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Leading and Managing People

Leading and Managing People

Part 2

Enhancing Oral and Written Communication Skills

It has been argued that one of the main keys to success is possessing great interpersonal skills of communication. Individuals who possess these interpersonal skills of communication have been indicated to have better chances of being successful in the current world than those without mainly because people have finally come to appreciate the advantages of having and retaining the right business connections. It is widely thought that great interpersonal skills of communication are not inborn, although in some cases individuals are born with traits that seem natural and impose on them excellent ways and skills of communication. However, studies have shown that interpersonal skills of communication can be learned and nurtured for one to become a more effective communicator. Experts in the field argue that communication that is effective has to have or has to be composed of different communication methods including voice, words, non- verbal communication and tone. Of these four, non- verbal communication has been indicated to be the most effective in delivering or communicating across a message between individuals (Elgin, 1993).

According to recent surveys words are only 7 percent in effectiveness when it comes to communication, tonal voice is only 38 percent effective in passing a message across. However, non- verbal communication was found to be 55 percent effective in communicating. Non- verbal communication can be made up of a number of components. Some of these components include body language, the emotion of the receiver, as well as, of the sender and other relations or connections between the individuals communicating like friends, professionals, and enemies. Some factors that might govern these connections and relationships and affect communication include personal differences or similarities, differences and similarities in philosophy, expectations, differences in profession and attitudes. This is to mean that what individuals say is not as meaningful or important as how they say or act while saying it. For example, a message could be dull when delivered by an incompetent communicator, but seem brilliant when delivered by a speaker who is charismatic, filled with enthusiasm and energy (Don Gabor & Schuster, 1994).

Just as well, a message that is brilliant and excellent can seem dull when delivered by a speaker who is not interested or enthusiastic because such speakers usually do not have the ability to spark the interest of the audience. For one’s speech to be as effective, it has to be delivered well with the speaker incorporating into the speech some essential elements of effective communication. Some of these elements include the quality of voice, body language, intention, clothing and dressing style, eye contact, animation, visual aid, manner, self- concept, pacing and rhythm, agenda, rapport, concept of the audience and other, hearing and listening to the underlying message, how the speaker hold the message, confidence, and attitude, and energy among others (John, 1995).

Making presentations that are effective to key individuals and groups is a regular part of the job of most executives. Delivering a message or a presentation that is easy to understand and clear that gains support from the audience obviously requires some skills and expertise in speaking in public. Also, it requires that the speaker understand the audience and its perspective and be willing to adjust to the presentation on the basis of the feedback they receive during the presentation. Therefore, attaining this expertise requires individuals to be trained on the same, and practice (Berlo, 1960).

The main purpose of any kind of communication is to persuade and inform. These skills are critical for business professionals. Numerous communication skills training programs have the sole purpose of enhancing written and verbal skills of communication. Other minor reasons for holding communication skills training programs include improving the effectiveness of written and spoken communication as well as improving the quality of communication. There are three main types of communication skills training that most programs hold. These include written, verbal and face- to- face communication skills training (Barnlund, 2008).

Clear verbal or spoken communication skills are critical for many professionals. Therefore, the ability of a professional to clearly speak, with impact, and briefly have a major influence on the credibility of managers and many other professionals, as well as, their organizations. As it follows, delivering presentations that are formal and other discussions in meetings and their places always present an individual with the need to improve their presentation skills. Just as well, what and how we write presentations creates a special impression on the audience. In most cases, individuals are required to communicate through compiling reports, through emails and briefing papers and it is adamant that they do so effectively and efficiently. The writing training courses, therefore, teach individuals how to develop their communication skills in writing giving them the ability to write concisely, clearly and persuasively (Corcoran et al., 2001).

The way professionals communicate in such situations as face to face, in which they connect and interact with individuals or groups can significantly affect their effectiveness in communication and how others see or understand them. Many training programs for improving face to face communication skills are based on principles of neurolinguistic programming or NLP, but with an increased focus on the provision of practical skills and techniques that aid individuals in maximizing their personal effect (Corcoran et al., 2001).

There are number of things that I learned from the professional development experiences described above. The key learning from the above discussion had a lot to do with developing leadership skills and developing proper and effective written and spoken communication skills. After completing the first part of the assignment, I realized that I had needs when it comes to communication, as well as, in leadership. I realized that my communication skills were not effective enough to accomplish the intentions of the speech. According to a number of studies, the best and most effective communication is one where a speaker establishes a connection with the audience and where the audience remains alert and attentive throughout the speech participating and showing emotion when appropriate (Stirling et al., 2000).

With this information, I evaluated my presentation and communication skills and I found out that connecting and keeping my audience attentive was one area where I needed to improve. According to my experiences above, I learned that such challenges could be addressed through attending a professional development program whose main focus is to improve communication skills. It is, therefore, possible for me to improve my communication skills if I am able to identify and find a professional development training program that is effective enough. After identifying such a program I could attend it to learn about the appropriate communication skills. After learning these skills, I would ensure that I finesse them by practicing a bit until I get the principles right (Lee & Barr, 1989).

Another problematic area that I identified I had, had to do with my leadership skills. It was clear from the above discussions that good leaders are those who manage to accomplish and coordinate activities during both bad and good days to result to desirable outcomes. I realized that my leadership skills were not as developed because I at times relaxed during the good days, consequences of which were apparent during times of need. It is essential for a manger to be alert and to remain knowledgeable at all times of their businesses and what is going around them in the market (Board of Teacher Registration, 1997).

As a result of this, they remain successful and effective throughout the year, fruits of which are seen when the business remains successful and fruitful. It was, therefore, apparent that constant knowledge and skills development is essential for all managers as it keeps them informed of new practices and trends in the market, and enables them to become effective leaders all- round the year. As it follows, attending some of these knowledge and professional development programs several times in year would make me an efficient and effective leader in today’s fast- changing world. Attending such seminars and programs would foster in me the right knowledge and information to remain an effective leader in business (Bouldin & Wilson, 2003).

Conclusion

As it has been seen in the discussions above, professional development is an essential facet in many professions. This is because it keeps leaders and other professionals in touch with the most current knowledge and skills for them to remain effective and efficient professionals in their fields.

References

Austin, N. K. (1995). The Skill Every Manager Must Master. Working Woman 2930.

Barnlund, D. C. (2008). A transactional model of communication. In. C. D. Mortensen (Eds.), Communication theory. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction

Bell, L. (1991). Approaches to the professional development of teachers. In L. Bell & C. Day (Eds.), managing the professional development of teachers (pp. 3–22). Milton Keynes, UK: Open University Press.

Berlo, D. K. (1960). The process of communication. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.

Board of Teacher Registration. (1997). Self-directed professional development. A report of the Queensland consortium for professional development in education. Brisbane: Board of Teacher Registration.

Bouldin A. & Wilson M. (2003). A professional development seminar series for teaching assistants. Am J Pharm Educ.  67, 100.Bubb, S. & Earley, P. (2007). Introduction: CPD matters. Leading and managing continuing professional development. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.

Corcoran, T. et al. (2001). The District Role in Instructional Improvement. Phi Delta Kappan.

Day, C. W. (1994). Planning for the professional development of teachers and schools: A principled approach. Keynote address at the Brisbane Catholic Education Primary Principals Convocation.

Don Gabor, S. & Schuster, P. (1994). Speaking Your Mind in 101 Difficult Situations. , New York: John Wiley.

Elgin, S. (1993). Gender speak: Men, Women, and the Gentle Art of Verbal Self Defense. NewYork: John Wiley & Sons Inc.,

Golding, L. & Gray, I. (2006).Continuing professional development for clinical psychologists: A practical handbook. The British Psychological Society. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Jasper, M. (2006). Professional development, reflection, and decision-making. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

John, J. (1995). Will the Real Me Please Stand Up? 25 Guidelines for Good Communication.  New York: Thomas More Publishing

Lee, B. & Barr, N. (1989). The Leadership Equation: Leadership, Management, and the Myers-Briggs. Austin: Eakin.

National Professional Development Center on Inclusion. (2008). What do we mean by professional development in the early childhood field? Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute.

Rogala, J., Lambert, R. & Verhage, K. (1992). Developmental Guidance Classroom Activities for Use with the National Career Development Guidelines: Grades 10-12. Madison: Univ. of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.

Speck, M. & Knipe, C. (2005). Why can’t we get it right? Designing high-quality professional development for standards-based schools (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

Stirling A. et al. (2000). A. Assessment of the impact of a communication seminar on BS pharmacy graduates. Am J Pharm Educ.  64, 95S.Wake County Business Education Leadership Council V Wake County Public School System. (1995). Career Development Resource Manual for Educators.

Non-Physical Domestic Abuse

Non-Physical Domestic Abuse

The Netflix series ‘Maid’ captured the hearts of the nation and brought to light a very controversial subject, that of non-physical domestic abuse. In the show, a woman flees what she claims is an abusive relationship and takes their child, but her boyfriend never laid a hand on her. His argument? That he never touched her so he could never have abused her. She argues that he controls her by taking her phone, her car, breaking things near her and keeping her away from her family and friends. Does non-physical abuse such as intimidation and control count as domestic abuse? Should it be punished as such? Acts of non-physical abuse such as intimidation and control are acts of domestic abuse and should be punished as such because they affect the physical, mental and reproductive health of a woman.

This paper will discuss how non-physical domestic abuse by a partner can affect a woman mentally, physically and even the reproductive health of a woman. I will use different articles to show that non-physical abuse is still abuse and I will show that the effects of these are so detrimental to a woman’s health that the consequences of these actions should face the same consequences as physical abuse because they both carry scars. Whether seen or unseen, any type of abuse can scar a woman. Although this topic does not pertain to me particularly, I think it is important to raise awareness on the subject. There are people who are suffering silently or who may not be getting the justice they deserve because this is not considered a crime. I beg to differ.

