The Relationship Between the Federal Government and States Argumentative Essay

The government of the U.S. has been on constant change. Since the independence of the United States till present, a lot has changed .The United States Central and the states government has undergone a lot of transition to the current date where their relationship as well was not left unaffected. The United States constitution provides for a link between the congress and the state government. Articles of confederation The articles of confederation are thirteen and they served as the initial constitution of the independent U.S. They stipulated how the central government was to operate and relate with the states. The provisions of the Articles These articles created an integration of and a perpetual union of the independent states thus limiting the powers of the National government. In the central government was the House of congress in which each of the states had a one vote. The articles in addition empowered the congress to borrow coin or even appropriate funds besides being able to declare war and order, sign alliances and treaties with other nations. The congress also had power upon budgeting the costs of the government to request the states to make donations so as to meet the government budgets. As such the government was financed by the States of which the donations were not equal in all states  (Barbara). The articles did not provide for autonomous executive arm of the government as well it did not allow any veto on law making. The judiciary was respected by all the states. A constitutional amendment to the articles was supposed to be approved by all the states. Virginia and New Jersey plans The Virginia plan had a proposal of a central government that could not only legislate the laws but also enforce them. The central government was also empowered to levy taxes. According to these plans, America would have two governments:   the central and the state governments. This is what is referred to as a federal government is. Besides dealing with representation in the Parliament, it also addresses other issues. It specified that, the central government should be divided into three arms. That is, Parliament, Executive and the judiciary. The Virginia plans are said to have favored the populated states as both the two houses were to have proportional legislation. Smaller states were scared over these plans and they claimed that these plans were not democratic as they suppressed them  (John). Eventually after the hot debate was over, the smaller states  Ã‚   came up with their own plans the New Jersey plans. It is also referred to as Paterson Plan This plans provided for a l egislature with one house and also equal representation. This plan was seen as a part of the articles of confederation. Federalist papers They were printed in 1787 to request voters in New York to ratify the proposed draft constitution. The series of 85 essays which are a major source in interpreting the constitution of U.S. These papers give an outline of a lucid version of the motivation of the system of government that was proposed. The federalists sought to persuade the vote in support of ratification. United States Constitution This is the supreme law of the U.S.A. It stipulates the organization of the government of the United States and it also provide for the relationship that exists between the central government and its states, and the people of the United States  (Barbara). It creates three arms of the U.S government. This includes the Parliament, The executive and the Judiciary. Besides, it creates the duties and powers of each and every arm of the government. It also reserves the powers of the states. The constitution of America creates a government that is federal. This means that power is shared between the central or National government and the local governments (states). Despite the fact that each of the state has its own constitution, no section of these constitutions should contravene the U.S constitution. For instance, a state constitution has no power to deny the accused the right to trial. This is assured in the United States constitutional amendment no.6. Some of the powers that are provided for by the constitution for the central government include: Declaration of war and order, minting money, signing treaties with other powers, legislating statutes that are vital for enforcing the constitution. On the other hand the powers that are reserved for the   state governments include conducting elections, establishing   local governments, ratifying the amendment that are proposed,   establishing local governments, the provision of safety and public health besides other p owers that are shared by both the national and local government. They include: collecting taxes, borrowing money, making laws, general developments of infrastructure, setting up courts among others  (Gregory). There has been a conflict of power allocation between the two types of government in U.S. In a convention in 1917 delegates observed that, the constitution lacked a clear explanation of the locus of independence. This left people to deduce that, the constitution created two centers of power. However the central government is more powerful than the local governments. A powerful and consolidated central government will run a roughshod in the States. In the old days, rights in the States were protected. An early debate was concerned whether the states were falling in the jurisdiction of the federal government and the Supreme Court’. The case CHISHOLM V. GEORGIA, the court ruled that, the state was subject to the judicial review. This saw the push for the eleventh am amendment  (U.S. Congress). Two federalists, James Madison and T. Jefferson, made the proposal that, the VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY RESOLVES to make the role of states in maintaining checks and balances in the powers of the central government clear. This led to the passage of ALIEN ENEMIES AND SEDITION ACTS in 1798. This limited number of liberties. Works Cited Barbara, A. American Government and politics today. New York: Cengage Learning, 2008. Gregory, C. Litigation with the federal government. New York: Ali-Aba, 2006. John, j. Handbook of State government adminstartion. New jersey: Marcel Dekker, 2000. U.S. Congress. Congressional record. New York: Government Printing office, 2005.

