New Media and Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

New Media and Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example The new media not only offers various benefits for consumers but also has allowed the consumers to promote their goods and services. Popular social and networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, eBay, YouTube etc. have made possible for the normal consumers to become suppliers and vendors through the new media. These revolutionary advancements challenge the typical business models which have been there since decades. The traditional ways of developing strategies, finding customers, marketing and advertising don’t seem that useful now. (HENNIG-THURAU ET AL.2010; EVANS & BRATTON.2008) SOCIAL MEDIA- THE NEW MEDIA: Social media is also called Web 2.0 which allows users to interact with each other through new technologies. The new technology has empowered the users which now allow them to share information in a way that wasn’t possible before. Social media includes networking sites, consumer review sites, online communities, journals and blogs controlled by individuals and com panies. Now days people need to involve in ‘conversation’, that is talk about the thing offered. ... Joiners utilize the sites, blogs etc by using them while spectators are silent viewers of the content who view and read the content uploaded by different participants. Inactive participants are online but they don’t take part in the conversation any aspect. Businesses now realize the importance of actively participating in these conversations and influencing user’s minds for marketing their products. (HAWKINS, MOTHERSBAUGH & MOOKERJEE.2011; EVANS & BRATTON.2008) New media can be explained as â€Å"Websites and other digital communication and information channels in which active consumers engage in behaviors that can be consumed by others both in real time and long afterwards regardless of their spatial location.† (HENNIG-THURAU ET AL.2010). New media is made up of interactive communication and information channeling platforms. According to mentioned explanation the new media allows users to exchange information anytime anywhere irrespective of their location. Thi s information can be utilized not only today but also in the long term. New media is digital which makes it cost effective. Like old means of exchange of information, there is no cost involved in producing digital copies as it can be accessed by millions of people on internet. Consumers, thorough the new media can actively participate in giving feedback about every aspect of value chain. New media is visible, that is any feedback, comments, reviews and blogs can easily be traced. The biggest advantage offered by the new media is the real time access and exchange of information at anytime. The feedback posted and received in instant through chats, videos, blogs and reviews, making it easier for other readers to make an opinion regarding the product. Additionally new media has made interaction possible among

Ernie Davis Essay Example for Free

Ernie Davis Essay A three-time All-American halfback and 1961 Heisman Trophy winner, Ernie Davis would go on to win MVP title in both the Cotton Bowl and the Liberty Bowl, and was inducted into the College Football Hall Of Fame in 1979. He was the first African American man to win the Heisman Trophy, and to be picked 1st overall in the NFL draft. His career was cut short when he was diagnosed with cancer in 1962. Athlete. American Football player. Ernie Davis was born on December 14, 1939 in New Salem, Pennsylvania, USA. He is the first African American man to win the Heisman Trophy and the first black athlete to be chosen 1st overall in the NFL Draft. A three-time All-American halfback and 1961 Heisman Trophy winner, Davis set yardage and scoring records at Syracuse University. He would go on to win MVP title in both the 1960 Cotton Bowl and the 1961 Liberty Bowl, and would be inducted into the College Football Hall Of Fame in 1979. His honors and accomplishments on the gridiron were matched only by his adversity off the field; As a black athlete playing many games in the south, he was the victim of racism on several occasions. The most publicized incident occurred when he was selected as the Cotton Bowl MVP in 1960. Davis was told by organizers that he would be allowed to accept his award at the post game banquet, and would immediately have to leave the segregated facility. Ernie refused to receive the award, and his entire team agreed to boycott the banquet. A man of firsts, Ernie Davis was the first African American man to win the Heisman Trophy, the first to join the prestigious Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity (a nationally recognized Jewish fraternity) and, in 1962, became the first African American player to be picked 1st overall in the NFL draft. Tragic Death Although the details are somewhat disputed, Davis contract was considered to be the most lucrative ever offered to an NFL rookie. His teammates and supporters looked forward to seeing Ernie sharing the backfield with the great Jim Brown, breaking countless records and leading the Cleveland Browns to a decade of victorious seasons. Those seasons would never come, however, as Ernie was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia during preparations for the 1962 College All Star Game. Although treatment had begun immediately, the disease would prove incurable and Ernie died on May 18, 1963 Having never played a professional football game. Both the House and the Senate eulogized him, and his wake was in The Neighborhood House in Elmira, New York, where more than 10,000 mourners paid their respects. Accolades from JFK His character and his athletic accomplishments caught the eye of John F. Kennedy, who had followed Ernies college career and made several attempts to meet the star. In 1963, when he heard Ernie would be honored by his high school with a school holiday, the president sent a telegram reading: Seldom has an athlete been more deserving of such a tribute. Your high standards of performance on the field and off the field, reflect the finest qualities of competition, sportsmanship and citizenship. The nation has bestowed upon you its highest awards for your athletic achievements. Its a privilege for me to address you tonight as an outstanding American, and as a worthy example of our youth. I salute you. Ernie Davis was the subject of the 2008 Universal Pictures film The Express, based on the non-fiction book Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, by Robert C. Gallagher.