One way a partner can control another is by economic abuse. This can mean depriving the person of their livelihood or means of earning and maintaining an income. The person then becomes dependent on their abuser for food, shelter and all their needs. “In addition to creating financial dependence, economic abuse creates a hostile environment where the abused woman is continually psychologically distressed and anxious about financial issues.” (Diddy 2) Studies have shown a strong correlation between domestic partner violence and suicidal behaviors in women and the attempts to do so increase with the severity of the abuse. If a woman in an abusive relationship has to go to her partner for food, water, sanitary napkins and other necessities, she could feel trapped and become depressed. Especially if she is used to working and providing for herself. Taking away her independence is constricting and controlling and a form of abuse. “Serious psychological distress is reported to be highest (15.4%) among women exposed to lifetime physical and sexual intimate partner violence compared to those not exposed to among those with no lifetime experience of intimate partner violence.” (Diddy 2)

Humiliating a woman, controlling what she can and can’t do, isolating her from her family and friends, stalking her and convincing her that she is crazy are all types of psychological abuse that can affect a woman mentally. When a man psychologically abuses a woman it can lead to depression, post- traumatic stress and a host of mental ailments. The National Coalition against Domestic Violence posted an article on the website entitled Facts about Domestic Violence and Psychological Abuse and their research shows that “48.4% of women and 48.8% of men have experienced at least one psychologically aggressive behavior by an intimate partner. 4 in 10 women and 4 in 10 men have experienced at least one form of coercive control by an intimate partner in their lifetime. 17.9% of women have experienced a situation where an intimate partner tried to keep them from seeing family and friends, 18.7% of women have experienced threats of physical harm by an intimate partner. 95% of men who physically abuse their intimate partners also psychologically abuse them.” For a man to cause a woman to suffer like this is unacceptable and should be punishable.

“Violence against women – particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence – is a major public health problem and a violation of women’s human rights,” says the World Health Organization. It goes on to define intimate partner violence as “any behavior by an intimate partner or ex-partner that causes physical, sexual or psychological harm, including physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviors.” Shouldn’t these face the same consequences as physical abuse if it warrants such notice? During the pandemic, many women were trapped at home with their abusers not having access to their usual escape. Some places of employment closed, malls closed, hairdressers, nail salons, massage parlors and we were told to isolate ourselves with our household and socially distance. This caused a lot of women to have to stay locked up with their abusive mates. Being in such a violent unsafe lead to health consequences such as sleep disorders, eating disorders and attempts at taking their own life. Imagine how hard it must have been to be trapped with your abuser for months! Some of the other health consequences of this type of abuse are headaches, chronic pain syndromes, GI tract disorders and poor health overall. All this damage inflicted on another person should come with severe consequences.

Women are at greater risk for this type of violence during their reproductive years. Women can be abused at any age or stage of the lives, however, the risk is different when a woman is able to produce a child. Research shows that non-violent abuse often is a precursor to physical abuse. This can lead to non-consensual sex whether in a committed relationship or not. A woman has the right to say no. This type of abuse can lead to unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and stress. If a woman does become pregnant and has to deal with the abuse during the pregnancy the outcome could be devastating. . The November/December issue of the Guttemacher Institute article, volume 31 issue 6 says that “about 156,000-332,000 pregnant women in the United States are subjected to violence during their pregnancies each year. If such estimates are accurate, this would mean that violence is a more common experience during pregnancy than preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and placenta previa.” Imagine the amount of stress that puts on the woman’s body, her hormones and the development of the unborn fetus. This is why women who are pregnant are asked such seemingly invasive questions at obstetrician/gynecological visits. I remember being asked if I felt safe at home and if I ever felt as if my life or the life of my baby were at risk. I remember thinking “why would they ask me that? Can’t they see my supportive husband next to me?” But watching the show Maid, helped to emphasize that one can act completely normal even for a long period of time and still flip a switch from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde.

Although some might acknowledge this is a serious problem, they fail to understand the severity of it and might say that if he doesn’t touch her or hurt her physically it should not be considered abuse because abuse is physical. They might also add that she chooses to stay instead of leaving when she has the free will to do so. In the journal article Stay/Leave Decision-Making in Violent and Non-Violent Relationships, a study was conducted that showed that when it comes to the role of violence in a woman’s decision to stay or leave the relationship, “violence was neither significantly related to relationship termination. Additional analyses were performed to test for a threshold effect of relationship violence.” The results showed that the level of relationship violence was not significantly related to reason that the relationship ended. Some might use this point to say that if it were that bad she would leave, or that she enjoys it and ends up leaving when she’s ready. Copp says that “While it is true that physical and psychological forms of abuse are related, they are not perfectly correlated with one another. Failure to distinguish between types of abuse may result in misattribution of their adverse effects.” Some might use this to provide a counterargument and say there is no correlation at all.

While I do acknowledge that some women do choose to stay in these relationships, most of them do so because of a lack of support to leave, being financially dependent on the abuser who provides for all their necessities or because they have children with them and don’t want their children growing up in a divided home. The state of Connecticut penal code regarding this states that “Family violence means an incident resulting in physical harm, bodily injury or assault, or an act of threatened violence that constitutes fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury or assault, including, but not limited to, stalking or a pattern of threatening, between family or household members. Verbal abuse or argument shall not constitute family violence unless there is present danger and the likelihood that physical violence will occur.” This clearly rules out non-violent forms of abuse. Why does one have to wait to be actually physically abused for action to be taken? Often times it is too late for these women.

Assault, sexual assault, threatening, stalking and strangulation all carry a charge in this state because of the damage they can cause. . In that same article Copp writes “researchers consistently have found evidence of emotional abuse in conjunction with physical abuse (e.g., Arias & Pape, 1999; Campbell, 2002; Coker et al., 2002), and reviews of the literature have suggested that ridicule, put-downs and excessive control may be more detrimental to mental health than some acts of physical violence.” If this is the case, there has to be a reason that there is no law against non-violent acts of abuse. These types of cases need to be brought before a judge and jury after analysis from trained psychologists. The abusers should not get away with this any longer. Those in the medical field who treat the women who have these internal scars need to be able to detect when they need help. There needs to be better systems in place to provide protection to those who choose to leave and help them gain their own financial independence. There should be better ways for women to obtain new copies of their documents that their mates might be holding over their heads. Maybe then these women will feel the support of society behind them and find the strength to leave. There needs to be real consequences for the abusers so they can realize the severity of their actions. There needs to be counseling and therapy available to these men so they can learn the right and wrong way to behave in a relationship. And the same therapies need to be available to the women so they can learn how they should be treated in a relationship and when to walk away.

In summary, this article was able to show the different effects non-physical abuse such as intimidation and economic control are acts of domestic abuse and should be punished as such because the can affect the physical, mental and reproductive health of a woman. Some researchers even show that they can have an even more harmful effect on a woman than actual physical abuse. These acts can lead women to be depressed, develop eating disorders, and even attempt to take their own life. This needs to be taken more seriously and not swept under the rug. Laws need to be re-evaluated since there is more research and a deeper understanding of the topic and there needs to be consequences and more education for all involved, especially women of reproductive age. I hope that the reader of this article learns something that they may be able to share with someone who may need it.

References

Antai, Diddy, et al. “The Effect of Economic, Physical and Psychological Abuse on Mental Health: A Population Based Study  of Women in the Phillipines.” Hindiwi Publishing Corporation, vol. 2014, p. 11.

CCADV :: CT Domestic Violence Laws. http://www.ctcadv.org/information-about-domestic-violence/ct-domestic-violence-laws/ . Accessed 19 Nov. 2021.

Copp, Jennifer E., et al. “STAY/LEAVE DECISION-MAKING IN NON-VIOLENT AND VIOLENT DATING RELATIONSHIPS.” Violence and Victims, vol. 30, no. 4, 2015, pp. 581–99. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.VV-D-13-00176.

Kaur, Ravneet, and Suneela Garg. “Addressing Domestic Violence against Women: An Unfinished Agenda.” Indian Journal of Community Medicine : Official Publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, vol. 33, no. 2, Apr. 2008, pp. 73–76. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-0218.40871.

NCADV | National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. https://ncadv.org/STATISTICS. Accessed 18 Nov. 2021.

“Reproductive Health and Intimate Partner Violence.” Guttmacher Institute, 17 Feb. 2005, https://www.guttmacher.org/journals/psrh/1999/11/reproductive-health-and-intimate-partner-violence.

Read Also: Annotated Bibliography on Non-physical Domestic Abuse

Karl Marx’s View on Gender and Class Divisions in Society

Karl Marx’s View on Gender and Class Divisions in Society

Class conflict can be defined as a society subjected to a state of perpetual conflict due to fierce competition for limited resources. The idea of conflict theory holds that the only way to maintain social order is through power and domination, as opposed to consensus and conformity. Further, the idea of class conflict states that wealthy and powerful individuals play hard to maintain their status quo by all means possible, more precisely by oppressing the poor and powerless. The basic premise of class conflict holds the idea that people and groups in society play hard to maximize personal benefits. In numerous accounts, class conflict has been the brainchild of explaining various social phenomena such as wars, violence, social discrimination, injustice, poverty, among others (Andrew,1983). Conflict theory describes the vast majority of fundamental developments in the history of humans, for example, democracy and civil rights, not to mention the capitalistic quest to dominate the masses instead of social order desire.

According to the general public, class conflict is significantly rising in the United States. Only one-third of the Americans disagree with the presence of intense conflict between the poor and the rich in the United States. As such, Karl Marx was right when he stated that the gap would continue to increase into dual great hostile camps, perhaps, two great classes going head-to-head. Most Americans consider themselves as middle-class individuals. In present-day America, class divisions are based on occupation, region, and race. More importantly, “us” against “them” is somewhat a consistent agenda representing the moral middle class and morally inferior poor, respectively. The significance of the word “class conflict” in the present-day is evident in employment and wage-earning classes as an apparent antagonism. Some other interests present are termed as economic classes, though their defiance causes no outbreak. A census conducted in the United States shows that from the 24 million males engaged in industry, it turned out that 2 million are employers, 1.5 million belongs to the professional class, 6 million are farmers and tenants, 11 million are laborers, servants, and clerks, and 3.75 million are farm laborers (Gilbert, 2017). In that regard, there exists no appreciable class when it comes to farm laborers, tenants, and farmers. The professional classes are not interested or somewhat interested in their catering class.

Marxist feminism elaborates on how women are suffering from exploitation through capitalism as well as private property individual ownership. The theory holds that women’s liberation is achievable only through capitalist systems dismantling as they indicate that a significant women’s labor is uncompensated (Anthias & Yuval-Davis,1983). In the late 1960s, there were heated debates concerning the relationship between class and gender in the wake of second-wave feminism. Marxism heeds oppression and class division development in the human social evolution and wealth and production organization. Also, it concludes the oppressive societal structure evolution led to the birth of oppressive family structure. The initial abundance of agriculture led to the abundance being regarded as male wealth, on the notion that the work environment was for males and resulted in the founding of male inheritance and more profound wish lineage. Achieving that wish led to women being given long-sought monogamy and forced it into domestic servitude.

