Judicial Review free essay sample

The United Kingdom as the Most Democratic Country Anthony Giddens, a sociologist and author, defines democracy as having three core components, â€Å"democracy exists where you have a multiparty system with political parties competing with one another, free and non-corrupt voting procedures to elect political leaders, and an effective legal framework of civil liberties or human rights that underlie the mechanisms of voting processes† (Lever). Democracy is a form of government where the supreme power is vested in the people and is exercised directly by the people or by its elected agents. Countries such as Japan, the United States’, and the United Kingdom, all have democratic forms of government. Judicial review is a part of democracy where a higher level court can review cases involving laws and make those laws invalid. It is an important part of the checks and balances in a democracy to limit power. Through the power of judicial review, the Court is charged with assuring citizens’ individual rights as guaranteed to them. We will write a custom essay sample on Judicial Review or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Judicial review is important for democracy, but on the other hand, some feel as though judicial review is undemocratic. Although the United States was the first country to practice judicial review, the United Kingdom possesses the most democratic judicial system. Judicial review has many positive benefits and is significant to a country’s judiciary. In the case of Marbury vs. Madison, decided by the John Marshall Court in America in 1803, officials argued that the court system, as a whole, and the Supreme Court, which is the top court of the land, has the power to decide if a government law, regulation or action was Constitutional because the court system is the place where all legal matters are decided. Judicial review legitimizes the government’s actions that are protected by the courts and helps maintain the supremacy of the Constitution of a country. It helps to temper radical extremism in political parties that obtain a majority. Its also democratic because it gives people a say both in supporting the original passage of the law as well as in appealing its constitutionality. If laws are not decided upon whether or not they are constitutional, the Constitution is not being treated as the supreme law of the land as it is designed to do in America. Those who feel that judicial review is undemocratic believe that courts should not interfere with the attempts of Congress or the President to deal with wars and emergencies. Judicial review may be seen as undemocratic, especially when compared to the true definition of democracy (Lever). Another strike at judicial review is that it is not explicitly stated in the American Constitution. The judiciary is the branch of a country’s government that is concerned with allocating justice. The constitutional court is the highest judicial body to rule on the constitutionality of laws and other government actions. Some regimes give the judiciary the power of concrete review, which allows the high court to rule on constitutional issues only when debates are brought up. Other regimes give the power of abstract review, which allows the court to decide questions that do no arise from legal cases, and even allows it to make judgements on legislation that has not yet been enacted. The US allows concrete review and in contrast, the UK courts do not have power to overturn legislation passed by the national legislature under any circumstances. Britain is a representative democracy. This is where citizens within a country elect representatives to make decisions for them. Every five years in Britain the people have the chance to vote into power those they wish to represent them in Parliament. These member’s of parliament meet in the House of Commons to discuss matters which pass acts and then become British law. Within the House of Commons, each elected member of parliament represents an area called a constituency. For five years, member’s of parliament are responsible to their electorate and are held accountable to them. If they fail to perform, or if the party does badly during its time in office, they can be removed by the people of their constituency. According to the Democracy Rankings of 2012, the United Kingdom was ranked at 13 while the United States was ranked at 15 (Campbell). In both the UK and USA any citizen, male or female, and any race, has the right to vote in elections, as long as they are over eighteen years old. This universal suffrage is something that is desperately needed if a country is going to be democratic, for some citizens are excluded from the right to vote then a government is obviously not democratic because not everyone who lives in  that country is getting a chance to say how they want to be run. The British Executive may be held accountable more frequently than elections would allow through what is called the Prime Minister’s Question Time. In these sessions the government is questioned on all of its activities by the opposition, and their own party, meaning that, theoretically, the Executive shouldn’t be able to keep important secrets from the people and become too overpowering, but instead are frequently reminded of the fact that they work for the people. However, in the US, the President is not faced with these sessions, and so are not held accountable so often. In this way Britain is more democratic. Another strike against American democracy is the influence that money has on elections. Without money it is very difficult to win a campaign in   America, which leads to the high percentage on incumbents that get re-elected. Also, during their term in office the incumbents have created the network of contacts that can fund their campaigns. This makes it very hard for new people to break into American politics unless they have somehow collected a great sum of money. However, in Britain, money is not so important in elections which is partly because campaigns are shorter, taking weeks instead of a year, and because in the UK general election candidates are guaranteed time on the TV, radio, and can take advantage of the national press. In the US everything has to be bought. In this way the UK is more democratic than America. America is known as the greatest democracy in the world, and   Britain has been called the mother of all democracy, yet, if you look more closely at the governmental systems you will see many points that reflect an undemocratic quality in both countries. Though there is not much to choose between them, the US is less democratic, largely because of the enormous influence money has on American politics, therefore, if you’re not wealthy it is very hard to break into politics, and even is you are, the strict two-party system also makes it more difficult. The UK is not a lot more democratic, but the fact that money isn’t such an issue means that politics is more accessible to a wider number of people, as long as they want to get involved. The fact is that a pure democracy is often unworkable, and it may be that democracy has to be partially sacrificed in order to have an effective and efficient government.

