Welfare State and Social Policies in Britain

Welfare State and Social Policies in Britain What are the essential characteristics of ‘conservative’ welfare states? Given that welfare states are normally associated with left of centre governments, and the supposed hostility of conservative right wing parties toward high levels of state intervention, the term ‘conservative welfare states’ seems somewhat of an anomaly. Nonetheless, there are definite examples of conservative states that not only refrain from fighting the welfare state but actually encourage the dependence of citizens on the government. This can be traced back to the Bismarckian ‘corporatist’ system of 19th century Germany, in which it was seen as in the interests of the state to look after the welfare of its citizens. This type of welfare state (in its extreme form) is less about reducing inequality and improving citizens lives than it is maintaining the status quo – a hierarchical system based on a culture of dependence (Esping-Anderson, 1990). Conservative welfare states are often religious and/or nationalist in nature, with a strong emphasis on family values. Epitomising such characteristics is arguably George Bush’s current reign. Despite initial cuts in public expenditure, government spending has actually increased faster under Bush than it did under Bill Clinton, with an increase of almost 33%. The religious aspect of Bush’s conservative system is illustrated with reference to his 2001 pledge to give billions of dollars to faith-based charities. Accepting the inevitability of ‘big government’ (and thus the end of Conservative emphasis on cutting spending), the republican government under Bush has prioritised public spending partly according to religious preferences. Therefore, a ‘conservative’ welfare state is one which uses welfare as a control mechanism, to advance a particular way of thinking – for instance religion, nationalism – on its citizens. What impact has social policy in Britain had on minority ethnic groups? One of the greatest challenges for social policy in Britain has been to encompass minority ethnic groups, and in many ways it has failed to achieve this. Bochel points out that for many years social policy has been reluctant to recognize ethnic diversity, intending to be universal in character, so the issue of race has long been overlooked. This has had a significant impact on minority ethnic groups as the discrimination that they most definitely suffer in the labour market and in the community has not been properly addressed. Research has shown that men and women from ethnic minority groups are twice as likely to be unemployed as white Britons, and other social indicators echo this pattern. Ethnic minorities are also more likely to undertake low-paid, low-skilled work, and the vicious circle that stems from this – inferior housing, poorer living standards, and substandard schools in deprived areas – is actually partly caused by the welfare state system, which instituti onalises this discrimination. The unique problems faced by ethnic minorities must be addressed individually, and until recently social policy has failed to do this. Furthermore, the emphasis on tackling crime that has underpinned New Labour’s social policy and that of the previous Conservative governments has impacted on ethnic minorities due to the often discriminatory nature of initiatives to cut crime. The ‘stop and search’ programme is unfairly targeted toward black youths, to the extent that many believe being black is tantamount to a social problem (McGhee, 2005). Such flaws in British social policy have undoubtedly contributed to a growing sense of isolation amongst ethnic minority groups, and thus it could be argued that social policy is often more harmful than beneficial. What have been the most significant changes in the size and use of public social expenditure in the UK in the past 30 years? The 1970s certainly marked a watershed in British history with regard to the welfare state; however, to claim that the past 30 years has witnessed a roll-back of the state and a decline in public spending is at best too simplistic and at worst incorrect. In fact, research has shown that from the late 1970s, public spending as a proportion of GDP has remained fairly stable. Thatcher certainly espoused the merits of small government and individualism and bemoaned the high levels of government spending associated with the economic crises of the 1970s, but the welfare state had become entrenched in British society, practically to the point of no return. There have, though, been significant changes in the use of public spending, as governments have been forced to re-prioritise spending (Alcock et al). For example, spending on education has increased in the past 30 years, whereas the Conservative and New Labour governments have attempted to tighten their budgets in the area of income suppo rt through an increase in means testing for benefits. NHS spending has also increased significantly under Labour following the 1999 Comprehensive Spending Review, by approximately 4.7% annually (Alcock et al). Ultimately, governments in the past 30 years have strived to improve the efficiency of public services, and this has accounted for the changes in the use of public social expenditure. What was distinctive about the ‘classic welfare state’ in Britain from the 1940s to the 1970s? Although it is important not to overlook the pre-1940 foundations upon which the welfare state was built, one cannot deny that the concept of the welfare state was most fully realized in Britain between 1940 and 1970. Building on the strong sense of collectivism that characterized the war years, the public and the government alike reached the consensus that state intervention was necessary to ensure that Britain would meet its full economic potential. It is widely regarded that the subsequent policies stemmed from a combination of the economic philosophy of John Maynard Keynes and the social philosophy of William Beveridge. The fact that a basic framework of social policy emerged for the first time was distinctive because it complemented the political and economic rights afforded to citizens from the turn of the century. Moreover, it represented the beginning of a rights-based citizenship in Britain (Alcock et al). It was also effectively the first time since the development of polit ical parties that the common good of the nation prevailed over partisan differences. Asa Briggs’ classic essay identified three principal elements of the welfare state which were distinctive from the pre-war period. The aim was to ensure the guarantee of minimum standards (including income), social protection by the state at times of need and the provision of services at a maximum level (Briggs, 1985). Another distinctive factor was that this protection was to be universal – unlike the poor laws of the Victorian times, access to welfare was to be ‘free at the point of delivery’ for all, without the stigma previously attached to welfare support. Of course, the ideal of the welfare state was never truly realized and disagreements regarding policy were common, but the consensus that emerged from the Second World War undoubtedly marked a major turning point in British history regarding the development of social policy. References Alcock, C. Introducing Social Policy, Harlow: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004. Bochel, H. Social Policy: Issues and Development, Oxford University Press, 2005 Briggs, A. The Collected Essays of Asa Briggs, Harvester Press, 1985 Esping-Anderson, G. The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, Cambridge, 1990 McGhee, D. Intolerant Britain, Open University Press, 2005

