Is the UK still a two

Background The United Kingdom is made up of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which form a constitutional monarchy with the Monarch being the head of state, and the prime minister being the head of government. Under this constitutional framework, the regional governments of Scotland and Wales, the executive of Northern Ireland, and the UK government exercise their respective executive powers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is the UK still a two-party system? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, the UK government exercises the legislative powers in collaboration with the two chambers of the legislature, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Furthermore, the Northern Ireland, the Scottish, and the Welsh assemblies do also exercise their respective legislative powers. Moreover, the judiciary is independent of the legislature and the executive, and the Supreme Court of the UK forms the hi ghest court (Ingle 3). Conversely, the UK political party system is made up of several political parties in which two major parties, the Conservative and the Liberal parties, control parliamentary politics and government business. In addition, the Labour party has since replaced the Liberal party as the second major party in the UK. Therefore, over the past few years, the parliamentary politics in the UK show the dominance of the Labour and the Conservative parties in forming either coalition or minority governments. Here, the two major parties have been enlisting the support of other nationalist or third parties to form the working majority (Bartle and Allen 4). As a result, the UK has other parties alongside the two major parties such as the Liberal Democrats, which was born out of the Liberal party joining forces with the Social Democratic Party in 1988. Other nationalist parties in the UK include Plaid Cymru in Wales (1925), the Scottish National Party (1934), the Democratic Uni onist Party (1971) and the Ulster Unionist Party in Northern Ireland (Ingle 5). Therefore, it is arguably correct to describe the British political party system as a two-party system because this has been the case scenario in Britain since the 18th Century through the post-war era (Webb 3). However, since the 1960s, several changes in the history of the British party system are notable, and therefore, the notion that the UK is made up of a two-party system is equally questionable. For instance, in the recent past, most third parties in the UK have shown the willingness to take up more seats during elections, and in some occasions, there has been an obvious change in electoral behavior. Additionally, the regional support for the Labour and Conservative parties is also declining significantly (Webb 4). As a result, this essay presents discussions for and against the notion that the UK is still made up of a two-party system.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The classic two-party system in the UK According to Webb (3), a party system is an integral part of the settlement involving the political and institutional aspects of parliamentary politics. Here, the party system is classified relative to the arithmetical criterion such as two-party or multi-party systems. On the other hand, the party system can be classified according to the level of cooperation between different parties in the system. As a result, parties can interact at the legislative, electoral, regional, and executive arenas, and in so doing, the interactions between political parties create several political authorities and jurisdictions (Kelly 7). As a result, the notion that the UK is made up of a two-party democracy depends on the level of political party interaction and the arena upon which the political interaction is based. That said, the original two parties, which constituted a two-party system in the UK were the Conservatives and the Liberals (Bassett 23). In the 19th Century, the Liberals appeared to be the major governing party in the UK before the party begun an extended period of decline especially after the victory of 1906. As a result, the original two-party system underwent dramatic changes particularly through the rise of the Labour party to replace the Liberals as the second major party. Furthermore, the Liberals’ dominance weakened due to the partition of Ireland and the divided support of the Irish people who had to choose between supporting the Labour Party and the Liberals. Consequently, by 1929, the political party system in the UK was made up of three parties (Robins and Jones 34). However, it is correct for one to argue that the political party system in the UK is a classic two-party democracy in the period from 1945 to 1970. During this period, the two major parties in the UK played a central role in the understanding of the political party system in the UK, which is a majoritarian democracy (Denver 588; Webb 8). Here, the existence of other parties in parliamentary politics of the UK is overshadowed by the fact that the two major parties receive most of the votes during elections, and that these parties control the government business in parliament. Additionally, the nature of electoral behavior can be described as disproportionate because the first-past-the-post system of voting that has been in place since 1945 encourages and sustains a two-party democracy in the UK, and thereby making it unlikely for other third parties to be recognized (Blau 431).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is the UK still a two-party system? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Furthermore, the first-past-the-post electoral system denies the third parties the chance to receive national support, and as a result, these parties enlist the support of regional political jurisdictions, w hich means that their chances of forming the working majority in parliament depend on other major parties (Clarke et al. 123). Conversely, studies show that the Labour and the Conservative parties favor the first-past-the-post electoral system despite the efforts made by the Liberals to have the UK adopt a three-party system that gives all the three parties the opportunity to form the government relative to the number of seats held by a certain party (Johnston et al. 143). As a result, the first-past-the-post system has given either of the two main parties an added advantage of receiving the majority votes except in 1974 when the Labour Party received a narrow victory. Despite receiving a small majority vote, the Labour Party continued to dominate the UK parliamentary politics through 1977 because the party enlisted the support of other third parties particularly through the Lib-Lab pact that saw the Labour and the Liberal parties forming a coalition government (Sanders 13). Convers ely, apart from the first-past-the-post electoral system, the likelihood of either the Liberal or the Welsh and Scottish Nationalist parties dismantling the two-party system in the early 1950s was challenged by the lack of enough resources and well known candidates (Field 196). However, in 2001, the Liberal democrats and the nationalists managed to produce candidates for most of the contested seats. As a result, the move by the third parties to produce their own candidates against those of the Conservatives and the Labour Party has had a significant impact on the two-party system in the UK. Here, the supporters of third parties had a choice to make in terms of voting for either of the two main parties or none particularly when the party of their choice failed to produce the preferred candidate in a particular constituency. As a result, the third parties almost doubled their support and votes against the two main parties in the period from 1950 to 1997. However, vote sharing between the third parties and the two main parties in the UK shows a little or no impact at all on the dynamics of the two-party system because the Conservative and Labour Parties still maintain unwavering dominance relative to the overall number of seats held by the two parties in the parliament to date (Whiteley et al. 354). Furthermore, the two-party system in the UK has been linked to certain aspects of electoral behavior and class alignment. Here, the two main parties enjoy political dominance because they represent the working and the middle classes (Mughan 195). Conversely, the Liberal democrats and the nationalists do not enjoy any class representation, and thus they are said to be politically disadvantaged. This electoral phenomenon is known as class alignment.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a result, to control more votes and political power, the Labour party and the Conservatives must enlist the support of the majority of the working class and a considerable percentage of the middle class (Whiteley 581). That said, most studies show that the period from 1950 to 1970 was an era of class alignment whereby the strong link between electoral behavior and class status appears to have denied other third parties the opportunity to make a significant impact in the parliamentary politics (Bassett 45). During this period, the two main parties received the highest percentage of votes from the two main classes because the parties represented class interests and values. Furthermore, the Conservatives and the Labour Party had several strong-holds such as South-East England for the Conservative Party, and the North of Wale and England for the Labour Party (Denver 590). As a result, other unrepresented constituencies played a central role in deciding the electoral outcomes because the degree of support for the two main parties was marginal or more balanced. However, since the 1970s, the connection between the electoral behavior and class status has been weakening but very much intact because of another political phenomenon known as partisan de-alignment. Through partisan de-alignment, the Conservative Party managed to receive the highest support of the working class in the period from 1979 to 1992 especially after the government formed by the Labour Party became consistently incredible (Clarke et al. 126). However, the extra support for the Conservatives begun to decline in 1992 after the Labour Party regained its credibility, and the victories of the Labour Party in 1997 and 2001 can be attributed to the shift of the middle-class support from the Conservatives to the Labour party. Therefore, it is probable that the dominance of the two main parties in the UK is still intact though weak. The rise of the multi-party system in the UK Despite that the two-party system is still intact in British politics to date, the electoral behaviors and voting tactics relative to the support for the two main parties have changed in different aspects. For instance, the notion that the two main parties will take the first or the second positions in most constituencies is no longer feasible. Moreover, the Conservative Party’s popularity in some political jurisdictions such as Scotland is on the decline due to the emergence of the strong support for Liberals and nationalists. Additionally, considering that the Conservative Party was the most famous political party in Scotland, and the second best in Wales until the 1950s, it is probable that the Conservatives have lost the Welsh and Scottish support because the party has failed in many ways to represent the people of Scotland and Wales (Kelly 54). Moreover, the intensified calls for devolution in some political jurisdictions further ruined the dominance of the Conservatives. However, during Margaret Thatcher’s reign as the Prime Minister, the Labour Party survived losing out on majority votes while the Conservatives lost almost all seats in Scotland and Wales. Here, the Welsh and Scottish people supported the Labour Party because the party stood for the devolution agenda in the two regions, and therefore, through the combined support from the Liberal Democrats and other Nationalist Parties, the Labour Party survived the storm, and went ahead to regain power and political dominance at Westminster (Denver 596). On the other hand, the Liberal Democratic Party enjoys the support from most regional political jurisdictions as the second best party in parliamentary politics. In some of these regions such as England, the existence of three competing parties makes it difficult for one to clearly define the political party system that is in place (Webb 15). For instance, in the recent past, there has been evidence of a two-party system in England whereby the electorate chooses bet ween either the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives or the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats instead of the usual trend of Labour and Conservatives (Sanders 15). Furthermore, in more balanced or marginal political jurisdictions, the battle for majority votes can either be three-way or four-way. For example, in Scotland and