Social and Racial Tension in 1920s America Essay

The roaring twenties was a decade of excitement. For the first time in many families’ lives, leisure times were extended thanks to the time saving inventions such as the vacuum cleaner, the refrigerator, and the washing machine. Another factor that made the 20s the best decade for many Americans was because of installment, also known as â€Å"buy now, pay later,† buying which allowed the middle class families to afford those products when needed and pay it off later. Clubs bustled with life, filled with the stench of alcohol, and the noise of tapping shoes as men and women danced their soles off their shoes. New thing occurred and made many Americans’ lives a paradise. However, there were few groups of people who didn’t view the same decade the†¦show more content†¦Although not all went to the extremes of the KKK using terror, beating, and even murder to fulfill their quest in purifying America, they however they did support it’s ideology i n many rural America. It has been estimated that, between the years 1920-27, the hands of the Klan members in the Southern states butchered 416 Blacks. Research indicates that most of the victims were innocent or were convicted of small offenses that certainly didn’t deserve such punishment. In the southern states, where the majority of the African American population resided, the notion of ‘white supremacy’ went unquestioned. Scarily enough, the KKK reached their hands into politics as well. In the state o f Indiana, the ‘Grand Wizard’, David Stephenson was politically powerful. It was also alleged that the Klan helped elect the governor of Maine, Colorado, and Louisiana in 1924. Moreover, on August 18th 1925 the Ku Klux Klan was able to parade down 40,000 men on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C without any intervention from state officials. Segregated facilities in government buildings remained unchanged since the first decade of the century , which showed the American government during the twenties was continually ignoring issues linked to ethnic minorities and the hostile attitudes of its people towards them. The act ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on Radical Changes During the Roaring Twenties1033 Words   |  5 PagesThe Roaring Twenties was a period of intense tension towards the numerous barriers of tradition. Unlike the gradual fluctuations in modern day society which lead tension in its wake, the 1920’s was a bombardment of radical change ranging from societal norms to economic consumption. The end of World War I led to the end of idealism, and evolving values began to escalate towards the 1920’s. The surge of immigrants allowed for greater and greater economic booms, including the use of credit and involvementRead MoreIntolerance in American Society Essay629 Words   |  3 PagesIntolerance in American Society Intolerance of other peoples culture, religion, ethnic background and skin colour was a major issue in the 1920s America. This was, of course the era of the economic boom that helped to make America a rich and prosperous country in which to live. This economic boom made America a very attractive place to immigrate to, especially to those in countries that were not so well off. This meant immigration on a massive scale. People fromRead MoreEssay on 1920s Dbq823 Words   |  4 PagesDevin Nishizaki Period 2 3/11/10 1920’s DBQ Beginning in the early 1920’s, America found itself in a frenzy of revolutionary movements that would shift the everyday lives of American citizens and pave the way to the modern era. A struggle between old ideas of conservatism and new liberal movements surfaced during the â€Å"roaring twenties†. The new movements that began rearing their heads during this time period consisted of liberal political ideas, the advancements of rightsRead MoreTension in the Twenties Essay649 Words   |  3 PagesTension in the Twenties All major societies throughout our worlds history have experienced periods of major change. Tension inevitably arises as a result of the new environments in which the people live. Our country is no exception, especially through the era known as the Roaring Twenties. Just being another decade on the timeline was not good enough for the 1920s. When its brief turn came, it had to be the biggest, the loudest, and the brightest. A calamity gave it birth, and a calamityRead MoreRacial Prejudice And Racial Discrimination During The 1920 S1585 Words   |  7 PagesA Colorblind America When people refer to America, they typically think of it as the melting pot in the center of the earth. However, for a country that prides itself in advocating freedom and equality for all, the United States has a long history of segregation and discrimination that has long affected present policy. It is clear that racial minorities have been