Should Life Imprisonment Without The Possibility Of Parole Replace The Research Paper - 1

Should Life Imprisonment Without The Possibility Of Parole Replace The Death Penalty - Research Paper Example Capital punishment is carried forward in several countries to this day through different methods like hanging, gas chambers, torturing, electrocuting and giving lethal injections. Many states of the world practicing this form of justice and have been challenged by human rights organizations for a long time. Proponents of the Death penalty believe that people fear death and if death is the punishment for killing someone, they would refrain from it. They believe that in order to have a just system in place where the victim’s family is put to ease it is important to have an eye for the eye approach. The criminal is guilty of taking someone’s life so he is liable to give up his. If the person is mentally unstable to have done so it makes him more dangerous to the society’s well-being and putting him to death is the only way to ensure such crimes do not take place through his hands again. However, opponents of the death penalty have a strong viewpoint as well. They be lieve that every life is precious and shouldn’t be given up on. If a criminal is guilty committing capital offense he should be subjected to punishments that take away his life figuratively, not literally. Also, many believe that taking away a criminal’s life is too easy on him, the real punishment would be him leading a hard life that prolongs his sufferings for the crime he committed. Executing a death penalty is costly for the governments as such cases are tried for a long time resulting injury expenditures and security arrangements for the courts.  

Trade Unions in South Africa and Argentina Essay Example for Free

Trade Unions in South Africa and Argentina Essay Introduction: South Africa is a country that is crippled by the heritage of the apartheid, this is because the struggle for democracy was a long and exhausting one (Budeli, 2009: 68). Argentina also suffered among the hands of the military regime, as the lives of ordinary people was accompanied with hunger and a forceful government (Brysk, 1994: 1). The trade union movement has been pivotal in both of the countries, as the labour movements were able to mobilise towards better countries. In this essay, South Africa and Argentinas trade union struggles will be discussed through a political-economic and historical context, and the essay will portray how these two countries share similarities and differences. South Africa: The Nationalist Party, which was a result of many Afrikaners going against the Smuts government, came into power from 1948 to 1994 (Baskin, 1996: 209). The apartheid laws came into full swing in 1948, where racial discrimination became institutionalised, which simply means that the segregation between whites and non-whites was enforced by the apartheid government (Baskin, 1996: 209). These laws played a large role in dictating which races received employment, for example in many cases jobs would be reserved for whites only, and were greatly protected (Baskin, 1996: 211). Trade unions had to struggle with political and industrial relations when trying to fight for the rights of workers (Baskin, 1996: 210). In many cases African trade unions (Black, Indian and Coloured people) were not recognised and so it was a constant fight to try and get recognised as legitimate trade unions (Baskin, 1996: 210). In 1948, the Nationalist government, removed the Industrial Conciliation (Native) Bill that was in effect under the Smut government, and it introduced the Botha Commission (Baskin, 1996: 210). The Botha Commission was greatly criticised by the government as it gave African trade unions the ability to be recognised and to receive bargaining rights (Baskin, 1996: 210). The apartheid government rejected the application of acknowledging the African trade unions, due to the relations most of them had with the African National Congress (ANC), (Baskin, 1996: 211). This was because the ANC became one of the non-white political organisations that  were going against the unjust laws that existed in apartheid South Africa (Baskin, 1996: 211). In 1954 the Minister of Labour introduced the Trade Union Council of South Africa (TUCSA), in order to gain greater solidarity from the white workers, TUCSA also made it clear that their association with African unions was non-existent in order to win over the majority of white conservatives (Baskin, 1996: 214). This brought rise to the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU), also in 1954 (Baskin, 1996: 214). SACTU, made it clear that it was in opposition of the union and political strategies that existed within TUCSA, this was because SACTU posed a large threat to TUCSA, as they argued against the control of African trade unions (Baskin, 1996: 214). SACTU embarked on a journey and agenda that involved political mobilization of the African working class as they continuously became proletarianized by the apartheid government (Baskin, 1996: 214). But to importantly strengthen the political agenda by linking up with the ANC (Baskin, 1996: 214). In 1957, SACTU sent a number of invitations to TUCSA in order to discuss ways in which African unions can be recognised and that collective bargaining for Africans could be considered, even the Minister of Labour was often invited to these discussions and yet both the minister and TUCSA, rejected all the invitations (Baskin, 1996: 224). Examples of the invitations would be that of the local committee of SACTU, appealing to TUCSA for a joint meeting to discuss a statement made by the Minister of Labour about job reservation for semi-skilled and skilled workers, it also refused the invitation given, where SACTU asked for TUCSAs support for the Treason Trials Defense Fund (Baskin, 1996: 224). Therefore this shows that the African trade unions were trying by all means to cooperate with government departments and TUCSA, but they were not interested in any way. SACTU leaders such as the president, Leon Levy and the general secretary Leslie Massina were banned, due to the fact that they were in opposition of TUCSA (Baskin, 1996: 224). By 1959, the alliance between the ANC and SACTU grew strong, as more and more people began to recognise the movement, over 46000 individuals became members of SACTU, these members were largely factory based (Baskin, 1996: 225). SACTU continued to campaign and attracted many Africans (Baskin, 1996:  225). The ANC and SACTU began to draft the Freedom Charter, which was a manifesto of what a democratic South Africa would be, where individuals would not be discriminated against because of their race, sex or disability, amongst others factors (Baskin, 1996: 228). By the time the protest in Sharpville arrived in 1960, there were many grievances that were felt by the African working class, but the main reason for the protest, was to protest against the pass laws and other factors such as constant low wages and poverty (South African History Online, 2012). Pass laws were used to control the movement of non-whites in apartheid South Africa (South African History Online, 2012). The Sharpville protest was a peaceful one and the apartheid police opened fire on the civilians which resulted in a massacre where many lives were lost and so the African unions and ANC, SACP (South African Communist Party) began to intensify when Umkhonto weSizwe, which was the military forces used and occupied by the ANC, SACP and African trade unions in the armed struggle against apartheid (South African History Online, 2012). By 1965, many of the leaders of SACTU either went into exile, executed or were imprisoned at Robben Island and so the union activity died down, as there was no one to lead the organisation (South African History Online, 2012). SACTU was instrumental in paving the way