Wales, which have their respective regional assemblies, there is evidence of proportional representation of four different parties in parliamentary elections (Johnston et al. 154). Therefore, proportional representation of political parties in some regions of the UK shows that third parties have almost regained the support of different social classes, and as a result, their influence in parliamentary politics cannot be ignored. Furthermore, most Liberal Democrats propose that introducing electoral reforms in the UK will not only end the era of social class-oriented party representation, but it will also rid the UK of unpopular policies by single parties that pretend to represent the interests of the majority of voters (Field 200). In addition, the popularity of a two-party system in the UK has declined significantly due to tactical voting. Here, tactical voting entails the various techniques used by most third parties to challenge the dominance and governance of the two major parties (Robins and Jones 56). As a result, tactical voting has been used to replace unpopular governments and ineffective opposition parties in the UK for many decades now. However, the most spectacular show of tactical voting appears in 1997 whereby the Labour Party enjoyed a clean sweep of majority seats despite the Liberal Democrats claiming a reasonable number of parliamentary seats. In addition, the Conservatives suffered a disastrous blow during the 1997 elections because the party lost almost all the seats in some regions where the tactical voting technique was successfully executed (Sanders 20). Subsequently, the Labour Party was also affected by tactical voting in 2005 whereby most voters failed to support the party because they felt that the Iraq war was unwarranted, and thus the voters were out to punish the political elite. Consequently, other third parties gained from tactical voting with the Liberal Democrats obtaining a historical tally of 62 parliamentary seats in 2005 (Denver 604). Thus, it is probable that the majoritarian system of a two-party democracy is weakening, and it will soon come to an end. Relative to the discussions above, it is arguably correct to state that the UK is still made up of a two-party system despite that the system’s popularity is weakening due to proportional representation of political parties, which threatens to replace the two-party system with a multi-party system. However, in some regions such as Scotland and Wales, the two-party system has been completely replaced by a four-party voting system whereby the Labour Party is still the dominant party, and the Liberal Democrats together with other Nationalist parties assume the second place while the Conservatives are trail in the last position (Bartle and Allen 45). Furthermore, the two main parties in the UK can no longer form the government on a minority vote, and thus, the two parties depend on the first-past-the-post system to form the working majority in parliament. Through the first-past-the-post system, which manipulates the balance the seats held by a particular political party and the total votes cast to favor the dominance of the two main parties, the influence of other third parties in politics at the national level is still overshadowed (Blau 453). Therefore, the first-past-the-post electoral system gives the impression of the existence of a two-party system in the UK to date. For instance, in the period from 2005 to 2010, there is evidence of a return to the traditional voting tactics despite the emergence of new and powerful party leaders. And in the 2010 elections, the Conservatives demonstrated their d ominance in British politics despite the popularity of the Liberal Democratic leader increasing suddenly (Bartle and Allen 65). Furthermore, Scotland shocked many by supporting the Labour Party as opposed to the Liberal Democrats, and in other regions, the support for the two main parties was almost the same as in the past years. Therefore, the probability that a two-party system is still intact in the UK is relatively high despite the electorate expressing concern over the credibility of the two main parties in delivering popular policies relative to the ever changing political and economic environments. Conclusions The essay presents the discussions for and against the notion that the UK is still made up of a two-party system. The foregoing discussions show that the Conservatives and the Labour party have been enjoying political dominance over the years with the period from 1945 to 1970 being characterized by a classic two-party system. Furthermore, the two-party system has been i n place parallel to the existence of other third parties such as the Liberal Democrats and the nationalists, which are at a political disadvantage because they lack enough resources and candidates who can make a national political impact. However, the period from 1970 to date has been marked by the emergence of strong support for third parties against the two main parties. Therefore, despite that the third parties have failed to replace the two-party system with a multi-party system, the parties have made a significant impact in British politics in terms of encouraging proportional representation of most political parties in some political jurisdictions in the UK. However, the first-past-the-post electoral system is still intact and in full support of the two-party system, and thus more needs to be done in terms of encouraging electoral reforms to counter or replace the two-party system in the UK. Works Cited Bartle, John and Allen Nicholas. Britain at the polls 2010. London: Sage P ublications Ltd, 2010. Print. Bassett, Reginald. Essentials of parliamentary democracy. 2nd ed. London: Charles Birchall Sons Ltd, 1964. Print. Blau, Adrian. â€Å"A quadruple whammy for first-past-the-post.† Electoral Studies 23.3 (2004): 431-453. Print. Clarke, Harold, Stewart Marianne, and Zuk Gary. â€Å"Politics, economics and party popularity in Britain, 1979-83.† Electoral Studies 5.2 (1986): 123-141. Print. Denver, David. â€Å"The results: how Britain voted.† Parliamentary Affairs 63.4 (2010): 588 606. Print. Field, William. â€Å"Policy and the British voter: council housing, social change, and party preference in the 1980s.† Electoral Studies 16.2 (1997): 195-202. Print. Ingle, Stephen. The British party system: an introduction. 4th ed. New York: Routledge, 2008. Print. Johnston, Robert, Pattie Claire, and Johnston Lan. â€Å"The impact of constituency spending on the results of the 1987 British general elections.