Changes In Democracy: From Early Athenian To Present Day Politics Essay

Democracy: From Early Athenian To Present Day Politics. When following current events we can’t help but witness politicians use terms such as â€Å"defending freedom†, â€Å"liberty†, or â€Å"democracy†, but one is simply left wondering if the general public, or even the politicians themselves, know what those terms really mean or where they come from. The reality is that most don’t. The ideals of living in a democracy have been drastically changed from their original meanings and diluted into persuasive political language to become mere rhetoric as opposed to meaningful concepts of ethical and moral value.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The word democracy is thrown around to make convincing, patriotic speeches that many times are utilized to usurp the rights and property of peoples in the name of this most sacred of political concepts in the history of western civilization. In order to better understand the true meaning of this idea we must go back to its roots and search for the original intentions behind it. We must find the similarities and differences between Greek democracy and modern day democracy. By separating the two we can see how distant they are from each other. Without a clear understanding of the history involved we are easily blinded by the eloquence and charisma that politicians utilize to control the populace.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Democracy dates back to the Golden Age of Greece or the Classic Period. Not yet an organized, centralized nation Greece was made up of warring city-states none of which possessed full control over its neighbors. During this period and under these circumstances there was a tremendous advancement in Greek thought encompassing philosophy, politics, medicine, mathematics, and the sciences to name just a few areas of influence that still maintain a strong Greek legacy today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Of all the Greek city-states it was Athens that gave birth to many of the political philosophies that still survive today. At around 600 B.C.E Athens was in severe economic, social, and political crisis. It was then that a rich aristocrat named Solon emerged to produce for Athens its first comprehensive set of political rules and regulations, overhauling the constitution, reining in the plutocrats, and giving decent measure of power and responsibility to the moderately well-off non-aristocrats. He also provided some legal... ...of a city (Minogue, p.11).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unfortunately we have not kept the best of these ideas. In modern day politics rationality is no longer paramount. It is the reason we see the influence of politicians full of arrogance, believing in the superiority of their own authority trying to amass power through the use of the ancient Greek political concepts. Modern day politicians, mostly American, attempt to use emotion, not reason when addressing the American people. It is with great sadness that as we have witnessed with the last election this notion succeeded and now under the banner of â€Å"values† and fear will exploit the ignorance of the general public. Cartledge, Paul. The Greeks: Crucible of Civilizations. New York: TV Books, 2000 Freeman, Charles. The Greek Achievement: The Foundation of The Western World. New York: Viking Penguin, 1999 Martin, Thomas, R. Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric To Hellenistic Times. London: Yale University Press, 1996 Minogue, Kenneth. Politics: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995 Pomeroy, Sarah, et al. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999

