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Arguments against abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contentions against fetus removal - Essay Example The discussion lies on when and whether fetus removal ought to be done and the degree t...

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Hispanic Last Names Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hispanic Last Names - Essay Example Hispanic surnames are always two. Balbastro Ajuntas is the womans’ real name referred to as ‘nombre.’ Ajuntas is part of her first name, not her middle name.Berrera is her fathers’ name or Apellido paterno. It is what we call her last name. Maria is her mothers’ name or Apellido materno and it is used with her fathers’ name. It is not only her last name but it completes her last name. If Balbastro was to marry Ramon Gonzalez Gomez, she would take Ramons’ last names in that pattern. Most Hispanic countries however, have the additional conjunction ‘de’ to show that the added name is a married one. It is worth noting that women in todays world do not change their names on personal or professional reasons. Women in Hispanic culture never changes her first sir name in marriage. This is different from other cultures like US, where a woman assumes the husbands’ name after marriage. It is therefore important to note that, the naming system of Spain has the traditional personal surname of the farther followed by that of the mother and that a woman does not have to change her surnames in favor of her husband’s name because Spanish naming system does not entail the maiden name

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The accounting policies of Marks and Spencer Essay

The accounting policies of Marks and Spencer - Essay Example   The first part of the report analyses the development of two accounting policies regarding tangible fixed assets and intangible one. To make the analysis more critical, comparisons with the main competitors of Marks and Spencer are drawn illustrating the controversial development of the selected policies. The second part of the report deals with the analysis of transition from UK GAAP to IFRS with specific respect to the following issues: treatment for property, property leases, employee benefits, share-based payments, intangible assets, and financial instruments. During their lifetime companies acquire property, which should be treated as assets according to the accounting standards. Meanwhile most of the property types have a 'lifetime' span, a time period, called useful economic life, during which an asset is used. To reflect the useful economic life in financial statements, profit and loss account receives regular portion of the cost of an asset. This expense is known as depr eciation. In other words, depreciation represents the extent to which economic value of an asset has been consumed by the business. There are different accounting policies on depreciation, but the most commonly used two are straight line depreciation and reducing balance. The one that is used by Marks and Spencer is the straight line depreciation. "Depreciation is provided to write off the cost or valuation of tangible fixed assets, less residual value, by equal annual instalments" (Marks and Spencer, 2005a, p. 33). That means the company pays the cost of an asset minus its value after its useful economic life expires by equal portions annually. Thus, fixtures fittings and equipment as a type of property has useful economic life of 3-15 years in the accounting policy of Marks and Spencer - that means, during that time the company annually pays its cost less residual value divided into 3-15 equal portions. Another popular policy of depreciation is reducing balance. In this case the d epreciation in each year is calculated as the percentage of the un-depreciated value. For instance, if the purchase cost of an asset is 100 and the reducing balance rate is 20% then the first year depreciation is 100*0.2=20 and the second year depreciation is (100-20)*0.2=16. The reducing balance rule is used to reflect the fact that the value of some assets falls more rapidly in the first years of use than in the last ones. As can be seen in theory the reducing balance policy can go on forever, with annual portions reducing ad infinitum. Generally, after 95% of the initial cost has been depreciated all the rest is written off in the next portion. The difference of these two methods is as follows: while the straight line depreciation is the simplest of all methods, the reducing balance allows taking the advantage of larger tax deductions in early years.  