† Electoral Studies 8.2 (1989): 143-155. Print. Kelly, Richard. Changing party policy in Britain: an introduction. UK: Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 1999. Print. Mughan, Anthony. â€Å"General election forecasting in Britain: a comparison of three simple models.† Electoral Studies 6.3 (1987): 195-207. Print. Robins, Lynton and Jones, Bill. Half a century of British politics. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1997. Print. Sanders, David. â€Å"Pre-election polling in Britain, 1950-1997.† Electoral Studies 22.1 (2003): 1-20. Print. Webb, Paul. The British party system. London: Sage Publications Ltd, 2000. Print. Whiteley, Paul, Sanders David, Stewart Marianne, and Clarke Harold. â€Å"Aggregate level forecasting of the 2010 general election in Britain: the seats-votes model.† Electoral Studies 3.1 (2010): 354-361. Print. Whiteley, Paul. â€Å"Evaluating rival forecasting models of the 2005 general election in Britain-An encompassing experiment.† Electoral Studies 27.4 (2008): 581-588. Print. This essay on Is the UK still a two-party system? was written and submitted by user Thomas Blevins to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

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The Deepwater Horizon Accident Management Essay 1. Introduction The concept of effective leadership represents a theoretical framework to analyse the case study Deepwater Horizon Accident. The idea of an effective leader can be captured by the following basic principles: The leader must have a long term and strategic vision (what should be achieved? How should be achieved? Who should achieve an identified goal?). A leader should be focused on people. This implies the identification of instrumental goals, their effective communication, and human beings involvement. The involvement depends both on incentive system and involvement. Effective leaders are increasingly characterised as being enablers helping people and organisations to perform and develop. This implies that the leader has to achieve a sophisticated alignment between peoples needs and the aims of the organisation The leader needs to balance, reconcile and integrate opposite cultural values (Hofstede). 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Rather, a complex and interlinked series of mechanical failures, human judgments, engineering design, operational implementation and team interfaces came together to allow the initiation and escalation of the accident. Multiple companies, work teams and circumstances were involved over time. ( BP 2010, 5) Thus, the problematic situation in Mexican Gulf seems to be generated by the leadership style, as the leader failed to focus on developing a clear vision and communication and exercising strong control to the organization. This statement represents a thought provoking situation in order to analyse the behaviour and leadership style of three leaders (Tony Hayward, Bob Dudley, and Barack Obama) 2.1 Tony Hayward At the time of natural disaster Tony Hayward was the Chief executive of BP. In coherence with Hofstede (1978), he showed a short term vision in his communication activity. The Guardian (14 May 2010) indicate that the Chief executive declared: The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume. The same article report the emerging conflicts between BPs efforts (to contain the spill had succeeded in dispersing the oil and preventing large amounts reaching the shoreline around the Gulf) and the environmentalists concerns the unseen damage being done to marine life. Additionally, Tony Hayward admitted that BP had made mistakes in its early response to the crisis. It initially refused to compensate fishermen who were unable to produce written proof of their normal earnings. Instead, his main worry concerned share values and profit distribution. The leader also failed to deal with the stake holders revealing an individualistic approach and short term vision in firms management style. This aspect was also revealed by the weak safety policy adopted by the BP Company. 2.2 Bob Dudley Following the criticism related to Tony Hayward, Bob Dudley was designated as the new Bp Chief Executive. Mr Dudley joined the board of BP before, as his most high-profile role was as the chief executive of BPs joint venture in Russia, exploiting oil fields in eastern Siberia. The BBC report (2010) reveals: Mr Dudley is widely respected within the company, and from a PR point of view, it might help that he is American, not British. BP has often been described as Public Enemy Number One in the US since the oil spill. Now that the company is to be run by an American, it could help it in its battle to rebuild its reputation in the US. In coherence with Hofestede (1978), this assumption underlines the implications of national distance on leadership recognition and recruitment. The Christian Science Monitor (2010) also reports BPs voice in America will no longer come with a British accent attached. The Christian Science Monitor (2010) also indicates: The oil industry is difficult one, so bob Dudley is use to dealing with problem around the world. He is not to solve the problem immediacy but he is working to plug the wellhead leak. At the same he has been very careful to the how he speaks to the person. In accordance with these empirical evidences a crisis management requires contingency theory can explain leadership style. (Mintzberg, 1979). However, another criticism from Bob Dudleys leadership style related to high ethical and moral issues. This aspect emerges with his previous experiences in Russia area. . 