The Organizational Structures And Culture - 2323 Words

1.1Different organisational structures and culture Every business needs to organise its activities and a defined structure enables them do it well. For example, every area of the business knows what they are supposed to do and when to do it. In addition, they know who to report to with the aid of a good structure. On the other hand, organisational culture is something that is not tangible but can be observed in the way people do the things they do and in the way they treat one another and their customers. There are many different types of structures any organisation can operate with depending on what their purpose is but, for this study, the following types of organisational structures will be discussed: the flat structure, the tall†¦show more content†¦It is frequently used by public sector organisations. Organisational culture Organisational culture can be defined as a collection of beliefs and norms shared by individuals and groups in an organisation. It is those norms that control the way they do things and the way they relate with themselves and with their customers. The culture of an organisation can be perceived and felt but, may not be easily explained. Culture is developed and transferred in conscious ways and unconscious ways from one generation to another. There are different types of culture: the power culture, role culture, task culture, the person centred culture and many other types of culture. The power culture The power culture is a centralised type of culture where control is from the top. Decisions are made from the top without participation from the workers. It is mostly used by small businesses. This kind of culture may lead the workers to believe that they are not important and can cause workers to keep leaving for other organisations. The person /welfare culture This kind of culture is mostly seen in non profit organisations and in social activities groups. The task culture This is the kind of culture that is based on the working together, to finish tasks. This kind of culture can increase motivation because it is usually for a specific period of time. For example in projects where workers from different departments in the organisation can be brought together to work and when

