Egypt and Russias Political Systems Comparison

Egypt and Russias Political Systems Comparison Introduction The end of the Cold War was a pivotal moment in history of democratization, since it opened up a possibility of a successful spread of democratic ideals across the globe/at the global level. In this context, a range of scholars predicted that countries, previously known for their totalitarian or authoritarian past, would undergo a process of gradual democratization, which will result in their eventual adaptation of a democratic polity model as the fundamental element of their political systems(). However, almost three decades since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the question of whether democratization process had achieved any meaningful progress remains open, since many states had either retained their centralized political system or had adopted a mixed and hybrid political system, characterized by a unique combination of democratic and authoritarian elements within a single polity (Levitsky and Way, 2002; Haerpfer, 2009; EDI, 2010). In order to understand why states had reacted differently to the democratization process, this paper aims to identify similarities and differences in the way political systems are organized in two states, Egypt and Russia, which throughout their modern history were associated with highly centralized and authoritarian form of polity. Although it is possible to identify multiple similarities and differences between these states, this paper will focus attention on four important aspects, namely centralized and authoritarian state model, presidential style of government, limited political pluralism during elections and important role of political culture as an effective obstacle to countrys democratization. This paper is structured as follows. It starts with a brief introductory section, which will define term political system and will explain the case selection. The main body analyses four important aspects of political system in Egypt and Russia, mentioned above. The concluding section summarizes the main arguments. Political System and Case Selection Although the term political system has no universally accepted definition, in context of this paper it refers to a socio-political arrangement of institutions and agencies concerned with formulating and implementing the collective goals of a society or of groups within it ( Almond, et all., 2009:29; Powel, et all., 2015:24). From this perspective, it includes both formal institutions, such as parliamentary assemblies, governments and executives, but also informal arrangements, such as political culture, history, traditions and dominant norms in any given society (Powel, et. all, 2015:24). The paper relies on the deployment of the most similar comparative research design, which aims to explain similarity or divergence in the policy outputs by comparing cases with similar elements and aspects. In this context, whilst it is important to emphasize important differences between Egypt and Russia, some of which will be discussed below, it is equally important to acknowledge that these states share several common characteristics. Historically, political systems in both states were traditionally resistant to change and democratization, focusing instead on preserving the stability of the existing power configuration. Institutionally, Egypt and Russia are interesting cases for a thorough analysis, since despite the fact that democratic organizations and arrangements continue to exist in both states, the power is located elsewhere with traditional democratic organizations enjoying minimal role in decision-making process (). Geopolitically, following the end of the Cold War, both states were required to redefine their identity and find themselves a suitable position within a new geostrategic balance, heavily dominated by US unipolarity. Having defined term political system and justified the case selection, the next section of the essay will distinguish similarities and differences in the way political systems are organized in Egypt and Russia. Authoritarian and centralized state model. Traditionally, the power distribution within Egyptian and Russian political system was highly uneven, with ultimate power for decision-making process placed in the hands of a powerful national leader, supported by several elite groups, who was able to impose his political programme on society through mixture of coercion and consent. This gradually resulted in a popular acceptance of the principle of patrimonialism, defined as the idea that country is considered almost as a private property of a specific ruler, within Russian and Egyptian political societies with very weak levels of trust in democratic institutions (Hopwood, 1991; Remington, 2009). From this perspective, opposition forces had minimal chances of challenging and restricting the authority of the national leader, since they were often viewed either as an unnecessary distraction from maintaining an overall political stability or as open enemies of the regime, which by weakening the power of the governing elite can endanger an overall wellbeing of the society. The situation changed to a certain extent after the end of the Cold War, when both Egypt and Russia, under increasing IMF and US pressure, undertook a series of reforms, including encouraging the creation of political parties, providing more powers to legislative assemblies and allowing more competitive elections in order to democratize political systems with a varying degree of success. In case of Egypt, the reform programme was aimed at strengthening countrys reputation at the international level, whilst retaining and consolidating existing power configuration. In this context, despite multiple changes in political system, country still remains a military dictatorship with strong repressive and authoritarian elements, whereby, where all primary power mechanisms belong to a current national leader, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, backed by a mixed coalition of military elites and local bureaucracy (Freedom House, 2016; Osman, 2011; Cambains, 2015). In contrast, the majority of political reforms did achieve a considerable degree of success in Russia, particularly taken into consideration the minimal levels of democracy and freedom of political expression, which country experienced during Soviet times (Bova, 2003; Sakwa, 2009; Lucas, 2008). Nonetheless, according to Remington (2009:358), although the political elites in Russia are interested in retaining and upholding existing democratic arrangements, they often resort to indirect and hidden mechanisms of exercising dominance within such institutions. For instance, although opposition parties are officially allowed to exist and compete during national elections, the multiplicity of rules and regulations regarding party electoral registration make it extremely difficult for smaller opposition to compete and win sufficient number of electoral seats (Lucas, 2008). Likewise, the National Electoral Commission received immense legal mandate, allowing it to disqualify and remove unwanted alternative parties and candidates from ballot for the alleged violations of electoral procedures (Lucas, 2008; McFaul and Petrov, 2004). In this context, although parties may be vocal and critical during electoral campaign period, the majority of parties that receive parliamentary seats have strong incentive to cooperate, rather than criticise the governing party once in parliament (Sakwa, 2008; Lucas, 2008).

