (2009) Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach, Cengage Learning p. 43-45 Hill C.W. (2012), International business competing in global marketplace, McGraw-Hill Education http://www.icicibank.com/aboutus/about-us.html Hummels, D., J. Ishii, and K.-M. Yi (2001): The nature and growth of vertical specialization in world trade,Journal of International Economics, 54, 75-96. Hummels, Ishii, and Yi (2001) Detail the growth in vertical specialization, and Jones, Kierzkowski, and Lurong (2005) ICICI Annual Report FY13 Available at http://www.icicibank.com/aboutus/annual.html Jones, R., H. Kerzkowski, and C. Lurong (2005): .What does evidence tell us about fragmentation and outsourcing,.International Review of Economics and Finance, 14, 305.316. Kenawy, Ezzat Molouk, (2009), Globalization and Its Effects on the Banking System Performance in Egypt p. 55 Kew J., Stredwick J. (2005), Business Environment:Managing in a Strategic Context, CIPD Publishing, p.21-23 Lane, P. R., and G. M. Milesi-Ferretti (2004): .International Investment Patterns,.CEPR Discussion Paper 4499. Porter, M E. (1980) Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors, New York: The Free Press. Reporter B.S., Bank of Rajasthan to merge with ICICI Bank, available at: http://www.business-standard.com/article/finance/bank-of-rajasthan-to-merge-with-icici-bank-110051900028_1.html [Last Accessed: May 19, 2010] Schermerhorn J.R. (2009), Exploring Management, John Wiley Sons Subsidiaries of ICICI Bank Annual Report FY2013 Availabel at: http://www.icicibank.com/aboutus/annual.html Upender M., Shreedhar V.(2013) Growth Rates and Responsiveness of Credit to the Changes in Deposits in the Indian Banking, Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Information Technology

Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors In The Pig Urinary Bladder Biology Essay

Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors In The Pig Urinary Bladder Biology Essay Background and purpose. This investigation sought to identify the principal muscarinic receptor subtype associated with contraction of the pig bladder. Additionally, comparisons of muscarinic receptor expression in the pig bladder and caudate nucleus were conducted. Experimental approach. Contractility of isolated strips of pig bladder was assessed using isotonic tension recordings in an organ bath. Radioligand binding to particulate preparations from pig caudate nucleus and bladder detrusor was assessed using [3H]-quinuclidinylbenzilate. Key results. The results obtained from the contractile response experiment showed that the best antagonists for pig bladder contractions were methoctramine, pirnezepine and oxybutynin, this was according to the pEC50 data. These results led to the identification of the presence of M1 and M3 receptor subtypes in the bladder. Whereas M1 and M2 receptor subtypes were found to occur in the brain. Pirenzepine exhibited the smallest Rmax value, and was therefore the most successful antagonist. Whereas 4-DAMP had the largest Rmax value, identifying this as the worst antagonist. Conclusions and Implications. It is clear that M3 muscarinic receptors are found in the bladder, but are absent in the brain. This is made more certain as 4-DAMP showed fairly low affinity for muscarinic receptors in the bladder, but its affinity was higher than that recorded in the brain which is known to contain a low amount of M3 receptors. 4-DAMP also has the highest affinity recorded in the brain, due to binding at the M1 muscarinic receptor. Introduction There are five distinct types of muscarinic receptors (M1,M2,M3,M4,M5), all of which belong to the same family of G-protein-coupled receptors. M1 receptors are found mainly in the cortex and hippocampus of the brain, but also on the CNS and peripheral neurons. These receptors are excitatory, this excitation is produced by a decrease in potassium ions which causes membrane depolarization. M2 receptors exert inhibitory effects; they are present in the heart and so are of little importance in this experiment. M3 receptors reside in smooth muscle. These receptors are excitatory and produce vasodilatation and bronchodilatation, via an increase in intracellular calcium levels. As this experiment includes analysis on the effects of muscarinic antagonists on muscarinic receptors in the brain and bladder, it is mainly the M1 and M3 receptors which are being concentrated on. The aim of the experiment was to add a range of antagonists pig bladder tissue, and then recording the effect each had on the tissues contraction. The five antagonists used in the experiment were atropine, pirenzepine, methoctramine, 4-DAMP and oxybutynin. Each of the antagonists used are able to bind to muscarinic receptors, but they bind to different subtypes as they have differing affinities. Atropine is a non-selective antagonist, which acts via competitive inhibition of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. It is a naturally occurring alkaloid which can be found in solanaceous plants, for example the deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna). Atropine causes anti-cholinergic effects such as mydriasis, salivary inhibition, tachycardia, inhibition of GI motility and smooth muscle relaxation. It can be used clinically to treat anticholinesterase poisoning, bradycardia and GI hypermotility. Pirenzepine is a muscarinic receptor antagonist, and is slightly selective for the M1 sub-type. It is used clinically for the treatment of peptic ulcers, whereby it inhibits gastric acid secretion. Methoctramine is a slightly M2 selective antagonist. It has also been found to show selectivity for cardiac M2 muscarinic receptors, but to have low affinity for both vascular M2 and ganglionic M1 receptors. 