Free Essays on Should Marijuana Be Legalized

Should it be Legalized Should marijuana be legalized it is a simple question with complex answers. There are many questions regarding marijuana ranging from should it be legalized, to whether it is a harmful drug. This topic is important to the people of America because we, as taxpayers spend millions of dollars each year on drug control. This is a major issue arising not only in America, but also in our neighboring country of Canada. Should marijuana be legalized? If it is legalized what would it mean to America’s war on drugs? What might the moralists’ argument against drugs become? Legalizing marijuana would make people change their perspective on the issue as well as the people who use it, due to it no longer being a crime. This issue is significant because it will affect our country as a whole. It will affect our taxes, laws, as well as the political parties and elections that will run our country. Legalization of marijuana also touches on the rights of citizens, as well on modern medicine. Marijuana is the drug that has a big question mark that goes along with it. What should our country do while faced with the issue of legalization of marijuana? Before making a decision on whether or not marijuana should be legalized, the history as well as the origin should be known. Marijuana is obtained from dried and crumpled parts of the ubiquitous hemp plant Cannabis Sativa. Marijuana can be grown just about anywhere. It is a easily harvested plant, which makes it a favorite of drug farmers. Marijuana comes in different strengths (â€Å"Marijuana† Encyclopedia International Vol. 11) from mild marijuana to potent Pg. 2 hashish. Even though some of these forms of marijuana are very potent, it has not been proven to be addictive. Marijuana was something foreign to Americans until the late 19th early 20th century when immigrants from Mexico and the Caribbean introduced the drug. It was often used during days of long work as a ... Free Essays on Should Marijuana Be Legalized Free Essays on Should Marijuana Be Legalized Should it be Legalized Should marijuana be legalized it is a simple question with complex answers. There are many questions regarding marijuana ranging from should it be legalized, to whether it is a harmful drug. This topic is important to the people of America because we, as taxpayers spend millions of dollars each year on drug control. This is a major issue arising not only in America, but also in our neighboring country of Canada. Should marijuana be legalized? If it is legalized what would it mean to America’s war on drugs? What might the moralists’ argument against drugs become? Legalizing marijuana would make people change their perspective on the issue as well as the people who use it, due to it no longer being a crime. This issue is significant because it will affect our country as a whole. It will affect our taxes, laws, as well as the political parties and elections that will run our country. Legalization of marijuana also touches on the rights of citizens, as well on modern medicine. Marijuana is the drug that has a big question mark that goes along with it. What should our country do while faced with the issue of legalization of marijuana? Before making a decision on whether or not marijuana should be legalized, the history as well as the origin should be known. Marijuana is obtained from dried and crumpled parts of the ubiquitous hemp plant Cannabis Sativa. Marijuana can be grown just about anywhere. It is a easily harvested plant, which makes it a favorite of drug farmers. Marijuana comes in different strengths (â€Å"Marijuana† Encyclopedia International Vol. 11) from mild marijuana to potent Pg. 2 hashish. Even though some of these forms of marijuana are very potent, it has not been proven to be addictive. Marijuana was something foreign to Americans until the late 19th early 20th century when immigrants from Mexico and the Caribbean introduced the drug. It was often used during days of long work as a ...