Leadership Styles Essay

The leadership styles of the United States Presidents can make them effective or it can limit their effectiveness. The effectiveness of the President has direct effect on the American people. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy were two leaders that had major influences in the mid-20th century. Both men played a key role in the United States involvement in Vietnam. The experiences, styles of leading, and characteristics of both President’s Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy intensified the level of involvement the United States had in the Vietnam experience. Even though the leadership styles may have differed, the two leaders refused to let communism spread (Moss, 2010). Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy’s leadership style although different had similar qualities. President Eisenhower and Kennedy could be considered to have the leadership styles of both the â€Å"Director† and â€Å"Navigator†. Thomas Preston has explained a Director style is a leader with â€Å"both extensive policy experience and a high need for power† (Preston, 2001). Directors have direct involvement in policy process by setting guidelines and advocating for their own personal views. The Navigator also has extensive expertise in policy but they also search for the opinions and viewpoints of other advisors. Navigators will gather the information and from the multiple different perspectives have a more deliberate decision making style. Without having a Navigator sense of style, the effectiveness of any leader can be limited because of a lack of information gathered and reviewed for decision. President Eisenhower proved his leadership style by the way he was involved in the political unrest in Vietnam. According to Preston, President Eisenhower â€Å"preferred formal, hierarchically organized advisory structure where information and advice could be centralized into a small inner circle of advisers† (Preston, 2001). However because of the President’s expertise in foreign policy he had a very active personal role in the policy process and delegated very little to other expert advisors. Eisenhower’s own preferences in policy lead to the policy decisions. President Eisenhower gave the command to intervene in southern Vietnam and replace the French (Moss, 2010). This was to maintain a non-Communist state thereby halting the potential spread of Communism. President Kennedy was interested in multiple perspectives on policy; he listened to different sources on conflicting views and planned for debates prior to decision making (Preston, 2001). Kennedy wanted political rest and peace in Vietnam but knew that without US involvement, the fighting and attacks on Vietnam would increase. Because of this, the United States became more heavily involved which meant more military forces and money being spent. Kennedy had made decisions to violate the provisions of the Geneva agreements of 1954, thereby increasing the U.S. military significantly in Vietnam. â€Å"Kennedy was not trying to win in Vietnam: he was doing only enough not to lose† (Moss, 2010). This sense of leadership by Kennedy was devised to protect the U.S. by only having a limited partnership with the Vietnam government. For President Kennedy, as a Director, he kept active involvemen t in policy process and needed assurance that his own thoughts and ideas would dominate the end result. However, as the Navigator, he trusted his advisory team and kept an open advisory system â€Å"characterized by a mixed formal-informal advice network† (Preston, 2001). With the dual leadership style the President called for the heavy military involvement in Vietnam in 1965 (Moss, 2010). By having expertise in foreign affairs and taking the advice of his advisors, President Kennedy made the important decision to become more involved in the war efforts. For the United States, the President’s leadership is very important. The President is the countries representation. It is both very prestigious and powerful to be voted in as President of the United States. The President has the ability to keep the United States from war, or send us to war. The President is in charge of the military, deciding where troops should be stationed and how weapons should be used. That is great power, and without the backing of the American people the President and his cabinet wouldn’t be as powerful as they are. The American people need to know that the President has their best interest in mind. In conclusion, regardless of who the President is, the need for leadership is of great importance. By having both the Director and Navigator style leadership, the role of the President can be effective. The expertise, the desire to have a powerful role but also having the willingness to view other opinions for decision making is essential to making a great leader. The role the President has to be one that is inspiring to the American people but also the American people need to trust their leader, without trust there would be weakness.

Nazi Party And The Concentration Camp - 1008 Words

Auschwitz-Birkenau On May 26, 1940, the largest and most horrifying concentration camp was established. Estimated around three million Jewish people died in the concentration camp, all thanks to Adolf Auschwitz-Birkenau. Auschwitz was the largest concentration camp out of the 20,000 created. Hitler. In this research paper, I will inform you on the horrific and inhumane terrors in Auschwitz, there psychotic leader Adolf Hitler, and the events that occur inside the camp. Adolf Hitler joined the Nazi party in 1920. The large Nazi party wanted to unite as one nation and form a strong central government. Soon later in 1930, a depression had hit Germany and the entire nation. Hitler promised to get rid of Jewish people and communists throughout many speeches during the depression. People in Germany were in need of a leader and needed someone that could help them out of the rough times. Many people in Germany believed in Hitler and trusted him. As soon as Von Hindenburg, the leader of Germany, died in 1934, Hitler had full control over Germany. First, Hitler began to enforce strict laws on the Jewish people. Then Hitler began to move Jewish people to what are called Ghettos. Ghettos were small communities that fenced all the Jews inside. People thought they were on some sort of vacation and that the Nazis were keeping them safe from the nearby war. The Ghettos were buildings with small apartments inside. Families were very crammed and had to give up any g old or valuables. There wasShow MoreRelatedThe Holocaust and Nazi Germany Essay1100 Words   |  5 Pagespeople began with Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in Germany. In January 1930, Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany after winning over its people with powerful and moving speeches. From this point forward, it was a goal for both Hitler and his Nazi Party to rid the world of deemed â€Å"inferior† groups of people (Holocaust Encyclopedia: Timeline of Events). 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