The Unconstitutionality of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 Essay

The Unconstitutionality of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 The U.S. Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 on February 1, 1996. Title V of this Act was the Communications Decency Act, or CDA, whose main goal was to regulate pornography on the Internet. It was intended to be similar to the regulations that had already been passed allowing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate indecency on radio and Television (â€Å"Communications†). According to the Center for Democracy and Technology, the CDA prohibited â€Å"posting ‘indecent’ or ‘patently offensive’ materials in a public forum on the Internet – including web pages, newsgroups, chat rooms, or online discussion lists† (â€Å"Overview†). This could have potentially come to prohibit from the Internet some classic texts and other material which, although offensive to some, is protected in print under the First Amendment. It is also important to note that child pornography, which was a reason many supporte d the CDA, was already illegal under laws passed before the CDA (â€Å"Overview†). For these reasons, the CDA was challenged and ruled unconstitutional in a District Court in Pennsylvania, and the Supreme Court eventually upheld that decision (â€Å"Communications†). In what could almost be considered a primary source, David L. Sobel of the University of Florida College of Law outlined many arguments against the CDA. His article in the Journal of Technology Law and Policy (University of Florida College of Law) was written after the March 21, 1996 decision in the Philadelphia, PA District Court but before the case ever went to the Supreme Court in Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union on June 26, 1997 (Sobel). It is interesting to note that many of Sobel’s ar... ...cessed 6 November 2004. http://www.cdt.org/speech/cda/ â€Å"Communications Decency Act.† Wilkipedia Online Encyclopedia. Online. Accessed 6 November 2004. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Decency_Act. Sobel, David L. â€Å"The Constitutionality of the Communications Decency Act: Censorship on the Internet.† Journal of Technology Law and Policy (University of Florida College of Law). 1:1, Spring 1996. Online. Accessed 6 November 2004. http://journal.law.ufl.edu/~techlaw/1/sobel.html Stevens, John Paul. â€Å"Opinion of the Court: Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.† Argued: March 19. 1997 --- Decided: June 26, 1997. Legal Information Institute. Online. Accessed 6 November 2004. http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/search/display.html?terms=CDA&url=/supct/html/histo rics/USSC_CR_0521_0844_ZO.html