In conclusion, Karl Marx pointed out exploitation and sought answers on automatic self-regulation concerning the capitalist economy. Of course, Marx lived in a different from ours, but his thoughts can be questioned, holding any relevance to today’s contemporary society. The vision of tomorrow was predetermined by capital. During the World’s Fair, new technologies were showcased by corporations. More profound of just products, those weary economic depression and world wars prospects are offered abundance and an ideal of middle-class leisure. Perhaps, exploitation and oppression still exist in grand scales, and the system is robust and dynamic, not to mention reconcilable with democratic ideals.

References

Andrew, E. (1983). Class in itself and class against capital: Karl Marx and his classifiers. Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique, 577-584.

Anthias, F., & Yuval-Davis, N. (1983). Contextualizing feminism—gender, ethnic and class divisions. Feminist review, 15(1), 62-75.

Gilbert, D. L. (2017). The American class structure in an age of growing inequality. SAGE publications.

King’s University College at Western University

King’s University College Final Exam Philosophy 2075G

Question 1.

The decision to give to the poor, and whether this is a societal obligation or not, is a subject to an unending philosophical debate amongst thinkers, both in traditional societies and today. The suggestion that we have an obligation to “our” poor but not the global poor or distant others is one of the divergent views that define how people shape their behavior. Peter Singer is of the opinion that everyone has a moral obligation to help the global poor. He defends the consequentialism approach that ensures every action is the correct thing to do given that it produces the best possible outcome. In his strong principle, Singer expresses that one must prevent something bad from occurring if it is possible to do so without sacrificing anything of moral importance. He feels that death and suffering as a result of poverty are bad and preventable only if people sacrifice a little of what they have. Thomas Pogge is opposed to the idea of isolating the poor through regional boundaries. He argues that governments and citizens of rich countries have a strict moral obligation to the distant/global poor. In is argument, he feels that the current global institutional structure is unfair and unjust because of how it generates and maintains preventable inequalities, characterized by persistent and severe levels of poverty in the world. The current global structure, according to Pogge, denies billions of impoverished people their basic human rights and necessities, thereby harming them. Because of the contribution made by a majority of rich nations towards the said global order, their governments and citizens must therefore take care of the struggling nations, both near and far away, to counter their actions of creating massive deficits in human rights.

Pogge’s approach differs from Singer’s in a number of ways relating to the focus of their perspectives and the audience. Pogge is of the opinion that rich nations must, by all means possible, help the poorer countries in a strict obligation to these global poor. He points out that rich nations are often involved in crafting global structures and systems that continuously create inequalities that lead to death and suffering from the poverty-stricken countries. Therefore, they must participate in reducing the suffering of such global poor, as part of their duty as rich nations and to pay for their contribution to the said situation. Singer looks at the issue of the global poor differently. He targets the individual as opposed to Pogge’s focus on governments and other institutional players. Pogge uses the consequentialism approach to create his strong principle of doing the right thing when the sacrifice is insignificant compared to the action. The main difference between their thinking is that Pogge sees moral obligation to the poor as a duty of richer nations to the poorer, while Singer tackles the issue from an individual standpoint, advocating for personal contribution to the welfare of every member of the society near or far. Pogge mentions that the affluent nation’s appropriation and use of the planet’s natural resources contributes to the devastation of countries that are under poverty. These rich nations take from the poor countries, creating a system of dependence, and later neglecting their obligation to the poor societies. He comes up with an assertion that the rich nations’ actions are unjust, requiring that the poor nations partake in in the benefits from the use of planetary resources. He proposes a Global Resource Dividend for requisite redistribution of wealth in a way that ensures the poor receive some benefits from the use of global limited resources. This proposal intends to ensure that the global order established by rich nations somehow incorporates a duty to share some of the benefits to poorer nations.

Question 2.

In the current global settings, businesses face a myriad of ethical issues, yet corruption remains to be one of the most significant due to its potentially devastating consequences to society. It is also one of the most complex systems for a society to define and address. In the Western world, practicing bribery is thought to be morally unacceptable. However, these corporations from the West justify their actions in foreign countries when they use bribery to secure business and other forms of contracts. Cragg defines corruption as an immoral, unethical, and to some extent an unethically depraved practice. In Cragg’s view, bribery and corruption in business, and the double standard seen where corporations from the western world practice unethical business actions, are all motivated by the fact that businesses are not ethical to begin with but only adheres to las and regulations. For example, a US or Australian firm may not practice actions that may be regarded as amounting to bribery and corruption at home because of the laws against the same. However, when the same country wants to win a contract in China or India, the same laws do not apply there. Therefore, the differences in culture and the legal environment motivate companies to have double standards, depending on the environment they are operating in. Donaldson speaks about how ethics change when businesses cross the border, noting that a perplexing gray zone emerges because of the mixture of cultures.

Despite these facts about cross-border businesses dealings, the truth is that bribery, whether I one’s domestic market or abroad, is not morally justified. The consequences of such dealings are dire to any society as evidenced by cases involving Enron, the financial companies involved in the 2008 global financial crisis, the Volkswagen emission issues in the US and other markets, and many other cases that emerge daily. Whenever a business makes the decision to achieve its objectives through unethical means, there can be no moral justification to such. Donaldson mentions that many companies simply use what prevails in a host country, whether it qualifies as unethical or not. However, legal and ethical standards differ in how they justify bribery. From Donaldson and Cragg’s papers, it is clear that bribery cannot ever be morally justifiable, no matter the outcomes or context. First, bribery represents the highest form of abuse of power entrusted to an institution. This trust is substituted for private gains. Secondly, the consequences of bribery are felt to the lowest level of a society. Every decision made in regard to bribery, whether to win a contract or to avoid the ramifications of some actionable practices such as tax compliance, is done with a need for personal profit as opposed to public gain. Thirdly, bribery leads to corruption where other individuals are influenced to violate institutional duties and roles. In a combination of these three reasons, bribery, as observed when companies from the west engage in business dealing in foreign nations, undermines the free concept of a free market and the forces that dictate market competition. Where companies gain an unfair advantage, it means that others are made worse off than they were before the action. Cragg observes that the fact that the same companies cannot engage in such practices in their domestic markets points to the problem at hand. Therefore, bribery, no matter how and where it is done, must be defined and seen as a form of unjustified moral corruption, one that affects the proper functioning of a society because of the burdens that arise from such an unjustifiable system and the ramifications to the market where such practices are condoned.

Question 3.

Norman Bowie asserts that modern businesses have no special obligation to the environment. More specifically, he offers that businesses have an obligation to protect the environment without necessarily going over and beyond what the legal structure demands. For any business, Bowie advocates for reduced use of natural resources and the reduction of externalities to any production. A business should not be held to higher environmental responsibilities than any other groups in a society. Therefore, Bowie is of the view that businesses should adhere to the minimum obligations, whether legal or moral, by avoiding harm to the environment. In his view, businesses should not be expected to fight against the references of a society through their consumption. Again, he warns against the participation of businesses in lobbying activities seeing this as a way to influence consumption and a way to destabilize the delicate balance between the role of every business and what is expected in terms of its contribution to environmental issues. Bowie’s neo-classical view on social responsibility of businesses further provide that the production of motor cars is not in violation of the obligations to avoid harm. Although the harm caused by motor cars is avoidable, stopping the manufacturing of these vehicles would be too drastic. Therefore, people have accepted the level of risk in return for utility attained by owning cars. The manufacturer of motor vehicles is not responsible for the deaths or injuries caused unless in situations where there are faults against legal requirements. Even then, no company is required to create care as safe as possible because safety standards must be within a consumers price range and production cost.

Bowie’s perspective on environmental issues leads to the market approach where he states that if a problem is serious enough, and enough people raise concerns, their spending behavior is likely to change, causing market conditions to demand production that is more environmentally responsible. Because the demands of the consumers drives production, businesses will and should only respond to such conditions. Environmental responsibility and related burdens fall on the consumer because of the role they play in driving production and market conditions.

Denis Arnold finds that we should not place moral responsibilities for issues relating to the environment for organizations that have legally participated in the market. This opinion echoes the minimum requirements advocate for by Bowie on the basis of a lack of a legal structure that correct corporate activities that adversely affect public goods. Arnold, however, finds that businesses have a duty to adjust practices in order to reduce social costs and somewhat offer compensation to societies for past harms. This is an indication that Bowie’s market solution is not conducive in the long run. In opposition to Bowie’s position, Arnold rejects the free market solution relating to harming others because the harm that present non-US consumers or future generations face is not proportionate to their use of resources. Again, the customer’s choice market solution is objected by Arnold because of the fact that consumer have insignificant influence regarding to how businesses choose to address issues touching on the environment.

DesJardins argues that corporate social responsibility theories must be aligned to and derived from models of sustainable economics as opposed to the current neoclassical models of market economics. DesJardins is of the opinion that corporate environmental responsibility must first address the whole range of ecological and environmental problems that are impacted by business decisions in a way that may reverse ecological and environmental degradation. He also finds that corporate environmental responsibility must have the ability to influence business policy. DesJardins strongly feels that businesses have a moral and ethical responsibility, whether the law or consumers demand it or otherwise, to redesign all operations in a manner that is economically and ecologically sustainable in the long-term. In short, DesJardins rejects Bowie’s views on the minimum requirements of businesses and the environment, presenting a view that environmental responsibility should be the basis of business decisions and direction. It should also provide constraint for operations in every market.

Hawken et al. provide that businesses, like individuals, thrive where the planet regenerates and practices that lead to degenerations will bring forth unimaginable crisis. As such, Hawken does not see the issue with current commerce practices as majoring in the area of moral awareness or personal ethics, but rather perceives the issue as a design issue that runs through the current business practices. Hawken et al. insist that looking at modern businesses in a systematic manner that sees it in the view of the political, social, and natural structure is important in changing how its role in corporate environmental responsibility is defined. From Bowie’s market solution, Hawken et al. find that the conditions and requirements are not conducive to bringing about the vision of a utopian world. The objection provided by Hawken et al. is that there is a need to change ideas and perspectives such as those advanced by Bowie, in order for businesses to first understand their role for the environment and in the environment. Hawken et al. advocate for a restorative economy, one that looks at internal diversity and restoration. To achieve this, there is a need to redesign business thinking in a way that puts the environment first. Bowie’s free market solution is seriously flawed in the eyes of Hawken et al. because he looks at environmental responsibility from a capitalism point of view instead of looking at the consequences of the alternatives.