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Strategic Management Issues in Low Cost Airlines

Strategic Management Issues in Low Cost Airlines Low cost airlines have been a trend nowadays anywhere in the world. There are many airlines that have adopted this strategy and have become more successful because of this. The low cost airlines have the advantage over the premium airlines due to the fact that they will never get their costs to a point where they can make a profit at low fares in bigger markets. Among these low cost airlines that are in existence nowadays is Ryan air. The Irish airline company Ryan air is the first low-cost, no-frills European airline to have any impact. Ryan air started operations in July 1985, flying between Waterford in the southeast of Ireland and Londons Gatwick airport. Three brothers, Catlan, Declan and Shane Ryan were the founding shareholders of Ryan air, which was set up to offer low-cost no-frills services between Ireland and London. Now, Ryan air, with its rapid growth occupied a most sought position in its own field, being Britains favourite airline. Ryan air currently has a team of more than 7,000 people and expects to carry approximately 73 million passengers in fiscal year 2010/11. 1.3 Current Strategic Positions: To evaluate any organisations strategic position certain factors have to be assessed. These include those below and also the environmental analysis which follows later in the report. 1.3.1 Market Segmentation: Ryan air lay claim to their market segment by stating they were Europes first no frills airline, www.ryanair.com. Ryanair have made strategic decisions based on increasing their competitive edge, the main one becoming involved in attracting customers at both ends of their routes. Haberberg and Rieple (2001), support this by showing that Ryanairs key source of revenue from as far back as a decade ago has been in enticing passengers from France, Italy and Scandinavia. This has had the advantage of increasing their market share as well as the added bonus of creating a well recognised brand name across Europe. 1.3.2 Prescriptive, Emergent or Something Unique? A prescriptive corporate strategy is one where the objective has been defined in advance and the main elements have been developed before the strategy commencesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.an emergent corporate strategy is one whose final objective is unclear and whose elements are developed during the course of its life, as the strategy proceeds. Lynch (2000) As is shown above by Lynch (2000) the two recognised strategy models are extremely different, however these are the two dominant strategy approaches as stated by Dennis Foster in his lecture on Managing Strategic Change (2006). It is safe to recognise straight away that Ryanair does not sit uniformly with either strategy. However certain aspects or functions could certainly adhere to one or the other as these are sections that make up the carrier as a whole and for an organisation of Ryanairs size different parts would have different aims and objectives underneath a main umbrella strategy for the organisation. For example any planning undertaken by Ryanair for new routes or planes would follow the prescriptive model as the objective would have been defined beforehand and elements such as finance will have had to have been agreed before any purchasing goes ahead. On the other hand emergent strategies may be in place for things like training and development where elements can be discovered along the way for example if an issue arose where staff needed more health and safety training then the training programme could be redirected. Ryanair, as already stated, follows neither strategic approach religiously and possesses a strategy unique to their organisation, which has identified their needs and objectives. However their approach to strategic management isnt unique in itself as the majority of organisations will tailor strategies to suit their business own individuality. 1.3.3 Competitive Advantages: Their main competitors are carriers including Easy Jet, BMIbaby, Fly Be and Thomson Fly all of who try to attract potential customers by emphasising their low cost tickets. This makes the competition in this market segment fierce as in order to offer the lowest fares, costs must also be kept to a minimum. Ryanair continues to be the lowest cost airline in Europe. The firm manages to maintain its cost leadership despite the presence of other low cost airlines in Europe. The source of competitive advantage of the company is its ability to drive down costs to sustain low fares while at the same time remains profitable. This is done through: Fleet Commonality The airlines fleet is made up of Boeing 737, the most common aircraft being flown in the present. Because of fleet commonality the firm is able to cut on costs in obtaining spares and maintenance services. Contracting Out of Services Other than Dublin Airport where the firm maintains its staff and services, Ryanair contracts out aircraft handling, ticketing, baggage handling and other functions to third parties. The firm is able to obtain competitive rates and multi-year contracts at fixed prices, limiting exposure to cost increases. Third party service outsourcing also limits Ryanairs direct exposure to employee relations responsibilities and potential disputes. Airport Charges and Route Policy Airport charges include landing fees, passenger loading fees, aircraft parking fees and noise surcharges. In order to reduce these fees, the firm avoids congested main airports and chooses secondary and regional airport destinations which are very interested in increasing passenger throughput. Staff Costs and Productivity In order to control employee compensation costs, the firm implements a performance related pay structure. Although the company provides lower labor costs, the employees can earn additional pay or remuneration base on their performance. Marketing Costs In order to reduce marketing costs, the firm cut its rate commission to travel agents. The firms main advertisement tools are newspapers, radio, television and its company website. 