for many of the other trade unions in strengthening their struggle for the working class. The instability in apartheid South Africa, forced the United Nations to condemn the apartheid policies and to request the members of the United Nations and the international community to also condemn the South African apartheid government by stopping any economical and military business they had with South Africa (Budeli, 2009: 68). But dominant companies like Anglo American, Barlow Rand and Gencor, grew tremendously (Baskin, 1991: 113). These companies were negatively affected when non-whites decided to go on strike in 1973, their main grievance being that of low wages, this strike led to industry in South Africa come to a standstill (Budeli, 2009: 68). It became evident that the workers had gotten stronger in the sense that they were able to form pivotal stries without any formal backing from the government (Budeli, 2009: 68). This led to the growth of many unions, which by the end of 1973 resulted in the government introducing the Bantu Labour Relations Act (Budeli, 2009: 68). The act was passed in order to control and  regulate the conditions of black employees, to also regulate the disputes, prevention of disputes and settlements between black employees and their employers, in this way the government was able to belittle any relevance or influence that the African trade unions had (Budeli, 2009: 68). This did not stop the strikes from occuring as they spread through put the country, and the isolation from the international community had a negative affect on the economy of South Africa (Budeli, 2009: 69). This led to the rebirth of many trade unions such as SACTU, and later in 1976 the Soweto Uprising intensified the need for a change in South Africa (Budeli, 2009: 69). By 1979, the South African government felt the pressure from the international community and brought to the table the Weihahn Commission of Inquiry (Budeli, 2009: 69). The Commission had its first report in 1979, as it presented fundamental changes in the labour relations system (Budeli, 2009: 69). The Commission, supported the freedom for all trade unions to make up their own rukes and regulations, amongst other things (Budeli, 2009: 70). The formation of the Federation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU) was also in 1979, where there was central decision-making by a panel of executive committees which represent delegates from all the factories, with the sole role to promote shop floor development and organisation, FOSATU proposing that they will only work with the government, for all races to be able to register to a trade union (Baskin, 1991: 60). FOSATU paved the way for the formation of trade unions such as the National Union of Mine Workers (NUM) in 1982 led by Cyril Ramaposa (Baskin, 1991: 115). NUM was used to protest against horrid working conditions and better wages. In 1984, the government created the tri-cameral parliament, which fundamentally extended political rights and affiliation to Indians and Coloureds excluding black individuals (Budeli, 2009: 72). This made the black people very angry, and to further fight against the apartheid government strategies, the birth of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) occurred in 1985, COSATU formally allied itself with the ANC joining the organisation in the struggle against apartheid (Budeli, 2009: 72). The birth of COSATU was accompanied by a large strike, where a record of 185 000 work days were lost, during industrial activity in January 1986  (Baskin, 1991: 77). Official government records showed that 1985 brought the highest number of strikes in the last ten years, not knowing that the next 12 months were going to be pivotal point in South Africa (Baskin, 1991: 77). Impala Platinum, were in shock when on New Years day 1986, over 36 000 workers put their tools down, at the four Imp ala Platinum mines in Bophuthatswana, this created a large problem as the four mines produced over 30% of the worlds platinum (Baskin, 1991: 77). The miners were in protest against receiving low wages and having to work over time on public holidays without being paid for the extra time, and that their living conditions should be the same as that of their white counterparts, where they are allowed to receive access to marital quarters as well (Baskin, 1991: 78). But even more important, the workers demanded that management should provide facilities to NUM even after management had refused (Baskin, 1991: 78). COSATU had to form their structures, and so they decided to take a participatory approach, where the majority of workers were delegates, and there was mass participation in the decision-making, what was most important to COSATU was to ensure that the workers were taken care and this was done at constantly looking at the grass root level (Baskin, 1991: 112). By the late 1980s COSATU began to have issues within the congress where smaller unions like NUMSA, were unhappy and also conflict with community organisers (Baskin, 1991: 112). But such internal problems did not, distract the working class from the struggle, to the extent in which the apartheid government lost their tight control over the townships, and so the regime became increasingly compromised. By the early 1990s the struggle began to dissolve with the release of Nelson Mandela and the unbanning of the ANC, SACP and PAC and all the other struggle organisations that were involved (Budeli, 2009: 73). Argentina: The military government came into power in 1943, at this time Peron was gaining a lot of recognition and in many ways Perons ideology coincided with that of the working class (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 127). The event that occurred in 1945 on the 17th of October was fundamental in the Argentinen labour movement (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 127). During 1943  and 1944, Perons support base grew tremendously due to the support received from inside the trade unions (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 127). The event that took place on the 17th October, it was the mobilisation of the working class as they demanded the nationalisation of industries, profit sharing for workers, an extensive social security system amongst other demands (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 127). Peron used the event to his advantage by becoming allied with the trade unions by getting all the government employees and their unions to mobilise against the employers who were condemning the reformist social activities and soon to be policies of the military regime (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 128). Union leaders were often eager to ensure the linkage between the military politics and themselves, this was all in 1945 (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 128). Since Peron was the Minister of Labour, he introduced the Law of Professional Associations which amplified the power of the General Confederation Labour (CGT), and also gave the government the ability to allow unions legal status, as a precondition for collective bargaining, which was on the behalf of their members (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 128). Peron chose this way forward as a response to the train drivers, textile and shoe makers unions (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 128). Though Peron was becoming increasingly popular, other military rulers were not taken by Peron, and in actual fact wanted to remove Peron from his position of power, unfortunately for the other military rulers, this did not necessarily affect Perons campaign to win over the working class (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 128). In 1946, Peron was elected into office to be Argentinas president, his first mission was to eradicate the Partido Laborista, to make way for his new party the Peronist