Policing in the United States Essay

Does homeland security issues influence the way police enforce the law? Please give an example. I agree with the statement that homeland security issues do influence the way the police enforce the law. My reasons for doing so will make most people agree with me. If a country is very strict about its homeland security issues example the United States after the 9/11 attacks, the police will have a more autocratic role to play. In contrast to this, a country which is seemingly lax about its security issues such as India (where policemen are not equipped with weapons but with sticks to deal with any anomaly in the law and order situation) or even the United States before the September 11 attacks, will see the police play more of a peace keeping role than a reformatory and punishing one. If the country is at high risks from terrorists, policemen will be influenced such that they will be more stringent in their duty performance, will check every suspicious person or suspicious looking immigrant etc. similarly, if the country is at risk from bomb threats or hijacking threats, the policemen will be more then strict in the performance of their duties. So the circumstances of a country do affect police enforcement of the law. An apt example over here (if an example of a country other then the US can be given) can be given of Pakistan and the emergency it imposed in November 2007. The police were given sweeping powers such that they could arrest people without proper investigation all in the name of maintaining proper law and order in the country (Thomas , 2006). Does Policing in the United States presents a dilemma between the rights of the individual and the need to maintain public order? Please explain and give an example. To this question, my answer would also be yes. I would say this is mainly because of the September 11 attacks and the big affect it has had on our country’s security. On one hand, the United States condones the rights of individuals and declares human beings’ sanctity to be above that of the Higher Being. But on the other hand, its law enforcement methods, particularly in regards to immigrants, especially Muslims, leave a lot to be desired. If the Human Rights act gives everyone permission to freely practice their religions, then this country has no right to subject certain people to greater suspicion only on the basis of their religion (Anthony, 2001). Similarly, the rights of an individual grant him the freedom to live his life as he seems fit. At the same time, police often interrupt bar room brawls and arrest drunkards. So this is not following the human rights act to its letter. An example of this conflict between the rights of individuals and the need to maintain public law and order is of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp on the shore of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Rights of individuals are abused there such as keeping them in indefinite detention, torture, beatings, locking in confined cells and sleep deprivation. But the United States government under George Bush argued that such measures were necessary if the American Public was to sleep safe at night as the men were all dangerous terrorists and criminals. Now President Obama has ordered the detention camp to be closed but it is still an apt example when discussing the above statement. Q3: How does the era of Homeland security affect community policing? Please explain and give an example. Community policing involves expansion of police functions and no longer a stress on traditional police duties. It proposes big changes in the way things have always been done including organizational change, liaison with external sources to solve problems and a more proactive approach to solving problems. It deals in many different areas such as school safety where it recommends assigning police officers to schools and educating teenagers on the danger of possessing firearms to police integrity which targeted trust between the community and the police. It was a relatively adequate policy until the disastrous September 11, 2001 attacks where the police were forced to rethink their strategy. They started concentrating more on pressing security concerns and terror attacks and suddenly this Community Policing system was termed inadequate (Wesley , 2003). I disagree with this current policy because in my opinion, Community Policing was a very balanced approach, where service provision, crime control and order maintenance were given equal weight age. It is followed now to a lesser extent because policemen are now too busy addressing security concerns to concern themselves with building a healthy relationship with the community. But seeing the benefits of this method, the country has started adopting it in its spirit again such as the number of people being employed by the US Police Department is steadily increasing over the years. References Book Thomas, F. A. (2006). Police Field Operations. Prentice Hall. Anthony, M. (2001). Public Order and Law . Boydell Press. Wesley, G. S. (2003). Community Policing. Wadsworth Publishing.