Question 4.

Denis Arnold and Matt Zwolinski disagree over whether multinational corporations are obligated to uphold and meet certain minimal conditions in their supply chain. Arnold begins by explaining that MNCs operating in a global economy are in support of human rights through the provision of employment and compensation enough to make a decent living for humans. He also points to how they provide healthy and safe work conditions, and offer products that are of benefit to humanity, and demonstrate respect for the rule of law. However, Arnold also notes how MNCs constantly violate human rights conditions via below subsistence compensations, poor working conditions, environmental pollution that leads to harm, actions of bribery and corruption, bringing harm to indigenous populations, and complete overlooking host nation laws and their legal framework. Arnold asserts that multinational corporations are obligated to uphold and meet certain minimal conditions in their supply chain. Actions that are detrimental to human rights translate to failure in the business sense. Matt Zwolinski, on the other hand, is opposed to the idea that multinational corporations are obligated to uphold and meet certain minimal conditions in their supply chain. He points to the choice of workers to accept the work conditions of their employment. This decision is proposed to hold moral significance, both as an independent choice in exercise of personal autonomy an as expressing preferences. Zwolinski provides that when workers intentionally and consciously elect to work in certain work conditions, they make a moral claim against any interference of their conditions. Therefore, Zwolisnki is opposed to the idea of businesses being interfered by third party entities such as consumer boycott groups and governments. He is opposed to the idea that MNCs should voluntarily choose to improve the working conditions of their employees. The idea to provide improvements because of the moral right of said employees to improvements is nullified by the fact that these workers chose to work in such conditions. The consent of workers to work for MNCs under certain labor conditions is intentional and therefore should be left as such.

The disagreement between Denis Arnold and Matt Zwolinski is significant because it represents two alternatives that actually occur in real life. They disagree on the moral obligations of MNCs based on ethical and legal basis. Arnold argues from a human rights point of view and the role of MNCs in ensuring that they offer decent work conditions for every employee based on a cost-benefit point of view. Zwolinski looks at the issue from a business’ perspective, defending the actions of an entity as morally justified because employees have the option of rejecting work conditions. In his argument, if all employees rejected certain working conditions, then MNCs would be forced to provide improvements, making life easier for the workers while sacrificing on cost. The two perspectives clash on the basis of point of view, with one looking at the harm caused by MNCs where the working conditions are in violation of human rights, and the other looking at the moral significance of employees choosing to work for a company with the full knowledge and consent of the conditions that the company can afford to offer. I think Arnold’s position is right. I think all MNCs should be held to certain minimum requirements in regards to what they can offer in their supply chains. The sheer size of these organizations mean that they benefit greatly from operating in different environments. Therefore, as a way of compensating global players for the use of the limited resources, I agree with Arnold’s position that they should provide better conditions for workers through upholding and meeting a set of minimal conditions in their supply chain.

Marion Young provides that the concept of political responsibility is a shared responsibility in tackling societal issues, and the responsibility holds for all players, including governmental and corporate actors. She further provides that corporate actors must engage in private actions or cooperating with and in other public–private partnerships, and also aiding governmental entities to remedy areas of injustice and even produce public institutions where none exist. According to Young, the political responsibility perspective has the power to address several issues in the raging debate on corporate citizenship because it offers a premise for extended corporate responsibilities, while also offering an indication of the implication for the scope of said responsibilities on corporate actors surrounded by a number of responsibilities. With the current systemic social connectedness to occurrences of injustices and harm, corporate players are seen by Young to also have a responsibility for all other emergent global problems relating to injustices in the supply chain, including but not limited to bad labor conditions and issues of climate change. Young is aware that these issues require that corporations take over state-like functions to improve responsibility. In short, Young is in support of Denis Arnorld’s position on what MNCs should do regarding the best working conditions for employees and other issues that are definitive of political responsibility. While other scholars like Matt Zwolinski call for minimum requirements to such responsibilities, it is important to note that MNCs take a lot from the environment in order to make profits. Therefore, it is only morally justified that they are set under minimum requirements in ensuring the best outcomes for different stakeholders including society and employee conditions.

UMUC-Haircuts-3

IT Considerations

IFSM-300 Stage 3

Development of new IT solution for the UMUC Haircuts business requires the developer to make various considerations. There must be assessment made by the specialists for checking the importance of the technology then ranking them in an appropriate manner. In designing the new system, steps must be taken to deal with any arising issues in all technical areas. The various considerations which must be taken into account include usability, maintainability, scalability, reliability, security, portability among others will be discussed in greater depths in the table below while ranking them and explaining their importance.

Consideration High/Medium/Low Importance or Relevance or Not Applicable (N/A) Explanation for the ranking

Usability: High

The system must be designed in a manner to ensure simplicity so that its usage is easy. It must be efficient and effective in order to meet the specified goals and satisfy the user. Also, for the system to be useful to the customer, it must be having a graphical user interface which is friendly to the user.

Maintainability: High

For the system to be useful for a long period of time, its ability to be maintained should be very good. The process of maintain the system should be easy and its repair and debugging should be easy. The time taken to repair the system should be short in case of a breakdown. The system should also allow for routine maintenance and improvement.

Scalability: Low importance

The number of devices connected to this system is not an important feature to consider. However, the UMUC Haircuts system should be able to adapt to changes in the number of device connected. Although the system of UMUC Haircuts should be able to adapt to a change in the number of devices connected, this is not a significant feature for the system since the system’s use does not involve the connection of many different devices. It is useful to maintain the customer database, scheduling of customers and employees and keeping inventories which help in making orders of products to use in the salon. There is a network connection which is required to research on the suppliers who offer the lowest prices for the products. The system should however allow for expansion when new branches of the salon are opened in new location.

Reliability/ Availability: High

This system should be highly reliable for it to support all the planned processes during execution. This system should be available always and it should be reliable. The system must maintain accuracy in the process keeping inventories and also in the scheduling of both the customers and workers. The system should be always accessible to the users when on demand.

Extensibility: High

Addition of new functionalities when need arises should be an easy task. This is because UMUC Haircuts is a growing business and new services can be developed at any given time. During the expansion of the salon, new services and processes will be introduces and this will involve the alteration of the system to accommodate them. The system must be able to allow new functionalities for the development of the salon

Portability : High

The system should be highly portable so as to allow for the compatibility with different operating systems or platforms. This is because technology is very dynamic nowadays and the system should be able to respond to the changes. The system should be able to run on different hardware and operating systems so as to cope with any change in the platform which may arise.

Security: High

Security is one of the basic considerations to be made when developing any system. All systems must be secure to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing it. Issues might arise due to attacks. In UMUC Haircuts’ system, a database of the customers is kept and it should be secure to ensure that no unauthorized individuals gain access to it because this is the heart of the business. Also, if the contacts or any information of the customers land in the hands of any unauthorized person, it may lead to legal battles between the customer and the business. There must be a control of access of the resources of the system from third parties.

Information quality: Medium

This describes the quality of the content provided by the system. The system should provide reliable information for the comparison of products’ prices and suppliers who are effective and more efficient in delivery.

The information provided by the system should be accurate and consistent with the expectations of the user.

Authentication: High

Correct verification of the identity of the user wishing to access the information in the system is very important. This can be termed as the key to the system. It should be accurate so that only the authorized people can gain access to the system. This is important in ensuring that any person who changes the information in the database can be held responsible for their action.

Business continuity plan: High

The system should be able to allow for the continuity of the business in the future. The system should be robust and easy to adapt to changing business environment. The system should be resilient and able to allow the business to continue in the event of adverse conditions. There is a cycle of steps which are important for the business. They include analysis, solution design, implementation, testing and acceptance and maintenance.

Cloud computing: Medium

The system should allow for cloud computing as it is one of the most important technologies today. It is important for the system to allow for the storage of data in a network server and not a local storage. This will be important because in case the system develops some problems, the information is very secure.

Enterprise Systems (ERP, CRM, SCM): High

This is the primary functionality of the system. It must be able to carry out the different allocations of staff, scheduling of both staff and customers, management of supply chain among other functionalities. It should perform well to satisfy the customers.

Communication: High

In UMUC Haircuts’ system, there should be a provision for the transfer of data to different people. This will allow for the communication between the employees and the customers and the manager.

Database, data warehousing, data mining: High

The system should allow for keeping the data of customers. Also it should allow for data warehousing. The data should be stored in a way that is secure, easily retrievable, and easy to manage. The process of storing information should be easy.

Business intelligence: High

The tools of this system should be useful in strategic planning of UMUC Haircuts. It should aid in decision making and is very useful in customer profiling, market research, and customer support and market segmentation.

Transaction processing: High

The system should be very efficient to allow for quick transaction processing which will help to quickly serve the customers in a more effective way.

Decision support: High

The business system should support the decision making activities in the salon. This will allow for the quick decision making in the business.

Executive information: High

The system should have executive information which provides the managers with the information they require in order to help in decision making process.

Business –to- Business ecommerce: Medium

Online transactions between the salon and its suppliers are very important. UMUC Haircuts should be in a position to make online purchases in an efficient manner.

Business –to-Consumer ecommerce: N/A

The services offered in UMUC Haircuts must be carried out in the premises. The business has no services which can be offered online or through the network.

References

Becker, J., Kugeler, M., & Rosemann, M. (Eds.). (2013). Process management: a guide for the design of business processes. Springer Science & Business Media.

Jeston, J., & Nelis, J. (2014). Business process management. Routledge.

Teece, D. J. (2010). Business models, business strategy and innovation. Long range planning, 43(2), 172-194.

