Machiavellis Cycle of Governance Essay Example for Free

Machiavellis Cycle of Governance Essay Ancient Rome such a stable and economically fruitful empire. Concerning the structures of governance as it was in 16th century florence, Machiavelli expressed the opinion that only six forms of government exist that maintain a perpetual cycle of short lived power before sucuming to, what he viewed as a natural end. This is brought about either due to a successful insurection and instalment of a form of government which evolved out of oppression or a form of government that eventually grew to become greedy and corrupt through generational changes. The model Machiavelli presents begins with a society in a state of nature or Anarchy that exists until the people begin to realise strength in numbers and seek leadership from the foremost individual who assumes rulership, thus evolving into a Monarchy. The good Monarch is however, succeeded by corrupt rulers who use their power for their own gain and control through Tyranny. The Tyrant is eventually overthrown by a rebellion and the rebels retain control amongst themselves collectively producing an Aristocracy. The Aristocrats are then succeeded by a generation that again, begins to use its powers to oppress the people and becomes an Oligarchy. Like the Tyrant, they are overthrown by the oppressed who then form a Democracy. As time progresses, order and control dissolve completely until we find ourselves in a state of nature or Anarchy once again. As Machiavelli saw it, because of mans propensity to greed and corruption against the collective force of the oppressed victims, the cycle of instability could only ever provide temporal security and was not an effective enough solution. Machiavelli lived in a period of insessent political conflict and social disharmony which provided him with a deep rooted motivation to ensure order and stability could be demonstrated within the system he sought. Machiavelli drew the conclusion that a balance of power shared between a monarchical figure, an aristocratic institution and a democratic institution, as the Ancient Romans had implemented, was the most benificial arrangement in the interest of the state. In order to sustain order, it is necessary to employ the method of checks and balances, meaning each faction must regulate the other to prevent the accumulation of too power in the hands of an individual or particular group. Today we use the term separation of powers to identify this form of self monitoring government. Although critics of this form of power regulation state that it slows up progress, promotes excesses of executive power and unaccountability, those who would champion the method maintain it is an effective means to ensure liberty and democracy while avoiding the possibility of tyranny.

Crying Souls in The Slave Dancer :: Slave Dancer Essays

Crying Souls in The Slave Dancer It all began in the cold month of January, 1840, in a town familiar to many; New Orleans. Fog laid a heavy blanket on the streets and alleyways of the city. Rain steadily engulfed the seaside locality, and the sound of drunken riverboat men and the slaves celebrating their terrible festivities surrounded the area. New Orleans was the location where Jessie Bollier lived, and 'tis the place where he was captured on that dark January evening. Jessie then found himself aboard The Moonlight, the slaver with its towering sails and masts, cabins and storage space under the deck. For these were places where Jessie had to 'dance the slaves' and where the captain and crew would spend many weeks living in fear of the slaves, of each other, and of getting caught. The story then briefly took the ship's crew and captain to Whydah in the Bight of Benin, the rugged coasts of Africa, where the multitudes of slaves were captured and mistreated. They then made their way across the Atlantic once again to land in the Gulf of Mexico. The Moonlight was anchored there and stayed because it was here where the ship submerged. Two passengers then washed up to the shores of Mississippi where Jessie and Ras meet Daniel, their soon to be friend. Finally, the story concludes in the place it began...the clamoring streets of New Orleans. The Slave Dancer is written in first person point of view, through Jessie's eyes, and projects a depressing, melancholy mood. It is the tragic song of the slaves. The hero of the story is the thirteen year old boy, Jessie Bollier. "He's a fearful runt," comments Captain Cawthorne. He is brought on board the slaver to make the slaves dance, to keep them healthy. Jessie innocent and does not fully understand his purpose. "My life h ad turned upside down. My friend was a man who pressganged me. I disliked the man who befriended me." Jessie does not realize what is going on within him. He does not realize that these men, these women, and children are slaves...are owned. He does not perceive the cruel treatment of the slaves, but does not know why. Jessie himself puts it best, "My stomach rebelled." The antagonist is surprisingly Jessie, but after the voyage. He went through many changes after the excursion. "At first, I made a promise to myself: I would do nothing that was connected with the use of slaves.