The Value of Life in The Most Dangerous Game Essay -- Most Dangerous G

The Value of Life in The Most Dangerous Game  Ã‚   He is hunched down in the bushes, a .22-caliber pistol in his hand.   His blood-red lips split open in a smile as he watches his prey writhing, blood spouting from the wound, dry green leaves becoming wet crimson.   Then, with a terrible pleasure, he places the gun against the skull of his prey and fires one last round.   The hunter, brimming with sadism, drags his kill behind him, leaving a trail of blood behind on the ground.   Human blood.   This premise of man hunting man is one set up by Richard Connell’s short story The Most Dangerous Game.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The dominant theme to this story is that all life is to be respected and preserved.   A proof for this is that the protagonist, Rainsford, is at first disrespectful of animals when he hunts.   He is then placed into the animal’s role in a twisted hunt, and—due to the horrors he experiences—becomes more respectful.   More support to back this claim is that General Zaroff, the epitome of disregard for life, is defeated by Rainsford at the end.   However, this is not the most accurate theme of the story, and these examples also support another theme:   animals, and life in general, are not respected and never truly will be, and we should all come to terms with this fact.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Let us primarily take into consideration the aspect that Rainsford at first cares not for animals, but his view is altered by his experiences with Zaroff.   First, we must prove that Rainsford really did not care for animals.   Let us look at the conversation on the boat between Rainsford and Whitney.   Here is a quote:   Ã‚   â€Å"[...] Great sport, hunting.†   Ã‚   â€Å"The best sport in the world,† agreed Rainsford.   Ã‚   â€Å"For the hunter,† amended Whitney.  ... ...en that—and then takes Zaroff’s things, including his style of hunting, it is apparent that Rainsford has become worse, even as bad as General Zaroff.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusively, as the main character of The Most Dangerous Game fails to learn from such a horrible experience the value of life, a society that has not been subjected to such an experience will also not know the value of life.   Our disrespect has gotten even to the point where our children are killing their fellow children.   The value of life in all its forms has not been discovered by all of society, and it never will.   We must learn to cope with that fact, or we will all be, in the words of Sanger Rainsford, huntees of our own nature. Works Cited: Connell, Richard. "The Most Dangerous Game." Structure, Sound and Sense . Eds. Laurence Perrine and Thomas R. Arp. 4th ed. New York: Harcourt, 1983.