party (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 130). Peron created his own kind of ideology, and it was known as Peronism which meant the people and so Anti-Peronism would be enemies against the people (Di Tella Dornbusch, 1989: 91). The CGT became the foundation of the Peronist party (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 131). Even though Peron had succeed in wining over unions, some independent unions under Louis Gay, posed a threat to the succees of his office and in 1947, Peron executed the resignation of Gay, in order to have full control of the labour movement, and not allow the unions to have any political presence (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 131). Peron adopted a corporatist model in Argentina, where the employers, government and unions would come together issues that affected the country (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 131). This was because in many cases, the working class would be striking, and demanding increases of wages being part of the employee contracts and yet the employees continued to refuse, but the turning point was reached in 1948, where higher wages were received due to the increase in the amount strike activity (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 136). Most of these strikes were pleads from the working class, for the improvement of working and living conditions (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 136). Peron had big plans for Argentina, one of which was to turn Argentina into an industrialised country, this was done through the creation of a steel company but by 1950 the industrialisation faced a crisis (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 137). Perons economic policies faced a lot of negative comments by the Catholic Church (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 137). It became intensified when the Catholic Church began to use armed forces in order to make changes, the Church argued that it was no longer feasible that wages could always increase and that profits and capital to keep the companies was going to decrease (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 137). Once the changes were made to the economic policies, real wage began to decrease in 1950, and the economic growth rate fell (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 137). Strike action began to rise, from 1950-1954 there were 125 strikes and 4,006,204 working days were lost (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 138). Even through the minor economic crisis Peron still soared to defend the working class (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 137). In 1955, the working class, the Peron government and CGT had a confrontation with the military, middle class and Catholic Church, many people were killed and a massacre resulted in Plaza De Mayo (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 142). The military were victorious which resulted in Peron being removed from office (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 147). The fall of Peron, caused a period of political instability, which resulted in phases where different organisations would be in office from military regimes (1955-1958), to civilian interludes (1958-1962), or even a  combination of both in 1962-1963 (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 147). In that time span, the factory floor was forced to conform to the new modern strategies that were meant to lead productivity, but two points were important at the time, which is labour resistance and the bureaucratisation of the unions (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 148). The labour resistance was often known as the Peronist resistance as socialist and communist parties became instrumental in the deterioration of Peronism, therefore trade unions became divided into Peronist, Socialist and Communist Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 148), The CGT was often divided between provinces, which resulted in the persecution of many union leaders in the Peronist resistance (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 149). Vandorism became influential in the labour movement, this was because the Frondizi government, which came into power in 1958 had began to make changes in the economic policy, by promoting the privatisation of certain factories (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 152). The state had a confrontation with the labour movement when it was decided that Lisandro de la Torre near Buenos Aires (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 152). Vandorism was greatly a bureaucratic organisation even at the grass-root level, but eventually military coup led to the fall of Vandorism in 1966 (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 157). Military coups became the usual, when from 1966-1971, Argentina went through three presidents, in 1966 it was Ongania, 1969 was Levingston and 1971 was Lanusse (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 166). A new working class emerged, where there was heterogeneity growth, internal diversification and an increase in the decentralisation on growth of labour productivity (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 168). The situation in Cordoba, was a cause for concern as the strike activity in the area increased where workers were protesting against harsh working hours (44 hour week paid as 48) and they were questioning the power of employers in reducing the national wages due to the decrease in economic growth (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 169). Peron came back in 1973 as the president which did not last for a long time, because when Peron died in 1974, his ideologies died with him (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 187). By 1983, free elections had taken place, and the  military regime began to die (223). Similarities: Argentina and South African trade union movements possess many similarities. The first similarity that was noted in both of these case studies, is the commitment of the trade unions in changing the political and economical structures of the countries, as mentioned above, South African trade unions were in constant conflict with the apartheid regime when trying to reform the structures (Baskin, 1996: 210), the same happened in Argentina, when Peron and the trade unions were at the forefront of trying to move the militant regime, in order to satisfy the needs of the working class (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 127). Industrialisation has played a large role in the history of both Argentina and South Africa, and it known that the same patterns of industrialisation existed in the countries (Cooper, 2011: 19). The type of industrialisation that occurred in both countries is that of mass production and often on the manufacturing of engineering parts (Cooper, 2011: 19). The trade unions had a large role to play in the lives of the working class during the industrial booms of the two countries, for example in South Africa in 1986 many of the mine strikes that occurred in South Africa, trade unions such as NUM and COSATU were at the forefront trying to ensure that the interests of the working class are taken into consideration, which was mainly the improvement of working conditions and wage increases, the Impala Platinum strike mentioned above is an example of solid trade union support (Baskin, 1991: 77). In Argentina 1958, there were many talks of privatisation of the factories and this would badly affect the working class as the wages were sure to decrease, in particular there was an intense labour movement formed at Lisandro de la Torre near Buenos Aires, to protest against the privatisation of the factory, Vandorist unions were at the forefront of the protests (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 152). An important