Child Abuse And Abandonment

Unfortunately, it is occurring more and more in today’s society that these defenseless children are being robbed of their childhood innocence and happiness and are being forced to face the cruel reality of our world at far too young an age. These Children are victims of neglect and abuse, primarily caused by family members or people they are close to. Child neglect is the most common form of abuse, and is therefore the main subject that will be covered in this essay.This disturbing and extremely common, yet rarely talked about topic effects at least one out of every 10 children under the age of 14 in Canada alone. Child abuse and neglect are one of the largest problems occurring in society, and in order for the situation to improve, we need to stop ignoring the fact that it is a daily reality, and become better educated on the topic and how to prevent it. After all, the children of today are the future of tomorrow, and they deserve to start their lives surrounded by love, and free from fear and pain.Many children these days take the love, support, and presence of their parents for granted, often starting arguments over unimportant things and getting upset when things do not go their way. Sadly, what they do not realize is that a large number of children do not get to know what a parent’s presence feels like, let alone having their constant love and support. Millions of children around the world suffer from abuse and neglect, and wake up every morning fearful of what the day will hold.There is no exact definition that holds enough value to be able to describe the fear and pain that these young children go through each day, but by law, child abuse has been defined as â€Å"an act, or failure to act, on the part of the parent or caretaker that results in the death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation of a child, or which places the child in an imminent risk of serious harm. † There are four kinds of child abuse; p hysical, sexual, emotional and neglect. All kinds of abuse are illegal in Canada and the United States.Although each type f child abuse is of great importance, neglect is the most common form of child mistreatment in Canada (accounting for 62% of all reported abuse cases), and can cause damage even more severe than that of any other form of abuse. Neglect is when the caregiver does not provide necessary attention to the child’s safety, physical, emotional or psychological needs. In severe cases, neglect can lead to abandonment, which is when a parent relinquishes permanent rights and claims to a child outside legal adoption.Child abandonment is a severe problem, accounting for almost half (43.3%) of all fatal child abuse cases. In Canada, there are over 15, 980 neglected children, and that number is only a rough estimate, because the majority of neglect cases are left unreported. The children that are more at risk of becoming victims are disabled children, who are twice as li kely, and aboriginal children, who make up the majority of child abuse and neglect victims in Canada. Many parents or caregivers who neglect and abandon their children do so because they suffer from depression, lack of initiative, futility, a low level of education, a poor socioeconomic status, unemployment, substance abuse or social isolation.Other factors that could lead to neglect and abandonment can include that the child was the outcome of sexual assault or incest, or is perceived by the caregiver as an obstacle to personal achievements. If a child suffers from neglect, signs of the abuse may include severe need of medical or dental care, frequent school absences, stealing food, begging for money, dressing inappropriately for the weather, not answering questions directly about his parents or caregivers, and drastic changes in personality and appearance. If a child is reported as being neglected or abused, Children’s Aid Society (CAS) goes to inspect the home.If the accus ations prove true, the child is then taken from the parent or caregiver (either temporarily or permanently, depending on the severity of the abuse), and is places either in the custody of another relative, or in foster care. The sentence of the caregiver depends on how severe the abuse or neglect is, and can vary from having to pay a fine, to losing custody of the child, to being imprisoned. As Canadian citizens and members of our community, it is our duty to protect the children by reporting any signs of abuse or neglect to the authorities.Unfortunately, not many people do so, and by consequence, the young children have no voice, and are forced to continue suffering in silence. One may not think that child abuse and neglect has much of an impact for the population, but in reality, it largely affects many aspects of today’s –and tomorrow’s- society. Economically, child abuse is very costly. Once a child had been taken out of the custody of his or her parents, th ey are often taken to hospitals where their medical needs are taken care of, and then placed into foster homes.The treatment  and trips to the hospital quickly become very costly, and the foster care alone costs the country over $6 billion a year. Also, each abandoned child could cost the government over $3,000 a day. Although the money is going towards the great cause of providing abused and abandoned children with a better life, it is a completely avoidable matter that is costing extreme amounts of money. Also, there has been a dramatic increase in child abuse and neglect since 1991, and the numbers are still growing. If this