Multinational organizations Free Essays

Culture refers to the way of life that is defined by the behaviour, knowledge, and beliefs throughout the lives of people. It includes the way we think, our behaviour, and life which are shaped by the political, economic, and historical conditions prevailing in a particular geographical region. . We will write a custom essay sample on Multinational organizations or any similar topic only for you Order Now A case study of Intel Corporation Expansion into China Intel Corporation is an establishment of the United States of America. It has a subsidiary in China. The set up of the plant in China wasn’t without challenges. Part of the problem included the Chinese educational system which wasn’t up to par with the American university system, the home of parent company. Therefore, students hired by Intel in China lacked the high level expertise required. Language barriers were another challenge since people of China speak Chinese language and their form writing is different from that in America. Other cultural barriers included social inequalities and jealous, gender insensitivities, style of dress, mode of communication, national pride, religious belief and local customs. Traditionally, filial piety and families are priorities. Thus outside organizations have great difficulty cultivating loyalty. Chinese are known to undermine others of lower class. To synchronise the level of expertise between the American employees and the Chinese employees, Intel Corporation sent the Chinese employees to America for further training. It also developed a policy that encouraged constructive confrontation, where employees would criticize their colleagues’ and managers’ ideas. The purpose of the policy was to allow constructive resolution rather than employees undermining each other during disagreements. Thus, employees had to prepare sufficient data to oppose a given decision before a scheduled date of implementation. Since confrontation alone cannot resolve all matters, a supplementing mechanism was put in place to implementing decisions in case disagreement persisted. Intel also promotes one-on-one consultations between managers and employees, where employees air their views to their seniors confidentially. These practices go well with the Chinese culture since Chinese by and large are more comfortable opening up on a one-on-one basis. Apart from encouraging employees to contribute ideas, Intel also allows them to error without fear of penalty. Why people may not appreciate the cultural point of view of others Attitude plays an important role in appreciating diverse cultural orientation. The mindset of people may cause one to disregard others people’s cultural standings. Lack of education, may lead to the perception that others cultures are inferior due to their norms, beliefs and values. Moreover characters in a person can contribute to rigidity in accepting contribution of people from societies with a different cultural setting. Past engagement may evoke feelings of rejection especially if the relation was unhealthy. Effect of appreciating cultural diversity on ability of people to communicate effectively in an international organization Cultural diversity is the multiplicity of cultures or human societies in a certain region. Appreciating cultural diversity is vital in an organization. The cultural limitations of employees are addresses. For instance, difference in education systems means the level of expertise is different. Through training programs, effective communication may be achieved. This would in return enhance human relation among employees and between management and employees. By recognizing the cultural variation, employees respect each others values and beliefs. Recommendation on steps to take and suggestion of appropriate policies that would ensure successful expansion of Sealwrap into Asia and Europe Introduction Culture refers to the way of life that is influenced by the behaviour, knowledge, and beliefs throughout the lives of people. Multiplicity of cultures in a certain region or organization is referred to as cultural diversity. Multinational organizations have experienced cultural challenges while expanding their business to regions that differ culturally from the country of origin. The cultural challenges include different education system of the beneficiary country. The system of education may fail to produce experts to much the job specifications. However foreign government often give incentives to multinational organization that hire local expertise. Moreover, an organization is by far acceptable if it involve local employees. Organizations often find it challenging to penetrate and operate in a foreign market due to language barrier. The difference between the organization’s official language and that of the country in which it is operating may require translators. Elsewhere, employees and managers may have to be trained. Other cultural barriers may included social inequalities and jealous, gender insensitivities, style of dress, mode of communication, national pride, religious belief and local customs. Organizations setting up their business across borders should appreciate cultural diversity both at the management and subordinate levels. Realizing and understanding cultures differences enhances human relation in an organization. The differences are addressed through an effective communication system. Managers understand their employees and apply the best strategy to resolve employees’ issues. As a suggestion, Sealwrap should consider involving more personnel of Asian and European when expanding their business in Asia and Europe respectively. It is advisable to involve these personnel at both the management levels and the subordinate levels. However, they must be trained accordingly. Elsewhere, in setting up the multinational in Asia, it is important to be flexible. The organization should consider allowing cultural norms that contribute positively to the organization to prevail. However these should be supplemented with professional management strategies. Suggested policies It would be important for Sealwrap executives, especially the human resources executives, to take on policies that curtail negative elements of the Asian and European culture while maintaining the positive ones. This would help in progression of the corporate culture in the Asians and European business operations. The policies should neither allow the corporate culture in the parent company to be adopted in the subsidiary nor should the Asian culture dominate in the operation of Sealwrap. A policy to maintain a higher percentage of the local employees would improve the outlook of Sealwrap as a local company. Employees should be encouraged to contribute ideas through a policy that reward them. Besides boost the employee’s morale, the company would improve its outlook. The company could promote its business through a policy on corporate social responsibility. In conclusion, one important thing that Sealwrap could do is to set up a fair, open, and caring human resource system that would cater for the Asian and European cultures in their business at Asia and Europe. References: Almond, P. and Ferner, A. (2006): American Multinationals in Europe: Managing Employment Relations across National Borders, 1st edition, Oxford University Press Shapiro, D. L. and Von, M. A. (2005): Managing Multinational Teams: Global Perspectives (Advances in International Management), Vol 18, Jai Press How to cite Multinational organizations, Papers