targets of this racial bias for years, and even after slavery was abolished, African-Americans continued to face the most racism due toRead MoreRacial Equality During The Harlem Renaissance843 Words   |  4 Pagesunfortunately, white women due to the fact that racial issues were still prominent post Civil War to the roaring 20s. Racial tension between blacks (now freed) and whites intensified as time continued after the Civil War. Yet, much like women, racial equality had its gains and its setbacks, especially in the South. Many of the gains for African Americans came in forms such as free blacks whom were equal to white men, political parti cipation, and artistic and social expression during the Harlem RenaissanceRead MoreEssay about Remember the Titans: Movie Review1011 Words   |  5 Pagessold in the plantations of colonial America, definitely triggered a superior-inferior relationship and mentality between â€Å"the whites† and â€Å"the blacks†. This present-day culture, resulting from a society of masters and slaves, has struggled against central concepts deeply rooted in the nations past .With strong cultural values on racial discrimination, the path towards the concept of racism in America was a vital moment in the course of the nation’s history. Social concepts and attitudes could not beRead More`` Dreams `` By Langston Hughes Essay1667 Words   |  7 Pagesall humans have equal rights and freedom now a days. Yet there is still the unequal treatment between whites and blacks, as a country America has emerged from worse standings before with the aid of great visionaries. In the era of the Harlem Renaissance poets used art as a voice of reason. Granted, there were many poets who impacted the movement against racial inequality, Langston Hughes turned the pages with inspiring work. Whereas in Langston Hughes poem Dreams encourages people to achieveRead MoreRace Determined Inclusion and Exclusion in America1861 Words   |  7 PagesHistorically, America has been a nation that participates in discriminatory practices based on perceived race. European Americans have always considered themselves as a privilege group, therefore excluded from the discriminatory practice against other minorities. Mexicans, Filipinos, Blacks (African Americans) and Native Americans, were excluded from first class citizenship, and were and still are in some cases America’s victims of separatism. Americans of European descent fought to keep their statusRead MoreWhite And Black People s Influence On American Culture And Society2445 Words   |  10 PagesThroughout the 1920s and 1930s, a number of demographic, political, and economic changes greatly impacted American culture and society. (Patterson Carney, 2003.) White and black people in America were still segregated and African Americans were treated as inferior (â€Å"BBC - Higher Bitesize History - Race relations between the wars,† n.d.), though they began to fight against discrimination in this period. (â€Å"Jazz Exacerbates Racial Tension,† n.d.) Music both reflected and played a role in the changing

Why Is Tobacco Bad for You Free Essays

Peter Yang Andrea Charanduk English 20 January 23, 2012 How tobacco addictionseffect you and people around you? A tobacco addiction is the worst addiction you can do to your body. According to the Health Canada website, â€Å"every 11 minutes, a Canadian dies from tobacco use. Every 10 minutes, two Canadian teenagers start smoking cigarettes; one of them will lose his/her life because of it yearly, more than a thousand Canadians who never even smoked die – from exposure to tobacco smoke. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Is Tobacco Bad for You or any similar topic only for you Order Now Smoking affects every part of your body even to your sexual organs, as stated in Health Canada website â€Å"Sexual functioning needs the coordination of the nervous system, hormones and the vascular system which pumps blood into the muscle tissue that keeps the erection Smoking hinders every area. The effect? Impotence. † Now days teens start smoking because, they think it’s cool to look like an adult, or they get peer pressured. I agree that smoking does kind of look cool, but what’s hiding behind that smoke can kill you, and everyone else around you. There is strong medical evidence that smoking tobacco is related to more than two dozen diseases and conditions† (â€Å"Smoking and Your body†). Smokingaffects every part of your body even to your toes! The effect of smoking is terrible for your health; it is proven countless times by medical professionals and scientists. Smoking affects your lungs, cardiovascular system, and respiratory system the m ost (â€Å"Smoking and Your Body†). When you smoke a cigarette you are inhaling toxic chemicals and the most addictive drug. Nicotine. Nicotine is the drug responsible for making cigarettes