Decentralization and Development Essay

Most developing country’s governments and multilateral institutions are increasingly concerned by the slow progress being made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals and have identified new ways of strengthening the development focus of their policies and programmes. For this reason, decentralisation is receiving increasing international attention as a potential tool in the acceleration of development. Though decentralisation would not be implemented solely for the direct purpose of economic development, the ensuing changes in the institutional architecture are very likely to impact on governance, participation and the efficiency of public-service delivery, all of which are important variables for development outcomes. Decentralisation is understood as the transfer of power, responsibility, authority, functions and appropriate resources from the central to the local level. This study attempts to analyse the performance of the decentralisation policy in Zambia since a new decentralisation policy was introduced in Zambia in November 2002 following two previous failed attempts in 1968 and 1980. An effort will be made to analyse the policy design, its implementation, monitoring and evaluation concerns and how these relate to development. Specific emphasis in the study will be placed on whether power can actually been devolved by the Central Government to the Local Governments and to what extent this can have a positive impact on the delivery and management of services at district level thereby leading to development. The study intends to evaluate how the decentralisation policy is operationalised by analysing political, administrative and fiscal decentralisation and how these interface with development in Zambia. The designers of the decentralisation policy in Zambia hoped that when implemented properly, it would reduce the workload at the centre, create political and administrative accountability, promote responsiveness, and in the long run develop organizational structures tailored to local circumstances in which the payment of taxes could be linked to the provision of services. In this way, it was intended that decentralisation would contribute to democratisation, more effective development, and good governance. The problem, however, is that despite these well intentioned goals, the theory is contrary to the practice since decentralisation in Zambia is characterised by several contradictions in the way of challenges related to human resource management, procurement, financial management, and the commercialisation of the elections process which involves the use of money to bribe voters and thereby greatly undermines the ideals of individual merit. As a result, democracy in Zambia has not necessarily produced the best leaders. These contradictions have negative implications for development and this study seeks to investigate why decentralisation has not necessarily led to development in the Zambia context. Generally, the study intends to explore the impact of the decentralisation policy on the development process of the Zambian economy, in terms of effectiveness in the delivery of services. The study hopes to highlight inadequacies, which could be addressed to improve performance and lead to development. More specifically, the study aims at: * Examining the legal and institutional framework of decentralisation in Zambia. * Analysing the determinants of pro-poor decentralisation process. * Examining the role of elected leaders in development under decentralised governance. * Analysing fiscal decentralisation in relation to service delivery (development). These objectives have been critically identified to cover the four pillars of decentralisation namely, the legal framework, as well as fiscal, administrative and political decentralisation. Decentralisation as a process of transferring authority and functions from the centre to the periphery governments is intended to result in good governance. The quest for good governance in both developed and developing countries has taken centre stage. Governments design policies, which are intended to improve people’s welfare and subsequently lead to development. The decentralisation policy in Uganda is one of such policies, which intends to encourage popular participation, accountability, and therefore enhance good governance and development. It is assumed that once organisations are decentralised formally and legally, the intended results are attained. However, there have been few tests to critically compare the assumptions and the subsequent results associated with decentralisation. This study intends to fill the gap by relating the theory of decentralisation to the practice in Zambia. A new decentralisation policy was introduced in Zambia the policy covers the crucial aspects of decentralisation such as setting up of sub-district structures and clearly defined roles for the local authorities, the province and central government. Additionally it clearly states that the government is aspiring for devolution although the process will start with deconcentration of services while capacity is being developed in the local authorities. The policy also clearly states that the objective of the policy is primarily governance, i.e. giving citizens more voice in decision-making and general improvement in democratic governance where citizens will elect the mayor as opposed to the current system where this is done by councillors, and councils will have more powers and resources. This is in keeping with the fact that the government wants to introduce devolution. A decentralisation secretariat was established to spearhead the implementation and coordination of the policy. The local government administration in Zambia is large and highly complex. This complexity together with the significant differences in management between provincial and district approaches, the researchers’ geographical location and resources determined the choice of research design and method most appropriate for the study. Thus the study will be fundamentally based on an analysis of secondary data as it relates to the theoretical and practical implications of decentralisation in Zambia. Hence secondary data will be collected and analysed by means of a literature study which makes use of various sources related to the Zambian setting, including books, journal articles, and legislation.