similarity would be that of both countries having the labour movements under harsh authoritarian regimes, where a bureaucratic model exists and only to those it benefits (Cooper, 2011:6). Therefore in most cases in both the countries there would be large mobilisation and resistance against the authoritarian rule, as mentioned above the trade unions were  instrumental in coming up with certain policies that assisted the working class (Cooper, 2011: 6). In South Africa, the policy of the Freedom Charter is and example of the trade unions mobilising politically and formally against the apartheid regime (Budeli, 2009: 68). In Argentina, when Peron allied himself with the trade unions, and ensured that the CGT was backing him, it was a clear indication that changes and policies were going to be put into place to loosen the authoritarian control (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 128). Both countries began to rely greatly on foreign aid and foreign investments in the 1950s and 1960s, this played a large in the restructuring of the economy to suit the needs of the foreign corporations than the people living and working in the country (Cooper, 2011: 5). In South Africa there was a large increase in the expenditure on machinery in 1956 and 1960 (Webster, 1985: 9). Argentina had the same thing happen, and the governments inability to effectively deal with the political and economic conflicts gave rise to turning point strikes in the country (Cooper, 2011:19). The last similarity is that the trade unions formed in both countries wanted grass-root democracy and often socialist economic transformation (Cooper, 2011: 25). In South Africa this was done by COSATU, by introducing shop floor delegates in order to deal with the issues that the workers were having directly, this was done in a participatory manner (Baskin, 1991: 112). In Argentina, Vandorism used heavy bureaucrac y as grass root organisation (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 152). Differences: The differences found in the countries are also vital in the comparative analysis. The first difference is that the two countries often had different ideologies in their trade union and political movements, an example would be that most of the trade unions in South Africa such as COSATU had communist policies, even the ANC which as mentioned was the political party that was against the apartheid regime started of with communist political backing with SACP (Budeli, 2009: 73). Whereas in Argentina, Peron made it clear that only his policies that he implemented were to be used and in any cases trade unions who were communist were often deposed by Peron, and so the only successful trade unions in assisting the working were the ones that allied  themselves with Peron, thus the success of socialist or communist trade unions was limited or non-existent (Munck, Falcon Galitelli: 128). South Africas apartheid regime differed from the military regime in Argentina, in the sense that it occurred according to race lines, this simply means that the African unions that represented non-whites were not recognised by the government and so jobs were often just reserved for white people, and there was no protection for non-white workers from the employers (Baskin, 1996: 224). Unlike in Argentina where the labour movement, did not have to concern themselves with racial issues directly. Argentina even under the military regime did not experience the international community condemning the actions taken by government to the extent of actually placing sanctions on the economic, social and political activities in the international community, whereas South Africa had been sanctioned from the international community which was felt directly by the working class as wages became lower and the economy was crippled (Budeli, 2009: 73). Conclusion: In conclusion, Both South African and Argentinas trade unions have been instrumental in the reforms that occurred in both countries. The trade unions were not only revolutionising against the undemocratic regimes, but in the process of doing the trade unions in both countries were highly influential in making the lives of working class better through the struggles that were fought against harsh working conditions and low wages (Cooper, 2011:19). Even though the struggles in both countries lasted for many decades, labour movements in both countries, have improved since the regimes occurred, in the fight for a stronger and more effective working class. List of References: Baskin, J. 1991. Strking Back: A History of COSATU. Johannesburg: Raman Press. Baskin, J. (ed). 1996. Against the Current: Labour and Economic Policy in South Africa. Naledi: Ravan Press. Brysk, A. 1994. The Politics of Human Rights in Argentina: Protest, Change and Democratization. California: Standford University Press. Budeli, M. 2009. â€Å"Workers right to freedom of association and trade unionism in South Africa: An historical perspective†. Fundamina. Vol. 15(2) pp. 57-74. Cooper, D. 2011. â€Å"Locating South Africa in the third world: Comparative perspectives on patterns of industrialisation and political trade unionism in South America†. Social Dynamics: A journal of African studies.Vol. 17(2) pp. 1-40. Di Tella, G., Dornbusch, R. 1989. The Political Economy of Argentina 1946-1983. London: MacMillan Press. Munck, R., Falcon, R., Galitelli, B. Argentina: From Anarchism to Peronism: workers, unions and politics 1885-1985. New Jersey: Zed Books Ltd. Webster, E. (ed). Essays in Southern African Labour History. Johannesburg: Raman Press.

Psychedelic Rock And The Doors

Psychedelic Rock And The Doors Biography: Psychedelic rock is a very famous class of rock music which is influenced or inspired by psychedelic culture. To really understand this genre of music it is important to state exactly what was psychedelic rock. Why it becomes important to see where this form of music originated since the roots of the movement is what inspired the artists of this time period and is also the reason for its evolution. During the era of the flower-child, there was restlessness and strong undercurrents among the youth across North America and Europe, which was looking for freedom from existing societal expectations and norms of that time. This was to become the hippie culture that took the world by storm in the late 1950s and 60s. Among the many ways in which hippies were to make history, along with their commune living and fascination for eastern mysticism, religion and sexual liberation, was the music that characterized the decades of the flower child. (Chatterjee; Buzzle.com, 2010) During this time hallucinogenic drugs were just entering public consciousness, and LSD, mescaline and magic mushrooms, were commonly used and their effects compounded with the combination of alcohol and marijuana lead artists and musicians using these psychedelic drug cocktails to have out-of-body experiences, mind-altering state of awareness and a disconnect from reality, the music that they composed in the shadowy world of hallucinogenic drugs, came to be known as psychedelic music, or psychedelic rock, in homage to the psychedelic drugs that gave rise to the compositions. In the midst of such widespread domination, it was hardly likely that the arts were to be left behind, posters and album covers were just a few of the expressions of 1960s psychedelic art, characterized by their kaleidoscopic colors, diffraction patterns and entropic motifs (Chatterjee; Buzzle.com, 2010). Many rock and folk musicians began to include drug lyrics in their songs as they were using drugs. The Holy Modal Rounders was an American folk music duo from the Lower East Side of New York City which started in the early 1960s, consisting of Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber. Their unique blend of folk music revival and psychedelic rock gave them a cult-like following from