2.3 Barack Obama The new leader of US, Barack Obama has signalled the intention to assign criminal charges in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster. Mr Obama said that the US government feels BP must pay for clean-up of the spill. This approach can be equated the position of Obama to that of a leader of social justice. However, there some critical aspects: A. the social media describe that Obama was playing golf during the oil crises; B. the majority of Americans disapproves of how Mr Obama has managed the crisis; C. the Republicans accuses Mr Obama of exploiting the crisis for his own political gain. , pledging to bring those responsible to justice if laws were broken. President Barack Obama sharpened his criticism of BP Plc and pressed the energy giant to halt the oil gushing from its ruptured well. President Barack Obama has been criticised for playing golf while the BP oil spill disaster continues Barack Obama has been criticised for continuing to play golf while oil spills into the Gulf of Mexico. He has played at least seven times since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, creating Americas biggest environmental disaster. Having already racked up 39 games since taking office, Mr Obama is approaching the record as the U.S. President spending the most time on the golf course. Republican Party chairman Michael Steele has called on the President to stop playing until the oil leak has been curbed. The satisfaction of employees and communication was effective .indeed his inspiration been put in place and focus in company. it argue that the organization context operates has largely of failed. Critics would argue that is due to the behaviour characteristic. The leader had such difficulty in focus on systems maintenances, and meets the work criteria in which cause numbers of catastrophic disaster and left eleven people without live. Unwillingness in leaders is composed of negative associate with productivity subordinate. The factors analysis produced two understandably behaviour dimensions and differences in these behaviours associate to effectiveness. One series of studies has collect date however according to theory enhance a subordinate perception of a link between the effort and outcomes. The leadership styles did not providing opportunities for consultation special managers and staff in this system management the relationship between leader and mangers wasnt based on trust, seemed forgotten to inspire their subordinates to do thing behind the capabilities, the key issue of these was in communication and implement the vision affect. Conclusion Tony is not great global diplomat was more an individual in the organization his concern was more in share values and obviously on profit, unfortunately his turn the company into disaster. But about that Bob Dudley is a better choice; better communicating with press comes cross with good knowledge. According to research analysis the new leader has more ability and understanding leader, with full of expectation. Compare with new leader political Obama uncertain when comes to decision and culture problems when comes to share in other hands Mr Obama has spend most his time in the Mexican gulf, research saying that he has approach the record in US . The investigation theres not such evidence requires the court order. Unsuccessful the Leader had not exercise strong control of the organization. This is due of the characteristic and style of the leader. Not surprisingly, a large amount of research showing that the result was catastrophic. Argue that relationship between leader behaviour and his effectiveness was modified by the organization. It can been seen leader has specific difficulties such maintaining work standards Bob Dudley replacement its certain he will move the company forwards, beside is not strange in the gulf or BP or the US press. he works in oil field for such long time place, such as Russia and demonstrated well work under the pressure with ability and focused and he work standards in Russian was well known. Mr Dudley was untainted by the major operation problems such as Alaska and Deepwater Horizon has a good vision and strategy. The company move forward with a new leader and new regulations but its unknown that Dudley will change the culture, According to research theres no doubt however, he focus on development a clear vision to the future company by communicating effectively and exercises strong control of the organization. It was a very interesting story to research

Baby Eulogy Essay -- essays research papers

Dear Baby, A thousand questions flooded my mind that difficult Friday morning. As I ran my fingers through your hair and kissed you good bye, I wondered: Why? Why? Why? How can this happen? How could we be asked to endure such pain again? How could such a beautiful baby be taken from us? and? Why didn?t we have more time? It took a while for me to stop thinking about us or should I say me and start thinking about you, but once I did it is the last question that I pondered longest. "Why didn't we have more time?" I wanted to understand so I went to the dictionary and found that Webster?s had no less than 29 definitions for this tiny word, time. I looked on-line and found self help books that said I could manage it better and scientists who posted things regardi... Baby Eulogy Essay -- essays research papers Dear Baby, A thousand questions flooded my mind that difficult Friday morning. As I ran my fingers through your hair and kissed you good bye, I wondered: Why? Why? Why? How can this happen? How could we be asked to endure such pain again? How could such a beautiful baby be taken from us? and? Why didn?t we have more time? It took a while for me to stop thinking about us or should I say me and start thinking about you, but once I did it is the last question that I pondered longest. "Why didn't we have more time?" I wanted to understand so I went to the dictionary and found that Webster?s had no less than 29 definitions for this tiny word, time. I looked on-line and found self help books that said I could manage it better and scientists who posted things regardi...

Perceptual Maps in Marketing Simulation Summary Essay

Perceptual maps help to improve a company’s current product on the market by mapping consumer expectation of the product. The motorcycle company Thorr Motors perceptual maps were used to create a marketing plan to aid in maintaining a high brand image of their motorcycles. The Marketing Dictionary defines perceptual maps as a â€Å"process by which consumers’ perceptions of an existing product are charted† (n.d., para. 1). In this paper the three phases of the simulation, the situation, recommended solution, and results will be discussed. In addition there will be a discussion on relationship between differentiation and positioning of products or services and the impact of the product life cycle on marketing. Phase I (2Ãâ€"01)Sales of the Cruiser Thorr are decreasing. This is so because the Cruiser Thorr’s target consumers are aging and their tastes have begun to outgrow the lifestyle that Cruiser Thorr symbolizes. In addition to this issue, younger consumers are more interested in lower priced motorcycles due to their lower personal disposable incomes and they do not indentify with