so addictive. It makes your body crave more cigarettes and that means inhaling all those gross chemicals† (â€Å"Nicotine†). I know a person who had a throat cancer. He had to get a surgery to get his voice box removed to stop the spreading of cancer disease. Now, he can’t talk. He needs this little device on his throat to help him talk, which I have sympathy towards it. He made a mistake a long time ago, and now he is paying the price for it. Look around you, do you smoke? Or a friend? Tell yourself to quit, help a friend out. You just got to try. Smoking is bad, but starting as a teenager is the worst mistake you can make. As stated on the website smoking-facts. net â€Å"At least 3 million adolescents are smokers and roughly 6 million teens in the US today smoke despite the knowledge that it is addictive and leads to disease†. This is very true and it is happening right here, right now. I know several teenagers that smoke a pack a day. This will lead them to pre-mature death, lung cancer and various other diseases. Of the 3,000 teens that started smoking today, nearly 1,000 will eventually die as a result from smoking† (â€Å"Teen Smoking Facts†). I don’t expect people to read this article and quit, I just want them to know that, smoking as a teenager can definitely harm the health of your body. Then maybe you would be smart enough to quit smoking. â€Å"Second-hand smoke is what smokers exhale and what rises from an idle burning cigar ette. You can see smoke in the air but what may not be so obvious is that there are 4,000 chemicals in the smoke† (â€Å"Second Hand Smoke†). I have been in position where I was the second hand smoker. It is not the best place you would want to be when people are smoking around you. The smell of the smoke makes me frown, cough, and you just know that this can’t be good for your body. Back in the day’s people could smoke anywhere! In the restaurants, airplane, bar, and any public places. Now this was allowed because they had less knowledge of second hand smoking than we do now. There is a story where a woman died from a lung cancer when she was only 50. The worst part about the story is that she never had a single cigarette in her life, she was a waitress at a restaurant and she would be second hand smoking from everybody who would come into restaurant and smoke. How horrible is that? An innocent person is suffering from someone else’s mistake. Do you think that’s right? I am not going to lie, I have tried smoking, and it’s theworst thing I ever did. You can feel all the chemicals going through your body and affecting you internally. My personal opinion about smoking is that, it is totally fine if you want to smoke and hurt yourself, as long as you don’t smoke around people who does not smoke. Maybe you didn’t know that smoking affects not only you but people around you. I hope who ever reads this article figures out how it is effecting you and people around you and at least try quitting. In this article I talked about all most everything about why smoking is bad for you and second hand smokers. I hope this article awakened your urge to quit smoking for yourself and people you love. Smoking is bad, we all know that. Making a mistake is †¦ humane. We all make mistakes, but repeating that mistake with knowing the consequences is plain stupidity. About Tobacco Control. Health Canada, 2009. Web. 29 September 2009. Nicotine. Health Canada, 2008. Web. 24 January 2008. Second-hand Smoke. Health Canada, 2009. Web. 17 April 2009. Smoking and Your Body. Health Canada, 2011. Web. 01 November 2011. Teen Smoking Facts. Smoking-Facts. net, nd. Web. 23 January 2012. How to cite Why Is Tobacco Bad for You, Papers

Write a creative writing piece free essay sample

Its as though youre in a perfect world where nothing goes wrong and you never want to close your eyes, but you do close our eyes and you do realize that this beautiful country is suffering from starvation, malnutrition, poverty and racism. You sometimes wonder how it could be possible when you see how Joyful and appreciative Kenya people are. I have spent many days observing the animals, watching them find the necessities of our human day-to-day life; for example finding food and water.This tropical terrain Illustrates how animals In the wild do things very differently to those In an enclosed sanctuary. My Journey was about to take an unexpected turn. It would become a tremendously memorable experience. During my observation of wildlife I encountered an extraordinary family of baboons and I watched in fascination how they live life in the wild. Swinging through the trees, tearing down branches as they move. We will write a custom essay sample on Write a creative writing piece or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The smaller baboons stay closer to the ground.One actually began to walk