trend continues, there will be more children who are abused than those who are not.What this will mean for society is higher taxes, and adults who have more issues and lower skill levels. The effects of abuse and neglect on children are that they have poor social skills and lower education levels, a higher rate of mental and physical disabilities, delinquen cy, violence, drug abuse and depression. In addition, abused or neglected children have a higher tendency to abuse and neglect their own children later in life. This means that a large portion of our world will be governed by physically and emotionally damaged adults, who may do the same to their own children.This will result in many socioeconomic problems for our future. As was said before, the children today are the future of tomorrow, and if we want a good future for our world, we need to treat the children properly and give them the knowledge and love they deserve to become well-rounded adults. Countless organizations around the world work to improve the issue of child abuse, neglect and abandonment, as it is an increasingly important problem in our society. However, I have only selected one organization to write about- The Door of Hope.The Door of Hope is an organization located in Johannesburg, South Africa that has a mission to rescue and receive any abandoned, abused or orph aned babies and children in and around their city. They work to provide a temporary Christian home for all the children while seeking a forever family, suitable long term care or other permanent care for each one. The Door of Hope organization began in 1999, when the pastor of a small church in Johannesburg, named Cheryl Allen, learned that a high number of newly born infants were being abandoned.Cheryl realized that many of the young women abandoning their babies may have acted differently had there been an alternative. The church then made a â€Å"baby bin† in the side of the wall, where mothers could place their infants who would then be brought into the church and taken care of by the volunteers. When news spread, babies began being brought in by police, community members, hospitals and clinics. By having complete faith and reliance in God, the ministry has grown, and saves over 100 children’s lives each year.Because this organization is still relatively small, the y only have a few fundraisers, but are working hard to get more activities and more people to raise awareness and support their cause. Their annual fundraisers are; the Barnyard Fundraiser, a production that lets you experience the music and famous icons of the 80’s. It is a fun-filled all night event of music, comedy and dancing that includes dinner. They also sell Door of Hope memorabilia at the entrance.Another one of their fundraisers is the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge, which is a bicycle race held in South Africa for any level of cyclist. They ask that participants do their best to raise as much money as possible for the cause, and that they purchase a door of hope shirt to wear on the day of the race. The Door of Hope is a strictly Christian organization that fully believes and trusts in God’s plan. Therefore, there are many possible parables and Beatitudes that could be connected to Door of Hope, but it is the fifth Beatitude that I think represents them the b est; â€Å"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.†Mercy is having love towards those that are miserable and those that need some type of help or assistance. The merciful are those who are compassionate towards those who need mercy, and go out of their way to make the effort to help. Cheryl Allen and the volunteers at Door of Hope truly show that they are merciful by taking abandoned, abused and orphaned infants and children, many of whom are extremely ill or problematic. They spend their days tending to these young children to make sure they get the love and attention they need for no pay whatsoever, and are extremely humble about it.I believe that this is what makes them so merciful. They give all they have to help these infants, yet ask for nothing in return. The only reward they need is to see a child’s smile, knowing that their life has been saved, and that they will now be able to live to their fullest potential. If someone wanted to support the Do or of Hope Organization, they could either send a donation in the form of a cheque through the mail or by credit card over the internet. They could also â€Å"adopt a cot†, which is sending a monthly donation to provide a child with a bed and necessary supplies.A third option, which would be for the most dedicated of supporters, is to go volunteer at the organization. They accept international volunteers and will help pay for your travel and stay, but you must fundraise as well. The international volunteers have to be 18-60 years of age, will stay from 1-12 months and will help with the babies daily, along with other responsibilities. I think that the Door of Hope is a truly spectacular organization, and I hope that when I graduate from Highschool, I will be able to help as an international volunteer.In conclusion, child abuse and neglect is an extreme problem plaguing our society, and we need to help bring a stop to it. If not, the effects of this abuse will impact many aspe cts of our future, as well as damaging the lives of countless children and denying them of their full potential. Become an active member of your community, and when you suspect a child is being abused, do not hesitate to report it. You could be saving their life.