Van Der Aalst, W. M., Ter Hofstede, A. H., & Weske, M. (2003). Business process management: A survey. In Business process management (pp. 1-12). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Investigating the Effects of Gun Control Measures on the Level of Violence Crimes in the US

Investigating the Effects of Gun Control Measures on the Level of Violence Crimes in the US

Student’s Name

Institution Affiliation

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Professor’s Name

Date

AbstractGun violence is considered a national public health issue of concern that exacts a significant toll on American society. Each day, a total of 105 lives are lost, and approximately 2300 people receive treatment for gun-related violence in the US. Gun-related injuries are quite lethal and account for about 7.1 percent of premature deaths in the US. Besides the significant number of killings and injuries associated with gun violence, many families in the US must deal with the severe consequences of gun violence. Following the severe impacts of private gun ownership, the US established regulations to reduce cases of gun violence. However, it is yet to be established whether these gun control measures have any impact on violent crimes in the US. The main objective of this research paper was to uncover the effects of gun control measures on the level of violent crimes in the US. A literature-based design was adopted for this study. A meta-analysis and complete systematic literature review were undertaken to define how gun control measures have impacted the level of violent crimes in the US. Findings revealed that studies that examined the trend of the cases of violent crimes showed increasing trends even after years when most gun control legislation was enacted. However, for studies that compared the cases of violent crimes between nations with strict and non-strict laws, findings established that countries with stricter gun control rules had fewer cases of violent crimes. Thus, it has been concluded that stricter gun control measures effectively reduce the levels of violent crimes in the US.

Keywords: Gun Violence, Gun-related Injuries, Gun Control Measures, Violence Crimes, Stricter Gun Control Measures

Table of Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Abstract PAGEREF _Toc119523423 h 21.INTRODUCTION PAGEREF _Toc119523424 h 51.1 Background of Study PAGEREF _Toc119523425 h 51.2 Statement of Problem PAGEREF _Toc119523426 h 61.3 Purpose of Study PAGEREF _Toc119523427 h 61.4 Research Aims and Objectives PAGEREF _Toc119523428 h 61.5 Research Question PAGEREF _Toc119523429 h 62. LITERATURE REVIEW PAGEREF _Toc119523430 h 62.1 Introduction PAGEREF _Toc119523431 h 62.2 Types of Gun Violence PAGEREF _Toc119523432 h 62.2.1 Homicide PAGEREF _Toc119523433 h 62.2.3 Unintentional Death and Injury PAGEREF _Toc119523434 h 72.2.3 Violent Crime PAGEREF _Toc119523435 h 72.2.4 Attempted Suicide and Suicide PAGEREF _Toc119523436 h 72.2.6 Mass Shootings PAGEREF _Toc119523437 h 82.3 Epidemiology of Firearm Injury PAGEREF _Toc119523438 h 82.4 Gun Control Legislations in the US PAGEREF _Toc119523439 h 102.4.1 National Firearms Act (NFA) (1934) PAGEREF _Toc119523440 h 102.4.2 Federal Firearms Act (FFA) (1938) PAGEREF _Toc119523441 h 102.4.2 Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 PAGEREF _Toc119523442 h 102.4.4 Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986 PAGEREF _Toc119523443 h 112.4.5 Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 PAGEREF _Toc119523444 h 112.4.6 Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 PAGEREF _Toc119523445 h 112.4.7 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 PAGEREF _Toc119523446 h 112.4.8 Federal Assault Weapons Ban (1994–2004) PAGEREF _Toc119523447 h 112.4.9 Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 PAGEREF _Toc119523448 h 112.4.10 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005 PAGEREF _Toc119523449 h 112.4.11 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 PAGEREF _Toc119523450 h 123.METHODOLOGY PAGEREF _Toc119523451 h 123.1 Introduction PAGEREF _Toc119523452 h 123.2 Research Philosophy PAGEREF _Toc119523453 h 123.3 Research Design PAGEREF _Toc119523454 h 123.4 Search Strategy and Selection Criteria PAGEREF _Toc119523455 h 123.5 Inclusion Criteria PAGEREF _Toc119523456 h 133.6 Exclusion Criteria PAGEREF _Toc119523457 h 134.RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION PAGEREF _Toc119523458 h 134.1 Introduction PAGEREF _Toc119523459 h 134.2 Presentation of Findings PAGEREF _Toc119523460 h 145.CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS PAGEREF _Toc119523461 h 155.1 Summary and Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc119523462 h 155.2 Limitations of Study PAGEREF _Toc119523463 h 165.3 Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc119523464 h 17

INTRODUCTIONBackground of the StudyPrivate gun ownership in America is much higher than that of other Western nations. Supporting this statement, Gresham and Demuth (2020) urge that in contrast to other Western countries, where the average gun ownership is about 25 guns per 100 citizens, the US has about 93 guns per 100 citizens. Jehan et al. (2018) further add that the US is ranked position one in the list of nations with the most privately owned guns. The increased prevalence of private gun ownership in the US has led to increased gun violence in America. Examples of gun violence include violent crime, suicide, homicide, attempted suicide, and unintentional injury or death (Sheats et al., 2022). Gun violence is considered a national public health issue of concern that puts a significant toll on American society (Goldstein et al., 2019). Each day, a total of 105 lives are lost, and approximately 2300 people receive treatment for gun-related violence in the US (AAFP, 2022).

Most Americans die or get gun-related injuries in self-directed violence, interpersonal violence, unintended injuries, legal interventions, and acts where the intent cannot be established (Fowler et al., 2015). Also, gun violence is considered the main cause of premature death in the United States (Jehan et al., 2018). On the same note, Fowler et al. (2015) urge that gun-related injuries are quite lethal and account for about 7.1 percent of premature deaths in the US. Resnick et al. (2017) further claim that the effect of gun-related injuries on human life in the US is staggering. Over 85,000 gun-related injuries occurred in the US in 2015, and in 2016 over 38,000 deaths were reported (AAFP, 2022). Avraham et al. (2018) revealed that between 2003 and 2012, more than 131,000 people in the US lost their lives due to gun-related injuries. This outnumbered the combat deaths in any of the country’s wars and equaled about half of all the deaths that occurred in all the past US battlefields. Fowler et al. (2015) urge that although the increased killings and injuries associated with gun violence in the US reflect the human toll of gun violence, most of these cases do not make headlines.

Besides the significant number of killings and injuries associated with gun violence, many families in the US must deal with the severe consequences of gun violence. For instance, AAFP (2022) reports that even though figures differ, it is widely accepted that the yearly cost of gun violence to the US economy in terms of medical costs, lost income, daily care/support, and criminal justice costs is around $229 billion. On the same note, Jehan et al. (2015) urge that the economic burden linked with gun violence exceeds $100 billion yearly. The authors added that injuries resulting from gun violence significantly burden the United States health system, amounting to roughly $2.3 billion per year (Jehan et al., 2018). Also, gun-related injuries result in increased mortality and morbidity in the US, fueling public and political health discourse and consuming resources (Avraham et al., 2018).

Following the severe impacts of private gun ownership, the US established regulations to reduce cases of gun violence. On July 30, 1619, the European settlers residing in North America formed the first formal legislative body, which was convened in the Virginia colony. The body’s first General Assembly met in Jamestown, where it pondered for 5 days and established several measures that would be used to govern the feathering colony. One of these enactments was gun control legislation that stipulated that no one should give or sell any powder, piece, shot, or any other arms, either defensive or offensive, to any Indians. If anyone was held a traitor to the colony, they would be hanged immediately after the truth was established without redemption (Spitzer, 2017). The first established gun control law was ineffective, and the number of deaths and injury cases increased. The increasing number of deaths and injuries related to gun violence and the increased cost of firearms-related injuries have led to a strong drive for stricter firearms legislation. The Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which is a part of the Bill of Rights, was passed in 1791 and protected individual rights to own and bear arms. Since then, there has been discussion about the ownership of firearms because of worries about public safety. After the Second Amendment of the US constitution, several other gun control measures have been put in place to reduce gun violence. However, it is yet to be established whether these gun control measures have any impact on violent crimes in the US. Thus, this research paper aims to uncover the effects of gun control measures on the level of violent crimes in the US.

Statement of ProblemWhen all firearm injuries are taken into account, more than 100,000 Americans are injured or killed every year because of firearms, and nonfatal firearm injuries have grown over the past ten years from 22.1 to 26.7 per 100,000 people (Resnick et al., 2017). These injuries place a heavy financial burden on the US healthcare system and the medical community. For instance, the initial hospitalization cost for patients injured by weapons in America is $734.6 million annually; this amount rises to many billions when long-term medical treatment and lost wages are taken into account (Resnick et al., 2017). Resnick et al. (2017) urge that the controversial and politicized topic of gun control legislation has been understudied, especially regarding American gun violence. The authors further add that the scientific evidence related to gun legislation’s effectiveness is scant. This study aims to fill this research gap by exploring the effects of gun control measures on the level of violent crimes in the US. Depending on whether or not there has been a decline in the number of violent crimes following the various gun measures, it will be possible to tell if these measures have been effective or not.

Purpose of the StudyThe primary goal of this study was to explore the effect of gun control measures on the level of violent crimes in the US. Uncovering the effect gun laws have had on the level of violent crimes will help determine whether or not gun control legislation in the US has been effective.

Research Aims and ObjectivesResnick et al. (2017) urge the scientific evidence that relates to the effectiveness of gun legislation is limited. As such, it is not possible to tell whether or not gun control legislations are effective or not. The main objective of this research was to establish whether gun control measures have led to reduced levels of violent crimes in the US.

Research QuestionThe research question guiding this study is as follows.

What is the effect of gun control measures on the level of violent crimes in the US?

LITERATURE REVIEW2.1 IntroductionThis chapter covers the review of the existing literature related to the topic under investigation to give a more comprehensive understanding of the topic under study. The literature review section is divided into various subsections, including the various types of gun violence, the epidemiology of firearm injury, and types of gun control laws.

2.2 Types of Gun Violence2.2.1 HomicideHomicide as a type of gun violence refers to the killing of an individual by another individual with the intention to cause serious injury or death by the use of a firearm (WHO, 2019). However, WHO (2019) reveals that homicide excludes death resulting from war operations and legal intervention. In 2020, 79% of all killings in the US involved a firearm, the greatest percentage in recorded history (Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, 2022). The availability and lethality of guns cause the high homicide rate in the country. According to the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions 2022 report, the high-income nations with fewer firearms and stricter gun restrictions have violent assault rates equivalent to those in the United States. However, the U.S. has a firearm homicide rate that is 25 times greater than those in other high-income nations. From 2019 to 202, the US saw a 35% increase in firearm homicides, and the increase was driven mainly by increased accessibility to guns. During this time, communities that were disproportionately affected by systemic inequality, poverty, and structural racism suffered the greatest loss of life as firearm homicide increased (Kuehn, 2022). Usually, firearm homicide is the leading cause of death among Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks (AAFP, 2022). Research also reveals that most of the victims of firearm homicide are men (AAFP, 2022).