Rich culture Essay

Japan is known for its rich culture. Among its many customs and traditions, music is considered to be one of the most essential parts of its culture. The Japanese’ passion for music, particularly traditional folk song music, continues to be a part of their daily lives. Despite the fact that their musical culture has gone through evolution as a result of change in lifestyles and mass media development, they still look at music as an important part of their heritage. For the Japanese, folk music is a medium through which they are able to express their inner feelings, ideas and thoughts. It is also through these songs that they are able to relate their experiences in life and the many ways that they deal with them. These songs depict their daily ways of living such as farming, fishing, mining, and even religious events, to mention a few. To date, traditional folk songs still exist in the different provinces in Japan. It is common among the older generations and sung mostly for recreational purposes. Harich-Schneider believes that because of the influences brought about by Western music and global modernization, Japan’s traditional folk songs are no longer as popular as it was in the ancient times. Over the years, fans and professional folk song singers have decreased. However, the tradition is sustained not only in art music but in the rich variety of folk traditions all over Japan (E. Harich-Schneider: 1973). Just like the Japanese, music plays a vital role in the American culture particularly in the lives of Native Americans. Their music also depicts their regional traditions and customs, history as well as the education of tribes in North America. Rooted in the folk music of many countries such as Ireland, England, Africa, and Scotland, their folk songs introduced the birth of American folk dances such as the buck dance and square dance. Although still dependent on each of North America region’s tradition, their folk songs have developed and taken numerous regional styles especially in the kind of instruments used. Each region still maintains some of the more popular folk songs despite the differences in repertoire and style. Contrary to the perception that traditional folk songs are now unpopular among the Americans, they are actually still alive and well in many parts of the country. Musicians and bands all over the nation are putting great efforts to continue the folk songs tradition. One of these includes the establishment of folk music schools that provide instruction in old-time music. In California, there are summer camps for children and adults as well as families that offer many different concepts of folk music instruction. These programs, which are also available in other US states, saw an increase in people wanting to learn folk music. It can be noted that the Americans are committed to keep this unique tradition alive. Despite the thousands of songs and tunes that have evolved over the years, American folk musicians still heavily rely on this tradition and learn new folk songs. As has been the tradition, folk song writers aim to engage the listeners and evoke their emotions just like how the older counterparts did many years ago. The American traditional folk songs will continue to evolve for as long as there is music. Because it is the sound of the people, it will go on telling tales of their daily lives, the challenges they faced as well as the history of their struggle and triumph in the country, albeit in a more modern fashion. Hence, it can be stated that while both Japan and America put value in their traditions, the latter seems to enjoy folk songs more as they have implemented ways to keep this custom alive not only for the benefit of today’s generation but for the future, as well. On the Taiko drummers, it is indeed an artistic demonstration of superb blending of stick work during performances. Exhilarating energy and amazing speed during Taiko drumming is required. Similarly, percussion instruments such as drums and flutes also occupy an important role in the music of Native Americans. Like the Taiko drums, Native American drums are also huge and played by a group of individuals. The action required when playing these drums is high and often requires great strength. References: E. Harich-Schneider, A History of Japanese Music (1973). http://www. ctmsfolkmusic. org/about/programs/MusicInSchools. asp Japan is known for its rich culture. Among its many customs and traditions, music is considered to be one of the most essential parts of its culture. The Japanese’ passion for music, particularly traditional folk song music, continues to be a part of their daily lives. Despite the fact that their musical culture has gone through evolution as a result of change in lifestyles and mass media development, they still look at music as an important part of their heritage. For the Japanese, folk music is a medium through which they are able to express their inner feelings, ideas and thoughts. It is also through these songs that they are able to relate their experiences in life and the many ways that they deal with them. These songs depict their daily ways of living such as farming, fishing, mining, and even religious events, to mention a few. To date, traditional folk songs still exist in the different provinces in Japan. It is common among the older generations and sung mostly for recreational purposes. Harich-Schneider believes that because of the influences brought about by Western music and global modernization, Japan’s traditional folk songs are no longer as popular as it was in the ancient times. Over the years, fans and professional folk song singers have decreased. However, the tradition is sustained not only in art music but in the rich variety of folk traditions all over Japan (E. Harich-Schneider: 1973). Just like the Japanese, music plays a vital role in the American culture particularly in the lives of Native Americans. Their music also depicts their regional traditions and customs, history as well as the education of tribes in North America. Rooted in the folk music of many countries such as Ireland, England, Africa, and Scotland, their folk songs introduced the birth of American folk dances such as the buck dance and square dance. Although still dependent on each of North America region’s tradition, their folk songs have developed and taken numerous regional styles especially in the kind of instruments used. Each region still maintains some of the more popular folk songs despite the differences in repertoire and style. Contrary to the perception that traditional folk songs are now unpopular among the Americans, they are actually still alive and well in many parts of the country. Musicians and bands all over the nation are putting great efforts to continue the folk songs tradition. One of these includes the establishment of folk music schools that provide instruction in old-time music. In California, there are summer camps for children and adults as well as families that offer many different concepts of folk music instruction. These programs, which are also available in other US states, saw an increase in people wanting to learn folk music. It can be noted that the Americans are committed to keep this unique tradition alive. Despite the thousands of songs and tunes that have evolved over the years, American folk musicians still heavily rely on this tradition and learn new folk songs. As has been the tradition, folk song writers aim to engage the listeners and evoke their emotions just like how the older counterparts did many years ago. The American traditional folk songs will continue to evolve for as long as there is music. Because it is the sound of the people, it will go on telling tales of their daily lives, the challenges they faced as well as the history of their struggle and triumph in the country, albeit in a more modern fashion. Hence, it can be stated that while both Japan and America put value in their traditions, the latter seems to enjoy folk songs more as they have implemented ways to keep this custom alive not only for the benefit of today’s generation but for the future, as well. On the Taiko drummers, it is indeed an artistic demonstration of superb blending of stick work during performances. Exhilarating energy and amazing speed during Taiko drumming is required. Similarly, percussion instruments such as drums and flutes also occupy an important role in the music of Native Americans. Like the Taiko drums, Native American drums are also huge and played by a group of individuals. The action required when playing these drums is high and often requires great strength. References: E. Harich-Schneider, A History of Japanese Music (1973). http://www. ctmsfolkmusic. org/about/programs/MusicInSchools. asp