How are we affected by price elasticity of demand Research Paper

How are we affected by price elasticity of demand - Research Paper Example The Law explains that keeping all other factors affecting demand constant, the quantity demanded for a product or a service at a particular point of time is inversely proportional to its price. Thus, price and quantity demanded has an inverse relation with each other. The higher is the price level, lower will be the consumer willingness to buy a product or a service. As a result, the demand curve is always negatively sloped according to the law of demand. (Source: Author’s Creation) The above figure reflects the demand curve where Q stands for quantity demanded for a product or a service and P is the price level. There are also other factors that affect quantity demanded. This essay will briefly explain the different determinants of demand, assuming the impact of one variable on demand is analysed provided all the other factors are given. The income of consumers is positively related to the quantity demanded for goods and services. The higher is the income of the consumers the greater is their level of purchasing power thus consumers will always demand more with the rise in income levels. The quantity demanded also depends on the tastes and preferences of the buyers. When analysed in details the quantity demanded for a product or service is largely dependent on the complementary and substitution effect. For instance, the quantity demanded for Pepsi will always be increasing with the rise in the price level of Coke. Again the demand for cars will drastically fall with the rise in fuel price. There are other products like Bajra also known as inferior goods, whose quantity demanded falls with rise in income of the consumers. The nature of goods concerned is also an important parameter to analyse the quantity demanded for a good or a service. The goods reflecting status symbol always show a positive price effect in the quantity demanded. For example, the demand for a house sold in auction. Necessities are other types of goods that are insensitive to the chan ges in price, like the demand for life saving drugs. Price Elasticity of Demand Elasticity of demand is a quantitative measure that shows the degree of responsiveness of quantity demanded for a product or a service with respect to the changes in the various determinants of demand (IOWA State University, 2007). Price elasticity of demand shows the degree of responsiveness of quantity demanded for a commodity or a service with respect to chances only in its price level keeping all other factors affecting demand constant (Andrews & Benzing, 2010). The basic method of calculation of price elasticity of demand (Ep) is:- Ep = dQ/Q dP/P P and Q stands for price and quantity while dQ and dP shows the change in quantity demanded and price respectively (Litman, 2004). In order to make the analysis easy, economists take the mod values for calculating price elasticity of demand. The table below shows the five basic variations in price elasticities of demand. Value Types of elasticity’s E p = ? Perfectly Elastic Ep = 0 Perfectly Inelastic Ep = 1 Unitary Elastic Ep > 1 Relatively Elastic Ep < 1 Relatively Inelastic (Source: Traczynski, 2007) The above five variations in elasticity are all measured in terms of their mod values. Impact of Price Elasticity of Demand The quantity demanded by the consumers technically depends on the different values of price elastici

Communism in the USSR Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Communism in the USSR - Research Paper Example Communism is a way of a government that is totalitarian in nature, which rulers are dictators and have no respect for their subjects. In the USSR, communism started off in the 19th century due to the harsh conditions of life that were witnessed during that period, which made people agitate for a technique that would restore equality in the society. The concept of communism is founded on the ideology of Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx from their numerous scholarly ideas that were widespread at this time. These ideas were embraced by people in the Soviet Union society in a bid to regain equality in a society that was experiencing numerous hardships present during the tsarist rule. It was believed that communism was the solution to the problems society was experiencing and thus it would create a new society with social and political equality of every individual (Courteous and Kramer, 2004). Communism is centered on the principle that people need one another in order for the society to achieve meaningful progress both socially and economically. The idea is based on the belief that, a society where people work equally, is bound to achieve greater success as opposed to a society where people are grouped according to social classes. However, despite there being equality among people, the social distinction that results from some people having more wealth than others arises because individuals leverage from their talents. In a communist society, the government is not supposed to interfere with the rights of persons and its influence on the general economy of the state should be limited. Moreover, in communism societies, governments collectively own property and no person is supposed to start any enterprise because governments run business monopolies in all sectors of the economy. Therefore, the state provides basic amenities to its people including decent education and heal th care services.