2.2.3 Unintentional Death and InjuryUnintentional injury or death is a term used to describe a situation where death or injury was not caused purposely (EFSGV, 2022). Unintentional injury or death can be inflicted by someone else or self-inflicted. Sometimes unintentional injury and death are terms of accidents implying that nothing could have been done to prevent their occurrence (EFSGV, 2022). Contrary, AAFP (2022) urges that unintentional firearm deaths and injuries are highly preventable. Most of the victims of unintentional death or injury are men. In 2019, 90% of the unintentional gun death and injury victims were men (EFSGV, 2022). In 2019, about 486 Americans lost their lives due to unintentional gun injuries, accounting for 1.2% of the total firearm deaths in the country (EFSGV, 2022). Similar to other types of gun violence, unintentional gun injuries and deaths are most likely to take place in the US compared to other developed nations. Specifically, Americans have four times higher chances of dying from unintentional gun injuries than other developed nations (Hemenway & Solnick, 2015). Research further reveals that half of the unintentional firearm death victims are aged below 35 years (EFSGV, 2022). Usually, children are at a higher risk of unintentional gun injuries and deaths compared to children in other developed nations (Hemenway & Solnick, 2015). There has been, however, a decline in the cases of unintentional firearm injuries and deaths in the US across all ages from 20000 to 2012 (Solnick & Hemenway, 2019).

2.2.3 Violent Crime

Violent crimes entail individuals being harmed or threatened with violence using a firearm. Firearm violent crimes include robbery, assault, and rape and sexual assault. Physical assault entails making a physical attack using a firearm. On the other hand, firearm robbery entails taking property from a place or a person by threat of a firearm. Furthermore, firearm sexual assault entails an individual intentionally penetrating another person’s anus, vagina, or moth with a penis with their consent by the threat of a firearm.

2.2.4 Attempted Suicide and SuicideFirearm suicide is among the main causes of death for Americans. In 2014, approximately 21,000 suicides in the US involved a gun (Mann & Michel, 2016). In 2018, firearm suicides were the third main cause of death in the US among individuals aged 65 years and above (Price & Khubchandani, 2021). According to the authors, it is anticipated that the number of people aged 65 years and above who will die from firearm suicide will increase from 16% in 2018 to 23% in 2060. Price and Khubchandani (2021) warn that unless unique efforts are put in to reverse the current trends, it is expected that a significant increase in the number of elderly firearm suicides will be witnessed as the population increases.

2.2.6 Mass ShootingsMass shooting has been defined in different ways in the literature. Following the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, the US Congress defined a mass shooting as killing at least three people in a single incident (AAFP, 2022). However, this definition did not cover the number of perpetrators, the weapon used, or the place of the incident. On a different note, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines a mass killing as multiple homicides whereby at least four people are killed within one incident in either one or more locations in close geographical proximity (AAFP, 2022). Lin et al. (2018) further define mass shootings as an act of gun violence that leads to four or more fatalities, with the exception of the perpetrator, at the same time and within a relatively short period of time. A total of 702 people died in mass shootings in the US in 2021 (Goolsby et al., 2022). Research reveals that although mass shootings account for a relatively smaller portion of deaths resulting from gun violence, they garner media attention because of the incident’s horrific nature (AAFP, 2022). Recently, mass shootings have been mostly perpetrated by men with the use of semiautomatic weapons, assault-style, and sometimes fully-automatic versions through high-capacity magazine technology (AAFP, 2022).2.3 Epidemiology of Firearm InjuryThe primary public global health concern is injury, rated as the more significant single factor of severe disability and death among teenagers below 45. Hence, there is a considerable variation of trauma penetration through epidemiology worldwide. Roughly 40,000 patients annually in the United States get hospitalized due to gunshot wounds, and most of the patients, about 4,000, die in hospitalized states in the hospitals (Bäckman et al., 2020). Recent research indicates that deaths and injuries in European countries result from firearms due to illegal guns and weapons usage that is increasing in European nations. In comparing the United States with other high-income countries, it is dictated that firearm murder is 20 times more incredible in the United States than in other countries. Even though annual killings have declined in South Africa, the state still experiences firearm-related violence at a higher rate creating a more significant healthcare resources burden. Injury related to firearms is a grave public health problem affecting the United States, representing a solemn economic burden for the state government healthcare facilities, as noted by the research (Bäckman et al., 2020).

Firearm injury is a burden to the United States healthcare economy because it costs more than $80 billion yearly. Firearm-related incidents that include mass shouting in various institutions like schools rationalize the need for imposing preventive measures for curbing and reducing gunshot-related deaths and injuries to numerous netizens (Kaufman & Delgado, 2022). The measures imposed to restrict gunshot-related injuries and deaths entail the participation of more healthcare disciplines, including practical actions from political and social parties, medical firms, and health specialists. The firearm has been rated the leading long-term cause of preventable deaths in the United States by registering up to 7% of premature death in the state. The current study indicates that 50% of robberies, 60% of suicide, and 70% of killings, comprise firearm usage. In 2011, 90 deaths and 210 nonfatal deaths were recorded due to a gunshot from firearm use daily; the leading cause of injury death is motor vehicle crashes, followed by firearms (Kaufman & Delgado, 2022). This death rate indicates that firearm is the second injury cause as it recorded an average of 40,000 deaths annually over the last 40 years. The researchers detected a higher death rate resulting from firearm use in 1993, with a value close to 50,000 deaths, and a lower death rate in 1999, showing 40,000. In 2008, firearms resulted in 60,000 nonfatal injuries and 13,000 killings, whereas in 2011, research indicates that 35,000 firearm deaths and 75,000 nonfatal injuries occurred in the US.

Approximately two hundred and ninety American netizens are estimated to be firearm victims daily. The unintentional, suicidal, and firearm-related killings in the United States are higher than in all the 25 high-income countries indicated by the graph below. Firearm deaths in the United States are estimated to be 18% of the general United States burden for injury, while 6% represent firearm-injured patients receiving treatment at US trauma hearts. In a population of 100,000 individuals in the United States, firearm injuries related deaths range from 11.5 to 13 per 100,000 individuals (De Jager et al., 2020). Research conducted on firearms has primarily focused on firearm-related death end.

Moreover, the nonfatal firearm-related injury burden is approximately four times that of the fatalities. Compared with injured similar trauma cohorts, firearm-injured victims possess high posttraumatic stress disorder rates, high chronic pain rates, and worse long-term quality of life (De Jager et al., 2020). The US has a higher rate of violent crimes, including nonfatal and fatal than most industrialized countries worldwide. Most of the crimes in the United States are committed by armed criminals. Research done in 2014 indicates that 70% of the killings, 45% of thefts, and 25% of serious assaults recognized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the police security agency were committed by offenders having guns (Hink et al., 2019).

Research conducted in 2017 shows 39,900 firearm death-related issues in the United States. The research summarizes this result into 2% legal interventions, 2% unintentional injuries, 38% indicated killings, and 62% indicated to be suicidal issues (2017 data retrieved from CDC and Web-Based Injury Statistics Reporting and Query system) (Price & Khubchandani, 2019). Recently, mass shooting has been increasing in frequency, garnering more attention by representing a more significant death percentage. According to the graph in the research, higher death peaks were noted in the early 1990s, and the research indicates that the peaked death rate has increased constantly in the past three years. Even though there is a lack of accurate and adequate data systems defining the nonfatal rate of firearm injuries in the United States, the representation of firearm injuries is 5% in most traumatic centers. Based on the National Traumatic Databank analysis, firearm injuries are shown to be 5% resulting from the high fatality rate case. Therefore, the death associated with firearms in the United States population is comparable to motor vehicle falls and crashes. According to research on individuals with grave injuries, the case rate of fatality for motor vehicle crashes has decreased in the past ten years compared to firearm cases.

Additionally, individuals hospitalized due to firearm injury have increased gradually. Research indicates that suicidal cases resulting from firearms are represented by 90% fatality rates, which is significantly greater than all the other instruments. Suicidal firearms unreasonably include older white males found in rural areas, while the firearm killings excessively affect the younger generation, usually men in urban setups. Unintentional injury unreasonably impacts the kids with firearm access; ninety-five percent of the kids killed by gun usage in high-economy countries are found in the United States. Research conducted in 2016 indicates that approximately 300,000 individuals got killed from an injury that resulted from a firearm (Hink et al., 2019).

Source: (Hink et al., 2019)

Gun Control Legislation in the USNational Firearms Act (NFA) (1934) National Firearms Act (NFA) (1934) was the US’s first national gun control legislation. The 73rd US Congress enacted NFA on July 26, 1934. NFA covered only two types of guns: short-barrel rifles and machine guns. NFA imposed a tax on the production and distribution of these firearms and obligated the registration of Title II weapons.

2.4.2 Federal Firearms Act (FFA) (1938)

The US Congress enacted the Federal Firearms Act (FFA) in 1938. The FFA levied a federal license prerequisite on gun importers, producers, and individuals in the firearms-selling business (Congressional Research Service, 2019). The FFA also bans transferring guns to specific groups of people, such as convicted criminals.

2.4.2 Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968

The legislation was designed to help the local governments and the state to reduce crime incidences and increase the fairness, effectiveness, and coordination of the criminal justice system and law implementation at all three government levels. This legislation augmented the minimum age for buying handguns from 18 to 21 years. It also banned the trading of firearms within states.

2.4.3 Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA)

The 1968 law made it mandatory to get a federal license to produce or trade guns and made it unlawful for anybody who is not an authorized dealer, importer, manufacturer, or collector to transport firearms over state lines. It also restricted the importation of cheap guns and made it illegal to intentionally transfer permits to individuals or organizations labeled as potentially dangerous or irresponsible.

2.4.4 Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986This legislation was designed to adjust the Gun Control Act of 1968 to redefine “gun dealer,” eliminating those who only engage in occasional repairs and sales. For this legislation, transactions involving fully automatic guns must have ATF approval. The law also prohibited private individuals from purchasing fully automatic rifles produced after the law’s signing date. It also bans the government from keeping a state database of gun owners (Straight, 2021).

2.4.5 Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988The legislation alters the federal criminal code to make it illegal to import, manufacture, ship, possess, sell, deliver, transfer, or receive any firearm; which Security Exemplar-specific walk-through metal detectors are not as sensitive to or of which key component when scanned by the standard airport x-ray equipment, does not provide a picture that faithfully represents the component’s shape.

2.4.6 Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990The legislation changes the Federal criminal code to enforce criminal fines for the discharge or possession of a gun in public secondary or elementary school zone exemptions for authorized or licensed programs or individuals. The Act urges local, state, and federal authorities to put signs around school zones to warn individuals that carrying weapons in these areas is illegal.