Natural Sciences Essay

What is it about theories in natural and human sciences that make them so convincing? During the course of my Biology HL syllabus, I came across the theory of the fluid mosaic model. I instantly considered this theory to be absolute and accurate. This level of certainty was created with the first reading of the theory, and evoked the question as to what makes the theories formulated in natural and human sciences as convincing as they are. Both Natural and Human scientists take pride in the fact that their work is the result of long, precise and experimental research and the fact that their theories are able to overcome the skeptical approach of human nature and produce enough certainty in people to accept their work without further questioning. I will attempt to state and explain the reasons for this creation of such certainty by incorporating three areas of knowledge. Firstly, natural sciences and how they are so convincing despite the lack of certainty. Then I will elaborate on the human sciences and how its theories are debatable and the difference between the two sciences. Lastly I will intrude into the ethical aspect of the knowledge issue, as conflicting emotions and reason are essential in creating the faith and belief in the theories formulated by these explicit and evidence rich areas of knowledge. We as humans are generally skeptical about various sources of information, but this skeptic approach does not apply to science as we consider all scientific information to be true and from a reliable source. This approach reveals the fact that evidence and understanding of the concept is a key factor assisting the reasoning of the mind. While studying Taxation in microeconomics, I realized that theories that are said to produce a certain effect are not realistically proven or implemented in the real world. For example, a theory in taxation states that, if a tax is imposed on a producer with inelastic supply then the entire tax incidence is borne by the producers themselves. But, in reality such a situation does not exist, the producers generally raise prices to higher levels where the revenue is more than sufficient to pay the tax imposed on them, which means that the consumers actually bear the brunt of the new taxation policy. We accept such theories at first as they are said to be formulate by a reliable source and seem to be probable. So why do the theories from these areas of knowledge appear so convincing to us despite the uncertainties that are presented by them? Why are they accepted as the truth even before they are completely evaluated? It is evident that the reason we trust science as a reliable and infallible source of information is because we believe in science. This belief has led to the creation of faith towards science, which has compelled us to accept all that science offers without a doubt of reason. The psychology behind this belief exclaims that we believe in science the same way as we believe that our new car is not going to explode on its first travel. Cars stay safe more often than not and science in the same way has proven itself accurate many more times than it has been proved wrong. The belief and faith induced by scientific theories has been developed over time through constant provision of proof and evidence, which are the basic requirements for human beings to trust in something. While studying and understanding theories regarding sub-atomic particles, which are practically invisible, such as the VSEPR theory or the theory of hybridization, I don’t question the strength of the theory itself as it is a result of extensive research and has overcome the challenges posed by many to prove them wrong. Thus, the efforts to prove the theory wrong and the failure to do so have actually strengthened the belief in science, thus providing a logical and universal explanation justifying the theory formulated. Also, human nature suggests that we need to believe in something, and more often than not people choose the logical, experimental and evidence rich path provided by science. We tend to believe in the ideals a majority believes, be it a country, a city, a community or even our immediate family. For example, if your family believes that the economic crisis will eventually affect your future, even you tend to follow â€Å"convention† and believe in the same thing. Taking the example of the cure for cancer, people at first did not believe that cancer was ever curable due the number of deaths that had amounted. Their belief that the drug developed, actually cured cancer was eventually strengthened as the positive evidences kept increasing. Today if a scientist says that he has developed a new cure for cancer, people would believe in the drug as they know science has accomplished it before, and hence can probably achieve the same feat again. In the natural sciences, research begins with a hypothesis which is followed by experiments and later proof of whether the hypothesis is accurate or is invalid. In contrast to this, we observe that in many experiments conducted, the results vary marginally and hence hamper the certainty of the research, which means that scientists have o rely on various degrees of certainty based on their recorded values to establish the overall certainty of a research project. This implies that many of the theories being applied today are not of absolute certainty, thus the use of such theories can be attributed to our belief and faith in science as a reliable source of information. Shifting the focus to my second area of knowledge which is human sciences, I’d like to state its primary objectives to help understand the formulation of the theories more effectively. The aims of virtually all human sciences are the same: to explain human behavior, formulate theories to predict it, and then develop remedies for the problems identified by those predictions. They use the same scientific method as natural sciences but cannot hypothesize the reactions of the human beings, as each of them respond to the research questions in different ways and depict different and forms of emotion and reasoning depending upon the kind of questions asked. Most research in human sciences begins with intuition which then leads to proof. Here, the scientists believe that a particular stimulus would produce a certain behavioral effect on a person or a community that is being experimented upon and the statistics collected are processed to analyze the change in behavior. These theories regarding human behavior are accurate for a majority of the trials but often there are exceptions which destabilize the foundation of the theory, which again affect the belief people have in the theories in human sciences. Taking an example from economics; the Keynesian and the Monetarist views are contrasting market development methods which argue the role of the government in regulating the market function in the economy. One proposes intense government intervention whereas the other proposes minimal intrusion by it respectively. Till the 2007 global recession the markets followed the monetarist model but the immense financial problems caused and market failures recorded called for a reform which turned the governments towards the Keynesian model. This signifies that more often than not the theories in human sciences stand, but they can be overcome and felled with the inclusion of a strong stimulus. And if the theories prove ineffective there would always be another theory formulated as backup which could be applied and the same expected results could be yielded. The economic example presented here stresses on the fairly large margin for error present in the human sciences, which primarily differentiates it from natural science which are purely dependent on proofs and evidence. Also the common element prevalent in both these sciences is that of research period. Theories of both sciences require a long and strenuous research period to incorporate all the hypothesis, observations, experiments, and data collection, which are required to prove the theory. These similarities and dissimilarities introduce us to the ethical concept of certainty which plays a vital role in balancing out the conflict between emotion and reason. We perceive science to be a reliable and an accurate source of information due to its extensively experimental, research dependent and foolproof nature, i. . we are emotionally inclined towards the sciences as they have the proof to back up their theories. But as we see from the examples, they do not offer complete certainty as there is always an exception to a particular theory and hence by reason, our belief in science should be far less than it actually is. The simple explanation to this would be that reason favors science as it has proven itself more often than not and as we have observed, failure to prove theories wrong increases and strengthens our belief in its relevance and accuracy. Thus we can conclude by answering the primary question staged in the introduction as to what makes theories formulated by the sciences so convincing. The extensive research involved and the proof presented in favor of the theory play a major role in developing the certainty, this is well complimented by the belief and faith science has cultivated in human beings and the strong the emotional and reasonable backing that has been made available by this belief in them.