Free Essays on The Porter

, a treasonous liar. The second sinner is a man who more often than not, tells lies and is deceitful. The Porter notes that the man has ‘committed treason enough for God’s sake.’ This is a representation of Macbeth, who is deceitful towards his king and his friend. The final sinner is an English tailor who stole... Free Essays on The Porter Free Essays on The Porter Shakespeare’s Macbeth has a most interesting scene of comic relief in Act Two, Scene Three in which the Porter is keeping a vigil over the castle gates. As put by the Weird Sisters in the initial scene of the initial act of the play, what is ‘fair is foul’ and what is ‘foul is fair,’ thus instituting the play’s series of contrasts. Parallel to this foundation, this comic scene allows humor, but also displays itself as one of seriousness concurrently. In this scene, the Porter imagines himself as the Saint Peter of Hell and the castle gates as the Hell-Gate. This scene of comedy actually has a lot of implications. The Porter, in a way, is truly guarding the gates of a figurative hell. A murder has just been committed by Macbeth inside the castle walls, now stained with betrayal, murder, and lies. Hell’s fortress is not only a place stained with sin, but is also a place to torture those who have committed it. Macbeth, the Devil of his sel f-erected Hell is tortured by visions of hands after his eyes and insomnia since there is no rest in Hell. As the Gatekeeper of Hell, it is the Porter’s job to send people into its ‘battlements.’ The first person the Porter lets in is a farmer who has hung himself because he expected an abundance of crops during the year, but there was none. The first sinner is a representation of Lady Macbeth, who had expected that murdering the king and gaining power would be her greatest fantasy, but she ultimately goes insane, and driven by guilt, she commits suicide, just as this passage foreshadows with the farmer hanging himself. The second person is an equivocator in other words, a treasonous liar. The second sinner is a man who more often than not, tells lies and is deceitful. The Porter notes that the man has ‘committed treason enough for God’s sake.’ This is a representation of Macbeth, who is deceitful towards his king and his friend. The final s inner is an English tailor who stole...

The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken Free Online Research Papers â€Å"The Road Not Taken† has many different interpretations. Everyone is a traveler choosing the roads to follow on their continuous journey in life. When reading this poem it all depends on your life experiences in the past, present, and your outlook on the future how you interpret it. In the first stanza, the emphasis is on the road that was not traveled. Frost wants to travel both but he cannot â€Å"and be one traveler.† The poem shows that he believes that it is the road that one chooses in life that makes him the man he is. The is a strong sense of regret before the choice is made because he knows that in one lifetime he cannot travel down every road. Before making the final decision on which path to take, the traveler â€Å"looked down one as far as I could.† The road that is chosen leads to the unknown, as the same with any choice in life. It is the way that he chooses here that sets him off on his journey and decides where he is going. He takes the other road that is â€Å"grassy and wanted wear.† The road he chooses has a â€Å"better claim† because it is the road that is less traveled on. By taking this road it shows that he is the type of person that wants to try something new and different. The leaves that cover the ground have not been stepped on and â€Å"no step had trodden black,† indicates that no one has walked down the road since the leaves had fallen, therefore describing a road not traveled. â€Å"I kept the first for another day† still shows the desire to travel down both paths. At the end of the poem, â€Å" I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence,† shows he knows someday he will look back and have some regret that he did not go back and take the other road. â€Å"I took the road less traveled by, And that has made all the difference† means that he does not regret choosing the less traveled road because if he had not he would not have had the life experiences that he did. Research Papers on â€Å"The Road Not Taken†Mind TravelAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Hip-Hop is ArtEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenWhere Wild and West MeetResearch Process Part OneThe Spring and AutumnCapital PunishmentThe Hockey GameAnalysis Of A Cosmetics Advertisement