2.4.7 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993The legislation was endorsed on November 30, 1993. The legislation modified the Gun Control Act of 1968 (Kessel, 2021). The Brady Act mandated a five-day waiting time as an interim measure before an authorized manufacturer, importer or dealer may sell, distribute, or transfer a firearm to a person without valid authorization. Depending on the venue and seller, it also demands background checks on most gun buyers.

2.4.8 Federal Assault Weapons Ban (1994–2004)The Act was endorsed as part of the 1994 Act for Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement. The bans were lifted on September 13, 2004. The legislation prohibited the transfer, possession, or manufacture of semiautomatic assault weapons. The Act outlawed semiautomatic firearms resembling assault rifles and magazines capable of carrying many bullets.

2.4.9 Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004The legislation amends the Federal criminal code to make it legal for current and former law enforcement personnel to carry hidden firearms in any part of the US, regardless of the laws of individual states or municipalities. Still, there should be certain exemptions (Treml, 2021).

2.4.10 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005The legislation eliminated the possibility of producers of weapons and authorized dealers being held accountable for criminal acts committed using firearms that they have produced. However, firearm dealers and manufacturers may still be allegedly responsible for breach of contract, damages occurring from faulty goods, criminal misbehavior, and other activities for which they may be openly accountable. Also, they can be said to be responsible for negligent entrustment if they are aware that a firearm will be used in a crime.

2.4.11 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022The legislation increases the number of vendors who must have an FFL, finances state crisis intervention programs, toughens the penalties for weapons trafficking and straw purchases, and puts an end to the “boyfriend loophole” for underage buyers.

METHODOLOGY3.1 IntroductionThis methodology section gives an overview of the methodological stance adopted in this research. Subsections covered under the methodology section include research philosophy, research design, search strategy, data collection procedures, and data analysis procedures.

3.2 Research PhilosophyAn interpretivism research philosophy has been utilized in this study to explore the selected literature to create meaning and address the research question. Meta-synthesis and a full systematic review have been carried out to uncover the effects of gun control measures on the level of violent crimes in the US. The study findings are used to make recommendations on whether stricter gun control legislation is required.

3.3 Research DesignA literature-based design was adopted for this study. Literature analysis is used as a method to support arguments concerning what an investigator does not know or already knows about a phenomenon (Newman & Gough, 2020). A literature-based research design was suitable for this study because it allowed the researcher to draw data from multiple data sources to address the research question. The researcher undertook a meta-analysis to define how gun control measures have impacted the level of violent crimes in the US. A systematic literature review is a research process, and approach researchers use to identify and critically appraise relevant research articles, gather data, and analyze them (Snyder, 2019). A meta-analysis combines results from multiple studies to compare and identify patterns, differences, or relationships that occur within the context of other studies examining a similar topic (Snyder, 2019). A detailed description of the search strategy employed and the selection criteria are provided below.

3.4 Search Strategy and Selection CriteriaIn this study, the researcher conducted an in-depth investigation using credible database resources such as Google Scholar, ProQuest, Science Direct, EBSCOHost, Academic Search Complete, and Scopus to determine the most appropriate articles for review. Some of the search terms that were used to find the articles reviewed in this study included “examples of gun control measures in the US,” “examples and causes of violent crimes in the US,” “level of violence crimes in the US,” and “the impact of gun control measures on the level of violence crimes in the US.” While searching for the most relevant articles, Boolean operators, including AND, NOT, OR, and AND NOT, were utilized as conjunctions to exclude or combine keywords to generate more productive and focused results. The researchers adopted an ancestry search to identify the inclusion sources, which required finding and incorporating all necessary footnote references and citations in the review. Lastly, the researcher established inclusion and exclusion criteria to choose the study’s most credible and relevant data sources. These criteria guaranteed that the sources selected were readily available, appropriate, and reputable. Criteria for what should be included and excluded are outlined below.

3.5 Inclusion Criteria All the studies included in this review investigated the effects of gun control measures on the leve

Insider Theft of Intellectual Property

Insider Theft of Intellectual Property

CSIA 303 Foundations of Information System Security

Introduction

Advances in technology and social media networking have provided even the smallest of businesses with the opportunity to extend their business boarders and create a more diverse customer base. While a great asset for the company, this increased visibility is accompanied by increased risk and vulnerabilities as it pertains to preserving the company’s mission, purpose, and goals. In enabling the ability to conduct business online by collecting personal information through a network, accepting online payments, and implementing a password protected portal, small businesses open themselves to previously unknown risks and can suffer great loss at the hands of a malicious individual. Such a breach causes loss not only in the realms of finances and privacy, but also in the sense of the company’s reputation and reliability. This loss is even greater when it happens because of someone on the inside. Fortunately, systems exist that can aid in the protection of confidentiality, integrity, and availability while protecting against risk.

Security Threats and Vulnerabilities

According to Egan (2004), the most common security threats and attacks that occur within a network come in the form of a worm, Trojan, or virus. Each presenting with its own set of dangers, these three entities have the ability to infiltrate an entire system and shut down a business in a relatively short period of time if they go undetected. Having an information security system in place that not only identifies the risk but eliminates it is key. In addition, the following elements must be addressed in order to provide the highest quality of service to customers:

Confidentiality – When collecting sensitive data, whether it be from customers or employees, it is the responsibility of the company to protect that information from being placed into the hands of a malicious individual. It is it the company’s responsibility to protect the consumer’s/employee’s privacy.

Integrity – Refers to maintaining the consistency, accuracy and trustworthiness of data over time (Fitzgerald, 2012). It is imperative that data be protected by an authorization code/password given only to a select few individuals.

Availability – Ensuring that the company’s network is running at all times, providing customers and employees with efficient service while protecting against malware.

Non-repudiation – An unique and personalized data signature that denies an individual the capability of saying that they did not perform a specific action (McCullagh & Caelli, 2000).

Authentication – Service that provides proof that a particular individual performed a specific action

Authorization – Determines who has access to what according to role, title, job responsibilities, etc.

Risk – The function of the likelihood that a threat will occur (Elky, 2006).

A well thought out and effectively implemented information security program can assist in addressing the key elements listed above while also protecting against malware.

Recommended Technologies

Insider theft of intellectual property is a loss many companies may experience at one point or another. One of the major reasons that this theft occurs is the lack of policy surrounding appropriate interactions on the company networks as well as poorly defined consequences that will result from engaging in particular actions (Fitzgerald, 2012). There are two very effective ways to combat this:

Issue-specific policies: The greatest way that companies can safeguard their assets against insider theft is to create issue-specific policies that address the ways in which employees communicate as well as access authorizations, sharing restrictions, and external storage devices that are allowed on the system.

Automated risk assessments:  Another way in which companies can safeguard against insider theft is through software that identifies, assesses, monitors, and eliminates system attacks and threats. This type of software is available to small businesses at an affordable rate and provides vast protection.

In addition to the above, the NISTIR 7621 (NIST, 2009) suggests installing commercial spyware and virus scans onto network computers and having them run automatically on a consistent basis both to assess risk and search for updates. Additionally, employee home systems and laptops should be secured with firewalls in order to ensure security of information outside of the office.

Impact

By implementing issue specific policies and automated risk assessments, small business safeguard their ideas, customer base, and future inventions. Billions of dollars are lost and company information is compromised annually as a result of insider theft (Cappelli, Moore, & Trzeciak, 2012). By planning ahead and anticipating the risks involved with conducting business through technology, small business can save themselves from great loss and potential extinction.

References

Cappelli, D.M., Moore, A.P., & Trzeciak, R.F. (2012). The CERT guide to insider threats: Insider theft of intellectual property. Pearson Education, Inc.: Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Egan, M. (2004). Executive guide to information security: Threats, challenges, and solutions. Pearson Education, Inc. : Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Elky, S. (2006). An introduction to information system risk management. Retrieved from: https://learn.umuc.edu/d2l/le/content/27177/viewContent/1532342/View

Fitzgerald, Todd. (2012). Information security governance simplified: from the boardroom to the keyboard. [Books24x7 version] Available from http://common.books24x7.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/toc.aspx?bookid=47187.

McCullagh, A., Caelli, W. (2000). Non-repudiation in the digital environment. Risky Monday. 5(8). Retrieved from: http://pear.accc.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/778/687National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2009). Small business information security: The fundamentals (NISTIR 7621). Gaithersburg, MD: Department of Commerce.

Instances in which congressional statutes have applied in overseas situations

Instances in which congressional statutes have applied in overseas situations

Congress is the legislative branch of the United States government consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It is responsible for making laws and balancing out the power of the executive and judicial arms of the government. The powers held by the congress include laying and collection of taxes, regulating commerce, borrowing loans, and declaring war. Under the U.S constitution, the congress is authorized to legislate only in the areas that are delegated to it. However, some congressional statutes do have extraterritorial application. Under the clause 17 Article 1 Section 8 of the constitution the congress has the power to exercise exclusive legislations in all cases whatsoever over the federal district and other territory relinquished to the federal government by the states. What is more, under the Article 4 of the United States constitution, the congress has the power to enact laws respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States(Amadeo, 2018). This paper will focus on the instances in which the congressional statutes have applied to overseas situations and how they have impacted on the United States foreign policy.

The 2012 Budget

The first instance is the 2012 budget that was passed in the late 2011 where the congress passed a cut into Obama’s foreign aid spending request by more than $8 billion. The 2011 budget cut off half a billion dollars from foreign aid spending. The foreign aid funds are especially targeted for cuts because the programs do not have a domestic constituency to cover them and the government could use the extra funds on fixing the problems back at home. The funding for Pakistan was withheld after the raid that led to the killing of Osama Bin Laden which caused a rift with Pakistan whereby Pakistan reacted by cutting off U.S. supply routes to Afghanistan. Since this occurrence, the congress has clearly increased lapses on the funding by the United States government into Pakistan (Jonhson, 2013)Almost similar to the Pakistan instance is the monetary aid to Egypt. Kay Granger in September 2012 prevented an impending USAID transfer of $450 million in emergency aid to Egypt. The decision was arrived on based on the religious activities in response to the rising influence of Muslim Brotherhood members in the politics of Egypt. Some U.S. lawmakers meant to make the aid conditional upon meeting certain standards thus the aid was held up in the congress.