4-DAMP is a slightly M3 selective antagonist, although it has only low affinity. There is no clinical use for 4-DAMP, it is mainly used in experiments for the analysis of muscarinic receptors. Oxybutynin is a non-selective muscarinic antagonist. It is used clinically to decrease muscle spasms of the bladder in patients suffering from frequent urination or urge incontinence. During the contractile experiment these antagonists will be used to determine which of the muscarinic receptors are present in the bladder, and which occur in the greatest amount. The same antagonists will then be used in the radioligand experiment, to compare each of their effects on brain tissue. Once both experiments are performed, the results can be used to compare the presence of muscarinic effects in the bladder and brain tissue. Materials and Methods Contractile response studies Strips of urinary detrusor were stored overnight at 4  °C in Krebs Ringer solution [composition (mM): NaCl (118); KCl (4.9), MgCl2 (1.2); KH2PO4 (1.2); D-glucose (12); NaHCO3 (25); CaCl2 (1.3); gassed with O2:CO2 (95:5)], as previously described (Lot and Wilson, 1994). On the morning of the experiment, tissue was removed from the refrigerator and allowed to equilibrate to room temperature. Thereafter, strips were mounted in an organ bath at 37  °C in Krebs Ringer solution. Contractility was monitored using isotonic transducers connected to CED 1502 amplifiers and recorded on a personal computer running Spike 2 software (CED, Cambs, UK). A steady baseline was then achieved for 20 minutes before 1ml 3M KCl was added to 50ml of Krebs solution (in water bath), to achieve a final concentration of 60mM. The tissue was then washed out three times once a maximal response was recorded, and this was then left for a further 20 minutes until a steady baseline was achieved once again. 10 dilutions containing varying concentrations of carbachol were then prepared in LP4 tubes, using 3-fold dilutions. A cumulative-concentration curve was created by adding the preparation containing the lowest concentration of carbachol to the organ bath first. After waiting for 7 minutes, the next preparation with a higher concentration was added. This process was repeated without washing out the tissue, until there was no further increase in tissue tone recorded. Once this part of the experiment was completed, the tissue was washed out 3 times with warm Krebs solution. This was followed by the addition of the putative antagonist and the tissue was left for 60 minutes. After achieving a steady baseline, a cumulative-concentration curve was created by carrying out the same process with increasing concentrations of carbachol as before; but this time in the presence of the putative antagonist. The results were printed off once the process was completed. Radioligand binding studies Radioligand binding to total particulate preparations from the pig was conducted essentially as previously described (Alexander et al., 1994). Briefly, tissue was homogenised in 10-30 volumes of 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.5) using an Ultra-Turrax homogeniser. After centrifugation at 30 000 g for 15 minutes at 4 °C, the supernatant layer was discarded. This homogenisation/centrifugation cycle was repeated twice more and the resulting pellet was re-suspended in 10 volumes. After storage at -20  °C, thawed tissue was incubated in a total volume of 500  µL 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.5), containing 0.25 nM [3H]-QNB for 30 minutes at 37  °C. Rapid filtration with repeated washing allowed isolation of bound radioligand, which was then estimated using liquid scintillation counting. A dilution curve was prepared using 10-fold dilutions once the drug was provided, this contained the highest concentration. 32 LP4 tubes were labelled 1-32 and these were placed in test tube racks. 50  µl aliquots of different concentrations of drug were then added to tubes 5-28, with each being made up to 500  µl by adding 450  µl of buffer. 50  µl of buffer was added to tubes 1-4, these acted as a control whilst atropine was added to the remained tubes 29-32. 400  µl of the radioligand was added to each of the tubes, with 50  µl of particulate preparation being added to the tubes in groups of 10 at 12 minute intervals. Once this process was completed, the tubes were incubated in a water bath at 37 °C for 30 minutes. The Whatman GF/B filters were placed in the 10-place manifold and were wet using the buffer solution. Ten of the tubes were then removed from the water bath, and 3ml of ice-cold buffer was added to each of them. They were filtered immediately after this process. Once two additions of 3ml of ice-cold buffer had taken place on each filter paper, they were washed. This was repeated for each of the LP4 tubes, once incubation in the water bath was halted on their removal. The filter papers were then placed into labelled scintillation vials, they were then analysed. Data analysis and statistical procedures There are equations which can be used to analyse the data collected in the experiment, once the information has been put into a concentration curve graph. The first equation used is the Gaddum equation: pKi = log (CR 1) log [Ant] In order to make use of this equation it is neccessary to work out the EC50, which is the effective concentration of drug required to give 50% of the maximum response. This EC50 value can be obtained from the concentration curve, as it is at 50% of the maximum response on the graph. The results collected from the graphs were Molar, these can be converted to  µM by multiplying the values by 106. These values can now be used to produce a concentration ratio, indicating the EC50 response with and without the presence of the antagonist. Graph 1 shows bladder tissue contractile responses to histamine in the presence of different concentrations of promethazine. The EC50 values recorded for histamine and promethazine were -6.5 and -5 respectively. By converting these Molar values to  µM by using the technique stated above, histamine 0.316  µM and promethazine 3.16  µM can be inputted into the Gaddum equation. The pKi value which is calculated in this equation is an indication of potency of the antagonist used, and a high pKi indicates a high affinity for the receptor. The pKi in this case was -8.5. As the radioligand was being carried out, calculations were made in order to work out the Kd and Bmax. The equation used in the radioligand binding experiment was the Cheng-Prusoff equation: IC50/Ki = 1 + [A]/Kd To work out the pKi, the same process as the contractile response experiment is used. Then the pIC50, the concentration of the antagonist which displaces 50% of the ligand, can be calculated. It is then necessary to work out the IC50 value to be used in the Cheng-Prusoff equation, this is achieved by -log of the pIC50 value. Finally, -log of the Ki obtained from the equation gives a pKi value of 8.2. Drugs, chemicals, reagents and other materials Porcine material (from pigs of the modern Hybrid white strain, either sex, approximately 50-70 kg) was obtained from an abattoir and transported rapidly to the laboratory on ice. [3H]-QNB (specific activity 1591 GBq mmole-1) was obtained from Amersham Pharmacia Biotech (Herts, UK), while muscarinic receptor ligands were all obtained