2.0 External analysis: For success within the airline industry, an awareness of the external environment is essential. This section aims to highlight the position of the industry, in particular looking at competitors and assessing Ryans capability to meet current and future challenges. 2.1 PESTLE Analysis In Pestle analysis we investigate macro external factors for companies, which are very important for identify their strategies. There are 6-core elements of Pestle analysis. These are Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental options. We can examine these factors in the airline industry to realize Ryanairs future external threats and opportunities. PESTEL Factor Key Points Implications for RYAN Political Heavy regulation (AEA, 2009). Compliance is essential if Ryan wants to continue operations. Increased security due to past terrorist threats (DFT, 2008). Sufficient security measures should be in place to ensure consumer confidence and competitive advantage is maintained. Economic Global economic crisis:World growth is projected to just over 2  percent in 2009 (IMF, 2008). Pound weakens especially against the Euro. Possible reduction in the amount of business travel as companies are cutting costs and using alternative means of communication such as teleconferencing. Oil prices: declined by 50 % since their peak retreating to 2007 levels. Decline in fuel price = strengthening of the dollar (IMF, 2008) Fluctuations in oil prices and exchange rates will directly affect Ryans cost base. UK consumer spending saw its sharpest decline for 13 years between July and September 2008 (Channel 4, 2008). More intense competition Social The UK has an aging population (see appendix 3) (National Statistics Online, 2008). Potential opportunity for growth as older generations havemore time to spend on leisure activities such as international travel. Increasing unemployment (Kollewe and Sager, 2008). Increased bargaining power as an employer. Technological A recent survey revealed that 34% of online consumers plan to use price-comparison sites more in 2009 (NMA, 2009). Increased consumer awareness and therefore bargaining power. Online booking services and check-in is becoming increasingly used by the airline industry. Ryan must ensure that they remain up to date with these technological advances whilst avoiding becoming overly reliant, as this may isolate certain consumer markets (i.e the elderly) who dont feel comfortable using such technology. Environmental/Ethical Noise pollution controls,and energy consumption controls (DFT, 2008). New legislation (e.g. Climate Change Bill) enforcing tighter environmental regulation may increase operational costs each year. Limited land and for growing airports Expansion is difficult at Heathrow as it would result in a loss in the Londons Green belt area. (BBC News 2006) Limited capacity=>utilisation of capacity. Consumers are becoming increasingly green and more aware of the environmental impact of their actions. Failure to adopt an integrated environmental strategy could lead to a detrimental effect on the Ryans reputation and income. Cancellations of flights and loss of baggage (Channel 4, 2008). Such ethical issues could have a detrimental effect on reputation if left unresolved. Legal Recognition of trade unions and industrial action e.g. Cabin Crew strikes. Good employee relations are essential if Ryan wants to avoid industrial action and interrupted operations. Open Skies Agreement (AEA, 2009) Opportunity for Ryan and its competitors to freely transport aircraft between the EU and US. There is a cruel competition in airline industry. Especially, after credit crunch in 2008 the competition has become crueler. Companies have to fight with recession also and in this economic situation we can see lots of threats in sector. If you reverse these threats to the opportunities you will be one step further in the competition. Ryanair is the most suitable company to gain advantages from todays world. With this assignment we answered the questions, which frequently asking for their future strategy and their positions of the future competition. Thats why; they have started to corporate social responsibilities. 