the late 1960s into the 1970s. For a time, the band also featured prolific and famous playwright and actor, Sam Shepard. (Wikipedia.com, 2010) The group The 13th Floor Elevators was an American rock band from Austin, Texas in 1965 was the first group to declare themselves as a psychedelic rock band. The band included guitarist and vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug player Tommy Hall, and guitarist Stacy Sutherland, which existed from 1965 to 1969. During their career, the band released four LPs and seven 45s for the International Artists record label. Subsequent to the group 13th Floor Elevators, The Beatles began experimenting with the LSD in 1965 and they introduced most of the major elements of psychedelic s ounds. They began to include drug references in their songs in 1965 and more explicitly in 1966 (Wikipedia.com, 2010). The band, The Byrds moved from pure folk rock to psychedelic rock. They made use of Indian ragas and free jazz and the lyrics that referred to drug use. In one of Britains bands, The Yard Birds moved to the psychedelic usage, adding influences to songs. In the United States, the music scene continued to develop and psychedelic rock began to impact on pop music. The Beach Boys had been experimenting with LSD from 1965 and psychedelic was a major part of the songs. The Haight District-Ashbury District in San Francisco was the center for psychedelic music because of the prominent use of LSD, but there were other cities in America contributed to the new genre but not as centered as Haight-Ashbury. Style Characteristics: Psychedelic rock music had its characteristics. The main elements include electric guitars and heavy drums. However, The Beatles put some Indian Raag in the music. The fusion done by The Beatles was further continued by Jim Morrison is some tracks. However, in general the instrumentals are lead base electric guitars and drums with occasional piano and sometimes sitar. The selection of the instruments was based on the levels and grades of performances. Sometimes leads with drums worked and at places we observe whole orchestras followed by leads, base guitars and pianos. It is right to say that heavy metal; Psychedelic rock has no particular domain of instruments. So like music in this time used different instruments and was not restricted to one particular one. My Own Personal Comments: The Doors were an American rock band that was started in 1965. This band produced a string of hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s (Britannica.com, 2010). This band was founded by singer and poet, Jim Morrison, who became one of rock musics greatest figures. The Doors original members included: Jim Morrison, vocals; Ray Manzarek, who played the keyboards, Robbie Krieger, who played on the lead guitar, and John Densmore, who played the drums. This band included a combination of backgrounds in blues and classical music with the improvisational daring of a rock band (Britannica.com, 2010). With Jim Morrison writing poetry which was called Beat poetry, Robbie Kreiger set these lyrics to music. Kreiger and Dunsmore both belonged to the Psychelic Rangers. (Charlton, p.152). Manzarek and Morrison were friends from the film school in the University of California at Los Angeles. They conceived the idea of forming the group after the singer recited a poem to the keyboardist. This was on a southern beach of California,. Morrison derived the bands name from Aldous Huxleys book titled The Doors of Perception, which also referred to a line in a poem. (Charlton, p.152) The Doors got a reputation for pushing the boundaries of rock composition, both lyrically and musically, in performances at Los Angeles Sunset Strip. (Britannica.com, 2010) The doors breakthrough hit, Light My Fire, became an anthem in 1967. It was songs such as The End, an eleven minute drama which had sexually explicit lyrics and a swirling, oscillation arrangement that gave the band reputation as one of rocks most controversial, potent, and theatrical acts. The group was indeed banned from the Whisky-A-Go-Go event in Los Angeles after an earlier performance of the song. (Britannica.com, 2010) Though the bands ambitious music involved everything from German cabaret to Chicago blues, their string of pop hits made them to be criticized by some people as a teenybopper act. (Britannica.com, 2010) This troubled Morrison deeply as he really wanted acceptance as a serious artist. By the time of the release of the bands third album in 1968, Morrison had created an ego for himself, the Lizard King. Morrisons poem The Celebration of the Lizard King was printed in the record jacket. (Chatterjee; Buzzle.com, 2010) Morrisons concert performances were marred by outrageous stunts, and in 1969 he was arrested for exposing himself on stage, in Miami. The charges were later dropped, but the incident served notice of Morrisons physical decline, in part because of his addiction to alcohol. Morrison took increasing concentrated in his poetry, some of which were published. The groups tours became less frequent. The band reestablished their artistic integrity with the blues steeped Morrison Hotel in 1970. After the groups sixth album, L.A. Woman in 1971 Morrison went to Paris, where he wanted to pursue a literary career. He died there of heart failure at the age of 27 in the year of 1971. (Britannica.com, 2010) The early death of Morrison only enhanced his status as the exemplary rock showman and troubled artist for successive generations. In absence of Morrison, the group produced two albums before breaking up but were reduced to just an instrumental trio.( Charlton, p.153) The remaining band members briefly reunited in 1978 to record An American Prayer, providing backing music for poetry that Jim Morrison had wrote and decided to record it after his death. Manzarek produced albums for the punk band X. In death, Morrison was lionized by fans for generations, both as an icon for youth and as an influence on singers such as, Echo and Iggy Pop Pearl Jams, Eddie Vedder and Bunnymens, Ian McCulloch. The bands releases have continued to sell in the millions, and The Doors, a 1991 movie, was a critical and popular success. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Jim Morrison was born in December 8 1963 and died on July 3, 1971. Ray Manzarek was born on February 12, 1935 in Chicago. Robby Krieger was born on Jan 8, 1946 in Los Angeles. John Densmore was born on December 1, 1945 in Los Angeles. They produced the following albums: The Doors in 1967, Strange Days in1967, Light My Fire in 1967, The Unknown Soldier in 1968, Hello, I Love You 1968, Riders On The Storm 1971 and LA Woman in 1971. To me, if you listen to The Doors album titled Waiting For The sun, you will come to love it. It is one album that you will recommend to your friends. One song that touched me most is Hello, I love you. It is a song that basically talks about love. The last verse was written by Jim Morrison three years prior to the album recordings, while he was observing an attractive African American girl at Venice Beach. The verse states: Sidewalk crouches at her feet; Like a dog that begs for something sweet; Do you hope to make her see you, fool; Do you hope to pluck this dusky jewel? (Wikipedia.com, 2010) The band continued to perform, with little success, and finally broke up in 1972. In 2002, Kreiger and Manzarek reunited to form The Doors of the 21st Century. Densmore, who says he wasnt invited to join the new group, went to court and eventually got a ruling preventing the group from using The Doors in its name. The group now performs as Riders On The Storm (White, 2010). In conclusion, Psychedelic Rock during its time revolutionized the whole culture. Not only in America or England, it influenced music from all over the world. It was the first time when the concept of Asian and Western music emerged and Sir John Lennon blended both music forms. Jim Morrison was no doubt the pioneer and is still worshiped by the admirers. The Doors worked as a role model for many new and up and coming bands and his music is present even in bands music and lyrics today. To me, it is so sad to lose brilliant artists, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Bon Scott and the list could go on and on and could state how each one of these young artists effected their time that they lived and how they affect the music now. We must all remember those who shaped music from its earliest beginnings. Work Cited Britannica.com (2010) Kot, Greg. The Doors. Retrieved on 27 Nov 2010 from http://www.britannica.com/psychedelic/bands/doors.html Charlton, K. Rock Music Styles A History 6th Edition, Pages 152-153, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 1998. Chatterjee, Tilottama . Psychedelic Rock. Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. (2010) Buzzle.com, Web. 27 Nov 2010. Retrieved on 27 Nov 2010 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/psychedelic-rock.html White, Dave. The Doors Biography Profile of The Doors. Classic Rock Bands Songs Artists CDs DVDs MP3s Lyrics and History of Classic Rock. About.com, a part of The New York Times Company., Web. 27 Nov 2010. http://classicrock.about.com/od/a1/ig/The-Doors/11-09_cl.htm Wikipedia.com (2010) The Doors Hello, I love you. Retrieved on 27 Nov 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello,_I_Love_You Wikipedia.com (2010) Holy Modal Rounders. Retrieved on 27 Nov 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Modal_Rounders Wikipedia.com (2010) The 13th Floor Elevators. Retrieved on 27 Nov 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_13th_Floor_Elevators

Interview With Middle School Principal Essay -- Interview Essays

An effective school leader possesses skills to create, implement, evaluate, improve and share a staff development plan. I met with Ben Rhodes, Sandy Creek Middle School’s principal, to interview him on the specific elements of his yearly staff development plan. We began with the design process focusing on the district and school goals. District goals include improving literacy across the content areas in reading and writing, Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum (GVC). Guaranteed and Viable Technology (GVT), and Closing the Achievement Gap (Equity in Excellence). Using a variety of assessments to focus on specific needs, Ben Rhodes and Mary Sonya, our Pupil Achievement Specialist, examined CSAP, Explore, MAP, and RAD data. They use the Colorado Growth Model to help guide them to determine if students have made adequate yearly progress. Together, they created the plan that included the district goals mentioned above as well as continuing to include new technology skills, informatio n on special education changes with Response to Intervention (RTI), maintaining current staff implementation of literacy goals and a new goal of raising achievement in math. In deciding how to meet the skill needs of the teaching staff, Ben begins with the hiring process. Knowing what our School Improvement Plan goals are, his interview questions include specific skills and knowledge that will help Falcon Creek students meet these achievement goals. Mr. Rhodes is very clear about his high expectations of the teaching staff. He is currently in Denver University’s P.H. D. program in Educational Leadership and he utilizes his knowledge of best practice research. His assessments of staff learning needs are gleaned from a variety of sources that include feedbac... ...district trains staff with new technology tools that will include net books, mounted projectors, peripheral technologies, new student achievement reporting system (aka RAD and DAS systems running on Brio software, new access points, that centralizes the management console, so students and staff will be able to connect to the CCSD wireless network at all school sites. Training will also be provided to refine the RTI process. Using district and school goals, assessing needs using the right data, planning specific content and processes to teach best instructional practices, providing resources to ensure success, measuring success and providing frequent feedback, adjusting practices as needed to ensure successful implementation, evaluating and improving strategies and then sharing the plan with the community has been key to ensuring the highest student achievement.

Indian Gdp

India Economy GDP India’s economy is the twelfth largest in the world in terms of market exchange rates. Since liberalization of the economy in 1991, the economy has progressed towards a market-based system from a regulated and protected one. The country became the second fastest growing economy in the world in 2008. India Economy GDP growth rate was 6. 1% in 2009. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the measure of a country’s economic performance. It is the market value of all the goods and services produced in a year. GDP can be calculated in three ways namely through the product (or output) approach, expenditure approach and income approach. The product approach is the most direct one which calculates the total product output of each class. The expenditure approach calculates the total value of the products bought by an individual which should be equal to the expenditure of the things bought. The expenditure approach calculates the sum of all the producers' incomes where the incomes of the productive factors are equal to the value of their product. In 2007, the Indian economy GDP crossed over a trillion dollar which made it one of the twelve trillion dollar economy countries in the world. There has been excellent progress in knowledge process services, information technology, and high end services. But the economic growth has been sector and location specific. The trend for India’s GDP growth rate are given below – 1960-1980 – 3. 5% 1980-1990 – 5. 4% 1990-2000 – 4. 4% 2000-2009 – 6. 4% Contribution of different sectors in GDP Below are the contributions of different sectors in the India’s GDP for 1990-1991 –   Agriculture: – 32% Service Sector: – 41% Industry: – 27% Below are the contributions of different sectors in the India’s GDP for 2005-2006-   Agriculture: – 20% Service Sector: – 54% Industry: – 26% Below are the contributions of different sectors in the India’s GDP for 2007-2008- Agriculture: – 17% Service Sector: – 54% Industry: – 29% The service sector contributes more than half of India’s GDP. Earlier agriculture was the main contributor to the GDP. To improve the GDP and boost the economy, the government has taken various steps like implementation of FDI policies, SEZ’s and NRI investments. The GDP growth rate slowed down to 6. 1% in 2009. In 2006, the country’s trade contributed to around 24% of the GDP from 6% in 1985. According to Goldman Sachs, India’s GDP in current prices may overtake France and Italy by 2020, Russia, Germany and UK by 2025 and Japan by 2035. It is also predicted that Indian economy will be the third largest after US and China by 2035. In 2007, agriculture contributed around 16. 6% of the GDP. Even though its share has been declining, agriculture plays a major role in the India’s socio economic development. Industry contributes around 27. 6% of the GDP (2007 est). The services sector contributed to 55% of the GDP in 2007. The IT industry contributed around 7% of the GDP in 2008 which was 4. 8% in 2005-06. Remittances from overseas Indian migrants were around $27 billion or around 3% of the GDP of India’s economy in 2006. Indian Economy-Facts on India GDP †¢ The Indian economy is the 12th largest in the world †¢ It ranks 5th pertaining to purchasing power parity (PPP) according to the latest calculation of the World Bank †¢ The GDP of India in the year 2007 was US $1. 