from Sigma (Dorset, UK). All drug and molecular target nomenclature conforms to the British Journal of Pharmacologys Guide to Receptors and Channels (Alexander et al., 2008). Results Table 1. Contractile response results: Drug pEC50 Rmax Concentration Ratio pKi Atropine 4.5 131 20.9 9.1 Pirenzepine 4.3 109 42.6 7.4 Methoctramine 4.3 50.2 7.1 4-DAMP 4.6 139 37.9 9.2 Oxybutynin 4.3 210.5 8.1 Water 4.7 116 5.0 Table 1 shows the results obtained from the contractile response experiment, whereby the pig bladder tissue was exposed to five antagonists and the contractility of the tissue was measured. Table 2. Radioligand binding results: Brain Bladder Drug pKi SEM pKi SEM Atropine 9.8 0.1 9.8 0.1 Pirenzepine 7.7 0.2 8.0 0.6 Methoctramine 8.0 0.0 7.7 0.1 4-DAMP 9.2 0.0 8.4 0.1 Oxybutynin 7.4 0.0 7.8 0.0 Carbachol 4.8 0.1 4.3 0.0 Table 2 shows the results obtained from the radioligand experiment, which identified the different muscarinic receptors found in the brain and bladder tissue. Discussion and conclusions The conclusions that can be made from the results are that the main types of muscarinic receptor involved in the contraction of the bladder are the M1 and M3 receptor. Whereas, M1 and M2 muscarinic receptor subtypes occur in the brain. Therefore, an ideal drug for therapeutic treatment of urge incontinence and bladder dysfunction would be M3 selective. This would not have any adverse effects in the brain, as M3 receptors are not present in this part of the body. Bladder contractions occur due to activation of muscarinic receptors leading to an increase in intracellular calcium, which causes contraction of the smooth muscle. The results collected in the contractile response experiment were due to antagonism of M1 and M3 receptor subtypes. 4-DAMP recorded a pKi value of 9.2, a value which corresponded with the M3 subtype and was the highest of all the antagonists. This antagonist is M3 selective but also has affinity for the M1 muscarinic receptor; this may have caused its high pKi value to be due to binding at this muscarinic receptor subtype. Atropine recorded the second highest pKi, 9.1 .This was to be expected as it is a non-selective antagonist, with high affinity for each of the muscarinic receptor subtypes able to cause contraction of the bladder tissue. Oxybutynin recorded the third highest pKi value, 8.1. Oxybutynin has a slightly higher affinity for the M3 muscarinic receptor, therefore the pKi value is due to binding at this receptor subtype. Pirenzepine, being an M1 selective antagonist, would be expected to have a similarly high pKi to 4-DAMP. This was not the case as pirenzepine only recorded a pKi of 7.4, a value expected to be obtained from M3 selective antagonists. Methoctramine recorded a pKi value of 7.1, the lowest of all the antagonists. Although it is an M2 selective antagonist, the pKi value leads to the conclusion that contractile response is due to the presence of M1 or M3 receptors. The results obtained in the radioligand experiment revealed that mostly M1 and M2 muscarinic receptors occur in the brain. Methoctramine has low affinity at the M1 receptor, even so, the results recorded in the experiment showed the antagonist to have high affinity. The pKi range of the M2 receptor subtype for methoctramine is 7.8-8.3. Therefore, the recorded pKi value of 8.0 suggests the presence of M2 receptor subtypes in the brain. The pKi of 8.0 is quite far from the pKi range of methoctramine for the M3 receptor subtype, leading to the conclusion that there are a small number of M3 receptors in the brain. Atropine, perenzepine, 4-DAMP and oxybutynin antagonists are able to act at the M1 muscarinic receptor and each of these antagonists possess similar affinities for the receptor. Atropine (pKi 9.8) and oxybutynin (pKi 7.4) are both non-selective antagonists, so as in the contractile response will have fairly high affinities for any of the muscarinic receptor subtypes present in the brain. Perenzepine recorded a pKi value of 7.7; this failed to fall into any of the pKi ranges expected for the muscarinic receptors. The value was closest to the M1 subtype range (7.8-8.5). The SEM recorded was the highest of all the antagonists (0.2) concluding that some of the results may have been anomalous, with most of the pKi values falling within the M1 range. The Pki range of pirenzepine for the M3 receptor subtype is 6.7-7.1. The pKi recorded, much like that of methoctramine, was quite far from the M3 range. 4-DAMP recorded a high pKi of 9.2. This pKi value fell into the ranges for both the M1 and M3 muscarinic receptors, showing high affinity of the antagonist for both subtypes. In this experiment the pKi value recorded was with respect to the M1 receptor, not the M3 subtype. The non-selective muscarinic antagonist oxybutynin is the principle drug used to treat urge incontinence. This antagonistic drug possesses anticholinergic and antispasmolytic properties, which together act on the bladder to inhibit micturition. However, there are significant adverse effects associated with this choice of therapeutic treatment; such as dry mouth, constipation and blurred vision. These side effects highlight the non-selectivity of oxybutynin as each occurs due to antagonism at the M1 receptor. The radioligand binding experimental results show that oxybutynin has a pKi of 7.8 in the bladder, which is only slightly higher than the pKi of 7.4 recorded in the brain. These pKi values indicate that oxybutynin is slightly more selective towards the M3 receptor subtype present in the bladder. However, it is evident that the antagonist also has significant affinity towards the M1 and M2 receptor subtypes which are present in the brain. There were a few limitations encountered in both parts of the experiment. The contractile response experiment was carried out for a fairly short amount of time, more reliable results could be obtained by increasing the amount of time that the experiment is undertaken. As not all of the tissues used in the experiment were of the same source or size, the results obtained were inconsistent the responses recorded were of varying degrees. By ensuring every piece of tissue is the same size, more accurate and reliable could be obtained. Human error when collecting and interpreting the data in the experiment could have caused considerable variations in the results recorded. During the radioligand binding experiment complications arose due to contamination, with various external factors such as temperature and buffer strength affecting the results.

