The Theories of Democracy - Free Essay Example

July 4, 1776 was the date that the United States of America gained its freedom from the monarchy of Great Britain. The U.S. citizens could not take anymore of King George III’s rule and fought for a different government system, one where they could have a voice and independence. The U.S. was founded based upon these desires and therefore they formed a democracy. The question however, is which kind of democracy did the U.S. become? There are three theories of which America could be, being pluralist, elitist or direct. A pluralist democracy consists of groups that are formed by people who share a common interest and compete against other groups, while an elitist democracy is the belief that those with power and money are the only ones that influence the government and lastly in contrast, a direct democracy is a system in which the individual citizen directly participates in politics (â€Å"Who Governs?† 2016). All three theories of democracy can be viewed inside America. Chinatown and Little Italy are examples of a pluralist democracy because they keep to their own culture while continuing to contribute to the U.S. with their opinions (â€Å"Examples of Pluralism† 2016). Senators and house representatives can be considered elitists, due to the f act they hold a political position where they have a direct voice to the situation, which also most likely means they came from a wealthy family and were given a superior education. For instance, Barack Obama, the first black president came from Hawaii, a very expensive state due to tax imports and attended a private school. It was found that in a 2003 survey, 41% of house representatives and 46% of senators had their children attend private schools. It was also recorded that an amendment to provide scholarships to students from low performing public schools was turned down because that would have meant those students would have been able to attend schools in the same area as the congressmens children (Chen, 2011). Many believe that America is a direct democracy because the constitution states â€Å"we the people.† Although this historical document is meant to determine the country belongs to the voices of the individuals, the United States can be best explained to be a plura list democracy. Although many congressmen are considered to be elitist, they are chosen to be the people’s representatives. Individuals all have a standpoint on what they desire. To make these desires come true, they form into a group. For example, democrats and republicans. These groups of people who have common beliefs on how the government should be run bond together and choose a representative. This representative is the larger voice for all the individuals that make up the group and despite they are part of a higher class, they maintain the same interests, therefore the elitist is more of a group member than above the rest. Another example was, â€Å"In Sturges vs. Crowninshield the question was whether the State of New York had the power to pass a bankrupt law, it being alleged that the power to pass bankrupt laws was vested exclusively in Congress.† (Ritcher, 1929, p. 515). Both the state government and congress in this case, were the competing groups that were fighting over who had the power to pass the law, bringing the question which group has more power? The U.S. is considered to be a melting pot, being one of the more diverse nations with all kinds of different ethnicities, religions, cultures, and backgrounds. All these different beliefs mean that these groups compete for different objects, such as money, power, resources, anything that would be in the groups best interest. This competition may create some conflict but overall is more beneficial since each group is able to listen, understand, and respect one another (Norman, 2018, p. 2). America is a society with a democratic government system to express its ultimate value of freedom. It involves representation but is a pluralist democracy. Individuals make up a group who have an elitist that speaks for their beliefs but is considered an equal member because of shared ideals. Many groups within the U.S. compete against each other over what they want or believe is best for that group, making the pluralist democracy theory the best theory to describe the United States of America.

The Strength to Change the World in A Lesson Before Dying...