Consumer Spending in Asia free essay sample

Asia is the world’s largest and most populous continent. Interestingly the countries which fall under Asia vary in size, environment, historical ties and governance systems. Thus the wealth of these countries differs quite drastically. For example in terms of Gross Domestic Product, GDP (the market value of all the goods and services produced by labour and property located in a country† (About. com 2009)), Japan has the largest economy on the continent. In fact measured in terms of GDP Japan has the second largest economy in the world (Wikipedia 2009). Yet this is a far cry from other Asian countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, where the annual turnover of some large Multinationals exceeds the national GDP. Unfortunately despite the fact that Asia accounts for roughly 60% of the worlds population (wikipedia 2009), it has been overshadowed (in economic terms) by the shear might and power of the western economies, namely America. However in a bizarre twist of fate, sparked by the now infamous credit crunch, which has had a devastating effect on the once robust economies of the West, many are now asking the question, can Asians replace Americans as a driver of global growth? (Economist June 2009). We will write a custom essay sample on Consumer Spending in Asia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These Asian countries or economies are often referred to as the ‘Emerging Markets’. This definition is often widely used and loosely defined. The term ‘Emerging Markets’ was first coined by by Antoine W. Van Agtmael of the IFC (International Finance Corporation) of the World Bank in 1981 (Heakal 2009). It is used to describe fast growing economies, which have embarked on economic development and reform programs (Heakal 2009). Thus they are considered to be transitional economies, as they are moving from a closed economy to an open economy, whilst importantly building accountability within the system (Heakal 2009). China and India are examples of two prominent ‘Emerging Market’ Countries. Gone are the days these economies were ignored. The growing economic strength of these countries, one could go as far as to say may be seen as a threat to current international business. China and India use their generating wealth to actively compete with the West (Ashburton, 2006). For example, the take-over of Corus Steel by the Indian company, Tata made it the largest Indian take-over of a foreign company and the world’s fifth largest steel firm (BBC News, 2006). Another example is of the Indian company Taj Hotels positioning itself as a global player as succeeding Four Seasons Hotels in operating as a New York City landmark. As many multinationals face domestic market saturation (Fenwick, 2001) they could undoubtedly benefit from accessing these huge markets. The purchasing power of China is greater than that of any other country in Asia, and the second largest in the world (Wikipedia 2009). However the economies of these ‘Emerging Market’ countries vary considerably from the west in terms of culture and it has been argued that unlike countries in the West, individuals have a tendency to save rather than spend, thus have large current account surpluses. However the statistics tell a rather different story. ‘In China, India and Indonesia spending has increased by annual rates of more than 5% during the global downturn. China’s retail sales have soared by 15% over the past year’ (Economist 2009) . These are phenomenal numbers. This includes government spending thus does overstate the numbers, however according to official household surveys, the percentage increase is in fact more in the region of 9%. This is highly impressive in comparison to the downturn in the west. Sales of cars have increased by a staggering 47%, clothes 22% and sales of electronics have increased by 12%. Ironically while car sales were up in Asia, the American taxpayers had to bail out the once massive Ford. However its not good news across all of Asia, spending has suffered as a result of increased levels of unemployment and lower wages in countries such as Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore. In these countries real consumer spending was 4-5%. Yet there are positive signs in countries such as Taiwan, where retail spending rose in May for the third consecutive month, that spending is beginning to increase. The fact remains, relative to American consumer spending, Asian consumer spending has soared (Economist 2009). However despite the strong growth and purchasing power of China, the fact remains that in dollar terms China’s population spend 1/6th of that in America. This explains in part why the Chinese Government have taken such bold steps to boost consumption. For example they have made it easier to borrow, as well as issuing a number of subsidies for villagers, enabling them to buy vehicles and electronic goods such as TV’s, computers and mobile phones. This is a Government who wants its people to dig deep into their wallets and spend. Furthermore there are sufficient grounds for a positive outlook for the future. As incomes rise, this will no doubt have a positive effect on future sales. At the moment, only 30% of rural households own a refrigerator (compared with urban households). If the hopes of the governments in Asia are to be met, and consumer spending is to continue to soar, the answer lies in financing. The developed countries have a household debt to GDP ratio of around 100%, this is significantly higher than that of most Asian economies whose household debt is less than 50% of GDP. In particular in China and India, this is even lower at 15%. Interestingly the one exception to this is South Korea, where households have as much debt relative to their income as Americans. It seems the Chinese Government have plans in progress to tackle this. As in May this year the Chinese Bank, began planning legislation which will allow foreign institutions to set up consumer-finance firms, which will allow loans for consumer-goods purchases. However perhaps the biggest question is whether these governments will allow their exchange rates to rise, to allow the shift of balance between growth from exports to domestic spending. The rise in exchange rate would increase consumer’s real purchasing power and arguably more importantly give companies a reason to start producing goods for the domestic market. Unfortunately these governments have been reluctant to allow currencies rise too fast. Asian spending is without a doubt an important part of global growth. Surprisingly prior to the financial crisis which has hit the west, Emerging Asia’s consumer spending contributed slightly more (in absolute dollar terms) to the growth in global demand than did America’s (Economist 2009). For a long time Globalisation and free markets, have been blamed for widening the gap between the rich and the poor. It has been argued markets create the ‘Progressive exclusion of the poor’ (Patnaik 2003 p. 62). Indeed there has been much research which has reached the conclusion capitalisation has been ‘dominated by uneven development, in which divergence is the rule and convergence the exception’ (Weeks 2001 p. 28). Perhaps, and it is a big stretch at the moment, the latest developments indicate a shift to the once overlooked. However this pessimist cant help but feel, that these Emerging Market economies are far away from truly enjoying the fruits of their labour, and perhaps even much worse, they have only been given a taster, to something which will avail them until their governments wake up to the fact that rather than subsidising western consumers through undervalued currencies, they need to revalue the currencies.