Gay Marriage Should be Legalized Essay -- Legal Issues, Gay Marriage

There are numerous opinions and standing views on gay marriage. The argument regarding gay marriage should be legalized or not is extremely controversial. According to an article from the Human Rights Campaign, there is nothing wrong with allowing homosexuals to have the same rights as those who are heterosexual. Every individual person should be granted equal rights, regardless of sexuality. Gay marriage should be legalized in all states and countries, it has been held off for too long. Moreover, there are several reasons why homosexuals feel strongly about wanting to be legally married. One reason that is most commonly heard is, they want to legally show their love for each other by having a marriage license. Homosexuals want the right to marry like anybody else, and for the same reasons too. They are in love and want to spend their lives with this person. Even though it is possible to do this without being married; â€Å"they want to honor their relationship in the greatest way our society has to offer† (90). There be no reason two people cannot marry despite their sexuality. If a man and woman get to marry because they love each other, what is the difference between a man and a man or a woman and a woman wanting to marry because, they love each other? Also, another cause why homosexuals want the right to marry their spouse is because they are being cheated of rights. Although, two people love each other, if they cannot marry they are losing rights. Marria ge gives both spouses benefits, â€Å"same-sex couples in long-term, committed relationships pay higher taxes and are denied basic protection and rights granted to married heterosexual couples† (90). It is unfair to couples of the same-sex to lose rights based on sexuality. They are... ...an† (97). Some people have lived by this mind set of what a marriage is, but not every thing only has one outlook. A marriage is ultimately two people that are serious and love each other, gender takes no place when a person really takes time to think about what a marriage actually is. Regardless, there is always going to be two views on gay marriage; it is up to each individual to decide which view they agree with. Gay marriage should be legally recognized, what is so right about a heterosexual marriage compared to homosexuals? They both start with the letter â€Å"H†, the only difference is the genders. Nobody should have the right to determine what is considered â€Å"right†, marriage makes a couple officially together; it does not affect anybody but them. Labels should not define love, and by not allowing same gender couple the right to marry is unfair and wrong. Gay Marriage Should be Legalized Essay -- Legal Issues, Gay Marriage There are numerous opinions and standing views on gay marriage. The argument regarding gay marriage should be legalized or not is extremely controversial. According to an article from the Human Rights Campaign, there is nothing wrong with allowing homosexuals to have the same rights as those who are heterosexual. Every individual person should be granted equal rights, regardless of sexuality. Gay marriage should be legalized in all states and countries, it has been held off for too long. Moreover, there are several reasons why homosexuals feel strongly about wanting to be legally married. One reason that is most commonly heard is, they want to legally show their love for each other by having a marriage license. Homosexuals want the right to marry like anybody else, and for the same reasons too. They are in love and want to spend their lives with this person. Even though it is possible to do this without being married; â€Å"they want to honor their relationship in the greatest way our society has to offer† (90). There be no reason two people cannot marry despite their sexuality. If a man and woman get to marry because they love each other, what is the difference between a man and a man or a woman and a woman wanting to marry because, they love each other? Also, another cause why homosexuals want the right to marry their spouse is because they are being cheated of rights. Although, two people love each other, if they cannot marry they are losing rights. Marria ge gives both spouses benefits, â€Å"same-sex couples in long-term, committed relationships pay higher taxes and are denied basic protection and rights granted to married heterosexual couples† (90). It is unfair to couples of the same-sex to lose rights based on sexuality. They are... ...an† (97). Some people have lived by this mind set of what a marriage is, but not every thing only has one outlook. A marriage is ultimately two people that are serious and love each other, gender takes no place when a person really takes time to think about what a marriage actually is. Regardless, there is always going to be two views on gay marriage; it is up to each individual to decide which view they agree with. Gay marriage should be legally recognized, what is so right about a heterosexual marriage compared to homosexuals? They both start with the letter â€Å"H†, the only difference is the genders. Nobody should have the right to determine what is considered â€Å"right†, marriage makes a couple officially together; it does not affect anybody but them. Labels should not define love, and by not allowing same gender couple the right to marry is unfair and wrong.