Nissan USA

How to effectively manage new employees at the Ionians Smyrna plant? II. Statement of the Objective To adapt US and Japanese corporate cultures at the Ionians Smyrna plant within 6 months Ill. Areas of Consideration Strengths a. Latest Japanese management techniques and technology for producing vehicles b. Key positions and first line production supervisors are being filled by workers from Tennessee through an agreement with the State c.Hired experienced and native Tenseness that will be have specialized training in Japan for 2 to 4 months d. Participative management or harmonious relationship between management and labor e. Maximize human resources by implementing job enlargement and enrichment. Weaknesses a. Japanese economy Is worst advertisement for free trade b. The company's top management Is aged between 50 – 65 years old c. Cultural difference in work attitudes are predominant d. Language barrier Opportunities a. Employee screening by Tennessee Department of Employment b.Maximize human resources of Ionians USA bib enlargement and Job enrichment) Threats a. Use of robots that will replace human workers b. Temporary or sub-contract workers are opposed by US unions (AAU) Alternative Courses of Action ACACIA: To unionized the new employees thru AAU participation ACE: To establish strong reward system for workers V. Analysis ACACIA: To unionized the employees thru JAW Advantages: 1 . Promotes Job security and decreases Job attrition rate 2. As Americans tend to be individualistic, management could convey messages thru union organizations 3.Induce harmonious relationship between management and workers 4. Labor cost can be fixed for quite sometime, thus management cod roper plan its cost Disadvantages: 1. If abuse, management may have decrease human resource control 2. May subject companies to tantamount labor disputes induce by the union organization ACE: To implement employee empowerment thru trainings and decision making participation Advantages: 1 . Awareness on the Japanese management style and operations of the business 2. Improves the confidence of workers that increases productivity, efficiency and quality products 3.Develop teamwork open communication among between management and workers 4. Employee satisfaction and welfare 5. Work motivating environment 1. Abuse benefits and familiarity 2. Compromise confidentiality ACE: To establish strong reward and recognition system for workers Advantages: 1 . Improves the confidence of workers that increases productivity, efficiency and quality products 2. Job enrichment/satisfaction 3. Competitiveness of workers 4. Motivated workers 1 . Over-expectations 2. Bias/sub]activity of reward criteria 3. Compromise the quality of output VI.Conclusion Decision Matrix Criteria ACE ACE Cost 3 2 Performance effectiveness Turn-over rate Total 4 9 5 Definition of Criteria Cost – the amount of money needed to pursue the recommended courses of action Performance effectiveness – effic iency of workers resulting to increase quality and productivity Turn-over rate – decrease in turn-over rate of workers Criteria Weights 3 – least costly, most effective, lowest turn-over rate 2 – less costly, more effective, lower turn-over rate 1 – costly, effective, low turn-over rate 0 AC 2 is chosen for the most advantageous plan.Identify/ highlight good cultural corporate traits among workers and promote practice of such in the work place Quality circle members, Department Heads Decorate the plant with posters sharing good US and Japan corporate values John Bryan, HER Department 1 month Send key employees to Japan for training John Bryan, Department Heads, Conduct monthly meetings discussing corporate cultures and corrections if any John Bryan, Quality circle members, Every month Conduct small focus group discussion among workers regarding work and corporate culture HER Department, Department Heads Monitor results John Bryan, HER Department 2 months

The Synthesis Of Nmofs And Other Ligand And Metal...

NMOFs from the Gd and BHC shows that it is possible to process unique NMOFs from the same ligand and metal combinations by utilizing the multipurpose metal-ligand coordination modes. The solvothermal approach for the synthesis of NMOFs was reported by two scientists. In their research, they avidly investigated the transformation of the particle morphology during the synthesis process. They added N, N-phenylenebis (salicylideneime) dicarboxylic acid solution which was in DMSO to DMF solution which composed of two equivalents of Zn (OAc) 2. They observed that one equivalent of zinc ions coordinates to the pocket of the salena and the remaining zinc ions equivalent coordinates to metalloligands. They further heated the resulting solution at 120â„Æ' for thirty minutes. As the heating proceeded they discovered that the nanowires were changing into nanocubes through the intrastuctural fusion and accumulation. They discovered that by varying the reaction conditions they were capable of tuning the cubes’ sizes. The smaller nanoparticle cubes were obtained by reducing the solubility of the nanowires via application of poor solvent mixture or lowering their temperatures. Uses of the nanometer-sized coordination polymers It is well known that nanometer-sized coordination polymers can be manufactured from diverse organic bridging ligands and metal ions, therefore, can be used to made different materials with exceptional characteristics and composition (Chen et al. 228; Schoemer et