alongside where I was hiding, when suddenly a branch came crashing down, sending debris flying around the Jungle. They began screeching and beating their chests In commotion. The smallest of their clan was under the branches, very close to where I was. I stepped out carefully. I could hear the baby crying and I knew that If I didnt do mouthing my Journey would be pointless. I started to move the branches carefully one by one, ignoring the baboons squealing above me in the treetops. Soon I saw a small hand moving around in some leaves.I put my hand out and the tiny fingers held my thumb. Moving more of the branches I saw the baby, it had been very badly hurt. If I didnt help it, it would surely die. I picked him up and looked him in the eye. He stopped crying. As I looked into its innocent eyes, I realized why Kenya people who live in this magical kingdom dont seem to be overly concerned about the issues heir country has to go through. Being in this wonderful wilderness and having come in close contact with these most amazing creatures makes you forget everything thats happening around you.What was I going to do with a baby baboon? I couldnt Just leave It here. It had a broken leg and cuts all over its little face. It was in serious pain. It needed medical Where do I take it? In which direction should I walk? There are so many questions. I thought for a while. This was my fate. I decided my Journey would be incomplete if I left the baby baboon to die. I would feel so guilty and I probably wouldnt be able to forgive myself. I packed my bag and said good-bye to this most remarkable wilderness and headed south. I had this strange feeling in my stomach.I Just couldnt work out what it was. Maybe it was the unfamiliar sense of determination that I had to save this baby baboon. I wrapped it carefully in my Jacket to keep it warm and secure. Finally the precious creature in my care went to sleep. I walked for what seemed liked hours in the hot sun, my mind wandering. I rested occasionally in the shade of the large plane trees scattered along the terrain. When oer in a country like this you have so much time to think, to think about absolutely everything there is to think about.Finally I came upon a dirt road. In the distance I could see mud huts on the outskirts of a town. They looked familiar. I had been here before. Was this Macaque? I quickened my step. My heart started to beat faster. As I approached the township, I knew this part of my Journey was almost at an end. A single tear trickled down my dusty cheek. I looked down at the baby in my arms. It slowly opened its huge brown eyes. I smiled and whispered Mate, help is not too far away now, hold on there.

Rise and Development of Nationalism in East Asia

Rise and Development of Nationalism in East Asia Introduction Nationalism means the identities that people have, which they view as distinguishing them uniquely as belonging to a particular nation. Thus, it covers one of the forms of patriotism. Several theories can be employed to provide an explanation of the origin of nationalism. The main ones are modernism and primordialist views.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rise and Development of Nationalism in East Asia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Modernism theory considers nationalism as a recent societal process, which demands societal structuring for it to develop. On the other hand, the primordialist â€Å"describes nationalism as a reflection of the ancient and perceived evolutionary behavior of humans to organize themselves into distinct groupings based on the affinity of birth† (Tamir 13). The paper uses the primordialist view. Based on the theory, nationalism may develop based on cultural artifacts de fining people living within a given nation and political-related experiences in a nation among other things. From this point of view, this paper discuses the rise and development of nationalism in East Asia based on historic political related experiences and cultural elements including religion and clothing. Japan and china are used as the main examples in this quest. Rise and Development of Nationalism in China and Japan Cultural elements may act as mechanisms that can help to instill the perception of nationalism among people living within a common geographical area. Theses artifacts may be depicted through clothing, language, and religion. With the onset of westernization, Chinese people encountered a dilemma whether to abandon their own clothing styles that defined their heritage and hence a sense of belonging as Chinese nationals or to adopt the rising western styles of dressing. This dilemma motivates Finnane to wonder what Chinese women deserve to wear for them to retain the symbol of nationalism (99). Given the history of China that is rich in customs, the question is significant