symbolaw Symbols and Symbolism Essay - Symbolism in the Title of Chopins Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Symbolism in the Title of Chopin's Awakening Kate Chopin entitled her second and final novel, The Awakening. In doing so she did not just give an abstract name to her work, but she chose a title with meaning and symbolism. By titling her work The Awakening, Chopin is indicating her feelings and opinions of the Creole society, Edna, her life, and her ultimate decision. The title also symbolizes how Edna defies the constraints of her ordained life as a Creole women and becomes and individual. Furthermore the title the Chopin's novel symbolizes the theme of her novel. In Edna Pontellier's adopted culture, the Creole culture, women have a certain expectations in society. A Creole women must be beautiful, motherly, a good wife to their husbands. "They were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels" (pg. 8). This is what was expected of women, it was their place in Creole society. However Edna awoke from this social institution in which women have a predestined life, which they must live the Creole way. Edna became conscious of the fact that this culture is what kept her from doing what she really wanted to do, to love, live, be independent and to express herself as an individual. Throughout the work Edna is constantly awakening from her naps, constantly awakening to a world she cannot escape. "Each morning she awoke with hope..." (pg. 104) and "When Edna awoke with the conviction that she had slept long and soundly ." (pg. 37), these are a few examples of Edna awakening from slumber. It is only through these frequent naps that Edna defies the constraints of the world she lives in. Her awakening from her naps is symbolic of her awakening from the Creole culture and her husband. Not only does the title symbolize Edna's awakening from her social constraints, but the title also conveys Chopin's opinion of society and Edna. By entitling her novel The Awakening, she is stating that there is an injustice to women in society that people need to conscious of, which people need to awaken to and that Edna has indeed awakened to it.

Violence In The Media :: essays research papers

The Effects of Violence on TV Did you hear about the recent Jonesboro shootings in America where an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old shot down and killed four school mates and a teacher? The outrage has been put down to many things including exposure to violence in the media and computer games. Television authorities will tell you that TV doesn't breed murderers, and to some extent it is true, but the fantasy violence on TV and computer games is enough to tip a blood-drenched fantasy or perhaps a gruesome dream of revenge into an irreversible act of reality. The debate over the effects of violence in the media and computer games has been going on for quite some time, but it was only in 1997 that it reached significant status just after the killing of an 11 year old boy by a 14-year-old in Japan. The 11-year-old was decapitated and his head placed on the school fence. The idea supposedly came from a form of media or computer game. This lead to the investigations of the so-called "Nintendo generation", a generation so focused around computer games and television that reality is no longer easy to distinguish from fantasy and abnormality. Professor Fukaya of the New York Times says "They haven't been growing up with real feelings, living with real friends, or with real nature." Figures show that one in four British children has their own VCR and uses it to record s-rated films late at night. X-rated films are not the problem. The problem is that the films are x-rated for a reason and this reason is that they are not designed for children's ever believing eyes. Figures also show that they are very damaging, not least because of the desensitising more sex and violence has on children's minds. The rampage in 1987 by a sacked mail man put the term 'going postal' into the American vocabulary, meaning: a murderous rage. Since then a computer game has been made, although it is banned in Australia demo's are available on the internet. The game POSTAL, involves a series of massacres, including a school ground shooting. The player has to try and stalk as many school kids as possible and then shoot them. Then they have the chance to either listen to their plees for mercy of ignore them and finish them off for extra points. So the object of the game is to kill as many people as possible.

Indian Education Essay

A strong education system is the cornerstone of any country’s growth and prosperity. Over the last decade, India has made great strides in strengthening its primary education system. The District Information System for Education (DISE) reported in 2012 that 95% of India’s rural populations are within one kilometer of primary schools. The 2011 Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), which tracks trends in rural education, indicated that enrollment rates among primary-school-aged children were about 93%, with little difference by gender. However, behind the veil of such promising statistics, the learning outcomes of India’s children show little progress. The country ranked 63 out of 64 in the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) study, with some of its best schools ranked about average among those surveyed. The 2011 ASER stated that only 48. 2% of students in the fifth grade can read at the second grade level. The number of students completing their primary education with inadequate numeracy and literacy skills is startling. To see this manifest in an economic sense, one may attribute India’s productivity growth — lagging behind that of East Asian economies — to a lack of progress in the foundational elements of countrywide, high-quality education. India’s private-schooled, English-speaking urban elite may attract global attention, but they are in the minority. The vast majority of Indian children attend government-run primary schools in rural areas. In 2008-2009, rural India accounted for more than 88% of India’s primary-school students, of whom over 87% were enrolled in government-run schools. This is where we see some of the nation’s toughest challenges. A Diverse Set of Problems India’s education system has not achieved strong learning outcomes for reasons that are as diverse and nuanced as the country itself. Key among these reasons is poor teaching quality, which results from a multitude of factors. Inadequate Teacher Qualification and Support: Teachers working in primary schools across rural India have a difficult job. Dhir Jhingran, a senior civil servant in the Indian Administrative Service, with more than two decades of experience in rural primary education, explained the multiple challenges they face: â€Å"Teachers have to teach multiple grades, textbooks are pitched far above the comprehension level of students, and each classroom has children with different levels of learning achievements. † Anurag Behar, CEO of the Azim Premji Foundation, an education non-profit, noted that â€Å"the average school teacher in India does not get adequate pre-service or in-service education, nor does she get the support to overcome these problems. † Compounding this is the relatively low educational qualifications of many teachers themselves. In 2008-2009, on average, 45% of these teachers had not studied beyond the 12th grade. Low Teacher Motivation and High Absenteeism: A key factor affecting the quality of primary education appears to be low levels of teacher motivation. In 2002-2003, 25% of primary-school teachers in rural India were absent on any given day. The impact of