Der Hessische Landbote By Georg Buechner(In German Essays

Der Hessische Landbote By Georg Buechner(In German Essays Der Hessische Landbote By Georg Buechner(In German) Der hessische Landbote Der hessische Landbote ist eine politische Flugschrift, die zum Widerstand gegen die herrschenden Verhltnisse allerdings nicht zu konkreten Aktionen aufruft. Der hessische Staatsetat bildet das argumentatorische Grundgerst, indem die Einnahmen aus Steuern und sonstigen Abgaben (ber sechs Millionen Gulden) den Ausgaben gegenbergestellt werden. Die einzelnen Positionen (Ministerium des Innern, der Finanzen, Militr, Pensionen etc.) werden aufgefhrt und mit einem Kommentar versehen, der aufzeigt, wie die Gelder der Untertanen zu deren Unterdrckung und zur Bereicherung der oberen Schichten verwendet werden. Schlielich wird das zahlenmige Miverhltnis zwischen den Pressern und dem Volk (10.000 zu 700.000) unterstrichen. Das Flugblatt schliet mit einem allgemeinen, religis gefrbten Ruf nach Freiheit und Gerechtigkeit. Georg Bchner wollte sich damit gegen die Obrigkeit aussprechen, was jedoch dazu fhrte, dass er nach Strassburg fliehen musste.