09 trillion †¢ India is the one of the most rapidly growing economies in the world †¢ The growth rate of the India GDP was 9. 4% per year Due to the huge population the per capita income in India is $964 at nominal and $4,182 at PPP Points to remember while calculating India GDP †¢ Calculating India GDP has to be done cautiously pertaining to the diversity of the Indian Economy. †¢ There are different sectors contributing to the GDP in India such as agriculture, textile, manufacturing, information technology, telecommunication, petroleum, etc. †¢ The different sectors contributing to the India GDP are classified into three segments, such as primary or agriculture sector, secondary sector or manufacturing sector, and tertiary or service sector. With the introduction of the digital era, Indian economy has huge scopes in the future to become one of the leading economies in the world. †¢ India has become one of the most favored destinations for outsourcing activities. †¢ India at present is one of the biggest exporter of highly skilled labor to different countries †¢ The new sectors such as pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology, biotechnology, telecommunication, aviation, manufacturing, shipbuilding, and tourism would experience very high rate of growth How to calculate India GDP- The method of  Calculating India GDP  is the expenditure method, which is, GDP = consumption + investment + (government spending) + (exports-imports) and the formula is GDP = C + I + G + (X-M) Where, †¢ C stands for consumption which includes personal expenditures pertaining to food, households, medical expenses, rent, etc †¢ I stands for business investment as capital which includes construction of a new mine, purchase of machinery and equipment for a factory, purchase of software, expenditure on new houses, buying goods and services but investments on financial products s not included as it falls under savings †¢ G stands for the total government expenditures on final goods and services which includes investment expenditure by the government, purchase of weapons for the military, and salaries of public servants †¢ X stands for gross exports which includes all goods and services produced for overseas consumption †¢ M stands for gross imports which includ es any goods or services imported for consumption and it should be deducted to prevent from calculating foreign supply as domestic supply Recent developments in Indian GDP Over the past 4 quarters India Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has extended 6. 10%. According to World Bank report, India Gross Domestic Product accounts to 1217 billion dollars or 1. 96% of the world economy. India being a diverse economy incorporates customary village farming, handicrafts and wide range of contemporary industry and services. Services are considered as a chief factor behind the economic elevation accounting for more than half of India’s productivity. Since 1997, Indian economy has registered an average growth rate of more than 7%, minimizing poverty rate by around 10%. India’s GDP grew at a notable 9. 2 per cent in the year 2006-2007. Now that the service sector accounts for more than half of the GDP is a landmark in the economic history of India and helps the nation to come closer to the basics of an industrial economy. Where does India stand? India is positioned as one of the major economies worldwide in terms of the purchasing power parity (PPP) of the gross domestic product (GDP) by chief financial units of the world such as the International Monetary Fund, the CIA and the World Bank. In terms of agricultural output India is the second largest. Industries related to the agriculture have also played an important role in the up gradation of the nation’s economy by opening up employment avenues in the forestry, fishing and logging sectors. For the elevation in the production volume in Indian agriculture various five year plans should also be given due credit. Improvements in irrigation methods as well as usage of modern technologies have also added value to the agriculture processes. In terms of factory output India ranks 14th in quantity produced by industrial sector. Gas, mining, electricity and quarrying industries also play major developmental roles and contribute in a major way to the GDP. Latest snapshots of India Per Capita GDP †¢ India’s Per Capita Income stood at Rs 19040 in the year 2002-03 †¢ In 2003-04 India Per Capita Income was Rs 20989. †¢ Per Capita Income in India was Rs 23241 in 2004-05. †¢ In the fiscal year 2008-2009 the Per Capita GDP in India was Rs 37490. †¢ Per Capita GDP at factor rate at regular (1999-2000) prices in the FY 2008-2009 is estimated to reach a level of Rs 3351653. †¢ In 2008-2009 India attained a growth rate of 7. per cent. †¢ A collective growth rate of 2. 6 per cent in the field of agriculture, forestry and fishing was witnessed in the FY 2008-2009 †¢ Service industry had a growth rate of 10. 3 per cent in 2008-2009 †¢ During 2008-2009 industry saw a growth rate of 3. 4 per cent. Indian States in terms of Per Capita Income †¢ Jharkhand and Orissa whic h are considered as two backward states are increasingly developing in terms of per capita income. This expansion is facilitated by the growth of business activities taking place in these two mineral rich states. Jharkhand with per capita income of Rs 14,990 has posted 16. 6 per cent rise. †¢ Orissa is a spectator of an steady growth of 11. 5 per cent in per capita income (Rs 14. 795) †¢ The industrialized Gujarat and Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are rated among the top states with per capita income more than Rs 20,734 †¢ Karnataka has per capita income nearly 9. 28% followed by Gujarat and Tamil Nadu at 8. 92% and 8. 46% respectively. †¢ Delhi and Goa however has lower growth rate at 6. 9 per cent and 6 per cent respectively but ranks the highest in per capita income at Rs 49172 and Rs. 7507 respectively. †¢ Chhattisgarh with turbulence in social, political and economic front registered a growth of 8. 8 per cent. However, the average income base is very minimal at Rs. 16,365. †¢ Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are yet to make a mark in the category of highest per capita income as the growth measures in these states are yet to be implemented. †¢ At per capita income of Rs. 12566, Rs. 10637 and Rs. 6610 of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar respectively, these states have the sluggish rates of 2. per cent, 3. 1 per cent and 3. 7 per cent respectively. †¢ 17 states have per capita income less than the national average of 8. 4%. India’s Per Capita Income in coming years India’s per capita income is predicted to rise in coming years. FY 2008-09 was expected to witness more than double of per capita income over the last seven years to Rs 38,084, indicating enhancement in the living standards of an average Indian citizen. The highest increase in per capita income was seen during 2006-07 in terms of percentage which stood at 13. %. However, after reducing for inflation (at 1999-2000 rates), the per capita income is predicted to grow to Rs25,661, indicating an upsurge of 5. 6%. In conclusion, as compared to other nations, India has performed well inspite of the global financial meltdown. GDP India Growth Rate India is considered as one of the best players in the world economy in the past few decades, but rapidly increasing inflation and the intricacies in administering the world’s biggest democracy are acting as the major hurdle in the field of development. Indian economy in recent years has been consistently performing with flying colors, escalating 9. 2% in 2007 and 9. 6% in 2006. This uninterrupted expansion is assisted by markets restructuring, huge infusions of FDI, increasing foreign exchange reserves, boom in both IT and real estate sectors, and a thriving capital market. The latest reviews of the India GDP growth rate are as under – †¢ For the first quarter of 2007-08 GDP posted a growth of 9. 