Wildlife Photography for the Amateur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Wildlife Photography for the Amateur - Essay Example This passion must have also been through vast experiences with nature, though trekking, mountain climbing, biological studies, or even habitual adventurism. Subject matter refers to the focus, the topic, or the object and image of the photographer's interest. In wildlife photography, subject matter refers to any living, non-living or moving object in the wildlife, but mostly, the animals. The subject matter like any topic of conversation can be tackled in various ways. For time specified, the subject matter may be shoot during night, at dawn, at noon, break of dawn, dusk, day time, all the time except when there is disruption of the natural existence of the subject and its environment, or there is much more danger than can be handled. For themes, subject matter may be viewed and shot when resting, sleeping, eating, basking in the sun, attacking a prey, gathering food, walking, or any interesting act the subject may be doing which the photographer may find novelty, or interest. Wildlife photography... The Elias and Katmai National Parks of Alaska (Donahue, 2003) provide for the best locations of sighting, and shooting Grizzly or brown bears. Both parks provide a wide range of landscapes that include wild Brooks River, snowy vastness, forest, hilly or mountainous as well as rocky terrain. The bears, either solo, in group, in family, and in action provide the perfect subjects as they eat berries, patiently wait for the catch, chase gulls, fish for salmon by the falls, climb hills or mountains, or tackle the cold, wild water. Sufficient knowledge about the terrain, as well as about bears must be born in mind by the amateur photographer prior to traveling and taking photos of this subject. It pays to be with a professional guide or another professional photographer to embark on a doubly dangerous a mission as taking photos of bears in Alaska. Frost-bite, the rugged terrain, as well as the possibility of being attacked by the subject must be of foremost consideration. With proper distance and the equipment support which necessitates long-range telephoto lenses, take the subject in their best forms or actions. The bears of Alaska provide for revealing photos of "family" among the beasts, diversity of their sustenance, as well as the skills and patience they exhibit in catching their fish meals. Bears are also surprising subjects as they already have learned how to dive in order to catch food --- the salmon. At times, they may also exhibit emotive acts as caring and playing with their cubs, as well as guiding them towards independence. B Lions or Cheetahs in Africa The Sub-Saharan Africa, the Kruger National Park, Tanzania, and the Shamwari Game Reserve of South Africa provide for a wide choice of subjects that include rhinoceros, zebras, giraffes,

Marine Electric Energy Sources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marine Electric Energy Sources - Essay Example Tides are formed as a result of gravitation force from the sun and the moon, Tidal barrage are dams constructed across an estuary to hold water during high tides and then utilise the potential energy from the high water levels during low tide to generate electricity using turbines, the largest tidal barrage is the Rance tidal plant in France that produces 240 mega watts. Wave are formed when a strong wind passes over sea water, when wave energy is captured it is used to generate electricity, the height of waves depend on the speed of wind, depth of water and duration of wind. According to Jason Margolis(2007) the Pelamis system is on of the widely used method to produce electricity, the Pelamis is a large snake like device that floats and is anchored to the seabed, the device has three power generating sections and waves enable the device to make snake like movements that push hydraulic fluids used in generating electricity, Jason Margolis (2007) states that the system is expensive compared to other sources of energy and at the same time relatively inefficient, these devices are placed parallel to each other forming a wave farm, one of the operational Pelamis system was installed in Portugal in 2008 producing 2.25 megawatts. Offshore Wind farms: Wind power is utilised by turbines which that produce electric energy, according to Jason Margolis (2007) wind energy costs have reduced by 80% over the years due to advancement in technology. A wind farm is a number of wind turbines in the same location. Wind farms are either onshore farm, near shore or offshore. Offshore wind farms are located some kilometres into the sea, wind speed in the sea is considered to have higher speed compared to the wind on the land, however offshore wind firms are more expensive than other wind farms. According to Jason Szep (2009) the US plans to install an offshore wind firm at a cost of 1 billion dollars, the project is expected to have 130 turbines which will produce approximately 170 megawatts in the Cape Cod region and the power generated will be in a position to provide power to over 400,000 residents. Ocean thermal energy conversion: This is a form of energy source that involves utilising temperature differences in sea water, large temperature differences produce more power, the thermal system used in producing electricity is approximately 3%, system used in utilising this form of energy are very expensive and the power produced is relatively low and depends on the location. According to Reuters (2008) the US government has plans of spending over 1.4 billion to enable innovations of Ocean thermal energy conversion, for this reason therefore there have been efforts to improve Ocean thermal energy conversion. Political, economic and environmental implications: Political implications: The European Union according to this report is planning to over 20% of energy using renewable source and therefore it is likely that the renewable energy will be alternative in the future to produce electric energy. However Critics exist is that the some forms of energy sources will hinder economic growth, example the proposed wind farm in the US is expected to hinder commercial fishing in