The Roles of Family in the Philippines - 610 Words

Family plays an important part of everybody’s life. In the Philippines Family comes first among any other priorities in life. A typical Filipino family is composed of father, mother, with children and may also include an extended family of aunt, uncle, cousin or grandparent. The father is head of the family and acts as the breadwinner. He makes major decisions in consultation with his wife. He implements discipline in the family. The treasurer and home keeper in the family is the wife. She takes care of the children and her husband. Children are usually closer to her than to their father. Nowadays, there are also working mothers because of the rising need in the cost of living. The father and the mother work hand in hand, to establish and give the life that their children deserve. The children are taught to respect and obey their parents. The elder sibling, especially the girl, is trained to be her mother’s assistant. She learns to look after her younger siblings and to manage the home. Elder sibling also gets respect from the younger ones. Filipino children are assigned home chores to train them to be responsible. The family molds the child’s character. It is where moral values are first being taught. The parents are the ones responsible in inculcating good manners and right conduct to their children that they will carry on as they grow up. Close family ties is also one of the trademarks in a Filipino family. The strong bond in the family is very prominent in theShow MoreRelatedA Look Into Filipino Culture896 Words   |  4 Pagesperspectives and is heavily rooted in Christianity. The diversity of its people coupled with their ability to adapt and tolerate new ideas has created a fusion of traditional and modern. Filipinos pride themselves in their Sociability, religious belief, and Family oriented lifestyle. Social Aspects Filipino culture focuses heavily on social interaction and although many Filipinos are aware of western social norms and are tolerant of social miscues that would be rather damaging in other conservative culturesRead MoreCulture And Geography Of Philippines1554 Words   |  7 PagesName: Instructor: Course: Date: Culture and Geography of Philippines Introduction The Republic of the Philippines was called Filipinas to honor King Philip the second of Spain in 1543. The Philippine Islands were the name used before independence. Geography and climate have always had very potent effects on culture. Geography often shapes the way people live and interact with each other. Climate, or the prevailing weather patterns over time of a region, also has drastic effects on society and culturesRead MorePhilippines And Indi Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions1442 Words   |  6 PagesPhilippines and India: Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions According to MindTools.com, psychologist Dr. Geert Hofstede aimed to understand cultures and cultural differences 1970s when he began to decades of research and thousands of interviews. What emerged was is an internationally recognized standard model of cultural dimensions. Hofstede analyzed the results of his research and found clear patterns of similarity and difference amid the responses along these five dimensions. There are five mainRead MoreCultural Characteristics of the Philippines 1429 Words   |  6 Pages Cultural Characteristics Overview The Philippines has a population of about 104 million people. It is located in Southeast Asia in the Western Pacific ocean. It is composed of 7,107 islands with 3 main geographical divisions- Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The different divisions of the Philippines have differences in tradition. The Philippines has a tropical climate and a mountainous terrain; earthquakes and typhoons happen frequently. Both dry and rainy reasons occur, which makes year roundRead MoreMajor Characteristics Of A Philippine Culture1031 Words   |  5 PagesPhilippine Cultural Awareness Culture is the shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that is learned through a process of socialization. These shared patterns, identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group. Five major characteristics of a Philippine culture include family, beliefs, customs, food, and language. In this essay geography and military conflict history, weather analysis, and civil considerationsRead MoreCultutral Gender Roles Essay1296 Words   |  6 PagesCultural Gender Roles In most cultures, boys and girls are treated very differently. Despite the differences of gender, upbringing creates gender behavior, including aggression and gentility; societal stereotypes of gender, and most importantly, gender-based discrimination. Throughout history and in all cultures the roles of males and females vary. Relating to the article Girl written by Jamaica Kincaid at a time when womens roles were to work in the home. By examining gender roles, then one mayRead MoreMalnutrition in the Philippines Essay1099 Words   |  5 PagesFor years, the people of the Philippines have been in grave danger of a horrible condition. They are suffering from malnutrition, an unhealthy imbalance in an individual’s diet which may result from a lack of certain nutrients being consumed or starvation (Board). Malnutrition has been an issue there for many years as a result of the country’s overwhelming poverty rates (about 27.9 percent of the populace) depriving its people of food, and raging typhoons (such as Super Storm Haiyan) have only exasperatedRead MorePhilippines Annexation and US Masculinity1258 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican government wanted to prove their superiority among other emerging nations and in doing so chose to colonize and annex nations such as the Philippines. Primary resources indicated that the annexation of the Philippines was indeed motivated by the lack of masculinity that was felt by the American government at the time (Hollitz, 2010). Gender roles in the United States were at a point where their stereotypical reputations were changing and women were gaining more social power. This was unlikeRead MoreCulture Is The Most Natural Or Superior Way Of Understanding The World795 Words   |  4 Pagescountries or regions it might come off as rude or inconsiderate. In different cultures there are things that are more important than other cultures throughout the world and the Filipino people do things a little differently than most. In the Philippines family is the center of the social structure and that will include everyone, manners are taught very young age especially towards the elderly and high-ranking officials and they will typically use â€Å"sir† or â€Å"madam† in basic conversations. In the UnitedRead MoreStudy About Ofw1697 Words   |  7 PagesBurgos, April 18, 2010. He stated that some 18.05 per cent of all Filipino households received cash from abroad in the year 2000, and this rose to 20.72 per cent in 2003 and then to 23.3 per cent in 2006. From the data, the author observed that more families of OFWs were spending less on food and more on health, with the percentage share of expenditures of migrant households on food down slightly from 44.9 per cent in 2000 to 43.3 per cent in 2006, while expenditures on health increased from 2.3 per