since resistance to the degradation of nationalism depicted by dressing style was evident as from 1949 when Mao Zedong declined from wearing black leather shoes and a suit. According to Finnane, the head of state argued, â€Å"we Chinese have our own customs†¦why should we follow others† (99). This resistance was a replication of over half decade debates questioning the capacity of the western influences to impair the dressing codes of the Chinese people. Over that period, alterations of style were incredibly controversial. They attracted hefty public debates particularly when they involved the question of the women dress. The main interrogatives were whether the women dresses need to be long or short, tight or loose, or cover the arms for them to depict Chinese national women.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fi rst paper with 15% OFF Learn More During the reign of Mao, the question on what Chinese people wore attracted superficial analysis. However, dressing styles and the type of clothes that were won by Chinese people acted as wonderful mechanisms of differentiating between China and the rest of the nations in the world. In this line of thought, Finnane reinforces, â€Å"For politically correct Chinese people, clothing at that time differentiated the socialist elect from the rest†¦for outsiders, it was the single most obvious feature about contemporary Chinese culture† (100). Clothes were depictive of Chinese culture and hence a symbol of Chinese people. Even though much of the concerns about the alteration of the dressing to have the capacity to erode the culture of the Chinese people concerned what women wore in the ninetieth century, the link between nationalism and the clothing was not only a problem of women: men were also equally worried. This argument i s strengthened by the Mao Zedong’s rejection to wear a suit associated with the western culture. Outside the Chinese context, clothing remains an important symbol of nationalism in other nations in the East Asia. For instance, in India, cladding in ‘sari’ represents a sovereign Indian woman because â€Å"the fertile ground for production of future generations both past and future-were embodied in her,† (Finnane 102). On the other hand, in Japan, a woman dressed in ‘kimono’ profiles an ideal sovereign Japanese woman. From these examples, it sounds essential to infer that the perception of nationalism among people cannot be segregated from the cladding codes acceptable as representing the true national of a given nation because cultural artifacts are depictive of cultural differences among people who are often confined within different national boundaries. Apart from the rise and development of nationalism from the context of dressing style, rel igion is yet another crucial cultural artifact that may help to build the perception of nationalism among different people living in different nations. For instance, in Japan, subscription to Shinto is perhaps an essential way of portraying ones strongly grounded spirit of nationalism. Shinto assumed its shape upon the arrival of Buddhism. This was vital in helping to differentiate the new religion to the indigenous religion in Japan that was the representation of the ‘Japanese’.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rise and Development of Nationalism in East Asia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Okuyama strengthens this point by further asserting, â€Å"Some 100,000 shrines of jinja served by Shinto priests attest to its physical presence nationwide† (94). Shinto defines the religious practices of the indigenous native Japanese to mean ‘the ways of ‘kami’ as opposed to ‘the w ays of Buddha’. Therefore, since the introduction of Buddhism in the 16th century, Shinto practices became definitive of the true Japanese nationalism. However, it is also crucial to note that Japanese people consider traditional customs as defining nationalism in spite of â€Å"whether they are Shinto or not† (Okuyama 97). The question that emerges is- to what extent do Japanese people perceive Shinto as a true representation of nationalism? The response to the above question is perhaps well answered by considering the significance of Shinto shrines among all citizens of Japan including the nobles. In this regard, Okuyama reckons, â€Å"since he became the prime minister, Koizumi Jun’ichiro visited Yasukuni Shrine four times: 13 August 2001, 21 April 2002, 14 January 2003, and 1 January 2004† (106). Nevertheless, even though this may be anticipated to be acceptable within the understanding of the traditional customs of Japanese people, the visits attract ed opposition. Consequently, about seven lawsuits ensued as a result. Nevertheless, Koizumi remained confident that the visits were necessary for a number of reasons. In the first place, the shrines served