absenteeism is exacerbated by the fact that the average primary school in India has a workforce of no more than three teachers. At a school for girls in rural Rajasthan, we observed this problem first hand: Of the eight teachers assigned, only five were present. The three who were actually teaching were juggling eight different grades. The obvious reason — remuneration — does not appear to be a driver. In fact, both education experts and ordinary citizens argue that government-employed school teachers are paid relatively well. UNESCO surveys from as early as 2004 indicated that the annual statutory salary of primary school teachers in India with 15 years’ experience was more than $14,000, adjusted for purchasing power. This was significantly higher than the then-statutory salaries of $3,000 in China and Indonesia, and the Indian GDP per capita in 2004, which was $3,100. Indian primary-school teachers may not be underpaid, but some argue that they may be overworked. For Vivekanand Upadhyay, a seasoned educator and language professor at a leading national University, one reason for the lack of motivation is that â€Å"primary school teachers employed by the government, particularly in rural India, are required to perform a wide range of duties completely unrelated to imparting education. † These duties — including administering government programs such as immunization clinics, assisting with data-collection for the national census, and staffing polling stations during elections — in addition to their teaching responsibilities, place significant demands on teachers’ time. Another disheartening factor has been a highly bureaucratic administrative system that discourages bold decision making and makes implementation difficult. For example, as Jhingran observed, â€Å"it is difficult to test new practices on a small scale before rolling them out: If a new program has been developed, the philosophy is that every school must have it. † Such indiscriminate application often means that teachers are implementing programs without understanding their key principles and ultimate goals. Flawed Teaching Methodology: In India, rote learning has been institutionalized as a teaching methodology. â€Å"Primary school teachers in rural India often try to educate students by making them repeat sections of text over and over again,† said Jhingran. Often they do not explain the meaning of the text, which results in stunted reading comprehension skills over the course of the children’s education. For example, many students in grades two and three in one particular school struggle to read individual words, but can neatly copy entire paragraphs from their textbooks into their notebooks as though they were drawing pictures. Linguistic Diversity: Finally, India’s linguistic diversity creates unique challenges for the nation’s education system. The country’s 22 official languages and hundreds of spoken dialects often differ considerably from the official language of the state or region. Jhingran commented that â€Å"the teacher not only has to account for varying learning abilities within the classroom, but also dialectic nuances which affect students’ comprehension of the subject matter. † Government-school-educated children from rural India struggle to speak even basic sentences in English. â€Å"Students with rural primary schooling are at a significant disadvantage as they transition to higher education, because India’s best universities teach exclusively in English,† said Upadhyay. Part of the problem is that there is no one to teach them. As Chandrakanta Khatwar, an experienced middle school teacher in a rural government-run school in Rajasthan, asked: â€Å"When teachers themselves know little English, especially spoken English, how will students learn? † A Parallel, Non-governmental Education Universe Since the late 1980s, government efforts to augment rural primary education have been supplemented by the emergence of an intervention-based non-governmental system that spans multiple institutional types. While private schools have emerged as a parallel system over the last two decades, their impact is limited because they serve less than 13% of India’s rural primary-school children. However, do private schools really make a difference? Some studies have found a small, but statistically significant, â€Å"private school advantage† in rural India. Behar was skeptical about the superiority of private rural schools over their government-run counterparts, noting, â€Å"Once we control for a child’s socioeconomic background, private schools add little-to-no value. In many ways, private schools are in much worse shape. † However, according to Khatwar, â€Å"more and more parents in small towns are choosing to send their children to private schools if they can afford it† — perhaps with good reason, because, on average, the number of students in each classroom in private schools is often smaller and school heads exert greater control over teachers. Some organizations are attempting to innovate with new formats and systems of education. Avasara Academy, a new school for girls, is a private institution whose mission is to mold leaders from among the best and brightest girls in India, regardless of their background. While admission is merit-based, the school intends to draw half its students from disadvantaged rural and urban backgrounds, awarding them full scholarships. In addition, it is developing a special curriculum that encourages excellence beyond academics. â€Å"Avasara seeks to identify high potential young women and guide them along a powerful journey of leadership development. We expect that our graduates will form a network of leaders who will collaborate to drive positive change across the country,† explained Mangala Nanda, humanities department chair for Avasara. While still in the early stages of its development, Avasara’s successful implementation would provide a viable model for high-quality, accessible education and integration across socioeconomic boundaries. Governmental Efforts The Indian government at every level recognizes the need for educational reform and has made a conscientious effort to achieve it. The midday-meal plan, for example, is a highly publicized nationwide program through which government school children across India are provided with a midday meal every day of the school week. The program is largely considered a success. A study in 2011 by Rajshri Jayaraman and Dora Simroth found that grade one enrollment increased by 20. 8% simply if a midday meal was offered. According to Behar, â€Å"The Indian government has worked very hard to provide rural schools with adequate infrastructure, something that was critically lacking a few decades ago. † For instance, DISE reported in 2012 that more than 91% of primary schools have drinking-water facilities and 86% of schools built in the last 10 years have a school building. However, there is still a long way to go: Only 52% of primary schools have a girls’ toilet, and just 32% are connected to the electricity grid. In 2012, the Central Government enacted the Right to Education (RTE) Act, under which every child between the ages of six and 14 receives a free and compulsory education. In addition to regulating access to education, the act contains certain provisions that could positively impact the quality of education. According to Jhingran, one of its major achievements has been â€Å"the dramatic reduction of non-teaching duties assigned to government school teachers, freeing up valuable time and lowering absenteeism. † Partnering with the Government Over the past few decades, many organizations have begun working with government schools and teachers to improve learning outcomes. Pratham, a joint venture