Cruiser Thorr’s lifestyle image. This scenario wanted to determine the Cruiser Thor’s position in the market by choosing four relevant parameters that will reflect the highest potential. For phase I the parameters that were chosen were lifestyle image, services offered, price, and quality engineering. Lifestyle image was chosen since the image for the Cruiser Thorr was being outgrown by the aging target audience and was not identifiable with younger consumers. Since the Cruiser Thorr’s lifestyle image is set very high any vital information gathered will be highly useful to maintain that level of image so that it satisfies both an older and younger audience. Services offered was another parameter chosen because compared to their competitors the services offered by the Cruiser Thorr are limited. The more frills a product comes with, the more it may heighten the desire for it. The third parameter that was chosen was price. Price was chosen because for many consumers price is one of the most important factors in making a buying decision. Furthermore, it was stated earlier that younger consumers were more interested in lower priced motorcycles. Finding out how much is too much as well as how low can you go without diluting brand image will be important in determining the  appropriate price tag to spark consumer interest. The last parameter chosen was quality engineering. This was chosen because of the fact that the Cruiser Thorr will not be able to maintain a high brand image without this feature (University of Phoenix, 2004). The decision to use lifestyle image, services offered, price, and quality engineering were the appropriate parameters to use. The parameters that were chosen were fundamental to the perceptual map and gave the best perspective as opposed to the other options. Phase II The position of the Cruiser Thorr is determined by the perceptual map and this position has not helped sales. This scenario calls for the marketing manager to create a marketing plan that will either reposition the Cruiser Thorr or launch a new motorcycle. Upon researching threats and weaknesses of Thorr Motorcycles, the decision was made to launch a new motorcycle, the RRoth, which will grab the attention of younger consumers. With the new launch the marketing mix needed to be determined. The price for the new RRoth was set between $13,000 and $15,000. This price range was chosen because earlier surveys conducted showed that the younger consumers were more interested in lower priced motorcycles. The types of promotions chosen were sponsored events at Daytona, offering insurance and protection plans, free test rides, publicize through Hollywood films, and providing giveaway merchandise. These were all chosen because of the high amount of appeal these types of promotional methods would have on younger consumers. The places chosen to promote the RRoth were the internet (Manufacturer’s Web site), Dealers, and Distributors. These options were chosen because of the accessibility to younger consumers, especially the internet. The services chosen were training to dealers, customization options, and financial services. Training to dealers was chosen so that the dealers can provide detailed and accurate information about the products sold. Customization options were chosen because this would add to the cool and youthful image of the RRoth. Financial services were chosen because the younger consumers indicated an interest in financing options. Choosing to launch a new motorcycle turned out to be a good decision. The marketing mix options chosen were the most optimal for the formulation of a differentiation strategy. Phase III It has been a year since the marketing plan was implemented and it is now time to determine if the plans have or have not been a success. Consumer perceptions of the Cruiser Thorr and the RRoth have been surveyed and a perceptual map will show whether or not the marketing activities have been a success. The marketing manager has to interpret market research to plot brand attributes of Cruiser Thorr. In addition, attributes relevant to the RRoth need to be chosen and interpreted to create RRoth’s perceptual map. The Cruiser Thorr was rated in lifestyle image at 9 because initially this was rated very high. A nine would be most appropriate. For price a rate of 4 was chosen because consumers saw this particular motorcycle as pricey compared to other brands. A rating of 4 or 5 would be appropriate. Services offered are rated at a 7 because services for the Cruiser Thorr is limited compared to competitors but were revamped because of consumer response. A rating of 7 is most appropriate. Quality engineering was rated at 8 because consumers think that Cruiser Thorr’s engine is the best. A rating of 8 is very appropriate. The RRoth was rated at a 7 for lifestyle image because like other Thorr motorcycles consumers are already considering it a status symbol. The rating chosen was the appropriate choice. Price was rated at 8 because the RRoth is cheaper than the Cruiser Thorr in order to target a younger consumer. An 8 rating is appropriate. Cool was chosen for the RRoth because of the younger audience and a rating of 8 was chosen. A rating of 8 was most appropriate. Relationship between differentiation and positioning of products or servicesDifferentiation of product is according to Investopedia â€Å"a marketing process that showcases the differences between products† (Investopedia, .n.d., para. 1). Positioning of products is â€Å"the consumer perception of a product or service as compared to its competition† (Lake, n.d., para. 1). The relationship is that in order for a company to be a leader in that particular industry not only do they have to differentiate themselves from  the competition, but they must also secure a position in the market that when consumers needs need to be met, that company will be number one on the list in consumer’s minds. The repositioning of the product in the simulation is what I had expected. It was expected because one of the main issues was the changing perceptions of the consumers and there was nothing wrong with the physical product. Tastes were changing but the product was still of high quality. Like many companies they offered a fresh new product and for Thorr Motorcycles this attracted younger consumers. But they did not totally scrap efforts on the Cruiser Thorr and worked on revamping the image. Product Life Cycle The impact the product life cycle has on marketing is