American Democracy Essay

American Democracy Essay American Democracy Essay Democracy is a political arrangement that, at its most basic, demands that there be collective decision making and equality in the mechanisms of coalition building and deliberation (Christiano, p.1, 2008). The strictest definition would imply that decisions are made directly by the citizens and no electoral process is employed to select legislative representatives who would, in turn, make decisions for the citizens (Christiano, p. 2, 2008). Where representatives are elected to make decisions on behalf of the electorate, such a system is defined as a republic. Although a republic system is not entirely a pure democracy, it is built on democratic principles and normative theory would argue that this distinction is irrelevant as it can be accommodated into the very definition of democracy: practical democracy can involve the election of representatives or it can involve the direct decision-making powers of a citizen class (Christiano, pp.2-4, 2008). In fact, democracy, and its more practical offshoot republicanism, both demand that there be equal political opportunity and voice and a government responsive to the demands of its citizens. Democracy is justifiable for three main reasons: it forces law and policy makers to consider the opinions, rights, and interest of virtually all interest groups within a society (strategic reason), it provides for enhanced decision making abilities as it is better able to direct decision making efforts more appropriately/correctly (epistemological reason), and it improves the collective character of citizens as they are aware that failure to think through new rules or elections could lead to catastrophic results (character improvement reason) (Christiano, pp. 2-3, 2008). The system of democracy as practiced in America holds several principles in high regard, and as such, qualifies it to being referred to as a democracy. These are: the rule of law, inalienable human rights and freedoms, a separation of powers between the three arms of government, a representative system that makes laws and acts as a check and balancing point for the Execute, the Judiciary that polices over the general population and the legislative and executive branches, a responsive government, a multi-party system, civil society freedoms, citizen and political equality, and universal suffrage (Christiano, p. 4, 2008). The American political system creates an opportunity where interest groups can compete for power. This party-based system is the basis of competition for legislative and executive mandate by the elite in the democracy system (only a few people are elected to represent voters and are thus known as the democracy elite). This system is manifest through periodic elections where voters (those who satisfy the criteria for voting, but each of whim has an equal right as the other) (Christiano, p. 9, 2008). Elections are the means by which the citizenry assesses the democratic leadership: the voters may punish or reward the leadership depending on if they were responsive to their demands or if they were responsible in their leadership. Since elections occur only in cycles, the civil society and a free press are important components of the democratic system: they challenge malpractices and expose bad leadership. The Judiciary polices over the other arms of the government: instances of where the Supreme Court ruled that a particular (Executive) policy or (Congressional) law was illegal are countless (Okpala, p. 2, 2009). Indeed, democracy is a rule by the law. As such, everybody and every institution are at the behest of the law and no one can act in contravention of it without a punitive measure. Despite this, penal punishment cannot be exacted without following due process: the accused has rights and these are protected through a fair trial process. Furthermore, every citizen has inalienable rights, many of which are revolutionary in the American context. There are social, economic, and political rights and demand that nobody should be discriminated against for any reason, be it race, religion, or any other standard of discrimination. Though the people are the supreme source of power, they are not allowed to reject the authority of the government. Additionally, every citizens should practic e own rights and freedoms without unjustly interfering with that of others. These are the premises of democracy that are evident in the American democratic model (Okpala, p. 4, 2009). The American party system has been dominated by two parties, namely, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party (Intelligencesquaredus, p.1, 2011). Though these parties have dominated American politics in one way or the other for the past two centuries, there are third parties that have an influence over provincial voting patterns. These parties range from the hilarious United States Marijuana Party to the peripheral Communist Party of the United States. These parties, numbering in the tens, could play a watchdog role or raise awareness on a number of interest issues such as taxation and healthcare. Examples include the Constitution Party that has a presence in over 30 American states and the regional Alaskan Independence Party. Despite their presence, they are generally minor and are dwarfed by the influence and resourcefulness of the two dominating forces in American politics. This two-party system ahs been the hallmark of American politics: going into the 19th century, the political arena was at the stranglehold of the Federalists and Republicans who, for all intents and purposes, were not so different in their political philosophy while the mid-19th century political crisis that eventually led to the American Civil War was due to the breakdown