between UNICEF and the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai, runs multiple programs to supplement school education, such as learning support classes, libraries and additional learning resources. A hallmark of these initiatives is that Pratham engages volunteers from local communities and trains them to run these programs. Another important initiative that has resulted from Pratham is the annual ASER, an assessment that measures reading and arithmetic abilities by surveying more than 600,000 children across 16,000 villages in India. This remarkable exercise in data-gathering constitutes the foundation for informed decision-making and benchmarking. Other initiatives address teaching quality by placing specially trained teachers in government schools. Teach for India, modeled after the Teach for America program, was introduced in 2006. Young, motivated Indian college graduates and professionals apply for two-year fellowships to teach at government-run and low-income private schools that lack sufficient resources. An important distinction of Teach for India is that instruction is, by design, always in English. As Mohit Arora, fellowship recruitment manager for Teach for India, noted, the organization’s philosophy on this point is that â€Å"learning English is essential to future success, as English in today’s world is more than just a language. It is a skill set. † Students who do not speak English may have some difficulty initially, but the organization has made learning at these schools experiential and therefore engaging. The dynamics of one particular grade 3 Teach for India classroom were in stark contrast to other classrooms at the same school — students were listening intently, contributing in class, answering questions beyond the textbook and demonstrating a strong command over English. The challenge is scaling this model to rural India. Still other organizations focus on capacity development of teachers in government schools, such as the Azim Premji Foundation. As CEO, Behar is categorical in his view that the foundation â€Å"works in partnership with the government,† and that it â€Å"does not believe in supplanting the government school system. † The foundation has established scores of institutes at the district level that provide in-service education and also empower teachers to learn from each other. For example, Behar described a voluntary teacher forum in a district of Rajasthan, initially organized by the Azim Premji Foundation, but now being run increasingly independently by teachers in the district. The Future of Primary Education in India Education in India has improved dramatically over the last three decades. Schools are accessible to most children, both student enrollment and attendance are at their highest level, and teachers are adequately remunerated. The RTE Act guarantees a quality education to a wider range of students than ever before. However, challenges in implementing and monitoring high standards in teaching and learning outcomes across regional, cultural and socioeconomic subsets prevent India from fully achieving this goal. In addition, teacher support and scalability of high-performing teaching professionals in disparate areas, funding allocation for schools in remote districts and limited use of technology in the classroom remain barriers to reforming primary education. India’s growth story remains one of the most anticipated global economic trends, and its fulfillment relies on a well-educated and skilled workforce. Improving education is a critical area of investment and focus if the country wants to sustain economic growth and harness its young workforce. A weak foundation in primary education can derail the lives, careers and productivity of tens of millions of its citizens. Already, a significant proportion of the adult workforce in India is severely under-equipped to perform skilled and semi-skilled jobs. As Rajesh Sawhney, former president of Reliance Entertainment and founder of GSF Superangels, noted, â€Å"No one is unemployed in India; there are just a lot of people who are unemployable. † Furthermore, in order to develop India as a consumer market of global standards, it is imperative that all of its children reap the full benefits of a high-quality education. Otherwise, large segments of the population in rural India will continue to have low purchasing power, find themselves in highly leveraged scenarios and, more often than not, continue to make a living through agricultural means. While some of this can be attributed to deficiencies in secondary and tertiary education, the root of these issues lies in low-quality primary education.

How Democratic Is the Uk?

How democratic is the UK? Democracy is a difficult concept to define, but as a simplification and a conventional definition, it is the people's right to choose and the right to say how the country is run. Democracy falls into many categories and comes in various different forms. One form is when power is in the hands of the population as a whole and political decisions are made themselves, this is known as direct democracy. An example of a direct democracy currently present in the UK is a referendum.Another form is representative democracy; in this case citizens will vote for representatives to create decisions for them and the responsibility is handed over to the representative to make decisions for the country. The representatives are also accountable to the electorate. The democratic elections are a crucial part of UK democracy. A core feature is free and fair elections. They are based on universal suffrage, which is when anybody eligible to vote has their own freedom of choice on which party to vote for without any influence.Your elected vote is also kept secret; this process is called the secret ballot. This prevents intimidation from other people and it prevents judgments made on your electoral choice. However there are four groups of people who are ‘unenfranchised’, these people are the homeless, imprisoned convicts, the mentally incapable and the lords. If you aren’t in any of those categories and you satisfy the requirements established by the law, you are then eligible to vote with the free rights of your own electoral choice. Under First Past The Post (FPTP) voting takes place in single-member constituencies.Voters put a cross in a box next to their favored candidate and the candidate with the most votes in the constituency wins. All other votes count for nothing. It’s clear and simple with clear choices and a simple outcome. It allows the voter to clearly express a view on which party they think should form the next govern ment. However, FPTP can be questioned, as it’s not entirely democratic. Representatives can get elected on a small proportion of public support as it doesn’t matter by how much they win, only that they get more votes than the other candidates which in effect wastes uge numbers of votes, as votes cast in a constituency for losing candidates, or for the winning candidate above the level they need to win that seat, count for nothing. FPTP is also disproportionate and biased towards labour or conservatives. This means the votes are of unequal value. Labour votes are inflated and Liberal Democrats votes are deflated. This therefore means the smaller parties have a significantly depleted chance of winning the votes and it will therefore tend to produce a two-party system, which in turn tends to produce single-party governments.Encouraging two party-party politics can be good, but in a multi-party culture, third parties with significant support can be greatly disadvantages, w hich means that it goes against the democracy of the UK. Consensus politics is when two major political