2.2 Porters Five Forces Before starting to write analysis of the Ryanair based on Porters five forces I should write some special information about Ryanair or all low cost airlines. The main characteristics of these companies are designed for reducing costs. Because it is obvious that the most competitive maybe just one- side of them is their low fares. For Ryanair, their aircrafts seat density is very high and they prefer just one aircraft types (Boeing 737-800). All of their bookings are via Internet so they earn huge amount of money because of no sales commissions. They havent got any frills such as free food or havent got any air-mile promotions. They always prefer secondary airports. Actually these all I mentioned above are had mentioned at their S.W.O.T. analysis in strengths part. In my opinion we can use every single detail from S.W.O.T. analysis of Ryanair when we are writing about Porters Five Forces analysis of it. This analysis has five-core element. These are 1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers 2. New Entrants 3. Threat of Substitutes 4. Competitive Rivalry 5. Bargaining Power of Customers Bargaining Power of Customers Ryanair customers are highly price sensitive. It is very easy to change their airline and it is not related to high cost. In this century customers knowledge about the cost of service is high and there is no customer loyalty for Ryanair. Even though there is no customer loyalty, bargaining power of customers is low. Ryanair is the cheapest airline for all Europe destinations and customers are -especially in recession times- highly price sensitive. New Entrants It is very hard to be new in airline industry. There are lots of barriers to entry. You should take the flight authorizations. The capital that you will invest in this sector is very high. It is also hard to take a place current competition and also hard to find suitable airports for your flights. In my opinion in short time period there will not be any threats of new entrants against Ryanair even though some existing companies are changing their strategy and reducing their ticket price (Lufthansa). Threat of Substitutes As I mentioned before there is not any brand loyalty of customers and Ryanair preferred customer relationship is not-close relationship. If their customers find better way to travel they will not feel any hesitation to chose it. So the threat of direct and indirect substitutes is very high and the most important point is there are no switching costs for the customers. Competitive Rivalry The market is highly competitive. Most of Ryanairs cost advantages can be copied immediately. In Europe it seems like there is an agreement between Ryanair and Easyjet about not to compete head to head. However if any company does decide to compete on the same basis as Ryanair it will be highly crucial for Ryanair. There will be heavy pressure on prices, margins, and hence on profitability. 2.3 Bowmans Strategy Clock Bowman created his Strategy Clock in The Essence of Competitive Strategy book. With this strategic model he illustrates companys competitive position in comparison with their rivals. For him the real advantage of companies being achieved cost and differentiation. His strategy clock has 8 options. First two options are about the low price. First option is totally low cost low added value but the second option totally about to be a cost leader without caring its value. Second option has the risk of price war and low margin. Third option is a hybrid option. Mainly the low cost but not the lowest price. The most important difference between second and the third option is in third option reinvestment in differentiation. Fourth option is about differentiation. For option five the biggest difference is the differentiation is highly focused. It perceived added value to a particular segment warranting a premium price. Rests of the options are failure options. At option six the price is increased but the value is standard. Option seven is worse than option six. In option seven you can see increased price with low values. It is only feasible in monopoly situation. Last option is option 8, which is the cause loss of market share. Because your low value has a standard price. Ryanair had dramatic changes during last decade period time and this was flabbergasted its competitors. Their profitability rose within a short period of time. Their low-fares strategy without frills and punctuality in flight service helped their high profitability period and it brought a significant value on the growth. The high level competition needs efficient strategy to gain advantages and at the same time high profit. In different times we can put Ryanairs strategy in different options in Bowmans Strategy Clock. But all of them can be placed between options 1 to 5. Their strategy never placed in failure part of Bowmans clock. Mainly, in these days Ryanair place in the clock is between options 1-2, which is mainly about low price. We can easily realize Ryanair is the best example for this option. If they can secure their price and gives higher valued service they can easily take a place option three and they will be strongest company in the competition. In my opinion, hybrid strategy is the most preferable strategy in the clock that is why Virgin Airlines prefer this option. If Ryanair updates their lowest price strategy with a standard service they easily will be the strongest company in the competition. 