Environmental Fundamentals Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental Fundamentals Paper - Essay Example by physicists through their proficiency in physical laws. Computer scientists, mathematicians and engineers are involved in environmental science through computer modeling and technical innovations. Biomedical expertise contributes by assessing health repercussions of environmental issues, such as disease and pollution. Question Two In the 20th century, scientific and technological advancements contributed largely to the development of industrial societies that used underground resources extensively. This resulted in societies characterized by large-volume production, consumption and waste. However, on the other hand, the resources of the earth are limited, as well as the natural environment’s ability to assimilate the enormous volumes of waste (Carson, 2002). This has given rise to environmental issues globally, ranging widely from acid rain to global warming, tropical rainforests and ozone layer destruction and desertification. Environmentalists have traced all these occurre nces to the increasing human activity facilitated by growth in science and technology. However, the progress of science and technology can also be used to resolve global environmental issues. The same power of science and technology can develop monitoring systems to warn of dangerous levels of pollution or emissions, hence triggering reduction or control measures. Innovations that have positively impacted the environment include the hybrid car and the catalytic converter. Science and technology can, therefore, be both a cause and solution to environmental issues in society today. Question Three The concept of environmental sustainability is important because it addresses ways in which human beings can accomplish a lifestyle that meets their fundamental survival requirements in a manner that can carry on indefinitely without causing harm to the natural ecosystems as well as their biodiversities. As a key topic in environmental studies, sustainability is an example of how policy and e nvironmental science may be used to resolve environmental problems. Historically, unsustainable interactions between people and their environments have been linked to migration, whereby human activity tampers with the ecosystem in a new settlement due to lack of technology or knowledge for sustainable interaction (Carson, 2002). With the ongoing non-sustainable human population explosion, the study of sustainability promotes the problem solving skills and facilitates problem-oriented researches towards a sustainable use of resources. The enormous global human population of over seven billion is rapidly heading towards an unsustainable level in terms of resource utilization, which makes sustainability more than just a study area, but also an economic, social and political tool in community service. Question Four Human intentions towards nature determine how they play their role towards sustainability and conservation. Organic farming, green building and recycling contribute towards s ustaina