parties, for example, the Conservative Party and Labour Party, are in agreement, or consensus, over certain basic government policies. The two parties still have small variations but they aren’t significant. They do this to gain voters from the middle ground. It reduces electoral choice because both parties share similar ideologies; it makes everything too similar without distinct variation.UK citizens have shown an obvious enthusiasm to vote for third parties and to clinch a form of political pluralism, which runs directly against the way FPTP operates. FPTP tends to produce a two-party system, which in turn tends to produce single-party governments. However, in a multi-party culture, third parties with significant support can be greatly disadvantaged. This is why FPTP doesn’t work as well as it used to have done. As the UK is changing in terms of politics, more par ties are getting involved however these parties have little or no chance in gaining support because of the unequal voting value.This is why I think the UK needs to improve on the FPTP system because it’s restricting it’s full democratic potential. The UK Parliament is built up of two Houses – the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons has 646 MPs. The political party with the majority of MPs in the House of Commons forms the Government. The House of Lords has approximately 700 unelected members who examine the work of the House of Commons. The UK Parliament is the main democratic body in the UK and is comprised of three parts: the House of Commons, the House of Lords nd the Sovereign. The UK is a parliamentary democracy and unlike many other democracies it does not have a written constitution. A deliberative assembly is an organization comprising members who use parliamentary procedure to make decisions. A mass meeting, which is an unorgan ized group meeting open to all individuals in a sector of the population who are interested in to engage in long and careful concern about a subject proposed by the meeting's sponsors. This can include meetings to discuss common political concerns or community interests.This helps towards the democratic process of UK parliament because it in cooperates everybody’s opinion. Parliament is essential to the democratic process in the UK because it is elected by the popular vote, which is therefore democratic, however it has been criticized for being undemocratic because the 2nd Chamber is entirely unelected. This weakens the representative role of parliament. Party discipline also prevents MP’s from using their own judgment in representing their constituents; it also restricts freedom of debate and voting in the House of Commons.Also Parliament’s ability to scrutinize the executive is weak because the government of the day usually has majority control of the House of Commons. Overall, Parliament is strength because it does solely represent the population. However the 2nd chamber is entirely unelected, which does weaken the representative role of parliament but that can be an improved. However, parliament does not govern, its role is to check or constrain the government of the day and it also discusses the policies. Parliament calls the government to account on policies.For those reasons it’s not entirely significant that the 2nd chamber is unelected. Another core feature of UK democracy are pressure groups. They enhance democracy in the UK, because they give a political voice to minorities that are ignored by the majoritarian parliament system. They also provide a way in which citizens can exert influence between elections and they also enhance political participation. However pressure groups don’t have legitimacy and since pressure groups are unelected, they aren’t representative of the majority of the population. Some pre ssure groups have owerful, but unrepresentative leaders who may not be representative of anyone but themselves. Some leaders do not reflect the opinions of their organization’s members. However, pressure groups are enormously enhancing of the UK democratic system because it gives a political voice to minorities. They allow the population to politically participate and put pressure on the government on issues, which they may turn a blind eye to. This in my opinion is strength of the UK democratic system. Other parts of the UK democratic system enhance democracy in the UK, such as referendums, devolution, the E.U and civil rights. A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire population is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This increases political participation and involves the whole population. However, they can be non-binding. This means the government may not have to do what the results show. Devolution is also another feature of the UK democratic sy stem that increases democracy in the UK. Devolution is the transfer of power from central government to subordinate regional institutions.This means they pass down the powers or duties down from a higher authority to a lower one. This gives the constituent nations of the UK their own political voice. It refined representative democracy by allowing voters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland separately to express their views about national issues. It also widens the opportunities available for political participation. However the effectiveness of devolution in promoting democracy can be questioned because it has limited powers. Devolution stops well short of ‘home rule’ or full self-government.Although the powers of devolved bodies have, in some cases, widened, major economic and foreign policy decisions are still made at Westminster. Devolution has also done nothing to advance representative democracy in England, which is where 84% of the UK’s population lives . In my opinion referendums are effective in enhancing democracy in the UK because it increases political participation and it allows for a raw opinion on what the public think about particular issues. However, the government can’t be held accountable because they’re not the ones making the decision in a situation where a referendum is used to decide a particular proposal). Devolution however is ineffective in some cases because it doesn’t advance democracy in England, where 84% of the UK’s population lives. However, it does allow for the smaller areas of the UK to focus on particular issues that may be affected by local problems rather than national problems (for example rural areas in Wales). To conclude I think the UK is democratic to a certain degree. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and everyone has the right to free and fair elections.However the UK is being limited by certain blockages in the democratic system such as FPTP. Issues with FPT P can be resolved to allow the UK to reach its full potential of democracy. In a multi-party culture, third parties with significant support can be greatly disadvantaged. This is why FPTP doesn’t work as well as it used to have done. As the UK is changing in terms of politics, more parties are getting involved however these parties have little or no chance in gaining support because of the unequal voting value.Strong points in the UK democratic features are pressure groups. They enhance the democracy in the UK, they allow the population to politically participate and put pressure on the government on issues, which they may turn a blind eye to. This in my opinion is strength of the UK democratic system. Referendums are also effective in enhancing democracy in the UK because it increases political participation and it allows for a raw opinion on what the public think about particular issues. So, to a certain degree, I think the United Kingdom has a strong democratic system.