3.0 SWOT Analysis: Strengths Ryanair has been known as Europes first low-cost, no-frills airline brand.This fact alone credits is the companys strongest selling point. Ryanair started in year 1985 with only 57 staff members and with one 15-seater turboprop plane from the south of east of Ireland to London-Gatwick which carried 5000 passengers on one route. In 1986, inspired from the story of David and Goliath the company go after the big guys for a slice of the action and end up smashing the Aer Lingus or British Airways high fare cartel on the Dublin-London route. From therein, Ryanairs lower fares offering increased their market share rapidly resulting to the establishment of low-cost subsidiaries of established airline companies such as British Airlines and KLM. The low-cost, no-frills strategy resulted to a rapid increase of customers and expansion of their operations, wherein the staff increased from mere 57 to 3, 400 staff members and almost 35 million passengers. In terms of operations, the EU air transport deregulation allowed the airline for the first time to open up new routes to Continental Europe with over 3 million passengers on 18 routes carried in 1997. Ryanair also launched services to Stockholm, Oslo, Paris and Brussels and took time out to float Ryanair Holdings plc on Dublin and NASDAQ Stock exchanges. The company was awarded as Airline of the Year in 1999 by the Irish Air Transport Users Committee. In 2001, while almost all traditional airline companies suffered from losses and stiff competition, Ryanair, being a low-cost airline became more than merely profitable by recording 26 percent in operating margins results that the former only dreams about. In June of the following year, Ryanair made a market capitalization amounting to 4.9 billion euro ($4.82 billion), breaking the records of 45 percent more than the mighty British Airways that has 20 times larger in terms of revenue. Ryanair possesses the sophisticated and able technology that can cater to the fast changing global marketing management trends. It has core competence in its use of information technology that can support its management and marketing operations. Thus, adding to its innovations in service providing among the wide range of clientele. Its IT supports competent procurement of services (e.g. bookings and ticketing) in e-marketing or online aspect. After establishing its website in January 2000, it became one of the busiest sites in the country with 14 million impressions a month. The booking in their web accounts have increased to 94% which has probably has something to do with opening another 26 routes. In year 2003, the company is characterized by rapid expansion and the start the year by announcing that the company has ordered an additional 100 new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft to facilitate the rapid European growth plans. The company is named as the most popular airline on the web i n 2004 by Google. The company has also passed out British Airways to become the UKs favorite airline in United Kingdom and throughout Europe. In sum, Ryanairs strengths rest on the companys commitment to low fares, deep-seated management, and willingness to address managerial challenges and marketing trends (e.g. competition, expansion, and IT solutions). Weaknesses Despite of the increase of passengers, the company is not so good in managing cost that the company has lose its money. At the moment, there have been urgent and deliberate mechanisms that were implemented to address such weakness. Such cost reduction strategy relies on five main aspects like fleet commonality, contracting out services, airport charges and route policies, managed staff costs and productivity and managed marketing costs. Ryanair, in spite of its strategies has other problems that serve as weaknesses too. One of the problems is in terms of handling customers or target market. Reports say that Ryanair accumulates hidden taxes and other fees, restricted customer services, and deceiving advertisements. In addition, another problem is assuring quality service. According to the result of poll conducted by BBC involving air travelers in 2003, 56 percent of respondents claimed that the airline caused them the biggest headaches in terms of services and customers. Also, in 2007 Irelands Commission for Aviation Regulation recorded a total of 60 percent of all complaints accumulated by the commission. There has been significant number of bad publicity for the company, thus, creating a negative impression to the airline brand. The company is faced with different unsolved issues because of lack of strategic decision making in several areas of human resources particularly in relation to trade union policies. Opportunities With the management system of the company and the strengths that it has, Ryanair has bigger opportunities to still dominate and catch up with the competition in the European airline industry in terms of providing more quality service standard and at the same time preserving it low-cost no-frills strategy to its clients or even have an opportunity to be the number one airline company in the whole region after its eventual application of its proposed plans in the future. Another opportunity that can be attached to the company is it would gain more customers if they would be able to determine the latest trends in airline management and marketing to meet the demands of their target market. The continuous initiatives of the company in diversification of its revenue resources also open new opportunities to make the business become stronger to outgrow all its rival companies. Such opportunities will include e-business development by strategic alliances as well as suppliers, leveraging the c ompanys investment in the World Class Customer Satisfaction Systems, and other business opportunities in both non-core and core areas. Threats Operating in the most competitive marketplace especially European airline industry, Ryanair is faced with the inevitable threat of stiff competition. For a company to succeed in global competition there is a continuous plan to develop new products with higher quality than its competitors. New product and new