of the two party system of the Whigs and the American Party (that is, the Second Party System). The Whigs would eventually form the Democratic Party in opposition of the South’s clamor for an end to the onslaught on slavery. These distinctions, nevertheless, became only concrete in the post- World War I period when the Republicans managed to dominate national politics for the better part of a decade (1921-1933) (Intelligencesquaredus, p.1, 2011). Political p ositions solidified hardened even further during the Reagan era to yield the present dispensation. An understanding of this history is important because only by knowing the weaknesses of this two-party system will one be better able to appreciate its inherent faults. American history is replete with instances of how this system broke down to yield either a violent confrontation (American Civil War) or a legislative assault. An example of the latter is the impasses generated by inability of the Republicans and Democrats to reach a conclusive deal on fiscal policies in the Obama administration (Intelligencesquaredus, p.2, 2011). In effect, this two-party system has only made America ungovernable. Political compromises are becoming much more difficult to reach and with the resurgence of the Tea Party phenomenon, it is only responsible to assume that Right-wing Republicans may overshadow the conservatism of the Grand Old Party, in turn, making legislative negotiation impractical and ineffective. Clearly, the silent majority of conservative party members are muffled at every election cycle (Intelligencesquaredus, p.1, 2011). Additionally, this two-party system does not provide the electorate with sufficient alternatives, which leads to dampened voter sentiment and participation. This system is susceptible to manipulation by Big Business, meaning that public interest may be sidelined. The American model is, in this sense, far from perfect. This system is hugely dependent on the ability of citizens to make informed decision during voting. This is not always the case in electoral systems like the American one (Okpala, p. 3, 2009). Voters are held hostage by special interests and emotions and make irrational electoral decisions. The electorate is usually won over by the most charismatic candidates, meaning that it is not the most qualified candidates that usually make it to office. In addition, those adept at winning election cycles end up dominating politics. The mass media is especially culpable. It distorts the truth about certain candidates and policies, and drowns the electorate with biased, ‘expert’ information (Okpala, p. 5, 2009). Indeed, the electorate does not have the capacity nor resolve to govern a country. This is best exemplified by the present conundrum: the election cycles have failed to address the failure of public management and force leaders to make tough choices on such important issues as the financial crisis. The electorate the world over, whether in debt-stricken Greece or in America, lack the resolve to make tough decisions and usually pass the baton to the murky world of elite democratic leaders (Okpala, p. 11, 2009). Leaders brave enough to propose tough measures such as austerity and equitable taxing of the rich and wealthy find themselves unpopular. Leaders are also incentivized to prop up populist polices to shore up their popularity. This is usually done by ramping up the entitlements spending. Entitlements, in turn, push the deficit burden and, despite this retrogressive development, the electorate still elects such leaders (back) into office. The democratic system also creates persistent minorities. These are the class of the electorate that loses after every election cycle. A candid example is the Indigenous Americans that live amidst a highly urbanized and developed society (Okpala, p. 9, 2009). What this has done is that it has marginalized their interest and as a result, minorities have lower standards of quality of life, have greater inequalities of income, lower access to and success in education, and political marginalization. The end result is usually referred to as majority tyranny, but even in the absence of it, minority communities still experience largely insurmountable odds in accessing resources and influencing the course of policies and laws (Okpala, p. 8, 2009). In the U.S., however, majority tyranny is not a huge problem as affirmative actions polices, an indication that the minorities have been historically sidelined, are attempting to re-dress this issue. Another challenge with democracy in America is the effect of legislative and judicial over-reach. A number of American states are now seeking to limit voting rights come the 2012 election cycle. Georgia, for example, is seeking a reduction in the time available for voting to a mere 21 days. South Carolina, on the other hand, is seeking to place restriction on voters by demanding that they produce identification documents during voting. These restrictions are unashamedly aimed at restricting the ability of a number of interest groups from voting (Okpala, p. 8, 2009). The proponents to these voting changes claim that it will crack down on the (assumedly) fraudulent voters, that is, African-Americans, college students, Hispanics, the disabled and urban dwellers. This makes it hard for these groups to vote as they generally do not either have access to driving licenses (the disabled and urban dwellers where they public transport) for instance or identification documents themselves (such as Hispanics).The democratic model is not the best political arrangement, but easily beats the other political system for its attempt to be inclusive and representative. Do you need a custom essay on Democracy? At you can order high-quality custom written essays starting at $12/page!