What if you were sentenced to death for a crime you did not commit? What if you were then proclaimed to be a hog by a jury of your peers? What if you had 5 months to learn to grow from the hog you are said to be, to a man so that you are able to stand tall and walk to your death on your own two legs with your head held high? What would you learn? These questions are the central conflict of the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines. This book takes place on a plantation in the deeply racist state of Louisiana in the 1940s, where a black man named Jefferson is sentenced to death by means of the electric chair by an all-white jury for a murder that he did not commit. Jefferson’s white lawyer’s only defense is that Jefferson, being a†¦show more content†¦In this quote, he shows all the things he has gained from his acceptance, demonstrating strength (when he says I’m strong), manhood (when he says and truly believes â€Å"im a man mr wigin,† ) and the maturity to keep his composure when saying goodbye. All of these inner changes were only brought around and realized by Jefferson after he learned to take acceptance of responsibility for his actions. Jefferson also learned to sacrifice himself for others. Early in the book, Grant defines heroism. He says, â€Å"Do you know what a hero is Jefferson? A hero is someone who does something for other people. He does something other men don’t and can’t do. He is different from other men. He is above other men†¦. A hero does for others. He would do anything for the people he loves, because he knows it will make their lives better,† (Gaines 191). Grant’s definition of heroism says that heroes are people who sacrifice themselves for others, and that heroes are above other men. In the book, Jefferson does become a hero by sacrificing himself for others. After Grant has his talk, Jefferson sits down at the table with his nannan and eats the cold gumbo that she puts out for him, not because he wants it, for he had previously said he wasn’t hungry, but because he knows it will make her happy. This is Jefferson’s small sacrifice, but for the fact t hat he is upon death’s edge, it took real courageShow MoreRelatedA Lesson Before Dying By Ernest J. Gaines1122 Words   |  5 PagesThe Power of a Strong Character In the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, racism and prejudice are clearly evident and talked about throughout the novel. The novel expresses the oppression of the blacks under a white-ruled society through the narrator, Grant. Grant is a well-educated black man who struggles to free himself from the oppression he has felt from the white community. Despite the fact that he is educated and a teacher, he initially lacks the vigor needed to take the firstRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesPower and Politics 411 Conflict and Negotiation 445 Foundations of Organization Structure 479 v vi BRIEF CONTENTS 4 The Organization System 16 Organizational Culture 511 17 Human Resource Policies and Practices 543 18 Organizational Change and Stress Management 577 Appendix A Research in Organizational Behavior Comprehensive Cases Indexes Glindex 637 663 616 623 Contents Preface xxii 1 1 Introduction What Is Organizational Behavior? 3 The Importance

Islamic Finance UK

Question Write a phd research proposal on Islamic Finance based on uk. Answer: Introduction (Research Topic) Islamic banking is a subject which many non-Muslims have rarely known and understand even less. However, several UK businesses have recognized the importance of Islamic banking and finance during the trading process (Hanif 2014). The growing demand of the Islamic finance has now received full support by many countries and thus results the global development of the Islamic economy and finance in the world of commercial dealings. With decades of experience of Islamic banking and finance, the institutes have developed several products that play an instrumental role and contributed in raising their share in the market. Thus the Islamic banking products has received the global acceptance especially trade between Islamic countries. On the other part, the non-Muslim countries are likely to have indirect interaction with an Islamic bank or financial institution when an importer in an Islamic country arranges credit for the global purchase through such an institution. According to Naser, Al S alem and Nuseibeh (2013), the principles of Islamic finance are quite capable of responding towards the need of international trade financing. This paper will explore the usefulness of the Islamic banking products in the context of international trade. With this research, the researcher will provide a brief literature review for the understanding of the importance of Islamic finance and its emerging role in the international business. After developing the research questions, the researcher will facilitate the methodology for conducting the research with the help of the several tools and techniques. Problem statement: It is difficult for the non-Islamic countries to adopt the Islamic law for the need of modern commerce (Abedifar, Molyneux and Tarazi 2013). It is problematic to follow the Islamic finance to that financial institute who has already followed the guidelines of the national legislation. To attain the competitiveness, Islamic financial institutions have developed several products. However, it is imperative that services and financial instruments need to develop on a regular basis. In the development process, majority of the institute are facing challenges in compliance with Sharia. Research Aim and Objectives The aim of the research is to