that business need to plan their products around the product life cycle. Knowing where the product is on the cycle, marketing strategies can be adjusted to maintain profitability. â€Å"A particular firm’s marketing mix usually must change during the product life cycle† (Perreault et al, 2004, pg. 270). In the simulation the Cruiser Thorr was in the decline stage of the life cycle as their sales were declining rapidly. The declining sales were because the older audience’s tastes were outgrowing the Cruiser Thorr and younger consumers were put off by the high price. Because Cruiser Thorr was in decline stage, a new motorcycle, the RRoth was introduced to the life cycle and aimed at a different target group to revamp sales and consumer perception. ConclusionThe perceptual map helped to determine consumer expectations for Thorr Motorcycles. Precise parameters were determined to hone in on exactly what they wanted and expected from the company. This ultimately is what enabled Thorr Motorcycles to reposition consumer perceptions back to where Thorr motors wanted. In this paper the three phases of the simulation, the situation, recommended solution, and results were discussed. In addition there was a discussion on relationship between differentiation and positioning of products or services and the impact of the product life cycle on marketing. References: Differentiation. (n.d.). Definition. Retrieved on February 16, 2008  from,http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/product_differentiation.aspLake, L. (n.d.). Product Positioning Definition. Retrieved on February 16, 2008 from,http://marketing.about.com/od/marketingglossary/g/prodpostdef.htmPerceptual mapping. (n.d.). Dictionary of Marketing Terms. Retrieved February 16,2008, from Answers.com Web site:http://www.answers.com/topic/perceptual-mappingPerreault, W.D., & McCarthy, E.J. (2004). Basic Marketing: A Global-ManagerialApproach. McGraw-Hill CompaniesUniversity of Phoenix. (2006). General Marketing. Retrieved February 16, 2008, fromUniversity of Phoenix, Resource, Simulation, MKT421-Marketing Web site:https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/vendors/tata/UBAMsims/general_marketing/general_marketing_perceptual_maps_simulation.html

Reparations Comparison Essays - Slavery, Racism, International Law

Reparations Comparison Essays - Slavery, Racism, International Law Reparations Comparison REPARATIONS COMPARISON Ever since the beginning of time groups of people have been used or persecuted by other groups who believed to be superior. The three groups being discussed in this paper are the Japanese-Americans, who were sent to internment camps during World War II, the European Jews, who were victims of acts of genocide at the hands of the Nazi government in Germany, and the Africans, now African-Americans, who were forced to board ships to America for the purpose of slavery. The Japanese-Americans, during WW II, were taken from their homes and forced to give up any job or business they maintained. This was supposedly a deterrent against the Japanese-Americans being potential security threats during the war. After WW II they were given $25 and a train ticket to wherever their home was before they were relocated. Most of them went back to find that their job was no longer open. They were forced to live a life of poverty. In 1988, an act was passed which granted Japanese-Americans who had been directly affected by this act $20,000 a piece. The Jews in Germany were treated in worse manner than the aforementioned group. Even though death did occur at the internment camps in The United States, it was mostly due to unsanitary conditions. In Germany the government was purposely killing the Jewish people with various tactics such as gas chambers and firing squads. Some Jews were able to leave the country before the brunt of the violence against them started. Though lucky enough to leave with their lives, they were not so fortunate when it came to their personal belongings, including money. The German government, after the Nazi regime, felt obliged to pay those people who were affected for lost property and wages as reparations. Starting in the 1600s, Europeans began capturing Africans to bring them over to the United States to work the fields in the southern states. These men, women, and children were taken from their native environments, in which they may have held positions of authority, and made the property of other people whose only differences were skin color and culture. Even worst was the fact that some tribal leaders were selling their own members to the Europeans. African-Americans, though legal slavery has been abolished for over 100 years, still have not completely achieved the respect and status of the dominant group in the United States. Unlike the two previous groups discussed, the Jews and the Japanese-Americans, supposed plans of reparations like the Homestead and Land Grant Acts failed because of a lack of concern by the government combined with a lack of resistance by the Black community. I agree that all of these occurrences are definite atrocities. The difference, I see between the first two and the last group is that these were orders given by the government in power rather than free enterprise by certain individuals. It is terrible that African-Americans had to endure such harsh treatment, but how can any criteria be established by which to grant reparations. Had the government made it a rule that all Black people were to be enslaved rather than simply allowing it, the situation would be somewhat different. I say somewhat because I have not yet heard anyone distinctly give a way that slavery has affected them financially. Plus, how do the people whose ancestors did not come to this country until after slavery get taken out of the equation? I guess I have always taken the stance that, though Black Americans have not completely achieved equality, there are far too many opportunities available for people to be complaining about what opportunities they dont have. Thou gh its sad, its true because I have family members and associates that do it. I personally have never been to Africa, but I guess because of my comfort in the environment I was raised in, Id rather be right here in America. But one last point Id like to make is that those Black people who have been able to achieve certain successes need to help those people who havent so that we can better compete with the majority in this country someday.