3% and stood at Rs 7,23,132 crore, as compared to the consequent quarter of previous fiscal year †¢ In the quarter of April-June economy of India grew at 9. %. The progress was triggered by construction, manufacturing, services and agriculture industries †¢ For the week concluded July 28, 2007, the yearly inflation rate was 4. 45% †¢ Balance of Payments in India is predicted to remain contended †¢ Merchandise Exports registered steady growth †¢ Manufacturing posted 11. 95 expansion Difference between GD P and GDP Growth Rate Retail spending, government expenses exports and inventory levels determine GDP growth rate. Elevation in imports will affect GDP growth in a negative way. Economic strength of a nation is indicated by the GDP growth rate. Development in GDP will eventually boom business, employment opportunities and personal income. On the flip side, if GDP slows down, then business ventures and already established enterprises will come to a halt. This will call off monetary infusion in new purchases, tie-ups and recruiting new employees till the economy gain pace. As a result the GDP further deteriorates because the consumers do not have sufficient money to spend on buying a product or service. India GDP growth rate in 2009 According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) economic growth rate of India is predicted to dip by 6. per cent in the fiscal year 2009. IMF has further stated that this relegation is unavoidable because the Asian nations are not fully impervious to the global financial crisis and its consequent negative effects. IMF's World Economic Outlook (WEO), released in Washington on October 8, 2008, explains the slopping of GDP growth rate in the last three years. In 2007 GDP growth rate was 9. 3 per cent while in 2008 it dipped to 7. 8 per cent and would end up at 6. 9 per cent in 2009. The analysis also asserted that Asia’s economic growth rate is expected to undergo a negative transition in the coming fiscal year. Year 2008 witnessed a 7. 7 per cent decline in GDP growth rate of Asia which would eventually end up at 7. 1 per cent in 2009. Financial market worldwide underwent a severe slowdown after the September 08 market turmoil and is becoming financially fragile day by day. The weak financial market is incapable of attracting investors’ attention. India has also suffered a major setback in the year 2005-07 according to IMF, when the worldwide stock markets slipped radically. LAST 5 YEAR’S GDP FOR DIFFERENT SECTORS: TABLE: 1 AGRICULTURE Year |Agriculture | | |At Constant Prices |At Current Prices | |2004-05 |482910 |552422 | |2005-06 |511114 |625635 | |2006-07 |531315 |686044 | |2007-08 |557122 |782597 | |2008-09 |566045 |861753 | TABLE: 2 INDUSTRY Year |Industry | | |At Constant Prices |At Current Prices | |2004-05 |468451 |598271 | |2005-06 |506519 |679781 | |2006-07 |560775 |794127 | |2007-08 |602032 |898627 | |2008-09 |617882 |985297 | TABLE: 3 MINING & QUARRYING |Mining & Quarrying | | | | |Year | | | |At Constant Prices |At Current Prices | |2004-05 |52591 |84776 | |2005-06 |55164 |94533 | |2006-07 |60038 |106024 | |2007-08 |61999 |117431 | |2008-09 |64244 |125414 | TABLE: 4 MANUFACTURING Year |Manufacturing | | |At Constant Prices |At Current Prices | |2004-05 |361115 |453603 | |2005-06 |393842 |519743 | |2006-07 |440193 |617648 | |2007-08 |476303 |705130 | |2008-09 |487739 |780405 | TABLE: 5 ELECTRICITY, GAS & WATER SUPPLY Year |Electricity, Gas & Water Supply | | |At Constant Prices |At Current Prices | |2004-05 |54745 |59892 | |2005-06 |57513 |65505 | |2006-07 |60544 |70455 | |2007-08 |63730 |76066 | |2008-09 |65899 |79478 | TABLE: 6 SERVICES Year |Services | | |At Constant Prices |At Current Prices | |2004-05 |1437407 |1727008 | |2005-06 |1598468 |1976969 | |2006-07 |1779029 |2299212 | |2007-08 |1970563 |2639668 | |2008-09 |2155448 |3086132 | TABLE: 7 CONSTRUCTION Year |Construction | | |At Constant Prices |At Current Prices | |200 4-05 |158212 |212807 | |2005-06 |183868 |264173 | |2006-07 |205543 |319180 | |2007-08 |226325 |376266 | |2008-09 |242577 |437017 | TABLE: 8 TRADE,HOTEL,TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION Year | Trade, Hotel, Transport and Communications | | |At Constant Prices |At Current Prices | |2004-05 |615849 |706073 | |2005-06 |690399 |809870 | |2006-07 |778896 |947096 | |2007-08 |875398 |1090708 | |2008-09 |954589 |1246718 | TABLE: 9 FINANCE, INSURANCE, REAL ESTATE & BUSINESS SERVICES |Year | Finance, Insurance, Real Estate & Business Services | | |At Constant Prices |At Current Prices | |2004-05 |323080 |405081 | |2005-06 |359888 |452469 | |2006-07 |409472 |524019 | |2007-08 |457584 |594096 | |2008-09 |493356 |691221 | TABLE: 10 COMMUNITY, SOCIAL & PERSONAL SERVICES |Year | Community, Social & Personal Services | | |At Constant Prices At Current Prices | |2004-05 |340266 |403047 | |2005-06 |364313 |450457 | |2006-07 |385118 |508917 | |2007-08 |411256 |578598 | |2008-09 |464926 |711176 |

Components of civic education Essay

The core meaning of civic education is that it is a subject that promotes civic knowledge, civic skills, civic values and civic dispositions. Civic knowledge is concerned with the content or what citizens out to know, it is thorough familiarization with what civic life constitutes. It is having an understanding about basic principles of democracy, politics, elections, institutions. Having the understanding of the rights and responsibilities, knowledge of what rights and responsibilities our political leaders have. Social relationships in the community entails levels of civic knowledge, an understanding that their different cultures. It is about having an understanding of current issues, the functionality of institutions and sustainable development. Civic skills, with regard to the three positions given on the meaning of civic education it promotes practical skills meaning service learning and common awareness hence for people to discharge their responsibilities and exercise their rig hts as citizens, the need for skills, participatory and intellectual capabilities becomes paramount. Intellectual skills in civics and government are inseparable from content, these skills are sometimes called thinking skills. The National Standards of Civics and Government categorize these skills as identifying and describing; explaining and analyzing; and evaluating, taking and defending positions in public affairs. A good civic education enables one to identify or give the meaning or significance of things that are tangible such as the flag, national monuments or civics and political events. It also enables one to give the meaning or significance of intangibles, such as ideals or concepts including patriotism, majority and minority rights, civil society, and constitutionalism. Civic disposition’s refers to the traits of private and public character essential to maintenance and improvement of constitutional democracy. Civic dispositions develop slowly as a result of what one learns and experiences in the home, school, community and organization of civil society. These experiences include understanding that democracy requires the responsible self governance of each individual; one cannot exist without the other. Traits of private character, such as moral responsibility, self discipline, and respect for the worth and human dignity of every individual are imperative. Traits of public character are public spiritedness, civility, respect for the rule of law, crucial/ critical mindedness and  willingness to listen, negotiate and compromise are inseparable to democracy’s success. These bring about the intention to be active in the community, to participate in civil society as well as in particular political community. The importance of civic dispositions, or the â€Å"habits of the heart† as Alexis de Tocqueville called them, can scarcely be overemphasized.