to portray his nationalism since they formed the places where he renewed vows never to take part in wars. Secondly, â€Å"he visited Yasukuni shrines to express relevance and gratitude to all the war dead despite the fact that these include class A war criminal† (Okuyama 106). Arguably, from this cited reason of why Koizumi visited the shrine, it is questionable whether the shines are the best places to show ones patriotism. However, it is evident that Japanese people have a strong prescription to traditional religious beliefs as the main ways of portraying sincerity in ones commitments to the Japanese people and the nation as a whole. The analysis of Shintoism as one of the theories of development of nationalism in Japan cannot be accomplished without considering the philo sophers’ attempts to ensure the national beliefs were revived and purified.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The idea was to enhance the removal of all foreign ideas that were imported from various nations including China and India. The Shintoism restoration movement began in the 18th century with Motoori Noringa playing proactive roles. This campaign gave rise to the state Shinto with the emperor of Japan then claiming to be of Amaterasu decently. A certain representation that tends to link people together creates the spirit of nationalism. According to Wang, the identification may include â€Å"Chinas neo-neo-tribe and â€Å"Japanese shin shin jinrei† (547). To Wang, such a representation can be used to secure a market for a particular product because it has high likelihoods of securing an immense success when a product is marketed based on its capacity to create a sense of nationalism. For instance, Wang argues that the term bobo has the impact of bringing Chinese people together by creating messages of premium value (535). What this argument means is that the spirit of national ism can also be build by the products produced by nations. Therefore, consumption of such products helps to depict that one is truly a patriot of a given nation. Using the Wang’s analogy, the term bobo is related to being a Chinese and belonging to a bobo class. Subsequently, when a product is sold bearing the tag that it is principally made for the bobos, it means that buying this product will not only mean fitting into the bobo class. Besides, it will also depict one as a sovereign citizen of the nation where the bobos live! From a different dimension, nationalism may be built based on the experiences that people go through as a nation. Recollection of such experiences helps to remind one of the history encountered, which is definitive of why one is a nationalist of a given nation. This kind of nationalism is perhaps well exemplified by Japan through her Hiroshima trauma. Painful experiences are crucial reflections of what it takes to be a nationalist since they provide lin ks between different cultures (Caruth 3). Therefore, while Japan may be segregated based on different cultural affiliations, the Hiroshima experiences make Japanese people develop a sense of nationalism, which is critical in helping the nation to employ all strategies possible to ensure that such an experience would never reoccur. Therefore, the Hiroshima experience is one unifying experience that ensures all Japanese are united together amid their demographic differences (Wood 191). Arguably, this is crucial since nationalism is hard to thrive in an environment that is ruled by segregations. Conclusion Therefore, based on the expositions made in the paper, it is enough to declare nationalism a representation of people’s identities. The identities help in building the spirit of patriotism. Cultural elements show people’s identities and political experiences especially the ones that culminated into painful experiences. In this paper, nationalism has been explored throug h consideration of clothing as one of the ways of presentation of people’s cultural artifacts in the Chinese and Japanese contexts. The Hiroshima experience has also been considered as an example of painful experiences that has helped to shape the Japanese view of nationalism. Caruth, Cathy. Unclaimed Experience: Trauma, Narrative and History, Baltimore: Johnhopkins University press, 1996. Print. Finnane, Antonia. â€Å"What Should Chinese Women Wear?† Modern China 22.2(1996): 99-131. Print. Okuyama, Michiaki. Historicizing Modern Shinto: A New Tradition of Yasukuni Shrine.  Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2005. Print. Tamir, Yael. Liberal Nationalism. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1993. Print. Wang, Jing. â€Å"Bourgeois Bohemians in China? Neo-Tribes and the Urban Imaginary.† The China Quarterly 183.3(2005): 532-548. Print. Wood, Nancy. Vectors of Memory: Legacies of Trauma in Postwar Europe. New Jersey, NJ: Berg Publishers, 1999. Print.