business development must be highly effective and efficient, however that alone will not ensure its competitiveness. The expansion of its operations to other areas means adjusting to the trade policies and political problems of the locality. The dynamic needs and demands of customers served to be a challenge to the management. Furthermore, consumer behaviour and satisfaction with regards to the product/service procurement is also a risk. If the company will continue to be a vertically integrated corporation, the company may fail in terms of management ability. The division of the company may tend to have internal complexity. Additionally, fast paced technological advancement may be a threat to Ryanair as a whole. In terms of the competitors, the company should be able to provide unique and more technologically advanced services to be able to survive in the competition in the world airline industry. Future Strategy and Recommendations Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and acquisitions have become one of the most important corporate-level strategies in the new millennium. Merger and acquisition strategies are important to firm growth and success in the 21st century. As Ryanair continues to grow it is expected that the company will acquire other companies such as Buzz, in order to improve its capabilities and acquire more competitive advantage. Strategic Human Resource Management Ryanair, in its commitment to low-cost airfare have sacrificed its processes and services. The human resources of the company are not seen as a potential source of competitive advantage. The company do not seem to value its people. There is a growing belief that a companys human resources is the most important source of competitive advantage. Human resources or the companys people are one source of sustainable competitive advantage. In a fast-changing environment where technological innovations and other strategies can be copied, it is the human resources that bring a sustainable competitive advantage. Marketing Plan Strategies Ryanair should has a detailed plan for its strategic moves in the market and be able to provide good customer services to the customers like by having discounted flights and value promotion to keep the competitive advantage at a stable mode within its competitors and will need to focus more on the core competencies that allow Ryanair to practically and wisely designs suitable airline operations within the bracket of their marketing network services in a market standard-based perspective. Ryanair need to be goal oriented and must not stop to rejuvenate and change their marketing plan strategies from time to time in order to re-invent the performance process upon the upgrading of rules and regulations mandated by the state. Ryanair is to overcome the lack of product differentiation and increase it that will have the ability to revive revenue generation. Operational Effectiveness It is then recommended that Ryanair should outsources as many non-core functions as possible that may abandon peripheral services such as catering or ground handling services and can be required to perform such activities as external specialist companies defined to be independent profit centers. Recommendation Based on above analysis, it is recommended that Ryanair consider the expansion in to haul markets specially the transatlantic routes which accounts for more than 60% of worlds air travel. By moving in to this new market with its low fare strategy coupled with added service options the company can utilize its existing business with introducing complementary goods and services via its web site its also recommended as this will allow the company to further reduce its cost base per unit of customer.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Wordsworth and Vaughan Essay -- Poetry Wordsworth Vaughan Essays

Wordsworth and Vaughan When reading T.S. Eliot’s critical comment, â€Å"It is to be observed that the language of these poets is as a rule simple and pure,† one might assume that he was referring to the Romantics (Eliot 2328). Specifically, we could apply this statement to poets the ilk of Wordsworth, who eschewed poetic affectations and â€Å"tricked out† language for sentiments that originated and flowed naturally (Wordsworth 270). Yet Eliot hadn’t focused his critical eye there, this time. Rather, he squinted a century back to a lesser-referenced literary group, the Metaphysical poets (Eliot 2328). That the Metaphysical poets and the Romantics share a characteristically simple/natural diction is important. While they are undoubtedly distinct schools, if we can show that they are even remotely stylistically similar, then we might have grounds to acknowledge similarities between a poet from each, respectively. Thus, I propose considering Wordsworth in relation to an earl ier man, Henry Vaughan. I am not the first to do so; much has been said of the link between these men regarding their analogous poems â€Å"The Retreat† and â€Å"Ode: Intimations of Immortality†Ã¢â‚¬â€by comparing them I cannot claim any original insight. However, there is more common to these two men than two poems, and in analyzing what Wordsworth desires from poetry and the poet in his â€Å"Preface to the Lyrical Ballads† we see that Vaughan had many of the poetic qualities Wordsworth demanded of himself. Even more interesting, Wordsworth's shifted perspective from â€Å"Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey† to the "Elegiac Stanza" replicates Vaughan's