Review Of The Invisible Man Philosophy Essay

Review Of The Invisible Man Philosophy Essay Social isolation, corruption of power, and moral decline these aspects of the main character are framed in H. G. Wells late nineteenth-century classic, The Invisible Man. This is a science fiction tale of a brilliant scientist who slowly goes insane after discovering how to make himself invisible. The ultimate power of near-perfect impunity of his actions led him to imagine he was god-like. He thought the moral conduct of society and its laws did not apply to him. By isolating himself from everyone, selfishly pursuing fame and fortune, he lost complete touch with his own humanity even before he became invisible. First, by isolating himself from everyone and selfishly pursuing his goal, Griffin did not question the moral soundness of his plan. He was so caught up in the idea that he alone would achieve fame and fortune; that the moral aspect of his plans simply didnt occur to him. He became obsessed with the secrecy aspect as well; he thought that he could accomplish everything without any help from others. Consequently, when he needed money for his grand scheme, Griffin stole from his father, resulting in his father taking his own life in shame. For this horrible deed, he felt no remorse, nor did he want to be troubled by funeral plans or restoring his fathers good name. He considered others as mere tools; a means to his end. His only thought was to simply get back to his beloved experiments. To him, invisibility meant invincibility and impunity to do whatever he wanted no matter what the cost to others. As a result of keeping himself from social contact and not consulting with his colleague s, he was oblivious to the insanity of his actions. In addition to isolating himself and following his own counsel; not considering his fellow man, Griffin denies the responsibility Gods Word gives each of us, that we are indeed our brothers keeper. How far down this moral decline can take someone is a clear message in The Invisible Man. The result of obedience to Gods laws should be to love our neighbor as ourselves and in doing such, we fulfill the law. Throughout the story Griffin slips so far into moral depravity that he considers disobedience of his law makes murder, even mass murder, justified! Therefore, he puts himself above Gods laws. I feel this book has made me reconsider how important it is to consult with other more experienced people when devising life-changing plans. Generally, I consider myself as someone with good moral judgment and basic common sense. However, this does not take the place of experience; which of course, comes with time. Most people, at some point in their lives, have thought of how cool it would be to have a superpower, but after reading this book I realize it might not be as wonderful as it seems. It is a good thing to dream of the possibilities that are yet to be realized; however, at the same time its imperative that we have a measuring stick for defining what is right from wrong and that measuring stick is Gods Word. Knowing this, it struck me as being very odd that Griffin never questioned his judgment or recognized that his brilliant mind was a gift from God and not to be used for his own selfish gain. There is a difference between wisdom and intelligence. Griffin relied solely on h is intellect alone, and did not balance his knowledge with the wisdom of Gods Word. Understanding this, I see the grave mistake Griffin made by trusting solely in his own intellect. Many others around him, whom he had never met, suffered due to his reckless lack of consideration. He failed to question whether or not being capable of doing something gave him the right to do it. Sometimes it is easy to forget that when we really want to do a certain thing, others may be affected by that decision. This story was a stark reminder of that fact. Griffin did not lack motivation, determination, or drive, however, lacking true wisdom, the attainment of his dreams ended in futility in spite of all his hard work. It also strikes me as very disturbing that Griffin at one point realized his folly but, he had in his own mind reached the point of no return: The more I thought it over, Kemp, the more I realized what a helpless absurdity an invisible man wasin a cold and dirty climate and a crowded civilized city. Before I made this mad experiment I had dreamt of a thousand advantagesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I went over the heads of the things a man reckons desirable. No doubt invisibility made it possible to get them, but it made them impossible to enjoy them when they are got. Ambition what is the good of pride of place when you cant appear there? What is the good of a love of a woman when her name must needs be Delilah? I have no taste for politics, for the black-guardisms of fame, for philanthropy, for sport. What was I to do? And for this I had become a wrapped-up mystery, a swathed and bandaged caricature of a man! In conclusion, we are made in Gods image to be social creatures and to live by His Word. No matter how fantastic an idea may seem, it is important to seek Godly counsel and pray about decisions we make, otherwise we may end up wasting the gifts weve received. Once we start down a slippery slope, it is a whole lot harder to climb back up. Some people never do, like Griffin, and their life ends in tragedy; taking others along with them.

Free College Admissions Essays: I Will Endure :: College Admissions Essays

I Will Endure When I wake up to the ear-splitting sound of my alarm clock, and blindly search for the snooze button, a sudden thought dawns: "What am I doing?" The time is 5:30 AM; all is dark and hushed. My weary body feels completely drained of energy. While straining to open my eyes, still warm and snug in my comfortable bed, I am overcome with a feeling of lethargy. "Perhaps I should call in sick." Despite all my musing, and my bed's magnetic pull, I still manage to rise each morning at this ungodly hour to join the cross-country running team in rigorous training. Cross-country running, a sport that requires the fusing of body and mind, strives to maximize your physical ability by testing your mental tenacity. Everyday represents a new struggle to beat yesterday's maximum output, an issue of mind over matter. I have known the agony of this conflict since I joined the newly established cross-country team. As convincing as my morning doubts are, I do not heed them. Through pains and sprains and through adverse weather and unfavorable conditions, I run because I made up my mind three years ago to succeed. With amenities such as cars and buses, I have no pragmatic reason to use my feet, especially if I lack a destination. I do not run to the gym to acquire a stylish figure, for my slender frame does not require it. And this grueling run differs from a relaxing jog to a coffee shop. I am pushing myself constantly to run faster and farther, for my team as well as for personal glory. Somehow with tireless effort and unflagging commitment, I run through the sleeping streets of my neighborhood with the awareness that I am steadily reaching my goal-maintaining the discipline that cross-country demands. In my mind I see a victory line that symbolizes the results of perseverance and hard work. This line makes me realize that ambition and tenacity do not go in vain.