Commerce Clause Meaning and Applications

Commerce Clause Meaning and Applications The Commerce Clause is a provision of the U.S. Constitution (Article 1, Section 8) that grants Congress the power â€Å"to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes. This law gives the federal government the power to regulate interstate commerce, which it defines as the sale, purchase, or exchange of commodities or the transportation of people, money, or goods between different states.   Congress has historically cited the Commerce Clause as justification for laws and regulations controlling the activities of the states and their citizens. In some instances, these laws lead to controversy over the constitutional division between the powers of the federal government and rights of the states. Dormant Commerce Clause The courts have interpreted the Commerce Clause as not only an explicit grant of power to Congress, but also an implied ban against state laws that conflict with federal law- sometimes called the Dormant Commerce Clause. The Dormant Commerce Clause refers to the Commerce Clause’s implied prohibition against state laws that conflict with federal law by discriminating against or excessively burdening interstate commerce. This prohibition is primarily intended to prevent the states from enacting â€Å"protectionist† trade laws. What Is Commerce? Since the Constitution does not explicitly define â€Å"commerce,† the exact meaning is a source of legal debate. Some constitutional scholars contend that â€Å"commerce† refers only to trade or exchange. Others argue that it has a broader meaning, referring to all commercial and social interaction between residents of different states. These divergent interpretations create a controversial line between federal and state power. Interpretation of Commerce: 1824 to 1995 The first legal interpretation of the scope of the Commerce Clause came in 1824, when the Supreme Court decided the case of Gibbons v. Ogden. In one of the first major expansions of the powers of the federal government, the Court ruled that Congress could use the Commerce Clause to enact laws regulating both interstate and intrastate trade. In the 1905 case of Swift and Company v. United States, the Supreme Court refined its 1824 interpretation by ruling that Congress could apply the Commerce Clause in regulating the practices of local businesses- intrastate commerce- only if those local business practices were in some way a part of a â€Å"current† or stream of commerce that also involved the movement of goods between states. In the 1937 case of NLRB v. Jones Laughlin Steel Corp, the Court significantly broadened the reach of the Commerce Clause. Specifically, the Court held that any local business activity could be defined as â€Å"commerce† as long as it had or was likely to have a â€Å"substantial economic effect† on interstate commerce. Under this interpretation, for example, Congress gained the power to enact laws regulating local firearms dealers if any of the guns they sell are manufactured outside of their states. Over the next 58 years, not a single law based on the Commerce Clause was invalidated by the Supreme Court. Then, in 1995, the Court narrowed its interpretation of commerce with its ruling in the case of United States v. Lopez. In its decision, the Court struck down parts of the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, finding that the act of possessing a firearm is not an economic activity. Current Interpretation: The Three-Part Test When deciding that a state law is a valid exercise of the state’s power to regulate interstate commerce under the implied prohibitions of the Commerce Clause, the Supreme Court now applies this three-part test: The law must in no way discriminate against or excessively interfere with interstate commerce.The commerce regulated by the state law must not be of a nature that requires regulation by the federal government.The federal government’s interest in regulating the commerce in question must not outweigh the interest of the state. To uphold a state law under the Commerce Clause, the Supreme Court must find that the law’s benefits outweigh its burdens on interstate commerce. In addition, the Court must find that in enacting the law, the state is not attempting to advance the economic interest of its own citizens over those of the citizens of other states. Current Applications in Law In its 2005 decision in the case of Gonzales v. Raich, the Court returned to a wider interpretation of the Commerce Clause when it upheld federal laws regulating the production of marijuana in states that had legalized marijuana possession. The Supreme Court’s most recent interpretation of the Commerce Clause came from the 2012 case of NFIB v. Sebelius, in which the Court upheld Congress’ power to enact the individual mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act requiring all uninsured individuals to secure health insurance or pay a tax penalty. In reaching its 5-4 decision, the Court found that while the mandate was a constitutional exercise of Congress’ power to tax, it was not a proper use of Congresss Commerce Clause or Necessary and Proper Clause powers. Sources †Commerce Clauseâ€Å" Legal Information Institute. Cornell Law School.â€Å"Commerce Clause Limitations on State Regulation.† University of Missouri-Kansas CityWilliams, Norman. Why Congress May Not Overrule the Dormant Commerce Clause. UCLA Law Review (2005). â€Å"Federal Courts Split on Constitutionality of Individual Mandate in Health Care Law.† Regulatory Review (2011).

Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Management Accounting - Essay Example Well whatever the reason is, it is surely time that we sit down, assess and analyse the system as a whole and try coming out with both, a reason and a solution for all this happening. Arguably the main reason of reaching such a unpleasant situation is that, major stakeholders, whether it’s the big companies or the government, they have mainly focussed on short term achievement and plans rather than analysing, assessing and planning for longer term success. Hence before we consider entering in a developing country for investment purposes I would like to reflect some light on different aspect of sustainability reporting, the differences between sustainability reporting and traditional reporting and the benefits of sustainability reporting. Introduction A sustainability report mainly focuses, in fact constitutes, three elements or dimension, namely, social, economic and environmental. Due to this fact is often known as triple bottom line or 3BL. Some even regards is as a planet, profit, people principle. While discussing this aspect, sustainability reporting is often substituted for environmental social and governance reporting and corporate social responsibility as the whole idea is almost the same. The framework of sustainability is set up by GRI (Global Reporting initiative), a non-profit organisation. Difference between sustainability reporting and traditional reporting Sustainability reports differs from traditional reporting in a few important ways. Sustainability reports stress on the fact of maximising stakeholder value rather than only shareholder value. Stakeholder in this context refers to someone in fact anyone that is affected by the organisations actions whether it be directly or indirectly. Customers, civil societies, employees, financers and the community as a whole are all included in the list of stakeholders. Another crucial difference is that sustainability reports do not require each aspect to be in monetary term. That is some indicators may just be included as a comparison as the previous years to help analyse how the company is performing. In traditional reporting all reported data is produced in monetary terms. Sustainability reports produce comparison data due to the fact that some performance indicators may not be valued accurately in monetary terms, thus, are better off used as a mean of comparison. An example may be that of the pollution waste produce by the organisation. This may be reported as number of tons of wastage produced or even waste per unit of production. Both can be compared with that of other organisations depending on what indicator the other organisation has preferred. The sorts of information that they will need to include in a sustainability report of why they should be included The main reason to produce a sustainability report is to provide a true representation of the sustainable performance of an entity, that is, a reasonable and balanced presentation of the entity performance that incl udes both its positive contributions and negative contributions. Sustainability reporting helps organisations produce sustainable information of an

Berman v. dept of interior - ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Berman v. dept of interior - ethics - Essay Example POGO filed a suit against the oil companies based on this fact, which resulted into the oil companies making a settlement of $440 million to the United States. POGO thereof honored its agreement with Berman and Berman received a check of $383,600, which on the face side of the the check indicated that it is a public service award to Berman for working for the government. It is on this basis the United States government filed a suit against Berman stating that Berman had violated section 209(a) by using his office for private gain since he had accepted the amount from POGO, which is a private entity. This led to his removal from office. Berman appealed the judgment passed, but to no gain. This is because the jury based his ruling on the fact that Berman did not consult any ethics official in the agency for advice before entering into the agreement. His agreement with POGO clearly showed that he intended to use his office for private gain. This showed how reckless Berman was in performing his duties. This case seeks to show how important it is for employees to observe the highest levels of ethical conduct. As evident in this case, despite Bermans 26 years of service in the government and having no record of crime earlier, it was not sufficient to prevent him from losing his job. Therefore, it is important that employees observe appropriate ethical behaviors while at work. This case seeks to show how important it is for the state also to be efficient enough in its duties. It shows that the state was not doing enough to curb fraud in the United States. Such fraud should be exposed at an early stage to avoid wrongful decision-making by the state. POGO argued that oil companies had committed fraud since they had undervalued the oil they got from the federal lands; hence, formulating undervalued reports and making undervalued payments to the state in terms of royalties. POGO considered this act as being totally unethical to have been