shift from "To Amoret" to "The Night." Where Vaughan’s verse originally addressed worldly love and natural ... ...h happiness, wherever it be known, / Is to be pitied; for ‘tis surely blind† (lines 53-56). In these lines, Wordsworth finally counsels that the human world is actually not so near-sighted. Rather, when a man assumes himself separate from mankind—when he reinforces that separation—he actually blinds himself. So finally, the comparison between Vaughan and Wordsworth is not absolute. However, sorting through the words of men who’ve been dead for centuries for evidence of a literary association beyond mere coincidence is never and easy undertaking. But let us assume that, if Wordsworth was right, both he and Vaughan shared universal human experiences. Perhaps, upon reaching a certain middle age, they also shared fear and awe of the conditions of their mortality—and if one may have looked to the other’s words for poetic guidance, the poetic genre is better for it.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Political Parties of 1800s Essay

The Democratic and Republican Parties can trace their roots back to the 1800s, but some of the most interesting stories in American political history spring from parties which enjoyed flashes of glory before fading away for good. The extinct political parties of the 1800s include organizations which were successful enough to put candidates in the White House. And there were also others that were just doomed to inevitable obscurity. Here is a listing of some significant political parties who are no longer with us, in roughly chronological order: Federalist Party The Federalist Party is considered the first American political party. It advocated a strong national government, and prominent Federalists included John Adams and Alexander Hamilton. The Federalists did not build a sustaining party apparatus, and the party’s defeat in the election of 1800 led to its decline. It essentially ceased to be a national party after 1816. (Jeffersonian) Republican Party The Jeffersonian Republican Party, which, of course, supported Thomas Jefferson in the election of 1800, was formed in opposition to the Federalists. The Jeffersonians tended to be more egalitarian than the Federalists. Following Jefferson’s two terms in office, James Madison won the presidency on the Republican ticket in 1808 and 1812, followed by James Monroe in 1816 and 1820. The Jeffersonian Republican Party then faded away. The party was not a forerunner of the present day Republican Party. At times it was even called a name which seems contradictory today, the Democratic-Republican Party. National Republican Party The National Republican Party supported John Quincy Adams in his unsuccessful bid for reelection in 1828 (there had been no party designations in the election of 1824). The party also supported Henry Clay in 1832. The general theme of the National Republican Party was opposition to Andrew Jackson and his policies. The National Republicans generally joined the Whig Party in 1834. The National Republican Party was not a forerunner of the Republican Party, which formed in the mid-1850s. Anti-Masonic Party The Anti-Masonic Party formed in upstate New York in the late 1820s, following the mysterious death of a member of the masonic order, William Morgan. It was believed that Morgan was killed before he could reveal secrets about the masons and their suspected influence in American politics. The party, while seemingly based on conspiracy theory, gained adherents. And the Anti-Masonic Party actually held the first national political convention in America. Its convention in 1831 nominated William Wirt as its presidential candidate in 1832. Wirt was an odd choice, having once been a mason. And while his candidacy was not successful, he did carry one state, Vermont, in the electoral college. Part of the appeal of the Anti-Masonic Party was its fiery opposition to Andrew Jackson, who happened to be a mason. The Anti-Masonic Party faded into obscurity by 1836 and its members drifted into the Whig Party, which also opposed the policies of Andrew Jackson. Whig Party The Whig Party was formed to oppose Andrew Jackson’s policies and came together in 1834. The party took its name from a British political party which had opposed the King, as the American Whigs said they were opposing  Ã¢â‚¬Å"King Andrew.† The Whigs candidate in 1836, William Henry Harrison, lost to the Democrat Martin Van Buren. But Harrison, with his log cabin and hard cider campaign of 1840, won the presidency (though he would only serve for a month). The Whigs remained a major party throughout the 1840s, winning the White House again with Zachary Taylor in 1848. But the party splintered, mainly over the issue of slavery. Some Whigs joined the Know-Nothing Party, and others, most notably Abraham Lincoln, joined the new Republican party in the 1850s. Liberty Party The Liberty Party was organized in 1839 by anti-slavery activists who wanted to take the abolitionist movement and make it a political movement. As most leading abolitionists were adamant about being outside politics, this was a novel concept. The party ran a presidential ticket in 1840 and 1844, with James G. Birney, a former slaveholder from Kentucky as their candidate. The Liberty Party drew meager numbers, garnering only two percent of the popular vote in 1844. It has been speculated that the Liberty Party was responsible for splitting the anti-slavery vote in New York state in 1844, thereby denying the state’s electoral vote to Henry Clay, the Whig candidate and assuring the election of the slave-owning James Knox Polk. But that assumes Clay would have drawn all the votes cast for the Liberty Party. Free-Soil Party The Free-Soil Party came into being in 1848, and was organized to oppose the spread of slavery. The party’s candidate for president in 1848 was former president Martin Van Buren. Zachary Taylor of the Whig Party won the 1848 presidential election, but the Free-Soil Party did elect two senators and 14 members of the House of  Representatives. The motto of the Free-Soil Party was â€Å"Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor and Free Men.