explore the prominent role of the Islamic Banking Products which are directly influence on the international trade in different countries. Thus the objectives of the research are as follows: To identify the salient characteristics of Islamic finance To identify the beneficial aspects of Islamic banking activities over the conventional bank To understand the role of the Islamic financial products in the context of the international finance Research Questions To meet the research objectives, the researcher need to address the couple of questions of the research: What are salient characteristics of Islamic finance? How does the Islamic banking activity beneficial over the conventional bank? How do Islamic financial products help to the international trade? Literature review Based on the conventional Islamic laws, the Islamic finance was first conceptualized in the early 1890s (Iqbal and Molyneux 2016). Later the several principles of the Islamic finance have been following in different financial institutions such as bank, capital markets and many other financial institutions. By 1977, the emerging number of Islamic banks has made formulation with the International Association of Islamic Banks for the facilitating cooperation between banks from different parts of the world. Now the system of the Islamic bank has been acquired assets of US$55-$90 billion (Abedifa et al.2015). There are more than hundred interest free Islamic banks presently active in the international market such as countries like Malaysia, Singapore, India, China and many other countries (Venardos 2012). By following the guidelines of Syariah, Islamic banking system has followed the legal and ethical rules in their different banking activities. The main product used in the contemporary cross-border Islamic trade finance is the murabaha contract (Hassan, Kayed and Oseni 2013). This product is normally defined as the process by which the bank buys goods on the request of client which are sold at the negotiated price to them (Uppal and Mangla 2014). Generally, all the payments are made through the installments following the deferred payment basis. This arrangement is called cost-plus-profit contract where the financial institute no longer shares the revenues, rather it assumes capacity of a classic financial intermediary. Istisna, another type of forward sale contract of Islamic finance instruments, generally buy a project that is under construction and will be accomplished and delivered on the future date (Abdul-Rahman 2014). It was previously assumed that Murabaha contract would play an active role in the field of corporate financing. However, evidence suggests that most funds of Islamic banks are in fact employed in several businesses, rent and leasing (ijara) activities which offer fixed returns for the bank (Hoggarth 2016). The modern murabaha contract experiments number of possible Islamic alternatives to Western trade financing using interest-based letters of credit (Imam and Kpodar 2013). On the other hand, the Islamic financial institution on behalf of the buyers pays for goods in full in advance and Salam, the forward contract is delivered in future. The biggest advantage of the trade settlement for Islamic bank is that the cash or security movement can occur in several ways such as cash in advance or prepayments, documentary credits, documentary collections and open account( Hossain 2016). Moreover, the Islamic banks are often used contracts which provides the global safety and security which helps to establish the global client base. In order to secure the financial liability, the Islamic bank has provided a complete safeguard by the use of the contracts like Wadia, Hiwala, Kafala and Rahn. It has been observed that the nominal legal basis may be the conventional contract of murabaha in the conte xt of import-export financing (Gundogdu and Gundogdu 2016). However, the complexity of the international activities involved lies in fresh interpretations of the basic texts of Shariah in place of the establishing economic and social climate. Research Methodology and Techniques To conduct this research in a systematic manner, the researcher will follow a conventional research framework where different techniques and tools have been used in this section. Generally, the researcher approaches several techniques to gather information related to the research topic such as surveys, interviews, public research and many other research techniques (O'Leary 2013). Thus the selection of the appropriate research technique is indeed a significant mater which certainly helps to address the research objectives. In this research, the researcher will choose the exploratory research method where the focus will be given on the discovery of unique insights and ideas as opposed to collecting accurate data (Yin et al. 2016). By this research method, the researcher will explore the role of the Islamic Banking Product and highlight the contribution in the international trade activities. Furthermore, the researcher will follow the deductive approach where the researcher will test theories, concepts and the fundamental ideas about the research topic. Gantt chart Activities 1-2weeks 3-4 weeks 5-6 weeks 7-8 weeks Selection of area of the research Formulating research aim, objectives and questions Conducting a brief literature review Collection of data analysis Conclusion of the research Research Process: It is important to accomplish the research within the schedules time frame (O'Leary 2013). After accomplishing the fundamental steps, the researcher will get the comprehensive outcome of the research. The research topic is primarily