The 1919 and 1920 Treaty of Versailles

The other instance is the 1919 and 1920 treaty of Versailles whereby the senate refused to approve the treaty as negotiated by Woodrow Wilson. The refusal was based on the concerns that the treaty would bind the united states to any decisions made by the League of Nations and could limit the congress from declaring war. In the United States government set up, treaties are negotiated by the executive arm of government but must be approved by two-thirds senate majority before its ratification. Therefore the senate can disapprove treaties, refuse to amend them or even attach reservations. The senate may also delay treaties just to coerce the white house into negotiating new terms or changes on the current treaties. In the case of Versailles, the treaty was disapproved by the senate.

The Law of the Sea Convention

Apart from the treaty of Versailles, during the Obama administration the Law of the Sea Convention, which codifies sovereign rights over marine resources and seeks to protect the oceans of the world, was disapproved by the senate in spite of the support from the military branches, major ocean corporations, and environmental groups.

The Jackson-Vanick Amendment

Another instance is the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which is attached to the Trade Act of 1974. The amendment was precise that the Soviet Union must discontinue the practice of forcing Jews to pay exit to emigrate if it desired favorable trading relations with the United States. The congress in December 2012 voted to revoke Jackson-Vanik and instead granted normal trade relations to Russia. However, certain restrictions were attached to grant, that is, restriction of the travel of Russian officials guilty of connection to the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer, and other human rights violations. This legislation was signed into law the same year by president Barrack Obama (Posner, 2014)The other instance is the World War II where the congress declared war. The congress authorized war in a number of other cases such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Vietnam wars, and the 1991 Gulf war. In 1973, the congress passed the War Powers Resolution which overrides the veto by President Richard Nixon (War Powers, 2017) It is therefore stipulated in the law that the president must; consult with the congress before expending the U.S. troops into wars, account commitment of U.S. forces within twenty-four hours, and end military action within sixty days if the congress does not declare war or authorize participation in the wars.

These actions by the congress though deemed to protect the United States in many instance is expected to create tension between the Whitehouse and the senate because of the foreign issues stimulated. The congress has been recorded to mess up the foreign policy for instance in the Pakistan affair whereby upon disapproval of foreign aid Pakistan closed the entry routes for the United States supplies to Afghanistan. Following the foreign policy disruption the U.S. stalled cyber security legislation in 2012 which has raised concerns on the inability of the congress to restore competing committee jurisdictions on important policies attached to national security (Trevor Corning, Reema Dodin, Kyle Nevins, 2017)To sum up, there is need for the Whitehouse and the congressmen to work on restoration of a good relationship on national security which is aimed at containing national unity in crises such as terror attacks.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY Amadeo, K. (2018, August 17). The Balance. Retrieved from The U.S. Congress and Its Powerful Impact on the Economy: https://www.thebalance.com

Jonhson, T. (2013). Congress and U.S. Foreign Policy. Council on Foreign Relations .

Posner, E. (2014). The case against human rights. The Guardian .

Trevor Corning, Reema Dodin, Kyle Nevins. (2017). Inside Congress: A guide for navigating the politics of the House and Senate floors. Washington D.C. : Brookings Institute Press.

War Powers. (2017, November 27). Retrieved from TheLlibrary of Congress: https://www.loc.gov

University information

Impact of Technology on Families

Adoption of new technology has had a number of effects on families. Technology through social media, television, videogames and smartphones can develop families and can also break them. Benefits accrued with technology include using mobile apps to monitor and manage their budgets and also work on their family schedules, they also use mobile banking, online shopping and even settling of their bills like water, electricity and medical bills (Bailey et al. 2020). Families stay connected despite busy schedules and geographical distance with only a text or a call. Pictures and other important things can be shared over to the extended families at large thus keeping the family bonded.

Some parents whose kids are not open use social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram to get an insight onto the interest of their children such as people, activities and even places. They can also figure out what issues might be affecting their children (Anderson and Jiang 2018). Social media sites will allow interactions with people from many different races, cultures and backgrounds across the globe. The disabled can also use technology in engaging with their families especially those with vision, speech mobility and hearing difficulties.

Videogames increase an individual’s coordination between the eyes and the hands. Second languages are also taught through the enhancement of reading and phonics skills availed by given apps. Life-long reading cultures are also instilled in children through e-books and online libraries. Some apps and video games enable children to learn shapes, numbers and better their skills in advanced mathematics, children can also improve other skills like problem-solving, focusing, strategizing and critical thinking which are significant in their academic progress. Persistence, incitement and competitiveness are also developed in a child when playing videogames. Watching a movie or playing a game on television also facilitates bonding between the parents and the kids.

Besides the good it offers, technology has led to families spending more time in their houses; children prefer watching television than going out to play leading to obesity and other diseases (Swindle et al.2018). Children also perform poorly in schools due to spending more time on video games which reduces their abilities to focus on reading (Scheerder et al. 2019). Furthermore, both parents and children who spend a lot of time on their phones bring a feeling of jealousy on the opposite party, this feeling is about feeling important and attended to by either party. Children would prefer watching television than going out with their parents. The interaction with people is also affected, children cannot relate with people face to face. Technology has blurred boundaries across our lives, school, work and family times are all affected by interruptions.(McDaniel and Coyne, 2016).

With the above information in mind, it is therefore advisable that both parents and children balance their time and activities on social media, parents to limit the time children spend on television, help with their school work. Family time should also be allowed to have no disruptions. Children to go out with their parents, play with their peers so that in the end, we have an all-round generation.

References

Anderson, M., & Jiang, J. (2018). Teens, social media & technology 2018. Pew Research Center, 31, 2018.Bailey, A. A., Pentina, I., Mishra, A. S., & Ben Mimoun, M. S. (2020). Exploring factors influencing US millennial consumers’ use of tap-and-go payment technology. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 30(2), 143-163.

McDaniel, B. T., & Coyne, S. M. (2016). Technology interference in the parenting of young children: Implications for mothers’ perceptions of coparenting. The Social Science Journal, 53(4), 435-443.

Scheerder, A. J., van Deursen, A. J., & van Dijk, J. A. (2019). Negative outcomes of Internet use: A qualitative analysis in the homes of families with different educational backgrounds. The Information Society, 35(5), 286-298.

Swindle, T. M., Ward, W. L., & Whiteside-Mansell, L. (2018). Facebook: the use of social media to engage parents in a preschool obesity prevention curriculum. Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 50(1), 4-10.

The constitution is one of the highest symbols of unity

The Constitution

The constitution is one of the highest symbols of unity that acts to protect the citizens of a country. The constitution was set up to make the new government strong enough such that it could be able to promote commerce and as well protect the properties of the United States citizens. The constitution also is responsible for the prevention of the threats that gets imposed by the excessive democracy, thereby regulating the abuse of democracy and its meaning. In encouraging the popular consent of the constitution, the House of Representatives is designed such that it is directly responsible to the people while the Senate against the potential for the excessive in the house.

The United States Constitution provides a direct popular election of the representatives besides the protection of its citizens’ rights and liberties. The constitution grants the Congress important and influential powers while any power not enumerated in the texts is reserved for the States. The Constitution was designed to institute a presidency with energy capable of making timely and decisive actions in regards to the public interests. The framers of the constitution established the Supreme Court that would be responsible for the nationalizing the governmental powers as well as checking the radical democratic impulses while at the same time guiding against the potential interference with the liberty and the property of the new national government itself.

The framers’ concerns are addressed by the various provisions of the constitution of national unity and power including the clause for the promotion of reciprocity among the state. The amendment of the constitution is not an easy process as the procedures for the amendment found in Article V are so difficult and difficult. Among the first ten amendments to the constitution included the adoption of the bill of rights in the year 1791. The principle of separation of powers in the constitution guards against possible misuse of power basing it on Montesquieu’s theory that power must be used to balance power. The balancing of power is overseen through devising a system of two sovereigns to which include the states and the central government.

The rights of criminally accused

Just like every other individual is entitled to the rights and freedoms in the constitution, the same applies to the criminally accused individuals. The fourth, fifth, sixth as well as the eighth amendments are the essence of the due process of the law stipulating the rights of every citizen against arbitrary actions by the national as well as the states governments. The core purpose of the due process is the leveling of the playing field between the accused person and the all-powerful state and thereby defining the limits of the government’s action against the personal liberty of every citizen. According to the American traditions, it is far worse to convict an innocent person than setting a guilty person free, to which the judicial systems hold the values.

The fourth Amendment

The fourth amendment of the constitution protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, to which controversies have been raised against the issue regarding the drug-related searches, the DNA evidence as well as the government surveillance. The Fifth Amendment requires the grand of the jury for the majority of for the majority of the crimes, protecting against double jeopardy and provides for the section stipulating that one cannot testify by force against oneself. The other fundamental clause of the fifth regards the takings clause to which extends to each citizen protection against the taking of private property without just compensation. The purpose of the clause is to assert limits on the powers of the eminent domain through procedures that require the showing of a public purpose and the provision of the payments that are fair in the event of seizure of a person’s property. The sixth amendment requires a speedy trial to the accused as well as the right to witnesses and counsel. The eighth amendment prohibits on the cruel and the unusual punishment, with the possession of a significant challenge in the interpretation in that what is considered cruel and unusual varies from culture to culture as well as from generation to another.

The media, government and public opinion

There are important forces that contribute to the shaping of the opinions in the marketplace of ideas, and they include the government, the news media as well as the private groups. The effect on the public opinion can be limited despite the efforts of all the governments to try to influence, manipulate or even manage the citizens’ beliefs. Majority of the ideas that happen to become more prominent in the political life are mostly developed and even spread by the economic and the political groups to which search for issues responsible for the advancing their cause. The media is regarded as the opinion maker through their potential impact of interpretation of the events. The relationship between the public opinion and the government policy his dynamic as the policy responds to the opinion and the opinions tend to shift based on the new government policies. More affluent and educated citizens may have a disproportionate influence over politics and the public policies decision due to their tendency to vote at higher rates and therefore are more likely to contribute money to the political campaigns.

In measuring the public opinion, the politicians and the public officials make extensive use of the public opinion polls which aids them in making decisions. For a political survey to be an accurate representation of the people, appropriate sampling method, sufficient sample size and the avoidance of the selection bias should be emphasized. Big data and the social media offer new ways of measuring public opinions on a mass scale. The pollsters are capable of inferring the opinions based on the online trend, and both parties maintain massive databases that track the activities from voting behavior to consumer preferences.