Early American and Colonial Literature Unit Test Essays

Early American and Colonial Literature Unit Test Essays Early American and Colonial Literature Unit Test Paper Early American and Colonial Literature Unit Test Paper Essay Topic: Literature i wrote an account of my voyage across the sea on the Mayflower william bradford my persuasive writing opposed reconciliation with Great Britain Thomas Paine my writing style includes rhyming couplets Anne Bradstreet in 1776, when others were hesitant, i drafted the grievances of the colonies Captain John Smith my account of the Middle Passage created a new genre of narratives Olaudah Equiano the following words share a denotative meaning. which one has a negative connotation a. confident b. determined c. decisive d. demanding ** read the following Yaqui song. identify its purpose to express which of the following statements about early American and Colonial literature is true Different authors share similar purposes and genres which of the following is a primary source from early American and colonial literature the autobiography pf Olaudah Equiano what is the effect of the repetition in these lines it establishes the poems tone

Conversation Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Conversation Analysis - Essay Example However, illocutionary act is largely said to occur when the meaning of the speech is to promise, order or bequeath (Austin 1962). In the case of the conversation 1, the speech act happens is illocutionary as the speech is intended at ordering the other person to get something – the price of the paint. For example, â€Å"A: Uhm .. what's the price now eh with VAT Do you know eh† uses the imperative type of clause to ask the question. While the participant A, starts the conversation with a simple statement (A I ordered some paint from you uh a couple of weeks ago some vermilion), what he wanted to know was : 1. If the vermillion paint was still available with the shop 2. If the price with VAT would be affordable for him to buy Turn-Taking and Pauses Pauses are considered as speech irregularities or breaks in otherwise smooth conversation. Pauses occur because of different reasons like to act as fillers when the speaker is unsure of what to say or how to shape his speech; when the speaker is slow in thinking the best words to use; when the speaker wants to use the pause to mean something like give a cue to the listener to start the conversation or decide about his answer; or when the speaker is not sure if its his turn to start talking. Most of the literature on conversation analysis seggregates pauses into pauses related to turn taking – as in the case of giving both the speakers cues to take up the speech; or in the form of fillers. In the case of conversation 1, there are several pauses used by A: 5 A [An- 6 A Uhm .. what's the price now eh with VAT Do you know eh The pause in speech of A shows that the customer wants to place a request – to check with the price inclusive of the VAT and thinks that his request will require the other person to make some effort. 8 A Thanks (10 second pause) This pause is simply a turn pause as the speaker A waits for the speaker B to give an answer to his query. 12 A Eh (1.0) yes u:hm (dental click) j us - justa think That's what three nineteen The pause shown in the above sentense is indicative of the fact that the speaker is hesitating and making mental calculation or processing the information given my B. 15 A Er, hh I'll tell you what I'll just eh eh ring you back I have to work out how many 16 I' 11 need Sorry I did - wasn't sure of the price you see In the above example again, the speaker is showing uncertainty and some shyness as he feels that B may think bad of him when he reveals that he will actually not buy the paint because of price. 7 B Er I'll just work that out for you This pause is used by B as a filler, to tide over the fact that he wants the other person to wait a bit while he checks the required information. It also conveys tha meaning that B has accepted to do what A has asked him to. Adjacency Pairs Adjacency pair is a way of continuing the conversation through turn taking. It is an essential part of dialogue and it takes place when two people speak one after the other. The adjency pair is guided by the Grice's conversational maxim of manner (1991), which requires that the second speaker has to make an utterance that has a relevance to the theme of the speech used by the first. The first speaker sets the pace of the conversation and gives cue to what the other person is needed to say in return. The example of

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economic - Essay Example Price is deterrent to consumers’ consumption spending but serves as a motivation for the producers and sellers at the same time. However, their behaviors tend to vary on the responsiveness to price changes or elasticity of the goods and services in question and can be influenced by several factors present in the economy. In the end, rationality will be the guiding principle for both the consumers and the producers in making economic decisions. This paper tries to examine the factors related to changes in price of beef and the behaviors of both consumers and suppliers of beef towards it. In analyzing price elasticity of the demand and supply of beef, discussions on market price, determinants of price elasticity of demand and supply were also made. Related articles on demand and supply of food and grains like corn are utilized to achieve the goal of producing an intelligent analysis of the issues reflected in the article. And for better understanding of some of these economic co ncepts, illustrated graphs were also used to help in serving the purpose. 3. Analysis A. Market Price One of the economic goals that are widely, if not accepted in our society and in many others is the price level stability (McConnell and Brue 1993). This goal aims to avoid the sizable upswings or downswings in the general price level. In a microeconomic perspective, this goal is reached when changes in the market prices are manageable and don’t hurt consumers and producers that much. As price is the quantity of money paid by the buyers or consumers and received by the sellers or producers for a unit of good or service, it is very important for it to be stable.We need to analyze market prices to extend our understanding of demand and supply and to see the relative efficiency of these in allocating resources. A rise or fall in market prices will have a corresponding effect or impact to the people in the economy. In the article, the rise in beef price inflicted by high corn pri ces, more exports to protein-hungry nations and the market forces of supply and demand, is causing a pain being felt by beef lovers nationwide. But since some customers like Beth Belling from Omaha are carnivore, they have to have their beef even if hurts them a little more. Retailers are also affected by the increasing beef price but they reported that they are absorbing some of the cost increases— as much as $1 a pound for many cuts of beef — to keep consumers buying. Ruth Comer, a spokeswoman for West Des Moines-based Hy-Vee Supermarkets, said that they try to flatten out the price curve as much as they can so the customers don’t experience sticker shock when they come in store. They also believe that passing price increases along is going to prompt customers to pull back and stop buying or look elsewhere. Restaurant operators also say that higher prices of beef squeeze their finances as they become reluctant to raise menu prices. B. Price Elasticity of Deman d and Supply The responsiveness of supply and demand to any change in price is measured by the price elasticity. It is expressed as the ratio of the percentage change in the quantity demanded and supplied to the percentage change in price. This value will help us determine the degree of elasticity that a product’s demand or supply can have. The degree of elasticity, classified as elastic, inelastic, or unit elastic, will tell us the nature of the product (McConnell and Brue 1993). 1. Price Elasticity