selected at the initial stage of the research. After this, the researcher will formulate the aim and objectives of the researcher. Based on the objective of the researcher, the research will construct a couple of questions which needs to be articulate during the process. In the second part of the researcher explores the detail analysis to understand the impacts of the Islamic banking products in the context of the international trade. After the detailed literature review, the researcher will follow the systematic research method in the methodology section of the research. However, more data will be needed for detailed analysis. Thus the brief data analysis will be conducted in the data analysis chapter of the research. In this chapter, the secondary resea rch method will be followed for analyzing and evaluating the gathered information of the research. After the analysis, the research will complete the task and the objectives of the research will be addressed. In this way, the researcher will follow the systematic process to conduct the research successfully. Data Collection and Analysis method According to Ciarocco (2016), Success of conducting research depends over the outcomes that are gained by the researcher at the end of the research. Thus the researcher needs to collect and analysis adequate data and information in the section of the research. The research will follow the mixed data collection method. The data related to the research topic will be accumulated or gathered by following the observing methods and in-depth interviews. All these approach will be incorporated under the primary data collection method. This method will help to establish direct communication with the key respondents and can observe different opinion about the significance of the Islamic finance and related products of the Islamic financial institutions (Palinkas et al. 2015). On the other hand, the prior history of Islamic finance can be explored by the secondary data collection method. In this research, the researcher will analysis both primary and secondary information in order to evaluate the prominent role of Islamic Banking Products to help the international Trade. In the primary data collection method, the researcher will conduct the in-depth interviews and survey questionnaires to the Islamic banking professionals associated members of International Association of Islamic Banks. On the other hand, the data will analysis by the researcher which are already gathered from the research publications, books, financial reports, articles in the secondary research section. Expected Research Outcomes By the end of the research, the researcher will gather information about the role of the contemporary Islamic banking products in the context of the international business. After the completion, the researcher will get knowledge about the several products of Islamic banking which are played a significant role in the cross-border transactions in the context of the international business. References Abdul-Rahman, Y., 2014. The Art of RF (Riba-Free) Islamic Banking and Finance: Tools and Techniques for Community-Based Banking. John Wiley Sons. Abedifar, P., Ebrahim, S.M., Molyneux, P. and Tarazi, A., 2015. Islamic banking and finance: recent empirical literature and directions for future research. Journal of Economic Surveys, 29(4), pp.637-670. Abedifar, P., Molyneux, P. and Tarazi, A., 2013. Risk in Islamic banking. Review of Finance, 17(6), pp.2035-2096. Ciarocco, N.J., 2016. of Resource Assignment: Presenting a Research Proposal. Gundogdu, A.S. and Gundogdu, A.S., 2016. Exploring novel Islamic finance methods in support of OIC exports. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 7(2), pp.78-92. Hanif, D., 2014. Differences and similarities in Islamic and conventional banking. International Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 2(2). Hassan, M.K., Kayed, R.N. and Oseni, U.A., 2013. Introduction to Islamic banking and finance: principles and practice. Pearson Education Limited. Hoggarth, D., 2016. The rise of Islamic finance: postà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ colonial marketà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ building in central Asia and Russia. International Affairs, 92(1), pp.115-136. Hossain, A.A., 2016. Inflationary shocks and real output growth in nine Muslim-majority countries: Implications for Islamic banking and finance. Journal of Asian Economics, 45, pp.56-73. Imam, P. and Kpodar, K., 2013. Islamic banking: how has it expanded?. Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 49(6), pp.112-137. Iqbal, M. and Molyneux, P., 2016. Thirty years of Islamic banking: History, performance and prospects. Springer. Naser, K., Al Salem, A. and Nuseibeh, R., 2013. Customers Awareness and Satisfaction of Islamic Banking Products and Services: Evidence from the Kuwait Finance House (Note 1). International Journal of Marketing Studies, 5(6), p.185. O'Leary, Z., 2013. The essential guide to doing your research project. Sage. Palinkas, L.A., Horwitz, S.M., Green, C.A., Wisdom, J.P., Duan, N. and Hoagwood, K., 2015. Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), pp.533-544. Uppal, J.Y. and Mangla, I.U., 2014. Islamic Banking and Finance Revisited after Forty Years: Some Global Challenges. Journal of Finance. Venardos, A.M., 2012. Islamic Banking and Finance in South-East Asia: Its Development Future (Vol. 6). World Scientific. Yin, Z., Valdez, A., Mata Jr, A.G. and Kaplan, C., 2016. Developing a field-intensive methodology for generating a randomized sample for gang research. Free Inquiry in Creative Sociology, 28(1), pp.81-90.