† After Van Buren’s defeat in 1848 the party faded and members were eventually absorbed into the Republican Party when it formed in the 1850s. The Know-Nothing Party The Know-Nothing Party emerged in the late 1840s as a reaction to immigration to America. After some success in local elections with campaigns rife with bigotry, former president Millard Fillmore ran as the Know-Nothing candidate for president in 1856. Fillmore’s campaign was a disaster and the party soon dissolved. Greenback Party The Greenback Party was organized at a national convention held in Cleveland, Ohio in 1875. The formation of the party was prompted by difficult economic decisions, and the party advocated the issuing of paper money not backed by gold. Farmers and workers were the party’s natural constituency. The Greenbacks ran presidential candidates in 1876, 1880, and 1884, all of whom were unsuccessful. When economic conditions improved, the Greenback Party faded into history.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

World and Tone

Tone and point of view are both literary concepts, which provide the reader with an understanding of the author’s meaning of a story. Tone represents the writer’s attitude toward the material, the readers or both. Tone can be angry, ironic, serious, depressed, etc. Through the use of tone, the reader can understand the personality of the narrator. Point of view is the perspective from which the story is told.Point of view can be represented in first person, omniscient narrator, camera’s eye point of view and objective point of view, these are only a few types of point of view. Once the reader understands these concepts, he can understand the author’s intent and meaning. In the story, â€Å"There Will come Soft Rains,† the point of view is third person omniscient. This means the reader sees the story not through the character’s eyes, but through all of the views. The tone is ominous, fateful, and ironic.It’s ironic, because Ray Bradbury depicts the story through many adjectives, as well as personification. â€Å"An aluminum wedge scraped them into the sink, where hot water whirled them down a metal throat which digested and flushed them away to the distant sea,† (Bradbury). For example, Bradbury describes a perfect house, but then the reader finds out everyone is dead. â€Å"The morning house lay empty,†(Bradbury). â€Å"The house stood alone in a city of rubble and ashes. This was the one house left standing. At night the ruined city gave off a radioactive glow which could be seen for miles,†(Bradbury).Bradbury uses the point of view and tone together to describe the irony in this story. Julio Cortazar’s story, â€Å"House Taken Over,† has the point of view of first person limited, which allows the reader to see from one person’s specific point of view. The tone is flat, resigned, and very detached. The point Cortazar was trying to get across was that the modern world tod ay, may become like this house. Our world could be taken over, and we wouldn’t even care. â€Å" ‘In that case,’ she said, picking up her knitting again, ‘we’ll have to live on this side. I sipped at the mate very carefully, but she took her time starting her work again. I remember it was a gray vest she was knitting. I liked that vest,† (Cortazar). Once their house is taken over, they just move on barely acknowledging it. In our world, this could be like our democracy taking over, and we do nothing about it. Because Cortazar used first person, the reader only sees the world and the story as the character sees it. The detached tone and first person point of view presents a somewhat alienated and self-consumed character.The tone and point of view work together in this story to predict a possible future where we will become detached from our own world. In the story, â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants,† Ernest Hemingway uses a camera’ s eye point of view. This point of view causes the reader to feel detached from the story, and the reader must make inferences about what is going on. The tone is detached and worldly. A camera’s eye point of view doesn’t put the reader â€Å"in the story† and often makes it difficult to comprehend what is happening. â€Å" ‘It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,’ the man said. It’s not really an operation at all,’ â€Å"(Hemmingway). Hemmingway uses a worldly tone in conjunction with a camera’s eye point of view because it may be too complicated to understand for the reader, even though it’s an interesting story. In conclusion, the previous examples represent how tone and point of view can play an important role in the story. Without tone and point of view, a story could not come to life for a reader. In that way, the two depend on each other. They work together to create an environment for the readerâ₠¬â„¢s imagination.